Market for Alex Smith will be strong, Ian Rapoport says
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network thinks the Chiefs could get a solid trade haul in return for Alex Smith.
Kirk Larrabee - 3 hours ago 0
The Kansas City Chiefs should have no problem finding a trade partner for Alex Smith this offseason and could come away with a strong haul in return, according to insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Rapoport, who reported over the weekend the Chiefs would be listening to offers for Smith this offseason, was a guest on The Day Shift on 610 Sports Radio Kansas City Monday, where he was asked about the level of interest in Alex Smith and whether or not the Chiefs will be able to trade him.
"A lot," Rapoport said. "A lot, and yes."
Smith is coming off his best statistical season of his career as he threw for 4,042 yards in 2017 with 26 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 104.7 passer rating. Rapoport says it's that performance along with what Smith can bring to a team's quarterback room that makes him such a hot commodity.
"He was number one in the NFL in passer rating," Rapoport said. "He is a great person, so if you trade for him and then draft a quarterback high, you will get someone who's going to help him. All you need to do is ask Patrick Mahomes. It's actually an amazing thing what a great person Alex Smith is because he's dealt with a lot of crap in his career despite mostly awesome and has come out the other side of it."
There have been several teams speculated to be good fits for Smith, with different situations among each of them. There's the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, playoff teams that are still fighting quarterback woes; there's the Arizona Cardinals, a team whose starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, just retired, but still has enough talent to be competitive next season; and there's a team like the Cleveland Browns, who might be interested in acquiring Smith to not just help the team start winning again but to be a mentor to a quarterback they might select in the draft.
The latter situation might not seem like an ideal one to many quarterbacks, but Smith has done it before, and Rapoport thinks he might not have a problem doing it again.
"If I was a franchise quarterback, would I really want to help the guy who is brought in to replace me? I don't know," Rapoport said. "For some ridiculous reason, Alex Smith has done it several times, and he's continued to be a great guy. He's going to end up benefiting from all this because first of all, he's probably going to wind up being traded somewhere great. Second of all, I think his legacy will sort of live on and people will know what a good person he is."
Trading Smith would free up $17 million in cap space for the Chiefs, a much-needed amount for a team currently projected to be over the cap next year, and would also allow them to replenish some of the draft picks they traded away in multiple trades in recent months. It cost a 2013 second round pick and a 2014 conditional pick (which turned out to be another second round pick) for the Chiefs to acquire Smith from the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, and Rapoport thinks the Chiefs could get even more in return for Smith than that.
"I think they might do better this time," Rapoport said. "He is a hot commodity, and they are in unbelievable position."
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19:
We're going to have ample chances to improve this defense, whether it be via FA or draft. The biggest change shall be at DC, however.
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19:
We're going to have ample chances to improve this defense, whether it be via FA or draft. The biggest change shall be at DC, however.
But when though. Sutton should have been fired 48 hours ago. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TEX:
Yep, but way different circumstances. You saw the game. Tenn had no answer for Kelce.
No they didn't, but we have other options. Kelce was out and they didn't have an answer for Robinson right before half. It's up to the QB to make it happen with what he has to work with. Smith didn't do it in the 2nd half. Not the first time we have seen this either. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
There's no point discussing this rationally, others on the board agree with your points. The defense was totally humiliated not getting a single 2H stop. Nobody wants to discuss it.
The alex obsession is the main reason I want him gone. Then next year they'll start blaming mahomes
You're an idiot..
The reason there's no 'discussion' of the defensive melt down is because everyone agrees that the defense had a good 1st half and a bad second half.
You don't have a small group of creepy stalker weirdos trying to argue that because they had a great 1st half that they shouldn't be held accountable for failing in the second half.
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19:
We're going to have ample chances to improve this defense, whether it be via FA or draft. The biggest change shall be at DC, however.
Ample???? We only have 2cd, 3rd, 4th and 6th round picks.
The Chiefs are not shopping Smith. They are just willing to listen to offers. If we don't trade him, which I think we probably will, there will not be much cap to sign that many players. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Coogs:
No they didn't, but we have other options. Kelce was out and they didn't have an answer for Robinson right before half. It's up to the QB to make it happen with what he has to work with. Smith didn't do it in the 2nd half. Not the first time we have seen this either.
Many times when a player first goes out, the replacement sets are successful. However, Tenn knew Kelce wasn't coming back at half and adjusted for it. I agree it is up to the QB to make it work with what is available - Up to the DC to do the same thing. Both failed. Still, my point was that Kelce going out changed things dramatically. I get your point about Smith - [Reply]
Originally Posted by TigeRRUppeRRcut:
This team is on course to be the next Detroit Lions when they had Megatron. 5000 yard seasons that somehow only amount to 9 wins.
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Ample???? We only have 2cd, 3rd, 4th and 6th round picks.
The Chiefs are not shopping Smith. They are just willing to listen to offers. If we don't trade him, which I think we probably will, there will not be much cap to sign that many players.
The Chiefs will have plenty of cap space after they make roster moves. Just trading Smith frees up a ton.
I just hope Veach shows more understanding of cap manipulation than Dorsey did, because he fucking sucked at it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
Let's get him to one of the New York teams. Alexuals would get killed. Remember the Mets message board during the World Series.
Aren't the Jets rumored to want Alex as well? [Reply]
Originally Posted by TEX:
Many times when a player first goes out, the replacement sets are successful. However, Tenn knew Kelce wasn't coming back at half and adjusted for it. I agree it is up to the QB to make it work with what is available - Up to the DC to do the same thing. Both failed. Still, my point was that Kelce going out changed things dramatically. I get your point about Smith -
