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 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.
There's no chance Alex Smith isn't traded. That's going to get you cap room and draft pick(s). [Reply]
Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco:
He's not the reason you lost that playoff game.
It was very much a team loss. Coaches failed, special teams failed, defense failed big time, and the offense didn't finish strong.
At this point the big weakness on the team is defense with a lot of older players that need to be replaced. Trading Smith will help in two ways since they should be able to get draft picks...and they will save $17m that they can spend on defensive talent. [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.
You people with your gay fascination. I think KC has overtaken San Fran as the gay capital of the world. Congrats KC! [Reply]
Or teams could just wait knowing the Chiefs will release him. In that case the only hope is Cleveland because who would voluntarily sign with the Browns? [Reply]
Originally Posted by kcpasco:
Or teams could just wait knowing the Chiefs will release him. In that case the only hope is Cleveland because who would voluntarily sign with the Browns?
Teams are going to have to try to trade for him, as he is likely to have multiple suitors. It'll be a bidding war. [Reply]
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19:
Teams are going to have to try to trade for him, as he is likely to have multiple suitors. It'll be a bidding war.
Dorsey needs to give us that #4 pick. Mahomes to Ridley and Hill. Pure organism. [Reply]
Top ten picks should never be used on RBs nor WRs. They are a dime a dozen almost over the draft. Our 3rd rounder just led the league in rushing. Charles was a bad ass and never sniffed the first round as well. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Red Dawg:
Top ten picks should never be used on RBs nor WRs. They are a dime a dozen almost over the draft. Our 3rd rounder just led the league in rushing. Charles was a bad ass and never sniffed the first round as well.
Times are changing. Zeke was worth the pick. Doubt the jags regret the fournette pick. Saquon is a special pick that he'll be worth it as well. I don't like overvaluing RBs either. But times are changing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
Times are changing. Zeke was worth the pick. Doubt the jags regret the fournette pick. Saquon is a special pick that he'll be worth it as well. I don't like overvaluing RBs either. But times are changing.
Nah
The cowboys could have had Jalen Ramsey at 4 and a rb in the 2nd round [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
Times are changing. Zeke was worth the pick. Doubt the jags regret the fournette pick. Saquon is a special pick that he'll be worth it as well. I don't like overvaluing RBs either. But times are changing.
Hindsight, but I believe if JAX could go back and take Watson/Mahomes with Kamara/Hunt later on, they'd do it [Reply]
I see on WalterFootball's mock they have Cleveland taking Michigan DT Maurice Hurst with the 35th pick. I watched that guy absolutely wreck some games this year. So explosive off the ball.
If we can get that pick and he is somehow there, that'd be great. [Reply]