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 Chris Meck:
Cousins and Smith are by far the best FA QB's that will be available. If you think your team is close right now, those are your best options.
Drew Brees.
His contract voids after the playoffs, iirc. I doubt the Saints dont lock him up though. [Reply]
I used to think the Chiefs could get a 2nd round pick and minimum a 3rd round pick for Alex Smith. I now think they definitly can get at minimum a 2round pick but I don't see how a team would be willing to give a 1st round pick for him.
Really, maybe only the Jaguars who probably need to upgrade the QB position right now. An elite defense like they have likely won't last for years so they should make their best effort to get a guy like Cousins or Smith.
If I were Buffalo, I would be Ok giving a 2nd round pick for Smith but I want my 1st round picks to get that top QB prospect if possible. [Reply]
Dorsey and the chiefs didn't exactly end on good terms. Why are people so confident he will go there? It will have to be a stupid amount of money for him to agree to an extension [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buckweath:
I used to think the Chiefs could get a 2nd round pick and minimum a 3rd round pick for Alex Smith. I now think they definitly can get at minimum a 2round pick but I don't see how a team would be willing to give a 1st round pick for him.
Really, maybe only the Jaguars who probably need to upgrade the QB position right now. An elite defense like they have likely won't last for years so they should make their best effort to get a guy like Cousins or Smith.
If I were Buffalo, I would be Ok giving a 2nd round pick for Smith but I want my 1st round picks to get that top QB prospect if possible.
After Darnold, Rosen, Allen, and Mayfield who is the next top QB? Right now all four QB's are projected to go higher than where the Bills are drafting in the first.
Where Buffalo is drafting in the 1st, who is potentially available that's equal too or better than Alex Smith? Remember they just drafted Peterman. I think there's a strong likelihood Buffalo makes that deal with KC if they feel one of the top 4 mentioned won't be there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefMojo:
This is a pretty straight forward business decision whether you are pro-Alex or not.
The Kansas City Chiefs defense was NOT good. Alex Smith had the best season of his career but it got us no where because the defense couldn't get off the field. Smith isn't good enough when it matters to overcome a shoddy defense.
.
Just curious how many quarterbacks have carried their shoddy defense to the title? Maybe Drew Brees?? [Reply]
Originally Posted by TigeRRUppeRRcut:
Dorsey and the chiefs didn't exactly end on good terms. Why are people so confident he will go there? It will have to be a stupid amount of money for him to agree to an extension
There is a 0% chance Smith lands in Cleveland... [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rausch:
The whole NFL knows we're going to release him.
His value is a 7th round pick based on the idea that someone doesn't want to bid for him...
If we didn't have Mahomes people would be dying for us to draft someone. He's not the best QB, but he's certainly better than what a lot of teams have.
Because we have Mahomes (and we can see he's raw, and we can see him do things Smith won't and sometimes can't do) people are over him.
If you're the Bills, the Jags, the Cardinals or a team like that--you're screwed on the QB front. Draft picks are too low to get an elite QB, and the only other reasonable option to have success next year is going to get at least a $150,000,000 contract.
If you're good enough to win now and just need a QB Smith looks a lot better to you than he does when you're ready to win now and you've got a kid who looks like a future superstar ready to roll. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bewbies:
If we didn't have Mahomes people would be dying for us to draft someone. He's not the best QB, but he's certainly better than what a lot of teams have.
Because we have Mahomes (and we can see he's raw, and we can see him do things Smith won't and sometimes can't do) people are over him.
If you're the Bills, the Jags, the Cardinals or a team like that--you're screwed on the QB front. Draft picks are too low to get an elite QB, and the only other reasonable option to have success next year is going to get at least a $150,000,000 contract.
If you're good enough to win now and just need a QB Smith looks a lot better to you than he does when you're ready to win now and you've got a kid who looks like a future superstar ready to roll.
It's about leverage and KC/Smith have none... [Reply]
Originally Posted by TigeRRUppeRRcut:
Just curious how many quarterbacks have carried their shoddy defense to the title? Maybe Drew Brees??
Brees maybe the only case. I think a couple of those Patriot defenses in the beginning of the dynasty were suspect. Definitely bend but don't break, but when Brady was putting up 30+ a contest did it really matter? Still those defenses were considerably better than anything we saw the past two seasons. Can't fix the defense without the assets we would get in return for a Smith trade... both in $$$ and draft picks. [Reply]
