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 Quesadilla Joe:
Cousins, Brees, Keenum, Bradford, and Bridgewater are all better than every FA QB that's been available recently. Then you have guys like Chase Daniel, Jay Cutler, McCown, and maybe even Tyrod Taylor.
Add in 4 legit first round QB's + LaMar Jackson and all of the sudden giving up a #1 for Alex Smith doesn't seem like a great idea anymore.
Cousins: Sure
Brees: Really think Saints are letting him go?
Keenum: Probably sticking around depending on how the playoffs go.
Bradford: Can't last a full season to save his life.
Bridgewater: :-) dudes leg literally snapped. Teams are going to bank on that?
Who among the teams that would be willing to give a 1st for Smith would also be in position to draft one of the QBs? Cardinals? Bills? Jaguars? Try again, sir. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiTown:
I don't see the Chiefs trading their starting QB to anyone inside the Division. I think they start discussions with the Cardinals very quickly. They, IMO, make the most sense.
Disagree. Jax makes the most sense. They have one glaring hole, QB and with where they are drafting they won’t fill it in the draft with one of the top QBs. They will have to reach for a project QB. They would be better suited using their first on a QB that is far more proven and someone who can ride the run game and defense to a possible championship. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
Disagree. Jax makes the most sense. They have one glaring hole, QB and with where they are drafting they won’t fill it in the draft with one of the top QBs. They will have to reach for a project QB. They would be better suited using their first on a QB that is far more proven and someone who can ride the run game and defense to a possible championship.
Yep. Hoping for Jax, if he keeps going. I like Jax, though am apathetic of Bortles... so I hope Bortles crashes and burns this weekend.. just to make the odds better.
Cardinals would be fun too, but not as appealing. We all have to wait till March? ****! [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
Disagree. Jax makes the most sense. They have one glaring hole, QB and with where they are drafting they won’t fill it in the draft with one of the top QBs. They will have to reach for a project QB. They would be better suited using their first on a QB that is far more proven and someone who can ride the run game and defense to a possible championship.
There is a difference between division, like he said, and conference like you are saying. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Cousins: Sure
Brees: Really think Saints are letting him go?
Keenum: Probably sticking around depending on how the playoffs go.
Bradford: Can't last a full season to save his life.
Bridgewater: :-) dudes leg literally snapped. Teams are going to bank on that?
Who among the teams that would be willing to give a 1st for Smith would also be in position to draft one of the QBs? Cardinals? Bills? Jaguars? Try again, sir.
There would be legitimate questions/concerns about giving up a 1st round pick, paying Smith $15M for one year and then resigning him long term after or giving up the 1st and immediately signing him to a long term deal if Smith would even be interested in signing long term. [Reply]
I have a hard time believing a team is going to part with a 1st round pick for Alex Smith. If someone does trade a 1st for Alex then that is some damn good foreshadowing by this front office and basically traded up for free to upgrade the QB position.
I still think they get a 2018 2nd round pick + a conditional 2019 2nd/3rd round pick. [Reply]
Just cut him now. Can we not just move the hell on and not wait? I think it's effing stupid that Mahomes has to sit and wait to be named the starter. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Red Dawg:
Just cut him now. Can we not just move the hell on and not wait? I think it's effing stupid that Mahomes has to sit and wait to be named the starter.
Originally Posted by Red Dawg:
Just cut him now. Can we not just move the hell on and not wait? I think it's effing stupid that Mahomes has to sit and wait to be named the starter.
Originally Posted by jaa1025:
I have a hard time believing a team is going to part with a 1st round pick for Alex Smith. If someone does trade a 1st for Alex then that is some damn good foreshadowing by this front office and basically traded up for free to upgrade the QB position.
I still think they get a 2018 2nd round pick + a conditional 2019 2nd/3rd round pick.
I think a pick in the 24-40 range would be a good trade or at least 2 picks in the top 100. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Red Dawg:
Like hell I am. Just move on. Why would a team trade for him when they are 98% we will cut him.
Impatience to the point of giving up on draft picks is crazy. A team will give up something for him. We did with Alex when basically the same situation existed.
Even in a hypothetical world where we can't get something for him, there is no harm in waiting. It isn't going to do anything to Mahomes. And there is no way on Earth we don't get something for him. We can debate what, but saying we can get ZERO for him is crazy. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Red Dawg:
Just cut him now. Can we not just move the hell on and not wait? I think it's effing stupid that Mahomes has to sit and wait to be named the starter.
What sense does this make?
Why cut him when they can get SOMETHING FOR HIM. Everyone pretty well knows that Mahomes is going to be the starter week 1 why does it matter if Alex is called the starter during the early part of the offseason [Reply]
