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 Hog's Gone Fishin:
Nick Foles just might get Philly a SB. We're better off having Smith here to backup than without. I'd rather cut Juston waste of money Houston and Hali to get cap money.
Originally Posted by notorious:
I want the Chiefs to draft a guy. Develop him as if Mahomes will fail. They need to always be working on plan B. You never know, that mid/late round guy might end up being special.
Just say no to retreads, period, including backups.
Yeah. That plan worked out pretty good for the Redskins. I think that they drafted Cousins in the same draft as RG3 or maybe the next one. RG3 busted out and Cousins was waiting in the wings. Of course the Chargers managed to screw up and keep the wrong quarterback, but I think that they had already given up on Brees when they took Rivers. But Rivers wasn't bad. Just not as good as Brees. [Reply]
Originally Posted by notorious:
I want the Chiefs to draft a guy. Develop him as if Mahomes will fail. They need to always be working on plan B. You never know, that mid/late round guy might end up being special.
Just say no to retreads, period, including backups.
You’re quickly becoming one of the most knowledgeable statesmen on this board. Your tales are 95% perfect and spot on.
Originally Posted by Servant_KC:
You’re quickly becoming one of the most knowledgeable statesmen on this board. Your tales are 95% perfect and spot on.
Wise beyond your years.
With all of the holes and lack of draft picks this seems like an illogical option this off season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by notorious:
I want the Chiefs to draft a guy. Develop him as if Mahomes will fail. They need to always be working on plan B. You never know, that mid/late round guy might end up being special.
Just say no to retreads, period, including backups.
Exactly...like the Redskins did with Cousins.. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
All the holes? 1 CB, 1 OLB,1 DL.
Thats it.
Plus if Dee Ford stays healthy, he gives KC another pass rushing weapon. I’m no Ford fan because he’s not stout at all against the run. I’m hoping Tanoh becomes that bookend but I hope KC adds another one. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hog's Gone Fishin:
Nick Foles just might get Philly a SB. We're better off having Smith here to backup than without. I'd rather cut Juston waste of money Houston and Hali to get cap money.
With all respect Mr Hog, are you seriously advocating cutting JHouston (our best pass rusher) and signing Smith as a back up? Whoah... [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
All the holes? 1 CB, 1 OLB,1 DL.
Thats it.
What about a LG? What about our FA class? What about the injury to Jones?
Most of our FA that are UFA:
Bennie Logan NT
Dustin Colquitt P
Anthony Sherman FB
Albert Wilson WR
Kevin Pierre-Louis ILB/ST
Zach Fulton C/OL
Kenneth Acker CB
Philip Gaines CB
Jarvis Jenkins DL
Hali, DJ, Ford, Zombo need to be replaced and Revis is just too much money.
We need to resign Colquitt, Sherman, Wilson, Fulton. Our OL looked better with Fulton at C.
But there is plenty of holes with only 4 picks in the draft now with a possible 7th rounder added later to bring it up to 5. [Reply]
