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."
Jets - Could just draft one.
Bills - Could roll with Taylor but more than likely will cut him and need one.
Browns - More than likely going to draft one.
Jaguars - Bortles is due $19 million and isn't worth it.
Broncos - Needs to hope that one drops in the draft.
Redskins - Could re-sign Cousins but if they don't....they'll need one.
Giants - They have Manning but don't have shit outside of him.
Vikings - Bradford, Keenum and Bridgewater are all FAs.
Cardinals - Has nothing and probably won't get a QB at #15. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rausch:
They don't need Cousins and his soon-to-be-tops NFL contract.
They just need a guy like Smith to not eff it up.
Why give up a high pick for Smith when you can potentially get a younger, better QB without giving up anything?
If they cut Bortles they'll have $40M+ worth of cap space.
Originally Posted by Rausch:
Taylor is gone after this year.
Why get rid of Tyrod for Smith? They make the same amount of money and Smith isn't the missing piece that's going to take Buffalo to the Super Bowl. [Reply]
2 of the top QBs wanted to stay in school to avoid the prospect of being drafted by Cleveland. A year of security with Alex Smith might be just the thing the Browns need to stop their chosen QB from going all Elway on them. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
Why give up a high pick for Smith when you can potentially get a younger, better QB without giving up anything?
If they cut Bortles they'll have $40M+ worth of cap space.
Why get rid of Tyrod for Smith? They make the same amount of money and Smith isn't the missing piece that's going to take Buffalo to the Super Bowl.
Wow, you know literally nothing about the Bills if you just posted that. They benched Tyrod for Nathan Peterman who proceeded to have one of the worst showings I've ever seen. The Bills have made their feeling on Tyrod abundantly clear. [Reply]
This is the worst year for KC to get a return for Smith.
Bradford, McCown, Bridgewater, Keenum, and Cousins are all FA's and there are four legitimate first-round QB's, plus LaMar Jackson available in the draft. [Reply]
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.
Alex Smith is worth more to Kansas City not on this team than he is by staying. Anyone with a pulse knows Mahomes is ready for the starting gig. People that follow this game for a living can see something special in him. It's his time to lead this football team. In the mean time, by trading Smith, Kansas City opens themselves up to potentially multiple early round picks and nearly $20M in cap space. Picks and $$$ that can go to one of the leagues worst defense. It's a no brainer.
There's nothing Alex Smith brings to the table that's going to help this team win a Super Bowl in 2018. Not with this defense. Add to the fact Mahomes is tailor made to Reid's new hybrid WCO/Spread offense. The time is now to cash in and move forward. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
This is the worst year for KC to get a return for Smith.
Bradford, McCown, Bridgewater, Keenum, and Cousins are all FA's and there are four legitimate first-round QB's, plus LaMar Jackson available in the draft.
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
This is the worst year for KC to get a return for Smith.
Bradford, McCown, Bridgewater, Keenum, and Cousins are all FA's and there are four legitimate first-round QB's, plus LaMar Jackson available in the draft.
When you ignore the OP..
Originally Posted by :
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.
I would laugh if the Broncos traded for him just to see Knowmo flip 180 degrees and talk about how the Chiefs just never put a good team around Smith. [Reply]
