Chiefs trade Alex Smith to Washington, saving $17 million

[Cowboysrock55]

Serial rapist

 

[Genghis Khan]

The only reason to do that is because you believe Dak is holding the team back. Otherwise it makes way more sense to have Dak and an extra 28 mil in cap space.

He clearly is, I'm not sure how that's even debatable.

Obviously you'd rather have a good QB at Dak's price than a good QB at Cousins' price.

So the real question is whether you think Dak can get back to being a good QB.

I'd rather hedge my bets for the most important position on the field with more of a sure thing.

Especially when you consider that Dak at his absolute best may never be as good as Cousins at his best.

 

[Simpleton]

He clearly is, I'm not sure how that's even debatable.

Obviously you'd rather have a good QB at Dak's price than a good QB at Cousins' price.

So the real question is whether you think Dak can get back to being a good QB.

I'd rather hedge my bets for the most important position on the field with more of a sure thing.

Especially when you consider that Dak at his absolute best may never be as good as Cousins at his best.

Theoretically signing Cousins is a fine idea, why not ensure yourself at least a near "franchise"-type QB for the long-term after all?

But without getting into all of the logistical reasons for why it would be a cluster, it literally will never happen even if Jerry/Stephen/Garrett/McClay wanted to sign him because there is a 0.0% chance that Cousins signs anywhere where he isn't unequivocally the number 1 guy.

Of course you know that already but you just want to use any opportunity to express how little you believe in Dak.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Theoretically signing Cousins is a fine idea, why not ensure yourself at least a near "franchise"-type QB for the long-term after all?

But without getting into all of the logistical reasons for why it would be a cluster, it literally will never happen even if Jerry/Stephen/Garrett/McClay wanted to sign him because there is a 0.0% chance that Cousins signs anywhere where he isn't unequivocally the number 1 guy.

Of course you know that already but you just want to use any opportunity to express how little you believe in Dak.

You could trade Dak away before he signs...

Which by the way I'd never do. You're taking a huge risk on a QB who is a career 26-31 QB hoping that your system is just better than the one he is coming from. Dak Prescott on the other hand is 22-11 so you better be damn sure you are going to win a bunch of games with the new QB otherwise it's an epic failure.

 

[Simpleton]

You could trade Dak away before he signs...

Which by the way I'd never do. You're taking a huge risk on a QB who is a career 26-31 QB hoping that your system is just better than the one he is coming from. Dak Prescott on the other hand is 22-11 so you better be damn sure you are going to win a bunch of games with the new QB otherwise it's an epic failure.

Yea and I don't think that's a risk anybody would suggest we should take.

 

[skidadl]

Call it marketing them then. Reid has done exactly what Ron Wolf used to do in Green Bay when it traded guys like Matt Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks.

Draft one every year. Showcase and trade.

Wait, we have fucking Jason Garrett, Linehan and now Kellen Moore as the QB coach. I guess that is not such a great plan afterall.

If Reid trades away a QB he probably knows that he's doing.

 

[Cotton]

Yea and I don't think that's a risk anybody would suggest we should take.

You mean, except Geng?

 

[UncleMilti]

Man, most Cowboys fans have to wake up every season and go..."well, Jerry Jones sucks big donkey cock, but at least we don't have Dan Snyder running the team".

 

[Genghis Khan]

Theoretically signing Cousins is a fine idea, why not ensure yourself at least a near "franchise"-type QB for the long-term after all?

But without getting into all of the logistical reasons for why it would be a cluster, it literally will never happen even if Jerry/Stephen/Garrett/McClay wanted to sign him because there is a 0.0% chance that Cousins signs anywhere where he isn't unequivocally the number 1 guy.

Of course you know that already but you just want to use any opportunity to express how little you believe in Dak.

I already said, trade away Dak.

I've let plenty of opportunities go where I could have expressed my dissatisfaction with Dak but didn't.

I will say it baffles me how many people on this board are hell bent on defending and making excuses for Dak no matter how poorly he played last season.

I WANT Dak to work out. It's the best thing that could happen for the team. But I know what I saw, and it concerns me, as it should concern every fan of the team.

 

[Genghis Khan]

You mean, except Geng?

That's true.

I don't even think it's a risk, honestly. Cousins is pretty good.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I already said, trade away Dak.

I've let plenty of opportunities go where I could have expressed my dissatisfaction with Dak but didn't.

I will say it baffles me how many people on this board are hell bent on defending and making excuses for Dak no matter how poorly he played last season.

I WANT Dak to work out. It's the best thing that could happen for the team. But I know what I saw, and it concerns me, as it should concern every fan of the team.

I thought he would perform better than he did but I wasn’t surprised that he would struggle.

 

[boozeman]

Man, most Cowboys fans have to wake up every season and go..."well, Jerry Jones sucks big donkey cock, but at least we don't have Dan Snyder running the team".

It sure as shit is going this way.

Pretty soon it will be like "Well, you think we suck huh? Oh yeah? We aren't the Browns, ya know!?".

 

[boozeman]

I totally agree with you. So who is your sleeper QB? Obviously no first rounders.

This is a weird class, very top heavy.

Middle round guys like Kyle Lauletta, Mike White and Nic Shimonek might be able to make it.







Alright, I was kidding with the last one.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

This is a weird class, very top heavy.

Middle round guys like Kyle Lauletta, Mike White and Nic Shimonek might be able to make it.







Alright, I was kidding with the last one.

I like some of the second tier but I don't know if any will make it to say the fourth. But a couple guys I like are Falk and Ferguson. I like Rudolph and Jackson as well but give them very low odds of lasting until the fourth or later. I also like Lauletta. There are at least some names that intrigue me after those top 4.

 

[Simpleton]

I already said, trade away Dak.

I've let plenty of opportunities go where I could have expressed my dissatisfaction with Dak but didn't.

I will say it baffles me how many people on this board are hell bent on defending and making excuses for Dak no matter how poorly he played last season.

I WANT Dak to work out. It's the best thing that could happen for the team. But I know what I saw, and it concerns me, as it should concern every fan of the team.

So you would rather make a 30 year old, who is pretty clearly capped out as far as potential as a "good but not great" QB, and who is only marginally better than a 25 year old Dak (arguably), the highest paid QB in the league instead of rolling the dice on Prescott?

Rolling the dice on him improving that is, because I think it's a pretty safe bet that he'll at least end up in the Cousins category of "good but not great" one way or the other.

Keep in mind who our HC is also.

Cousins put up the majority of his stats in an offense run by McVay, who pretty clearly can manipulate QB's into playing above their talent level by manufacturing yards/points. Even though McVay wasn't there this year you have to imagine that remnants of the offense remained given that McVay primarily learned under Gruden.

Unless we could flip Prescott for a bounty the idea is ridiculous given that he's 5 years younger and has been handicapped by a poor head coach/poor play-calling.

 

[boozeman]

I like some of the second tier but I don't know if any will make it to say the fourth. But a couple guys I like are Falk and Ferguson. I like Rudolph and Jackson as well but give them very low odds of lasting until the fourth or later. I also like Lauletta. There are at least some names that intrigue me after those top 4.

Rudolph and Jackson most likely won't make it out of the second and might go in the late first at worst just based off of supply and demand.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Cousins is only marginally better than Dak?

That's not what I saw.

I think if you put a good QB on this offense, it's a 12 or 13 win team.

Cousins is already a good QB. So we'd be good to go.

Dak... we're crossing our fingers (or should be) that he can get to good.

I'll take the known quantity.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Also, about Cousins' age, I'll grant that it's not ideal. But he probably has at least 5 or 6 good years in him. I'll take it.

 

[data]

Dak is done.

Staubach said the system would roll on without him.

This system is holding back Dak.

 

[lostxn]

Redskins trade for Alex Smith is perfect example of “how not to build your roster”
50
Washington just swung a trade that has many people shaking their heads.
By Michael Sisemore@MrSisemore Jan 31, 2018, 4:45pm CST
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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Before we get into this silliness, I want to thank fellow FPW Michael Strawn for the perfect title to this article.

By now you’ve surely read the news of the trade that has sent quarterback Alex Smith to Washington, and has sent Kirk Cousin to another team somewhere down the line once free agency begins. The more you look into the details of the trade and the circumstances that have surrounded Cousins and the Redskins, the more curious you become about what Washington was thinking. These are the types of moves that Jerry Jones has been accused of making in the past, but this is beyond that. This is full-on Al Davis-type of roster work.

First and foremost, the moment that the Redskins decided to fire Scot McCloughan as their general manger and give the reins back to Bruce Allen, they made all of this possible. Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen haven behind such moves as the Albert Haynesworth deal and the Donovan McNabb trade.

For whatever reason, Washington has decided that Kirk Cousins is just not the right quarterback for the franchise. This couldn’t be more evident than when Allen called him by the wrong name several times last offseason. We also can’t forget that Allen publicly released a statement on the deal he offered Cousins which was clearly painting a picture that someone is greedy. Even McCloughan, who was the man behind tagging Cousins twice, thinks he’s a good quarterback, but told a radio show in Denver, he’s “not special”:

“He’s a good player,” McCloughan told Mike Pritchard and Cecil Lammey. “Is he special? I don’t see special. But also, we were still building a roster around him to make him special. He’s talented. Talent is good at quarterback in the NFL. He’s won games. He works his tail off. He’s so methodical. Every day he has planned out. He’s always in the building, he’s always watching tape, he’s always talking to coaches, he was talking to me. From the standpoint of the tangibles, they’re excellent. You just need to have some talent around him because you don’t want him to be throwing the ball 35 to 40 times to win the game. You want to have a running game, have a good defense, good [special] teams, and then let him do what he does.”

That scouting report sounds awfully similar to the guy Washington just traded for, doesn’t it? Well, back to the trade. How is this good for the Redskins if they’re going from one “non-special” guy to another?

Alex Smith did play better than Kirk Cousins this year but you have to look past just one year. Smith landing in Washington is not a bad deal at all for Alex Smith and it provides a capable signal-caller for the Redskins. Smith gets a decent offensive line that has offensive talent around him with a head coach that has plenty of similarities with Andy Reid and the west coast style he’s accustomed to. Washington is banking on the notion that Smith is a better fit for them and gives them a better chance to win a championship, although Smith only has two playoff victories in seven tries.

In the last three seasons, Kirk Cousins has passed for 13,176 yards to Alex Smith’s 11,030 yards. Cousins has also averaged a slightly better completion percentage and average yards per pass. Cousins has thrown 81 touchdowns in the past three seasons to Smith’s 61. Cousins’ passer rating at 97.5 and Smith’s 97.1 are pretty comparable to each other. The one area where Smith certainly outshines Cousins is in turnovers where he has only had 33 over Cousins’ 47. Kirk Cousins is the more prolific passer by a mile and far less of a bus driver than Alex Smith, but Cousins is more careless with the football

McCloughan said he believed that you needed to put more around Cousins for him to succeed but what about Alex Smith? Cousins has proven he can do much more with less around him. In his time as a full time starter, Washington has ranked 28th, 21st, and 20th in rushing offense. Smith has only played without a Top-10 rushing offense once and that was in 2016 when they were 15th. Much is made about Smith’s ability make plays out of the pocket but he has 13 rushing touchdowns in five seasons at Kansas City, Cousins has the same in three. Washington didn’t get better by trading for Smith, especially when you look at the rest of this trade.

It’s likely Andy Reid and the Chief’s front office that was going to have to cut bait with Smith anyway, so why did Washington pay so much? This isn’t new as Reid was able to procure a second- and third-round pick from Washington for the aging Donovan McNabb, who only played one season there. Smith will receive a four-year, $94 million deal with $71 million in guarantees from Washington. He will also average over $23 million per season and is most likely on the books for at least three seasons. The deal itself is a lot to pay for a quarterback who is turning 34 in May.

Maybe the Redskins’ front office knows that they handled this Cousins situation about as poorly as possible and were making sure they didn’t have to bid for his replacement. Maybe they also realize that picking at 13th overall isn’t going to get them a Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen. Either way, the bottom line is that they didn’t believe Cousins was a franchise quarterback and were more than happy to fork over the cash for Smith, who isn’t definitively better.

Not only did Kansas City get a third-round pick from Washington, but they also will get cornerback Kendall Fuller. This is where Washington really hurt themselves in getting rid of a promising young player.

Washington drafted Fuller 84th overall in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft and he was only available there due to injury. Fuller could have easily have been snatched up at the bottom of the first or top of the second if healthy. The Chiefs have struggled in the secondary and Fuller is going to be a starter for Andy Reid’s defense. Fuller only started six games this season but had 55 tackles, 10 passes defensed, four interceptions, and a forced fumble. With Bashaud Breeland hitting free agency, Fuller would have stepped right in next to Josh Norman. Now, Washington has to possibly fill two cornerback spots in an NFC East loaded with wide receiver talent.

It also doesn’t look great when the player has to find out on Twitter:


Kendall Fuller

@KeFu11er
Mannnnn im safe! I ain’t get traded

10:02 PM - Jan 30, 2018
1,364 1,364 Replies 6,975 6,975 Retweets 12,718 12,718 likes
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One hour later:



Kendall Fuller

@KeFu11er
Me on Twitter after tweeting all that then finding out i got traded! ��

11:09 PM - Jan 30, 2018
1,085 1,085 Replies 16,466 16,466 Retweets 50,597 50,597 likes
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If that isn’t the most Washington thing to do then I have no idea what is. This move to add Alex Smith is much less about the quarterback and more about how desperate the Redskins’ front office looks in executing the trade. Kirk Cousins was treated terribly but don’t feel bad for him as he’s about to become the highest-paid free agent of 2018.

If Kirk Cousins isn’t “special” than neither is Alex Smith. So, in essence, the Redskins just dumped Cousins to the street for the right to grossly overpay another non-special quarterback who is four years older. The Chiefs, Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins, and the rest of the NFC East came out winners in this deal but the Redskins most certainly lost. In the rules of roster building, this was a perfect example of what “not” to do.