Andy Reid puts Chiefs’ future in Alex Smith’s hands
Alex Smith posted a 38-36-1 record as a starter for the 49ers.(Gerald Herbert/AP)
The Kansas City Chiefs already granted Andy Reid a second shot at NFL success. Now, they are apparently prepared to do the same with QB Alex Smith.
The Chiefs have agreed to a long-rumored trade with the San Francisco 49ers for Smith, FOX’s Jay Glazer reported. According to Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, the Chiefs will send San Francisco “a No. 2 pick this year and a similar pick in the 2014 draft.”
Despite still having Matt Cassel under contract through 2014, the Chiefs made no effort to hide that they were seeking to improve at the quarterback position. News of the trade for Smith all but guarantees that Cassel will be released in the coming days; per league rules, San Francisco and Kansas City cannot formally complete the trade until March 12.
New Chiefs GM John Dorsey also may have tipped his hand on such a move earlier this month, when he told the Kansas City Star, “There is no quarterback where personnel guys can definitely say, ‘He’s a first-round pick.’”
West Virginia’s Geno Smith was believed by many to be the possible exception there, but he skipped the Senior Bowl and then underwhelmed at the scouting combine. And now, with Smith in tow, the Chiefs will be free to more easily avoid reaching on a QB at No. 1 — pushing offensive tackles Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher even further into the spotlight.
But no matter what the Chiefs do at No. 1, their success in the immediate future (and the early days of Reid’s tenure) hinges on Smith’s play.
Smith seemed to turn a corner last season, when he led the 49ers to a 13-3 record and a berth in the NFC title game. He started 2012 strongly, too, with a 6-2-1 mark through nine games and a 70.2 completion percentage. A concussion drove him from the lineup, allowing Colin Kaepernick to take over and open the floodgates for San Francisco’s attack, rendering Smith expendable.
Should he carry over that level of play, Reid and the Chiefs could be primed for a massive bounce-back performance in 2013 — especially if they manage to keep LT Branden Albert and WR Dwayne Bowe, both pending free agents.
However, Kansas City traversed down an almost identical road four years ago, when it finished 2-14 and then traded the No. 34 pick to New England for Cassel. After that, Cassel did help produce a division title in 2010, but recorded just 19 wins in 47 games overall for the Chiefs.
Reid has a history of developing quarterbacks, which is why Nick Foles’ name came up repeatedly after Reid made the jump to Kansas City. Reid drafted Foles last season in Philadelphia, then inserted him into the starting lineup after an injury to Michael Vick.
Smith’s arrival does not totally eliminate the possibility that Kansas City would pursue Foles, though it definitely makes it far, far less likely.
And that’s mainly because Smith is now the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense, not to mention that he brings with him at least a two-year contract (though reworking and extending that deal could top the Chiefs’ to-do list now, especially after reportedly giving up a pair of high picks). Reid and Dorsey wasted little time in their new roles figuring out what to do at quarterback.
Their answer: Alex Smith. Chiefs fans can only hope they made the right call.
I love the way espn and so many other media outlets are making Smith out to be Joe Montana or Bart Starr. The guy is average at best.
@6marK6
Say what you will about Alex Smith, but he was ranked 5th in the league last year among QBs, and was completing an amazing 70 percent of his passes. Most of the Forty-Niners' losses in the last two years cannot be hung on his neck but rather on folks like Kyle Williams, David Akers, special teams play, poor receiving (i.e. dropped passes), etc. Yes, he doesn't have a deep ball, but neither do many successful QBs in the league, and their teams win.
Seems like a good deal for both teams.
Are you kidding me? Two 2nd round picks?? Smith was just average behind one of the best o-lines in the league. now he will be behind one of the worse o-lines in the league. not good for K.C.
awesome for S.F.
@JohnP Well, John Pee is on the site. Great. John Pee, your comment is predictable and brings no intelligence to the discussion. Why would I have thought anything less? You come across like a brain dead schmuck who lacks any semblance of an original thought. Congratulations, John Pee, you win the prize for most boring comment of the day!
@John4 @JohnP ladies ladies please. you guys are both idiots
@John4 @JohnP ouch, you sure dislike JohnP
@John4 Thanks for sharing your opinion, not that anyone, particularly me, cares what a troll like yourself has to say. #keepontrolling
@JohnP @John4 John fight!
@John4 So what? What does it matter to you?
@JohnP The problem with your opinion is that a child could have come up with that "analysis". John Pee - don't be such a schmuck, just go back to rubbing yourself. Nobody cares about your idiocy.
@John4 It was my opinion. what is your problem with it? Who are you to be the opinion police you idiot?
@JohnP John Pee - do you really think your initial comment was productive at all? No, a second grader could have come up with that opinion.
Don't get yourself all up in a titter.
@John4 Hello, do you have anything productive to say? Apparently not, so just keep it to yourself to prevent you from cementing your status as the site crying troll
@JohnP John Pee, Urine your own little world, and nobody cares. Just go back to gaming and keep pleasuring yourself.
The 49ers are the worst NFL franchise. They only have "special" fans like me.
@GayNiner
Twenty-nine other teams in the NFL last year would have loved to be so "bad" that they ended up in the Superbowl. What kind of a brain-dead statement is that?
@GayNiner I don't get your comment. Actually the 49ers are a very good NFL franchise.
You're gay and an NFL fan. Nothing special about that. We get it.
(Also, please note that the NFL's gayest fans cheer for the Patriots)!
@John4 If you lived here in SF area you would see their commercials supporting gay teens.
@JohnP and yet you did.
@John4 You should know that you are a nobody, I shouldn't have to explain that
@JohnP John Pee - you have to be more clear. It's John4 not John0 so I was not following your idiotic "train of thought". Who can? John Pee - I am sorry for your lot in life. Too bad you're such a b!tch. (Sound familiar)?
@John4 John zero is you ...aka John nobody
@JohnP John Pee - who is John 0?
@John4 @GayNiner The actual "problem" is John0 chiming in with absolutely nothing constructive to say. Just a hating troll. Nothing new here. Hilarious
@John4 Wow if you read this thread from the beginning you will see someone just being an argumentative troll. Good work loser
@GayNiner Still not as gay as Patriots' fans.
@GayNiner should I insert a worn out "tight end" joke here?
@John4 They do gay parades dressed as drag queens the niner players.
@GayNiner Again, you're gay and an NFL fan. Why is that a problem?
@John4 @GayNiner
@John4
@GayNiner Gay Niner - did you forget to type first?
First type, then hit the "Post Comment" button!
While I don't look forward to the Bears facing him, I thought Smith got a rotten deal in SF because he didn't do anything to deserve getting benched. I 'm glad to see he's with a team that's probably looking to him as a starter.
@Maximum1 Didn't do anything except get outplayed by his sub when he was injured. Kind of like Wally Pipp, kind of like Drew Bledsoe. If the sub plays better than the first stringer did prior to the injury, then the first stringer is now the sub, (and likely to be traded if expensive).
Chiefs should trade down and draft OT or CB, and then take TAVON AUSTIN as one of their compensation picks
@Montelgolfer Why would anyone trade up into the #1 spot?
This I hope will end the stupidity of thinking that the CHIEFS would waste a Number one draft pick on Geno Smith whom is not a can't miss QB, and has way too many can't dos' on his resume. 1 Can't dump off or throw ball away ion college, 2. Can't process fast enough,3. Can't look off first receiver fast enough or all in college will only be faster in the NFL, 4.Can't roll out and throw on the run very accurately, will be running for his life if draft by any team at top of draft, Doesn't move quickly from a stand still or side to side. Way Too many Can'ts Period
Would be interesting if Kaepernick bombs next year.
@Staz Why would be bomb? Kaepernick has tons of ability, and next year will be even more experienced and hungry after the SB loss. Note that when the 49ers were down 28-6 they were lights out. Kaepernick is a 10 year starter for the 49ers. He's only going to get better.
@Staz clearly a typo - "why would he bomb"? Only a tool wouldn't know it was a typo, though. I thought it was obvious, but apparently, not for idiots, so here's the clarification.
Also, nice try with the quotes. Use " or ' consistently.
@John4 @Staz Who is this "be' person that is going to bomb? Or is this more terrible sentence structure?
10 years? Hello Brady just signed until he is 40. That's called 15 more years for Kaep. Do math much?
All you are proving is that you failed elementary English and Math
Good work.
@JohnP The laundry and dishes are done.
@JohnP So, you don't have anything better to do? Yet another contradiction. That's 4 for you so far, just on this post.
@John4 Sensitive stalking cry baby troll. Shouldn't you be doing laundry or washing dishes right now lady?
@John4 Stalking troll, hilarious
@JohnP John Pee - did you forget to type? I looked up your comments from the Johnny Manziel post from the 20th. I never forget. John Pee - Urine the real world here, nobody cares about your idiocy. I look forward to hearing from you soon. The pleasure will be all yours.
@John4
@JohnP You already said you have better things to do, so you have contradicted yourself yet again!
@John4 Wrong and immature. Good night negative troll
@JohnP John Pee - yes, time for you to rub one out, again.
@John4 Have a good night. Unlike you I have better things to do with my time than argue nonsense with a troll
@JohnP You just contradicted yourself again. Basically, you have no idea who long they will last, but since Brady might play until he's 40, then, according to you, Kaepernick will, then you asked if I failed elementary English and Math, but now, a few moments later, you confirm that you have no idea how long Kaepernick will play.
@John4 Generally top notch starting quarterbacks last longer than 10 years. New to American football?
@JohnP So you're admitting that there is no way you can say that Kaepernick will play to 40? You just contradicted yourself. Nice.
@John4 Likewise you can not say 10. Nor is 10 typical for elite quarterbacks. Hello!!
@JohnP 10 years is a typical career for top QBs. True, some last longer, but 10 is typical. Can you definitively say that Kaepernick will play until 40 years old? Of course not. Nobody can.