Showing posts with label Colin Kaepernick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colin Kaepernick. Show all posts

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Chiefs Complete Deal To Acquire Alex Smith

It is official – the Chiefs and 49ers have reached a deal that will send quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City. In the deal, the Chiefs gave up their second round pick (No. 34 overall) in this year’s NFL draft as well as a conditional pick in the 2014 draft.
 
Smith’s career got off to a rough start, but he has played well recently. In the 2011 season he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, leading the 49ers to the NFC title game. Smith was having an even better season in 2012, with a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. After he got hurt, Colin Kaepernick played well, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the talented Kaepernick through the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

There is no question that the Chiefs needed help at quarterback, and Smith provides an upgrade to the position. The big question Chiefs fans are now wondering is this: did the team give up too much to acquire Smith?

The answer is yes. Smith is a good player, but the Chiefs are not in win-now territory. The team was the worst franchise in football last year, and will need a year or two of rebuilding to get back to playoff contention. The 34th pick in the draft is extremely valuable, as well as a mid-round pick in 2014.

The move to get Smith makes sense – there aren’t any great QB prospects in this year’s draft. The staff likely felt Smith gave them the best chance of winning over Geno Smith or Matt Barkley, and Alex will be 29-years-old when the season starts (so he has several years of football left in him). It just seems like the Chiefs could have acquired Smith at a cheaper price, especially since it has become clear he is firmly the backup to Kaepernick in San Francisco.

The Chiefs could still take a quarterback in the draft and groom them for the future. The team may gamble on Geno Smith with the top pick, or attempt to trade down several spots in the first round and take a quarterback then. Kansas City also could take a chance on a project later in the draft, but losing their second-round pick gives the team less flexibility. Most feel that the team isn’t sold on any QBs in this year’s draft, and will instead take a player like Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel and attempt to find a young QB in the future.

With the acquisition of Smith, it appears that Kansas City will release Matt Cassel. Cassel is due $7.75 million in 2013.

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Chiefs Close To Acquiring 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs have a deal that is nearly completed to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Any deal involving Smith cannot officially take place until March 12, when the new league year begins.

Smith’s story was well documented this past season due to the emergence of Colin Kaepernick during the 49ers run to the Super Bowl. After a strong 2011 season in which he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, Smith was having an even better season in 2012 – enjoying a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. Kaepernick played well in Smith’s absence, and head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the young QB instead of Smith all the way up through the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs’ most glaring need is at quarterback, and many thought the team would draft a QB with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. However, this draft does not have any quarterback prospects that deserve to go number one overall, and many reports have indicated that Kansas City is moreinterested in drafting Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.

If the Chiefs trade for Smith, there are two paths the team can take. Kansas City could make Smith the starting quarterback and still draft a QB like Geno Smith or Matt Barkley with the top pick, grooming the young signal caller for the future similar to how the Packers brought along Aaron Rodgers. The Chiefs could also make Smith the starter and spend its top pick on an impact offensive or defensive lineman, and select a QB later in the draft or next season. Acquiring Smith certainly gives the team options.

Is Smith a good fit for Kansas City? He rarely turns the ball over and has excelled in a scheme in San Francisco that emphasizes conservative passes and running the football. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs are built to be a run-first offense, and Smith could give the Chiefs just what they need – a steady quarterback who limits mistakes. The downside to Smith is that he struggled his entire career in San Francisco until a championship-level team was built around him. As Matt Cassel proved, an average QB can look good with a strong team around him, and Smith will not have the talent supporting him that he enjoyed in San Francisco.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Why The Chiefs Should Sign Alex Smith

Alex Smith, the San Francisco 49ers’ former starting quarterback, has asked for his release before the NFL’s free agency period begins on March 12. Smith was enjoying a strong season for the 49ers before being benched in favor of Colin Kaepernick. The Chiefs are rumored to be one of several teams who are interested in pursuing Smith, which makes sense. Signing Smith would be a great move by new general manager John Dorsey.

First, let’s look at Smith. The former top overall pick struggled early in his career, often getting benched and never living up to his lofty draft status. However, over the past few seasons, he has grown into an efficient quarterback who rarely makes a big mistake. In the eight games he played this season, Smith compiled a 104.1 passer rating. Had that held up for an entire season, it would have finished as the third highest rating in the league this past season behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning.

Smith has been labeled by many as a glorified game manager, but that wouldn’t be a bad fit with Kansas City. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles in the prime of his career, the Chiefs should be a run-first team in the near future. Matt Cassel’s turnovers completely derailed the offense last season, and Smith can provide the Chiefs with efficient, mistake-free football.

Many Chiefs fans feel the team should draft a quarterback with its top overall draft pick, but this simply is not a good draft class for quarterbacks. The team could massively upgrade its offensive or defensive line with the firstoverall pick if it gets Smith in free agency, and then decide to draft a quarterback next year or in the later rounds of the draft. Kansas City could also sign Smith and still draft its quarterback of the future. Smith will likely be available for a decent price, and his presence would allow the Chiefs to bring along its new quarterback slowly.

One of the biggest mistakes Scott Pioli made during his reign of terror as Kansas City’s GM was not investing into the quarterback position apart from his initial signing of Matt Cassel. The Chiefs may or may draft their QB of the future in April, but either way, they should sign Alex Smith.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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