The Cleveland Browns are exploring all kinds of avenues to try and acquire a quarterback and, according to a report from Mary Kat Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, tried to trade for Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith before he was dealt to the Redskins on Tuesday night ahead of Super Bowl LII.
They were not alone, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, who reports Cleveland was one of six teams inquiring with the Chiefs about the possibility of landing Smith this offseason. Ultimately the Redskins pulled off the deal, giving up what has been reported as a third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller in exchange for the quarterback. Smith is also receiving a massive contract that has more than $70 million guaranteed from Washington.
Smith’s time was up in Kansas City; it would be the worst-kept secret the Chiefs were going to Patrick Mahomes in 2018, but it wasn’t even a secret. The Chiefs essentially let everyone know that was the plan the second they traded up in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft to add Mahomes to the roster. 2017 was Smith’s season, but with an out in his contract and no dead money, at absolute worst the Chiefs would cut the quarterback.
However, Smith, a former No. 1 overall pick who showed some serious late-career growth in throwing the deep ball during the 2017 season, apparently drew a ton of interest in the trade market.
And eventually the Redskins emerged as the top option for the Chiefs, willing to give up a third-round pick and willing to hand Smith a hefty contract extension, while also residing in the NFC, far away from the Chiefs.
The Browns were certainly a possibility, though. GM John Dorsey, along with Andy Reid, traded for Smith originally when they arrived in Kansas City, acquiring the quarterback for two second-round picks from the 49ers. It felt like a hefty price tag at the time, but Smith paid major dividends for a franchise that won multiple division titles with him at quarterback.
While appearing on the Dan Patrick Show at radio row in Minneapolis, Smith did not sound thrilled about the idea.
“I haven’t even thought about that,” Smith said. “They’ve got nowhere to go but up. 1-31 over the last two years just sounds amazing.”
Ultimately it looks like another failure at the quarterback position for the Browns, and certainly calls into question how they will approach the position this offseason. Consider them suitors for Kirk Cousins this offseason as well, although he might respond in similar fashion to Smith.
So who else would’ve made sense as a suitor for Smith? Let’s examine a few possibilities.
Washington Redskins: We KNOW they were involved.
Cleveland Browns: See above. They need a quarterback and probably would not like to start whoever they (probably) take at No. 1 overall this year.
Arizona Cardinals: Clearly in need of a quarterback after losing Carson Palmer to retirement, it would’ve been easy to see Smith, who can get the ball out of his hands quickly, fitting in a Mike McCoy-run offense.
Jacksonville Jaguars: They are probably going to keep Blake Bortles around, but Smith combined with their defense would’ve make them an extremely dangerous contender in the AFC.
Minnesota Vikings: Basically the same deal as the Jags but in the NFC, and they don’t have a single quarterback under contract.
Denver Broncos: Similar to the Jags and Vikes, they would’ve been a perfect fit for Smith. Unfortunately for Denver, there’s a pretty good chance Andy Reid had no intention of trading him in the division.
Buffalo Bills: After making the playoffs last season, they have to believe they have a roster that can compete, but they definitely need a quarterback.
You can throw in the Jets too if you want, which would give us a total of eight teams as possibilities to talk with the Chiefs about Smith. It’s pretty incredible that a) he has such a robust market at the age of 33 and b) the Chiefs were able to extract so much value out of him in a trade.
The post Browns reportedly one of six teams that missed on Alex Smith trade before Redskins won appeared first on Article Pub.
from WordPress http://ift.tt/2DQkU1n
No comments:
Post a Comment