Kansas City Chiefs OTA’s: Recap From Day One
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11)Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Smith had an interesting day as well with all the different reports speculating on his negotiations with the Chiefs for a new contract. It all started this morning on NFL Network when Andy Reid joined NFL AM.
Andy Reid tells @NFL_AM the Chiefs are in 'open communication' with Alex Smith on a new contract. 'I'm sure something will get done.'
— Marc Sessler (@MarcSessler) May 27, 2014
Alex Smith also said “absolutely” when he was asked if he was feeling good about the deal getting done. Well, it appears there are some conflicting reports on all the “good” news surrounding his deal.
I’m told that extension talks between the #Chiefs & Alex Smith have been "almost nonexistent” in recent months, per a league source.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) May 27, 2014
Wait… What? So the people who are actually doing the negotiating are telling us everything is sparkles and sunshine, and the media is telling us that it is actually going no where. Confusing, right?
What this all boils down to is both sides having a desire to keep Alex Smith a Chief but, both need leverage for the amount of Mullah that he’s going to receive.
Reports a few months ago were saying that Alex Smith would be looking to make somewhere around $17 million per year. According to overthecap.com, that would put him in the top ten payed quarterbacks.
You can argue back and forth whether or not he’s worth it but the fact is that the Chiefs won’t be pressured into over paying him.
They drafted insurance with Aaron Murray, who many believe is the quarterback of the future for this franchise, and have another year into Tyler Bray and Chase Daniel.
If a deal does get done, it will likely be before the season starts. It’s just a matter of cap space which again leads back to a Brandon Flowers cut. Freeing up Flowers $7.5 will go a loooong way for the Chiefs and extensions.