KC Chiefs: Alex Smith Must Restructure Contract To Contend

KC Chiefs Quarterback Alex Smith – . Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

The KC Chiefs will be watching Super Bowl 50 from home while rivals, the Denver Broncos, make their second trip in three seasons. To earn a a Super Bowl berth next season, step one should be restructuring Alex Smith’s contract.

The KC Chiefs can learn a lot from recent Super Bowl contenders and this year is no exception. Defense is king as Super Bowl 50 will see the first and second ranked defenses square off.

While Carolina has gotten an MVP caliber season out of their quarterback, Denver has proven that it doesn’t need great quarterback play, or sometimes even good quarterback play, to get to the big stage.

The Chiefs should look at this blueprint and be very happy with the position that their in. They already have a ball-hawking, opportunistic defense and their goal this off-season should be to solidify their defensive core. They have play makers on offense in the likes of Travis Kelce, Jeremy Maclin, and this other guy named Jamaal Charles. Young players like Chris Conley, Spencer Ware, and Charcandrick West proved to be valuable as well.

The Chiefs are in good position in terms of cap space for 2016, but do have a number of defensive free-agents that they’ll want to lock up. Players like Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson are all valuable to the organization and will eat into that cap space if they’re retained. The Chiefs could look to other top free-agent defensive players like Josh Norman or Von Miller, but they’ll cost a pretty penny if they even hit the market.

Aside from needing to solidify their greatest strength, the defense, the Chiefs would do well to get some help on the offensive line. Mitch Morse showed a lot of promise as a rookie but Ben Grubbs under performed and Eric Fisher would be better at right tackle, though he did play better down the stretch.

The main point is while the Chiefs are sitting pretty where cap space is concerned, with the holes they have to fill due to free-agency, it will be used up pretty quickly. One way to help compensate for that, is to pay Alex Smith a more team-friendly salary.

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If the Chiefs can solidify their defense, and perhaps learn how to run an efficient two-minute drill, they have a good shot at contending next season. The Broncos have 25 free-agents and a lot less to offer in terms of cap space so their window for contention may be done. The Chiefs have an opportunity to seize the division before the Raiders hit their stride. (That’s right folks, the Raiders are going to be good…Someday)

It’s been proven that efficient quarterback play can get you a Super Bowl berth. Alex Smith can give the Chiefs what they need to win. He can be a decent quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over. He is not, however, the integral cog in the machine nor should he be paid as such.

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So what do you think Chiefs’ fans? What do you think the Chiefs need to address this off-season? Is Alex Smith worth the money he’s making? Is offense more of a concern than defense? Let’s discuss in the comments section below.

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