Kansas City Chiefs could trade Alex Smith to Browns in offseason
By Ben Almquist
One of the biggest stories of the NFL trade deadline may be important to the Kansas City Chiefs offseason. The Browns are clearly looking for a quarterback.
There was no shortage of big news at the NFL trade deadline this year. While the Kansas City Chiefs were quiet, there was one story that may end up playing into their plans. That is the botched trade the Browns tried to make for AJ McCarron. While the situation is sad and hilarious, it also shows Cleveland may be a trade partner this offseason.
One of the biggest underlying storylines of the 2017 season for KC is the future of quarterback Alex Smith. When the Chiefs traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes this past April, it was clear that he’d be the future. That situation has not changed, even though Alex Smith is playing at a level that has some people talking MVP honors for him.
It is clear that the KC leadership doesn’t intend for Alex Smith to be around long-term. They invested too much in Patrick Mahomes. With the Browns now showing that they are looking for a veteran quarterback, they have to be considered an ideal trade partner for this upcoming offseason.
Browns disputed proposed AJ McCarron trade to NFL, arguing it should be allowed, per source. NFL declined - no trade, officially, per source
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2017
The Chiefs Have A Lot To Gain
As long as Alex Smith continues his amazing season for the Kansas City Chiefs, he is going to have tremendous trade value this offseason. Regardless of how the season ends for the Chiefs, they would be foolish not to explore that. Especially now that we see what the market price is currently set at.
The Browns were set to give a 2nd and 3rd round pick to the Bengals for AJ McCarron. That kind of asking price will only go up for a clearly better option in Alex Smith. It will be hard for the Browns to justify offering less.
Related Story: Kansas City Chiefs Quiet At The Trade Deadline
Cleveland has also tipped their hand in regards to the upcoming draft. Clearly the
Browns leadership does not believe that a rookie quarterback is the answer. Whether that is an indictment of the upcoming quarterback class, or faith that DeShone Kizer will develop, it still plays well for the Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes Is Still The Big Factor
The decision on whether or not to trade Alex Smith will come down to one thing for the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid and Brett Veach will make their decision based on how far Patrick Mahomes has come in his development. If Mahomes is ready to start playing, the Chiefs will move on from Smith…it’s that simple.
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Obviously, it would be much more beneficial for the Chiefs if Patrick Mahomes is ready to start in 2018. For a number of reasons, that is the ideal scenario. However, there is no doubt that the Kansas City leadership has made alternative plans in case he isn’t.
If Kansas City is in a position to trade Alex Smith, they will not only get back a nice haul of draft picks, but will also open up some much-needed salary cap space. At the same time, the team would be moving forward as an organization to their quarterback of the future. Based on what we saw yesterday, the Browns may be the other half of that equation.
The Kansas City Chiefs have built a clear picture of the future of this franchise. When that picture takes shape is still up in the air, but if things go smoothly, it could be in 2018. That might make the Cleveland Browns a great team to keep an eye on for future trade talks involving Alex Smith.