The Redskins gave up way too much for Alex Smith
Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder can probably be accused of a lot of things, but being afraid to swing for the fences to improve his team is certainly not one of them.
Granted some of those moves, like the lavish contract Albert Haynesworth received in 2009, have backfired spectacularly.
But having a front office willing to take risks, even reckless and expensive ones, to improve its team is preferable to whatever it is that the Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts are doing.
That being said, the stunning trade pulled off between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Redskins to ship quarterback Alex Smith to D.C. was simply too much of a price to be paid.
Some may argue that no price is too steep for a starting quarterback, but if that’s true, the Redskins would’ve been much better off simply retaining Kirk Cousins, who is all but certain to have played his last game in a Redskins uniform.
On its face, this trade seems like a win for the Redskins.
The Redskins acquired a savvy, veteran quarterback who is more efficient and consistent than Cousins.
And the third-round pick the Redskins gave away will be recouped when Cousins leaves in free agency because of the league’s compensatory draft pick rules.
So far, so good. An incremental improvement at the most important position in football for an extra third-round pick is a deal most teams would make.
But it wasn’t just the draft pick.
The Redskins also packaged cornerback Kendall Fuller in the reported deal.
Fuller isn’t a household name by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s a very good cornerback who’s still on his rookie deal.
Talented players on cost-controlled rookie contracts are the absolute best value in football.
Fuller, who’s only 22, still has two more years left on his rookie deal. Despite his relative youth, Fuller has already become one of the best slot corners in the league.
Giving up a third-round pick and a 22-year-old cornerback would’ve been more palpable if the Redskins could’ve gotten a bargain of a deal on Smith’s new contract.
From all indications, that may not be the case.
Early reports indicate that Smith’s new deal includes $71 million in guaranteed money over four years. Additional details haven’t emerged, but that’s still a hefty price tag for a quarterback who will be 34 by the start of next season.
It also can’t be forgotten that Smith is coming off his best statistical year, but he also had an embarrassment of riches at his skill positions. Running back Kareem Hunt, tight end Travis Kelce, and receiver Tyreek Hill won’t be coming along with Smith to Washington.
If Smith can end the Redskins’ 26-year Super Bowl drought, then it will have all been worth it.
But until then? This looks like just another reckless and expensive risk of the Dan Snyder regime.
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