MELLINGER: Should The Chiefs Move On From Smith?

[OnTheWarpath15]

Yep, another Alex Smith thread - but a solid and fair read from Sam Mellinger.

The only way forward is through brutal honesty and realistic self-evaluation. No sport moves as quickly, or with such little empathy, as the NFL.

Only fools assume what happened in the past will continue to happen in the future, unless that assumption is “the Patriots will win every year from now until armageddon because Bill Belichick is an alien.”

And so it is that this particular group of Chiefs players and executives attempt to solve a puzzle that no group of Chiefs players and executives has solved since 1970, which is so long ago CBS erased the tape to save money:

Get to the Super Bowl.

And it’s hard to believe that will happen without addressing the quarterback situation.

This is not a call for the Chiefs to walk away from Alex Smith, even though this is the first offseason since his arrival in which they could do it without a fatal salary cap hit. This is a call for them to look, to try, to make sure they don’t have access to a better option — whether that’s Tony Romo in a trade, Deshaun Watson in the draft (which would almost certainly require a trade up), or anything else.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I agree that Ware needs help. He needs help from his QB. The pass that wasn't made to Hill is one prime example. That pass needs to fly, even if it is incomplete. Even the threat of a downfield passing game could lead to Ware being able to run it 25-30 times a game like the RB from the Steelers did for a buck-seventy.

Smith missed two throws to Ware. It's pretty much impossible for a 5-10 RB with a cracked rib to make these catches and/or get YAC.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

So much this... yes, interceptions would go up under Foles

But so would chunk plays and touchdowns, give the guy a full offseason and camp as the starter and watch our underutilized stars like Hill, Kelce and Maclin blow up

He is in house, there would be no learning curve on the verbiage... he is the perfect bridge player for any potential rookie

I know I'm not the only one who noticed the difference in playcalling and/or decision making during his game and a half this year... sure, he misfired on some of those long throws, but at least he took those shots

And dont tell me about his time with Kelly, or those disgraceful Rams... think about him with permanent starter reps under Reids tutelage

Alas, I fear its all a fever dream anyway... they're gonna stick with one of the easiest to gameplan for QBs around next season, I'm sure of it

We'll keep Smith....cut Foles and then watch as another QB needy team takes a chance on him.

[DJ's left nut]

I just laaaaaughed and laughed at that screen pass.

For once we set up an honest to goodness running back screen and it actually worked. Somehow Smith missed the throw.

And why? He got spooked by the pressure. On a screen pass. Where the pressure is allowed by design.

He was spooked by pressure that didn't exist in that game as well as pressure that we allowed to exist and he KNEW would have to exist in order to make the play work.

The guy played like shit.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

We'll keep Smith....cut Foles and then watch as another QB needy team takes a chance on him.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

We'll keep Smith....cut Foles and then watch as another QB needy team takes a chance on him.

Good luck to whoever takes Foles.
I have no doubt that he will continue to be a backup at best

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Good luck to whoever takes Foles.
I have no doubt that he will continue to be a backup at best

What are you basing that take on?

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

What are you basing that take on?

His sample size of play suggests that he's capable of having 1 fantastic season or 3 not so good seasons.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Spider2YBanana

You can trade Alex Smith with no contract penalty for any of these QBs.

Random selection.

Do you do it?

Tiger?

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

His sample size of play suggests that he's capable of having 1 fantastic season or 3 not so good seasons.

Your sample size is extremely tainted by

a) a head coach unable to alter his scheme to account for DCs catching up to his trickery after that year

b) an absolute rock bottom NFL offensive program in St Louis... Jeff Fisher and all of his offensive coaches should never work in the league again

But if you'd rather stick with Smiff until our rookie phenom arrives, then thats on you

[DJ's left nut]

Cutting Smith outright (before his roster bonus is due on 3/11) and then playing Foles under his present contract would put the Chiefs about $1 million worse off from a cap standpoint than they would be if they kept Smith and released Foles.

Not enough to matter either way.

So like I said earlier, I've reached the point now that even if I can't get Foles to restructure, I just cut Smith and Foles is my starter. If Foles absolutely eats shit, we've moved into the top 15 of one of the better QB classes in a long-time come 2018 (and if we've already drafted a QB in 17, that puts us in a prime position to trade back in '18 and recover some of the assets we surrendered to get our QBOTF in '17).

Best case scenario is that Foles actually throws that !@#$ing pass to Tyreek Hill the next time it's wide the **** open and we win a goddamn Super Bowl.

In either event, I prefer the range of possible options under Foles more than I do under Smith. With Foles, on one end you have 6-10 and a top 12 draft pick, on the other end a championship. With Smith on one end you have 10-6 and a probable first round loss to 13-3 and a probable bye...with a first round loss.

Yeah....I'm done with this.

[Go Royals]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Cutting Smith outright (before his roster bonus is due on 3/11) and then playing Foles under his present contract would put the Chiefs about $1 million worse off from a cap standpoint than they would be if they kept Smith and released Foles.

Not enough to matter either way.

So like I said earlier, I've reached the point now that even if I can't get Foles to restructure, I just cut Smith and Foles is my starter. If Foles absolutely eats shit, we've moved into the top 15 of one of the better QB classes in a long-time come 2018 (and if we've already drafted a QB in 17, that puts us in a prime position to trade back in '18 and recover some of the assets we surrendered to get our QBOTF in '17).

Best case scenario is that Foles actually throws that !@#$ing pass to Tyreek Hill the next time it's wide the **** open and we win a goddamn Super Bowl.

In either event, I prefer the range of possible options under Foles more than I do under Smith. With Foles, on one end you have 6-10 and a top 12 draft pick, on the other end a championship. With Smith on one end you have 10-6 and a probable first round loss to 13-3 and a probable bye...with a first round loss.

Yeah....I'm done with this.

We actually saw Foles make the throw against the Colts when Tyreek had nobody within 20 yards of him. Just like we saw Smith curl into his shell and run away in the same situation

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

In either event, I prefer the range of possible options under Foles more than I do under Smith.

If you're not moving forwards in the NFL, you're moving backwards, even if you're standing still.

Wasting another year of our lives on Alex Smith is foolhardy and just allows the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos to get better while we tread water.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Spider2YBanana

If you're not moving forwards in the NFL, you're moving backwards, even if you're standing still.

Wasting another year of our lives on Alex Smith is foolhardy and just allows the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos to get better while we tread water.

Chargers.
Get better.

BAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

But hey, legit point on those other two guys.

[RunKC]

I think we could get a 3rd for Alex. NYJ would make a lot of sense IMO

[-King-]

I'd rather cut both. As much as Smith frustrated me, I have zero faith in Foles over a full season.
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