Alex Smith Heads To Washington

Quarterback Alex Smith has finally moved on from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last night, the Washington Redskins decided to give up on their quarterback Kirk Cousins and trade for Alex Smith. They gave the Chiefs a third-round pick, as well as cornerback Kendall Fuller. Fuller is entering his third season in the NFL and is coming off a great year for the Redskins. It's clear, though, that the Redskins wanted a quarterback they can commit to long term. It was clear that Cousins was not that answer.

The reason why the Redskins made this deal, as well as why they didn't sign Cousins, is because they felt that keeping him around long-term would've hampered other opportunities to keep important pieces of their team or finding other parts that they could pay at a lower price. Hey, Cousins does fetch a lot of money and the Redskins can't really afford to pay him what other teams could.

As for Alex Smith, it's a very bold move by Washington and one where they may be able to figure out all their issues for a quarterback position and get back to the playoffs. The last time they did this was back in 2010 for quarterback Donovan McNabb. It was a terrible move and it resulted in them trading up to get RGIII. It worked out for a year, then became a disaster. Cousins was not those guys and was playing well, but they weren't able to come to an agreement on a contract. As a result, they get Smith and Cousins will spend the rest of his career in another uniform.

So what does Smith bring that Cousins apparently couldn't? Well, he brings experience, especially playoff experience, which is needed these days. He has more athleticism and is able to do bootlegs and rollouts in a way that Cousins never could. He was able to scramble at the last minute and find open receivers. He is able to keep the play alive. Kirk Cousins couldn't bring all that. He couldn't even trust his receivers, something head coach Jay Gruden tried to get him to do.

Look, it may turn out to be a good move for the Redskins and they're going to have to work with Smith anyway, after signing him to a four-year contract extension. But it's clear he has more upside and something that the Redskins clearly want in their quarterback. Jay Gruden may be able to work with him a lot better than Cousins ever did. I think Washington could have a brighter future if this works out.

As for Kirk Cousins, he didn't do enough. He asked for too much money and ultimately the Redskins decided to go a different direction. Wherever he goes, he's going to ask for a lot and that lot may not work out. He has to understand what Gruden wanted of him and the situation that led him to becoming a free agent. I think he can wind up somewhere else. There's going to be a lot of takers, and I think at the end of the day he'll get a good deal and make that team great.