Chiefs will be trading Alex Smith to Washington.

[msupoke]

I think this move may be an omen. Smith was a Chief (tribal leader) in Kansas City, and he is becoming a Redskin (bloody pelt of exterminated American Indian) in Washington, D.C. What does that say about his prospects?

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

It was a terrific deal for KC. They get a sure starter for a player they were looking to cut loose anyway plus whatever bonus the 3rd pick supplies. I personally know a lot of Washington fans who are livid.

Originally Posted by Ragnar

I don't know any Redskins fans, but what's there to be happy about? They didn't get anything in the trade. They downgraded at QB, lost a player and 3rd round pick.

I'm a Redskins fan, and I wouldn't say I'm livid, but I'm disappointed.

Here's a closer look at the trade:

Skin's get:
Alex Smith
3rd round compensation pick for losing Cousins in free agency.
* 3 - 7 Million in cap space per year.

Skin's give up:
3rd round pick
A young, cheap, slot corner.
Kirk Cousins

* Estimated price difference in Smith and Cousins.

I agree it's a great deal for the Chiefs. Smith is a good but not very good QB coming off a career year. He won't win you games, but won't lose any either. He doesn't elevate players around him.

Cousins is inconsistent, but is a good to very good QB. He, at times, will win you games. But he will make the 1 to 2 bad plays every game that could potentially lose it.

I keep going back to this game at the end of the 2016 season. The Skins could "win and you're in the playoffs", they were playing the Giants, who already locked up a playoff spot and rested a bunch of people. With a minute and a half to play in a close game, Cousins throws a bad interception on first down inside Giants territory. He makes those plays too often to be considered a great quarterback.

Did the Skins want Cousins over Smith? Probably. But Cousins was offered a similar deal to the one Smith got, LAST off-season and didn't take it. Cousins really wanted to test the free agent market and (in the Skins opinion) wasn't good enough to overpay for.

So my disappointment isn't that we lost out on Cousins. I was already resigned to the fact that he was gone. I'm disappointed that Alex Smith will be the QB for at least the next 2 years. Our ceiling is now 10-6 and losing in the divisional round.

[Ragnar]

I've seen Cousins lose a few games too. He did it against the Cowboys in the redzone in the 2016 season. I remember thinking if the 'skins score here the Cowboys are going to lose. He throws a pick in the endzone and the 'boys come back to win.

But this is the most memorable Cousins blunder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgX7odZ5hng

[mirrf]

The Cousin's play that I was referring to starts at the 3:24 of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BiLV4JfUWw

First in 10, down by 3 with about a minute and a half to play in the opponents territory. He throws the ball extremely late over the middle to a blanketed receiver and it's picked. Game over.

I've seen him attempt to do too much a bunch of times. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. In this particular case, he didn't need to take that chance.

[mirrf]

The correct answer to "Alex Smith" or "Kirk Cousins" was neither.

[rudel.dietrich]

Correct answer was Case Keenum at half the salary cap hit.