Will Chiefs draft Alex Smith replacement?

On Sept. 13, 1987 Todd Blackledge won the last game by a quarterback the Chiefs have drafted. Let that sink in for a minute. It’s been almost 30 years since the Chiefs drafted a quarterback and he won a game for them.

Not only was Blackledge the last drafted quarterback to win a game for the Chiefs but he was also the last quarterback drafted by the Chiefs in the first round in 1983. Blackledge was drafted seventh overall in the same draft as quarterbacks John Elway (1st), Jim Kelly (14th), and Dan Marino (27th). The Chiefs have largely avoided the position over the years to their detriment. They have proven there are other ways to run a franchise and win but in today’s NFL the teams that are able to draft a quarterback have a distinct advantage if he can pan out quickly as he has a much lower salary than established veterans.

Not only did the Chiefs draft the wrong quarterback in 1983 but they passed on Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 draft. The Chiefs have shown that they don’t draft high round quarterbacks for the past 30 years but I’m starting to think that this may be the season that changes. Kansas City doesn’t have many pressing needs headed into the draft this season and at 28 the best player available may be a quarterback.

I like Alex Smith and what he brings to the Chiefs. At this point in his career he isn’t going to improve much more than the player he already is currently. He can take the Chiefs to the playoffs and with a couple of good breaks he may even be able to get them to the Super Bowl but his contract is prohibitive.

After this season the Chiefs could decide to move on and limit the dead cap space as well as go with a much cheaper starting option at the most important position on the field. Smith’s contract is not guaranteed past 2016 and it would save the Chiefs just about $10 million in 2017 and over $17 million if they wait until after the 2017 season.

We talked about the quarterbacks available in this draft a little bit on this weeks episode of the Check With Me podcast. Check it out here:

While the salary cap is certainly going to continue to go up over the next couple of seasons saving that kind of money could make it possible for the Chiefs to keep just about the entire defense intact. The Chiefs have decisions to make this offseason with Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Jaye Howard, Tyvon Branch, Husain Abdullah and Mike DeVito as free agents this offseason.

The Chiefs also have to make a decision on what to do with Dontari Poe who will be a free agent after next season. Eric Fisher’s fifth-year option decision comes up this season as well at an estimated price tag of $11.5 million.

John Dorsey has shown an affinity for drafting needs a year before they are truly needed. He started his tenure by drafting Fisher to replace Branden Albert. Last year he drafted Dee Ford to help protect the Chiefs for the upcoming Justin Houston contract and then this past draft he drafted Marcus Peters to help replace Sean Smith. Dorsey has shown that he drafts in order to fill holes before they become major voids.

The Chiefs have decisions a plenty to make this offseason that will define how far they are able to go for the next couple of seasons. Drafting a quarterback in the first round could give them flexibility and the ability to move on from Alex Smith if they deem his contract too expensive.

What do you think, Addicts?