Should Chiefs move on from Alex Smith after 2016?
By John McCarty
Another variable is Chris Ballard, currently the Chiefs Director of Football Operations, is said to be at or near the top of the list for teams making hires at the GM spot this offseason. If he does that, and needs to address the QB position, he may be inclined to add someone he knows well. It will be interesting to see where he goes, and comes of that.
If the Chiefs do decide to move Smith in a trade, it will also signal that the Chiefs will need to (pause for dramatic effect) draft a quarterback, and do so early. It needs to be pointed out that this regime in four drafts has yet to take a quarterback in the first four rounds of any draft they’ve participated in. Yes, they took Aaron Murray and Kevin Hogan in the fifth round of their respective drafts, but have yet to really ‘try.’ In fact, as I’ve noted multiple times, only once since the 1998 have the Chiefs drafted a quarterback in the first four rounds (Brodie Croyle, 2006).
It should be noted, that while the Chiefs record stands currently at 10-4, that record can be somewhat deceiving, especially in the offense. In Denver, defense and special teams were directly responsible for nine points (safety + Hill return TD). In Atlanta, defense (Eric Berry) scored nine points (Pick 6 and two-point conversion return) and special teams touchdown (Wilson fake punt run). The Chiefs’ offense wasn’t good enough. The Berry interception return in the Carolina game helped push the Chiefs to a victory. In all of these games, the Chiefs offense was outscored but the team still won the game.
In conclusion, the opportunity and the ability to move on from Smith is there after this season. There is a a quarterback in Foles, that while certainly not the answer long-term, could hold down the spot perhaps long enough to allow a rookie extra time to develop and learn, as this upcoming QB class does appear thin on ready-to-go prospects.
The question certainly is, will the Chiefs feel comfortable enough to make a decision that could be considered bold? Foles was certainly brought in for a reason this past offseason, and this is certainly, in my opinion, one of those reasons, to allow the Chiefs to have a backup plan for 2017 if Smith doesn’t work out.