That is the bottom line of why this idea while on the surface makes a lot of sense connecting dots but when you get into the tiny details of everything you wish you connected those dots in pencil instead of pen. Certainly a trade from the Chiefs make sense but not at the price it is going to cost.
Instead sign the Ryan Fitzpatrick or Sam Bradford in free agency to be that bridge. Just cost yourself the monetary value which there is boatloads of rather than the assets the team needs to cling onto. Sure they may not be the same caliber of player but the role and job they are going to do is the same. Or maybe sign AJ McCarron from the Bengals. He wants to start and your current coach in Hue Jackson was a big fan of his from their time in Cincinnati.
While he may be restricted and cost you a third round pick, he can still be signed to a three year deal which if there is a passing of the torch can be a quality backup. Look at the number of starting QBs in 2017 that suffered a significant injury. It was close to a quarter of the league. Having someone who can step right in can be a major hurdle to overcome for a playoff team in a tough situation.
Nick Foles was the highest paid backup this year and he has gotten Philadelphia to the NFC Championship game. Another reason is McCarron will turn 28 next season which is right around his prime. If Cleveland wants to move on from him and QB contracts continue to spiral out of control a team may give you something in return for him if the fit isn’t there in the long run.
Alex Smith wouldn’t be the future of your franchise so doing what you can to set everything up for your new franchise QB should be. Keep that second round pick and add possibly a running back like Bryce Love, Sony Michel, Derrius Guice, Kerryon Johnson, or Damien Harris to help the running game. It would be the same area where last year I pleaded for the Browns to add Alvin Kamara and look at the year he had. Imagine getting a player like that for your franchise QB for four years.
That would far outweigh anything Alex Smith could do in the long run. Everything the Browns do at this point has to be for the future good of the team going forward and to not slow the rebuild down. While winning is nice the team is so far away and so many losing seasons have endured that losing a possible franchise player to get 3-5 more wins in 2018 isn’t worth it.
Joe Thomas may not return to the field either so protecting an older pocket passer in Alex Smith would be another concern to deal with as compared to some of the younger, faster, more athletic QBs to come out. The plan is turning this failure into success and making the right selections in 2018 to get the right QB in place and surround him with the talent to succeed. Alex Smith while helping the young QB would probably hinder the plans more than someone else and that is why you should hope he isn’t playing in a brown and orange jersey for 2018.
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