Could the Redskins Turn Around and Trade Alex Smith?

The Redskins just traded for Alex Smith, but could the former 49ers and Chiefs quarterback be on his way to another team before his tenure in D.C. even gets underway?

Hear me out...

There were supposedly six teams interested in acquiring Smith via trade. Adam Schefter reported the Broncos and Browns were two of those teams.

The Browns make some sense as a potential trade landing spot for Smith, as their new GM John Dorsey prefers veteran quaterbacks over rookie starters. They also have second year player DeShone Kizer as a developmental quarterback, and a boat-load of salary cap room. They could easily absorb Alex Smith’s new contract, and use him as a mentor for Kizer down the road.

The Broncos are another team who could still be interested in acquiring Smith’s services. With Cousins set to break the bank in free agency, and the Broncos having around $29 million in projected cap space in 2018, they may easily be out-bid for Cousins’ services. They too have a developmental quarterback on the roster in Paxton Lynch, and he may be best served learning under the leadership of a veteran like Smith.

So how did the Redskins wind up with Smith over the rumored five other teams interested in his services?

The Broncos are an easy one. Simply put, Andy Reid probably didn’t want to see Smith go to a division rival - one who he knew was quite possibly just a quarterback away from contending. As for the Browns, maybe they were just offering less than the Redskins were, and maybe it was out of respect that the Chiefs didn’t trade him to Cleveland, since Smith had expressed interest in playing for a team who could contend sooner rather than later.

I see Kendall Fuller as being the piece that put the Redskins over the top in this trade, as his presence offers the Chiefs another dynamic young corner to pair with 25 year old Marcus Peters. The third rounder was just gravy on top for Reid and company.

Once the Redskins finalize the trade come March 14th, they can essentially do what they choose with Alex. His cap hit in 2017 is just $17 million, and this is a number the Broncos or any other quarterback-needy team could easily fit into their cap.

Say the Redskins fall in love with a quarterback prospect leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft, that number four (Browns) or five (Broncos) spot would be a nice area to grab themselves one.

Would Alex Smith and the number 13 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft be enough for the Redskins to move into the top five and grab themselves a franchise signal caller?