RADIO
Alex Smith 2018 Outlook: Will He Keep Up His Resurgence?
6 years agoAfter throwing for career-highs in yards (4,042) and touchdowns (26) during the 2017 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Alex Smith finds himself in a new place, having to learn a new offense with an entirely new personnel group. With quarterback prospect Patrick Mahomes behind him on Kansas City's depth chart, the Chiefs decided to turn to the young passer full time, sending Smith to the Washington Redskins in a deal that kicked off a chain reaction -- Smith was given a four-year contract extension and Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins ended up in Minnesota. So, will Smith have the same success with the Redskins this year that he had with Kansas City last year? Maybe not.
His 2017 performance was aided by major improvements in his deep ball and a group of skill players who helped maximize Smith's value. In Washington, the receivers, tight ends, and running backs look like a downgrade for Smith, who will likely look more like the quarterback he was during his first four years with the Chiefs and less like the one he was last year. That would put Smith, last year's surprising QB3, outside the top 10 at the position and could potentially put him even farther down the final rankings, as he finished as just the QB22 in 2016. Target him as a solid backup, but nothing more.
