What would YOU do with Alex Smith?

[Stymietee]

It's interesting that there are numerous Kirk Cousins threads/postings and very few on our current QB. This team is staring at a dilemma of their own making and now must answer the question surrounding his future here and what they plan to do about it.

By now we should all be aware of the salary rut that his broken leg put the team in. Now, no matter what they do, he'll still get paid handsomely in 2019/2020 because of the guarantees that came with his signing. There are decisions that have to be made relating to possible moves that this team can and should make in that regard.

1. Releasing him now or in the near future garners a one time 40 million dollar cap hit but ultimately frees the team of having to hope that Smith beats father time and can make his comeback fully healed and confident in 2020 (It usually takes a full year to completely recover, he'll be 36)

2. Adding him to one of the various injury or exception lists keeps him around but announces a possible intent to move on, whether he's able to come back or not.

3. In the less likely scenario, Washington could actually wait for Smith to return sometime in in 2019, gambling on the healing properties of their 34 year old QB who turns 35 just ahead of training camp.

Considering the conversations that we've had on Smith, I don't believe that this particular question has ever been asked...until now. Gentlemen and lady, what would YOU do?

 

[j_y19]

I really don't see any other option but to let this play out. I doubt he will ever step on the field again in a uniform, so ideally he would retire than attempt a comeback. But there are 40 million reasons why he will not do that. He will show up for all of his physical therapy sessions as well as the mandatory off season sessions, if just as an observer, to show the team his intentions to try and come back. Then it is up to the team and medical staff to determine if he can have any chance of playing this year, if ever. He does this, he gets his guaranteed money.

The team also has no choice. I see no benefit in cutting him now. You are on the hook for the same amount if you cut him now or declare him physically unfit at some point next season. If Dan was a real slime ball, he could pay off the doctor to ensure that AS is never declared physically unfit. That way AS has to show up and play. Then he has to decide if $40M is worth his ability to walk for the rest of his life.

 

[Sportster 72]

You sort of set this up for a two fold answer by bringing Cousin's name into this. Cousin's is 4th all time career Redskin passer. Some of us realized besides some of his warts he was better than anything we have ever had going back to Theismann. Others felt that was easy to replace. We quickly learned it was not so easy and then disaster struck in the form of a broken leg.

I chose "Something else." My reason for that is we need specifics from a doctor. Is he ruled out for part of next year, all of next year. That is the first thing you need to know. If there is any chance he can play you keep him through at least next year.

That leaves you with what do they do for next year. If they think Smith can play sometime during the year. I would say you keep McCoy although you know he is only good for a few games and will likely will miss games for injury. So then it is time to evaluate your situation:
1. sign a vet QB to a contract that doesn't kill the rest of your cap
2. draft someone - in the first 4 rounds.

Should the doctor say Smith is likely done or significantly diminished. I would consider cutting him, taking the hit and look to draft a QB in the next two years. I would not push for one this year if you don't love someone.

But this is the Redskins so I am not expecting them to do anything smart or that makes sense. They are in this position because Bruce felt the need to extend Smith to a ridiculous contract.

 

[SteelersPride]

its a 40 mill cap hit if you cut him? holy shit. if you keep him its basically the same isnt it? 20 mill a year? I would think you just keep him, let it play out, and plan as if hes not ever gonna play. You dont gain anything by cutting him.

 

[skinsdad62]

If you cut him now and eat the 40 mil now then the cap is ok in 2020 to draft the franchise guy and put guys around him . You would lose crowder and smith . Sherf’s bill is do also

 

[SteelersPride]

If you cut him now and eat the 40 mil now then the cap is ok in 2020 to draft the franchise guy and put guys around him . You would lose crowder and smith . Sherf’s bill is do also

Man that’s tough. I’d be ok losing crowder but not sherf

 

[skinsdad62]

Man that’s tough. I’d be ok losing crowder but not sherf

Sherf isn’t do till 20 , so splitting the cap hit could affect that signing hence I think about eating the hole thing in 2019

 

[gkekoa]

I would take the one time, forty million dollar hit because I rip the band-aid off. It would also bring us to a harsh reality and have us look it into the face. We are screwed next year.

Let’s be honest, if AS can EVER return, it won’t be next year. It will be 2020, and it won’t be to his current form which already sucks ass. So that puts us in competition in 3 years.

Our best players are TW, RK, JR, JC, and Josh Norman.

TW is 30. He will be 32 in 2020. Trading him will save us 8 million against the cap and allow him to compete for a winner.

RK is the same age as TW. Trading him will save us 10 million and allow him to compete for a winner.

JR can’t stay healthy at any age. He will be 30 in 2020. Do you expect this to improve? Saves us 6 million.

JC we should simply not resign. We have a hopeful replacement and he isn’t anything special. This will likely save us 6-8 million per season, just like passing on PS.

Josh Norman hasn’t been special but has been better than most want to credit him for being. Cutting him saves 8 million.

I just saved us the 40 million and now we can build for the future and resigning the good young talent we have in Scherff, Allen, Ionoman, Payne, and Fuller...oops, we traded Fuller.

 

[Sportster 72]

I would take the one time, forty million dollar hit because I rip the band-aid off. It would also bring us to a harsh reality and have us look it into the face. We are screwed next year.

Let’s be honest, if AS can EVER return, it won’t be next year. It will be 2020, and it won’t be to his current form which already sucks ass. So that puts us in competition in 3 years.

Our best players are TW, RK, JR, JC, and Josh Norman.

TW is 30. He will be 32 in 2020. Trading him will save us 8 million against the cap and allow him to compete for a winner.

RK is the same age as TW. Trading him will save us 10 million and allow him to compete for a winner.

JR can’t stay healthy at any age. He will be 30 in 2020. Do you expect this to improve? Saves us 6 million.

JC we should simply not resign. We have a hopeful replacement and he isn’t anything special. This will likely save us 6-8 million per season, just like passing on PS.

Josh Norman hasn’t been special but has been better than most want to credit him for being. Cutting him saves 8 million.

I just saved us the 40 million and now we can build for the future and resigning the good young talent we have in Scherff, Allen, Ionoman, Payne, and Fuller...oops, we traded Fuller.

Assuming you can make the trades you suggest what do you get in return? If you can't get what you would want then what do you do? Are you making the team worse at 2-4 positions because they screwed up with Alex? Is there any option to restructure TW and RK to save some money?

 

[Sportster 72]

its a 40 mill cap hit if you cut him? holy shit. if you keep him its basically the same isnt it? 20 mill a year? I would think you just keep him, let it play out, and plan as if hes not ever gonna play. You dont gain anything by cutting him.

You can argue the merits of trading for Smith but extending took what might have been a mistake and compounding it when they extended his contract to a long term guaranteed contract. No one could have predicted the broken leg or extent of it but the contract was a mistake pure and simple.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

You can argue the merits of trading for Smith but extending took what might have been a mistake and compounding it when they extended his contract to a long term guaranteed contract. No one could have predicted the broken leg or extent of it but the contract was a mistake pure and simple.

Yep - time to move on & learn from their mistakes (not holding my breath on that one). Again - take a look at the teams in the playoffs. With few exceptions every one of these teams either has 1. a young, talented QB on a cheap contract or 2. a HOFer or potential HOFer. Foles is the notable exception, but that is due to injury & a very unique situation.

Heck - I give credit to BAL for at least going in another direction (even if it fails long term they won't have invested much & can find another QB). The FO needs to park their egos at the door, learn from their mistakes & start planning on how they want to address the QB situation for the next 5+ years - not just for 2019. This almost certainly has to include drafting a very good QB in the top rds at some pt in the next few years.

 

[gkekoa]

Assuming you can make the trades you suggest what do you get in return? If you can't get what you would want then what do you do? Are you making the team worse at 2-4 positions because they screwed up with Alex? Is there any option to restructure TW and RK to save some money?

You trade them. End of story. I would want a first or second for both TW and RK but I would take a fourth or fifth.

Yes you make two to four positions worse in the short run and replace them with draft picks. Why restructure? By the time we are unscrewed cap wise, TW and RK will both be on the down side.

 

[j_y19]

You trade them. End of story. I would want a first or second for both TW and RK but I would take a fourth or fifth.

Yes you make two to four positions worse in the short run and replace them with draft picks. Why restructure? By the time we are unscrewed cap wise, TW and RK will both be on the down side.

I would take nothing less than a late 1st/low 2nd for RK. He is still playing at a high level and has never missed a game. There is every reason to believe he still has a couple of productive years ahead of him. TW I wouldn’t take less than a low 3rd. Only because of his injury history and his play droppped off a bit this year.

 

[Sportster 72]

You trade them. End of story. I would want a first or second for both TW and RK but I would take a fourth or fifth.

Yes you make two to four positions worse in the short run and replace them with draft picks. Why restructure? By the time we are unscrewed cap wise, TW and RK will both be on the down side.

WOW!! A 4th or a 5th? To save money? Are you tanking? I know several who feel this way. I guess I am surprised in that you were a KC advocate and now want to give up good players for little value. I could understand if for a 1 or a 2, even though I don't have great trust that the front office would get that right.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

WOW!! A 4th or a 5th? To save money? Are you tanking? I know several who feel this way. I guess I am surprised in that you were a KC advocate and now want to give up good players for little value. I could understand if for a 1 or a 2, even though I don't have great trust that the front office would get that right.

Not sure what I would do specifically for TW or RK. However the Skins do need to adapt a mindset similar to some of the things suggested by gke. Good teams don't wait till players are totally washed up to get rid of them. By that time they will basically be being paid for past & not current performance & it will result in cap issues. Good teams get rid of many players just as they plateau or start their decline. The Eagles have done this for years & it has worked very nicely for them.

 

[SteelersPride]

You can argue the merits of trading for Smith but extending took what might have been a mistake and compounding it when they extended his contract to a long term guaranteed contract. No one could have predicted the broken leg or extent of it but the contract was a mistake pure and simple.

All I was saying is with that hit u keep him and see?

 

[gkekoa]

WOW!! A 4th or a 5th? To save money? Are you tanking? I know several who feel this way. I guess I am surprised in that you were a KC advocate and now want to give up good players for little value. I could understand if for a 1 or a 2, even though I don't have great trust that the front office would get that right.

Yes to save money. We will not be competing for a SB in 2019, nor 2020. It just isn’t happening.

No...it is not tanking. It is building. The foundation of that build would be Allen, Payne, Ionoman, and Scherff, as well as the future QB of this team drafted in 2019 or 2020.

I want to give up good players now because they have value in other teams. I want to give up good players now, because the salary cap hit with AS needs drastic correction.

 

[gkekoa]

I would take nothing less than a late 1st/low 2nd for RK. He is still playing at a high level and has never missed a game. There is every reason to believe he still has a couple of productive years ahead of him. TW I wouldn’t take less than a low 3rd. Only because of his injury history and his play droppped off a bit this year.

Do you expect more of the same from him in 2021? Either of them at the age of 33?

Would this help our future cap to get stud players in FA come 2021?

 

[j_y19]

Do you expect more of the same from him in 2021? Either of them at the age of 33?

Would this help our future cap to get stud players in FA come 2021?

No, I don't. They will both drop off. But I have to replace them. and if I can't get value enough to get like kind replacement, then they are more valuable to me staying here. The point is that they will only be attractive to teams that are looking for those few last pieces to make a SB run. So these teams would have to be willing to pay above market value or the deal doesn't work for us. A team rebuilding isn't going to pay (or assume their large contacts) if these guys won't be around when they are ready to make their run.

Oh, and the time to maximize the value you get for these types of deals is right before the trading deadline into the season.

 

[gkekoa]

No, I don't. They will both drop off. But I have to replace them. and if I can't get value enough to get like kind replacement, then they are more valuable to me staying here. The point is that they will only be attractive to teams that are looking for those few last pieces to make a SB run. So these teams would have to be willing to pay above market value or the deal doesn't work for us. A team rebuilding isn't going to pay (or assume their large contacts) if these guys won't be around when they are ready to make their run.

Oh, and the time to maximize the value you get for these types of deals is right before the trading deadline into the season.

You can’t get like kind replacement for them. They are both pro bowl or all pro level. Their future value is not. What is more valuable in 2021...a fourth rounder and 40 million in cap space or TW and RK?

I agree we hope people will pay a premium; however, if they do not, then you take a fourth or fifth.

Again, I hope we maximize them.