Alex Smith was not the problem Sunday, sorry haters.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Despite the common thought here that Alex Smith held down the team Sunday, Smith's overall production to the team yesterday graded out very positive in 3 rankings:
Smith: QBR 94.1, QB rating 99, PFF 71.9
Winston: QBR 83.6, QB rating 97, PFF 50.7



https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro...-for-bucs-win/

"Smith gained positive expected points (EPA) on 77 percent of his plays on Sunday, the second-highest rate for a QB in a game this season (Dak Prescott, 83 percent versus Chicago in Week 3). Put simply, more than three-fourths of his plays contributed to the team’s scoring margin, given the context and situation." - http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/p...s-excels-again

This is why we should use our brains instead of repeating the garbage fed to us by Mellinger and Teicher. If Smith only had 34 plays yesterday to do something with the ball and earns both a rushing and passing TD, a FG, to 1 INT (first red zone interception since 2013) and completes an outstanding 77% of passes ... we should probably focus on the real problem yesterday: The Defense. Who didn't show up and allowed Winston/Martin to hold the ball for 35 minutes, earn 24 first downs, and convert 68% of 3rd downs (league average is 40%).

Against the Bucs...
Alex Smith: 1 INT, 99 QB rating
Philip Rivers: 2 INTs, 80 QB rating
Russell Wilson: 2 INTs, 39 QB rating
Drew Brees: 3 INTs, 49 QB rating

[threebag]

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

What do you think about Cousins?

I truly have no idea.

First blush says I have no interest in paying him what he'd command on the open market. I don't think he gives one **** about Washington and is going to the highest bidders either way. And because he was tagged last year, tagging him again this year would be cost prohibitive for Washington so he'll hit the market.

11 games into the season, there's no reason at all for him to sign early so he'll get there.

He won't get Andrew Luck money but he won't get far from it. Probably looking at an Aaron Rodgers contract. I like Cousins' stats but I just don't watch him enough to know if those are real or system related.

Cousins may well be the kind of QB that kills you. Paying $25 million/season for Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck sounds harsh but as force multipliers it's worthwhile. Paying $23 million to a guy that may just be a nice quarterback...well that hurts worse than paying $17 million for a game manager.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I truly have no idea.

First blush says I have no interest in paying him what he'd command on the open market. I don't think he gives one **** about Washington and is going to the highest bidders either way. And because he was tagged last year, tagging him again this year would be cost prohibitive for Washington so he'll hit the market.

11 games into the season, there's no reason at all for him to sign early so he'll get there.

He won't get Andrew Luck money but he won't get far from it. Probably looking at an Aaron Rodgers contract. I like Cousins' stats but I just don't watch him enough to know if those are real or system related.

Cousins may well be the kind of QB that kills you. Paying $25 million/season for Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck sounds harsh but as force multipliers it's worthwhile. Paying $23 million to a guy that may just be a nice quarterback...well that hurts worse than paying $17 million for a game manager.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Browns push hard for him.

[rico]

[threebag]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Paying $23 million to a guy that may just be a nice quarterback...well that hurts worse than paying $17 million for a game manager.

Best name floating out there but no value.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Browns push hard for him.

You can just start writing the 'holy shit, he got WHAT!?!?' articles right now.

Because the deal he signs is going to floor people. It shouldn't - it's a QB league and he's a younger one with stats that rival anybody's the last 2 years. He's going to get huge money.

[threebag]

He is going to get paid for sure. In a QB hungry league it happens.

[mcaj22]

I think he's worth it. Dude pushed a #2 overall draft pick out of an entire city. Turned a locker room and fanbase against him through just by being the guy that stepped in and played better over time with improvement.

[threebag]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

I think he's worth it. Dude pushed a #2 overall draft pick out of an entire city. Turned a locker room and fanbase against him through just by being the guy that stepped in and played better over time with improvement.

RGIII sure didnt help himself. Cassel/Cutler/Brock/Semen could have done that there. They were done with RGIII at any cost. They just got lucky they drafted two. It's your flute blow away.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

I think he's worth it. Dude pushed a #2 overall draft pick out of an entire city. Turned a locker room and fanbase against him through just by being the guy that stepped in and played better over time with improvement.

He might be. But remember that he's 29 next year.

So you can either sign him to a deal that you're locked into for at least 4 years and effectively close the door on a true developmental QB (as well as lose at least 1 blue-chip defensive player/potential FA). Or you can spin the wheel with the draft pick.

I'm just not convinced he's an obviously better bet to succeed outside of Washington to justify all that $$ over going out and drafting/developing your own guy. And at 29, he's still not anything more than a stop-gap in the same sense we've always viewed Alex Smith. He's not a Peyton Manning/Tony Romo ticking time-bomb of a stop gap, but he's not going to be that 10 year solution we keep hoping to find.

I think I'd rather draft Trubisky or Watson. Hell, I see a whole lot of Cousins in Mahomes. And Webb sure looks the part.

I don't think this QB draft is as bad as many folks do. I think there is talent in here that we should take a chance on. If you sign Cousins to the contracat he'll demand, that's not happening for at least 4 more years.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He might be. But remember that he's 29 next year.

So you can either sign him to a deal that you're locked into for at least 4 years and effectively close the door on a true developmental QB (as well as lose at least 1 blue-chip defensive player/potential FA). Or you can spin the wheel with the draft pick.

I'm just not convinced he's an obviously better bet to succeed outside of Washington to justify all that $$ over going out and drafting/developing your own guy. And at 29, he's still not anything more than a stop-gap in the same sense we've always viewed Alex Smith. He's not a Peyton Manning/Tony Romo ticking time-bomb of a stop gap, but he's not going to be that 10 year solution we keep hoping to find.

I think I'd rather draft Trubisky or Watson. Hell, I see a whole lot of Cousins in Mahomes. And Webb sure looks the part.

I don't think this QB draft is as bad as many folks do. I think there is talent in here that we should take a chance on. If you sign Cousins to the contracat he'll demand, that's not happening for at least 4 more years.

I think this QB class has good talent. It just doesn't have that talent that you'll see 3 QBs in the top 10 picks. That obviously can change when the combine and media hype is over.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

You look at tight ends and receivers he has to throw to and it makes you nervous to give him a contract despite those numbers cause you have no idea what he'll be like with average talent around him.
He doesn't pass the eye test when you compare him to Dak, Russell, Luck

And his record is just 6-4-1

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I think this QB class has good talent. It just doesn't have that talent that you'll see 3 QBs in the top 10 picks. That obviously can change when the combine and media hype is over.

That's good for us.

With where the Chiefs are in the competitive cycle, the depth of a class is more important than the top of the class.

We're not the Browns; there's not going to be a top 5 pick coming for us in the next 3 years. We need guys with tools and warts that we can polish up to fall to us (i.e. Carr).

And with Smith's deal being easily escapable but not crazy expensive over the next 2 years, now is the time to do it. It gives the team a ton of flexibility in how they handle their QB situation.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

You look at tight ends and receivers he has to throw to and it makes you nervous to give him a contract despite those numbers cause you have no idea what he'll be like with average talent around him.
He doesn't pass the eye test when you compare him to Dak, Russell, Luck

And his record is just 6-4-1

He only presently has average talent to throw to.

Garcon, Jackson and Reed isn't exactly Rice, Taylor and Jones. Hell, it's not clearly better than Maclin, Kelce and Hill.

For me it's a system question more than anything. Can he adapt to a WC scheme and only tape review can tell you that. I'm just not well informed enough to make a strong statement there.

But money and term sure favors the draft pick...

[threebag]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That's good for us.

With where the Chiefs are in the competitive cycle, the depth of a class is more important than the top of the class.

We're not the Browns; there's not going to be a top 5 pick coming for us in the next 3 years. We need guys with tools and warts that we can polish up to fall to us (i.e. Carr).

And with Smith's deal being easily escapable but not crazy expensive over the next 2 years, now is the time to do it. It gives the team a ton of flexibility in how they handle their QB situation.

But Tyler Bray, i read it here so it will be.