The Kansas City Chiefs have a new quarterback in Alex Smith after acquiring him from the San Francisco 49ers, but the deal now leaves less trade options out there for both New York Jets backup Tim Tebow and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles.
The Chiefs were considered a legitimate option for Foles since he was drafted by Andy Reid in Philadelphia and they were an outside candidate for Tebow, but now that the deal for Smith has been completed and confirmed by ESPN and FOX Sports, the Chiefs are out of the running for either players.
The best option for the Chiefs was Smith out of all the deals they could have done, as they had to give up just two draft picks to get him, although one of them is a second round pick at number 34. There was a chance that the Chiefs were going to go after Matt Flynn of the Seattle Seahawks since new general manager John Dorsey was with him in Green Bay, but there was never a deal on the table.
Foles looked like the best bet since Reid drafted him in Philadelphia and played him in place of Michael Vick last season, but the Eagles reportedly said that Foles was unavailable in a trade this offseason. Foles would have been a solid fit for Reid, but Smith is even better, as he does a good job of keeping the ball protected and can move the offense down the field.
Kansas City had to give up two really important picks for Smith, but since they have the number one overall pick, Reid felt they could give away their second round pick and a conditional pick for next year and still be able to rebuild. Smith went 19-5-1 over the past two years, which was much better than anything any Chiefs quarterback did over the past two seasons, especially Cassel, who went just 1-7 last year
The Chiefs could have gone after Tebow, but they felt that Smith gave them the best chance to move forward and to win now. Getting a new starting quarterback is not cheap in the NFL, as evidenced by the Raiders, who were forced to give up first and second round picks for Carson Palmer. The Arizona Cardinals could have been another option for Smith after their trade for Kevin Kolb didn't work out, but the team still could try to trade for Tebow or will draft someone in April.
Smith has a similar game to Cassel, but he has proven to be a winning quarterback over the past two years by brining the 49ers ot the championship game in 2011 and a 6-2-1 record before being hurt and replaced by Colin Kaepernick in 2012. Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005 and will have a chance to redeem himself in Kansas City after being passed over for Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last season.
"Smith is great at valuing the football," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said Wednesday. "How many wins would Kansas City have had last year with a quarterback who didn't turn over the ball?"
Reid likely will be very happy with the way Smith protects the ball and the Chiefs could now be a surprise Wild Card team depending on who they select high in the draft in April. The move now takes away another team for both Tebow and Foles, but that doesn't mean other teams won't be interested.
The Arizona Cardinals could be a player, as could the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, who despite saying they are not interested in Tebow could change their minds in the weeks heading into the NFL draft.