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Alex Smith Contract: Why it’s not a better option than signing Kirk Cousins

By Jacob Camenker

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a pass during the second quarter of the game against the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. ( Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images )
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a pass during the second quarter of the game against the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. ( Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images ) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins passes the ball in the first half of a football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 30: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins passes the ball in the first half of a football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Why Cousins may be more expensive and also more effective

Comparatively, Kirk Cousins hasn’t been as good as Smith in the regular season or postseason. He’s posted a 24-23-1 record in the past three years, and he lost his lone playoff start. That said, Cousins is four years younger than Smith and has a stronger arm. He has shown growth as a passer and deserves to be paid as an above average quarterback. Yes, it was likely that he was going to get overpaid on the open market, but that was really the Redskins’ doing.

The Redskins consistently made low-ball offers to Cousins over the course of his time with the team, and that’s what forced them into this corner. They had to franchise tag him twice and considered doing it a third time just to keep him. However, if they had done that, Cousins would have made a whopping $34 million, which would have hamstrung the team financially and continued to reflect poorly on their negotiation skills. All they needed to do was try to meet Cousins in the middle early on. They never did that, and that’s what created this three-year saga.

Now, the major question that will be asked for the entirety of this offseason and probably the next four years is, did the Redskins make the right choice? Was it right for them to allocate resources into locking up Smith long term? Yes, they got an accurate passer who doesn’t make mistakes and should seamlessly replace Cousins. But at the same time, they paid him $23.5 million per year, starting in 2019. Is that going to be much different than what Cousins would have made? Even if he got $30 million annually, that’s only $6.5 million more per year. While that’s a large amount, it could be worth it if Cousins was able to get the team over the hump in the playoffs.

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Of course, it’s also worth noting that Cousins was likely to get far more in guaranteed money than Smith, so that would have made him a slightly more risky investment. Still, it’s all about upside in this scenario. Smith doesn’t have much and Cousins does. And Smith’s extension may make it so the Redskins won’t try to draft a replacement in the first couple of rounds, as they have other bigger needs to fill. Oh, and not to mention they gave up Kendall Fuller, one of the best slot corners in the league, to get Smith on this deal.

The Redskins made a typical Redskins move. They acquired a quality quarterback with a track record of coming up short in the postseason. They did so by surrendering a third round pick and Fuller. And after doing that, they gave Smith a deal that is worth five years, $111 million, which is virtually the same as what Aaron Rodgers’ former record breaking deal was worth (though that was negotiated at a different time in the history of the quarterback market). The only upside to the trade and contract extension is that it will be somewhat cheaper than what Cousins gets on the open market and that will give the team more resources. But at the same time, can we even trust the Redskins to utilize them properly?

Last offseason, the team inked Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee to big contracts while letting Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson walk. They tried to patch the hole at receiver by signing Terrelle Pryor, but that flopped. Essentially, the only really good move the team made was signing Zach Brown to a one-year deal, and he may even leave this offseason. If the Redskins had a better track record of adding and retaining quality personnel, then this trade may have made more sense. But as it stands, getting a probable, long-term downgrade at quarterback for maybe $7 million less isn’t an appealing option.

Next: What signing Smith means for Redskins offense

It’s quite possible that I could be wrong. Cousins could flop on his major deal and Smith could overcome his playoff jitters. Still, for now, the Redskins have to work on solidifying the talent around Smith in order to give the game manager a chance to succeed. Smith may look equal to Cousins at times, but he doesn’t have any upside left. For that reason, fans should be wary of this move and should understand that the contract extension, while it’s likely cheaper than what Cousins will get on the market, could end up being an albatross sooner than the front office would like to admit.

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