Washington Redskins: What does the Smith signing mean for the offense?

Receiving Core

Alex Smith didn’t have the greatest, most well-rounded receiving core in the world in Kansas City. Ryan Grant is an upgrade over Albert Wilson. And Josh Doctson should be a decent playmaker in his second full year. But on the Kansas City Chiefs, Alex Smith had one player that no one in D.C. even came close to resembling.

Alex Smith had Tyreek Hill.

His transformation in 2017 was intriguing, because before that season, Alex Smith was the league-wide definition of a game manager. Now, it appears as if he prefers the term ‘gunslinger’. That was evident in his latest season, when it became a weekly routine of sorts to chuck a deep pass to his speedy receiver. Smith showed a new level of aggression in his choices, and yet, the interceptions didn’t go up. Smith’s aggression is the most dangerous kind. It is calculated. Smart.

But all that doesn’t matter if the Washington Redskins don’t have a receiver who can whisk around the defensive backs and get open with speed alone. Jamison Crowder is quick and shifty, but he doesn’t have the top-end velocity to be Alex Smith’s Tyreek Hill in Washington. They do have Doctson, who can go up for the 50-50 balls. But they don’t have a player to take the top off of a defense, like DeSean Jackson did for Kirk Cousins in 2015 and 2016.

In the ensuing offseason, a speedy deep threat is one of the top priorities for the Washington Redskins. Alex Smith can get by without one, but settling for good enough is just another way to go 8-8. To win, and to have a dynamic offense with Alex Smith at the helm, the Washington Redskins need to find their Tyreek Hill. They can’t waste Alex Smith’s newfound willingness to go deep.