Is Alex Smith’s supporting cast better in D.C. than it was in K.C.?
By Ian Cummings
Wide Receiver
Yes, Alex Smith had Tyreek Hill in Kansas City last year. Hill flourished in his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs No. 1 receiver, and Alex Smith has Hill, among others, to thank for his breakout season. Hill was an electric deep threat for Smith, possessing the blazing speed to leave defenders in the lurch.
Having a talent like Hill is an invaluable asset to any offense, but the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have much in their receiving core, aside from Hill. Chris Conley was slotted in as the No. 2 receiver beside Hill before he was lost for the season due to an injury. Even before the injury, Conley was an underwhelming No. 2 option. He’s a solid depth receiver as it stands, with great upside, but he hasn’t yet polished his game, and he’s battled inconsistency throughout his career.
Based on that description, Conley sounds much like Josh Doctson. Both are stellar athletes with room to grow as NFL receivers. Doctson, still, is a bit more polished, and while Conley has always had a pinpoint accurate quarterback in Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins let some throws get away from him last year, and Josh Doctson looked bad as a result.
There were some throws that Doctson should have hauled in (Ironically, his dropped touchdown against Smith’s Chiefs comes to mind), but the NFL is a game of inches. Quarterbacks always have tight zones that they need to hit to connect with receivers. Smith is better than Kirk Cousins at hitting those zones. While Cousins is accurate, but inconsistent in the game of inches, Smith is automatic. Josh Doctson should benefit from that, comfortably furthering the gap between he and Conley.
Doctson is gaining confidence, and he could be due for a breakout year. But what about Smith’s deep threat? There’s no rule that quarterbacks are limited to having one deep threat. And in Washington’s offense, that freedom rings true. Jamison Crowder has the quickness in the slot to get open between the safeties, and Josh Doctson, as noted above, should continue to wow with catches such as the ones he had against Oakland and Seattle.
However, if the Washington Redskins want to use a player like the Chiefs used Hill last year, then free agent acquisition Paul Richardson is their best bet. Coming off a career year, Richardson is an ascending player with blazing speed, similar to Hill. He used this speed to cement his status as a big play threat in Seattle, so much so that he was famous for making long grabs. Richardson will need to stay on the field, but he’s currently healthy, and he offers quite a bit to the Washington Redskins’ offense.
Richardson might not be as slippery as Tyreek Hill, but he’s no pushover, either. Richardson is an incredibly precise route runner, and he has a perfect blend of top-end speed and disorienting quickness. Richardson can break out of a cut and burst away at full speed. It’s this skill that helps him gain separation, and if everything goes right, he and Josh Doctson should be a very serviceable receiving duo. Neither player has proven that they can consistently string together productive seasons, but their traits bode well for them, and Smith is already working on his downfield chemistry with the two.
In 2018, Smith’s receiving core, had he stayed in Kansas City, would be better than the Washington Redskins’ group. Sammy Watkins completes the puzzle and nudges Chris Conley to the third spot, a spot that suits him better. But based on what Smith had last year, the Washington Redskins have a better unit. Tyreek Hill is hard to replace, but behind him, the Chiefs lacked game-breaking talent. Alfred Wilson was a reliable target in the slot, but Jamison Crowder is better than Wilson in that regard, and while Josh Doctson is a less proven No. 1, Paul Richardson helps compensate for that uncertainty. The Chiefs’ group might have the big name of the batch, but the Washington Redskins are deeper at the position than Smith’s team was last year.