When Can We Get Out of the Alex Smith Contract???

[bobandweave]

13 minutes ago, JSSkinz said:

I think everyone agrees on what he is but can you admit the ceiling is very low when that's your M.O?

 

One of the K.C. trolls posted this in the Alex thread.

 

"Alex Smith is 9-43-1 when opposing teams score 24+"

 

That's terrible, especially in today's  NFL where it's getting very difficult to play lights out D week to week, the league is doing everything they can to create more offense and make it harder to play defense.

 

Paying that kind of money for a game manager/placeholder QB is just nuts.

 

Okay one more post.

 

Maybe I’m unrealistic but going into this season when Vegas lines were split between giving them 5 to 7 wins this season I didn’t think that this group would be an elite NFL team. Before game one was played I’ve always thought that the best players on the team were old - Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Williams, Josh Norman, Adrian Peterson - and this was a team needing to rebuild.

 

So to me at 5-3 I honestly don’t see a problem. They are doing much better then I ever expected of them so far. Going forward next draft they need to start by targeting a QB to groom under Alex. They have the draft capital to move up in the draft to get someone if they need to and they have a QB with a good history of being a bridge QB in the league. 

 

What ever happens this year is gravy towards that goal. And with a split this next half of the season of wins and losses the young guys will get some playoff expirence which won’t hurt. So I’m not upset with Alex winning more this half of the schedule then he lost. I also don’t have any issue with his contract because that’s what the position pays. I never saw him as a gunslinger or an elite QB. I thought they could rebuild with him holding it down. But maybe I am wrong and this is an elite team with great receivers and the problem is Alex. They don’t seem that way to me. 

[Morneblade]

7 minutes ago, GoDeep81 said:

 

So in other words, were paying the guy 24 mil a year to hand off the football? Or pass it 5-7 yards, which is about the same thing.. ?

 

I'll do that for 90% less money than Alex. Results might not be as good.

 

 

Might.

[bobandweave]

29 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

 

1.  DEFENSE

 

2.  AD

 

3.  CHECK DOWNS b/c the QB is afraid to take chances.  It's dink and dunk.

 

So, again...this team is winning NOT because of anything Alex Smith is doing.  Why give up an asset and a draft pick for THIS quarterback? 

 

Oh jeez don’t turn this into a Kirk thread please. Alex isn’t turning the ball over, that is something he is doing. If you won’t admit that then you won’t admit he’s doing anything 

 

 

29 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

You can easily get the same type of production from Sam Bradford, Bridgewater, etc. 

 

Uh no you can’t. Also Bradford got paid 20 million this season and lasted 3 games before being cut. Neither Sam nor TB would have this team at 5-3

 

 

29 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

It was a moronic trade for a guy coming off an anomaly of a season.  Andy Reid, once again, pulled a fast one on the Redskins.

 

Not hardly. Kirk isnt doing anything special today with much more talent around him in Minnesota. Oh and they won today scoring less then 30 points

 

 

29 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

Unless something DRASTICALLY changes, it would be in the Redskins best interests to part ways with Smith.  In a league where passing offense has never been more explosive, we're trending in the wrong direction. 

 

I guess we all judge things differently and have different opinions about that. They won three straight and dropped one today. That’s not trending in the wrong direction to me and I don’t agree with this or the idea that they open a problem that doesn’t exist today that would be silly. As much as you can want one there isn’t a QB problem in Washington.

 

Take care

[JSSkinz]

14 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

What ever happens this year is gravy towards that goal. And with a split this next half of the season of wins and losses the young guys will get some playoff expirence which won’t hurt. So I’m not upset with Alex winning more this half of the schedule then he lost. I also don’t have any issue with his contract because that’s what the position pays. I never saw him as a gunslinger or an elite QB. I thought they could rebuild with him holding it down. But maybe I am wrong and this is an elite team with great receivers and the problem is Alex. They don’t seem that way to me. 

2

So then you do see him as some sort of above average placeholder then, that's fine but at the same time you have to understand the frustration towards him when we have to play almost perfect defense and be extremely effective in the run game to win and I don't remember that being the narrative when we signed him.

 

Once again I'm not putting today's loss on him, that would be unfair but don't we deserve better for the contract we gave him?

 

 

 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 hour ago, Morneblade said:

 

Because our FO are a bunch of ****ing morons.

Not the whole FO.  Bruce.  Bruce did this.  Bruce should be fired for this.  

[RonArtest15]

4 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

 

Oh jeez don’t turn this into a Kirk thread please. Alex isn’t turning the ball over, that is something he is doing. If you won’t admit that then you won’t admit he’s doing anything 

 

 

 

Uh no you can’t. Also Bradford got paid 20 million this season and lasted 3 games before being cut. Neither Sam nor TB would have this team at 5-3

 

 

 

Not hardly. Kirk isnt doing anything special today with much more talent around him in Minnesota. Oh and they won today scoring less then 30 points

 

 

 

I guess we all judge things differently and have different opinions about that. They won three straight and dropped one today. That’s not trending in the wrong direction to me and I don’t agree with this or the idea that they open a problem that doesn’t exist today that would be silly. As much as you can want one there isn’t a QB problem in Washington.

 

Take care

 

I got the time tonight.

 

Alex isn't turning the ball over because he's not taking ANY chances.  Hard for WRs to make plays when your QB won't throw anything past 8 yards with confidence. 

 

There is no doubt in my mind, with a resurgent AD AND an improved defense, that both TB/Bradford would have this team with the exact same record.  For the people in the back, this team is winning...NOT due to ANYTHING Alex Smith is doing. 

 

On the offensive side of the ball, how can you not say we're trending in the wrong direction?  If AD is contained, there is little to no chance that the Redskins are going to be competitive on offense.  There a ton of pressure on the O-line and on our 33 year old rb.  At some point, the team is going to need Smith to step and an do something with his arm.  As others have mentioned in this thread, opposing defenses are going to stack the box and force Alex Smith to beat them by throwing the ball. 

 

The team is paying, what....24 million per year to have a QB pull off a Trent Dilfer impersonation?  Yea, we should all be content right now. 

[Renegade7]

9 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

Not the whole FO.  Bruce.  Bruce did this.  Bruce should be fired for this.  

 

It was such an important decision on what to do at QB that its negating what else this franchise has gotten right the last year or two.  

[samy316]

18 minutes ago, bobandweave said:

 

Oh jeez don’t turn this into a Kirk thread please. Alex isn’t turning the ball over, that is something he is doing. If you won’t admit that then you won’t admit he’s doing anything 

 

 

 

Uh no you can’t. Also Bradford got paid 20 million this season and lasted 3 games before being cut. Neither Sam nor TB would have this team at 5-3

 

 

 

Not hardly. Kirk isnt doing anything special today with much more talent around him in Minnesota. Oh and they won today scoring less then 30 points

 

 

 

I guess we all judge things differently and have different opinions about that. They won three straight and dropped one today. That’s not trending in the wrong direction to me and I don’t agree with this or the idea that they open a problem that doesn’t exist today that would be silly. As much as you can want one there isn’t a QB problem in Washington.

 

Take care

 

Sorry, but what you just said is sheer lunacy, and borderline incorrect.  There definitely IS a QB problem here in DC, and you might be missing what’s going on right before your very eyes.  Look at Gruden’s pressers after each game.  It’s very clear that he’s 1.  Getting VERY impatient with the offense, and 2.  He’s feeling pressure each and every week from the media to explain what exactly is going on with Smith.  If you injected truth serum in Jay, he’d probably curse out Alex, and secretly wish he had any other QB in the NFL besides Smith right now.

 

Jay Gruden is an OFFENSIVE coordinator at heart, and it must kill him each week to see how inept and clueless we are on the offensive side of the ball.  He’s also a smart guy, who realizes that his tenure with this team is still very much in doubt.  We’re 5-3, but it certainly isn’t because of the QB.  If we struggle to score in our next two games, and we start to slide in the standings, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Jay decides to save his season by playing Colt.  I think days like today, where you play a bad defensive team, but fail to put points on the board, you realize that something has to change soon.

[RonArtest15]

6 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

It was such an important decision on what to do at QB that its negating what else this franchise has gotten right the last year or two.  

 

This team has taken an enormous step backwards at QB.  Cousins mess was a debacle, but Alex Smith as a consolation is turning into a sad joke in itself. 

[JSSkinz]

6 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

It was such an important decision on what to do at QB that its negating what else this franchise has gotten right the last year or two.  

That's what stinks most, the FO has done a good job the last few years and I do think we have a young core group of talent and it will be overlooked if this Alex thing blows up in our face.

[Skinsinparadise]

I was listening to Chad Dukes the other day summarize his callers on the Alex Smith issue and he summarized them this way.

 

A.  People who see this as Alex's ceiling, this is who he is and its not hot.

B.  People who insist he's better than this and we will see better if we give him time.

 

Personally, I was once strongly in category B.  I thought he was a good QB not great but good.  I somewhat waver now from A to B but still am closer to B.  But I find myself arguing with some of the more positive people about Alex mainly for this reason.  Some of them have created a category C which is:

 

C.  The people in category A are right and that this is who Alex is for the most part.  But they are missing that what we are seeing now is actually good for this team -- they are just failing to appreciate it.

 

To each their own, but to me C is a bit wild. 

 

I've said this before but I've heard enough from Jay and beat guys who have talked to either him or people close to him to have a sense of his thoughts -- and that is, if you think Alex is the man based on his current play than I'd turn on Jay if you haven't yet.  Because most indications I get is Jay isn't happy about Alex's performance and is not echoing hey we are winning and he's glad Alex is playing that way he is and is a major part of these wins.  That's not the impression I get at all.

 

Yeah in the mix of we are working to get better, it's coming, etc, etc. -- he will say something nice.  But he did the same for other Qbs he was frustrated with -- he's the HC he can't be just outright slamming any of his players especially his QB.  He did do it once with RG3 but never lived that down so he learned from it. 

 

But the dude who wanted Kirk to be more aggressive than he was playing (as Kirk joked about last year about Jay wanting him to take a lot more shots and if he did what Jay wanted, he'd throw 20 interceptions and Jay quipped back but yeah he's throw 60 tds) and is known for wanting his Qbs to have more of a gunslinging mindset  -- I don't get the impression he has done some 180 conversion and now has learned to love conservative QB play.  Yeah Jay can get conservative with a lead but that's a different subject.  So when 3 different beat guys say that Jay is privately very frustrated by Alex -- I believe it to be so.

 

As for me, I am still sticking to Alex can play better.  I don't blame him for today's loss.  Nor do I credit him for last week's win,  I'll just say if he plays the rest of the season more or less like this.  I'd be surprised.  At this point, mildly surprised.   But if it happens, I'd cut bait and eat the 2019 year.  Not sure they would.  And no I don't think its because they are privately delighted with Alex's play -- I've heard enough from people who cover the team that there is concern behind the scenes.   But I'd think ego wise they'd stick with it because the FO would look bad if they made that kind of commitment and then cut bait.  

 

I'll say it again this team goes the way this man goes.  And the idea that hey even if Peterson is a key cog but you need a conservative QB who doesn't throw INTs to make it all work.  Tell that to Christian Ponder and has 18 TD-12 INT ratio.  Heck the Vikings defense was good in 2012 when they made the playoffs but not great.   Peterson was the lead dance.  A good defense.  And a run of the mill to below average QB who actually had a bad TD to INT ratio.   I doubt people were saying than its about Christian Ponder and that the dude is just a winner. 

 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

14 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

It was such an important decision on what to do at QB that its negating what else this franchise has gotten right the last year or two.  

AND it was Bruce’s decision entirely.

[Morneblade]

Now, if this is the straw that breaks Dan's back and he fires Bruce over this, would it be worth it to be stuck with Alex for the next 2.5 years?

 

That might be the ultimate question.

[Renegade7]

What this may force us into doing is drafting a QB sooner then we wanted to, which give something he's never had: his choice at QB to fit his offense.  

 

People may want Jay gone anyway, I get that.  But when I think "what if's", I think this current team with our 2015 passing game.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

Just now, Morneblade said:

Now, if this is the straw that breaks Dan's back and he fires Bruce over this, would it be worth it to be stuck with Alex for the next 2.5 years?

 

That might be the ultimate question.

All that depends on what Dan does afterwards.  But I’m willing to roll the dice.

[JoggingGod]

12 hours ago, bobandweave said:

 

The trade deadline has past this year lol.  

 

You guys getting all upset about Alex Smith don’t understand there is fantasy football QBs and there are winning games QBs. Alex is not fantasy relevant but he wins more then loses games and has proven that again this year. You sure as hell won’t say that with Colt McCoy starting lol

 

This was one game, there will be others. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the wins forget the losses. Ride and die with the team results.

 

5-3 is a great place to be halfway through the season

Colt is the same QB as Smith at this point. He does NOTHING to win you games. NOTHING.

[Renegade7]

3 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

AND it was Bruce’s decision entirely.

I was convinced Bruce still would only let Doug Williams play star cadet pinball around the time that call was made it was so obvious Doug had nothing to do with it.  Another reason I didn't want to get rid of Doug.

 

So gross, we make the playoffs, does this save Bruce?

[Llevron]

I think it’s dumb to think Colt has anything to offer us to be honest. 

 

But it I don’t mind seeing him if this is the best we have to offer currently. I’m so uninvested in this team at this point that even the 5-2 start doesn’t make it move anymore. Normally I would be all chubbed up by 5-2. But not this time. I knew where this was heading lol. 

 

I say say all that to say that if the team actually made the decision to trade this dude and found someone dumb enough to actually do it (Jags might bite, but Alex probably ****ed that up with his play) then I would be about it. But I would hate to ruin our chances at doing something with this defense by just letting him go and taking that cap hit.....but I don’t know what they should do so I can’t really argue it one way or the other.

 

I know we ****ed up. I know that lol. Enjoy the ride. Only the Redskins could provide this for you. 

 

Just dawned on me that the Skins had NO idea what they had before they let Cousins go. If they did there is no way they wouldn’t have paid him. 

[Morneblade]

1 minute ago, JoggingGod said:

Shut the **** up. Colt is the same QB as Smith at this point. He does NOTHING to win you games. NOTHING.

 

****, Colt at least tries. His deep ball, while noodle-riffic, actually looks better than Smiths. He's been more accurate than Smith has been this year, and doesn't have happy feet like Smith after the 1st read is taken away.

 

He has ****ing moxie. Something Smith doesn't even know the definition of.

 

Colt is NOT Alex Smith. Results might be the same, but he's gonna get you there a different way.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

2 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

So gross, we make the playoffs, does this save Bruce?

That’s the greatest fear.  We want to make the playoffs just because we want to make the playoffs.  But deep down most everyone is well aware that a playoff berth is the ceiling.  One that could save Bruce’s job.  Conflicting no doubt.

[megared]

5 minutes ago, Morneblade said:

Now, if this is the straw that breaks Dan's back and he fires Bruce over this, would it be worth it to be stuck with Alex for the next 2.5 years?

 

That might be the ultimate question.

 

I’ll be over the moon if Bruce is fired, but this offense is borderline unwatchable with Smith at the helm.  He holds the ball too long, doesn’t make throws on time, and misses a lot of easy throws.  

[Skinsinparadise]

13 minutes ago, Morneblade said:

Now, if this is the straw that breaks Dan's back and he fires Bruce over this, would it be worth it to be stuck with Alex for the next 2.5 years?

 

That might be the ultimate question.

 

Bruce is about to be tested in a heavier duty way.  We got the Alex dynamic.  And while i don't think he identified Alex as the target -- he still was the guy leading Kirk's exit to put them in this position.  The O line last year suffered because of injuries, lack of depth at the interior O line hurt.  And their LG Lauvao is perennially injury prone.  What did they do this off season?  Nada.  Let Long go.  And that's really it.  So if this dynamic ends up sinking their season they way it did last year -- Bruce should pay the price for that, too considering their solution was to do nothing.

 

None of this is me throwing the towel for the season.  I think they can rebound.  But if the season goes south I don't think Bruce survives.   Jay unlikely survives it either.   

 

Bruce also the same dude who in an interview said hey yeah we lose Desean and Garcon but we replaced it with similar production with Quick and Pryor.   Imagine they lose next week and D-Jax burns us?  

[Renegade7]

4 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

That’s the greatest fear.  We want to make the playoffs just because we want to make the playoffs.  But deep down most everyone is well aware that a playoff berth is the ceiling.  One that could save Bruce’s job.  Conflicting no doubt.

 

I'll only be able to keep my brain from melting if I'm assured Bruce doesn't have final say over player personell anymore.  Like, just take that away from him like you would a coach, make him focus on letting Doug make the final calls going forward.  Williams could be a diamond in the rough.

[megared]

5 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

So gross, we make the playoffs, does this save Bruce?

 

I always felt like cheap success at this point of our roster’s development could set us back long term in getting talent that can help us.  We make the playoffs, we’re out of the running for drafting a franchise QB without giving up assets.  And we have plenty of needs for those assets...online, lbs, wr, etc.  I don’t trust this organization to be able to develop a late 1st round QB.  

 

And then then instead of us moving on from players that are too expensive, we are more likely to round the gang up for another run, because we were “so close”.  We really need to be looking at our expensive contracts and assessing how those players fit into our future with the understanding that we arent yet close to being a complete team. 

[RonArtest15]

Goes to show the Skins didn't have a viable plan for after Cousins' departure.