A New Legacy: Alex Smith Traded To Kansas City

One thing is for sure: Kansas City will no longer be the worst team in the league.

Say what you will about the coaching inadequacies, the inconsistent offensive line or how great quarterbacks transform into players depressing of mediocrity; but at the end of the day it can’t be denied that Alex Smith brings inspirational hope and drive to a team that needs it desperately.

In a move that was frankly unsurprising, the Kansas City Chiefs sacrificed their 2^nd round draft pick for this years NFL draft, along with relinquishing a mid-round pick for the 2014 draft to obtain the highly touted and effective Alex Smith.

Not only did Kansas City get this under appreciated player at a bargain, but also San Francisco was able to bolster its draft options by retaining over 12 picks for this year’s draft.  This will allow them to bolster their offensive line even further, while allowing them to effectively bring in young defensive talent.  As a result, the defensive legacy of the 49ers will continue to flourish and will be the prominent crux for how tough and consistent this team will be in the coming years.

However, while this deal would appear to be a match made in heaven for the Chiefs, consider how their most recent quarterback acquisition, Matt Cassel, fared after leaving the New England Patriots.

In his first year with the Chiefs, Matt Cassel posted lackluster numbers with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions respectively.  However, in his second year Matt Cassel flourished as the centerpiece of the Kansas City offense by throwing 27 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions in a highly successful season that allowed the Chiefs to gain a wild card playoff berth (which they subsequently lost to the Baltimore Ravens).

Unfortunately, Matt Cassel proved less than stellar in the 2011 season by not only failing to maintain consistency from one season to the next, but was also forced to relinquish his responsibilities to the back up Tyler Palko at the time after he injured his hand in week 10 of the regular season.  This effectively ended the Chiefs aspirations of being professionally relevant and ultimately, plunged them back down the rabbit hole into an everlasting state of tragic mediocrity once again.

Now, with the a new quarterback in town which undoubtedly brings a new sense of confidence and hope comes the possibility of an unmitigated disaster that fans simply can’t deal with anymore.  This is a city that takes pride in their sports teams despite lacking any recent accolades.  They have an unwavering faith that is a borderline religious commitment of the highest order.  While this may put tremendous pressure on Alex Smith to not only succeed but to ultimately excel where many others have failed, the fact of the matter is that it should.

 

Being a successful quarterback is more than just getting the necessary wins or throwing the game winning touchdown to clinch a playoff berth; its about being able to overcome adversity and to be self confident enough to shake off the bad moments in order to fight valiantly to gain the victories when they matter most. 

In San Francisco, despite the hatred and the malcontent Alex Smith had to deal with when it seemed he was the definition of a scrub, he was able to push through this pessimism to become one of the most accurate and well-poised quarterbacks in the league.

Whether or not Alex Smith can bring this solidified mentality to the worn and torn Kansas City Chiefs still remains to be seen.  But if any quarterbacks knows how to disprove the naysayers and can bring a competitive edge to team with great athletic potential, it’s Alex Smith.