You guys crack me up.
So, for starters... When you trade for another team's player, particularly a proven, vet QB, you actually have to give the other team something in return.
The 3rd rounder is not a huge deal. Shedding Cousins will ensure we get a compensatory pick - probably a 3rd rounder. So that's essentially a wash. So basically, we traded Kendall Fuller for Alex Smith.
Smith is essentially a carbon copy of Cousins. Yeah - he's what, 3 or 4 years older? But he's still got 4+ years of play ahead of him - correct? As we just found out - keeping any QB beyond a 4-5 year contract is a dubious proposition. I'm actually excited that we will be bringing in a guy who we know is a pretty good QB and who will be committed to a long contract in his prime. People talk about Smith like he's some scrub because he hasn't won in the playoffs. Because we all know, it's all on the QB to win in the playoffs.
I like that we were decisive and made a call now so we can move forward and prepare for the draft.
Yes - we gave up a talented corner. Finding a talented corner is a hell of a lot easier than finding a legitimate starting QB. Period. If we were excessively worried about the roster hole we just created, we now have a first round pick that we can use on a corner or a top defensive player.
Bottom line - if the FO decided Alex Smith was going to be the best option, that's going to cost something. Kendall Fuller is what it cost.
We don't know the real contract dollars yet, so those insinuating on Twitter that Kirk would've accepted whatever Smith will be signed for - or that the 'savings will be minimal' - that's just nonsense. Cousins clearly doesn't want to be here and there's no way we were going to be able to afford him. This will save us a big chunk of cap space, space that people haven't yet thought through and which may allow us to sign guys like Zach Brown.
I really think we should keep an open mind here. This may work out pretty nicely.