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Earlier this offseason, the 49ers traded QB Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and a third round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, which can potentially move up to the second round. There was some surprise at the 49ers haul, given that teams knew he was on the market, and the 49ers pretty much had to figure out a way to unload him. So, how did they score this kind of bounty?
According to the New York Times, Andy Reid confirmed that he had tried to acquire Alex Smith multiple times in the past. Arrowhead Pride broke down some of the details of the article. Trent Dilfer had previously discussed Reid's interest in Philadelphia, but this article has confirmation from Reid himself. I'd like to think the 49ers held Reid over the coals at least a little bit to make this kind of deal.
Alex Smith made his preseason debut for the Chiefs on Friday, and looked solid enough in his one drive. He was 7 of 8 for 68 yards, almost exclusively throwing underneath against the Saints soft zone defense. Chiefs fans have put up with some questionable QB play for quite a while now, so it is not surprising to see them get excited about the team's offensive performance after one drive. I'd suggest heading over to their first quarter game thread to enjoy the excitement of their fans during and following Smith's drive.
I provided Arrowhead Pride with a few thoughts on the drive in their game recap. I suggested that the big question will be what happens when defenses are not quite so vanilla. We've all been through the Alex Smith experience, and we know how it can get inconsistent at times. I plan on keeping an eye on Smith all season to see how he performs for the Chiefs. That is due in part to the 49ers holding a Chiefs pick next year, but also just because I'm still interesting in how Smith's career moves along.
Speaking of that, the 49ers and Chiefs square off at Arrowhead Stadium this Friday in Week 2 of the preseason. We'll get to see Alex Smith play at least a couple of series against the 49ers defense, if not more. The 49ers showed off a solid pass rush against the Denver Broncos, so we'll see how Smith handles it. I have a hunch he'll face a slightly stiffer challenge from the 49ers defense than he did from the Saints defense.