Geno Smith “Fascinates” Kansas City Chiefs, Smokescreen?

Dec 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) warms up prior the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Syracuse Orange at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Alex Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs so that the Chiefs could position for a run in a competitive division.  They have six Pro Bowlers on their roster, they retained a number of quality starters, they positioned themselves well in free agency, and the Smith trade gave them a leg up in the quarterback mess that lower-end teams seem to get lost in.

So why are they all of a sudden interested in West Virginia QB Geno Smith?  Can he really be that good?  Well, according to Arrowhead Addict, the Chiefs are “fascinated” by Smith.  But it isn’t just editor Patrick Allen’s opinion either, Ian Rappoport gets in on the action and adds:

"Chiefs scouts are deep in the process of evaluating Smith, and the word is they are fascinated by him. One scout compared the way he moves to a young Donovan McNabb, raving about how he’s thrown the ball in his workouts. Though they did trade for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the team wouldn’t think twice about having Geno Smith on the bench behind Alex Smith for a short amount of time if he were determined to be the top overall player.When Dorsey was in Green Bay, the team did the same with Aaron Rodgers, who sat for three seasons behind Brett Favre."

While the analysis is sound, if speculative and a little wishful, I don’t see the Chiefs taking Smith.  I do, however, see them hyping him in order to leverage a trade.  A trade that could leave the Jacksonville Jaguars out in the cold as they look to improve what they have at the quarterback position.

The Chiefs have the ability to leverage their number one pick for Geno Smith much more than the Jags have the ability to leverage their number two pick.  If the Chiefs do manage to convince another team that they are going for Smith, then the Jaguars will likely have to fill another need – of which there are many – at number two overall.  Maybe the Chiefs simply do love Smith to go behind Alex Smith.  Alex Smith is certainly not Brett Favre, so it would put some pressure on them to get things right early.  We’ll know more as the NFL Draft gets closer.

– Luke N. Sims

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