NFL Rumors: Teams That Would Be Wise to Pursue Alex Smith in the Trade Market

Jim Harbaugh made the right decision by riding the hot hand of Colin Kaepernick into the playoffs this year, and while San Francisco has flourished, Alex Smith’s future is very much in question.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the 49ers won’t be keeping Smith around much longer:

While trading for a player who might ultimately be released is a risky proposition, it’s sometimes the best choice for NFL teams desperately in need of that player’s services. Hitting the open market will allow teams to negotiate a more cap-friendly contract for Smith, but there’s no guarantee they can sway him unless he is acquired in a trade.

Rapoport has a list of teams he believes are interested in Smith’s services, and none of them are surprising candidates:

Every team on Rapoport’s list is in desperate need of a quality NFL quarterback. With a 2013 draft class that is severely lacking in elite-level quarterback talent, Smith should be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market.

The following teams would be wise to make a move for Smith before he reaches the open market.

Buffalo Bills

Ryan Fitzpatrick has shown flashes of talent, but he’s also one of the most inconsistent starting signal-callers in the NFL. With Doug Marrone taking the reins in Buffalo, finding a new quarterback is probably at the top of the Bills’ to-do list.

Smith may not be as talented as many quarterbacks in the league, but he present less risk than any of the soon-to-be rookie signal-callers available in the draft. Unless Buffalo were assured of selecting Geno Smith (an unlikely scenario), it would be wise to explore options through free agency and trades.

In all likelihood, Smith won’t be a long-term quarterback for any team in need of his services. Buffalo needs a stopgap quarterback until it can find a franchise option, possibly in next year’s draft.

Arizona Cardinals

One of the biggest debates this draft season has been whether Arizona would be wise to use its No. 7 selection on a quarterback. The Cardinals need offensive line help in the worst way, but their quarterback situation was atrocious in 2012.

Kevin Kolb hasn’t been given much of an opportunity to shine in Arizona, due in large part to injuries. If Arizona can’t shore up its offensive line, it doesn’t matter who is under center in 2013.

Pursuing Smith would give Arizona the opportunity to add a potential first-string quarterback and still select a franchise left tackle in the draft. None of the quarterbacks garnering first-round attention are really worthy of a top-10 selection, and the Cardinals would be wise to address their biggest need before the draft.

New York Jets

As Rapoport suggested, the Jets aren’t interested in pursuing Smith at the moment, but there’s no reason to believe that won’t change in the near future. Mark Sanchez is not the answer in New York.

Sanchez won’t be released this offseason—the cap hit is too large for the Jets to risk. But with a quality option available on the trade market, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stop the bleeding by making a move for Smith.

In an interview on ESPN, Adam Schefter posed an interesting trade scenario after mapping out New York’s contract issues with Darrelle Revis (5:30 mark of the clip). It’s not exactly a rumor, but Schefter believes it would make a lot of sense for San Francisco to deal Smith and a second round pick to the Jets for Revis—a move that would be mutually beneficial for both teams.

Nothing substantial has surfaced as to any interest on the part of the Jets, but if they enter the trade discussion in the coming weeks, don’t be surprised to see New York push hard for a quarterback that would allow them to keep Sanchez on the bench.