Alex Smith Would Be Ideal Fit for Andy Reid's Offense in Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs have positioned themselves to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith once NFL rules allow them to execute a trade, and new head coach Andy Reid will have the perfect passer for his West Coast offense.

As USA Today’s Mike Garafolo and Lindsay H. Jones reported: 

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Reid and the Chiefs have reached a deal to acquire San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, according to a person informed of the impending trade. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the move can't become official until March 12, when the league's new year begins. 

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This was easily the team’s best option to fill its gaping hole under center. Kansas City was unfortunate enough to land the No. 1 pick in a year when the draft class is unusually weak at quarterback.

Now that the Chiefs have reportedly fixed their passing problems, the team does not have to reach for a QB with the first pick or look to trade down and draft one later in the first round. Instead, Kansas City can draft a left tackle to give Smith the protection he needs to excel. 

With quality protection, he will produce under Reid. 

Smith drew a significant amount of criticism earlier in his career, but completely reformed NFL fans’ opinion of him in the past two seasons.

Before getting injured and losing his job to Colin Kaepernick, he had an extremely impressive 104.1 passer rating. His efficiency and excellent decision making was a continuation of his 2011 campaign during which he three for 3,144 yards, 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions. 

He proved to a remarkably proficient game-manager, and many of the skills he displayed will translate perfectly into Reid’s scheme. 

Smith may struggle to drive the ball down field, but he is incredibly accurate on short passes and crossing routes. He knows when to try and fit and ball into space, and when to just hold onto the ball. 

When he does have to tuck and run, he has the athleticism to turn a broken play into positive yardage.

In addition, having a home-run hitter like Jamaal Charles in the backfield will alleviate some of the need for Smith to get big plays with deep passes.

Smith has all the tools to succeed in Kansas City, and after a tumultuous start to his career, he will finally go through a change that will benefit him.