Washington Redskins: Kendall Fuller trade hurts, but not a death blow

The Washington Redskins traded promising young cornerback Kendall Fuller to Kansas City in Alex Smith trade. It hurts, but Redskins will be fine.

When it was reported Alex Smith had been traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Redskins on Tuesday night, most felt it would be for a draft pick or two. That was true, however, reports began to circulate there was also a player-to-be-named that would be revealed on Wednesday.

Many thought it could be safety Su’a Cravens, who missed the 2017 season for personal reasons. Unfortunately, it was later revealed that the unnamed player would be rising third-year cornerback Kendall Fuller.

Twitter was in full meltdown mode. Washington players were struggling with the news, too. Safety D.J. Swearinger had plenty to say about Fuller’s departure. Of course, Swearinger has plenty to say about everything, a big reason as to why he has played on multiple teams in his young career.

The loss of Fuller is a tough blow for the Redskins. He was, arguably, the team’s top defensive player in 2017. He was definitely Washington’s best defensive back. Bleacher Report recently ranked Fuller as the No. 1 slot cornerback in the league, while Pro Football Focus had Fuller ranked as the No. 6 overall cornerback in their 2017 rankings.

Not only was Fuller still on his rookie deal, he is also from the Washington area and played his college career at Virginia Tech. He was a homegrown player on the ascent. This is a team that has lacked ascending homegrown players over the years. Fuller, who had a first-round grade coming out of Virginia Tech, fell to the third round due to concerns over his surgically repaired knee. The Redskins took a chance and he rewarded them.

However, as tough as it was losing Fuller, the Redskins can overcome this. It is much easier to find a good corner than it is to find a competent quarterback. For the Redskins to get Alex Smith, they had to add Fuller to any deal with the Chiefs. He was what tipped the deal in Washington’s favor. The Redskins, craving stability at the quarterback position with the impending departure of Kirk Cousins, decided to part with a talented young corner to get ahead of what’s expected to be a wild quarterback market.

Washington is counting on secondary coach Torrian Gray to help replace Fuller’s production. Some other questions must be answered, though. Will the team try to re-sign Bashaud Breeland? Or, will try second-year corner Josh Holsey in the slot? Whichever path Washington chooses, it won’t be easy to replace Fuller.

The Redskins will also miss Fuller in the locker room. Many veteran teammates told stories about Fuller and his character after his departure. Kicker Dustin Hopkins had a particularly insightful observation.

Fuller will be fine. He is going to a good team that has a shot at the Super Bowl. He’ll be playing opposite of another good young cornerback in Marcus Peters. The Redskins will be fine, too.

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Quarterback is the most important position in sports. Alex Smith is a solid passer coming off a career year. So, while it stings losing a player of Fuller’s potential, it was necessary in order to seal the deal in this case.