Kansas City's trade of quarterback Alex Smith to Washington late Tuesday, and first reported by the Kansas City Star, means Kirk Cousins will hit the free-agent market. One less team could feel compelled to move up in the NFL Draft to get a quarterback. The Bucs own the No. 7 pick overall.

Plus, there's speculation that whomever Cousins signs will reward him with the most lucrative contract in NFL history. For Kirk Cousins. Jameis Winston could be eligible for a new contract after next seasons, though the Bucs could also opt to pick up his fifth-year option.

The Times' Bucs coverage team weighs in on any possible impact of the Kansas City-Washington trade on the Bucs.

Thomas Bassinger, @tometrics: The Bucs' 2018 schedule just got tougher. Before the trade, it looked as if they were going to play a Washington team that significantly downgraded at quarterback. With Smith in the fold, that won't be the case. In fact, Smith was better than Cousins this season. Smith shed his reputation as a game manager and took more chances down the field. The aggressiveness paid off; his passer rating on deep throws led the NFL. If Cousins lands in Cleveland, the Bucs could end up facing both quarterbacks.

Greg Auman, @gregauman: It's one less team needing a quarterback. So to that end, there's less chance four quarterbacks go in top six picks. If the Jets or Broncos land Kirk Cousins, for instance, that means one less non-QB prospect for the Bucs to choose from at No. 7. Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan were going to reset QB market value this offseason already, if not others. The Bucs are still probably a year or more away from extending Winston, so it's only a minor impact.

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Rick Stroud, @NFLStroud: The biggest impact of the trade will come in the draft. Washington is on the Bucs schedule, but they beat Smith at Kansas City two years ago. In my mind they're very similar players although Cousins had one of the biggest comebacks against the Bucs in team history. (You LIKE that!).

It likely means the Browns or Jets could go all in on Cousins, meaning one less position player may be pushed to Tampa Bay at No. 7. As for Winston, the Bucs won't address his contract until after 2018 at the earliest. They also could wait another year and pick up his fifth year option. By then, there will be several other marquee QBs signed.