Jul 28, 2013; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) drops back to pass during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs made a big splash this offseason when the team made a move to acquire former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

Smith is now paired with new head coach Andy Reid in what could be a potent offensive attack. Give credit where it is due for the organization going out and getting guy it truly wanted.

Apparently the coaching staff really, really wanted Smith. Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson has went as far as saying Smith is the best quarterback in the NFL according to Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star:

“Ultimately, every team has to have a quarterback,” Pederson said. “I think we have the best in the league.” “There are a lot of great ones,” Pederson said, “but over time, Alex has proven he can get it done. He’s a sharp guy, he brings a wealth of knowledge, he’s experienced, he’s a proven winner the last couple of years, and he needs a team to embrace him.”

The Spin: Oh boy. We’re not fighting the notion Smith is a smart quarterback. We won’t deny Smith has proven time and again to be a solid game manager at best.

But we’ll stop there.

Smith is not the best quarterback in the NFL by a very, very long shot. Chalk this comment up to his coaches saying what they are supposed to say (what else did you expect?), but Smith does not even crack the top 10 as far as quarterbacks go. Even from a statistical standpoint we’re talking about a guy that has never thrown for 20 touchdowns on a season and over 3,000 yards just once.

Smith’s a good quarterback but that’s as far as it goes.