The Facts: Considering the big move they made, and the decision to let Kirk Cousins walk, there's only one thing HC Jay Gruden could say about the change at QB: They're better. And that's what he said to reporters at the owners meetings. "Yeah, without a doubt," Gruden said when asked if Washington is better off after trading for Smith.

Diehards Line: Gruden added: "I don't want to compare two players, but we're always trying to be better at every position. We got better. Alex's experience is well-noted, and his record the last five years is what it is. You could argue that all day, but we feel very good. ..." Not much else the coach could say. The Redskins need to say they're better off with Smith, otherwise they would be admitting a mistake. But they do like Smith and feel he's a better fit for their situation. For starters, he signed a long-term contract, something that wasn't going to happen with Cousins. They've pointed to Smith's record with Kansas City -- the Chiefs were 50-26 with him starting. However, Smith would be the first to say he couldn't do it alone. And of the defenses he played with, four ranked among the top 10 in points allowed. Two were top 10 in yards allowed, though the other three were 24th or lower. The Redskins haven't had a defense finish top 10 in points allowed since 2008. But Gruden does like a lot of what Smith brings to Washington. He said the team can expand its offense because of those skills. "It's not one thing, it's everything. It's the entire body of work," Gruden said of Smith. Keep in mind that Cousins topped 4,000 passing yards each of the past three seasons. We'll see if Smith can duplicate that, a feat he's only managed once in his 12 year career (and that was last season).