ASHBURN, Va. -- Before Doug Williams discussed the Washington Redskins' new quarterback, Alex Smith, he delivered a message to the assembled media. It was the start of a new era for the Redskins, occurring on the same day a part of their past, Kirk Cousins, had signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
But this day was about Smith, not Cousins, who becomes a part of the franchise's history.
"We're not looking in the rearview mirror," said Williams, the Redskins' senior vice president of player personnel. "We're going forward, and that's where we are today. Everything is going forward, nothing behind us."
The Redskins wanted it to be a special occasion. Williams used the word "historic" to describe the day to a packed auditorium, and the news conference was timed to be televised live on local TV.
Smith allows Washington to feel good about the position, one reason the team wanted to trade for him. The deal was done on Jan. 30, but could not be officially announced until the new league year began Wednesday. A handful of teams tried to trade for Smith, but he said Washington stood out.
"This is where I wanted to be," Smith said. "As a quarterback, you certainly watch a lot of film. ... The system, the guys that are here, it looked fun. I wanted to be a part of it."
That last comment resonated with the Redskins, who kept Cousins around on the franchise tag the past two seasons. That led to numerous questions about his future, both to Cousins and to others in the organization.
Smith already signed a four-year extension, so he could be around for a while.
"It means a lot," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. "It's somebody you can build your team around and know he'll be here year in and year out. Then you start putting the other pieces together. You're not always looking down the road or, 'Who's going to be our quarterback next year?' We have our guy in place."
But the Redskins wanted more than just stability; they wanted production. Smith is coming off his best season statistically, having thrown for 4,042 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. The yards and touchdowns were career bests for Smith, the first overall pick in the 2005 draft.
To help Smith and the offense, the Redskins signed speedy receiver Paul Richardson. The former Seattle wideout said he relied on information from former Redskins receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in wanting to come to Washington. Richardson played with a mobile quarterback in Seattle's Russell Wilson, so having another one in Smith will help. Richardson caught a career-best 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns last season.
"To have a guy with such good timing and for him to be mobile as well, those are two great combinations," Richardson said. "I'm going to run past people, whether it's across the field or down the field. He'll find me."
Williams said the Redskins' brass knew they would move on from Cousins shortly after the season ended. After multiple meetings, Williams said a consensus had formed: They wanted to get Smith. Gruden said he was OK with whatever direction they went, whether pursuing someone such as Teddy Bridgewater in free agency or going with Colt McCoy and a rookie.
Gruden said it came down to Smith's experience and productivity over the years. He pointed to Smith's record with Kansas City: 50-26.
"He has all the traits you need," Gruden said. "There's not a trait that, 'Oh, I wish he had this.' He can throw the ball down the field. He proved that. He can obviously escape pressure when he needs to. He's efficient with the ball. He protects the ball. He's accurate and he's tough, mentally and physically. Definitely all the tools to work with."
Smith said he likes the balance in the offense.
"Seeing all the things you get to do," Smith said. "I certainly feel like as a quarterback I can do a lot. I like that. I like to be kind of that Swiss army knife and be able to take advantage of a lot of different things, and certainly see how creative they've been here and look forward to continuing that."
But even though the organization wanted to move past Cousins, his presence lingered in one aspect: the long-term security offered by Smith. And Williams said that stability helps in the locker room. There will be no talk of franchise tags and quarterbacks for the time being.
"I don't understand the [people] that say we didn't want to commit to the other guy," Williams said. "It wasn't a matter of wanting to commit to the other guy. We had to look at it what we had to do that's going to be best for us, somebody who wanted to be here. ... I'm glad it's over with and that we got him signed, sealed and delivered. I know we gave him five [years], but hopefully he'll be here for the next 10 years."