Alex Smith as QBOTF?
by Fooch on Mar 9, 2009 8:00 AM PDT
in News
56 comments
Fooch's Note: This post was actually written by grantmp, who was kind enough to send it along. If anybody ever writes something up that they think is too long for a FanPost, OR they simply want a little more exposure for the piece, feel free to email me. Thanks again to grantmp for putting this together.
Ever since the Niners drafted Alex Smith, I have been a Smith supporter—mostly because as a Niners fan, I can talk myself into almost anyone. Smith seems like a good kid who tries to do all the right things, even watching film of Joe Montana, coming to meetings he doesn’t need to attend, etc. Everyone here at Niners Nation seems to agree that this offseason is decision time on Alex Smith, mostly because of the monstrous cap figure he’d have if he were brought back under his current contract ($12.29M). I’m interested in looking at whether it makes sense to continue to call Smith the Quarterback-Of-The-Future for the 49ers.
Even at this point, four years after the Niners drafted Smith and after 2 and a half seasons of seeing Smith in action, the word people continue to associate with Smith is *potential*. Smith is smart (40/50 on the Wonderlic), he’s got a strong (if not Flacco-esque) arm, prototypical size, great mobility (4.7 40), and good accuracy. His college career was highly successful (a 21-1 record as a starter), and Smith’s own statistics were impressive, as he recorded completion percentages of 65% and 67.5% in his sophomore and junior seasons. These were some of the reasons the Niners picked Smith 1st overall in the 2005 NFL draft.
Smith’s first NFL season was disastrous, perhaps predictably so for a QB who declared eligible for the draft as a Junior and out of a spread-offense background. These warning signs didn’t prevent the Niners from throwing Smith out there for all or parts of 9 games his rookie season. Smith fumbled 11 times and threw 11 picks against one touchdown in the 2005 season. In 2006, Smith made significant strides under Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner, reducing his fumble rate (11 fumbles in ’05 vs. 10 in ’06 despite appearing in 7 more games), and improving his td/int ratio (16 tds/16 ints in ’06). His completion percentage also jumped 7.1 percentage points and he reduced his sack rate by half.
The 2007 season led Smith into the predicament he and the Niners now find themselves in. In the first 3 games of the ’07 season, the Jim Hostler-coordinated Niners offense struggled mightily, as did Smith himself. Through three games, Smith threw 1 td and 1 int, completed 51.8% of his passes and averaged around 150 yards of passing offense per game. In the fourth game of the season against Seattle, DT Rocky Bernard broke through the Niner o-line and sacked Smith, separating Smith’s throwing shoulder in the process.
After the injury, Smith sat out weeks 5 through 7, but came back to play 3 games, again averaging around 150 yards per game passing, but with a 46.7% completion percentage. After the second game against Seattle in Week 10 of the ’07 season, Smith was shut down for good and had surgery on his separated throwing shoulder. After playing with limited success in the ’08 preseason within Mike Martz’s offense, it was discovered that a bone was broken in his throwing shoulder, and that the injury would require season-ending surgery. Smith spent the ’08 season on IR.
The numbers don’t look good for Mr. Smith. In fact, the only reason he’s still on the roster is because of his potential, which to this point has gone largely unfulfilled. Most Smith-apologists point to the ’06 season as an indication that Smith can be a serviceable-to-good option in a run-heavy offense that makes significant use of roll-outs and play-action. Smith throws a nice ball, has nice mechanics (no Shaun Hill-esque backpedalling), and has, by now, seen enough playbooks to pick up any offense that’s simpler than Mike Martz’s. Finally, Smith is only 24, which means he’s had 4 years of NFL experience/association despite being only 2 years older than Mark Sanchez.
Urban Meyer, Smith’s coach at Utah, has said that it took Smith a while to feel totally comfortable in Utah’s spread offense, but that once he got it, he was a perfect fit. It would stand to reason that if Jimmy Raye is planning on being in SFO for multiple seasons, Smith could still be the long term guy even if the Niners start with Shaun Hill at QB.
With Hill, Smith, and Huard under contract for the ’09 season, I don’t see why the Niners would look to draft another QB at any point—not in the first round because a) the price would be too high and b) the only options there would also be Juniors, and not later because a) the upside of the guys they would find later wouldn’t be greater than Smith’s still is at this point and b) those guys would take just as long or longer to develop. So what are your thoughts?
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I think Smith could be good one day
I’ve never been a big A Smith fan. I didn’t want us to draft him. I thought he was a joke after 05. But after 06 I thought maybe he could be pretty good. I felt myself buy into it – partly because I want to believe in what the Niners are doing and partly because he looked like he could be a real QB. My feeling is that since 06 we can’t judge Smith’s performance at all – Hostler + injuries = wasted time.
So, I’m trying to look at Smith like the guy who just came off his 06 season. Potential for sure. And if he sticks in the same offense for a few years, then he might turn into something.
That being said, it’s too early for us to know what will happen with him. If we draft Sanchez you can pretty much write Smith off. If we don’t, then I think it’s wise to put Smith back into the primary backup/learning role, with the idea that he takes over again either halfway through the season or next season.
What happens with his contract will likely have a big impact on our draft strategy. If we can get the deal done and him re-signed for a lot less, then I think we go with him and don’t draft the early QB. If the deal isn’t done by the draft, I think the chances we take Sanchez and cut Smith go way way up.
Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis
by wjackalope on Mar 9, 2009 8:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Where’s the option to just release Smith
http://www.runboard.com/bsanfran49ers
by supraman on Mar 9, 2009 8:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Where’s the option to convert him to fullback?
JAI HO!
by Rishi on Mar 9, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
exactly - your poll seems inherently biased
There’s a lot of us out there that just want to be rid of Alex Smith, but that doesn’t mean we draft a QB in the first round of the draft.
so my vote is -
Cut Smith loose period.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and go into the season with 2 quarterbacks?
“Cut Smith loose period” makes no sense. Either suggest that they should sign a late rounder, sign a FA or something else.
Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!
by grantmp on Mar 9, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
the word people continue to associate with Smith is potential
Which people are saying this?
when will the Kenny Thomas Reign of Terror end?!!??
by diehardkingsfan5 on Mar 9, 2009 8:36 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
For one...
… you apparently didn’t read the first comment to the post.
I think a lot of people still see potential in Smith. Those same people remain pretty skeptical about whether or not he’ll ever fulfill that potential, though.
by sfgfan on Mar 9, 2009 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and a lot of us see potential in Smith by him being on another team
let someone else mess around with realizing Alex Smith’s potential – 4 years is enough
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i understand your thinking but...
as the common argument goes—he has had no consistency in offensive coordinators and literally NO talent on the team. furthermore, of those 4 years—he has probably been on the field and in games for about 2 of them. he was injured half of 2 years ago and all of last year and only played about half the games his rookie season (ahh the tim rattay era)…
would you prefer to mess around with the first 2-4 years of rhett bomar’s potential when he most likely goes through similar issues?
it is definitely true that at some point, all the effort to helping a player reach his potential is a sunk cost. however, i don’t think we have reached that point with alex smith just yet
by gogoldenbears on Mar 9, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't see...
… how Huard and Smith can prevent you from drafting a middle to late round QB. While I agree with the thinking that whomever the 49ers take at one of those picks will not have the same potential Smith has, everyone knows how difficult it is for a QB to realize his potential.
With that said, Shaun Hill’s deal is up after next season (not the coming one, but the next one) and so will Smth’s (even if he reworks his deal, as I think they’re only re-working the terms of his base pay). The 49ers will then not have a QB and they will at least need a stopgap QB that already knows the system. That’s a QB they can find in the middle to late rounds. Besides, as unlikely as it sounds, they could always luck out and stumble upon some diamond in the rough.
Basically, I don’t feel like they NEED to draft a QB just to draft one. But if they really like some kid and he happens to be near the top of their board when it’s their turn to pick in any given round, I wouldn’t be upset of they took him.
by sfgfan on Mar 9, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
IAWTC
Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis
by wjackalope on Mar 9, 2009 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am with this comment?
Blind devotion.
by ProfessorBigelow on Mar 9, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
agree
Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis
by wjackalope on Mar 9, 2009 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
3 QB's
I think I’ve read somewhere that the Niners have set March 16th, or something like that, as the deadline to rework Smith’s deal so I’ve got to think Huard was only brought in as insurance in case the Niners can’t renegotiate Smith’s contract. If Smith does redo his contract I really can’t see the Niners retaining Huard over a mid-late round QB and I don’t see them carrying more than 3 QBs. Smith’s “potential” should not be a deterrent to drafting a QB.
Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.
by methodrampage on Mar 9, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
kyle wright???
haha some people might think its a joke, but im semi-serious. we had him in camp last year and i only read good things.
we should sign him and keep him on the practice squad. he sucked major footballs at miami, but id like to believe he was the #1 recruit and gatorade player of the year for a reason. not to mention he is a bay area kid. i know that doesn’t mean much, but he seems to have all the physical tools (size, arm strength, etc.) to be a pro QB.
i apologize if this is sounds dumb—i guess i am a bay area roots and potential/upside/physical tools lover
by gogoldenbears on Mar 9, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've been one of Smith's biggest critics over the past few years,
but I have to say: I really hope he wins the starting job in 2009.
That’s not to say that I think he will. I’m not saying that Shaun Hill at QB would spell doom for the franchise. All I’m saying is that the best thing for this team – present and future – would be for someone to make real strides, step up, take control, and play well. If that guy happens to be Shaun Hill? That’s okay too, I suppose. But I don’t think we’ll get much hope out of a spot-battle victory by Hill.
I don’t think Alex should be handed the job. I don’t even think he should be given an edge. I just want to see a real, legitimate fight for the spot. I want Shaun to be forced to prove that he should be the starter, and I want Alex to be given a shot to do the same. I want to see an intriguing preseason where both guys play their hearts out and one of them comes out on top – without injuries, coaching bias or media scrutiny playing a part in the final decision.
It’s just that I really have no faith that Shaun Hill is ever going to be more than what he’s been so far – decent. I’m not hating on the guy. I don’t think he sucks. I just don’t think he’s very good. Sure, he won’t lose us a ton of games, but he’s never going to be the difference-maker that wins us games that we probably shouldn’t have.
At the same time however, in order for Alex to win the job, he would have to show dramatic improvement. So really, in that sense, any real 49er fan should hope that Smith beats out Hill for the job. That would mean we’d have someone more than just an “Okay, I Guess” option under center going into the season. If he doesn’t, then that’s fine. Whatever. We’ll just be stuck with Trent Dilfer II Shaun Hill.
by shlecko on Mar 9, 2009 9:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Decent may be all Hill needs to be
No he doesn’t have “elite QB” written all over him, but he does manage a game pretty well. Smith may well look better in Mini camp, but I suspect his desire to show that he’s “got it” is going to result in many turnovers and mistakes in pre-season, even as the ball looks better coming out of his throws. It will result in Hill winning the job by better management and efficiency.
That said, this preseason is Smith’s big chance to step up in everyone’s estimation, even if he doesn’t win the starting job. If he is decisive and aggressive and overthrows rather than underthrows, and more importantly if we see body language from the receivers that looks like “damn, we’re almost there” as opposed to " where da f#@k is he throwing the ball?", that ’s probably enough for all concerned to continue investing in his potential.
by Odquest on Mar 9, 2009 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you're saying...
Hill is Peyton Manning?
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on Mar 9, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's saying
that he’s got a fever – and the only prescription is more Shaun Hill.
by shlecko on Mar 9, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, that clears it up...
Especially since Sing takes his pants off, one leg at a time. Except that when he does it, [sarcasm]Hill turns into Johnny Unitas.[/sarcasm]
When in doubt of what the definition of “Elite QB” is, just add more cowbell.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on Mar 9, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So really, in that sense, any real 49er fan should hope that Smith beats out Hill for the job. That would mean we’d have someone more than just an "Okay, I Guess" option under center going into the season.
And you’ve been one of Alex Smith’s biggest critics over the years? I don’t believe it.
Where is all this Shaun Hill hate & mistrust coming from anyway? – the guy has never been given a chance to start a season as a team’s QB yet – in spite of the fact that he’s proven to be better than average 2 years in a row now. Hill has heart, the ability scramble instead of being sacked, the ability to throw long and quick short passes, etc., etc. etc. – all qualities Smith’s never shown us, his glorious college record be damned.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
whoa, I somehow really f-ed up using the block quotes there
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If you don't believe it,
feel free to look up some post records from a year or so ago. Or even this pre-season, the last we heard from Smith. I was vocally pro-Hill towards the end of 2007 and midway through 2008, too.
Nothing’s changed. As I said, I harbor no ill will toward Shaun Hill. He’s still currently the best QB on the 49ers roster (though that doesn’t say much). What I’m saying is that I hope that changes – and for that to happen, it would have to mean Smith gets a whole lot better.
And isn’t that a good thing? For the team as a whole?
by shlecko on Mar 9, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I kind of find your faith in Smith endearing – proof of the kindness in the hearts of man and all that
but you’re living in a fantasy land, bro – “it would have to mean that Smith gets a whole lot better”
It’s TIME to cut our losses, lose Smith, start Shaun Hill for now, and immediately start drafting young QBs again (just not Stafford or Sanchez in the first round this year).
in other words, hoping and wishing and being patient for Alex Smith to get better, always saying he’s going to compete for the starting job EVERY OFF-SEASON – is not good for the team.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whoa, whoa!
Who the hell said I had faith in Smith? You’re misunderstanding my point.
Like I said, I don’t think Smith is going to win the job. He’s shown little promise up to this point. What I’m saying is that Smith winning the job would mean that he’s completely turned all that around and finally gotten his sh*t together. If he were to win the job, it would have to be because he was the best QB on the roster. If that were the case, then we’d have upgraded at the position from where we were last season. Isn’t that exactly what we want?
It’s all hypothetical.
Saying I’d like it to happen isn’t the same as saying that I think it will happen.
Also, saying I want Alex to come away the starter doesn’t mean that I think he deserves the job. All I’m getting at is that I want someone to earn the starting role – I don’t want it handed over to anybody “just because.” The one point you may be able to bite me on is the belief that, despite it all, I do still think that there’s more upside with Smith than there is with Hill.
Also, I disagree – to a great degree – that cutting Alex in favor of a late round draftee in this year’s weak QB class would be helpful in any way. It just means we get someone who’s about the same age, only with a lot less experience and no familiarity with the team or the town. The blind faith here seems to be in your belief that we’ll somehow draft a miracle in round 6 that will come out and blow everyone away.
by shlecko on Mar 9, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1 for shlecko
well said, I pretty much agree with this whole statement
Simply by pulling on both ends, Patrick Willis can stretch diamonds back into coal
by 49erLou on Mar 9, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
As my post indicates...
I continue to be an Alex Smith defender, but I’m not among the 3% of Ninersnationers that think he should be installed as the QB from day 1—because he hasn’t proven that he’s the best QB on the roster.
But as my post also indicates, it would be great if Alex Smith did become a legit starter because he possesses skills that Shaun Hill can never have—youth, arm strength and mobility.
Alex Smith getting his [site decorum] together would be the best thing for the team because he doesn’t prevent the team from drafting their OLB/RT/x/y/z-of-the-future AND he’s got long-term upside.
You could argue that picking up someone else in the draft would be a better option, but regardless of where you pick them up, they will necessarily cost a draft pick and likely take just as long or longer to develop.
This is all a long way of saying +1
Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!
by grantmp on Mar 9, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
WHY WAIT?
GRANTED, SMITH HAS HAD A ROUGH TIME, BUT I STILL CONSIDER HIM A ROOKIE. HILL HAS SHOWN TO HAVE BETTER STATS THAN SMITH WHEN COMPARED. (EVERYONE SAW WHAT HAPPEN WHEN HILL AND SINGLETARY TOOK OVER!) SOMEONE IS HOLDING OUT REGARDING SMITH CONTRACT AND I DON’T BELIEVE IT’S THE NINERS.HE NEEDS TO RESIGN NOW OR CUT HIM BECAUSE HE’S GETTING HIS MONEY. EITHER WAY, HE’S GUARANTEE $9.625 MILLION.WHAT WOULD YOU DO? GET CUT,TAKE THE MONEY AND SIGN ON WITH ANOTHER TEAM. I WOULD! WHY DRAFT IN THE LATTER ROUNDS WHEN THIS IS A BAD YEAR FOR QB’S. THE PRO’S ON NFL NETWORK RATES SANCHEZ AS THE BEST QB. SIGN HIM OR DRAFT a 2ND STRINGER QB FOR THE FUTURE. WHAT’S THAT OLD QUOTE, “CALIFORNIA OR BUST”. YOU GOT TO TAKE THAT CHANCE IN THE 1ST ROUND. THE NINERS HAVE HAVE 9 PICKS THIS YEAR, USE ONE ON SANCHEZ!!!!!!!
by LASVEGASNINER on Mar 9, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
the shamehammer--it's back!
Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!
by grantmp on Mar 9, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
THE NINERS HAVE HAVE 9 PICKS THIS YEAR, USE ONE ON SANCHEZ!!!!!!!
Are the extra exclamation points really neccesary?
Blind devotion.
by ProfessorBigelow on Mar 9, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess he was covering his bases in case anyone couldn't read the all caps
Simply by pulling on both ends, Patrick Willis can stretch diamonds back into coal
by 49erLou on Mar 9, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
restructure and keep him!
i say keep alex smith. i’m in the same boat as grantmp because i think he has the mental and physical tools to be successful in the NFL. like grantmp mentioned, he has solid (albeit unspectacular) arm strength, good size, speed and definitely is hard working and intelligent enough to succeed in the NFL. these tools are what make many people say he has “potential” and it has been completely unfulfilled because the success he has had doesn’t correlate with his physical ability and work ethic. he does need to work on his accuracy though, as we saw after he came back from his separated shoulder, he was constantly overthrowing open receivers. also does hand size (above a certain point) really matter for a qb? (that’s not a rhetorical question, i really want to know)
i’ll give a disclaimer and say i have been an alex smith lover ever since he was drafted. as a cal fan, i obviously preferred rodgers, but seeing the way alex conducts himself and the type of person he is (at least outwardly in interviews and to the media) it is hard not to like and root for alex. i hope he is placed on competition with shaun hill for the starting spot. i think and hope that singletary didn’t want to name shaun hill the starter not because he anticipated drafting or picking up a QB via free agency, but because he realized that alex smith may have a shot.
i think the best option is to restructure smith’s contract. it is obvious that he hasn’t lived up to first pick money and doesn’t deserve it. i believe he knows this, and tough as it would be for any of us, i think he is the type of person who would be willing to restructure his deal and compete for a chance to start.
i think a good way of looking at smith when deciding whether we should draft a QB is comparing him to the other quarterbacks because he is still so young. he is talented to be the 3rd—maybe even 2nd—best quarterback in the draft. while that’s not ideal for a former #1 pick, it is most prudent to keep him instead of picking a QB in this draft (or at least high). if we pick another position in the first round, we have a (hopefully) top 10 player in this draft plus the 3rd best quarterback. if we pick sanchez or stafford should they fall, we have the 1st/2nd and 3rd (in my comparison situation) best quarterbacks in this draft. is that really necessary. furthermore, i would rather have smith than any of the quarterbacks after the firs two—rhett bomar included. bomar has talent but so does alex. furthermore, bomar played at a much lower level school than smith did in college (plus alex has 3 years in the NFL, not including last season) and bomar never had over a 60% completion percentage and barely had a 2:1 TD to interception ratio.
i apologize for the long reply, but it has taken me writing all that to flesh out what i was really thinking. here is the bottom line for anyone who doesnt read the whole mess above:
1. alex has physical talent, intelligence, and work ethic necessary to be a successful nfl qb
2. good person (not that it really matters in this discussion) and should be placed in a position to compete for starting job vs. shaun hill
3. deal needs to be restructured—i think he would agree to it if he got a chance to start
4. i would rather have smith and another first rounder in this draft than smith and sanchez/stafford or just sanchez/stafford. also smith is better and has equal or more potential than any OTHER QB in this draft or most drafts.
5. shaun hill is 29 and damon huard is 35. it is wise for many reasons to keep a young qb on this roster and smith should be the guy.
by gogoldenbears on Mar 9, 2009 11:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I read your “whole mess above” – and I just don’t understand why you’re parroting the same pro-Alex Smith tripe that fans were all saying at the beginning of last year
1 – so did Joey Harrington
2 – good person – not that it really matters in this discussion – sorry most of us don’t give shit how good a person Alex Smith is
3 – deal needs to be restructured on a different team than the Niners
4 – this seems to be that same absolutely blatant refusal to accept the fact that a first rounder could be a bust – it’s like the draft rounds are sacred or something, what round did we draft Joe Montana in again?
5 – it is “wise to have a young QB” does not necessarily follow to “Smith should be the guy”
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You...
… as well as a few others just have a very anti-Smith view. You seem to look at it as “well he’s a former #1 overall pick, and since he’s not a starter yet and hasn’t shown the consistency to be so, lets just cut the losses there and start over anew.”
I don’t think anyone (including myself, who is a fairly big Smith supporter) is saying Smith is the best QB on the team. No one is even saying he is GOING to realize any potential he actually has. But if the team is going to be on the hook for $12M in bonus money anyway, why not keep him on the roster and see what he can do if the only other liability to the team is league minimum base salary?
As long as by keeping Smith on the roster doesn’t hinder the drafting/signing of a QB who could potentially become a starter for the long-term, I don’t see how it can hurt?
by sfgfan on Mar 9, 2009 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
your good points -
1 – it’s not that Alex Smith is the best QB on the team – (brb, going to go recover from the irony here)
2 – “potential” “potential” “potential” – unrealized
3 – IF we’re on the hook for $12 million in bonus, and IF we can keep him for only a league minimum base salary – why not? Because of his “potential” keeping him at the min base salary is highly unlikely.
4 – IF keeping Alex Smith on the roster doesn’t hinder the drafting/signing of a QB who could potentially become a starter long-term – again, just don’t think this is possible – with Smith on the roster, drafting a QB even in later rounds is suddenly a lower priority
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry if I’m cranky, the NFL offseason is starting to hurt – and it’s only the beginning of March
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on Mar 9, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Draft
We both agree that the 49ers shouldn’t use a first round draft pick on a QB (i.e. Stafford or Sanchez), right? So Smith being on the roster doesn’t really affect that.
As for Smith’s presence lowering the priority of taking a later round QB, that may be true. It also may not be. You look at the glass half empty. I look at it half full. I think that regardless of what happens with Smith and his contract, the 49ers are still eyeballing a QB that can at least become the next Shaun Hill for the team.
As I mention above, the 49ers will probably have to replace one (if not both) of Smith and Hill in two years. If Smith fails to show more (ANYTHING more) this coming season, the team will need at least a backup to replace him for next season. If Hill doesn’t succeed or at least continue what he’s done, they’ll need another stop gap in two years. No one really knows where the 49ers will be drafting next season (though I’m pretty sure it’ll be somewhere in the middle of the pack, again), it’s entirely possible the 49ers miss the ship on the elite QB prospects of next season as well. If they can get a guy in the draft this year, even if he’s only a third stringer, he has a decent head start for next offseason.
Basically, you think Smith just being there hurts the team because you think he’ll hinder the development of whomever his (or Hill’s) replacement should be. I don’t think it is so. I know we can go back and forth forever, as we’ve both gone through this before. We just have very differing opinions, and while I understand where you’re coming from, I still see more light than dark (in Smith), I suppose.
by sfgfan on Mar 9, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i respect your criticisms and opinions
1. can’t dispute that. i’ll go on record and say that i was really rooting for harrington to do well.
2. it doesn’t matter at all, im just saying that is why it makes some of us like him better when he doesn’t deserve it because of his play
3. maybe… not for us to decide
4. i dont understand how this blatant refusal to accept smith is a “bust”. im just saying i would rather have (with contract restructured) smith and an michael oher or smith and everette brown or smith than jeremy maclin or smith and michael crabtree (whoever that #10 pick may be) than sanchez or stafford.
5. this is true. who would you suggest instead. it seems like you’re in favor of cutting alex. ok fine, lets go with that. now we have hill and huard. what else should we do?
im not saying alex smith will turn out to be great and not saying that he won’t eventually bust. the reason why im “parroting” what everyone said last year is because alex didn’t play this past year. we’re back to square 1 and i think he should still get a shot. my point is i would rather give alex a shot than someone in this draft.
and theres no need to be so harsh in your comments. we’re just talking about our team on a message board—not like we have any decision making power…
by gogoldenbears on Mar 9, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Your...
… comments have been fairly well thought out and well written with the exception of capitalization. I know it makes me sound like a grammar Nazi, but it would definitely make your comments easier to read if the capitalization was correct (especially for long comments like this one).
by sfgfan on Mar 9, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Restructure and keep him +2
Hes the same age as Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. He has plenty of time to develop still. Keep him a 9er.
Fans stuck in the 80's are lame. Respect the past, live in the now.
by maveric_87 on Mar 9, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I didn't vote
because the choices aren’t mutually exclusive.
If Smith signs a renegotiated contract, then he should compete for the starting position, although I’d tend to lean towards Hill. Hill does seem to win, you know. I’d draft a quarterback later in the draft to sit and learn. I don’t have any hostility towards him. I don’t know of a quarterback in the NFL this millenium who’s been mishandled like Smith has. Nolan should have on his tombstone, “I’m sorry, Alex.”
by Bob On The Coast on Mar 9, 2009 12:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
radical new idea
we draft a QB like sanchez. Then, we decide that we’re going to have an all out 3 man competition for the 2010 starting job. Each game we keep all three QB’s active, and then they get to rotate each series. First series – Hill. Second series – Smith. 3rd series – Sanchez. By the end of the year we know who is the best.
Done. end of story. what could possibly be wrong with this idea? nothing, that’s what. I’ma genius. Move over SingLOLtary, I’m taking over.
Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis
by wjackalope on Mar 9, 2009 1:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
just like my cal bears
that was a fun season!
by gogoldenbears on Mar 9, 2009 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've heard of this before...
And later on in games, we can rotate our other subs in, just to see what we’re going to get from them in the future! By week 17 next year we will really know who should be starting.
\end sarcasm
As the immortal Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game.”
Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!
by grantmp on Mar 9, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
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