Golden Nuggets: Go Lawson!
by James Brady on May 24, 2009 3:00 AM PDT
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Good morning everyone, checking in again with your Nuggets for the day. Happy to say that I'm on time tonight, rather than being an hour late as per yesterday's article. I have even less links today though, I'm sorry to say. But I do have some interesting ones, most noteably the first one I'll be posting about LB Manny Lawson. Why is it interesting? Well mostly because Lawson is an interesting prospect in that we've never given him a direct job. I really hope that he'll come into his own though, the 49ers need him to produce and who knows what will happen under Singletary? Regardless, here's the few links I have, though I'll do my best to update sometime tomorrow morning. Enjoy.
Manny Lawson has a clear-cut role going into the season--he's a pass rusher. (ContraCostaTimes.com)
So what's next for the 49ers' stadium plans? (MercuryNews.com)
Some things are of course, up to the voters, however. I really am not paying too much attention to all of this, I don't know why but I just don't care about a stadium. (ContraCostaTimes.com)
So if not the NFL, where should Vick play? Yeah, another Vick article, big deal. (SacBee.com)
Catching up with Vernon Davis. This, to me, is his last season to prove himself before I deem him a bust. I also wonder what it'd be like to have his brother playing on the team.. Hm.. (SFGate.com)
Alex Smith is, once again, starting over. In more ways than one. I'll say it right now, I think Alex Smith has no future on the 49ers. None at all. (MercuryNews.com)
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Go East,Young Man.....
Not a bad article about Alex Smith. There’s only one thing I see wrong…..I wrote this same type article several months ago. Yes…..careers have been made and broken over injuries. Yes…Alex has had to adjust to 5 different coordinators in his young time in the NFL. And; yes…..the blow up with Nolan didn’t help the situation. But here lies the proof in the pudding. Alex can ressurect himself in the league by demanding a trade.
First off, with the exception of a few optomistic fans and his teamates, (who by unwritten rule won’t throw the poor guy under the bus) have faith that Alex can still be a viable part of the team. Truth is, I don’t think even Alex believes that anymore. When Tom Brady got hurt, the entire Pats team rallied around him. Pulled his weight and helped his backup Matt Cassell to a decent season. Everyone waited with baited breath for his return. Alex hasn’t had the same treatment. That has to hurt. Not just your ego, but your belief in your teammates as their leader.
So to Alex I say,….“Go East, Young Man.” There are still a few teams that I’m sure would be more than willing to give Alex a go at QB. Minnesota comes first to mind. With their depth chart and the fact they are holding their breath; to get an over-the-hill, gunslinger, management, would be fools not to give a really good thought to acquireing Smith who has a new restructured contract, is lightyears younger, and has a lot to prove. Plus, in a trade they could more than likely get him for a song.
Miami, should also be in the mix. Yes, they just drafted Pat White, but, many believe he is strickly for their Wildcat offense, which, after 1 season in the NFL is now only a gimmick that has run it’s course. It won’t catch anyone else by surprise. Smith, when healthy, can be a decent QB and there’s no mistake he has a stronger arm than current incumbant starter Chad Pennington.
Cleveland comes last as; in my opinion, the battle between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn has reached it’s apex. In a league with salary cap issues and parity to spare, I don’t believe after being the head guy, Derek is going to want to back up Quinn. Conversley, Quinn is costing the Browns too much money to simply hold a clipboard for another season. The fans in Cleveland want a decision made and I think Alex would welcome comeing into a situation where the expectations are on someone else for a while. True, he might have to battle whoever stays for the starting job. But, that comes with a clean slate.
Moreover, no matter where Alex lands, his current contract would expire in 2 seasons giving teams in the league who are looking for a fresh arm time to explore if he’s right for them. If one thing about the NFL has held true, QB is one of the positions with highest turnover rate. Alex could slide into a great positon without even knowing it. Final proof….ask Kerry Collins.
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
hey darkkstarr1
forgive me for being an ass last time
I don’t think comparing Alex Smith to Tom Brady’s situation is fair at all. Brady has lead his team to Super Bowls of course the team will rally around him.
Alex has lead his team in circles. But I haven’t given up completely on the guy. Dude has wheels and has proven he is capable of completing passes in the NFL. Lets see what he can do with 49ers 2009. See what he can do with Crabtree (or Trees as I like to reefer to him…tee hee).
Point is, Alex is young and still has time to grow into a system. He took a pay cut to stay with the team, that I admire in itself. With Alex we will either get a guy who can take over as starter, eventually. Or a guy who can be a serviceable backup, that’s a win win in my book. But then again my book is scribbled in crayon so take that for what it’s worth
I like to shake them haters off, so sometimes I just sit here shaking.
by jfainsf49 on May 24, 2009 7:47 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I disagree...
You stated that you do not think that A. Smith believes he can be a viable part of the team. I think A. Smith believes the exact opposite and for good reasons. First, we can assume he believes he can have a significant role on the team based on the fact that he worked to restructure his contract solely so he could stay with them. Had he honestly believed he needed a new scenery to get back to form, he would not have restructured his contract to stay with the 9er’s. To me, the fact that he was willing to work out his contract to stay with the team shows he believes he still has a shot to be the guy on this team. I also believe he’s right for believing this. First, he has been offered to legitimate opportunity to compete for a starting job. I look at the other places where Smith could have gone and I just do not see that legitimate shot. The New York Jets drafted Sanchez so were Smith to go there, his starting gig would be short lived. The Browns just drafted Quinn and I do not see them giving up on him this early. Minnesota signed Sage Rosenfels to either start or push T. Jackson to a point where he can start. Either way, I do not think the Vikings would view A. Smith as a legitimate starter. Plus in SF, Smith is competing against a guy who no matter how many games he wins, will ALWAYS have his arm strength questioned and because of that, always be on the verge of losing his job (see Chad Pennington). Plus Shaun Hill does not practice well. Smith has more tangible tools that Hill and has the potential to look better during workouts than Hill does. I honestly think Smith can pull out the starting gig as long as he looks better than Hill during the preseason, a feat I think is realistically obtainable. Smith has another thing working on his side at SF, namely the addition of Jimmy Raye as OC. Jimmy Raye was Norv Turner’s OC in Oakland if memory serves me correct and runs an offense that is very similar to Turner’s offense. Fans will remember that it was under Turner that Smith finally looked like he might develop into a quality starting QB. So although Raye is another new coordinator, Smith does have a familiarity with the system and I think that will help him greatly. Smith also has the advantage of having Mike Nolan gone and Mike Singletary in. Singletary at least appears open to the idea of Smith starting should he outperform Hill. We can assume Singletary is not completely comfortable with Hill as started since he would not name him the started after the season, despite his great record and the support of his teammates.
I think Smith has a very good shot at taking the starting QB job. He has a lot going for him in SF. He has a system in the offense that he has run successfully before and is familiar with. He was offered a legitimate chance to earn the starting job by a GM who does not want to have his first drafted QB with the team turn out to be a bust. He is competing against a QB in Hill who manages to pull out games, but does not practice well and will always be questioned due to his lack of arm strength. Lastly, he has a new coach who is willing to give him the starting job should he earn it. I believe that the situation in SF offers the best situation for Smith to resurrect (or establish if you ask some) his career as a starting QB. Yes, trades have helped many a player come back to prominence, but there are exceptions to the rule and as I look at Smith in SF, I believe this is one such exception. Now the only question is will he actually live up to his potential?
i dont think Miami
is in the mix. if Pat White was strictly for their wildcat offense, or if they were going to move him to another position, then why did they release one of their quarterbacks (John Beck) as soon as they drafted him?
I take full responsibility for my irresponsibility.
Lots of love.
I have not seen this much love for AS or VD in quite some time. I think the AS article did a good job of representing the current sentiment.
Pain tolerance? Lifting weights with a separated shoulder?
I forgot how bad it was when Nolan was publicly humiliating Smith.
Right now I’m hoping for Smith to become a good backup.
As far as VD, if he’s developed to become a regular tight end, delivering devastating blocks and then catching those short passes and banging for another five or ten yards after the catch, that will help exploit the field near the scrimmage and help receivers with deeper routes.
Now, fellow Niner fans, just go into the wayback machine to 2007 and Jim Hostler’s offense. Only two years back but lightyears away.
by Bob In Beaverton on May 24, 2009 9:20 AM PDT reply actions
Be Fair...
It seems everyone is using Alex Smith as the scapegoat for all other nonfunctional pieces of our team. Last two years, either he was injured or was victimized in Mike Martz politics.
I agree with him going East and get a fresh start, but I like the fact that he gave up on money to make it happen with the Niners. I hope he realizes his second chance and get to do it the the hard way, but his way.
If he comes out of this successfully, we will have ourselves a hack of a young mature QB.
Smith had a broken shoulder
and Martz, we now know, had preordained JT O’Sullivan to be the starting QB.
But that’s irrelevant. Using Smith as a scapegoat has nothing to do with Martz anyway. Nolan used Smith as a scapegoat when 2007 fell apart. But I don’t think that that’s what Niner Power is talking about.
Is Smith going to be a decent quarterback? Have no idea. But if Niner Power is talking about the well of anger among fans who blame Smith for the failures of the last few years, then yeah, he has been the scapegoat for a lack of offensive line, lack of receivers and lack of offensive coaching that the Niners have suffered over recent years. This year the team seems to have a decent level of talent accumulated and I have confidence in the direction of the coaching staff. Right now I think that Smith is the second-best quarterback on the squad. He may yet become a very good starter. We shall see.
by Bob In Beaverton on May 24, 2009 7:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Hill was the QB...
That Martz put in the pre-season doghouse. Smith had his shot at competing with JTO, and injury or not, he still had to prove he could start. Heck, if not for injury, he still would have been #2, and had a shot at taking the starting position. Face it, both Hill and Smith looked bad during pre-season. Why that escapes any discussion is par for the homer course.
The more time the 49ers invest in Smith is more time the 49er will be mediocre to average, because that’s Smith in a nutshell. This is still QB driven League on offense. It doesn’t matter what weapons you have if the QB can’t deliver. Smith was mediocre his best season. That’s the reality.
Well, we're waiting....
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