2011 NFL Free Agents: Steve Young Suggests Matt Hasselbeck Could End Up In 49ers QB Mix
by David Fucillo on Jul 26, 2011 5:01 AM PDT
in NFL Free Agency
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As the 49ers training camp finally nears, one of the big questions surrounds an issue that has not changed all that much in recent years: who will be the 49ers quarterback and what can be expected of them. Alex Smith has already indicated he'll be signing a contract as soon as possible, David Carr remains under contract, and the team draft Colin Kaepernick and will hopefully be signing him to a contract shortly.
Yesterday afternoon Steve Young said on ESPN that he thought Matt Hasselbeck could end up in San Francisco. According to Maiocco, Steve Young knows Hasselbeck's agent very well. Chris Mortensen tweeted that Hasselbeck's options seemed to settle on Seattle, San Francisco, and Tennessee.
As the 49ers began their negotiations with undrafted free agents, we didn't see any quarterbacks hopping out with guys like Pat Devlin and Adam Froman indicating interest elsewhere. At the same time I don't know if the lack of QB UDFAs in the 49ers public cross-hairs necessarily correlates with a potential Matt Hasselbeck addition. After all, with the drafting of Colin Kaepernick, I'd imagine any UDFA QB brought in to camp would be looking at the practice squad at best. I suppose we could see Carr cut, Kaepernick as the backup and the UDFA as the third string, but I don't know if I can see Harbaugh going into the 2011 season with no NFL QB experience outside of Smith. Just my own thought.
Tim Kawakami tweeted about the Hasselbeck rumor and linked back to a transcript compiled by Dan Brown following a Camp Alex media sessions. There was a question put to Smith about the 49ers adding a veteran and Hasselbeck was specifically mentioned:
-Q: Would you be disappointed if they brought in a Hasselbeck or someone like him?
-SMITH: I don't know if I'd be disappointed, no. Someone like that, yeah, that ups the competition.
You're talking about a guy like Matt that's had a lot of starts in this league, played in the West Coast a long time, is a really good player. So obviously that would up the competition level, no question.
Although none of the 49ers have had a formal minicamp, Alex Smith and the other quarterbacks have had the playbook since the NFL Draft. Does that really matter for a guy like Hasselbeck? In spite of the injuries he has had a very solid career when healthy and has done some impressive things over the course of his career.. Of course, the "if healthy" is a big, fat if and he'd be at a bit of a disadvantage in regards to the playbook. But maybe in this lockout-shortened offseason that would not in fact make a difference?
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NOOOOO!
Why would you bring in a washed out guy on the decline, to replace someone with at least some potential – and who scored 10 pts higher on QB rating last year!
makes no sense to me – a three way QB controversy will not help at all this preseason
knows west coast offense
could be solid back-up/mentor for Kaepernick going forward.
I don’t think he’d beat out Smith, but starting 49er QB will likely get injured this year and miss some games.
by whistlingmountain on Jul 26, 2011 5:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Still better than Alex...
And you can’t argue that. Hasselbeck is proven.
Much Better Than Alex
The 49ers desperately need “Alex Smith Insurance”. Hasselbeck is the best West Coast QB out there.
Colin Kaepernick should be the “Alex Smith Insurance.” If the coaches and front office are so afraid of him playing that they’ll go out of their way to bury him on the depth chart, what in the world did we draft him for?
Pushing our second round pick as far away from the starting lineup as possible is probably the wrong way to handle him.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Thankfully
You’re not in a decision-making position with the Niners, because that’s exactly what Harbaugh will do.
Initially I thought, Hasselbeck, no way! But the more I think about the idea the more I like it. He’s got lots of experience but his body can’t hold up to a full season any more. He’s the perfect veteran back up. Alex will have his best year ever and CK will carry a clipboard during games, learning how to be an NFL QB.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
by dianemarie on Jul 26, 2011 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
That's what I was going to say
Backup role only for Hasselbeck. I think he’d be solid as a backup for Smith, plus he could be a mentor for Kaepernick. He could probably give Smith a few pointers too.
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
I don’t think there’s evidence to suggest that sitting on the sideline is better for a young quarterback’s development than being in the game. Re-signing Alex Smith to keep Kaepernick on the bench is already handling the rookie with kid gloves. If we really have to throw away the kid glove’s for Kaepernick in favor of the infant gloves, I don’t know why we drafted him.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
That first sentence, I should say, is conditional to a young quarterback of a certain expected talent level (which I would roughly call the “first two round” guys). Obviously, throwing a Nate Davis into the fire on the first day is demented.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Under different circumstances...
…I might agree with you, howtheyscored. But rookie+lockout+surgery makes me VERY leery of using CK as our second-string “Alex Smith insurance.”
I can understand those reasons, and coming out of this offseason, I think caution makes more sense with him than it would have in another year. I think my caution pendulum with young quarterbacks just doesn’t swing very far, overall, anymore. To some extent, the longer you let him sit, you longer you just plain don’t know what you have. And that can be much worse for a reasonable team than the comparatively simple problem of a plain bust.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions
And as I’ve been saying, though not with the care I should be, I’m talking about the kinds of young quarterbacks that come with expectations – specifically, the kinds that you draft in the first two rounds.
Letting guys play is exactly what allows teams like the Panthers or Cardinals know that Jimmy Clausen or Matt Leinart isn’t going to be a good NFL player anytime soon, or that allows teams like the Bucs to know that they can go all-in on Josh Freeman (an example I pick because they knew this despite his poor numbers, because they were able to actually watch him play) or that allows teams like the Browns to know that they don’t have to address QB again because Colt McCoy is just too promising.
The last thing I want is to be stuck two years from now not knowing what to do about the QB position because we were too afraid to just find out what we had when we had the chance.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions
When 7-9 wins the division
Having a quality backup that may make a 1 game difference in the win column over a rookie makes a huge difference.
sd377 wants to ban me for unleashing the Kaepernick Supernova Gamma Ray
Alex Smith makes that one win difference if he started against the Rams....
Your point is kinda moot.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Obviously not...
Bad example, so let’s try this, the coaches can gameplan around a QB who only knows a portion of the playbook and can execute it effectively. There isn’t a veteran who’s going to come cheap and can equate to a huge difference between Kaepernick.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I dunno
Its not that I don’t like Kapernick but I doubt he is going to be given any kind of off-season to prepare.
sd377 wants to ban me for unleashing the Kaepernick Supernova Gamma Ray
I doubt he gets snaps in camp with the first team...
Those are going to Smith, so he can be best prepared to lead us into the season. However, I’m sure Harbaugh will lay out a plan and have Kaepernick study a smaller portion of the playbook in case of emergency.
He’s already familiar with a good portion of the routes that are used, because they translate from his college system, he just has to learn what formations and plays use which ones.
Plus, he’s allegedly a very bright kid, so I doubt that he can’t learn a simplified version of the playbook. I really think we can get by with Kaepernick as the primary back up
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think it’s wise to expect 7-9 to win the division this year. And in some ways I’m skeptical of the wisdom of expecting the 49ers to win that games regardless. I’m not sure if that last part is me being realistic or me just having my ability to hope crushed by the last six years.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions
“that many”
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions
It’s also true that I’m not entirely concerned with Wins this season. It seems odd, but I think the long-term health of the team depends on finding out what we have in 2011 more than it depends on making the playoffs in 2011.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 12:19 PM PDT up reply actions
If you are a coach who wants to win don’t you sign a veteran backup to have the option? Ideally you want CK to be ready but if he isn’t are you prepared to throw a game or two away in a division where anyone can win it?
sd377 wants to ban me for unleashing the Kaepernick Supernova Gamma Ray
I think I more or less answered that above.
I understand it’s not a wildly popular opinion to accept losses just to get some film on a guy. I just, personally, think that particular film is really, really important for any decisions we need to make when the season ends.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Especially if the season is completely lost and we're in a position to draft one of the three top QBs next year...
You better know damn well we’re not going to be a middling team for 5-6 years and squandered our opportunity to get a true franchise caliber QB.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I wouldn't take the surgery into account...
It was preventative and he played through last year with the problem he got corrected.
The lockout may hinder him a bit, but we don’t exactly have Jimmy Raye calling in jumbled plays anymore. If Alex is injured, the coaches will call a good game strategy and put the team in a situation to win games with Kaepernick under center.
Despite what everyone thinks about the offense Kaepernick played in, he has more game experience in college than some current starting QBs.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, the other thing, which I haven’t said, is that the fear of Kaepernick seems like a direct contradiction to any faith we have in Harbaugh. If the coaching staff is handling the playbook and the player correctly, which we should be expecting them to do, what’s the great fear other than a few extra L’s?
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Roethlisberger won 15 games as a rookie...
and he wasn’t supposed to be “ready.” The playbook is changed to suit what you have and make them successful.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions
one difference
The rest of the Steelers’ starters were not rookies, most importantly, they knew the system. And it was a quality team. They could afford to plug in a rookie QB.
The Niners won’t have that luxury for a few more years, if everything works out from here on.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
We aren't the Steelers but we have enough veteran players to let the rookie play
We aren’t winning 15 games, but we can compete in the NFC West.
Also, there’s to be a lot less optimism floating around that Harbaugh is a capable enough coach to turn a middling team into one who can win a few more games based on better coaching alone.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, having worse stats than alex clearly shows that he is better…
by Andrew9erfan on Jul 26, 2011 7:49 AM PDT up reply actions
Hasselbeck has been significantly worse than Alex for a few years now. Even if he still has the head for the game, and I’m sure he does, his body is a mess. His back problems simply won’t allow him to play effectively for any prolonged period of time. It would take an extraordinary amount of luck with his health to get superior value out of him at this point.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions
The fact he would NOT be on Seattle
would be appealing enough for me.
"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."
Why...
Do you remember his stat line the last time we played Seattle? I’d say it’s no better or worse if they have Hass or Whitehurst starting.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I can't see it....
He’s essentially a guaranteed starter if he goes to Tennessee or Seattle. While his knowledge of the WCO is exponentially better than anyone we have, possibly including some of our offensive coaches, I doubt he views the Niners as a place where he’s walking in and starting Week 1. I have to imagine that he’s looking for a place he can start for the next year and then possibly call it a career.
I’m not opposed to the idea, I just don’t think it’s that likely. I also don’t think Seattle is very likely anymore because I’d bet that they short change him on a new contract and he walks for another team. Is Minnesota not a possibility, because there’s almost no mention of them in the Hass sweepstakes?
Side note....
This doesn’t exclude us from looking for another veteran; and it shouldn’t, but, Maiocco tweeted that sources indicate Jeremiah Masoli is going to be our UDFA QB.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 6:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Minny seems like a logical landing spot for him.
Which is why they won’t do it. He doesn’t create the kind of drama the Vikings have come to expect from a starting QB. Vince Young, on the other hand…
Yeah, there are much better places for him in the league right now.
On top of which, his ability is just plain a major question mark these days. I don’t know what part of “he was good four years ago and has chronic back problems!” should appeal to either the 49ers or their fans.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Niners fans have also lost track of his piss poor stat line against us the second time last year...
I don’t think Smith has had a game that bad since he was a rookie and our secondary was awful last year.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
he'll be back in seattle
he’s just making it look like he’s going to bolt so he gets a better contract. he knows he wont start in SF.
Hasselbeck's value might be in taking him from SEA.
Every time this comes up I see the play last year where he ran 2 yards into the endzone untouched, and hurt himself. I doubt he wants to be a backup and I don’t think there’s any way he stays healthy for more than 10 starts. That said; Hasselbeck > Carr.
Hasselbeck’s value might be in taking him from SEA.
For the last three years, Hasselbeck has averaged 12 starts, a 58.5% completion percentage, 11 TDs, and 15 INTs, with 5.2 adjusted yards per attempt. Taking that guy away from a division rival might make them better.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:08 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
He's an upgrade over Smith
Even if he wont start, he gives us another option when Smith falters, and we wont have to throw kaepernick in so early.
The last three seasons played for each guy, on average (this is fair because it includes Alex’s absolutely horrid 2007, to match Hass’s absolutely horrid 2008):
Hass:
12 starts, a 58.5% completion percentage, 207 Y/G, 11 TDs, and 15 INTs, with 5.2 adjusted yards per attempt.
Alex:
9 starts, a 57.7% completion percentage, 194.3 Y/G, 11 TDs, and 9 INTs, with 5.7 adjusted yards per attempt.
Amazingly, the comparison is LESS favorable for Hasselbeck is you only include the last two seasons played for each guy.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
Don't think it will happen
for the reasons stated above.
Having said that, it would be good to have an established vet in the #2 spot in case Smith falters or is injured, and to tutor Kaepernik. I heard Gradkowski’s name floated as someone for #2 in order to have someone who can step in when plan A fails. Not bad. Or trading for one of the guys in Denver if it’s not too expensive. Whatever, I think that David Carr should be preparing for his life after the NFL.
but then I have a reading problem...
by Bob In Beaverton on Jul 26, 2011 8:07 AM PDT reply actions
If we're trading for a Denver QB, it should be Orton and he'd be a starter...
He’d also require a contract extension and would look to be a longer term option, so I don’t see it happening. We drafted Kaepernick for a reason and it’s not to ride the bench for the length of his rookie contract.
by 9thevolution on Jul 26, 2011 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions
As I said above… if plan A (stands for Alex) fails, I don’t understand why the team should bother with another plan that doesn’t start with C (stands for Colin).
The scenario is really: If Alex Smith fails, the playoffs are out of reach anyway. Why blow an already busted season to see what Matt Hasselbeck or some other scrap heap veteran has left in the tank just to keep Colin Kaepernick from playing in games that have no playoff implications to speak of for the team?
If the coaches think CK is so bad that he needs to be worked as far away from the starting lineup as possible – even when the season is already lost – then I’d argue that the pick is already busted.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions
It's really a waste of motion to type anything about Hasselbeck coming to S.F.
It will not happen… He will most likely wind up in Tennessee where he knows he has some weapons on offense, a better Oline than in Seattle, and a mentor to Locker.
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I think TEN is a good option for him
they need a veteran QB who knows he’s not the long term answer.
He's not as good as Kerry Collins but still a better option than throwing Locker in the fire right away.
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I’m pretty sure Collins retired.
Once more, coming to you by proxy.
by howtheyscored on Jul 26, 2011 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Steve's just hating on Alex like he always does.
I doubt there is any validity to the comment.
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
who knows
He’s good friends with Hasselbeck’s agent. Given Hasselbeck’s media love I wouldn’t be surprised if they were friends or chatted. I’m not sold on the rumor, but such a move wouldn’t surprise me.
by David Fucillo on Jul 26, 2011 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
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