NFL Combine: Jim Harbaugh Set with Alex Smith, Andrew Luck's the Competition
by Dylan DeSimone on Feb 23, 2012 4:02 PM PST
in San Francisco 49ers News
Email
Print
To an almost nauseating degree, Jim Harbaugh seems done having to re-endorse Alex Smith time and time again. But just for fun, he reiterated his stance at the NFL Combine earlier today saying, "Alex is our guy. That's well documented. He had a tremendous season." But this is the draft where the best quarterback prospect since John Elway is coming out, and Harbaugh coached him.
The projected #1 overall pick and Stanford Cardinal Andrew Luck will be on display for 32 NFL teams, including his former head coach and mentor. But without hesitation, Harbaugh knows that QB-coach relationship is a thing of the past; the future is with Alex Smith.
Inferring the 49ers would not make an aggressive move for Luck: "He's one of the finest football players I've ever been around, and an even better person...he's a joy to coach. I'm not looking forward to playing against him, I can tell you that," said Harbaugh. So in the past month, Harbaugh has put Smith ahead of quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning, both whom he could acquire if he wanted to go after one seriously.
The endorsement's keeping rolling in for Smith, maybe he'll be the next Discount Double Check guy. But for now, he seems to be Harbaugh's ace in the hole. This goes beyond any quarterback-coach relationship I've seen in the pros the last few years. I guess one thinks of Belichick and Brady or Payton and Brees, but not even those guys gush about each other like this.
Smith is still without a contract, as the 49ers are currently trying to get something done that would see to it Smith is the quarterback for the next half-decade or so. "When your quarterback isn't signed and he's a free agent, that results in some lost sleep," Harbaugh said at the combine.
The deal with Smith is likely to happen over the next week or two, as we've seen Ben Roethlisberger's contract restructured and Jermichael Finley sign a two-year deal; teams are starting to take care of their players and Smith is clearly the 49ers top priority.
Follow me on Twitter: @DeSimone80
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If Harbs and Baalke believe in him I'm sold
There has to be something more to Alex than anyone else has seen or he wouldn’t gte that endorsement
Not to be a gossip queen...
But my friend plays for Stanford. He told me that Luck kind of dislikes Harbaugh and him leaving played a big role in Luck staying for his senior year. Harbaugh is a hard coach to play for and demands a lot from his teams… anyway wanted to share.
Matt Cain is better than you, but apparently not cool enough for Showtime.
by homegrowntalent on Feb 23, 2012 4:24 PM PST reply actions
I always had a feeling Andrew Leaf had a primadonna mememe attitude
He always sounded too cool for school whenever he interviewed. And when he lost the big game (AGAIN) he didn’t even care. He was just like “Well whatever, I’m moving on to bigger and better things and I’m gonna take my skills to the NFL.”
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Feb 23, 2012 4:44 PM PST up reply actions
opposite of primadonna
he is a very laid back person. Explains the neckbeard. He’s a very smart and driven person and I am sure he will do well in the NFL (not to expectations but still solid).
Really?
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
Heard about a different story of him staying
He supposedly stayed because he wanted to stay 1 more year with his girlfriend who also attends Stanford.
by sj_sharkie12boy on Feb 24, 2012 2:56 PM PST up reply actions
As long as Alex new contract gives 9ers the right to trade him...
Im O.K. with whatever the two sides agree to.
But, the 9ers have to have the right to trade Alex to keep the door open for Kaepernick, just in case Colin develops faster than we think.
Im convinced Colin will at some point be in position to challenge Alex for the starter spot, so we dont want to have Alex contract be the deciding factor as to who starts.
Alex may continue to prove to be the better Q.B. but again, I don’t want no contract deciding who starts.
Luck is going to be a bust
not anything like a JaMarcus bust though.
yah bigger cause the expectations are so much higher
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Feb 23, 2012 4:41 PM PST up reply actions
disagree a little, agree a little
The expectations are near impossible to live up to so he will not be Peyton Manning. But he is already too good to be a bust. Probably and Alexish career where he will be hounded for not living up to expectations.
Yup.
Harbaugh would have had a 2QB offense. No RB just two mobile QBs
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Feb 23, 2012 7:16 PM PST up reply actions
It kind of reminds me of the Bill Parcells/Drew Bledsoe relationship
"It all depends on the quarterback."
---Jerry Rice
Parcells
Doubt Harbaugh would refer to one of his receivers as She.
by David Fucillo on Feb 23, 2012 5:32 PM PST up reply actions
The endorsement’s keeping rolling in for Smith, maybe he’ll be the next Discount Double Check guy.
For the sheer audacity of mentioning DDC in your post Dylan, you deserve….a boot to the head.
Who's got it better than Honey Badger? Honey Badger don't give a ....
Kaepernick's raw talent + Harbaugh's coaching = Hall of Fame QB
dude I love those commercials
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
So in the past month, Harbaugh has put Smith ahead of quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning, both whom he could acquire if he wanted to go after one seriously.
Hold on here. There is no possible way Harbaugh could have Luck if he wanted to, so this statement is BS. As for Manning, I think it has to do with his age and injury concern.
Stay out of my territory
good point
He hasn’t necessarily put Smith ahead of them in any sort of vacuum. Depends on the context of each one. It would take a Ditka type offer to move up to the number one pick, and even that might not be enough.
by David Fucillo on Feb 23, 2012 9:38 PM PST up reply actions
Hyperbole at its finest
Since Drew Brees hasn’t been signed to a contract by the Niners we can also state that Jim Harbaugh thinks Alex Smith is the better QB. The same follows for Brady and Rodgers. If the Niners really “wanted” them they could go and get them.
by throwthedamnball on Feb 24, 2012 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
both whom he could acquire if he wanted to go after one seriously.
There’s no way he could acquire Luck. Two or three first round picks, a second here, a third there and at least one starter, maybe two. It would be the biggest trade in a very long time.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it. ... Always a ninja
Out of Treble | Twitter
Definitely three firsts in the 49ers case, by the way. Since this year it's at 30.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it. ... Always a ninja
Out of Treble | Twitter
by James Brady on Feb 23, 2012 10:29 PM PST up reply actions
I actually dont think it is possible at all
Teams at the top dont want to move out of the top 10, normally not even the top 5. They just want to drop a little and get some trade value. For the niners to move up from 30 to 1, it would be unprecedented.
Any chance of drafting Luck ended when the 49ers won their 6th game.
That’s definitely not true. There’s no such thing as a player being too valuable. If a team called the Colts and told them they could have every draft pick of their’s for the next ten years, the Colts will do it.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it. ... Always a ninja
Out of Treble | Twitter
Absolutely agree
Indy would demand too much. Probably first round picks or Patrick Willis, or both. They hold all the cards.
by throwthedamnball on Feb 24, 2012 9:56 AM PST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Niners Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
