Originally posted by TIM_:
We finally get a true picture of what the Niners Brass REALLY think about alex Smith (not what they put out for media consumption).
When ESPN was interviewing Trent Baalke at camp(I think it was Mort?) ,Baalke said about Alex...
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"I'm not saying Alex Smith is a great quarterback in the NFL, but if we protect him and we've surrounded him with the right kind of players, put him in the right system and stay out of all the third-and-8s that we had last year, then he'll be just fine.:
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This is and has been my opinion about Alex in 2010. He won't be anything special in the NFL BUT if we don't ask him to do too much,then the team around him can make up for his shortcomings. The REAL truth emerges ! I wonder if Baalke is in trouble for telling it like it is ,instead of trying to build up Alex's confidence ?
Not to start another long debate...but how many QB's don't need to be protected, surrounded with WR's and RB's, be in a system that suits them and stay out of being in 3rd and longs consistently???
I know there is a contingent of 49er fans that don't want to hear "excuses" for Smith and that's fine at this point but what do you think Steve Young would have done if he had stayed in TB, never had the 49ers OL protecting him, never had Rice, Jones, Waters, etc. to throw and hand-off to, never was in the 49ers system with Shanahan as the OC? I love Young but I'm guessing he probably wouldn't be in the HOF and would have had a much different career.