Ann Killion: Niners need to cut losses, get rid of Alex Smith

Originally posted by GBNinerFan:

Originally posted by ElinNordegren:

Originally posted by rlott42:
this might sound bad, but i don't know any other way to put it.

I just can't take any chick seriously when they try to talk about sports.

Mutual.

You two asshats know it's 2010 right?

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by GBNinerFan:

Originally posted by ElinNordegren:

Originally posted by rlott42:
this might sound bad, but i don't know any other way to put it.

I just can't take any chick seriously when they try to talk about sports.

Mutual.

You two asshats know it's 2010 right?

I thought this was the year of "no excuses" for Alex?

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:
I thought this was the year of "no excuses" for Alex?

Alexecuses never die, they are eternal.

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:
I thought this was the year of "no excuses" for Alex?

Alexecuses never die, they are eternal.

Originally posted by Brazilian49er:

Originally posted by Shaj:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Shaj:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Shaj:

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by Norcal9erfan:

Originally posted by kray28:

Quote:
Like I said before, I think Smith will go on somewhere else and eventually be pretty succesful. I just don't think it'll happen here.

If that's the case, why let him go an succeed elsewhere? We've invested enough in him. Letting him go to go do well elsewhere just adds insult to injury.

I'm just very resistant to the idea of cutting our losses with him, when we've already come this far with him. Particularly when I see plenty of good things from him as well.

And I'm a Draft Rodgers guy too....I never wanted Smith originally. But for the price that this organization paid to get him, and stick with him....it is in our best interests to help him succeed.

Are you f**king s**tting me?? Look at the cost we are paying for trying to make the Alex experiment work?? An extremely talented team, who was has progressively improved over the last 3 years and was ready to go to the playoffs, at 0-5!

Your entire argument is based on the notion that he will succeed with another team. Who's to guarantee that? He would be a 3d string QB at best with other teams. Cut our losses and MOVE ON.

We are all a bit frustrated, or a lot frustrated with the QB play. However, this team has average talent, nothing more. VD and Willis are the only stars. The rest are average, no consistent Pro Bowlers here. Yes, they have some promising young players but the are only average. The only reason anyone considered them a playoff team was because they play in the weakest division in football. Numerous observers believe that 7-9 could win the division!

Statistically, Smith would be starting on 5-8 other teams in the league.

Two teams would start Smith right now: The Bills and the Panthers, and that would only be until they have better options. He'd be a 2nd or 3rd stringer on every other team in the league.

i think his point was that Smith's stats are equivalent to those of the starters on 5-8 other teams.

Forget stats for a second (and his career stats are at the bottom of the league). Smith is not a winner. He doesn't step up in the clutch. He can't take the game over and win it for his team. He doesn't handle pressure with poise. He's not a fiery leader that motivates his team to do better. He doesn't strike fear in the heart of any defense in the league. He's not any of those things.

There's not a GM in the league other than the Bills and the Panthers that would take Smith as a starter, and even then he would be keeping the spot warm for a "real QB".

i think Smith plays pretty well in the clutch, actually. Better than he plays the rest of the game. But you are right that he has not produced wins in the clutch, which is the most important thing.

I think Smith could start for the Browns, Cardinals, Raiders, Jaguars, Bills, Panthers, and his numbers are in the same ballpark as the Vikings and Bengals starters, too, though he would be the #2 in both those places. Now, in some of those places he would be a stop-gap, yes, and in others he would be better than any prospect they have, but its still true that as a mediocre NFL starter he could start for quite a few mediocre teams.

he'll be released after this year. we'll see who values him at that point, and at what level in the QB depth chart. let's just say he's not going to be the "prize of the free agency market" in 2011.

I'd be willing to bet he will backup Phillip Rivers in San Diego.

This definitely makes sense, but it depends on whether they keep Turner or not. He played best under Turner and he's from SD.

Betterdays, where is your critical thinking? You can do better than that. Razzano's opinion of Alex is supposed to be the best word on him? This is the son of Tony Razzano. Sons are not always as good as their fathers, so that point is meaningless. It is asserted that he was "associated" with teams that went to the SB. Well, that can be said of their waterboys too. It mentions his affiliation with the Rams in recent years. Does that mean he was responsible for their horrendous decline in talent? And why is he currently unemployed as a personnel person? Match his opinion with most other GMs in 2005, who had Alex rated as a first rounder.

Let us not forget that Steve Young had a horrible record during his years at TB. Even in 1988, a a 49er, he was pulled from the NYG game because he was "tenative." Many QBs have to be put in a winning situation and surrounded by competant people. This league is too competitive to win if you still have significant flaws on your team. I cannot understand why others fail to see the other problems, many of which are adversely affecting Alex's performance.

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:
I thought this was the year of "no excuses" for Alex?

Alexecuses never die, they are eternal.

I think it's at a point where we are accepting 2.6 turnovers a game unless their name isn't Alex Smith.

There's a huge difference between "wanting" someone to fail over realizing they most likely will fail and wanting improvement if it means improving that position.

Walsh probably wanted Joe Montana to fail when he traded him...or did he want the team to improve.

It's what should have been done this offseason.

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by dirtysouthniner:
I thought this was the year of "no excuses" for Alex?

Alexecuses never die, they are eternal.

but today he looks like a new Alex in practice.............. "The Real Alex"

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by Shaj:

Originally posted by Brazilian49er:
While my money is on A. Smith leaving the Niners and moving on to be a career backup, I fail to see how cutting him now would be "better". We have no real options behind him. Hell, I bet only T. Smith MIGHT be back next years as a 3rd stringer. Most likely we will acquire a rookie and a reliable vet (how reliable, it remains to be seen).

So, Smith gives the best chance to win NOW and there's no one worth developing behind him. Why cut him? The only reason I can think of is so we can get that #1 overall pick and get Locker/Luck.

there's no benefit now, unless he has trade value, which we know he doesn't. He's worth a 7th round pick in a trade, so it's better just to keep him and release him at the end of the year. He gives us the best chance to win at this very moment. Which isn't saying much.

Smith might surprise a lot of 'zoners come free agent time. There are a LOT of mediocre QBs in this league.

Here is my list of teams for which he would compete to start now:
Cleveland
Arizona
Oakland
Carolina
Seattle
Baltimore
KC

Next season he would replace the current QB or back-up with an early chance to start at:
Washington
Minnesota
Cincy - Palmer has had only one good year and his rating is only 5 points better than Smith now.

Also Jacksonville might also be interested as David Garrard has been very inconsistent.

That makes a total of 11 teams that would be interested in Smith if he elects to leave, which I expect he will. With that many teams potentially in the bidding, he will get some decent offers.

Too bad the 49ers will not be able to get anything in trade for him. No team will trade for a QB they know will be a FA at the end of the year.

i disagree with baltimore and seattle. i don't think he would compete with Flacco to start, even though Flacco hasn't put up big numbers. The team seems pretty committed to him, and they win with him at QB. And Hasselbeck is definitely better than Smith, though he's at the end of his career, IMO.

All the other teams you listed, except for Washington, I think Smith could/would start for right now. He is at least as good this year as Favre, and better--right now--than just about every other QB on the teams you listed.

who cares shes a woman

[ Edited by CrAnKD4TCRabTree on Oct 14, 2010 at 14:56:05 ]

Originally posted by CrAnKD4TCRabTree:
who cares shes a woman

Sexist remark, brah... in this part.

- 98

Originally posted by kidash:

Originally posted by CrAnKD4TCRabTree:
who cares shes a woman

Sexist remark, brah... in this part.

- 98

it was a joke.. ill fix it

Originally posted by kray28:
I'm just saying that the road that the "Blame Alex/Scorched Earth" crew want to go down.....it's not necessarily going to be the quick fix everyone thinks it will be.

We don't have all the necessary personnel to run a WCO, and converting the offensive system will take time.

Smith is not really in the WCO mold...he'll have to go. And Gore....he's not the typical WCO back either, neither is Dixon (Westbrook is though). None of our linemen fit the WCO mold either.

If Jed is smart, it won't matter what "system" the new coaching staff and front office personnel want to run. Alex Smith and the Niners team as a whole are not working now. Just like the Seahawks and Rams this year, they will have to make wholesale changes on the roster and on the sidelines next year. Anyone with half a brain knows that it won't be easy, but the alternative is an 0-5 team with very little hope of getting better unless some miracle happens in the next 11 weeks.