What Veteran QB will Harbaugh get and why?

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:

Originally posted by excelsior:
The Alex momentum has swung. Over the last few weeks, the possibility of Alex being resigned to be the 49er vet for 2011 has increased from 1% to about 70%. And smart, knowledgeable guys like dj43, MadDog, Backontop, Swagger, and others have been making very good cases for not only why it is likely, but why it is the smartest thing for H. to do.

Unless the Alex critics are prepared to lose the argument through their passive silence, they better rally and try to make a come-back. Right now they are clearly losing, and there is nothing worse than being a "loser."

Momentum and "good cases" nothwithstanding, all the "smart, knowledgeable guys" need now is for Alex Smith to want to return for yet one more attempt to get over the hump as an NFL QB playing in front of a home crowd that booed him vigorously in the midst of a 38-7 win the last time they saw him.

Good luck with that.

Smith may realize this is the best place for him if Harbaugh really believes in him. If he goes to another team he will have many of the same issues and fans will be skeptical from the get go. He is a smart guy and, from what I've seen, an honorable guy who may also believe he owes the organization.

Fans tend to be fickle. I'm trying to remember a QB who was not booed at some point in SF. Title...yes; Brodie...double yes; Spurrier...yes. Even Montana and Young were booed early in their careers. The DeBerg fans didn't want anything to do with the skinny kid from ND. lol!

I think it would need to feel like the best place for him by a LARGE margin for Alex Smith to come back . . . and if those players you listed had the ability to seek a fresh start via free agency (which they didn't), they certainly may have.

Can't disagree with you but don't see a perfect scenario out there for Smith, unless he wants to be a backup. Spurrier stayed and backed up Brodie for about nine years. Young moved a couple of times but different circumstances. Montana moved to retain his starting role. Smith would be admitting defeat and he may or may not feel good about that. Don't know the guy.

Oddly, Spurrier was traded to Tampa Bay in their infancy. Yikes! Wasn't the best of moves!

For all you Smith Fans, sure he will most likely be around, but remember he is slow to pick up offenses. So I would add Josh Johnson from Tampa, if only because he has played for Harbaugh before, and will be familiar with the verbiage, I imagine the offense will be biased on JH's college offense to a very small degree, and things like verbiage and other concepts will be the same. If there is a lock out we will trade for this guy during the season, because Alex just "won't be fully functional".

First, I think some of you underestimate Alex's stubborn resolve and toughness. In fact, any QB who would shy away from home fans booing couldn't handle hostile fans when playing away. NFL QBs are tough and used to adversity; indeed, they often welcome it as another challenge to defeat. This will not be the reason if Alex decides togo elsewhere.

Second, I am getting weary of the tired old dictum that "he won't be functional." That was what Meyers said about Alex when he was 19 and 20 years old. He has grown, matured and has absorbed about every scheme known to man (much of it not very good). It is my suspicion he can learn H.'s playbook as fast as anyone.

Originally posted by excelsior:
First, I think some of you underestimate Alex's stubborn resolve and toughness. In fact, any QB who would shy away from home fans booing couldn't handle hostile fans when playing away. NFL QBs are tough and used to adversity; indeed, they often welcome it as another challenge to defeat. This will not be the reason if Alex decides togo elsewhere.

Second, I am getting weary of the tired old dictum that "he won't be functional." That was what Meyers said about Alex when he was 19 and 20 years old. He has grown, matured and has absorbed about every scheme known to man (much of it not very good). It is my suspicion he can learn H.'s playbook as fast as anyone.

Do you not get it ? He is LOATHED by Niner fans. Evven when he has a decent game, he is booed on every incomplete pass he throws. There is no margin of error when it comes to Smith. Unless he can put up a perfect QB rating in each and every game he plays in a Niner uniform, he will be booed. This is not a Steve Young / Joe Montana scenario, where Alex is trying to replace a HOFer. This franchise has been in the abyss ever since our last functional QB (Garcia) left, and no one has been able to replace him.

I just dont see how some of you guys still think Alex is one coach away from being great. The best that Harbaugh can do is make him functional......he cannot make him into a SB quarterback.

If Alex is smart, he will cut his losses and find a rock to climb under (or as you would say.....become the next starter for the Pats/Colts and lead them to 5 more titles). But he is not welcome here in SF anymore.

Originally posted by excelsior:
First, I think some of you underestimate Alex's stubborn resolve and toughness. In fact, any QB who would shy away from home fans booing couldn't handle hostile fans when playing away. NFL QBs are tough and used to adversity; indeed, they often welcome it as another challenge to defeat. This will not be the reason if Alex decides togo elsewhere.

Second, I am getting weary of the tired old dictum that "he won't be functional." That was what Meyers said about Alex when he was 19 and 20 years old. He has grown, matured and has absorbed about every scheme known to man (much of it not very good). It is my suspicion he can learn H.'s playbook as fast as anyone.

Yeah, if he decides to come back and give it another go (assuming Harbaugh and Baalke are on the same page and we make him an offer) I will have definitely underestimated his "stubborn resolve and toughness" as you put it.

The thing is, to realize any benefit at all from having him back IMO he'd need to be under a new contract and on the roster before the end of the league year which is March 4th, 19 days from now. On March 5th he's off the roster and a free agent. With that he will not be in a strong position to lead unoffical OTA's with teammates like some QB's in stable situations have talked about doing during the lock-out.

At that point I'd assume his agent would advise him to focus his attention elsewhere.

It's utterly astounding to me that it's 2011 and we're still talking about Alex Smith starting for this team.

It's completely unfathomable.

I understand the predicament that Harbaugh is in but if this team starts Smith, I hope Harbaugh is ready to sail the sinking ship with him like Sing and Nolan did.

Fans are impatient by nature, but us 49ers fans are beyond that point with Smith. If he starts, prepare for the volume of booing to dwarf what was heard against Philly last season.

We're tired and fed up and we deserve change. I'll take absolutely anyone over Alex Smith. Despite Troy's flaws, he still managed to pass for more yards in a game during his short stint as starter than Alex has during his entire career.

He may be "smart" and "athletic" but he just doesn't have it and I'm sick and tired of having this argument year after year.

It's time for change. Real change. We'll pay dearly if he's under center mark my words.

[ Edited by NinerPrideinNJ on Feb 15, 2011 at 10:16:31 ]

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:

Originally posted by excelsior:
First, I think some of you underestimate Alex's stubborn resolve and toughness. In fact, any QB who would shy away from home fans booing couldn't handle hostile fans when playing away. NFL QBs are tough and used to adversity; indeed, they often welcome it as another challenge to defeat. This will not be the reason if Alex decides togo elsewhere.

Second, I am getting weary of the tired old dictum that "he won't be functional." That was what Meyers said about Alex when he was 19 and 20 years old. He has grown, matured and has absorbed about every scheme known to man (much of it not very good). It is my suspicion he can learn H.'s playbook as fast as anyone.

Yeah, if he decides to come back and give it another go (assuming Harbaugh and Baalke are on the same page and we make him an offer) I will have definitely underestimated his "stubborn resolve and toughness" as you put it.

The thing is, to realize any benefit at all from having him back IMO he'd need to be under a new contract and on the roster before the end of the league year which is March 4th, 19 days from now. On March 5th he's off the roster and a free agent. With that he will not be in a strong position to lead unoffical OTA's with teammates like some QB's in stable situations have talked about doing during the lock-out.

At that point I'd assume his agent would advise him to focus his attention elsewhere.

If he comes back, I don't see it as that. I'd think he was a loser. Why not go and play for a division rival, or another team and show the fans that they were wrong about you? Why play here after all the adversity?

Originally posted by NinerPrideinNJ:
It's utterly astounding to me that it's 2011 and we're still talking about Alex Smith starting for this team.

It's completely unfathomable.

I understand the predicament that Harbaugh is in but if this team starts Smith, I hope Harbaugh is ready to sail the sinking ship with him like Sing and Nolan did.

Fans are impatient by nature, but us 49ers fans are beyond that point with Smith. If he starts, prepare for the volume of booing to dwarf what was heard against Philly last season.

We're tired and fed up and we deserve change. I'll take absolutely anyone over Alex Smith. Despite Troy's flaws, he still managed to pass for more yards in a game during his short stint as starter than Alex has during his entire career.

He may be "smart" and "athletic" but he just doesn't have it and I'm sick and tired of having this argument year after year.

It's time for change. Real change. We'll pay dearly if he's under center mark my words.

I think I'm going to have to trust Harbaugh's opinion over yours. Sorry.

Originally posted by NinerPrideinNJ:
It's utterly astounding to me that it's 2011 and we're still talking about Alex Smith starting for this team.

It's completely unfathomable.

I understand the predicament that Harbaugh is in but if this team starts Smith, I hope Harbaugh is ready to sail the sinking ship with him like Sing and Nolan did.

Fans are impatient by nature, but us 49ers fans are beyond that point with Smith. If he starts, prepare for the volume of booing to dwarf what was heard against Philly last season.

We're tired and fed up and we deserve change. I'll take absolutely anyone over Alex Smith. Despite Troy's flaws, he still managed to pass for more yards in a game during his short stint as starter than Alex has during his entire career.

He may be "smart" and "athletic" but he just doesn't have it and I'm sick and tired of having this argument year after year.

It's time for change. Real change. We'll pay dearly if he's under center mark my words.

So you're tired of hearing "this year will be different" every offseason?

Originally posted by excelsior:
The Alex momentum has swung. Over the last few weeks, the possibility of Alex being resigned to be the 49er vet for 2011 has increased from 1% to about 70%. And smart, knowledgeable guys like dj43, MadDog, Backontop, Swagger, and others have been making very good cases for not only why it is likely, but why it is the smartest thing for H. to do.

Unless the Alex critics are prepared to lose the argument through their passive silence, they better rally and try to make a come-back. Right now they are clearly losing, and there is nothing worse than being a "loser."

Failed!

Being an Alex critic and predicting his future with the team are 2 different things. And it is childish to call others "losers".

I'm confident Alex will be coming back.

Originally posted by pigskin:


Failed!

Being an Alex critic and predicting his future with the team are 2 different things. And it is childish to call others "losers".

Is it not also childish to call someone childish after taking their bait even though you claim they failed?

This is why every thread involving Alex Smith ends up getting locked. People can't remain civil....

Everybody take a deep breath and calm down. It's looking like a long offseason. We hired the Head Coach everyone wanted. How about we just relax and let him do his job, eh?

i'm hoping alex will come back

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by NinerPrideinNJ:
It's utterly astounding to me that it's 2011 and we're still talking about Alex Smith starting for this team.

It's completely unfathomable.

I understand the predicament that Harbaugh is in but if this team starts Smith, I hope Harbaugh is ready to sail the sinking ship with him like Sing and Nolan did.

Fans are impatient by nature, but us 49ers fans are beyond that point with Smith. If he starts, prepare for the volume of booing to dwarf what was heard against Philly last season.

We're tired and fed up and we deserve change. I'll take absolutely anyone over Alex Smith. Despite Troy's flaws, he still managed to pass for more yards in a game during his short stint as starter than Alex has during his entire career.

He may be "smart" and "athletic" but he just doesn't have it and I'm sick and tired of having this argument year after year.

It's time for change. Real change. We'll pay dearly if he's under center mark my words.

I think I'm going to have to trust Harbaugh's opinion over yours. Sorry.

People trusted Singletary last offseason too.

Originally posted by NinerPrideinNJ:
It's utterly astounding to me that it's 2011 and we're still talking about Alex Smith starting for this team.

It's completely unfathomable.

I understand the predicament that Harbaugh is in but if this team starts Smith, I hope Harbaugh is ready to sail the sinking ship with him like Sing and Nolan did.

Fans are impatient by nature, but us 49ers fans are beyond that point with Smith. If he starts, prepare for the volume of booing to dwarf what was heard against Philly last season.

We're tired and fed up and we deserve change. I'll take absolutely anyone over Alex Smith. Despite Troy's flaws, he still managed to pass for more yards in a game during his short stint as starter than Alex has during his entire career.

He may be "smart" and "athletic" but he just doesn't have it and I'm sick and tired of having this argument year after year.

It's time for change. Real change. We'll pay dearly if he's under center mark my words.

Man if you seriously think Troy is better than Alex, you really need to rethink your position. I am not saying Smith is the next Great QB, but man, Troy just stunk after teams saw what his limited abilities were.