Chances Harbaugh transforms ALEX SMITH into a FRANCHISE QB?

Originally posted by TlSSER:

Franchise? No way. Serviceable? Maybe.

i think he ccan if he has some consistancy but i doubt he stays here i dont even think he wants to

I see some people have been dumping Vodka in their breakfast orange juice.

-25%

I voted 25%...

We all know Alex Smith has the talent. We've seen moments of brilliance from him. I think the issue is time. It's late in the game for Smith.

I think if a great offensive and QBing mind had been there from day 1, Alex Smith would be one of the best in the NFL right now. That wasn't the case, and he's not.

You all know an Alex Smith in your office, or have known him. He keeps to himself early on, slowly taking things in, trying not to rock any boats. He wants to be noticed and be invited into the social world, but he doesn't push the issue. He wont jump into conversations. When being taught something, he seems confused but generally doesn't ask many questions. He comes off as slow, but you note his e-mails are impeccably intelligent.

At some point you catch him in his comfort zone. Maybe it's his favorite bar, or you have a mutual friend, and all of the sudden he's personable and boisterous, almost too friendly. You finally engage him in a conversation on a subject he knows and you finally realize he's genius level smart.

Alex Smith is this guy. He needs to be made comfortable because he doesn't possess a great deal of self-confidence until he's well schooled in what he's doing, at which point he will run with it.

This all works against Smith right now. Smith's most immediate issue right now is his mechanics, which has worsened since college. If you remember, his accuracy was the big selling point in the draft... the Nolan regime changed his mechanics and he has some terrible habits now. However, even if his mechanics are addressed and he regains his accuracy, it's going to take him 1-2 years to learn Harbaugh's offense... a memorization-heavy system. He's older, it's easier for him to understand concepts, harder to memorize.

So... Smith has the talent to be coached up, but I think it's too late in his career now.

Originally posted by BobS:
I see some people have been dumping Vodka in their breakfast orange juice.

I have a better chance at being the franchise qb then Alex does.

Originally posted by adembroski:
I voted 25%...

We all know Alex Smith has the talent. We've seen moments of brilliance from him. I think the issue is time. It's late in the game for Smith.

I think if a great offensive and QBing mind had been there from day 1, Alex Smith would be one of the best in the NFL right now. That wasn't the case, and he's not.

You all know an Alex Smith in your office, or have known him. He keeps to himself early on, slowly taking things in, trying not to rock any boats. He wants to be noticed and be invited into the social world, but he doesn't push the issue. He wont jump into conversations. When being taught something, he seems confused but generally doesn't ask many questions. He comes off as slow, but you note his e-mails are impeccably intelligent.

At some point you catch him in his comfort zone. Maybe it's his favorite bar, or you have a mutual friend, and all of the sudden he's personable and boisterous, almost too friendly. You finally engage him in a conversation on a subject he knows and you finally realize he's genius level smart.

Alex Smith is this guy. He needs to be made comfortable because he doesn't possess a great deal of self-confidence until he's well schooled in what he's doing, at which point he will run with it.

This all works against Smith right now. Smith's most immediate issue right now is his mechanics, which has worsened since college. If you remember, his accuracy was the big selling point in the draft... the Nolan regime changed his mechanics and he has some terrible habits now. However, even if his mechanics are addressed and he regains his accuracy, it's going to take him 1-2 years to learn Harbaugh's offense... a memorization-heavy system. He's older, it's easier for him to understand concepts, harder to memorize.

So... Smith has the talent to be coached up, but I think it's too late in his career now.

I really agree with 98% of what you just said. You hit a lot of things concerning Alex Smith right on the head. The only thing I disagree with is the notion that it's too late in his career. Now, it might be too late in his 49ers career because the fans, especially the ones that took this poll, wont give him a chance or even Harbaugh a chance to work with him. However, it is not too late in his professional career. Alex Smith is still only 27 years old. Now if he was 37, I would say it's too late in his career.

Now if Alex Smith was to go somewhere else and finally get it and his career takes off, most 49er fans would still feel it was best to let Alex walk. I'm of a different opinion. I would welcome Alex back on a 2 year contract & draft a qb in the middle of the draft.

Best case, Alex developes into a SB winning QB with Harbaugh's guidence & offense(if Dilfer can do it why not Alex) & the QB we drafted develops into a starting quality QB that we can then trade!!

Worst case, Alex doesn't develope in those 2 years into anything better than he already has, but the QB we drafted develops to the point that we can turn the team over to him. In either case, it's a win win for the 49ers and it's fans.

But alas, the fans wont let that happen. Oh well!!

People just need to give up on Alex Smith. 6 years and some of you still have hope?

I voted 25% just because there wasn't an option for 5%.

-Harbaugh will have to be really impressed with his mobility and smarts for us to even try to re-sign him, so I doubt the team even tries very hard
-Alex would have to be really convinced that Harbaugh could resuscitate his career better than him going somewhere as a backup for a couple years
-even if he does somehow re-sign, it would probably be a short term deal so that we are free to draft or sign another QB if/when it doesn't work, and he would also be free to sign somewhere else if Harbaugh turns him into a legit starter

So I'd say there's a tiny chance he returns, a tinier chance he succeeds, and then an even tinier chance that he ends up being our franchise QB rather than going somewhere else. Maybe 1%

Originally posted by Selim55:

Originally posted by adembroski:
I voted 25%...

We all know Alex Smith has the talent. We've seen moments of brilliance from him. I think the issue is time. It's late in the game for Smith.

I think if a great offensive and QBing mind had been there from day 1, Alex Smith would be one of the best in the NFL right now. That wasn't the case, and he's not.

You all know an Alex Smith in your office, or have known him. He keeps to himself early on, slowly taking things in, trying not to rock any boats. He wants to be noticed and be invited into the social world, but he doesn't push the issue. He wont jump into conversations. When being taught something, he seems confused but generally doesn't ask many questions. He comes off as slow, but you note his e-mails are impeccably intelligent.

At some point you catch him in his comfort zone. Maybe it's his favorite bar, or you have a mutual friend, and all of the sudden he's personable and boisterous, almost too friendly. You finally engage him in a conversation on a subject he knows and you finally realize he's genius level smart.

Alex Smith is this guy. He needs to be made comfortable because he doesn't possess a great deal of self-confidence until he's well schooled in what he's doing, at which point he will run with it.

This all works against Smith right now. Smith's most immediate issue right now is his mechanics, which has worsened since college. If you remember, his accuracy was the big selling point in the draft... the Nolan regime changed his mechanics and he has some terrible habits now. However, even if his mechanics are addressed and he regains his accuracy, it's going to take him 1-2 years to learn Harbaugh's offense... a memorization-heavy system. He's older, it's easier for him to understand concepts, harder to memorize.

So... Smith has the talent to be coached up, but I think it's too late in his career now.

I really agree with 98% of what you just said. You hit a lot of things concerning Alex Smith right on the head. The only thing I disagree with is the notion that it's too late in his career. Now, it might be too late in his 49ers career because the fans, especially the ones that took this poll, wont give him a chance or even Harbaugh a chance to work with him. However, it is not too late in his professional career. Alex Smith is still only 27 years old. Now if he was 37, I would say it's too late in his career.

Now if Alex Smith was to go somewhere else and finally get it and his career takes off, most 49er fans would still feel it was best to let Alex walk. I'm of a different opinion. I would welcome Alex back on a 2 year contract & draft a qb in the middle of the draft.

Best case, Alex developes into a SB winning QB with Harbaugh's guidence & offense(if Dilfer can do it why not Alex) & the QB we drafted develops into a starting quality QB that we can then trade!!

Worst case, Alex doesn't develope in those 2 years into anything better than he already has, but the QB we drafted develops to the point that we can turn the team over to him. In either case, it's a win win for the 49ers and it's fans.

But alas, the fans wont let that happen. Oh well!!

I agree with you regarding keeping him. By all accounts he's intelligent and a good communicator. If nothing else, he can help a young guy who has better physical tools along. I'm a firm believer in the letting-a-young-QB-watch-and-learn school. Starting a guy right away results in more Alex Smiths than Payton Mannings, where as sitting a guy- even one season- results in a lot more successes.

If he's frustrating to watch on the field for a couple of seasons but helps The Next Guy win a couple of championships, I think it's a good trade off, and we can look back on Alex in a similar light as we look upon Steve DeBerg... certainly not a great, but a guy we can take some level of pride in for what he did for the franchise in the long term.

I tend to root for 'Niners players... when they're not very good, I root for them to improve and leave the game with something to be proud of. When they depart the 49ers because it doesn't work, I wish them well and root for them with their future teams (as long as it's not the Cowboys, of course). That's why I, to this day, root for the Chiefs in the AFC.

I voted 25% mainly because I don't believe in saying "Never". I just don't think Harbaugh will get the opportunity to coach Alex. I fully expect Smith to be on another team next year.