Does anybody agree with Harbaugh in this article?

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by boast:
yes. he knows more than all the posters here.

//thread

NO NO NO! Alex hatred > Respect for Harbaugh. This is NT, remember?

Originally posted by oldninerdude:

Originally posted by blacksailsmd:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 years of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

+1

-0.5

Mid-range is Smith's forte, not short nor bombs. But Smith's biggest problem by far is mental. Solve that and you've got a decent QB regardless of the system he plays in. It is easier said than done though.

Originally posted by qnnhan7:

Originally posted by WildBill:

Originally posted by qnnhan7:
Apparently having been a NFL qb and the hottest coach coming out of college who had developed a couple of qb, could not compare to some experts on the Zone. This thread is evident, there are many who think they are much more qualified than Harbaugh.

By no means do I think I am more qualed than JH. But people are so simplistic and take everything at face value. Don't good coaches cause alot of misdirections to create mismatches that is favorable to the team. Well it applies with personnel also and not just on the field.

You're inferring from his statement that somehow Harbaugh is talking up Smith to keep Smith on the team for next year as one of our qb, but at the same time he stands to lose a lot of credibility with the rest of the NFL if Smith is contrary on tape to his evaluation. So the simplest explanation is most likely true, which is Harbaugh means exactly what he said about Smith.

Why does Harbaugh have to answer to the NFL on credability? All that is important he gets the team going forward. If the next time Harbaugh says something about a player and they say yeah right just because of a little Alex fib the last time, but he turns out right, then that is only good because no one will know if Harbaugh is yanking his chain. Football is all about deception. when you negotiate player contracts, who you want to draft, who you want in FA, to running a man in motion to when to blitz and who etc. Only a fool openly states his real intentions flat out.

Can Harbaugh make smith servicable and look better? Yes, because if he schemes properly, we won't be so obviousl Alex may have some breathing room. However, Alex has missed open receivers more than he should and I'm talking about when the line has given him time under no duress. Still a good QB, even if the line falters
can buy more time by moving around in the pocket, however Alex panicks. You may say because the line has shattered his confidence, well Brady and Manning have suffered from their lines having bad days, but they don't blame it on the line and falter they hang in there or chuck the ball. All good QBs do.

Originally posted by NineFourNiner:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by boast:
yes. he knows more than all the posters here.

//thread

NO NO NO! Alex hatred > Respect for Harbaugh. This is NT, remember?

/wrists

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 yards of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

Again, why is this about Alex or what's in his best interest? This is a 49ers TEAM. Not the how-many-years-do-we-give-a-nice-guy-to-prove-that-he-isnt-NFL-starting-quarterback team.

Harbaugh's pitch should be (and this is pretty hard for me to type out , but):

"I know you are carrying serious baggage because you have not fared too well in previous years, but I see enough on film that makes me believe that there is a chance you could help this team win if you prove you can fix__enter list of Alexcuses__. This whole CBA thing put a wrench in my plans to acquire another FA QB and develop him and you have a slight advantage because you have worked with these players before, which should help your chances.

I am a cocky SOB, but have proven I know what I'm doing, so I don't give a s**t what the fans think. If you chose to come back for one year (at a low price), you will have a chance to show me whether we can turn you into a serviceable QB or not. The starting job will not be given to you and I will bring other guys in to compete for that starting spot."

He might add "I just vomited in my mouth a little for offering you this opportunity. GTF out of my office, call mommy to consult, and come back in 20 minutes with your decision."

(PS. You aren't fooling anyone with the whole "I'm neutral on Alex" argument for the sake of avoiding being called out on your comments. It is clear you are a supporter. We've argued about it many times before and you are showing it again on these threads.)

I do agree that Smith is accurate and can be a winning QB. That being said if he has the right coaching and the right system to use his skills. Unfortunately he represents disfunctional ownership,coaching, and teams over the last 7 years. That essentially is how he is viewed by fans. If he is resigned I will be behind him, but I hope the 49ers draft or trade for a QB to compete with Smith for insurance.

Jim Harbaugh turns up recruiting effort with Alex Smith

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/18/jim-harbaugh-turns-up-recruiting-effort-with-alex-smith/

Quote:
“Some people say Alex Smith needs a fresh start — needs a new place to be or whatever. I say let that place be here,” Harbaugh said Friday on KNBR via Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. This has gone beyond just covering all your bases. Harbaugh is recruiting Smith to return to the 49ers. There is really nothing for Harbaugh to gain from this all-out blitz unless he truly wants Smith and is trying to mentally prepare an annoyed fanbase for the possibility of another year with Smith. “Well, I like Alex,” Harbaugh said. “And I like being around him and I like what I see on tape.”

At some point, maybe we should believe what Harbaugh is saying.

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by ninertico:
So you don't believe in our new HC's QB evaluation skills?

Accurate passers don't get booed by his home crowd.

What was his rating on the season finale? I think he was booed that game.

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by ninertico:
So you don't believe in our new HC's QB evaluation skills?

Accurate passers don't get booed by his home crowd.

What was his rating on the season finale? I think he was booed that game.

He was... and he had a 107.8 QB rating.

Had a 94 QBR through the last several games with Mike J. having took over. That would have put him around 7 or 8 in the whole league standings for QB.

Originally posted by Norcal9erfan:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 yards of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

Again, why is this about Alex or what's in his best interest? This is a 49ers TEAM. Not the how-many-years-do-we-give-a-nice-guy-to-prove-that-he-isnt-NFL-starting-quarterback team.

Harbaugh's pitch should be (and this is pretty hard for me to type out , but):

"I know you are carrying serious baggage because you have not fared too well in previous years, but I see enough on film that makes me believe that there is a chance you could help this team win if you prove you can fix__enter list of Alexcuses__. This whole CBA thing put a wrench in my plans to acquire another FA QB and develop him and you have a slight advantage because you have worked with these players before, which should help your chances.

I am a cocky SOB, but have proven I know what I'm doing, so I don't give a s**t what the fans think. If you chose to come back for one year (at a low price), you will have a chance to show me whether we can turn you into a serviceable QB or not. The starting job will not be given to you and I will bring other guys in to compete for that starting spot."

He might add "I just vomited in my mouth a little for offering you this opportunity. GTF out of my office, call mommy to consult, and come back in 20 minutes with your decision."

(PS. You aren't fooling anyone with the whole "I'm neutral on Alex" argument for the sake of avoiding being called out on your comments. It is clear you are a supporter. We've argued about it many times before and you are showing it again on these threads.)

WTF? I don't like Alex Smith and I don't give a flying f**k whether or not you believe me. My only points with Alex are two-fold:

1.) I'm not arrogant enough to think I know better than Jim Harbaugh about what makes a good QB
2.) Though Alex has been as bad as it gets at QB for most of his tenure here (I suggest you read ALL of my posts on Smith over the years, and not just the ones where you're involved), it hasn't ALL been his fault. I'm not ignorant enough to think that it's all been on him. With some decent coaching, he could actually be ok. Great? No, and probably not even good enough to make it far into the playoffs....but good enough under JH to allow another guy to sit and be groomed for the next year or two, yes.

On the other hand, if they let him walk, I wouldn't lose a second of sleep over it, and would actually feel relief. If you call that a "supporter," you're not real clear about what that word really means. I'm simply not an Alex HATER. I think that makes me rational, more than anything...but hey, you obviously know better than me about what I believe.

Originally posted by WildBill:

Originally posted by qnnhan7:

Originally posted by WildBill:

Originally posted by qnnhan7:
Apparently having been a NFL qb and the hottest coach coming out of college who had developed a couple of qb, could not compare to some experts on the Zone. This thread is evident, there are many who think they are much more qualified than Harbaugh.

By no means do I think I am more qualed than JH. But people are so simplistic and take everything at face value. Don't good coaches cause alot of misdirections to create mismatches that is favorable to the team. Well it applies with personnel also and not just on the field.

You're inferring from his statement that somehow Harbaugh is talking up Smith to keep Smith on the team for next year as one of our qb, but at the same time he stands to lose a lot of credibility with the rest of the NFL if Smith is contrary on tape to his evaluation. So the simplest explanation is most likely true, which is Harbaugh means exactly what he said about Smith.

Why does Harbaugh have to answer to the NFL on credability? All that is important he gets the team going forward. If the next time Harbaugh says something about a player and they say yeah right just because of a little Alex fib the last time, but he turns out right, then that is only good because no one will know if Harbaugh is yanking his chain. Football is all about deception. when you negotiate player contracts, who you want to draft, who you want in FA, to running a man in motion to when to blitz and who etc. Only a fool openly states his real intentions flat out.

Can Harbaugh make smith servicable and look better? Yes, because if he schemes properly, we won't be so obviousl Alex may have some breathing room. However, Alex has missed open receivers more than he should and I'm talking about when the line has given him time under no duress. Still a good QB, even if the line falters
can buy more time by moving around in the pocket, however Alex panicks. You may say because the line has shattered his confidence, well Brady and Manning have suffered from their lines having bad days, but they don't blame it on the line and falter they hang in there or chuck the ball. All good QBs do.

His whole coaching career up to this point has been for getting to the next level-- the NFL. Credible enough to get a HC in the NFL. Credible enough to win in the NFL. For him to talk up a FA in Smith like he's doing without any merit would be a credibility issue with the rest of the NFL before he even win his first game. Why would he put that garnered credibility on the line with his coaching peers for a qb he only knows for 2 months unless he truly believed in what he's saying about Smith after evaluation. Remember that part of him getting a HC job was the ability to evaluate qb. Also there are GMs around the league who are seeing the statement by Harbaugh. If it's not true or believable, Harbaugh stands to lose future consideration for NFL jobs.

Why would he risk that over a few statements about Smith when he could easily have avoid to answer directly, unless he truly believed in what he has said.

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by ninertico:
So you don't believe in our new HC's QB evaluation skills?

Accurate passers don't get booed by his home crowd.

There have been all pros booed by fans, super bowl winning QBs booed by their fans, all types of QBs booed. Why? Because fans want the game they are watching to be won. Yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow's out of sight, just help us win this one tonight! When Joe Theisman's leg was shattered there were some boos. Or was that booze? Probably both. Fans can be cretins.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 yards of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

I always thought Alex Smith's most PROMISING year was in his first year. There was one game where he completed around a dozen passes in a row. He had nothing around him, but seemed to have some ability.

Everybody else, as well as the stats, say that his second year was great, but I never thought so. He made mistakes that I thought were very disturbing.

Our best WR, in his first year, was Johnny Morton, who was near the end of his career. Our entire O-line was either injured, or they were rookies, or they were Kwame Harris. Gore was a rookie, and didn't play that year. He had nothing at all around him.
Year two, Nolan is in his ear about not making mistakes etc., then we ran the ball with Gore. Smith never was able to hit a dozen passes in a row again. If McCarthy had stayed, Smith might have had a chance to really start to take off. But we locked him up, put on the chains; and now Smith runs from shadows. He has been poorly coached to play safe, and now I don't know if he can ever recover from it. If Harbaugh can do it, he'll become an instant legend, and fans will worship him for it. You can't blame Harbaugh for trying though, because with the millionaires who control the game shutting it all down, Smith is really the only thing we have now.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by Norcal9erfan:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 yards of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

Again, why is this about Alex or what's in his best interest? This is a 49ers TEAM. Not the how-many-years-do-we-give-a-nice-guy-to-prove-that-he-isnt-NFL-starting-quarterback team.

Harbaugh's pitch should be (and this is pretty hard for me to type out , but):

"I know you are carrying serious baggage because you have not fared too well in previous years, but I see enough on film that makes me believe that there is a chance you could help this team win if you prove you can fix__enter list of Alexcuses__. This whole CBA thing put a wrench in my plans to acquire another FA QB and develop him and you have a slight advantage because you have worked with these players before, which should help your chances.

I am a cocky SOB, but have proven I know what I'm doing, so I don't give a s**t what the fans think. If you chose to come back for one year (at a low price), you will have a chance to show me whether we can turn you into a serviceable QB or not. The starting job will not be given to you and I will bring other guys in to compete for that starting spot."

He might add "I just vomited in my mouth a little for offering you this opportunity. GTF out of my office, call mommy to consult, and come back in 20 minutes with your decision."

(PS. You aren't fooling anyone with the whole "I'm neutral on Alex" argument for the sake of avoiding being called out on your comments. It is clear you are a supporter. We've argued about it many times before and you are showing it again on these threads.)

WTF? I don't like Alex Smith and I don't give a flying f**k whether or not you believe me. My only points with Alex are two-fold:

1.) I'm not arrogant enough to think I know better than Jim Harbaugh about what makes a good QB
2.) Though Alex has been as bad as it gets at QB for most of his tenure here (I suggest you read ALL of my posts on Smith over the years, and not just the ones where you're involved), it hasn't ALL been his fault. I'm not ignorant enough to think that it's all been on him. With some decent coaching, he could actually be ok. Great? No, and probably not even good enough to make it far into the playoffs....but good enough under JH to allow another guy to sit and be groomed for the next year or two, yes.

On the other hand, if they let him walk, I wouldn't lose a second of sleep over it, and would actually feel relief. If you call that a "supporter," you're not real clear about what that word really means. I'm simply not an Alex HATER. I think that makes me rational, more than anything...but hey, you obviously know better than me about what I believe.

Originally posted by Norcal9erfan:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by Norcal9erfan:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I always preface my Alex comments by saying I'm not a fan of his, otherwise I get jumped by the Smith-haters for being nothing more than a "FanBoy." But I always thought Smith would be a much better west coast QB than a "vertical" passing-game QB (which is what he's primarily run since 2006).

IMO, the vertical passing game puts a lot of the onus on the QB to be accurate downfield, and that just hasn't been Alex's strength, at least not on a consistent enough basis. In a traditional west coast offense, he can get the ball out quicker and generally closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his WRs/TEs/RBs to do the majority of the work.

He could take the occasional shot downfield (he has shown some ability to do this, mostly to Vernon down the seams), but would mostly be spreading the ball around within 5-15 yards of the line of scrimmage not unlike what we see Hasselback doing in Seattle.

In that respect, I think Alex could be fine. Maybe not all-pro material, but good enough until we can develop someone with a little more upside.

Harbaugh's pitch to Alex should be: "Give me 2 years, and I'll turn your career around, making you WAY more marketable than you are now."

Again, why is this about Alex or what's in his best interest? This is a 49ers TEAM. Not the how-many-years-do-we-give-a-nice-guy-to-prove-that-he-isnt-NFL-starting-quarterback team.

Harbaugh's pitch should be (and this is pretty hard for me to type out , but):

"I know you are carrying serious baggage because you have not fared too well in previous years, but I see enough on film that makes me believe that there is a chance you could help this team win if you prove you can fix__enter list of Alexcuses__. This whole CBA thing put a wrench in my plans to acquire another FA QB and develop him and you have a slight advantage because you have worked with these players before, which should help your chances.

I am a cocky SOB, but have proven I know what I'm doing, so I don't give a s**t what the fans think. If you chose to come back for one year (at a low price), you will have a chance to show me whether we can turn you into a serviceable QB or not. The starting job will not be given to you and I will bring other guys in to compete for that starting spot."

He might add "I just vomited in my mouth a little for offering you this opportunity. GTF out of my office, call mommy to consult, and come back in 20 minutes with your decision."

(PS. You aren't fooling anyone with the whole "I'm neutral on Alex" argument for the sake of avoiding being called out on your comments. It is clear you are a supporter. We've argued about it many times before and you are showing it again on these threads.)

WTF? I don't like Alex Smith and I don't give a flying f**k whether or not you believe me. My only points with Alex are two-fold:

1.) I'm not arrogant enough to think I know better than Jim Harbaugh about what makes a good QB
2.) Though Alex has been as bad as it gets at QB for most of his tenure here (I suggest you read ALL of my posts on Smith over the years, and not just the ones where you're involved), it hasn't ALL been his fault. I'm not ignorant enough to think that it's all been on him. With some decent coaching, he could actually be ok. Great? No, and probably not even good enough to make it far into the playoffs....but good enough under JH to allow another guy to sit and be groomed for the next year or two, yes.

On the other hand, if they let him walk, I wouldn't lose a second of sleep over it, and would actually feel relief. If you call that a "supporter," you're not real clear about what that word really means. I'm simply not an Alex HATER. I think that makes me rational, more than anything...but hey, you obviously know better than me about what I believe.

don't hate....that's my gangsta look.