What does the team do with Alex Smith after this season?

I think Alex Smith will possibly win the Superbowl and then get dumped like Dilfer did.

Originally posted by captain_comeback:
No brainer. Sign Smith to 3 year extension. Kap needs at least one more year to be ready to start. Alex in year 2 might turn into something special in this system. If that's the case then Kap can sit and learn even more.

I agree on million percent. Alex obviously wants to be a niner, and he is still amazingly young, 26?? Sign him to a 3 year 30 million dollar contract with 15 million guaranteed. This way he can get one more big pay day if he plays well and goes to FA. This give Kaepernick (like Aaron Rodgers) time to sit and learn the pro game before getting thrown to the wolves.

Originally posted by hondakillerzx:

Originally posted by IdahoNiner:
Because if we get to the playoffs and make a splash, you dont let the QB walk who had a big part in the resurgence, and who is still very young, and instead go with the second year QB who could flop and possibly ruin a run in the second year of the offense. On top of that if we let Smith walk i think you still need to bring in a vet to be insurance.

Its much more logical to bring smith back and let Kap take his place by deseating AS in a more natural and less forced way.

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Franchise QB does not imply play him a 6 year $60 Million contract.....It implies a 3-4 year deal with $15million with 7-10 guaranteed. Have it be evenly spaced so we never over pay him and we basically give Kaep until the final year of his contract to develop, if he shows that hes grown and is ready to play before then give him his shot at that time. If Kaeprnick can not WIN the starting job in the final offseason before his contract is up then we will let him walk in FA. Harbaugh will never hand the Kaepernick the starting job and I mean never, it's just not his style, Kaepernick is going to have to fight for the starting job and I've said it all a long that their is a very realistic chance that Kaepernick will not step onto the field as our "franchise qb". If we have a shot at a better qb prospect you can bet your ass that Harbaugh will take him and it'll boost the competition and development of Kaepernick and this hypothetical qb.

Bottom line is that if Smith can continue to play as Trent Dilfer 2.0 and maybe even improve there is no way we see Kaepernick on the field except in garbage time like the Tampa game. I equate the Jim and Alex relationship to the comments Mike Tomlin said about Willie Parker; "I'll ride him until the wheels fall off" and he did. Jim will pull every last ounce of success out of Alex before he has put Kaepernick in as the starter.

Kevin Kolb, Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The market for Alex's contract dictates that it should be around a 5 year deal worth 10 mil a year. I'd have no problem with that they type of deal they just need to put a escape clause somewhere in the 1st couple of years.

Our organization is alot more level headed than most so maybe we can get the 3 year deal I just couldn't blame the organization if Alex did end up getting a market contract. I don't think Kaep is our future at this point. I think it's Alex job to lose from now on.

Originally posted by Afrikan:
I'd be fine with that....u know, just because Alex is a nice guy and all.

but at what cost? That is the main issue. I voted against bringing back Alex for this poll, MAINLY because it says "as our franchise QB"....um, not ready to give him that type of commitment again. Maybe I'll feel alittle different as the season goes on. But right now, not ready to invest $$$ and hand Alex the starting role for years to come based so far on his performance this year.

Alex is not coming back for a 1 year deal...not for a 2 year deal.....maybe for a 3 year one, but again at what cost?

I'm sure there might be a West Coast Team out there who has a strong running game and a strong defense that would love to use Alex the way we do....and maybe they would be desperate enough to over pay for him.....but I'd like it not to be us.

Again, this is just Alex leading up to his point....if Alex shows us more, and is more consistent....then yeah, It'd be hard to argue not bringing him back when good QB play in this league is rare. I personally feel we have the offensive weapons and Head Coach that we can bring in most good QBs to get the same type of production. If Jim feels that he would rather have Alex for the next few years, then for the first time....I can finally say I'd be ok with that. So far this season Harbaugh has impressed me so much as a head coach that I'd trust his judgement. Don't get me wrong, Jim can say all the nice things he wants to say about Alex as the season goes on.....but I'm going to wait till the end of the season to see how he really feels about the situation.

I would have to agree. I would not want to over pay for him. You can do it if there is a clause in his contract. Its a very delicate situation, because he could just be a Trent Dilfer with the Ravens or Tommy Maddox with the Steelers. Both one hit wonders when opposing defenses adjusted their tendencies the next season. Honestly if there were a team that was willing to trade for him I would take it.

Well, I can't believe it, but I voted extension. Alex will be a good game manager and our franchise QB until we get someone better. I don't see Kaep as being that person, so we need to keep fishing. The only way we get Luck is if he breaks his leg and tears both ACLs.

Originally posted by Shaj:
Well, I can't believe it, but I voted extension. Alex will be a good game manager and our franchise QB until we get someone better. I don't see Kaep as being that person, so we need to keep fishing. The only way we get Luck is if he breaks his leg and tears both ACLs.

I'm okay with signing him to a two or three year extension. As long as we don't overpay him like the Bills overpaid Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Originally posted by 9erred:

Originally posted by captain_comeback:
No brainer. Sign Smith to 3 year extension. Kap needs at least one more year to be ready to start. Alex in year 2 might turn into something special in this system. If that's the case then Kap can sit and learn even more.

I agree on million percent. Alex obviously wants to be a niner, and he is still amazingly young, 26?? Sign him to a 3 year 30 million dollar contract with 15 million guaranteed. This way he can get one more big pay day if he plays well and goes to FA. This give Kaepernick (like Aaron Rodgers) time to sit and learn the pro game before getting thrown to the wolves.

Alex Smith is only like 3 years older than Kaep. Smith is crazy young for a guy who has been in the league 7 years or so.

Originally posted by Shaj:
Well, I can't believe it, but I voted extension. Alex will be a good game manager and our franchise QB until we get someone better. I don't see Kaep as being that person, so we need to keep fishing. The only way we get Luck is if he breaks his leg and tears both ACLs.

I'm glad you came around man. It would be stupid to let Smith go with no proven option. It isn't like good QBs grow on trees in the NFL.

When you say "we need to keep fishing" do you mean draft or FA or both?

Originally posted by 305Niner:

I would have to agree. I would not want to over pay for him. You can do it if there is a clause in his contract. Its a very delicate situation, because he could just be a Trent Dilfer with the Ravens or Tommy Maddox with the Steelers. Both one hit wonders when opposing defenses adjusted their tendencies the next season. Honestly if there were a team that was willing to trade for him I would take it.

That would be sensible. Leaving us with an untried project of a qb who has taken half a dozen NFL snaps. Good thinking.

Smith has had a remarkable half-season, but I have no idea why so many people think he has now reached his ceiling. Apart from one brief year of Norv he has not really seen much in the way of quality coaching. He is still young and IMO, still developing. I expect to see a continuing improvement as Harbaugh works with him.

And of course the team will re-sign Smith. It would be ridiculous to let him walk.

So JH obviously saved Alex's confidence and career (gave it another fighting chance), and what I keep wondering is if he'll be able to bond that quickly with another QB, whether it be someone we trade for or KP cause I notice some people wanna go for Luck or some other QB's. In a sense, I guess it was easier for Alex because he was leaving a completely terrible HC, to one who was not only a former QB himself, but someone who's familiar with football and smart enough to manage a whole team and build confidence.

Alex needed a savior, JH was it.


And I'm sure he could help the younger QB's like KP to step up and make proper decisions on the field, but will they perform well enough, or better, than Alex did and make our offense more of a threat? Well, of course, it depends on who you're talking about, but the main thing I would look for in a QB, if we were to bring one in, would be his maturity level and trusting in his receivers (and MOST importantly, himself) to make every throw count.

We should all be able to agree that Alex is indeed a mature player, and you'd naturally assume that maturity would help keep him on track and consistent, but it just didn't exactly turn out that way. What his maturity did do was allow himself to be taught, and learn quickly and look at him now. He ain't Tom Brady, but the so-called "New Alex" and is being more productive.

To answer your question, well I don't think in all seriousness anyone would have a guaranteed answer ready, seeing as though we're practically halfway through the season and we seem destined to at least make the playoffs (knock on wood), and so I'll just say it depends on how the season turns out.

Playoffs 1st round... eh that's like the worst case scenario, if we released him it'd have to be his fault we lost and/or season started reclining


Make it deeper into the playoffs/possibly reach SB... I don't like getting carried away, and at the same time not doubting this team's potential, but this is a statement for Alex and the rest of the team. It shows that we're improving as a whole and Alex has much more confidence. Personally, I say we'd keep him simply because if we can make it that far with this team, who's to say we couldn't win it all?
There'd be no reason to just release him when the team is actually bonding and becoming stronger, it's like a rebuilding process, and we're just beginning.



(Like I said I don't like getting carried away, but at the same time have high hopes for this team)

Win SB????

yeah sure, go head and let him run away...

Originally posted by taney71:

Originally posted by Shaj:
Well, I can't believe it, but I voted extension. Alex will be a good game manager and our franchise QB until we get someone better. I don't see Kaep as being that person, so we need to keep fishing. The only way we get Luck is if he breaks his leg and tears both ACLs.

I'm glad you came around man. It would be stupid to let Smith go with no proven option. It isn't like good QBs grow on trees in the NFL.

When you say "we need to keep fishing" do you mean draft or FA or both?

definitely both. Anytime your QB is called a "game manager" and winning is predicated on your RB, ST, and D to put the team on their backs, then you have a problem. Once Smith keeps doing what he's doing but posting about 100 yards more per game, then I will see things differently. Smith is a stop-gap right now, good enough to get us to the playoffs if everything around him - rest of O, D, ST, and coaching are all perfect or near perfect. Compare that to what we now know about Manning: the whole team revolved around his presence. We have the exact opposite situation here, where we are trying to make the QB position something that doesn't make us lose the game.

the last time the Niners let go a competent QB was Jeff Garcia--and then we went through years of hell. I'd sign alex to 2-3 years--but he'd have to understand if he is the best he will play--if kaep or someone else is--they will play.