Alex Smith: The Aftermath (Post SB)

Originally posted by Paul_Hofer:
A pro football team is a particular kind of business. The product is its players. Dealing with them as men deserving of respect is good for business. Dealing with them as simple products to be sacrificed for the good of the business is misguided and short-sighted. Again, trading Smith while allowing him some say-so in the process might serve both sides of the business.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
To which I would counter that Alex could have left, leaving Harbaugh with nobody, and gone to another team and done a perform for your next paycheck contract.


Alex could of left yea? But for where? SF was the best opportunity for him to play, considering there was a lockout and he would not have a chance to get continuity with his new team and new playbook (which JH gave him before teh lockout) which is needed to be successful. Plus JH was a QB guru who could help revitalize his career. Alkex knew that. Without the niners, Smith may have been looking for a team until the lockout ended, by which time its too late to learn everything and would be a waste of season for him.
It has been said that Alex was already improving before Harbaugh got there. Harbaugh just recognized the talent and made a public show of going after Alex.




Alex also negotiated down his original contract when he didn't have to. They might have released him, but in hindsight, that might have been doing him a favor at the time.
As you said, Niners might have released him if he didn't renegotiate. So it sounds like he did HAVE TO restructure or risk being cut. Which he didn't want beacuse he probably knew SF was the best fit for him.

Again, that might have been doing him a favor considering the talent and the coaching at THAT time.




I think everyone will agree that Alex is at least an average to a top ten qb...he'd have found a home. No the 9ers didn't do him a favor...he was just being loyal...He wanted to prove everyone wrong.
Alex is average now yes, but before 2011 he was considered well below average, despite what people believed were the issues.
At the time, we didn't know it, but JH didn't need Alex; Alex needed JH.

I think maybe nobody really did the other party any "favors." Its a contract. Smith is on the team and has a job and 49ers pay him for that job. Both parties got something out of it.

You consider Alex average. I don't. Most of the pundents don't. Not anymore. I think eventually Alex would have proven it elsewhere. He looks to have that chance next season. The one thing Harbaugh did do is chance the perception of the public of Alex...he's no longer looked upon as a total bust. But he never was. You can't make something out of nothing.

I guess Alex being a good soldier is not doing the 9ers a solid in your book. I guess keeping a good mentality so that Staley didn't accidently let a few guys through to support his guy doesn't mean anything. (not saying Staley would really do that...but it has happened with other players and other teams.) Alex has been a role model player and coordinated the offseason the previous year...maybe that was in his best interest...but it certainly was doing more than is expected of a player...especially one not on a contract. Who by the way accepted a single year contract.

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
To which I would counter that Alex could have left, leaving Harbaugh with nobody, and gone to another team and done a perform for your next paycheck contract.


Alex could of left yea? But for where? SF was the best opportunity for him to play, considering there was a lockout and he would not have a chance to get continuity with his new team and new playbook (which JH gave him before teh lockout) which is needed to be successful. Plus JH was a QB guru who could help revitalize his career. Alkex knew that. Without the niners, Smith may have been looking for a team until the lockout ended, by which time its too late to learn everything and would be a waste of season for him.
It has been said that Alex was already improving before Harbaugh got there. Harbaugh just recognized the talent and made a public show of going after Alex.




Alex also negotiated down his original contract when he didn't have to. They might have released him, but in hindsight, that might have been doing him a favor at the time.
As you said, Niners might have released him if he didn't renegotiate. So it sounds like he did HAVE TO restructure or risk being cut. Which he didn't want beacuse he probably knew SF was the best fit for him.

Again, that might have been doing him a favor considering the talent and the coaching at THAT time.




I think everyone will agree that Alex is at least an average to a top ten qb...he'd have found a home. No the 9ers didn't do him a favor...he was just being loyal...He wanted to prove everyone wrong.
Alex is average now yes, but before 2011 he was considered well below average, despite what people believed were the issues.
At the time, we didn't know it, but JH didn't need Alex; Alex needed JH.

I think maybe nobody really did the other party any "favors." Its a contract. Smith is on the team and has a job and 49ers pay him for that job. Both parties got something out of it.

You consider Alex average. I don't. Most of the pundents don't. Not anymore. I think eventually Alex would have proven it elsewhere. He looks to have that chance next season. The one thing Harbaugh did do is chance the perception of the public of Alex...he's no longer looked upon as a total bust. But he never was. You can't make something out of nothing.

I guess Alex being a good soldier is not doing the 9ers a solid in your book. I guess keeping a good mentality so that Staley didn't accidently let a few guys through to support his guy doesn't mean anything. (not saying Staley would really do that...but it has happened with other players and other teams.) Alex has been a role model player and coordinated the offseason the previous year...maybe that was in his best interest...but it certainly was doing more than is expected of a player...especially one not on a contract. Who by the way accepted a single year contract.

..

Originally posted by goodthings19:
If the NFL was all about making and keeping friends than the 49ers would release Alex. However, the NFL is a business. From a business standpoint simply releasing Alex makes NO sense.

Originally posted by OKC49erFan:

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by baltien:

Maybe. Even if he did go there (which I'm 99.9% sure he won't), I don't see him throwing well enough to maximize Fitz's talents. It's not hard to figure out why Crabtree's emergence only came about with Kap behind center.

Arizona has no ground game, their o-line is terrible, and they'll be learning a new offense. It's wishful at best to think all of that will suddenly click in one offseason. Alex isn't talented enough to make up for their shortcomings all on his own.

The 49ers would know that better than anybody.

Lol way to try and rewrite history. Crab was already looking like a stud at the beginning of this season. Difference is that Alex had Chemestry with vd too.. Colin did not at first

Agreed. Crabtree benefitted greatly from his first full training camp. Also, I believe having Moss around helped a lot, too. Crabtree has played very well all season, not just when CK took over.

Originally posted by baltien:

Originally posted by OKC49erFan:

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by baltien:
Maybe. Even if he did go there (which I'm 99.9% sure he won't), I don't see him throwing well enough to maximize Fitz's talents. It's not hard to figure out why Crabtree's emergence only came about with Kap behind center.

Arizona has no ground game, their o-line is terrible, and they'll be learning a new offense. It's wishful at best to think all of that will suddenly click in one offseason. Alex isn't talented enough to make up for their shortcomings all on his own.

The 49ers would know that better than anybody.

Lol way to try and rewrite history. Crab was already looking like a stud at the beginning of this season. Difference is that Alex had Chemestry with vd too.. Colin did not at first

Agreed. Crabtree benefitted greatly from his first full training camp. Also, I believe having Moss around helped a lot, too. Crabtree has played very well all season, not just when CK took over.

Rewrite history? Please.

Look at Crabs first eight games of the season and then compare them to the last eight. Sure, he looked good with Alex in but he was even better with Kap in. That is indisputable.

We can guess all day about whether he would have done the same if Alex was never benched. Problem with that is your line of reasoning relies on conjecture. Whereas everything I said is verifiable fact.

Go look at the game logs. Numbers don't lie.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet

Who are interested in Alex Smith? Teams you would think -- Bills, Cardinals, maybe Eagles. Not the Jets, though. At least not yet.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet

Alex Smith will not be a member of #49ers next year. They will try to trade him first. Then if nothing happens, cut him early out of respect

#49ers have strong relationship with Alex Smith & Tom Condon his agent. They believe he's earned the right to pick a team, be treated right