Alex Smith: The Aftermath (Post SB)

Originally posted by rk1642:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Trade him.

How many of you would give up 1 Million dollars to a guy you already paid 30 million to for 8 years of work, of which 6 years of the performance was pretty miserable.

If you said yes, you probably don't own a business.

Problem with your little statement is that in that situation I would be to blame for: picking him, picking all the terrible HC's and GM's and other players. I would look in the mirror for all the reasons for failure not just the qb. Its a joke to put all of the past bad play on 1 guy and hold him to account and then not take any blame for what transpired.

Yes it would be my fault for running a s**tty organization. And i'm not putting the whole team's bad play on Smith, but he didn't play well enough individually to keep his job obviously.

So why should a team throw away a million dollars to a guy without getting anything in return?

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Yes it would be my fault for running a s**tty organization. And i'm not putting the whole team's bad play on Smith, but he didn't play well enough individually to keep his job obviously.

So why should a team throw away a million dollars to a guy without getting anything in return?

Goodwill? it sends a message. If you're a team player, we'll take care of you.

Originally posted by OKC49erFan:

Originally posted by rk1642:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Trade him.

How many of you would give up 1 Million dollars to a guy you already paid 30 million to for 8 years of work, of which 6 years of the performance was pretty miserable.

If you said yes, you probably don't own a business.

Problem with your little statement is that in that situation I would be to blame for: picking him, picking all the terrible HC's and GM's and other players. I would look in the mirror for all the reasons for failure not just the qb. Its a joke to put all of the past bad play on 1 guy and hold him to account and then not take any blame for what transpired.

Wasting your keystrokes. Some cannot and will not understand the failures of the 49ers during that timespan.
It is easier to blame one person... lazier too.

I understand Smith wasn't solely responsible for the loss. I never said that. I just said Smith wasn't playing well for 6 years, and that's true. Regardless of what the issues were.

Like English said, that's not the subject of this thread.

the subject is "should the 49ers let Smith be a free agent without compensation,."

From a business standpoint, without considering who was to blame for his poor play, i think we should not and its a bad business move to do so.

No - He has been paid and compensated for 8 years even when play did not justify that $$. The team needs to do their best to get a draft pick or other compensation for him. No hard feelings, this is a business. If anything he owes Harbaugh for finally making him look serviceable so he might actually be able to get a starting gig somewhere.

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Yes it would be my fault for running a s**tty organization. And i'm not putting the whole team's bad play on Smith, but he didn't play well enough individually to keep his job obviously.

So why should a team throw away a million dollars to a guy without getting anything in return?

Goodwill? it sends a message. If you're a team player, we'll take care of you.

Ok. I get that. That helps with aquiring free agents as well coming here.

The counter to that is, some would say we showed Smith enough good will by keeping him on board for the last 8 years. Specifically bringing him back for these last two years has boosted Smith's career considerably. Otherwise his fate was to get signed to a s**tty team in 2011 and probably fall on his face.

How many teams would bring back a first round pick after 6 years of non production, regardless of what you they felt the cause of that non production was.

Originally posted by OKC49erFan:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Trade him.

How many of you would give up 1 Million dollars to a guy you already paid 30 million to for 8 years of work, of which 6 years of the performance was pretty miserable.

If you said yes, you probably don't own a business.

Sunk cost?

Yes its a sunk cost. But to release him and pay him is too sink even lower.

We need to mitigate this sunk cost by trading him. Otherwise it'll grow by 1 million.

People like to bring up past compensation. Smith restructured his contract back then, but did he really need to?
Here is a similar situation, but the sides are switched. They could release Smith as a matter of good will.

Of course, there is always the possibility of a trade that works for all parties. This should be explored first.
Otherwise, just release the man and move on.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Ok. I get that. That helps with aquiring free agents as well coming here.

The counter to that is, some would say we showed Smith enough good will by keeping him on board for the last 8 years. Specifically bringing him back for these last two years has boosted Smith's career considerably. Otherwise his fate was to get signed to a s**tty team in 2011 and probably fall on his face.

How many teams would bring back a first round pick after 6 years of non production, regardless of what you they felt the cause of that non production was.

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. How would it have been any different? 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.

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.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Ok. I get that. That helps with aquiring free agents as well coming here.

The counter to that is, some would say we showed Smith enough good will by keeping him on board for the last 8 years. Specifically bringing him back for these last two years has boosted Smith's career considerably. Otherwise his fate was to get signed to a s**tty team in 2011 and probably fall on his face.

How many teams would bring back a first round pick after 6 years of non production, regardless of what you they felt the cause of that non production was.

I think that's a poor argument to say that we showed Alex good will by keeping him around for 8 years. We kept him around for 8 years because we didn't have any better options at the time. We had Tim Rattay, J.T. O'Sullivan, Trent Dilfer, Troy Smith... Not one of those guys really screams to me that we needed to get rid of the first-round pick, who has been a bust, but has talent. With no real quarterback options, they were just banking on the hope that Alex would break out.

If anything, there was a lot of faith, rather than charity or good will, in Alex. Seeing what Alex has done with a good coaching staff, that faith doesn't sound so misplaced.

Personally, I think one question to ask about Alex Smith's time in San Francisco, is why did we only draft a mid/high-round quarterback in 2011?

Originally posted by Jakemall:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Ok. I get that. That helps with aquiring free agents as well coming here.

The counter to that is, some would say we showed Smith enough good will by keeping him on board for the last 8 years. Specifically bringing him back for these last two years has boosted Smith's career considerably. Otherwise his fate was to get signed to a s**tty team in 2011 and probably fall on his face.

How many teams would bring back a first round pick after 6 years of non production, regardless of what you they felt the cause of that non production was.

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. How would it have been any different? 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.

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.

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.


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.

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.

what about a trade with KC: Alex for Bowe. Could even toss in AJ. We have Crabs and Bowe which would be killer and they get a qb and young wr.

I think that could be a win win.

Really don't know how the money would work out but it sounds interesting anyway?

Originally posted by Wubbie:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Ok. I get that. That helps with aquiring free agents as well coming here.

The counter to that is, some would say we showed Smith enough good will by keeping him on board for the last 8 years. Specifically bringing him back for these last two years has boosted Smith's career considerably. Otherwise his fate was to get signed to a s**tty team in 2011 and probably fall on his face.

How many teams would bring back a first round pick after 6 years of non production, regardless of what you they felt the cause of that non production was.

I think that's a poor argument to say that we showed Alex good will by keeping him around for 8 years. We kept him around for 8 years because we didn't have any better options at the time. We had Tim Rattay, J.T. O'Sullivan, Trent Dilfer, Troy Smith... Not one of those guys really screams to me that we needed to get rid of the first-round pick, who has been a bust, but has talent. With no real quarterback options, they were just banking on the hope that Alex would break out.

If anything, there was a lot of faith, rather than charity or good will, in Alex. Seeing what Alex has done with a good coaching staff, that faith doesn't sound so misplaced.

Personally, I think one question to ask about Alex Smith's time in San Francisco, is why did we only draft a mid/high-round quarterback in 2011?

Good post. We also don't want to give in to many demands as other players may take it as an oppening to ask for a release or trade.

The last statement is strong. I just think the niners didn't have a good F/O.

We should let Goldson walk, move Kaepernick to safety, and give Alex the starting job back

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 InconvenienTTruth21:
We should let Goldson walk, move Kaepernick to safety, and give Alex the starting job back

Dynasty!