Buyer Beware: Alex Smith
Added on Jan 31, 2013 by Scott in
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Regardless of whether Colin Kaepernick leads the 49ers to victory on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVII, he’s the future of the franchise. So, former starter Alex Smith’s days by the Bay are numbered. At some point in the offseason, Smith will either be traded or released, which means those teams in need of a quarterback will be making their best offer or pitch. However, Smith is hardly a safe bet.
There’s no doubt that Smith excelled under Niners coach Jim Harbaugh, but prior to Harbaugh’s arrival, Smith was the definition of a bust, especially for a player selected number one overall in the 2005 Draft. Any team interested in acquiring his services should temper their expectations.
From 2005-2010, Smith was repeatedly benched due to inconsistency and a lack of big play ability. Harbaugh streamlined the offense to fit Smith’s limited skill set by turning him into a steady game manager. But the drafting of Kaepernick in the second-round of the 2011 Draft sent a clear message that the franchise, and Harbaugh in particular, were searching for another answer.
During his 25 starts under Harbaugh, Smith totaled 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and vastly improved his accuracy. However, this sudden success was aided greatly by a powerful running attack and one of the game’s best defenses. Without the benefit of both, it’s unlikely Smith would’ve elevated his game to the degree that he’s now considered an upgrade.
Teams like Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Jacksonville and the Jets have all been linked to Smith in 2013. As a stopgap starter, he might be serviceable. But expecting a franchise signal-caller from a player who has never thrown over 20 touchdowns in a season, or totaled 3200 yards passing, would be foolish.
Remove Jim Harbaugh, a dominant rushing game and an elite defense, it’s sensible to wonder what exactly you’re getting with Alex Smith. The guy who turned a corner in his prime, or the guy who was nearly run out of the league two years ago? No one knows for sure.
