does anyone see Alex coming back next year as backup QB?

[maniax]

If so, for how much?

I could see him back here for $3-$4M a year. Definitely not on his current contract.

I'd actually like to have him back as backup QB.


Do you think he will get cut or traded? Would he have to restructure as part of a trade, maybe not if you consider how much money was thrown at other free agent QBs like Kolb and Flynn.

 

[deep9er]

if anyone of us were him, you would think i have to leave right? after all you went thru and lose your job while playing good, that is too much to bear.

you'd almost take any offer, likely from a losing team. cause only a losing team would make a "starter's money" offer. even though he knows that is likely a career slide, he has to do it.

if no one makes an offer for him to start.............

 

[TobyTyler]

I'd be less surpised if he came back as the starter than as a backup. Smith has trade value but I'm sure the 49ers would like to keep him. Every QB in the league is one play away from the IR. You gotta have two.

 

[dredinis21]

His trade value is not as much as you may think. When he is no longer the starter on a team while owed 7.5 mil the next season, why would a team trade for a player they could potentially get outright once the Niners release him. No way they keep an 8 mil dollar backup. I would love to see him back...just not as our starter and not at the money he is being given currently.

 

[TobyTyler]

His trade value is not as much as you may think. When he is no longer the starter on a team while owed 7.5 mil the next season, why would a team trade for a player they could potentially get outright once the Niners release him. No way they keep an 8 mil dollar backup. I would love to see him back...just not as our starter and not at the money he is being given currently.

Trade value was probably the wrong term. What I should have said was he has "value" to other teams. Who wouldn't want a guy who completes 70% of his passes, doesn't turn the ball over and has big game experience?

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I think he is a goner.

 

[Jikkle]

If he feels he can be a starter somewhere then I see him being gone.

But if you're going to be a backup anyways then why not do it here? Family is already here, still well liked in the locker room, and liked by the coaching staff.

 

[1911Alaska]

I wouldn't mind seeing him stay as a backup but if lap is starter next year it could be a big distraction with him being here. If kap has a bad game all the media will talk about will be of Alex should start or not. I like Alex and I don't think he is the type to create a distraction but I think the media will create one.

Personally I think he will end up on the chiefs, bills, eagles?, or maybe even the jets. Hell maybe evb the cowboys if they cut romo lol. I just don't wanna see him on the cardinals.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Staying here means he has no shot of being a starter. Surely he isn't that stupid. He will go elsewhere where he might have a better shot of winning the starting gig. Big problem for him is everyone and their momma knows he needs 2 fucking years to learn an offense. Who has that much patience when bringing in a new QB? Should be an interesting outcome.

 

[Bemular]

Leaving the 49ers would be career suicide for Smith. There just isn't a high demand for game managers who have peaked and whom come with a wide learning curve and the need for a nearly perfect situation within which to succeed.

He can make a nice career as a [our] back-up, but if some team honestly believes they can get more from Alex Smith than Harbaugh has, good for them I just hope they play in the NFC West.

 

[MHSL82]

I think he'll leave if he has a choice/chance to start. They'll release him, he'll look, sign elsewhere, or come back. If the team does not think it's a distraction and the money is right, they'll sign him up after he tests the waters. It's the only smart thing to do. I don't think he'll have trouble finding a backup gig if we don't.

Why people think he should just pack it in and give up is confusing to me. They wanted him to go back up Rivers after the 2010 season, he fought to comeback, and now he has a similar choice. If he resigns himself to being a backup and not fighting elsewhere, here's a great spot, but I see that he has some fight.

I understand the career suicide thing, but when you are going to be a backup here, what career are you killing? Again, this is only if he has a chance to start elsewhere. Let's say he does go elsewhere, what will he do to kill his chance at backing up? If he goes elsewhere and starts, what will he do to kill his chance to back someone up? He's a smart, prepared, loyal guy who has starter and playoff experience - maybe not for your starting job, but as a backup, who doesn't want that? I don't believe in him staying here, being a great backup, and then, someone going after him - why wait if you can try it now? If it fails, then come back or backup elsewhere. He's respectful, so I don't see us, unless it's a distraction, saying "you're not coming back because you looked elsewhere."

I think his agent will be more aggressive than this year, where everyone knew he was coming back (if no Peyton). His demands may be the same or lower, not higher, so that helps his employability. I wouldn't be surprised if the Niners wait until April 1st to cut him.

If he does leave and it does kill his career, he'll have exhausted his possibilities, and sure he could lose backup years, but he has the money and could go into coaching or something. I see no reason for him to try.

 

[NinerSickness]

No way Alex makes over 2 million as a backup QB in SF IMO. And he's not going to just take a pay cut to be the backup. The Niners will either cut him or trade him, and it's probably the former.

I'm hoping the backup to Kaep next year is Tyler Bray.

 

[threelittleturds]

Leaving the 49ers would be career suicide for Smith. There just isn't a high demand for game managers who have peaked and whom come with a wide learning curve and the need for a nearly perfect situation within which to succeed.

He can make a nice career as a [our] back-up, but if some team honestly believes they can get more from Alex Smith than Harbaugh has, good for them I just hope they play in the NFC West.

Hmmm, I don't think Smith is much of an upgrade from Kolb... but the Cardinals might give Smith a look next year if the 49ers end up cutting him.

 

[numone9er]

No way Alex makes over 2 million as a backup QB in SF IMO. And he's not going to just take a pay cut to be the backup. The Niners will either cut him or trade him, and it's probably the former.

I'm hoping the backup to Kaep next year is Tyler Bray.

And I'm still rooting for Landry Jones.

 

[MHSL82]

Hmmm, I don't think Smith is much of an upgrade from Kolb... but the Cardinals might give Smith a look next year if the 49ers end up cutting him.

I do, but I won't really argue with you. It's not important or that great of a disagreement. I know others will disagree with me, so be it. People have their legitimate reasons, but it's also popular to minimize Alex right now. I know Kolb hasn't had ideal circumstances, so I may be wrong. Oh well.

 

[NinerSickness]

And I'm still rooting for Landry Jones.

I'd be fine with him too. I wonder who's going to be drafted higher. Bray's personality might scare a lot of teams off. He just seems like a perfect buy-low, developmental pick who won't have to play for at least a year or two (maybe much longer).

Either way, the Niners need to draft a QB and trade / cut Alex IMO.

 

[maniax]

In the offseason when the 49ers were flirting with Peyton, Alex Smith didn't really garner a whole lot of free agent attention.

The Dolphins flew him out but they had already drafted Tannehill.

Plus he's 28/29 years old now. I don't really see any team out there willing to make him a starter, given his age and game manager tag. He's going to be a backup.

The fact that he's settled in the bay area with wife and kids makes me think there's a small chance he does come back.

 

[threelittleturds]

I do, but I won't really argue with you. It's not important or that great of a disagreement. I know others will disagree with me, so be it. People have their legitimate reasons, but it's also popular to minimize Alex right now. I know Kolb hasn't had ideal circumstances, so I may be wrong. Oh well.

I said that wrong, the Cardinals want a franchise QB and even though Smith isnt that, he is a better option than Kolb/Skelton. I meant that they want to upgrade to a franchise QB, and Smith isn't that big of an upgrade over Kolb in that department.

They might consider him to be a stopgap for some kid they draft.

 

[Kinzu]

It will depend on what happens to Roman. If Roman gets a head coaching job in the NFL I could see Alex following him. Alex would already know the offense Roman wants to run and be a good QB for a new team running it for the first couple of years.

Outside of that I don't see Alex getting a guaranteed starting job else where. The problem is everyone believes they have seen his best, and a big selling point to coaches is untapped potential. Alex will also be flagged for only being successful under Harbaugh.

I guess depending on the team if Gruden came back he may want to lure Alex away, but that would depend on the QB situation with the team he went to.

Alex would be seen as reliable veteran QB that could come cheap and fill in until the QB of the future was found.

I think he would ultimately decide to take a pay cut and stay with the 49ers though.

 

[RedneckNiner]

I think Alex will be laying down rubber as soon as the season is over. While I want Kaep to start, getting benched because of injury I think will be the straw that broke Alex's back. And when hes gone the Niners will get a back up to Kaep and move on.