SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the defense meeting room Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Alex Smith.
Q: Alex Smith is under contract, but what may be best for him might not be best for the team. How will you and Trent Baalke work that out with him? Has he earned the right to decide his future regardless of the contract here?
HARBAUGH: Has he earned the right to decide his own future regardless to being under contract?
Q: Do you feel personally…business aside…
HARBAUGH: I have great respect for Alex. I have a great personal friendship, togetherness with Alex. And the team, we feel great about our quarterback situation. Can’t have enough good quarterbacks.
Q: He has said he wants to be a starter somewhere. Obviously if you would like to keep him as a backup but he would like to be a starter, do you think the team would grant him his wish if he wanted to get released?
HARBAUGH: I don’t think any player has those wishes granted when they’re under contract. And everything is different. Every scenario is unique. Certainly something we’re not going to delve into and get into specifics at this point.
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trade him for Revis.
You’d be burying Smith six feet under. In more ways than one.
We’ll see how this Alex situation will play out. My major concern is with Justin Smith and his health. A healthy JS will cause more pressure on Flacco to where he doesn’t complete just a few more of his passes. Which in my opinion gives the win to the 9ers. Its obvious that JS is the most valuable player on the defense. He causes Aldon to play better (I think Aldon is good, who else got 19.5 sacks next to JS), he makes the secondary look better, and even the linebackers too. How many years does JS have playing at his level? 1 or 2, maybe he doesn’t after the surgery. The 9ers have to draft a middle clogging, pass rushing disrupter to replace JS. If they can do some amazing scouting and find that type of player then the secondary will fall back into form like they were playing while JS was healthy.
And don’t trade for Revis. Too expensive. Trade Alex for more picks so they can package some picks to move up to get the DT that can replace JS if they need too. Like I said, a disrupter close to the caliber of JS will make the secondary look a lot better without the price tag of a Revis.
I’m sure not sure I can see which team would be willing to give up any picks for him. I don’t think he’s valued high enough that the teams that need a QB will feel like they can’t get something similar if they miss out on him. Also knowing that he will be released further lessens any leverage that the team might have. I understand the conditional 6th but who, who would be willing to pretty much by default make Alex Smith their starter because if you trade and then pay you’re basically saying that?(Seattle being a recent exception)
If he gets traded it will be right away before any momentum builds towards any of the draft picks or before Vick’s name starts to get mentioned more, it’ll be when Alex has the most value and maybe the teams only real opportunity to recoup something from his departure.
So if I got this right, Harbaugh’s saying I have a great personal friendship with Alex, and no, I’m certainly not going to do him any favors.
As has become the usual case, I believe about half of what Harbaugh said. You can probably guess which half.
Yup, JH and Alex Smith have a golfer/caddie relationship.
Good luck getting back there next year. It will be more difficult. You cannot fock up this draft. Draft starters at the key positions. DE/OLB/CB/K
Oh I dunno, razor ..
I would probably add another position..
QB ..
That is .. if we are to believe the current mantra saying
“Alex is gone” …
Ok, so.. Alex leaves … Kaep is the man ..
So.. who backs him up ? … Tolzein ?
Is he ready ?
or .. (more importantly) ..is he good enough ?
Ok.. so .. let’s say, Tolzein is a lock at #2 …
So … who’s the #3 ?
Being thinking that myself…They can use one of the lower draft picks on a QB prospect…
F/A or low level drafting of a quarterback. They need to trade up for starters at those key positions.
The Niner front office is going to trade Alex Smith for the best possible pick or player by the deadline. There will be suitors. Unfortunately it will not be up to Alex Smith on his landing spot. JH probably will want to keep AS as a backup and pay him his 7.5 million, but the ultimate decision rests with Jed and Trent.
This sounds like Jim might actually keep Alex around to be the backup. That would be a very bad move for his locker room.
I think it sounds like Coach understands that it does the team no good to pee away its negotiating leverage prior to the start of negotiations.
a great personal friendship with Alex …
and yet Coach Harbaw chose to isolate himself for 10… or 15 minutes immediately after the Super Bowl.
The only visitors he received during that “cool down” period were his
mommy and daddy.
So if he tries to tell us about “personal” friendship
or any other kind of affinity for his players
(including Alex Smith) well…
the facts say something different.
Coach Harbaw thought it was more important to
nurse his “personal” grief rather than go in and encourage the team.
So much for togetherness, huh Coach?
”He was fantastic the entire season,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. ”The stage was not too big for him. He competed at the highest level and played extremely well. He showed a lot of poise, a lot of leadership the entire game. I can’t say enough, really. With Colin, it’s always just appropriate.
”He’s got the appropriate amount of competitive fire when you need competitive fire. He’s got the appropriate amount of happy and joy when it’s the right time to have that. He plays the game. You just really feel him playing the game, upset when it’s the right time to be upset. And he does that with his own personality. I really believe that’s the way people should play.”
Coming up 5 yards short in the Super Bowl will still haunt Kaepernick forever.
He added only a few more new details on the final, fourth-down play. He said he audibled to the corner fade to Michael Crabtree once Baltimore showed blitz.
Crabtree got tangled up with cornerback Jimmy Smith, and Harbaugh begged and pleaded with officials from the sideline for a flag that never came. Kaepernick remained testy and defiant when questioned about his decision.
”I’ll take Crab one-on-one with anybody,” he said, tersely.
A year after losing 20-17 in overtime in the NFC title game to the eventual champion New York Giants, one thing the 49ers no longer have to worry about is a long-term quarterback.
All of 25 years old, Kaepernick knows he has time to join Joe Montana and Steve Young as Super Bowl winners in San Francisco, which had been 5-0 in the NFL’s marquee game. Being the only quarterback in 49ers history to lose a Super Bowl is still something that will simmer no matter how many titles he wins.
”We had a good team,” Kaepernick said. ”We just weren’t quite there.”
Speaking of Colin Kaepernick, Coach Harbaw had this to say:
”He was fantastic the entire season. He showed a lot of poise
With Colin, it’s always just appropriate.
”He’s got the appropriate amount of competitive fire when you need competitive fire.
“He’s got the appropriate amount of happy and joy when it’s the right time to have that.
“He gets upset when it’s the right time to be upset.
And he does that with his own personality. I really believe that’s the way people should play.”
Is this Coach Jim Harbaw…
defining “poised and appropriate” for us?
Are you serious?
Coming up 5 yards short in the Super Bowl will still haunt Kaepernick forever.
He added only a few more new details on the final, fourth-down play. He said he audibled to the corner fade to Michael Crabtree once Baltimore showed blitz.
Crabtree got tangled up with cornerback Jimmy Smith, and Harbaugh begged and pleaded with officials from the sideline for a flag that never came. Kaepernick remained testy and defiant when questioned about his decision.
”I’ll take Crab one-on-one with anybody,” he said, tersely.
A year after losing 20-17 in overtime in the NFC title game to the eventual champion New York Giants, one thing the 49ers no longer have to worry about is a long-term quarterback.
All of 25 years old, Kaepernick knows he has time to join Joe Montana and Steve Young as Super Bowl winners in San Francisco, which had been 5-0 in the NFL’s marquee game. Being the only quarterback in 49ers history to lose a Super Bowl is still something that will simmer no matter how many titles he wins.
”We had a good team,” Kaepernick said. ”We just weren’t quite there.”
With Colin, it’s always just appropriate, sez Coach Jim Harbaw.
Does that include the tie and loss to the Rams?
As well as the 42 to 13 loss to Seattle?
“always appropriate”….? are you sure?
“He’s got the appropriate amount of happy and joy when it’s the right time to have that.”
Coach (they teach this stuff at Stanford): it is called parallel structure.
“happiness and joy” (two nouns, okay?)
Can we get a comment from anyone else in the Harbaugh family on this; when is it ever possible to define or quantify “the right amount” of
happiness and joy? Why was it okay for Jim to complain about the refs and rain on his brother John’s parade as the winning coach?
Did it have something to do with this “right amount” business?
Would it have been somehow possible for John to do “too much” celebrating? Evidently so. John and the family had to make allowances, had to leave room for the pissing and moaning of the losing coach….
just because he was part of the family?
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT … ????
“He gets upset when it’s the right time to be upset.
And he does that with his own personality. I really believe that’s the way people should play.”
Is this Coach Jim Harbaw…
defining “poised and appropriate” for us?
Are you serious?
Coming up 5 yards short in the Super Bowl will still haunt Kaepernick forever.
Coach Harbaw sez: “He gets upset when it’s the right time to be upset.”
The media tells us that Kaep remained testy and defiant and terse.
If you go into a barber shop, you will get a haircut. (translation:
If you play for Coach Jim Harbaw, you will become like him.)
Coming up 5 yards short in the Super Bowl will still haunt Kaepernick forever. Note to Colin: ask Mr. Harbaw about his days in San Diego. Ask him if anything besides football makes him feel haunted.
It is in the best interest of the team to bring Alex Smith back next year. Quarterback is the most important position on an NFL team, and Scott Tolzien is the #3 guy for a reason.
That’s a bit to cut and dry Jack. At what cost is it worth bringing him back? At what point is it truly worth to handicap our ability to fill other needs to have a starter quality back up quarter back?
I’d only be willing to keep him at veteran back up money which is what, $4 million a year? I’m certain he can get more then that to truly compete or even be given the job on another team.
Four is probably even a bit high for what most veteran back ups get.
Ok four is way to high.
The 49ers QB’s are paid relatively low compared to most franchises. Bringing him back at $4m only saves you $4m anyway.
By moving on from Akers the team will save around $3m, so replace Akers and keep the most important position on your team as strong and deep as possible.
And what happens when he scoffs at taking a pay cut? The only way he would be back is if they payed him his full salary, and it would still be against his wishes. He doesn’t want to be a backup, he won’t be the starter here and he makes too much money for a backup QB. It’s not even an option.
BigP,
Smith has proven to be a good soldier during his time here. He might be ticked, but he would still show up.
Jack,
I don’t think he would and I don’t think anybody would respect him if he did. His time here is over and he and the team know it. He can be a starter somewhere, so he won’t accept a pay cut. He makes too much money for a backup QB and this team has a lot of things to take care of this off-season. It’s time for him to move on, and he deserves the opportunity to that. That being said, the team doesn’t owe him his release, he is under contract. The Niners payed him more than anybody else was willing to last offseason and he signed the three year deal. That’s on him, especially after the Manning evaluation. It would be nice to have a quality backup, but I just don’t see it working out with Smith returning.
How can this team afford to keep Alex? We have FA to sign and need to fill gaps. They are going to need to lose Alex and Akers to free up some money. Alex wants to be a starter, not a backup. Its a calculated risk, but I say try and trade him and some picks or a key player.
oops meant to say trade him to get some picks or a key player.
Good scenario for the team, bad one for AS. Given the fact that CK is emerging as a franchise QB, I see no opportunity for AS to ever get on the field again.
And can AS trust Harbaugh with his future going forward?
I don’t see AS taking the 7.5 mil to be a backup when he knows he is starter material. Also, if AS does decide to come back at 7.5 mil he would be making more than CK. This kind of scenario has the makings of a house of cards that could fall at any moment.
If AS has his best interest in mind (I believe he does) he will move on and continue his career elsewhere. And the 49ers should do nothing to stop him.
I wouldn’t sell Tolzien too short….Jim saw something in him. If this team lets Smith go, which i think they will. He simply commands too much for a back up. I think they need to improve the rest of the team. I wouldnt be surprised if Tolzien moved up to #2.