Posted By: G Man (09/09/2008 10:14:36 AM)
Comment: When was Ryan Leaf declared a bust, when he was 24 yrs old? Good Luck to Alex Smith with his shoulder and future new team. Too bad there was an injury, it would have been better if they just released him.. Then Nolan won't have the distraction of how he mishandled a young QBs career. Alex is in good shape financially at least to ride this out until he can get healthy and have another opportunity like JTO (8). This is what happens to young talented QBs going to really bad team with bad management.. Tom Brady would have not done better given the last 3 years. Well, maybe in 2006...

Posted By: Badnews (08/09/2008 3:04:59 PM)
Comment: Awesome article on Larry Allen!!! Thanks for posting the link Matt. Larry Allen was never one of my favorite players (I guess b/c he played for Dallas) but now I appreciate him a whole lot more.

Posted By: itsmechris (08/09/2008 10:17:32 AM)
Comment: When I heard this news, all I could think of was what could have been...sigh. I remember how stoked I was that the 49ers had the #1 pick after an atrocious season. Now, I suppose we'll see him ranked maybe #2 on the biggest busts ever, right behind Ryan Leaf of course. Too bad, I would have loved it to work out better. Now, in many ways we are back at square 1, with 2 QB's that nobody else wanted. Seeing Matt Ryan's highlights, I got huge Qb envy yesterday! Good luck Alex Smith, I was always behind you.

Posted By: Darren11 (07/09/2008 7:27:16 PM)
Comment: Start Alex Smith in 09 and cut JT. Thanks.

Posted By: 49er fan (07/09/2008 7:14:35 PM)
Comment: Amazing that such a consistently bad quarterback can attracted such spirited defenders. It's best for him and the team that he go. I'm not saying O'Sullivan is the answer but: 1) the coaches say he gives the team a better chance to win; and 2) He deserves the same support a lot of fans (like myself) gave AS when he started. I believed then. Things change.

Posted By: sscl (07/09/2008 12:45:19 PM)
Comment: Be intresting to see when Alex sues the niners for mediacl malpractise if he can bring up the Yorks hiring a D coach who knew nothing about offense and a OL coach who for 3 years had the combined the worst unit in football and still retained him. Why? To show that iteh incompetence started form the top and that the medical people were probably hired because they came cheap-Mr Yorks obsession.

Posted By: Nevyn (07/09/2008 11:40:05 AM)
Comment: I'm sorry Matt, but I never agreed with your idea of releasing smith. JTO may have won the job, but is no sure thing. Hill is in the middle of having his whole game made over and looks awful. And this coaching staff needed as many bullets in the QB gun as possible to try and eek out a winning record. You don't dump someone for 800000 in cap room you dont need instead. It also may not have been the best thing for Smith. By that point in training camp, he would have had a hard time getting anyone to take him on, and certainly getting playing time or even practice reps. Practicing as the backup, and maybe getting a shot to start this year was better for him. Of course, this is all moot now.

Posted By: Max from BayArea (07/09/2008 10:56:24 AM)
Comment: So I googled "ESPN Alex Smith" to try to find more news about his MRI. Clicked on first link. What I found under "Player News" is ESPN quoting PD quoting ESPN. LOL [quote] News: An MRI examination on Saturday showed that a piece of bone was broken off in Smith's shoulder in the area of his surgery from December, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. Spin: Smith remains doubtful for Week 1 and a timetable for his return has yet to come out. Speculation has begun to surface that Smith may never throw another pass in a 49ers uniform. [unquote]. This is how rumors spread. "Smith may never throw another pass.....".

Posted By: Kelseyville9er (07/09/2008 10:47:11 AM)
Comment: If J.T.O. does well, he's the Qb of the future. Hill looks to be the Back-up of the future. Therefore, any QB we draft will be a late round pick and deemed QB project. Now...if Martz leaves, J.T.O. will follow, so the 49ers better start stocking up on QB's (like T.B.). Would trading for John Beck right now be such a bad idea? If J.T.O. leaves, would trading for Derek Anderson be such a bad idea?

Posted By: Quarterback Guru (07/09/2008 10:39:44 AM)
Comment: Mr. Matt...Can you put on your GM hat for a second...Say Smith goes on IR, who becomes #3? Does the future call for a QB to be drafted in '09? A trade? If so, who? Veteren signed to be #3? What happens now?

Posted By: Graham (07/09/2008 10:37:11 AM)
Comment: If the coaches genuinely believe Smith is better than Hill, why give up the better backup? I see how releasing Smith would be the best move for Alex Smith, that's absolutely clear. I don't know that it's the best move for the 49ers, though. Also, doesn't Alex Smith's re-injury underline the wisdom of keeping three QB's on the roster?

Posted By: Realfan49 (07/09/2008 10:21:13 AM)
Comment: I am convinced that if Roger hadn't fraudulently taken one of our draft picks we would have drafted Colt Brennan. Morgan in the 5th, Brennan in the 6th. The commish is a total tool.

Response: Actually . . . Brennan was coached by the 49ers' staff (including Mike Martz) at the Senior Bowl. They were not at all impressed. It's doubtful the 49ers would've taken him at any point in the draft. --Matt M.

Posted By: Realfan49 (07/09/2008 10:18:37 AM)
Comment: Never quite followed the logic that said cut Smith after loosing the TC battle. By the same measure I guess we should cut Morgan, Goldson, & Baas.

Response: If Morgan, Goldson and Baas were No. 1 overall picks and were beaten out by people who have been around the league for seven years and never started previously, and there was another player on their roster that outplayed those guys during training camp, and Morgan, Goldson and Baas were scheduled to make $2.3 million in base salary this season AND the GM said that they would not return to the team in 2009, then, yes, they should've been released, too. --Matt M.

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (07/09/2008 9:35:56 AM)
Comment: Sorry to hear about Smith, but I really wonder when his reinjury occured. I suspect it was earlier in training camp as his accuracy and strength just seemed worse then previous. Smith may never realize the potential he had in the NFL, but at least he is financially set for life (at a very young age). Before everyone starts crying for Smith, let's not forget about Montana and his back and elbow injuries, Young and his concussions, etc. It is the nature of the game and the qb position to get hurt. After all, isn't the hard hitting one of the exciting things about football? Go JTO, Go Niners!

Posted By: Razoreater (07/09/2008 9:28:42 AM)
Comment: Suffice it to say we'll be drafting another QB next year and I hope Dr. Martz is the guy doing the choosing and grooming.

Posted By: P from SF (07/09/2008 9:22:02 AM)
Comment: O man, Good Luck Alex, get better man, I'll check in with you wherever you end up dude. Can't feel too sorry for him, he makes 50 times more than you do. Anyways, let's bring Culpepper out of retirement man and let him play number 2, get him up to speed, let him challenge JTO for a start. Keep him on for 3 years, let him finish out his career here, get a young guy for the future (Brady Quinn) with a smaller salary and let them show and prove. This is a win-win, if JTO fails this season, we have Dante to look forward to in 09 along with Quinn getting acclimated with our system (hoping it stays consistent). And Hill at number 3. If JTO does well, we still have Dante, who will be even more versed in the offense and then we can still grab Quinn and re-evaluate Shaun hill.

Posted By: Wilson (07/09/2008 9:04:24 AM)
Comment: I've been posting for weeks now that Smith's lack of accuracy is something new for him and related to his shoulder surgery. He was a very precise passer before his injury. So while Smith kept saying that his shoulder was fine except for a little trouble with the long ball, he was sucking it up so as not to be seen as a whiner. I'm not at all surprised at the MRI results. It's hard to see somebody given $25M or so as a tragic case, but it's sad to see this nice young man give it everything he had only to be held in contempt by the public and a brain-dead coach. What happens now? We'll see what the orthopedists say. My guess is that Alex will eventually get his mechanics back and regain his accuracy. He showed some signs of quicker decision making this year and that will improve with time. Unless he make a miracle recovery this year, he probably won't play for the 49ers again but will be a starter somewhere else. He will never be a prototypical Martz quarterback.

Posted By: Max from BayArea (07/09/2008 9:01:15 AM)
Comment: Unlike all the rocking chair QBs, I will wait for Smith's surgeon's comments. Of course, Lowell Cohn would be the first one to spread the doom and gloom before any physical exams are done to Smith's shoulder, and parroted comments from a phone in (ahem, nameless) doc. LOL.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (07/09/2008 7:42:34 AM)
Comment: Can we stop the bleeding heart b/s for Smith? The NFL is a violent place and life is not fair. Smith is a multi millionare for never delviering anything. If Smith is a poster child it is for why the rookie pay system has to change. If we would not have had to pay this chump so much money up front we would have kept drafting QB's and not have been pryaing Smith would pan out every year for three years. Remember this is a business, not a love fest.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (07/09/2008 7:37:58 AM)
Comment: Thanks for the LA piece. What an amazing story, I had no idea of all those details. I hope he has a fantastic retirment as it appears well deserved. LA, thank you for your stay here in SF.

Posted By: Pete in New Hampshire (07/09/2008 7:32:55 AM)
Comment: Although I think Smith is toast, I must admit thinking the same of Joe Montana in the late '80's -- 2 Superbowls later, boy was I wrong. But this seems more like that kid they had in Cincy way back when when Walsh was the offensive coordinator, all the talent in the world, and then a bum shoulder, career over. Alex Smith hasn't shown a shred of Montana's fire, so that's why my guess is he's toast. And yes, all you Nolan apologists, I will always say Nolan ruined this kid's career.

Posted By: jgwindsor (07/09/2008 7:24:41 AM)
Comment: do the niners bring wright back or get that sabercats guy? There must be some real anxiety pangs going thpough the management team...management will probably have to watch the game on tape because they will be working the phones etc to find a third QB

Posted By: Vienners (07/09/2008 7:21:49 AM)
Comment: If the MRI results are indeed true and Alex Smith is clearly injured, then I feel really stupid blaming Alex Smith for pulling a stunt to get out of the team early.

Posted By: jgwindsor (07/09/2008 7:17:27 AM)
Comment: what other QB's can the niners bring in that will have the attributes martz needs for his offense and can pick it up....culpepper, why would he want to to come to SF? appears to me that now will have to give smith all the money that is coming to him since it is an injury team activities to a goodly degree is responsible for its occurance.

Posted By: Quarterback Guru (07/09/2008 7:16:31 AM)
Comment: Good Morning 49er Faithful...This Smith thing makes me wonder, Pro athletes and their team(s) get the best medical advice / attention. One would think that both Smith & 49ers received at least 1 medical opinion that Smith may never be the same, add to that the fact that Smith never looked really sharp in OTA's, minicamp and then training camp. It's my opinion that because of all this (minus training camp) the 49ers should have at least drafted a QB. The 49ers pick up LB's like crazy, knowing Smith's situation they should have also picked up a QB, and definitely cut ties before the end of traing camp. Be proactive not reactive. Now Smith gets paid and the 49ers take a big cap hit next year. All this begs the question...are the GM and HC listening to expert advice? Here we are in a lose-lose situation. No Smith, big money paid out. Had the 49ers have drafted a QB, I think they would have been more inclined to cut Smith rather then hang on to him. "McNolan" as they say really dropped the ball on this one. At least we got another LB :)

Posted By: jgwindsor (07/09/2008 7:09:39 AM)
Comment: and there it is a broken piece of bone in his shoulder....and the othepedic future glimpse....such an unfortunate train wreck

Posted By: Taney (07/09/2008 6:28:27 AM)
Comment: I think Nolan made every bad decision in Smith's career. From starting him too early to keep playing him last year. Nolan should personally look Smith in the eyes and say he is responsible for a lot that went wrong in San Fran.

Posted By: CK (07/09/2008 5:21:43 AM)
Comment: Talk about having a black cloud over your head. Does anyone know any place online that you can watch the niners game today? The justintv site is shut down...

Posted By: Cleveland Mike (07/09/2008 5:13:26 AM)
Comment: Matt-If indeed more surgery is required for Smith it's a sad day. Several years ago the Browns drafted Tim Couch. The surgeries did him in and he retired after 5 seasons. He too was the Number One pick in his draft class. I was hoping Smith would win the qb battle but it's really a non issue at this point. Let's just hope he can get healthy and have a meaningful football career if he wants one. After all he is part of the 49ers family and no one deserves this type of bad luck. Yes, he has the money but he has his pride too.

Posted By: Ryan (07/09/2008 4:35:49 AM)
Comment: Smith looked so awkward at times in the pre-season and his accuracy (even for him) was so horrible you almost had a feeling *something* was wrong. Here's hoping JT O'Sullivan lights up Candlestick today and Alex Smith becomes an afterthought. These fans are so starved for decent QB play they deserve something special. Win or lose, JTO seems more entertaining to watch than Smith.

Posted By: grafe (07/09/2008 4:07:54 AM)
Comment: since he has a broken bone in his shoulder does this mean he could be missing the season? is there anyone the 49ers could sign to take his place if so?

Posted By: drsgrosse (07/09/2008 2:53:43 AM)
Comment: this reminds me of the time when Walsh traded DeBerg to solidify Montana's status with the team. Not that I expect the results to be the same (wouldn't that be nice), but it is time to end this story and move on. We have a #2 QB in Hill. We know he'll play well if called upon. With Smith, there would always be a big question mark. IR him or cut him and let's get on with the season.

Posted By: mikeeee uk (07/09/2008 2:40:39 AM)
Comment: Game Over for Smith! i have never really been convinced that he had the stuff to make a winning team Nolan made a mistake and rushed into drafting a QB for the team we had tim rattey should have been allowed to marshall the troops and then draft a Qb lower or the next year that team was never going to win anyway smiths intangibles where always questionable from college for the pro game now hes is injury maybe for good and its goodnight vienna Nolan must be relieved

Posted By: S2P (07/09/2008 1:11:24 AM)
Comment: MATT, 1) What effect does Smith being "injured" or placed on IR the rest of the year have on the Niners cap? 2) Does Smith get an injury settlement? 3)Can Smith be cut now or does going on the IR prevent that?

Posted By: Global Nomad (07/09/2008 1:00:07 AM)
Comment: Hey Matt, thanks for that anecdote on Larry Allen. It was a good chuckle before bed. Have fun at the game tomorrow!

Posted By: brian (07/09/2008 12:08:15 AM)
Comment: question for you matt, suppose the niners do well this year do you believe Nolan could be let go and Martz promoted to HC?

Posted By: Slim (06/09/2008 11:24:06 PM)
Comment: Matt, I love you like a brother, but this info is just coming out now?!?! A bone chip in his shoulder? How could the Niners release him 8 weeks ago if the bone chip just came out now? Obviously they hope/want him to become a starter. That is not a surprise. But a shoulder never being the same' is diff. Now, this from a Morty who doesn't know ish about ish, but that is beside the point. No point in cutting Alex 8 weeks ago when things weren't clear when we have sooo much cap room. If he doesn't fit our plans, then cut him after this season and move on. It is worst case scenario to cut him, but don't pretend like we didn't give him the best chance we could (not our fault 2 o-coordinators becoming head coaches). We can win without him, as we can with him.

Posted By: Old Guy (06/09/2008 10:58:06 PM)
Comment: You really have to feel for Alex. (As much as you can feel sorry for a multi-millionaire, that is.) He's had just about every break go against him since being drafted and now this. I hope his shoulder recovers to the point that he can play QB effectively again. I really do. But I don't see that happening with the 49ers.