Excuse the wonderment here, but the 49ers find themselves in the exact same uncomfortable position that AZ was a a scant few days ago. And that was the distict possibility that they could lose their nominal starting QB Kevin Kolb, AND lose out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. Well, in a few short days, Kolb re-signed with AZ, and Peyton is knocking on our door. For good, bad, or indifferent, the Niners could very well lose Alex Smith AND fall out of the Manning race.
And, yes there are some that wouldn’t be too sad about that. Until you look at the fact that the alternative is someone like Josh Johnson (unproven), Matt Hasselhof (decomposing), or even Matt Flynn (unproven as well). There are others who say whoever the starter is, Jim Harbaugh will wave his majic QB wand and produce another winning starter a la the job he did with Alex last year. Given the fact the Harbaugh set the bar impossibly high after one short year, Manning would have 2 years tops to produce a Super Bowl win for it to be considered a good move. Even if the status quo holds out, the bar is set to improve on last season. Which again means Super Bowl or bust. Heady stuff, yes, but QB roulette at this point is a very dicey game to be playing when Harbaugh has preached team team team since he arrived.
At this point, losing out on both Smith and Manning would be a fatal mistake. I’m not sold by any means on Manning being the missing piece to take the Niners to the championship (he may not be healthy or STAY healthy to play), and Smith did his part in spades to get the Niners close, but I’m good and goddamn sure that fricking Hasselhof ain’t the guy. Neither is Johnson. Both those moves would be strictly placeholders until Cappy Kaepernick is ready to go. Flynn? Who knows? And in Hasselbeck’s case, Cappy would be starting by week 6. In other words, without either Smith or Manning, the Niners definitely regress. Sure, they’ll likely make the playoffs, but again, that ain’t the goal going forward. The goal is Super Bowl XLVII. Anything short is failure. I don’t think Hasselhof/JJ or even Flynn get the Niners all the way. They screw up this QB search, and this season is likely a back-pedal.
Forty Niners Forever 
Packers Again on the road? If I didn’t know better I’d be thinking we are STILL paying for Eddie’s sins…and for our gall in winning 5 SuperBowls
BTW WordPress forcing me to log in there to post here…
It is a scary scenario at this moment knowing your starter is “Capt Cappy” and your backup “Beam me up Scotty Tolzien are the only signed QB’S on the roster and neither have thrown a pass in an NFL game…Yikes!
Harbaugh will work wonders!
Cappy got in a few passes last year . . . 6?
He’s a vet!
From Mike Sando;s ESPN NFC WEST Blog:
“We should not underestimate this organization. York has led a successful push for a new stadium. He went against convention when hiring Trent Baalke as his general manager, with better-than-expected results (think NaVorro Bowman, Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner, paying Ray McDonald instead of Aubrayo Franklin). The organization secured Jim Harbaugh as head coach when Harbaugh was the hottest and, it turns out, best candidate.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/61159/manning-and-49ers-championship-window
Sando thinks Smith will swallow his pride/disappointment and be fine if he stays
There’s damage already- players now know that Harbaugh’s word is worthless. Cohn has tried to portray it as just cold- like Walsh. But I’m unaware of Walsh going anywhere close as Harbaugh has to feign friendship with a player as he goes behind his back to replace him. Walsh was cold- but he was no liar…
How do we know Smith didn’t know all along, or that Harbaugh wasn’t up front about it from the time they went after Manning, whenever the hell that was? He and Manning have the same agent. THAT is a head scratcher to me, how an agent can provide proper service to two QBs after the same job…
Smith is said to be considering changing agents, which certainly suggests he wasn’t “in on” it…dedfinitely looking like a tag team gang bang..
Be that as it may, the Niners are going to sign Smith if they don’t get Manning. Cold-blooded of Harbaugh? Sure. But hey, it IS Manning. Smith is a big boy. He’ll be fine once OTAs roll around. Football in the end is a business. Players go through this all the time. From stars to also-rans. If Montana can get dicked around, anyone can . . .
No comparisoin, Chuclkles, As Poole said:” Does Harbaugh want to put his integrity on the line? That’s what he’d do if Manning signs with San Francisco. The implicit message to everyone in the locker room: Watch what I do, not what I say.”
Sorry, pal… Harbaugh has proven to be a liar, big diff between that and a cold tough businessman,..
“But hey, it IS Manning” Haven’t you done a 180 on Manning? Here’s the bottom line:
“Smith is a healthy, ascending quarterback, while the 36-year-old Manning is an injured, descending player.”
And now Alex is said to be considering changing agents,…and the offer from the Niners is said to be 3 years at 8 million a year. He should spit in Harbaugh’s face over that.
Alex can take a dump in my horse’s barn for all I care — Did we sign Peyton Manning yet?
I detect a difference of opinion between you two.
Listen to me my friends. I know I’m losing you by minute…so if this only reaches Berger, Rob and my best friend, Frank. Hear me and hear me good:
It’s Peyton Fucking Manning. Nuff ‘Said.
Where is Rob these days?
Ok, time for Dennis Hussein Abd-Smith, and the Grumpster, ta-ta.
So many admirers! How does one man do it?
A healthy Alex Smith or a healthy Peyton Manning for next year?
If you answer that question wrongly, may your first born child, be a manly child, and may that child get run over by a bus.
Twin is never wrong!
“Smith is a healthy, ascending quarterback, while the 36-year-old Manning is an injured, descending player.”
Manning is eligible for permanent disability, he will never be healthy.
Who you voting for this election year?
Me? I got my money on the Mayans.
Might as well, Sarah is SO finished now.
Ah, now children are mangled beneath the wheels of a city vehicle. Death Threat is back…
I thought we had an agreement, no more “Death Threat” nomenclatures.
It’s getting old. And believe me, I play nice, but when push comes to shove, my horses shove.
Your children “joke” demanded the return of the Death Threat moniker. And that sounds like a personal threat , DTD. That would be a bad idea.
Peyton Manning or Alex Smith?
For the love of Christ, I should be drawn and quartered for asking that question.
You should be drawn and quartered for the child “joke”…
Child “joke?” You should be drawn and quartered for NOT being funny.
That was no child… you’d better see where Frank is.
Zeke! Bad boy! I’ve told you not to eat strange cats. You never know where they’ve been…
TF, I guess we have a difference of opinion when it comes to humor.
I can that accept that fact.. So could we also accept dropping the name calling?
Name calling? Death Threat is descriptive. So no- you discontinue your constant, tiresome, annoying, stupid, Smith hatred and we’ll talk..
I would love to join the pie fight breaking out around here but it seems my ‘puter be hijacked by WordPress.
Lemme try agin…
So… Smith is good but a victim
Manning is bad but also useless
Harbaugh is bad and has faulty morals
Dennis bad but funny
Anything else going on around here?
Flynn threw for 6 TD’s in a game that was either a throw away game at the end of the season or Rodgers was hurt. Not even Farve did that. Might be worth a look.
Sure if we don’t get Manning and Smith bolts to Seattle or sumptin’ Flynn might work
Flynn is 99% to Miami.
Way I heard it at Skeeb’s blog is that supposedly Manning called the 9ers and asked if we are possibly interested in his services. If so what is coach and GM supposed to do? Tell him to buzz off without a look see? Forget about possibly upgrading the team?
What? Our guys are covering all the bases. This is bad?
Huh?
If Manning called us it was because the Niners let it be known that they would be interested if he showed he was interested- double sneaky.,..
“Tell him to buzz off without a look see?” Actually, yes, that is exactly what you do when you’ve claimed you’re *not* interested and said your caddy is the man…
That is conjecture.
So Harbaugh did strike one deal with Alex.Since Smith caddied for Harbaugh at the ATT Pebble Beach pro-am.He said he would do the same for Alex in next years event.Twin think he will renege now?
See Poole’s comment. So, yes.,
Irish, that was a rest game for Rodgers. Flynn did that vs Detroit.
The offer to Smith is his best option until and unless someone steps up and offers him something better. You don’t pay him MORE money than that if you don’t think any other team would even match what you’re offering. I’ve got no problem at all with them offering him 3years/8 mil a year. It’s only a *slap in the face* if another team comes in and blows that out of the water. Until that happens it’s “hit me baby one more time with those 3 years/24 mil”….
Personally, I think most teams are leery of committing to Smith because of the *Harbaugh factor*– minus JH, other teams aren’t as interested, in my opinion.
If the Niners are, in fact, using Manning to gain leverage on Smith then more power to them if it works. This is business, not romper room. And if Smith can get a better deal than the Niners offered him and the money is that big of a thing for him then he should take that deal. I don’t think he does though, he knows who butters his bread. He doesn’t want to QB anywhere that JH isn’t………
I don’t doubt for a minute that teams are giving Harbaugh more credit than is warranted for Smith’s good year. And,again as Poole correctly notes “,Does Harbaugh want to put his integrity on the line? That’s what he’d do if Manning signs with San Francisco. The implicit message to everyone in the locker room: Watch what I do, not what I say.” It’s not romper room, but even in the NFL, a man’s word is valued by those with integrity…
And from Sando:
“Smith went 13-3 as the 49ers’ starter last season, won a playoff game, knows the offense, fits with the coaching staff and has earned the respect of teammates. But if the 49ers are going to consider other options, why shouldn’t Smith do the same?
The answer depends to some degree on if Smith feels comfortable with what the 49ers have told him privately. Does he still trust them?
If not, a free-agent trip to, say, Seattle would get the 49ers’ attention. How would the 49ers respond if Smith appeared close to signing elsewhere? Would they continue to wait on Manning if they weren’t sure about getting him?”
Their litrtle flirtation with Manning is not without risk to them, you know…
And I absolutely support Smith if he looks around, whether it’s a trip to Seattle to re-gain a little leverage on the Niners or because he wants to move on. Again, he’s got to have another team make an offer for there to actually be *competition* for him……
Just heard on the news Smith is looking to change agents
And I don’t think Seattle would ever commit 3 years/24 mil to Smith. Carroll and JH are enemies, how would it look if Seattle signed him away and he turned back into the *old Alex*? I’m not saying it would happen, I just don’t think it’s a risk Carroll wants to take, especially with the theoretical possibility out there that JH *made* Smith this year. Carroll could look awfully stupid holding a 24 million dollar bag if Smith slipped back to pre-JH play…….
Craig’s right in the sense that if Harbaugh was lying about everything he said about Alex, the offer was a fair one..
it doesn’t matter what JH said about Smith. Teams have their own evaluation systems, they don’t just look at what the head coach has to say about him. Again, if Alex has a better offers to weigh out there, more power to him.
Harbaugh would have virtually all the say in what Smith would be offered. Remember: Alex is nothing except for Harbaugh.
I’m talking about how other TEAMS evaluate Smith. They don’t give a shit what JH says about Smith, unless they’re simpletons and don’t have their own evaluation metrics…….
Yeah, I noted that awhile ago. It certainly suggests he wasn’t in on the charade..
I’ve said it a bunch of times. Seattle has shit at QB. I’m very surprised they aren’t all over this. Even if they don’t think Smith gets all the credit, 3/24 is chickenfeed for a starting QB, and Whitehead/TJ don’t cut shit. And Henne? Right. If I’m McCloughan, I get Smith. But there is the fact Scotty has seen Alex at his not-so-best.
Whitehurst is out, back to San Diego
If McCloughan knows the game, he knows Alex has always been a good QB trapped in QB hell until this year..even now- they’d probably have won the Super Bowl if Harbaugh hadn’t inexplicacbly gone conservative in the NY game.
the reason they don’t get Smith is the obvious one that I already noted. Carroll doesn’t want to get caught holding a 24 million dollar bag of *Smith* if it doesn’t work out. He’s a stud for JH and then reverts to shit for PC? PC ain’t gonna risk that……..
What’s their alternative? TJ? Henne? Please. 24 mill is nothing for a starting QB. The Giants just signed their fucking punter to a 5/13 deal.
You’re arguing with yourself, I haven’t said Smith will go there, Chuckles is in on that more than I am. But anyway, as I pointed out before, they shouldn’t have offered him anyrhing. There were FORTY FA QBs available, I’m sure Harbaugh can turn at least one of them into Alex II for nothing…
Chuck, you’re still not getting this. Carroll and Harbaugh hate each other. Forget the $. You think Carroll would risk signing Smith to a multi year deal and then the naysayers turn out to be right and Smith caves without his precious Harbaugh by his side? It would make him look incompetent at best and less than Harbaugh at worst (which is worse than incompetent in PC’s eyes)…….
I get it, Flav. But there’s the possibility that Smith HELPS Seattle, and hurts the Niners in the process. IOW, Carroll beats Harbaugh with his old QB. The possibility exists that the Niners don’t get Manning and they lose Smith. Going with Cappy, I think Carroll would like his chances going forward with Alex Smith as his QB.
I mean, Seattle signed fucking Kentwan Balmer for God’s’sake.
Why are you worried about Kappy, Chuck? If Jim can make Alex serviceable, Kappy should be a piece of cake.
I don]t quite have that blind faith. Although I do have a friend in Reno that saw a ton of his games and said the guy is a stud player. I’d rather not see him thrown into the mix this early though.
THe Giants defense had something to do with that, Twin.
Yes, *something*. But besides the botched punts, the decision to run twice on 2 and 4 with Dixon was a key and curious decision. That was nearly as fatal as the punt returns. They were at midfield, leading, and as you noted yourself, even if he decides to run, using Dixon on his first two runs of the game was odd and Wrongo…
My overarching point is, Smith would be better than what Seattle currently has. Is it a risk? Sure. Look at AZ and Kolb. That was a colossal fuckup that they just dumped more money on. The money for Smith would be pocket change. The risk is low. Flynn is more than likely going to Miami. Hasselhof won’t go back. Henne? Bleeeh. If anything, I’d think it would be Scotty steering them away from Smith, But if they go forward with TJ, they’ll go 7-9 again.
They have no one in their pipeline as a future QB. UDFA Portis? Nah.