Well, so much for the Payton Manning scenario. Reports are out that Manning is heading to Denver. On the other hand, Alex Smith spent 5.5 hours in Miami talking to the Dolphins. I wonder what their offer was, but since Smith didn’t sign anything there, chances are, he’s coming back to the safety of the 49ers. Say what you will about Alex Smith, but he ceratinly has had an interesting NFL career to say the least. Among the myriad coaches and coordinators he’s slogged through, the expectations of being the franchise savior, and the whipping boy for huge rookie contracts, here we have another strange scenario where the team and caoches were all behind him to re-sign with the team until they weren’t. Whether Smith’s feelings are hurt is really beside the point, as the team felt a run at Manning was warranted. Has the rift become too deep to enable Smith to return?
No.
Smith’s best option is still here. Since the team would be better served in getting him back, they should up their deal a bit. In good faith and all that. 3/27, 12 guaranteed?
In other words, he should get a better deal than Matt Flynn did (3/26).
Forty Niners Forever 
I think it ended up coming down to the fact that Denver is in the weakest division in the NFL. Denver doesn’t play the Giants (as the Niners do), they don’t play the Colts (as Tenn does), and he now plays in a division that is hands-down the worst. Say what you will about the NFC West, but the Niners, AZ, and Seattle all have punishing defenses that would be coming after him relenlessly.
Well, not the Niners D of course . . . too early, need coffee.
Didn’t think this would happe so fast. Wonder what Smith is thinking now.
IMO Alex now has control over the Niners on what he will be asking for. If he goes too high he could screw himself out of a year in football. Chuck I think if the Niners do make that offer, Alex counter offer goes just a little higher. Harbaugh MUST reach out to him. Since Harbaugh was in his ear since the playoffs end saying Alex was The MAN.
Well, I don’t think Smith has a ton of leverage. He’s not really being courted heavilly. Everyone is pretty much set at QB, and Smith won’t go somewhere to be a backup. I haven’t heard if Tenn is even interested at all. Sea signed Flynn before Smith even got on the plane.
And Miami would be a nightmare scenario for Smith. He has nowhere to go but down playing there.
I think the Niners will offer him a deal better than Flynn got. 3/27 ~ 3/30 . . . .
Give Alex a diamond ring like Vanessa, kiss and make up, and move on with the signing. What leverage does Alex have? Seattle has seen Alex twice a year the last half decade. Result? They don’t even sniff Alex and sign a dude who has appeared in all of 2 games, at best (though the GM knows him having been in the Pack’s organization). Miami talks with him, and Miami is going nowhere, players are avoiding that franchise. Alex doesn’t have much leverage because the market knows who he is and has shown it — they’re not exactly clamoring to sign him…
That being said, I think Smith doesn’t say a word for today. He’s going to let the hooraw around Manning die down until tomorrow/Wednesday.
Alex is a great guy if not a great player. Still I like the skill level and his age makes more sense than Manning. Football is tough enough on guys in their prime let alone a guy past 35. Yeah I know Elway produced past that age and a few others but they were tough driven men. Good luck Broncos!
Poor Dennis! Out of luck again!
Yeah where is Doomin Denny?? Is he drinking himself into a drunken stupor?? Or did he actually step off the ledge this time.
I am betting he is on the internet looking for his Broncos Jersey with Manning printed on the back.
Pinole police are running DNA on an unidentifiable “splat” on the sidewalk next to a Alcohol Rehab Facility..
Note on Jim’s fridge:
“Tues 3/20
8:00 A.M. Walk Alex’s dog
9:00 A.M. Polish Alex’s golf clubs, clear gutters
10:00 A.M. Caddy for Alex
3:00 P.M. Grocery store for brewskis
4:00 P.M. Check with Mrs. Smith on Wednesday schedule”
Well, Ballke’s the GM. He and York set the contract numbers. Jim’s probably telling Alex, ” it’s really out of my hands. I told them I would rather have you, but they feel 3/24 is a fair mkt value. I’ll see what I can do, so hang tight.”
Sammy is on the right track. Unlike Rockford’s Angel, whose cry was “Jimmy did it”, Harbaugh can try to put it on Baalke… Smith’s too smart to buy it, but having Jimbo squirm a littlle and get a few additional concessions might do the trick.
They just fatten his contract a bit. Alex is smart enough to know the score by now. Anyway he’s got one thing Manning doesn’t have……youth.
Nipper, that it what I have been saying. 36yrs old 5/$95 mill really. If I was Manning, I am LMAO all the way to the bank.
The guy who was going to win the Super Bowl for the Niners is 9-10 in postseason play. He’s had 11 shots to win it and came through once. His numbers for that postseason (2006) 3 TDs, 7 INTs, and a 70.5 QBR … it was TRULY a case of winning despite the QB
And Brad Fecking Johnson took Tampa all the way. With their stellar d, which might be even better with an experienced Aldon, they may be ok with Colin. Weak div, too. I’m not too worried. Alex would be preferable, but Brady did it in his 2nd yr.
Smith will probably squeeze another year of guaranteed $$$ out of York. That’s a decent penalty for the bush league way the NIners went around courting Manning……
He’ll come back. He knows the NIners are an infinitely better spot for him than Miami
Rumor mill is churning out tons of stuff. Someone in my office heard that after he returned from Miami, he contacted the Niners and said he would back up Manning. Like I said Rumor mill running rampant.
I’m sure Alex would like to have an offer on the table from Miami before he talks to the 49ers again. Niners might be his best option, but I doubt that he’d have a problem telling them to take *his* offer or stick it.. Miami, with the Green Bay OC as HC now, is hardly the unattractive option that some are claiming.. of course, Miami may not want to jerked around by the left coasters again..
Comcast Sportsnet article
http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/niners-talk/post/Kaepernick-to-Wallace-A-49ers-combo-wort?blockID=672590&feedID=2800
If they go with Kappy, they’ll try to spin it, but it makes their flirtation with Manning a total disaster…
BtW, what a two faced POS Young is- he just said that the Niners are ready to go to the Super Bowl and Alex is “just the man to do it”..
Super Bowl talk is cheap in the off season.
According to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald and SI.com’s Peter King, the Dolphins are reportedly in negotiations with former number one overall pick Alex Smith about taking over the Fins’ quarterback job. King said Smith is “very serious” about playing for the Fins. I mean TODAY they are talking..
Well, they all are. Young has thrown Alex under the bus more times than anyone shy of Mike Nolan.
Yeah, I’d find it VERY hard to see them going with Kappy this season. A guy like fricking Hasselhof would be brought in. And, yeah, I’ve been saying the idea of them losing out on Manning and then losing Smith would be a huge regression for the team.
That being said, I still think Smith returns.
Chuck is very lucid today!
If Miami is Alex’ leverage, he’s got very little. That team is headed for Sadsackville again this coming season. Seattle didn’t even sniff him — they’ve seen him about a dozen times up close and personal the last 6 seasons, so that tells you what they think of his skills. So, kiss and make up, and move on to OTAs. I love the fact they went after Manning, I didn’t expect them to kick the tires. They’re looking to win, and win now. Fans should be into that mindset. They swung and missed, but at least they swung…
They invited him, Snarkk. They did that this weekend, By what curious logic can you say that they changed their mind about him on Sunday? I’ll tell you what it was: Alex flew to Miami Saturday night. Seattle didn’t want to risk getting nobody…
That was my comment last night on the old thread. But that was when Hasselback’s name was brought up. I would rather see Kaeper under center than Matt H!! Harbaugh had to be in Colins ear all last year.
Like I said, I think they up it a little. A little more than Flynn got.
Harbaugh was seen leaving 4949 Centennial Blvd with 2 pizzas and a 12-pack.
Well, he was seen leaving the premisis anyway. Off to woo Alex? Probably.
What Seattle did or didn’t do only matters in the fact that they contacted Smith.
They got Flynn, so they feel they did what they needed to.
And no, I don’t think Smith has much leverage, but I also think the Niners want him back.
I grossly overestimated what the team would offer him. Actually, once upon a little while ago, I thought 3/30 would be the deal. Then I went with 4/45. Looks like we’re back to 3/28-30.
Yet Room B is trying to say that Seattle had no interest. They invited him, folks. Nothing happened on Sunday to make Seattle lose interest. Wait- something did happen- he flew to Miami.This isn’t 1812, Seatlle knew if there was genuine interest between the parties. So they jumped on Flynn, they didn’t want to end up with nuthin’..
You don’t know that. Total guess. I can guess, too. If they really had interest in Smith, they would have made the effort to at least bring him in for a day. Flynn has a connection with the Seattle GM, but the fact remains, Flynn essentially has NEVER played, versus Alex being a 6+ year vet. If Seattle had any real interest, they would have found a way. The market interest for Alex has obviously been extremely limited, and the Niners knew that…
It’s not a guess that they invited him. Why would even do that if there was no interest?