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 
So Smith did not sign the last offer the Niners made. Maybe going after Manning was the Niners way of saying to Smith, go ahead check with other teams and see what they offer you. Smith now found out he is not such a hot commodity. He is the one who might have to come slinking back to get the 49ers to accept him.
Well, I think it’s some version of both of them realizing that they were meant for each other.
Shit, I think this may drive Dennis over the edge, if it hasn’t already.
Of course all the talk now is What will Jesbow Do?
….slinking back…..?
Tebow has a long ways to go to be a star NFL QB. But he has made a lot of progress in one year with fundamentals, and he understands offenses. Going somewhere less over the top and sitting a spell and learning might end up helping him in a couple of years.
Like Miami? Epic disaster . . .
No one should go to Miami. Not Tebow, and certainly not Smith. That place is a freak show.
He should go somewhere where he is *not* going to start for a year or two, barring injury. He still needs to work on his footwork and such. New England? Pittsburgh? NO?
That the Niners offered Alex a 3 year deal emphasizes the view that they see Kappy as the heir apparent, and soon. They want flexibility. Manning would have given them that also, with the ability of Kappy to learn from Manning. If you listen to the radio shows and look at the blogs, the fan view is running strongly in favor of the Niners having done the right thing to kick Manning’s tires. If Alex stupidly leaves for Miami as a result, the Niners will survive, probably thrive anyway, and Alex will toil in a no-win situation. It makes no sense for him to go there, or anywhere else. Niners certainly considered the potential of him leaving, if the Manning thing didn’t work out. It obviously didn’t scare them…
Don’t know about all that but the rest of the division would be delighted for the Kappy era to begin now. This team is now expected to win now and win big now. You think they can do that with Colin, you’ve smoking weird stuff.
Harbaugh has proven to know what he’s doing as a coach. If Alex leaves, I’m not going to sell this coming season down the dumper because he’s decided to go to South Beach or Cleveland, or wherever. There’s too much talent on the Niners to conclude that kind of doom…
Doom? Realism… Any knowledgeable observer would be surprised at 8-8 with Kappy. this increase in aminus towards Smith is totally on Harbaugh as it’s the inevitable upshot of not getting Manning. And those who confuse outright lying with cold but but tough business decisions have serious ethics issues.
Man, if a guy had any cred to begin with, it’s gone if he’s smoking T-Blow pole while trashing Smith.
T-blow has a real good chance to be a real good…. fullback.
Miami was 6-3 last 9 games, and Joe Philbin is a highly rated offensive minded coach. I think and hope it’s time for Alex to move on and let the Niners get on with rebuilding again..
Is Tebow making big bucks? Why should he go anywhere else? Can’t think of a better place for him to learn QB position than right there.
Generally teams don’t keep demoted starters around. For better or worse, there will be a high circus quotient surrounding Peyton’s arrival. Elway clearly wants to move on and not have any Tebow distractions. The kid could still pan out with good coaching. He needs to land somewhere where he can sit and work on fundamentals for a while.
Yeah one circus at a time. I gotch ya
He’s gone,Phil.
That’ll be 1.20.
Ok Twin but only because I see yer throwing in some humor on top- Smith should sign in Miami so we can get on with our rebuilding? Right.
Payable at the end of the decade right?
Done.
Tebow probably won’t last the week in Denver.
As soon as Manning said “I’m coming”, Elway, after jumping up and down, had Tebow’s name immediately stricken from all team records. Elway will trade him for whatever he can get, probably a lower round pick…
If there is justice in the universe (debatable) Elway will rue the day he dumped the ‘Bow. That day will be sometime in the 4th quarter of the 3rd regular season game when a loud ‘crunch’ will be heard coming from the lower helmet area of His Majesty’s bod.
Whereupon the lesser god Elway will hurl his lunch all over his nice clean sports coat
Nobody knows the exact situation with Condon, the Niners and Harbaugh, and Alex on this Manning search. Nobody. Except them. So far. I’m not buying the Alex as victim card, unless/until I see some credible reports that the Niners or Condon did not tell Smith that SF was looking at Manning, and he found out about it in the media. He’s a professional football player, a free agent, and a smart guy. If he could have signed for more somewhere else, and did not or rebuffed the offers because the Niners lied to him, let’s hear that reporting…
But you said YOU know.
I know as much as you about what went down in private, and as much as anyone else not in those conversations. The media is grasping at rumors. They didn’t even know the Niners were trying Manning out….
From Skeebs blog:
“Presumably Condon and His Lordship simply used the Niners and Smith and every other club to drive up the price for their original favored choice da Bronks. More money for the agent and his client, the High Priest. They had Elway groveling all over the place said Skeebs. And reaching for the Bronks wallet. Dunno anything about ‘hiding the offer to Smith’. Prolly told Alex “Don’t sign it yet, wait”.
.
IF the Niners raise their offer to Alex for something more than Flynn got in Sea then the agent’s strategy will have ‘worked’. Bruised feelings aside”.
Sez phil.
Well, Angel would always say “Jimmy did it “. Our Jimmy will blame it on Trent..
Angel was quite a character. I believe the guy playing him (Stuart Margolin, with no Wiki check) even directed some of the Rockford Files episodes…
Lowell Cohn said this and gave it his approval:
“It means Harbaugh would act as if he’s close to Smith, a friend, and allow the caddie routine and then go behind his back for another QB. This makes Harbaugh extremely cold-blooded. Is that bad?”
As the saying goes,”trust me” is Jimmy Talk for “Fuck You”..
What’s your deal?
Smith haters will love this- Garrard signed with the Dophins. Don’t know if if means Smith opted out or what.
Before Garrard signed, Harbaugh tweeted this to Barrows after leaving team headquarters:
“Still gone. Either patching things up w/ No. 11 or took a half day”.
“It is not known when the 49ers began their official pursuit of Manning – or when Smith first became aware of the team’s bid for Manning’s services.” Per Branch, the Niner “Insider”. I don’t put much stock in these Insider guys. But, he at least has phone numbers to call. If he doesn’t know who knew what and when, then nobody here can pretend to know, and conclude on no evidence whatsoever that the Niners shafted or lied to Alex, or stopped him from signing a way more lucrative deal with one of all those teams crawling over themselves to sign him. I’ve heard in radio reports that MANNING or his agent contacted the Niners about whether they had an interest, not the other way around. IF that is true, were they supposed to say NO, even though YOU have interest in us, WE have no interest in even looking at one of the top 5 QBs in league history because we think the great Alex will/may/might sign with us? Of course not…
BTW, the way I read it, that tweet was Barrows’ joking conjecture about where Harbaugh was in response to a question about it. Harbaugh did not tweet Barrows…
You’re right, i misunderstooid it. But’s not true that Smith had no offers. More than one source says Miami did offer him a contract. NFL Network’s Rebecca Haarlow said that “The Dolphins, who Smith met with Smith for five hours on Sunday and have reportedly begun contract negotiations, are said to have made a similar offer of $8 million per year, but for more than three years”.
It’s unclear whether Smith ceased negotiations leading to trhe Garrard signing or not. But it’s been reported by more than one souce that Miami did offer him a contraact.
Reply
Smith has no options left that we know of.
Maybe it’s time to bite the bullet, sign the 24/3. If Smith has a superior year, he can hold out next year when presumably there would be more interest and the 49ers would be looking at Kaep anyway. Force a trade then. Or a renegotiation.
I actually do feel sorry for him, a little. He’s learning what a whole lot of other folks have. In this economy, without another offer in hand, your value is not what you wish it was.
And that Grumpy is why our man Alex is this year’s winner of the Dashon Goldson Why Didn’t I Sign That Sucker Award
Hey, If Goldson (and Smith) have another great season, then the onus is on the team to do something about it. Sign or trade.
It appears that Garrard was signed as a back up to Matt Moore- and a one year contract with no guarantee unless he makes the team. Multiple sources reported that Smith was offered 8 million for at least 3 years.
Shawntae Spencer to the Raiders for one year.
Sloppy seconds?…
Yeah, I meant to post that, Snarkk. I figure by Wednesday, Smith signs. . .
They’ll sign the deal, give Alex a little extra “sugar” for the dalliance, and all will be publicly hunky dory. Then, let’s get Mike Wallace, if they have the cap room….