The end in San Francisco is nearing for Alex Smith and I’m sure he couldn’t be happier, as he has become one of the most famous victims of position thievery in recent NFL history. As the off-season has begun to whirl-wind with rumors, combine hype and free agency talk, one of the main questions of the last few days has been: What is going to happen to Alex Smith? and What is he worth? Here’s my take.
For years, Alex Smith has displayed decent numbers and an ability to manage the game as he has posted non-gaudy stats and built his resume to an above 500% starting win-loss record. Forever, everyone thought Smith was the guy in SF, however after a more than dramatic 2012-2013 he most definitely is not the answer to Harbaugh’s dual threat offensive powerhouse. Smith, has risen to the top in San Francisco and experienced the bottom but ultimately in the end has lost his position due to his lack of ability to run the football. Despite this fact, Smith can flourish in a new and fresh scenario, but it will have to be the right situation, given his standard arm. During his time spent in San Francisco, Smith has become the ultimate game manager as the 49er defense has always been among the elite and nastiest in the league. With a stout defense, some drawbacks are that, Smith has never thrown for more than 20+ touchdowns in a season and has only eclipsed the 3,000+ yard mark once in 2011. As there are several negatives to this situation in addition to his lack of ability to stretch the field on the ground, we have to remember that Alex Smith has handled himself with tremendous poise, given his demise as the #1 QB. His leadership and ability to manage an offense are something that can prove invaluably important when teams look to fill the QB spot. Given his many coaching changes, drama in San Francisco and a mediocre receiving core, Smith has taken the situation for what it is worth and has built an impressive resume along the ride; despite getting the back seat to a more athletic and explosive dual threat QB.
Another side note is that San Francisco would have to pay him around 8 million dollars if he were to stay as the the backup to Colin Kapernick.
The Bottom line is that Alex Smith can be successful if put into the right situation.
— A team such as the Arizona Cardinals, who have an elite wide receiver in Larry Fitzgerald and an emerging defense, with standout Safety Patrick Peterson could be a viable option. The situation however would be very difficult as Smith lacks the athletic ability to change the game himself and the pressure and comparisons to former and recent QB failures would be great. Additionally, with the hoard of QB’s on the roster, what Smith brings may not make complete sense with a complete overhaul in mind.
— The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to release Matt Cassel and this could be a good situation with a new coach in Andy Reid, Dexter McCluster on offense and a promising field anchored by Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, and Derrick Johnson. Another upside is that the Chiefs can get a offensive-line game changer in Jake Joeckel to protect and solidify the running game.
