re watching Alex Smith (1 Viewer)

[Bri]

None of us are scouts but we all act as such on Sundays. Last year you saw a #1 pick look horrible at times, so I guess you saw the bottom of the barrel with him. Did you see the potential though? Do you think he can be a future NFL star? Or what?

Losman. Another young QB that really had a rough time at points last year. What's similar with Alex Smith? Predict future greatness for him?

Do you think Losman gained anything from sitting a year? Could you tell?

So were the 49ers right to play Alex or should they have sat him to let him learn from the "bench"?

 

[Chris Smith]

None of us are scouts but we all act as such on Sundays. Last year you saw a #1 pick look horrible at times, so I guess you saw the bottom of the barrel with him. Did you see the potential though? Do you think he can be a future NFL star? Or what?

Losman. Another young QB that really had a rough time at points last year. What's similar with Alex Smith? Predict future greatness for him?

Do you think Losman gained anything from sitting a year? Could you tell?

So were the 49ers right to play Alex or should they have sat him to let him learn from the "bench"?

From what I saw last season, Losman didn't gain anything from learning on the sidelines for a year. His accuracy and inability to read the defense were obvious.Alex Smith was on an offense that was a wreck and for that reason alone he may have been better off remaining on the sidelines for a year. The receiver play was poor, the tight end play was non-existent and the offensive line suffered through injuries.

I believe that the only way to really get better is to get out there and play but it is a fine line a coach must walk between getting his young passer experience and shattering his confidence forever.

Smith has more talent around him this year and of him and Losman, Smith's upside is much greater IMO.

 

[Bri]

None of us are scouts but we all act as such on Sundays. Last year you saw a #1 pick look horrible at times, so I guess you saw the bottom of the barrel with him. Did you see the potential though? Do you think he can be a future NFL star? Or what?

Losman. Another young QB that really had a rough time at points last year. What's similar with Alex Smith? Predict future greatness for him?

Do you think Losman gained anything from sitting a year? Could you tell?

So were the 49ers right to play Alex or should they have sat him to let him learn from the "bench"?

From what I saw last season, Losman didn't gain anything from learning on the sidelines for a year. His accuracy and inability to read the defense were obvious.Alex Smith was on an offense that was a wreck and for that reason alone he may have been better off remaining on the sidelines for a year. The receiver play was poor, the tight end play was non-existent and the offensive line suffered through injuries.

I believe that the only way to really get better is to get out there and play but it is a fine line a coach must walk between getting his young passer experience and shattering his confidence forever.

Smith has more talent around him this year and of him and Losman, Smith's upside is much greater IMO.

I agree with pretty much everything here.That fine line....It seemed to me Akili Smith was developped about as poorly as any QB ever. Is there a point where San Fran(or Buff) should think "our team stinks we're just wrecking this kids confidence" and sit the young QB? At what point do you think a GM/coach should say to themselves that this kid is never gonna be good and "move on"? 3 years playing? Can anything with Akili be a lesson learned for other NFL teams?

Eli Manning seems to be a year ahead in getting the struggling/learning year out of the way then coming in and doing well showing he learned from it. Can we expect Alex to be as good as Eli was last year? Do you think he ever could be better than Eli?

 

[Chris Smith]

None of us are scouts but we all act as such on Sundays. Last year you saw a #1 pick look horrible at times, so I guess you saw the bottom of the barrel with him. Did you see the potential though? Do you think he can be a future NFL star? Or what?

Losman. Another young QB that really had a rough time at points last year. What's similar with Alex Smith? Predict future greatness for him?

Do you think Losman gained anything from sitting a year? Could you tell?

So were the 49ers right to play Alex or should they have sat him to let him learn from the "bench"?

From what I saw last season, Losman didn't gain anything from learning on the sidelines for a year. His accuracy and inability to read the defense were obvious.Alex Smith was on an offense that was a wreck and for that reason alone he may have been better off remaining on the sidelines for a year. The receiver play was poor, the tight end play was non-existent and the offensive line suffered through injuries.

I believe that the only way to really get better is to get out there and play but it is a fine line a coach must walk between getting his young passer experience and shattering his confidence forever.

Smith has more talent around him this year and of him and Losman, Smith's upside is much greater IMO.

I agree with pretty much everything here.That fine line....It seemed to me Akili Smith was developped about as poorly as any QB ever. Is there a point where San Fran(or Buff) should think "our team stinks we're just wrecking this kids confidence" and sit the young QB? At what point do you think a GM/coach should say to themselves that this kid is never gonna be good and "move on"? 3 years playing? Can anything with Akili be a lesson learned for other NFL teams?

Eli Manning seems to be a year ahead in getting the struggling/learning year out of the way then coming in and doing well showing he learned from it. Can we expect Alex to be as good as Eli was last year? Do you think he ever could be better than Eli?

Eli was more ready to step into a pro offense than was Smith so I would say no way does Smith step up his game into the realm of Manning's this season.In regards to when a GM/coach says a player will never be a great quarterback, I think we are seeing that right now in Baltimore. We here all the right things about Boller and his progressions but the fact is the team couldn't wait to replace him at the position to give the team a real shot at winning...

Losman may get an opportunity this year but better make the most of it or he'll be in danger of being on the same milk carton as Aliki Smith, Heath Shuler and Tim Couch.

 

[Bri]

interesting comments, thanks Chris

 

[King of the Jungle]

I am really rooting for Alex to progress (not only because I have in Dynasty). I think he is a good kid, intelligent, and a hard worker. He brought a whole new meaning to being thrown to the wolves last year. He had an opportunity to go through a full offseason this year, and his surrounding talent has improved.

ADVICE:

I will say it time and time again, do like I did, buy him cheap now in dynasty. His stock is at the bottom of the trading range and IMO will never be any lower. A great opportunity to add depth with upside to your QB situation.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

None of us are scouts but we all act as such on Sundays. Last year you saw a #1 pick look horrible at times, so I guess you saw the bottom of the barrel with him. Did you see the potential though? Do you think he can be a future NFL star? Or what?

... So were the 49ers right to play Alex or should they have sat him to let him learn from the "bench"?

If you took notice of how Alex Smith progressed at Utah he is on a similiar path. His progress at Utah could be a primer for what to expect of his NFL development.He struggled at Utah and only blew up after he had masterd that offense.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595103988,00.html

... Smith's development, though, didn't accelerate from the start. It came in stages as he climbed from third-stringer in the spring of 2003 to the undisputed starter after Brett Elliott's injury last season.

"He's better today than he was yesterday," said Meyer. "That's the kind of player he is."

Smith acknowledges his development as a college quarterback has come in steps. Things started to make sense for him in victories over California and Colorado State last season. This year's season-opening win over Texas A&M provided another big step.

"A big confidence thing," said Smith. "I truly understand what we're trying to do."

A double major, academic All American, GPA over 3.75, had one of the highest Wonderlics of top QB candidates in ages. He shows the charectoristics of a perfectionist over achiever who has looked terrible in the past until the light goes on and completely figures out an offense and truly feels comfortable and only then is when he had exceled. A teaser of that potential was seen late last year when he was surgically picking apart a team during the first half up until the opposing DC changed up his defense. Alex did not have the mastery of the offense and lacked authority to audible but look for that to change this season. I think this year he could turn the corner.

The SF O-Line wasn't very good but it has improved with the addition of Larry Allen.

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=240995

Rank NFL Team 2006 Overall Grade Run Block Pass Block Depth Cohesion Intang.

20 San Francisco C+ C+ C+ B C C+ C+ better The 49ers offensive line is improving

The improvement to the line came after Smith's poor showing showing last year. The RB situation is improved over last year as has the recievng corps. But I think the key is looking at how Smith developed into a blue chip prospect at Utah and seeing how a similiar story could be played out in his NFL career.

 

[mcd]

I'm not sure that Smith will be a good QB this season, but I'm still in the camp that believes he will grow into the roll over time. I think it was important for him to play as a rookie so he could get a look at the actual speed of the pro game. Practice & preseason are nice, but I don't believe the game would actually start to slow down until you have the true game time experience.

I think the 2nd season in Nolan's system, along with th maturation of a young O-line (not real big on Larry Allen at this time), will help him. Also thing Norv Turners reliance on the rushing game will keep him out of trouble. Turner will run the 2 TE offense at times & Davis/Johnson are 2 pretty good ones. As someone else mentioned, Smith is a very intelligent player & once he figures out the offense the game will slow down & he will show drastic improvement.

 

[pettifogger]

49er plan last year was to sit Smith with a clipboard and let him learn the system. Only after Coach Nolan saw how badly the team was playing did he switch plans and decide to start Smith. He then hurt his knee and missed the middle season, came back and started at the end.

The line should be a lot better this year. Jonas Jennings, formely of Buffalo, was picked up on an expensive free agent contract last year to play LT but hurt his shoulder early and missed most of the year. He should be back this year, with Larry Allen at LG. The 9ers drafted two linemen, David Baas and Adam Snyder, last year and by the end of the season both were starting, Baas for injured center Jeremy Newberry and Snyder at RT I believe. Baas will probably go back to being the sixth lineman but he handled center pretty well.

There were a lot of plays last year where defensive linemen blew through and Smith was getting hit before he could even finish his drop back. None of the receivers got very good separation either. He looked skittish a lot of times but with good reason.

Smith's college coach said the same thing as a poster above, Smith is the type of guy who takes a year to learn the system, but once he does, he excels.

Norv Turner was hired as OC; the local press indicated he was simplifying the offense too, and trying to give Smith options at the line.

He can't do worse than last year. I still think he's a couple of years away from being "good" but still have my hopes up.