Brian Sipe Part 2

[nickers]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

I honestly don't see how a ship can sail for a guy who is 27, healthy, and coming off back to back seasons that were a lot better than he's given credit for. 32/22 isn't Pro Bowl, and neither is an 83 QBR... but it's better than a hell of a lot of starting QBs over that same period.

And again... he's 27. He's become a whipping boy, but you have to consider the annual regime changes, five different offenses, dreadful teams his first three years, a shoulder injury... the kid has not had a smooth ride.

If he gets to start for Harbaugh in the WCO this year? I think he does very, very well. I'd bet on it, in fact.

Betting on a kid whose been mediocre at best is not a smart bet when you consider he's been in the league now what 6+ years?

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

I honestly don't see how a ship can sail for a guy who is 27, healthy, and coming off back to back seasons that were a lot better than he's given credit for. 32/22 isn't Pro Bowl, and neither is an 83 QBR... but it's better than a hell of a lot of starting QBs over that same period.

And again... he's 27. He's become a whipping boy, but you have to consider the annual regime changes, five different offenses, dreadful teams his first three years, a shoulder injury... the kid has not had a smooth ride.

If he gets to start for Harbaugh in the WCO this year? I think he does very, very well. I'd bet on it, in fact.

Shep, thanks for being sport about the QB criteria. I was hoping you'd get a kick out of it.

As for Alex Smith, he seems like the only QB that didn't improve considerably under Mike Martz so the questions linger. Infante's offense requires its QB to NEVER be hesitant. Unfortunately, that's been the biggest problem Alex has had to date. I don't see him trusting alot of decisions so his hesitation allows alot of DBs to jump his routes. End result? The arm looks weaker than it actually is. ALOT of QBs have lost starting jobs in the NFL for this inability to be comfortable with their read progressions at the speed of the NFL. You face a Dick LeBeau defense with the talent he gets to play chess with and it only compunds the issue for a young QB. Alex is lucky he played in a candyass division last year.

Anyway, SF has been drafting pass protectors as well as a first round TE and WR. Plus they traded for another 1st round WR and they have RBs that can catch out of the backfield. I'm not sure why this has remained so overwhelming for Alex if he is indeed the answer. Mike Martz tried to empower him with a game plan that showed confidence in his QB. A few interceptions later, Singletary ended the Gong Show with the thought home fans pay too much money to get sentenced to a 60 minute Kyle Boller imitation.

If McCoy had these same troubles - would you just brush it off to he's not 27 yet? He was only 22 or 23 in his very first OTAs and preseason when you were breaking out the full court press on him. It just seems weird you want to tell us to wait until Alex turns 30 so it's fair. BUT, if McCoy only sported an 83 passer rating with the winning percentage of Alex Smith - I'd bet everything I own you're gonna have an issue with it. You're gonna laugh at the person who says "yaaa but he's only 25 years old." And how many OCs will he have had in 2 years since you found that excuse valid for Alex? You gotta be consistent. We're implementing a new offense without a training camp or any coachign whatsoever so I hope you KEEP this Alex Smith patience for somebody who might deserve it a little more.

The NFL is all about WINNING. If you got a QB drafted 1st overall throwing to 3 first round draft picks with a backfield rotation of Gore and Westbrook plus a couple first round tackles up front - this shouldn't look as impossible as it has for that group. I don't SEE a fiery leader that offense believes in. It reminds me of what our offense looked like when they stopped believing in Quinn and DA. Arizona knows what I'm talking about. Therefore, I think that QB SF drafted out of Nevada is just what the doctor ordered.

[hiwaygal]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

I honestly don't see how a ship can sail for a guy who is 27, healthy, and coming off back to back seasons that were a lot better than he's given credit for. 32/22 isn't Pro Bowl, and neither is an 83 QBR... but it's better than a hell of a lot of starting QBs over that same period.

And again... he's 27. He's become a whipping boy, but you have to consider the annual regime changes, five different offenses, dreadful teams his first three years, a shoulder injury... the kid has not had a smooth ride.

If he gets to start for Harbaugh in the WCO this year? I think he does very, very well. I'd bet on it, in fact.

No offense Shep...'cause I don't follow other players much...but some of this stuff sounds a lot like Derek Anderson.

[Brown Warrior]

He's kind of the anti-Anderson: He's more accurate, doesn't have a gun, and got like a 38 on his Wonderlic. Oh, and he runs a 4.6.

I'm definitely still bullish on Smith. He finally said that he'll be a Niner next year after months of being courted by Harbaugh, who loves the kid. He's on an improvement arc in spite of the very rough circumstances and injuries that marred his first four years.

I watch the Niners a lot because, frankly, I like them and always have. For the sake of honesty, I wanted Harbaugh really, really bad, but it seemed his heart was in San Francisco from the start.

I think Harbaugh has done a good job of shutting out the noise of SF fans who blame Smith for every minor earthquake or late newspaper delivery. He's looking at a young, smart, mobile QB who has completed over 60% the last two year for 32/22... and wondering how that's worse than what Kevin Kolb has accomplished.

Forget the draft slot. Just look at him right now, today. He's looked very good while being jerked in and out of the lineup (sometimes within a single game). I was so impressed when the fans were booing and Singletary was yelling at him, throwing under the bus... and then Smith lit it up for three straight TDs. Then he closed with a great game, a big win. He's weathered the worst. They didn't break him.

If I end up wrong, I'll admit it. But I like Smith's game right now... AND his intelligence an intangibles. I think he's an ideal WCO QB, like Kolb or McCoy. Let's watch and see.

[YtownBacker]

Smith may decide to move on from San Fran. He will definitely be a UFA and his ties to San Fran are a bit fractured. I could see him in Seattle competing for the starting QB job. I think Carroll would have a chance to get him to the next step if anyone can.

QB free agency is going to be very interesting. I think if the CBA gets done before camp is due to start then you could see a lot of movement with guys like Smith, McNabb, Kolb and even Palmer. Bulge should land somewhere as a bridge to one of the rookies that just got drafted. Hell, Clausen might even get dangled and someone like Carroll could want to take a shot at developing him. Also, don't forget Young, someone will want to bring him into camp and see what they could do with him.

So, Smith may have a new chance to show he can be a good starting QB in the NFL. I think it may be with someone other then San Fran. You never write anyone off because sometimes it's just about a gy being stuck in a bad situation or with a team whose system doesn't fit his style.

I always think back to guys like Moon, Plunkett, Steve Young and recently Warner. Once they got with the right system they went on to be stars.

[Brown Warrior]

I personally think Smith should move and Seattle would be ideal... but PFT reported that he told someone he's staying in SF. The admiration goes both ways between him and Harbaugh. It would be a hell of a story.

[Vegasdogg]

Smith is in David Carr mode, with his opportunities dwindling every season. Being only 27 the hope is someone puts him in an environment where he can succeed. So far IMO he has been both mediocre and miscast. He needs a new start and Harbaugh
may get something out of him, enough to show other teams (or Harbaugh) that he has the skills.

I want to exhaust the opportunities for Colt this season to make sure we know what we have. Good or bad he needs to play all season.

[Brown Warrior]

Oh, I'm not talking about Smith for us. We have our own kid with something to prove.

David Carr had more systemic issues than Smith, at least in my book. He throws wrong, he ain't bright, and he's inaccurate. Smith is smart and can be crazy accurate.

I'm on the record and I'll take the heat: Harbaugh and Smith will be a story next season. Whenever the fuck THAT is.

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

Oh, I'm not talking about Smith for us. We have our own kid with something to prove.

David Carr had more systemic issues than Smith, at least in my book. He throws wrong, he ain't bright, and he's inaccurate. Smith is smart and can be crazy accurate.

I'm on the record and I'll take the heat: Harbaugh and Smith will be a story next season. Whenever the fuck THAT is.

Why should we care either way? He doesn't play here. Until he does ANYTHING - he's been an epicly overpaid bust getting 1 head coach after another fired. He's Joey Harrington with 4.6 speed. Nothing more. Remember how moving to Miami and Atlanta was going to CHANGE Joey Harrington into Dan Marino? Well, he was still Joey Harrington.

We're not here to pretend we can quit our day jobs as NFL talent scouts so who seriously gives a crap about Alex Smith? Seems to me Troy Smith had the better winning percentage with the same personnel. It also seemed like Crabtree and others preferred Troy to Alex; but an owner has to hear why someone making 60 million $ is holding a clipboard to watch a 5th round draft choice start over him. Life sucks when you don't win - what more is there to say? This is the franchise that SHOULD have gone after a humbled Matt Leinart; and tried to see what they could have got in exchange value for the kid that couldn't even work under Mike Martz.

It's kind of funny that Alex Smith gets at least 9 lives while he's well on his way to killing at least 9 coaching lives. I don't care what he scored on his Wonderlic because you can pay a Ryan Fitzpatrick 50 million $ less and get a much better vertical game for doing so in weather like Buffalo.

[Brown Warrior]

Why should we care? Because we love NFL football? Smith was one of my first draft darlings and I still believe in him. He's kind of a hobby to me. I watch the Niners a lot and I feel very, very confident that Smith's best football is ahead of him. He's good. Like one announcer said, he can get hot and be freakishly accurate. He's taken abuse, been yelled at on national TV... then came back and threw three TDs and had one of his best games in the finale. I like that moxie. C'mon, Tom... so do you!

It's one of the more interesting offseason stories, as Florio just said today. Latest: Harbaugh got NFL permission to visit Smith and his wife in the hospital after the birth of their child, flowers in hand. He's gone after the kid like a college recruiter and told everyone who will listen that Smith is going to flourish in the WCO. I agree.

I think he's played pretty damn good football these last two years. I think he's not getting the credit for that he deserves. I think Harbaugh has some big brass ones to stand up for him without blinking. I'm pulling for him.

[Alo]

Smith makes sense as a stopgap QB. If Harbaugh saw him as anything more than that, he wouldn't have drafted Colin K.

[Brown Warrior]

Originally Posted by Alo

Smith makes sense as a stopgap QB. If Harbaugh saw him as anything more than that, he wouldn't have drafted Colin K.

Prepare to be stunned... but I disagree, sir. If he only saw Smith as a stopgap, he drafts a quarterback at #7, like Gabbert. Or even Ponder, a guy he was said to really, really dig for the WCO.

Colin K. is NOT a sure thing franchise blue-chipper or anything. He's a second round pick who won't make much money so he's no Phil Rivers in this scenario, should Smith pull a Brees next year.

The way Harbaugh's been romancing Smith, I have a feeling he convinced him it was not as a designated bridge to Colin Whatsisname from New Mexico. Or wherever.