This goes back to the playing to Smith's strengths thing. Reid was having him push the envelope in OTA's to see just what Smith was capable of doing. That is good coaching IMO, and doesn't necessarily mean they are going to ask Smith to take a lot of risks come September.

Full homer mode engaged.

we need Avery to bring something to the party. Our receivers are weak, especially in the speed dept.

well, that's a valid point, but you don't make it in college just being a nice guy, let alone the NFL.

AS had Mike Nolan his first 3 seasons & then Singletary the next three. I believe this had more to do with your perception of AS than his nice smile. Those two coaches were among the worst offensive minds I have ever seen at the NFL level.

Buzz, the only reason I, and some others, have discussed that Giants game specicallyn is the perseption by most that Alex Smith was two muffed punts away from leading the 9 ers to a SB.

Cosell dispells that myth with this article.

But the reason that some of us don't like the trade for Smith is that the Giants game is a microcosm of Smith's last two seasons.

That Saints game was an abberation.

Smith has consistently left big plays on the field, settling for checkdowns or taking sacks.

Those plays are what separates medicocre game manager fron franchise QB, and are the reason that Harbaugh made the switch to Kapernick.

You have to have those plays in the playoffs to have any shot at a championship.

Avery and Wylie (and even Baldwin) all have 4.4 speed and should help, but the Edwards West Coast/Meyers read option spread/Ault pistol is really focused on the short and intermediary mismatches created by opening up a multitude of offensive options in those areas. This opens up the downfield pass, and you obviously need someone to be able to run it, but it isn't the focus of the offense.

It's why you'll see multi-back, multi-tight end sets, fullbacks splitting wide and a whole shit ton of Dwayne Bowe.

I think it's going to be pretty cool.

You can slow play it, but that leaves you open to more problems. The play is designed really to be a system that is run by a team who is physically less demanding than the opposition and really allows you to make the read off the defender.

I don't really think you can slow play it in the NFL because guys are just too fast and athletic and can get by you. For instance, if you slow play with Charles he's going to be past you. I just don't think the way to beat it is to read and react but to attack it and it seems teams are thinking the same as IIRC there were articles about teams stating it.

reasonable.

I'm going to wait see. I think Reid is going to help AS become better because of his familiarity with him and because his WCO style fits AS's more productive side.

FTR- I have never claimed AS is elite yadayada, just that he is a huge improvement for the team. Also, I think the term "game manager" is being tossed around this forum quite a bit -- Tom Brady is a game manager -- Peyton, the game has evolved into a HC/OC piloting the QB on the field via the speaker in helmet. It's been this way since Walsh established it -- that style, along with the WCO system has become the norm. So, they are all pretty much game managers, just following the orders of the voice in the helmet.

Not that you overuse it, but it seems a bit of the go to here lately.

Does anyone factor in the fact that the 49ers had the most dominant run game in football with Alex Smith as a reason to why he never had to pass for many yards? Or does that just go out the window?
lol, your simpleness, amuses me.
NO. Davis was constantly double teamed last year. But, yes, even though with Alex Smith, Vernon Davis caught 5 tds, with Kaepernick. ONE!!!!!
All qbs take hits. How many times after a throw have you seen qbs get pushed down. This is irrelevant.
Off the top of your head, who was the second rounder drafted this year at 34, and who made the pick? Once the pick is made, its no longer valuable.
This is a good call. Also, people who question Alexs huddle demeanor. Lets forget about the Saints game. Although, alex smith had to do that twice, AND DID. Lets talk about the philly game that year on the road. Lets talk about the Detroit game on the road. Alex Smith played like ABSOLUTE crap for the majority of that game. But, in crunch time, he drove the team down and then threw the game winning td, on 4th down to win it. Im not sure where people get this Alex Smith doesn't have a huddle presence, and it seems like im propping Alex Smith up, and Im not. Hes not Aaron Rodgers, hes not Drew Brees, or Tom Brady, but when the game is on the line, he is pretty damn clutch. And he was in the NFCCG, only those who have forgotten what he did in that game, and are box score whores, forget.

Do you know what is never talked about in reference to Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Peyton Manning. They have run the same System their entire Careers. People don't want to hear that, but that helps. Consistency is key to this thing. The systems with San Francisco, and KC are close enough in the basic structure, that it wont be that different for Alex Smith to run. I think that is also going to help him. Might take a little bit to adjust to the personnel in receivers, as in, San Francisco his best player was a tight end, but now its a Receiver, but I don't expect a huge drop off in consistency.....

Charles beats Gore in every category that matters.

Most of that was due to having no confidence in the QB.

Just saying.

Alex Dilfer used what he had to achieve what he did.

It is what it is.

We could also talk about the Bengals game 2 years ago where he looked like a sack of smashed @ssholes until the 4th quarter and then his defense helped bail him out.

This is what worries me. He has that Favre "slow starter" problem and doesn't have that Favre magic afterwards...

I've never seen "game manager" as a negative, and it goes further back than ~alsh.

Some of the top QBs to have played the game, including Bartt Starr and Troy Aikman, and Lenny Dawson were game managers.

Those guys, however, were franchise QBs.

Alex Smith is just mediocre, albeit efficient.

You know why Brady, Rodgers and Manning have run the same system their entire careers? Because they excelled at it the moment they set foot on the field.

That kind of system consistency is more of a result of success, rather than a reason for it.

Hence you generally only see "x number of coordinators/systems" in a discussion when you're talking about a quarterback that just isn't that good to begin with.

incorrect. That game SHOULD of been over, if Jim Harbaugh had done that correctly. Alex Smith actually threw a touchdown to Michael crabtree, the Ref INCORRECTLY said Michael Crabtree had stepped out of bounds, and became an ineligible receiver. Jim Harbaugh, did not challenge it, and settled for a field goal. The Bengals, have a very good defense. That was on the road. And, when you have an elite defense, it helps to bail you out.
I concur completely. Perhaps Andy Reid, can get more out of Alex Smith. I do not know if he can. I am optimistic, just because I know the guy wants to be better. errr, or at least im hoping he gets better.

Uh, there is no way shape or form that you can say that Alex ran Jim Harbaughs, or Greg Romans system unsuccessfully. He ran it ultra efficiently. Just not ultra flashy......

The point being, that the teams that seem to win, and win consistently, have that stability. I agree, those three are special talents, of which alex smith is not, but to take it as having that consistency, combined with the best front offices in football, the best drafting teams in football, is no coincidence.