Then I am right that this franchise and fanbase has been neutered or "Bob Barkered" or castrated from the Todd Blackledge draft pick.

This franchise fanbase needs to grow another set of balls and pick a QB to develop so that this team can start to build for Champiship runs.

It's a bad strategy for the Royals, sure. But Clark will earn beaucoup money with the Chiefs whether or not there are blackouts or not.

I thought that was 2001, which is why they passed on Brees in favor of Green.

If if you don't hit immediately, you're asking an already weary fan base that's tired of losing to be more patient.

It appears that Clark Hunt pulled that option from the table and I can't say that I disagree with him.

I completely understand that but this isn't 2008 or 2009. Chiefs fans back then were just a few years removed from the Trent Green era. It's 2013 and most fans haven't had any hope of a playoff win in a decade.

While I don't disagree with you philosophically, I disagree with the Chiefs best course of action, considering the utter failure of this team to win and win consistently for the better part of 17 years.

NFL teams can completely turn around in one year, if there's a QB available that has the talent to change that franchise.

It's quite clear that Reid and Dorsey don't believe there's a QB in the draft capable of changing the Chiefs fortunes in 2013.

Only time will tell if they're right or wrong.

But the odds of that happening are relatively low.

If Smith gets injured and the Chiefs win four games, can you blame the season's failure on him?

If the Chiefs win seven games, what do you do with him?

In all likelihood this team will win 6-10 games next year which puts you out of the running for an elite QB.

The options are this:

Hope Alex Smith is far better than what he's shown
Hope Smith gets injured, the team submarines, moves on from him, and gets another high pick
Hope Smith reverts to his pre-Harbaugh form

Because unless one of those three outcomes happen, they will be in purgatory.

The blackouts definitely hurt the Chiefs and they hurt local businesses even more.

So being new to this forum, I have a question: Do people here really believe Geno Smith is a top-of-the-draft QB? I have read a lot of draft analysts and the majority say he would have been a 2nd round pick last year.

I think the best hope would be that Alex Smith does a solid job for at least a year or two and wait for next year's draft to get better quality at QB. Next year has better players and better depth at that position.

I just don't see how the Jags pass on Geno because their QB situation is horrific as well. Banking on Chad Henne's last few games of last season? Hopefully Reid/Dorsey are in the ears of the Bills,Eagles,Jets,Browns,and Cards creating a huge sense of urgency with those teams about the Jags potentially taking Geno.:thumb:

Or we could realize that great QBs don't always come from a top 1-5 pick and get a good one with the 15th pick or whatever. Not that that would ever happen. Even if we had the top pick last year, Clark and Pioli would have tried to at least talk themselves out of drafting Luck. "Hmm, Luck is nice, but if we trade down I've been eyeing a TE from Utah State that could really help Cassel"

They might be in purgatory but when was the last time the Chiefs finished with consecutive 8-8 records? When was the last time they put together consecutive winning seasons?

LMAO said by some dumbass every year.

I dont give a **** what Joe Pumpkinbutt in the ****ing stands wants or needs. That dumb sonofobitch needs to settle his fat ass down, and accept the growth phase of a rookie with franchise potential. Then his dumbass can actually enjoy a playoff WIN with his water-brew and brautwurst.
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I didn't realize that you work in marketing.

Even if they are right, why trade valuable picks for a guy like Smith when the team needs so much work?

Even if they despise every 2013 QB they were never pot-committed to Alex Smith until they decided to commit themselves.

If they sign a Matt Moore type to start and punt on the QBs this year, they could angle flipping 2.34 into future picks. Now they can't do that.

If they want to move up next year, they lack ammunition because of the Smith trade.

The reprehensible part of this trade to me is two-fold: 1) It treats 2013 as the only year of the team that matters 2) It severely decreases the team's leverage and ability to acquire a difference maker under center.

This leads me to a few conclusions:

1) Clark Hunt doesn't really care about winning big
2) This regime is overly consumed with winning now than building a consistent winner.

I'm not going to go to in depth as you're probably a complete waste of time and will never contribute anything to this forum worth reading but yes, Geno is a 1.1 caliber QB in this draft.

In regards to last years draft, he would have likely gone behind Tannehill and ahead of Weeden but your post leaves so much speculation that it is a ridiculous question (Are you comparing 2012-13 Geno or 11/12 Geno for that draft).

Additionally, from what little I've seen the QBs next year are significantly behind Geno/Barkley in terms of adequately diagnosing fronts/coverages and going through progressions.

This will always be a loser franchise. Always and forever.

I think those are quite fair conclusions.

That said, how do you propose he sells tickets in 2013 by asking his fans to be even more patient than they've been since 2005?

Okay, I know everyone hates this trade and blah blah - but I've been gobbling up as much video from Smith as I can find and I think he and Bowe will beast.

I know, it just sounds homerish as hell, but one thing I've noticed is that Smith's timing on hitch routes, comebacks, outs and crossing routes is really outstanding, as is his ability to let a throw go just as a DB turns his hips or puts his back to the play.

He makes a ton of throws that are just impeccably timed into pretty small windows. No, they're not 90 yards downfield, but they're great YAC throws. His yds/attempt are so good because the absolute instant a guy breaks open, the ball's there and right where it should be. It's those routes that Bowe runs so well and turns into big gains that Smith will excel at.

I know, I was more pro Alex than most so it's fair to take this with a grain of salt, but he really does do some things extremely well and in an Andy Reid WCO, I really do think he can tear shit up.

I see more and more why Andy likes the guy. He's just savvy as hell and has an innate feel for the rhythm and timing of the position. There are times that he takes a sack, sure, but it's not because he missed an open man - most of the time there's just nothing to throw to and he's not going to force one. I think what people are mistaking for tentativeness from him is actually an unwillingness to break out of the timing of the offense and improvise. I'm not saying he's Peyton or anything, but that's exactly what Peyton does. If the timing's off, he just throws the ball away and tries again. When the timing's off for Smith, he tries to buy time with his legs in the hopes that coverage breaks down. If it doesn't, he tries to scramble. I don't think he's tentative back there, he's just robotic. He's as far from a gunslinger as I've seen. Would you like to see a more intuitive QB back there? Sure, sometimes. But when you get a guy like that that isn't a stone-cold badass, people bitch about him being the next Jay Cutler. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor and I think that's certainly the case in Alex Smith's case. If the timing isn't there, there's no sense in him trying to gun it into windows as they close.

As I've watched him more and more, I've moved him past everyone but Geno in this draft. He's better than Barkley's going to be, IMO.

I don't think he's a Harbaugh creation (though Harbaugh made him better) and I do think Reid can use many of the same strengths that Harbaugh did to make Smith a good NFL quarterback.

I think I'm prepared to really like the guy.

Okay. Feel free to return to your regularly scheduled Alex Smith excoriating.

I think you would be surprised and fans would love to go watch a true QBotf develop.

Because they are stupid and think Alex Smith + Chase Daniel is a good thing.

It's not.

There is no reason this team could not have rolled the dice on a first-round QB. No team in NFL history has been 100 percent sure an ENTIRE QB class was not going to pan out. And even if they thought they were, the fact everyone passed on Aaron Rodgers is proof enough that GMs get it wrong all the ****ing time.

We're going to be up shit creek with Alex Smith in the boat and 0 viable long-term options at QB in three years. Watch and see how much fun it is.

There is no complicated answer to why they chose to go with two guys who are at the bottom end of NFL QB ability (this is not debatable). The simple answer is: they are stupid or, at best, scared. Occam's razor slices, it dices.

If the team wins eight games next year, anyone who suggests replacing the QB who "quadrupled the team's win total" will be treated as an apostate. I know because I saw the same idiots anoint Pioli with oil for doubling our win total in 2009.

Clark would like to win big. He just doesn't want to tell GMs what to do in football decisions.

You can't really blame him because that's how he was raised: to be respectful.

I'm sure that 78,000 people would trek out to the stadium every Sunday to watch Jeno Smythe for years on end in the hopes that he wasn't a complete failure.

lol
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You have a valid point. But you could spend all day and all night arguing your point, and you'll still have doubters and naysayers. Everything you said is fact. I wanted to draft Geno, and I still do, because I think he has an really good chance to be great.... But you have to ask yourself, why is every draft analyst, reporter, and and football team saying the same thing? Don't you think that if Reid or Dorsey saw any sort serious potential in any of the quarterbacks this draft, that they wouldn't pounce on in a heartbeat? Let's say that Reid and Dorsey are both ****'tards, and they don't know what the hell they're doing. Then why aren't any of the other teams moving up to snatch a QB? Maybe everybody in the league are just a bunch of ****'tards who can't see tallent...

Or maybe, just maybe we're all so desperate to have our own young, freshly drafted franchise QB, that we're willing to reach to get one. Clearly the professionals disagree. Otherwise any one of the QB hungry teams would jump at the chance to get a franchise QB. Andy Reid is a brilliant mind, and well respected for developing QB's. Who the hell are we, a bunch of wannabe experts on an Internet forum, to question his choices before even giving him a chance to fail? Give me a ****ing break.

By explaining truthfully the issues the team faces, apologizing publicly for Pioli and outlining a strategy for the team moving forward that he actually intends to honor, rather than lie about.

I understand that would be topic of talk radio and Chiefs forums but I'd like to think that Reid and Dorsey wouldn't settle for an average team each year.

Years on end??? Come the **** on, man.
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I just don't think that Joe Fan has that ability, especially after witnessing the cluster**** that's happened since 2005.

If it were 2007 or even 2008, fine. But not 2013.

I can't even tell you how many season ticket holders and friends I've known forever that were PISSED that Thigpen wasn't handed the starting QB job in 2009.

Despite what talking heads used to say about Arrowhead, it's neither a tough place to play anymore, nor are the fans educated.

If he plays to his Harbaugh form and the Chiefs are able to turn 1.1 into, for example, 1.8 this year and 1.15 next - they can do a hell of a lot more than purgatory.

I think it's fair to give him the chance to prove that he isn't what he's been for his last 20 starts, don't you? If he's that guy, he's actually quite good.

Well, I'm glad that YOU'RE convinced that Smythe will be a franchise QB, but there's virtually no one else that agrees.

That's all well and good, but we don't have the #2 defense.

Smith is going to have to do more than just excel at timing routes with one WR.

And for all his "robotic goodness," it didn't help him a lick on third-down for his entire career.

If we can't convert third downs our significantly less-than-#2-defense is going to wilt.

I have no reason to believe he's not that guy, but I also think that guy isn't nearly what he appeared to be without the significant advantages afforded him by that defense.

That's why I think this team wins eight or nine games next year.

I also think the odds of the Chiefs moving off that pick are overly optimistic, but I do agree with you in this sense: the one thing that will keep them out of purgatory is whether or not they can trade down from 1.1 and turn that trade down into a 2014 first to pair with their own as ammunition.

We will never know now will we? That is a shame. Shame for this franchise and fanbase not to get the opportunity to watch a QB blossom in front of our eyes. Shame not to take a chance on a young QB prospect that could take us above anything we have had for the last thirty or even fourty years.

I know the dream is dead and buried, but...2009 Eagles

McNabb (2nd overall)
Kolb (2nd round pick)
Vick (reasonable vet contract)

I know, it's an unhealthy obsession.

Smith (first overall)
Smith (second round pick)
Daniels (reasonable vet contract)

That guy is not going to be enough if, again, our defense is not up to snuff.

Don't forget he's playing Phil Rivers and Peyton Manning twice a year now, instead of Tarvaris Jackson, Sam Bradford and and John Skelton.

There's six wins (and a tie) out of his glorious 20 right there.

Yeah, the 3rd down efficiency remains puzzling to me. I suspect we'll find out why he's struggling in short order.

My guess is that teams are dropping into short zones on him and if there are a shitload of guys dropping into coverage zones, it's awfully tough to find a guy breaking open. In that instance you really do have little choice but to fire the damn ball into a hole.

Not sure if that's the problem. If it is, I'm not sure how to deal with it. It's definitely the part of his game that is most disturbing to me and I can neither diagnose or treat it. At that point I just have to hope that a guy that does nothing but live and breathe football is going to do a better job of spotting a solution than I will.

We're not drafting Geno and telling him to be the #3 QB.

We've officially crossed the great barrier, landed on the planet sha-ka-ree, and there is no real QB God, just a fake-ass Alex Smith.

They drop in short zones because he can't take the top off the defense. That's also why he's so efficient on those early downs. They guard against the deeper pass, giving up the shorter routes as a concession.

Unless he can consistently make the passes he made against the Saints in 2011 he'll face the same issues that Chad Pennington did.

I'd imagine the great majority of Alex's success on timing throws was on first down, when everyone was expecting that team to run.

In obvious passing situations, he's far less effective, and that explains the crap third-down conversion percentage.

I bet there are some grisly splits for that data.

Where does the defense have to be?

Top 10? Because with a strong #2 CB and/or a legitimate pass-rusher on the line, I think this team can get there. If you put Sheldon Richardson on that line with Sean Smith as the #2 CB and Robinson at FS, you have a top 10 defense with relative ease, IMO.

If the Chiefs put together a top 10 defense and Reid coaxes 95% of what Harbaugh was able to get out of Smith, isn't that a pretty damn good team? Especially if Avery stays on the field and Bowe is Bowe?

I'm not saying it will happen, but it's also not nearly as farfetched as so many folks are saying. This team can be pretty damn good.

I'd also add that not having Vernon Davis is probably going to be a bigger problem than people think.

While we have Bowe, when your QB can't threaten past 20 yards, WRs become far less effective.

Without the additional threat of a freak athletic TE controlling the hash, and absolutely changing coverages, defenses are going to defend Alex Smith differently here, I'd wager. Particularly in the red zone.

For team Andy Reid I expect us now to pass on first down and I'm sure teams will get use to that and figure our pass run pass punt out.

One thing to consider: Despite Reid's QB prowess, how many games does he cost his team with his egregious clock management?

I dunno, but again, even if our defense is top 10, there's a pretty big gap between 10 and 2, especially when you're playing Peyton Manning instead of Sam Bradford.

Alex Smith had a perfect storm in San Francisco. That's unlikely to be replicated here.

And play calling in certain game situations.

I'm really curious to see what he can do with a 'run under' deep threat.

I said it in another thread, but I was really surprised by how often he overthrew deep passes. He doesn't throw a 'hard' deep ball at all - he has to throw one that his WR runs under. Crabtree doesn't get separation; he's not a guy that's going to do that. Avery, on the other hand, can be that guy.

And another interesting element would be something as simple as Jamaal Charles on a wheel route. We forget how dynamic Charles was downfield when he was backing up LJ. If you send him up the field, he can create pretty massive mismatches.

I agree with you - he needs to do something to make teams respect the deep halves. And no, I don't think someone like Bowe would've been the answer. However, a burner that can run under the lofted deep balls that Smith throws might be.

Ya know what I'm most afraid of GtH? I'm afraid of Alex Smith leaving JC out to dry on out passes to him. Hope this is unwarranted fear.

You mean like he did to Frank Gore all the time?

Alex Smith, by all accounts, has very good short accuracy.

What's more concerning to me is that he seems like the kind of guy who isn't even going to take a chance of exposing a WRs ribs.

Sometimes you gotta squeeze that shit in there and tell the WR to deal with it.

Oh I think it's going to be a pretty substantial problem. I think a healthy Moeaki will help and I think the fact that teams will have to almost spy Charles out of the backfield will help even more (Gore could be caught up to; give Charles the ball in space and it's all over but the tears). But yeah, not having that built-in mismatch will hurt him.

It's why Avery could be so critical. Right now the biggest potential advantage this team could have over the weapons he had in SF is a legitimate #2 WR that can spread the field. He didn't have that in SF at all. If that comes to fruition, it could go a long ways towards mitigating the loss of Davis.

That's why I thought DHB was actually a good signing for this team. No complaints with Avery, especially given some of the insane contracts given out today.

Doggone it.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...58626081_n.jpg

Thank you for your warm reception.

I have spent a large amount of time studying the upcoming draft and I stand by my position, so we will just agree to disagree.

You'll never ever see a better example of that than the TD throw to beat the Saints.

You see him look off the underneath coverage and as soon as Davis clears, he steps and delivers an absolute seed to Davis just as the safety is closing in. Davis gets in the air, catches the ball and delivers the hit to Roman Harper, who had timed his collision absolutely perfectly.

He's capable of doing it and when the situation mandates it, is clearly willing to do it. Like I said, though, he appears more inclined to take the 'live to fight another day' approach.

And there are going to be times that we're damn happy about that, even if we don't really realize it.

He doesn't take risk, he takes a lot of sacks. He is going break apart Mid~Air~Season.

Alex threw one of the best wheel route throws I have ever seen earlier this year.

Another thing is that Alex is very smart and can check into the right play. He also makes a lot of changes at the line and this all goes unnoticed

2012 Regular season
Frank Gore with Alex averaged 82 yards per game(5.5 yards per carry)in 8 games
Frank Gore with Colin averaged 65 yards per game(3.9 yards per carry)in 7 games

I did not use any stats from the rams game where Alex played 1 quarter.

What was also cool that your scored more points with Colin Kaepernick.

**** YPC.

How many sacks did Andrew Luck take in 2012?

In all fairness, the 49er line is tremendous; the Colts have a sieve.

Rooky QB vs a 9 year vet. How many hits do you think Alex Smith can take this season?

41, but he played behind maybe the worst line in football, and threw it more than almost anyone.

Meanwhile Alex takes 44 playing behind an excellent line, throwing it less than almost anyone.

The stats don't support Alex very well.

Andrew Luck isn't known to have durability issues that is something Alex Smith takes with him to Arrowhead.

26 ppg with Colin in the regular season.
23.6 ppg with Alex in the regular season.

not much difference there. Stop acting like it was suddenly the 49ers were scoring a ton more points. They really weren't.

Davis runs two routes well: crossing and wheel routes to the outside. He can also get behind the defense if they try to guard seam routes with a LB (most teams now put a safety on him). He does not read defenses well nor does he have the agility to quickly find and move to the opening in the zone on blitzes. Consequently he is a matchup problem on deep routes but does not run the routes a QB needs in order to be able to get rid of the ball quickly under pressure. He is just not good inside the hash marks. That is one reason Smith took so many sacks in SF. It is also the reason many are predicting they will use the #34 pick on Zach Ertz who is more the traditional TE that can be a quick relief valve for a QB.

How convenient that you ignore the postseason, dipshit.

Alex is one of the toughest players out there man. He played in 2007 about 5 games with a separated shoulder.

That shitty Vernon Davis, if only Alex had a real TE.

45, 28, 31 aren't just BINGO numbers.

A fair enough post.

This somehow reminds me of posting my own personal epiphany about Reid no more than 48 hours before he was signed, long after i had made many impassioned posts saying how incredibly stupid choosing him would be... i was startled with myself for changing so quickly.

But i literally changed my view 180 within fifteen minutes of seriously pondering why Reid would still be coaching football after his ordeals, and i thought...

"Here is a proven winner with all of the pedigrees, who is going to forego any kind of life break whatsoever in his singleminded chase for the Ring... and he wants to BURN IN here in pursuit of it?"

Thats EXACTLY the kind of fanaticism that changed my mind that night... if a driven guy like that isnt yet satisifed with his accomplishments, and wouldnt have a clue what to do with himself without football... then PLEASE feel welcome to fix it with my team.

Point is, if he covets Axl even half as much as some say, then his one track mind has spent many a feverish hour considering all of the angles... Axl will do -for now-, reid surely knows he isnt getting any younger, he wants to get back to contention NOW.

Throw in a no nonsense Dorsey to control the rudder... and i'm trying to be hopeful and believe theres a method to the madness.

Alex Smith averaged just over 200 combined passing and rushing yards per game

Colin Kaepernick averaged well over 300

Of course.

Suffice to say, the Chiefs will have the best WR corps he's ever had, NCAA or NFL, and there's no reason to think that Reid and Dorsey are finished.

I realize that most Chiefs fans aren't familiar with San Fran teams since 2005, but Smith has truly had nothing but shit for the overwhelming majority of his career.

Bowe, Avery and even McCluster are upgrades. HUGE upgrades, IMO.

Who ****ing cares?

Please link us to even ONE person that's said that Smith is just as good or equal to Kaepernick.

Cause 4 points isn't important right? No difference? Chump change? LMAO, stay off the Niner forums Alice lover.

He can be tough all he wants. If he is injured and can't play what good is he? I doubt he plays all 16 games this season do to injury. He may come back from his injury but he is going to suffer injury for being pummeled for taking too many sacks.

McCluster is not an upgrade from anything. When will people learn?

LOL, Len has that " Not this shit again" look.

Hi KC fans. This is long, but I feel it would be irresponsible for me not to give you a fair warning to your eminent horizon.

Let me preface by saying I'm a Niners fan but I got no beef with your team. Anyone that gets to smack around the raiders (the absolute lowest common denominator of humanity) is OK in my book. You may read that oakland is in a state of revival, that's bull*** - it's always been a s***hole and always will be.

If you're reading this, the Alex Smith trade has gone through.

I post to you with an olive branch in my hand - I'm here only to let you know what your in for.

First things first, Alex Smith is great guy. If he weren't he would have been booted from our team half a decade ago. He is the epitome of class, the nonpareil of locker room integrity, he's dedicated- to the team, to his family and to his community. He always says the right things. Were a bildungsroman to be written of a young man destined for the trials and tribulations of the NFL, Alex Smith is the poster child. He's the kind of dude you want your daughter to marry.

He's also very smart. His wonderlic was very high. He did very well at a mediocre school. I'm not sure what that means. Marino is as dumb as a doorknob, and Joe isn't renown for his intellectual prowess. Stephen Hawking is incredibly smart, but I don't think I'd want him quarterbacking my team (but then again, he knows more than I, so if he could figure out a way to pull it off and win- rock and roll Stevo).

Please KC, don't get mad at the player. I can confidently say that Alex Smith will do everything in his power to bring success to your organization.

The problem is Alex isn't coming to KC to chill, hang out and eat BBQ (of which I'm personally jealous, there's little real BBQ in SF - there's wanna-be- but no real-deal). He's coming out to lead your football team.

KC, you have acquired an enigma.

Is he great? No. Is he really good? Nobody really knows. Has he had moments of greatness? Yes! Are those moments rare? Yes. Can he win a big game? Yes! Can he lose an even bigger game? Yes.

What is he really good at? Well, he's an incredibly conservative passer, he can take a sack better than any QB I've ever seen, and his presence divides a fanbase more than anything I've ever witnessed (I went through the Joe vs. Steve debacle and it was dark, but nothing near the acrimony associated with the AS debate(maybe thats got something to do with the internet or something, IDK)).

There are essentially three camps of folks when it comes to Alex Smith. The Haters (those who believe the dude is a junk QB and whose success is completely dependent on the system and will spare no expense to trash the guy). The 49er Fans (those who care more about the team than any individual player(s) and want everyone to do well). And the Fanboys, a.k.a. the Alex Supporters (a term I find funny b/c when I played sports a supporter referred to something specific that I would personally not want to be associated with).

The Haters were predictable- they were mad for myriad reasons. They would constantly lament at the fact that Smith wasn't Rodgers, took too long in his reads, couldn't hit a receiver in stride, would regularly pass for 5 yards on 3rd and 6, enjoyed throwing the ball above-below-behind a receiver (essentially everywhere except where a proper pass should land), would take a sack rather risk an incompletion, stared down his receivers, had a predilection for check-downs even when folks were wide open downfield, a penchant for getting coaches fired, rarely scanned deeper than 10 yards, became anomic when rattled, had a slow release and a mediocre arm, and has been given more chances than Carter had pills.

The Fans were just happy that the team was finally achieving some success after almost two decades of the suck and could really care less who the QB was as long as we were doing well. A polka-dotted rainbow-skinned hermaphroditic sheep could be the QB and as long as we were winning, we really wouldn't care.

And then there are the Fanboys - a breed upon themselves. They come multiple forms, oldman Fanboys, english Fanboys, juicy Fanboys, Never-Seen-Any-Other QB-play Fanboys. They exhibit a dedication to and fascination of Alex Smith that transcends logic, reason, and accountability. In their mind Smith is incapable of doing anything wrong - he is the unfortunate recipient of bad coaches, players, luck, fans, weather, hell - they've blamed gravity on his low passes. Their favorite stat is Alex's completion percentage (which they consistently confuse with accuracy). In their mind there is no difference between a crappy pass that requires a WR to stop/wait/ or make some otherwise awkward motion and throwing to a receiver so that he can make a play. In their mind Alex came into the league a HOF QB that was held back only by circumstances outside of his purview.

Fanboys also like to use stats to prove Alex Smith is a good/great QB. Has he gotten better? Absolutely. But, it's also like comparing a fresh turd with a 5 year old turd. (Obviously the 5 year old turd isn't as ripe and juicy, and will (in most people's eyes) be a better turd due to it's lack of offense. But, pardon the tautology, poop is still poop (petrified or not). It took a guru to turn the poop into something serviceable). After Kap started playing, Fanboys loved to "prove" that AS was still a superior QB because of his stats. Fanboys went so far to say that AS was a better QB than Manning and Rodgers (if you looked at the stats). Cocaine is a hell'uva drug. So is Alex Smith love.

(An excellent example of this type of blind love is continually exhibited by a particular moderator of a popular 49er fanzone who will ban or warn any poster who says anything critical of his beloved QB, or failing that, shut down any post that doesn't attempt to paste AS in the best light (which are all of them). Don't take my word for it look for yourselves - don't let it happen to your sites).

So, where does that leave you. Look. First things first, Smith is a great guy, maybe one of the greatest. Second, he's a decent QB - I'm not sure of how many training camp QB competitions he's won when the HC didn't load the deck, but he's definitely better now than he was 7 years ago. Third, you got Reid and Reid has a good history with QBs (and I'm sorry, but I can't help this, Reid (lest anyone forgot) is also a descendant of the 49ers). Smith would have never been successful without Harbaugh, and I do think he won't regress markedly under AR. In fact the greatest thing Smith did for the Niners was play just well/poorly enough to where we could acquire Harbaugh. Fourth, it's widely documented that it takes AS 3 years to learn a system- hopefully this isn't true.

He will make brilliant plays, but his inaccuracy will piss off Bowe - we've never had a receiver of the same caliber under AS's tenure, and there has still been a ton of grumbling over the years. But he will also redeem himself in certain circumstances in certain periods of time. He CAN make all the throws, but everything needs to be perfect. He won't rock the ship. He's good enough to always have hope.

I also want to say that his last game vs. the Cards was excellent. It was in, in my mind, his finest game ever. I know the Saints comeback was great, as were a few others, but his last game was by far his most consistent play I have ever seen. At no point did he slump, he finally did hit receivers in stride, stared off DBs, had complete command of the huddle and line-calls, and generally went out and kicked ass. If you guys are getting that Alex Smith you're gonna be stoked. Insofar as it was his last game and last metric to go by, you should have hope. But also beware that for every good game he's put together, there is a stinker waiting around the corner.

I leave you with this. Stay strong, Stay united. You guys have been through a rough year (I feel your pain, we had the same record a few years ago). Call to reason any fan that starts to skew in one direction or the other. Keep dialogue open and beware of powers that want to sway the conversation in one direction or the other. Also beware of moderators who don't believe in the freedom of speech unless it correlates with their own particular universe of reality.

Lastly, if you do see Alex around town- give him your best because you can be confident he's going to do the same for you.

Good luck and Kick the Life out of oak!

This draft has about 5 or 6 blue chip players at the top and below that are a lot of players that are pretty even in terms of overall ability. One board I saw last week had 35+ players that could be picked anywhere from 10 thru 45. Consequently, unless a team feels it really needs one of those top 5 or 6 guys in order to get to the Super Bowl, they are unlikely to pay the price to get up that high.

I would grab Joekel and be set at LT for the next 10 years. Smith will have the outside pocket protection every QB needs and the running game would be even better.