Super Bowl XLVII Media Day took place on Tuesday in New Orleans. Among the most talked about figures at the Superdome was a backup quarterback. Not just any backup either; A former No. 1 overall pick of the San Francisco 49ers who took his team to the NFC Championship Game just over a calendar year ago. In case you have been under a rock waiting for the Mayan prophecy to fruition, that backup quarterback has a name, Alex Smith.
I don't really need to get into too much detail here. Smith, who has been among the most consistent quarterbacks since the start of the 2011 season, was injured against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10 and replaced by Colin Kaepernick under center. 49ers' head coach Jim Harbaugh made the then questionable decision to keep Kaepernick inserted in the starting lineup.
The rest is history.
Smith, who signed a three-year contract extension this past offseason, doesn't figure in the 49ers' plans moving forward and will be looking for a new home when the Super Bowl concludes Sunday evening.
One minor caveat here. Smith is not going to be free to choose where he goes. Rather, San Francisco possesses his contractual rights and will look to move him.
A recent report from FOX Sports indicates that San Francisco will not seek to release the veteran quarterback. Instead, it is going to look for a trade partner prior to owing Smith a roster bonus in April. This makes perfect sense considering that demand seems to be pretty high as it relates to Smith.
Sources indicated the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles as showing the most interest in Smith.
"NFL sources told FOXSports.com late Tuesday the 49ers are eager to work out a draft-pick trade (fourth- or even fifth-round) that would send their former franchise QB to a new home that suits him best, regardless of whether it’s a division opponent."
It isn't too surprising that so many teams are interested in Smith. After all, his statistics since the start of the 2011 season tell us a story of a quarterback that can be, in the right situation, a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. His record is 19-5-1, he has thrown 20 more touchdowns than interceptions and compiled a ridiculous 95.4 rating during that span.
In reality, Smith would represent a major upgrade for a multitude of teams around the league.
It is, however, surprising that the 49ers would settle for a mid-round pick in exchange for Smith. The landscape of the NFL suggests that they could get a much higher pick. Cleveland, Buffalo, Kansas City and Arizona are all in need of a quarterback to lead them forward. They don't have many options in a draft that appears to be lacking the franchise-type guy that we have seen over the course of the last two seasons.
Why would these teams spend a top-10 pick on a marginal quarterback prospect with zero NFL experience when they can get a proven starter that is still in his prime? It is important to note that Smith will be just 29 years of age when the 2013 season starts and is owed just $7.5 million next year. His success combined with those two factors seems to suggest that San Francisco could get a much better pick.
Our very own Nick Slegel suggested that Smith could net a first-round pick on our radio show last week. That idea was met with a combination of laughing text icons and other pretty funny comments, but it really was a good point.
When looking to build a contender, Nick's point makes a lot of sense. Franchises that reach for a quarterback in the top-10, Blaine Gabbert with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and to a lesser extent, Jake Locker with the Tennessee Titans, haven't had a great deal of success recently. Expaning on the sample size, we can trace busts at the quarterback position back to before you or I were even born.
Look at the recent history as it relates to "can miss" quarterback prospects atop the draft over the last seven years.
By my estimation, however subjective it may be, about half of the quarterbacks selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft between 2006 and 2011 have been busts. While it might be too early to put Locker and Gabbert in that category, things aren't looking too good for them.
Meanwhile, the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, Andy Dalton and even to a lesser extent Chad Henne and Matt Flynn have been selected outside of the first round during that span.
This is only magnified when you are looking at a draft class that is filled with solid players along the offensive line, and all over the defense. Why reach for a quarterback in a weak draft class at that position when you can get a solid veteran leader while waiting longer in the draft to pick up a project?
I am pretty darn sure that 49ers' general manager Trent Baalke and the front office know the dynamics in play here.
Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden or Ryan Fitzpatrick over Alex Smith? I just don't see it.
One thing that may be holding San Francisco back from asking for more is its respect and admiration for Smith, who has been nothing short of a true professional in dealing with his demotion. The 49ers might do Smith a solid and put him in a situation he wants to be in, rather than throwing him to the wolves and into a situation similar to the one he was in when he joined the 49ers as the No. 1 overall pick back in 2005.
If so, it just goes to show you that this organization has a rare thing called class.
Then again, San Francisco has something small to deal with between now and making a decision on its backup quarterback.
If you want to here eDraft Radio's take on Smith's trade value, check it out here.