{"id":411659,"date":"2011-05-01T01:28:27","date_gmt":"2011-05-01T01:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/01\/qb-alex-smith-expected-back-with-49ers-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-05-01T01:28:27","modified_gmt":"2011-05-01T01:28:27","slug":"qb-alex-smith-expected-back-with-49ers-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/01\/qb-alex-smith-expected-back-with-49ers-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"QB Alex Smith expected back with 49ers (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)\u2014It sure seems Alex Smith<\/a> is all but the San Francisco 49ers<\/a>\u2019 quarterback again.<\/p>\n

If it weren\u2019t for the NFL lockout, a deal might already be done.<\/p>\n

The free agent QB met for close to 40 minutes with new Niners coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday, and Harbaugh is convinced Smith will return to the team and be the front-runner for San Francisco\u2019s starting job.<\/p>\n

In fact, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Utah left team headquarters with a playbook\u2014not a common practice for an unsigned player considering how teams so closely guard their schemes\u2014though these are unique circumstances with the NFL in lockout limbo. The 49ers had to be pretty confident in their chances of bringing him back to hand over Harbaugh\u2019s playbook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do (expect him to be here),\u201d Harbaugh said Saturday in a post-draft news conference. \u201cI absolutely think it\u2019s a great fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harbaugh said, \u201cAlex Smith is a 49er,\u201d and all indications are he will stay put once the lockout is lifted, free agency begins and teams can sign players.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s going to come back to the team. There\u2019s a leap of faith there,\u201d Harbaugh added. \u201cThere\u2019s no gentleman\u2019s agreement. It\u2019s intuition, a gut feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback himself, said Smith would have the head start in any upcoming QB competition just based on his experience in the league.<\/p>\n

Still, there will be a competition once players finally get on the field and get into full speed 11-on-11 drills. David Carr<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> is still on the roster, and San Francisco traded up to draft Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> with the 36th overall pick in the second round Friday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlex is definitely going to have the head start. He has played in the NFL, he\u2019s won games in the NFL,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cIf I\u2019m a betting man, then I\u2019m betting on Alex Smith. That being said, everybody who takes that field, especially at that position, believes that they\u2019re the guy that\u2019s best for the job and they\u2019re going to go out and prepare that way and compete that way. If they\u2019re going to have any chance to be the starter, that\u2019s the way their mindset has to be, so I\u2019m not going to diminish that or take that desire away from a player or put them in a box or a role that they may rise above.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith passed for 2,370 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 games and 10 starts last season, but he also threw 10 interceptions and was sacked 25 times. The 49ers finished 6-10 after a surprising 0-5 start and haven\u2019t had a winning season or reached the playoffs since 2002.<\/p>\n

Smith took over the starting job midway through 2009 and was entrenched as the starter heading into 2010. After separating his non-throwing left shoulder Oct. 24 at Carolina, former coach Mike Singletary turned to 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> for the next five games\u2014even after Alex Smith was healthy again. Troy Smith went 3-2 as a starter, then it was Alex Smith\u2019s turn again for two games, including a commanding win over eventual West champion Seattle.<\/p>\n

After a flop at San Diego, Singletary turned back to Troy Smith for a must-win game with the Rams on Dec. 26. That 25-17 loss cost the coach his job with one week to go. Jim Tomsula, serving a single-game stint as interim head coach, went with Alex Smith for a win against Arizona in the season finale.<\/p>\n

While general manager Trent Baalke said there was no gentleman\u2019s agreement in place with Smith, everybody in the building appeared poised to welcome him back soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe in our heart,\u201d Baalke said of signing Smith back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Excerpt from:
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