"If he is half as good a he was in college, he's worth the money." I'm not sure I understand... are you saying, if he's playing at half-speed in the NFL as he was in NCAA, and he thows the ball half-the-distance in the NFL as he did in NCAA, and his brain operates at half the functionality in the NFL as it did in the NCAA, that's he's worth the money? Somethin' makes me thing NFL linemen and linebackers will have somethin' to say about that... 'cos they're almost twice as fast and twice as big and twice as strong as the average college player.
In the NFL today all it takes is one or two strong drafts/free agent years and your back in it. Every good team needs a good QB and if they can keep him from getting killed he is going to be good. David Carr lived through two years spent on his back looking up at the inside of a dome and is now poised to have a great year. Smith has a great young WR in Lloyd and a decent RB in Barlow. He just needs to stay alive for a couple of seasons and this will be a great pick.
If I were a head coach in the NFL, I wouldn't want to stake my job on a rookie QB with $24 million reasons not to take the merciless pounding of a long pro career. There are 20 Heath Shulers for every Peyton Manning.
Are the Niners planning on starting him from day one?
I didn't get a chance to watch college football last year, so I can't speak about Mr. Smith here. I think that the major question mark with the niners this year is their new coach. No one knows how well he will do managing NFL salaries, egos and the impatient SF public. then again, the only thing he really has to do to last more than one year is finish ahead of the Raiders.
There are 20 Heath Shulers for every Peyton Manning Jesus, I hope not. He's one busy former player.
ajaffe, the stock line is that he and Rattay are competing and Nolan hopes the decision can be made after the second or third exhbition match. The reason I don't like the pick, beyond the obviousmixed track record of previous QB #1 picks, is the team has been really tight with the $$$ and then TPTB go ahead and use so much on this one, unproven player. Would rather they spent it on two proven free agents and traded down/taken a less expensive position with it.
No one wanted to trade up to get him. I think the 49ers would have traded down if they were given a great offer. It was a risk lots of teams did not want to take.
Which leaves my other suggested strategy, pick a lineman who wouldn't get such a high guaranteed salary. Though such a pick might have allowed Rattay or Dorsey to stay a bit healthier than the current crew.
I must be in the wrong business ... 49 million to sit on the bench , i think i can do that . Of course with the 49ers "offensive " line he will be alot safer there , just buy plenty of preperation-h for those long sitting sessions .
