2012 NFL Free Agents: Alex Smith Would Struggle with Rebuilding Miami Dolphins

Free-agent quarterback Alex Smith is showing some guts by standing up to the San Francisco 49ers front office by visiting the Miami Dolphins this offseason. That being said, he is guaranteed to struggle and experience past failures if he joins the rebuilding Dolphins franchise.

Smith will visit with the Dolphins on Sunday, according to ESPN.com. The veteran quarterback led the San Francisco 49ers to a 13-3 regular-season record and an NFC Championship Game berth last January, coming within three points of a trip to Super Bowl XLVI.

His improved performance under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh came as one of the biggest surprises of the 2011 season. However, once the Indianapolis Colts cut ties with 35-year-old Peyton Manning in early March, it seems Smith became expendable to the Niners.

Last season, Smith produced the highest quarterback rating of his seven-year career at 90.7. He played in all 16 regular-season games for just the second time in his career and threw for a career-high 3,144 yards along with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 61.3 completion percentage was also the best of his career. 

Unfortunately for the prospects of Smith in Miami, those numbers would be an afterthought with the Dolphins. Miami was 6-10 a year ago, with the 23rd-ranked passing attack in the NFL. A game manager like Smith would do little more than what Matt Moore was able to do in the later half of the year. 

The Dolphins would be better off landing Manning or an accurate pocket passer like former free agent Matt Flynn, who could wreak havoc on opposing defenses in Joe Philbin's familiar offensive scheme. Philbin was Flynn's offensive coordinator in Green Bay last season.

By watching the Niners last season, one can tell that Harbaugh's presence on the sideline was a huge reason why Smith looked like an entirely different player. There will be no fun-loving personality roaming the sideline in South Beach to keep Smith's mind clear and focused.

San Francisco became the picture-perfect place for Smith in 2011, and Miami lacks the talent, chemistry and leadership that kept Smith on track last season. If the Dolphins acquire Alex Smith, they won't get the 2011 version.