49ers vs. Dolphins: Who Is the Better Suitor for Alex Smith?

With Peyton Manning attempting to finalize a contract with the Denver Broncos Monday, the quarterback market that was once flush with players is now close to having a single leading face in Alex Smith.

The race to sign Smith appears to be down to just two teams, the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.

Let's quickly break down how each franchise stacks up as a potential landing spot for Smith.

Fit

Smith is going to be the front-runner to start regardless of where he signs. In San Francisco, he'll almost certainly bump Colin Kaepernick back to the backup slot. The second-year player from Nevada probably isn't ready to take over, especially if Smith is back.

With the Dolphins, Smith would have to fight off Matt Moore who played well down the stretch last year. Smith could win that competition, but it is far from a guarantee.

Miami is only a better fit for Smith if he truly feels a disdain towards Jim Harbaugh and 49ers management. All things equal, Smith is still a very good fit for the 49ers.

In Miami, Smith would be starting over again with a new coach, coordinator and offense. That's a recipe for a regressive season.  It's more than possible that the only way Smith will continue to progress as an NFL quarterback is in San Francisco. 

Advantage: 49ers 

Chance For a Championship

The 49ers defense is an elite unit and will keep the team relevant no matter who plays quarterback. As the Dolphins have shown over several seasons, that is simply not the case in Miami.

Smith won't make the Dolphins Super Bowl contenders or even legitimate playoff contenders. In reality, the Dolphins would still be the fourth best team in its own division.

Given that the 49ers were a couple of special teams plays away from the Super Bowl last season,  Smith keeps them in talks as a Super Bowl contender in the NFC. Open and closed case here.

Advantage: 49ers 

Offensive Weapons

The 49ers have done an admirable job of acquiring playmakers at receiver this offseason. The team signed Randy Moss, who blew away a league workout. They also added Mario Manningham, one of the Giants' Super Bowl heroes.

Adding Moss and Manningham to Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter gives the 49ers a lot to work with in 2012.

The Dolphins have gone completely the opposite way. GM Jeff Ireland shipped Brandon Marshall to Chicago, which eliminated the team's top receiving option. The Dolphins haven't made any other significant free agent moves on the offensive side of the ball.

Advantage: 49ers

Overall

On paper, this shouldn't even be a choice for Smith. If he's getting a three-year, $24 million deal from the 49ers he should sign it right now. But it's obvious that the 49ers flirtation with Peyton Manning has frayed a relationship between team and quarterback, thus Smith's visits to Miami and Seattle.

However, Smith needs to wipe his teary eyes and put his pen to paper in San Francisco. It's a matter of winning 10 or more games in San Francisco versus losing 10 or more in Miami.

If he can weather his latest storm with the 49ers—to his credit, Smith has weathered a lot in San Francisco—this is a no-brainer.