Alex Smith: 5 Reasons He Is the Right Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers

The question that everyone is asking: Is Alex Smith really going to be the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011?

Signs point to yes, reads the magic eight-ball because head coach Jim Harbaugh and company have said little to make one believe otherwise.

That statement could make a 49er fan cry in agony, and understandably so. However, it is important to take a step back and realize why Smith might be the best man for the job.

The 49ers are in a peculiar situation since the lockout has pushed them behind schedule. With a first-year head coach at the helm, any time lost preparing for the NFL season hurts the 49ers more so than any other team in the league.

Here is a list of the five reasons why Smith is the right quarterback for the 49ers, at least in the 2011 NFL season.

1. Smith Has Rapport with Players at Skill Positions on Offense

If there is one thing that a starting quarterback in the NFL needs more than his God-given ability to play football, it is the chemistry he needs to have with his offense.

From where the receiver likes to catch the ball, to what kinds of routes they run and how quickly they do so, these are all vitally important for a quarterback to understand about his teammates.

This strength is where Smith separates himself from the pack because he knows Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Joshua Morgan and Frank Gore like the back of his hand.

Sure, it's a fair to argue that a new quarterback could have come in and establish a rapport with the offense, but unfortunately the NFL lockout prevented such a thing from happening this year.

Even if the 49ers went another route and signed a veteran free agent quarterback this offseason, he would of had merely two weeks to prepare with his new team before the first preseason game. 

Harbaugh knew that wasn't going to be enough time and opted to make the acclaimed Smith the starting quarterback for 2011.

2. Smith Knows the Offense Better Than Any Other Quarterback

Yup, that nagging NFL lockout strikes again.

Harbaugh wanted to implement a new offensive scheme with the 49ers when he came into town, but that was put on hold since he wasn't allowed to meet with any of his new players.

However, that didn't include free agent Alex Smith, who was the first 49er to receive Harbaugh's new playbook during the offseason.

Smith, being the intelligent man that he is, has probably read the playbook from cover to cover a few hundred times (OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration), and took that knowledge to the practice field where he held "Camp Alex" during the offseason.

Everything the 49ers offense knows about Harbaugh's new offensive scheme is through the leadership of Smith.

3. We Saw What Smith Is Capable of in This Offense

We might not have seen it against the New Orleans Saints in the first preseason game and we certainly didn't see it in the most recent game against the Houston Texans, but Smith proved he could play in the West Coast offense after the Oakland Raiders game on August 20.

When Smith was facing the Raiders' starting defense, he looked calm and collected in the pocket for the first time in his NFL career. Smith was nimble in the pocket and escaped from pressure to buy extra time to find his open receivers down field.

When he took the snap and dropped back in the pocket, he showed the swagger of a starting NFL quarterback, which is exactly what had been missing in the first five years of his career.

Most importantly, he was delivering his throws on time and hitting his receivers in stride, which is what being a NFL quarterback is all about.

In the other two games, one can argue that Smith's poor performance wasn't entirely his fault because the opposing pass rush ate him alive and was constantly on the ground before he could even realize what had happened.

Surrounding himself with a strong offensive line could be the deciding factor in determining whether Smith will be a successful quarterback in the coming year.

4. Smith Is Simply Better Than His Competition

Let's face it, Smith is simply the best option the 49ers have at the quarterback position.

After drafting Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 draft, it became immediately apparent that the 49ers needed a veteran quarterback to show him the ropes and allow him to watch from the sidelines during his rookie year.

There is no doubting that Kaepernick has all the potential in the world to become a true dual-threat quarterback, but it's important to realize that he is not ready to start in the NFL just yet.

Moreover, veteran Josh McCown—who signed with the 49ers mid-August— will likely be nothing more than an insurance policy in case Smith or Kaepernick are injured.

5. Jury Is Still out on Whether Smith Can Become a Legitimate Quarterback

Try to find a quarterback who came into the league in a tougher situation than Smith.

That's going to be tough.

During the majority of his career, Smith has lacked the necessary weapons on offense to succeed—and that includes the lack of a coach or teacher.

Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary—Smith's two previous head coaches with the 49ers—were both defensive-minded coaches who didn't adhere to the needs of Smith.

The biggest strides we saw Smith take were after his rookie year in 2006 when offensive coordinator Norv Turner took over as the 49ers offensive coordinator.

Since then, Smith has been working with coaches in offensive schemes who weren't tailored to his needs to become an exceptional quarterback in the NFL.

Then, Jim Harbaugh steps in—the notorious quarterback guru himself.

Harbaugh is exactly what Smith needs and it couldn't have come at a better time. Smith has been through hell and back with the 49ers and if he had the guts to want to come back to the 49ers for the 2011 season, I'm not sure there is anything that can mentally faze Smith at this point.

Now Smith will be in an offense that consists of an honest running game and a bunch of short passes all over the field.

It might sound like a broken record, but things are shaping up nicely for Smith to have a successful 2011 campaign.