On Thursday, the Oakland Raiders cut ties with former #1 pick quarterback JaMarcus Russell. After only producing seven wins and a lot of headaches, Russell now has to find employment elsewhere.
Despite 49ers fans finding joy in the suffering of their cross-bay rivals, they should also hold their breaths for their own team's quarterback situation.
Quarterback Alex Smith went #1 overall in 2005 and even though he hasn't been terrible like Russell, he has not given the 49ers a winning season since being drafted.
To be fair, there shouldn't be similar comparisons between Smith and Russell. The former Raider was not motivated, out of shape and didn't seem to be a team player. Smith on the other hand has been the opposite. He has given his best effort, has always been in shape despite the bad fortune of being hurt.
Regardless, he will be looked as a potential bust if he cannot produce a winning season this year.
Of past nine quarterbacks selected #1 overall, only Sam Bradford (Rams), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Carson Palmer (Bengals) and Smith remain with the teams that drafted them. Smith hopes to remain on that list after this season. If we count back to the past 10, we add Peyton Manning (Colts) to that list.
Smith has one more year remaining on his contract and hopes that this upcoming season will be the season that he proves his worth to the 49ers. If Smith does not perform well, the 49ers could very well let him go and not make an effort to re-sign him.
There is a pressure for Smith to not end up like Russell. Even though he is a more effective quarterback in the league, the only thing some people may see is that Smith didn't work out with his team-- just like Russell.
The situation for Smith this year is in his favor. He has an offensive coordinator that has tailored the offense to fit his need. The team has new reinforcements at running back and offensive line. The receivers are much improved from when he first started. Smith is expected to succeed.
If Smith doesn't lead the 49ers to the playoffs this year, he will end up just like Russell. And even though he clearly has had better success with his team than Russell did, he will still end up with the "bust:" label on his résumé. That's the pressure Smith has to not mess up this situation he has with the 49ers. He doesn't want to be another failed top pick quarterback in the Bay Area.
Original Story:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2712-San-Fr...
3
1
