MARK HUMPHREY / Associated Press
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith passes during practice on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans.
Poll
What should the 49ers do with Alex Smith?
Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.
The 49ers' biggest decision in the offseason won't involve the April draft or possible free-agent signings.
Should the 49ers make the best deal they can and send Alex Smith packing? Or should they keep him as a backup to starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick?
ESPN reported last week that the trade market for Smith is "limited" and there's "not a large buzz" with teams searching for a starting quarterback.
If true, that's surprising considering how well Smith played before he went down because of a concussion and was replaced by Kaepernick.
On the one hand, Smith was considered a bust until Jim Harbaugh became the 49ers' coach and designed a game plan that fit Smith's strengths as a "safe" quarterback, one who would protect the ball and make few mistakes. There's a school of thought that Harbaugh made Smith successful and he's not a top-tier NFL starter.
On the other hand, Smith is 19-5-1 as a starter over the past two seasons, he led the 49ers within a muffed punt return of the Super Bowl in 2011 and he completed 70.2 percent of his passes and had a 104.1 passer rating in 2012 before he was injured.
If the market for Smith really has grown bearish, the 49ers should keep him, despite his $7.5 million price tag for the 2013 season. Smith has proven he's a team guy, someone who won't bellyache about playing time.
And every time Kaepernick takes off with the ball, there's a chance he could get hit so hard he has to leave the game. If that happens, it would be nice to have a quarterback with Smith's experience ready to step in.
What to watch
One on One with Ahmad Rashad, 5 p.m., NBA: With the NBA off, check out an interview with Michael Jordan. If you forget to set the DVR, it will be repeated at 8 p.m.
Today's poll
What should the 49ers do with Alex Smith?
• Trade him
• Keep him
Vote above or leave your comments in the comments field; or go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Weekend poll results
Who is the greatest pro athlete of all time?
• Michael Jordan: 39%
• Willie Mays: 19%
• Muhammad Ali: 22%
• Wayne Gretzky: 9%
• Jim Brown: 6%
• Tiger Woods: 5%
Total votes: 367
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