10-04-2018, 08:51 PM
(10-04-2018, 12:54 PM)Whatever Wrote: I don't think they necessarily knew Smith couldn't win a SB. You have to remember that veteran QB's get huge money and that hamstrings your ability to build a team around them. A QB on a rookie deal gives you a lot more cap flexibility.
It's impossible to win a SB in today's day and age without a quality QB. At the same time, there are a lot of supposed "elite" QB's who have massive ups and downs and miss the playoffs on a regular basis. Really, Brady and Rodgers are the only guys in the league that can consistently carry their team to the postseason year after year. What you don't want is a situation like Atlanta or Baltimore, where you have a good QB making ridiculous money, but he isn't good enough to carry you to the postseason year after year. You can win a SB with a good, but not elite, QB as long as you aren't overpaying them.
Not to mention Alex Smith is a bit older (34) than Dalton.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.