Jim Harbaugh should follow brother's lead, starting with QB

INDIANAPOLIS -- John Harbaugh said he wouldn't offer suggestions to brother Jim now that he's coaching in the NFL because ... well, because "he doesn't need any advice." Wrong. He does, and John is just the guy to give it to him.
Basically, the message is this: Get yourself a quarterback.
John Harbaugh did when he took over as head coach in Baltimore, with the Ravens drafting Joe Flacco in John's first season there, and I'd say that worked out all right. Flacco and Harbaugh have been to the playoffs every year, including the AFC Championship Game in their first season together, and, yeah, OK, so the Ravens have an outstanding defense. They had an outstanding defense when Kyle Boller was there, too, and didn't get anywhere.
So pass the message, John. The 49ers need something they haven't had in years, which is a quarterback who can win.

Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh have been to the playoffs every year, including one AFC Championship Game. (Getty Images)

The question, of course, is whether that guy is or can be Alex Smith, and after six seasons I'd say we have our answer. Except I ran into two head coaches at this week's NFL Scouting Combine who insisted they could win with the guy, and that Smith's problem -- if you want to call it one -- is that the 49ers change offensive coordinators every year.
Give him stability, they said, and you give him a chance. Only Smith might have run out of chances.
He's an unrestricted free agent, and I don't know if the 49ers try to re-sign him or not. But Harbaugh didn't draft him, so I suspect they don't. Plus, Harbaugh -- Jim, that is -- didn't exactly rush to Smith's defense Thursday when he said that "he has a decision to make, too."
So let's say San Francisco lets Smith walk. Then what? Well, then they better do what Baltimore and John Harbaugh did in 2008, which was to find their next starter in the draft -- and this one has plenty of candidates, including Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.
"Alex Smith has a lot to prove," said former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, now with the NFL Network. "From the confidence level of the team, it would be really difficult to buy in that he can do it. Sometimes a change of scenery is the best thing for a player. So I think they need to start again and get the program fixed."
I'll second that. When Steve Young retired in 2000 the 49ers had Jeff Garcia on board, and while he wasn't Young or Joe Montana he wasn't bad, either. In fact, he went on to three Pro Bowls and led the 49ers to their last two playoff appearances.
But the club floundered after Garcia left, running through journeymen Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett before making Smith the first pick of the 2005 draft. Once I thought he had a chance to make it, which was in 2006 when Norv Turner was his offensive coordinator. But when Turner left for San Diego, Smith went into eclipse -- failing to play a complete season afterward.
The results are predictable: Since letting Garcia go, San Francisco hasn't had a winning season -- going 39-73 the past seven years. That can happen when you don't have a proven quarterback, and the 49ers don't. Smith's résumé speaks for itself, with 51 touchdown passes, 53 interceptions and no winning seasons.
Now, contrast that to Garcia's two playoff seasons when he produced 53 TDs -- including 32 in one year -- and 22 interceptions, won 22 games and one division title in two seasons, and you can see Jim Harbaugh has an issue he must not only address but rectify.
"What would I do?" asked Lombardi, "I bring in the best player. You have a new coach, and that's the time to start with a new quarterback. Then build around him."
Baltimore did with Flacco, and the results speak for themselves. He hasn't missed the playoffs, hasn't missed a start and has been so proficient that he has 60 touchdown passes and 34 interceptions in that time -- with his TDs at a career high last season and his interceptions at a career low.
Connect the dots, people. Nope, connect the dots, Jim Harbaugh, and take the hint: Find yourself another quarterback. Now.