The 49ers spent an hour or so with quarterback Alex Smith on Monday in an effort to patch things up with the quarterback and to convince him that re-signing with the team is in his best interest.
Smith, meanwhile, is running out of options.
A day after one of the teams he hoped to visit, the Seattle Seahawks, signed Matt Flynn to a three-year deal, the team that Smith did visit on Sunday, the Miami Dolphins, agreed to a deal with free agent David Garrard. Garrard certainly won't be handed the Dolphins starting job after sitting out the 2011 season, but the team now has Garrard, Matt Moore and Pat Devlin at quarterback, and therefore less of a need for Smith.
The deal currently on the table for Smith is for $24 million over three years and has a little more than $10 million in guarantees. It also has some guaranteed money in the second year.
Jim Harbaugh was seen leaving the team facility around 2 p.m. today, and it is believed that he's the one who extended the olive branch to Smith, who is upset over what he presumably felt was a lower-than-expected offer.
Harbaugh likely will try to convince Smith that the 49ers are the best -- and perhaps only -- spot for him to start this season and that as long as he and the 49ers play well, he will remain the starter and earn the entire contract.
Smith and agent Tom Condon -- he's still representing Smith -- are likely to point to the deal Flynn just received, which is similar to the one that Smith has been offered. Flynn started two games in his career; Smith has started 68, and he was the quarterback of a team that went to the NFC Championship game.
-- Matt Barrows
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