Harbaugh hopes Alex Smith stays

Indianapolis - Former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith, whose career has been a washout so far with the 49ers, is a free agent if and when there's a new collective bargaining agreement. But new head coach Jim Harbaugh, a former quarterback himself, hopes Smith decides to remain with the 49ers.

"I'm hopeful that Alex will choose that his next team to play with, the fresh start, is with the San Francisco 49ers," Harbaugh said today at the NFL Scouting Combine. 

Smith was the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, the same year that Aaron Rodgers came out. Rodgers slipped to 24th overall to the Packers, but he wound up being the more successful quarterback. Rodgers is coming off a Super Bowl win over the Steelers in which he won MVP honors.