NINERS HAVE OFFER ON TABLE FOR MARVEL SMITH

With two back surgeries in two years behind him, Steelers free-agent tackle Marvel Smith expected to hit free agency with a bang. Instead, he landed with a thud. As we expected, no one showed serious interest in Smith. The Ravens and the Raiders initially were linked to Smith, but nothing materialized. Three weeks into the process, Smith finally has something concrete. According to Matthew Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the 49ers have made an offer to Smith. Smith’s agent told Barrows that he’ll take the weekend to ponder the proposal. Our guess is that Smith isn’t all that excited with the numbers, but that he’s realizing that no team wants to fork over big money to a guy with a recent history of back issues. Look for a one-year deal or a multi-year “prove it” package, with a large payment due in 2010. In our view, he’d be better off with a one-year deal and a chance to hit the market after proving that he’s healthy and effective.