The news Wednesday that the 49ers offered former No. 1 overall draft  Alex Smith a one-year contract before the lockout shouldn’t come as a major surprise. After all, one of the first moves by new coach Jim Harbaugh was to get to know Smith, who at the very least would get a fresh start while giving the 49ers a fall-back option given the uncertainty of free agency (which has yet to happen).

But is Smith’s return really the right move?

NFL Network analyst Trent Green thinks so. Green believes Smith is at his best when he’s going through his route progressions and not trying to do too much, which leads to mistakes in game management. That’s where Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback, comes in.

“The reason I like him to stay with the 49ers is (the arrival of) Harbaugh,” Green said. “Harbaugh spent his 14-year NFL career bouncing between four different teams. I think he understands the maturation process that goes into playing quarterback in the NFL.”

It appears Harbaugh agrees, at least enough to let Smith compete for his old job.

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