At some point this year, we have to find out what we have in Alex Smith. Many people have already written him off as a career backup. Others still see a glimmer of hope. Either way, we HAVE to find out what we have in Alex before his contract inflates. So I see him as the starter at some point this year. Which is totally fine with me.

JTO starts until Smith gets a grip on the offense. Then Smith starts the rest of the year. Sorry Hill, but you gotta sit this year out. Then we can make the right move next offseason. Either dump Smith and move forward with JTO and HIll, or dump JTO and move forward with Smith and Hill. Hill will also get some more time to understand the offense and can be given a shot if both JTO and Smith fail.

You’d think Smith needs to be traded or cut. They are paying him a ridiculous amount of money, while O’Sullivan probably makes league minimum. If Martz’s mancrush pans out to be halfway decent, they have to give Smith das boot to free up cap space.

Remember that the year Smith was drafted, the consensus among the experts was that it was a bad year to draft quarterbacks, especially when Matt Lienert decided to stay in USC. I just think expectations have been way too high for Smith. I think what we’ve seen over the years pretty much speaks for itself. But I think Hill was the one that really got shortchanged. I kept hoping to see him playing with the first team too in Chicago. Frankly, if it wasn’t for his end of the season success, I don’t think Nolan would have kept his job. But all things being equal, J.T. flat out won the job. I am excited to see this team moving the ball and getting in the end zone, something that we haven’t seen in years. I figured that with Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, things would certainly be exciting, but now I feel that this team will really compete. I’m 100% behind J.T. I just wish Hill was backing him up.

Alex Smith has not lived up to expectations or his paycheck under this regime. I do blame Nolan and the coaching change over, but the truth of the matter is that Alex Smith’s success is based on longevity in a system. I think the current situation is a mess because I don’t imagine JTO staying after one year, and we aren’t grooming anyone for the future in a specific system. In the long haul, JTO and Martz will leave if we are successful this year, or they will fired with Nolan if we are not. neither situation helps. At least the 49ers will have Shaun Hill as a journeyman qb at the end of the year to raise to a starter and hope he remains for one year.
  Lets plan on a qb next year, either Chase Danials, Dan LaFaur or Matt Stafford as the future qb.