San Francisco 49ers Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 2013 NFL Draft takes place on April 25th, the 3 days of drafting will shape franchises for years to come. Some players will become stars, some will become busts, some will surprise and some will disappoint. The NFL Draft is one of the biggest events on the NFL Calendar and there is certainly a lot of intrigue as we lead up to the main event. Of course this is the San Francisco Sports Cave so I am gonna take a look at some of the 49ers draft needs and which players the 49ers might be looking at. Overall the 49ers have 15 picks in this years draft, and with multiple big contracts looming in the coming years, being able to draft effectively is going to be key for the 49ers to remain towards the top of the NFL.

49ers Position Needs and Potential Targets
Defense
What is very interesting is that the 49ers have been known for their stout defense, but this time around the 49ers have multiple needs on the defensive side.

Safety: The departure of Dashon Goldson in Free Agency and the decline in performance from Donte Whitner makes Safety arguably priority number 1 for the 49ers heading in to the draft. The 49ers hold the 31st, 34th and and 61st picks within the first 2 rounds. I am making an absolute guarantee that with one of those picks (or via a trade) the 49ers will draft a Safety in either round 1 or 2. In my opinion, some of the main Safety prospects the 49ers will focus on will be Jonathan Cyprien (Florida International) and Matt Elam (Florida). Addressing this position early is vital, I don't think any of us 49er fans will forget Joe Flacco torching Whitner and Goldson on all of those deep passes in the Superbowl.

Note: The 49ers did sign Free Agent Craig Dahl, but he in my opinion is definitely a backup talent but may see time in Nickel or Dime packages.

MATT ELAM COULD BE SOMEONE THE 49ERS WOULD TARGET IN THE 2ND ROUND

Defensive Line: There are 2 reasons why defensive line is a huge need for the 49ers. 1- The 49ers lost valuable depth in Free Agency with Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean Francois gone. 2- We all saw how much the absence of Justin Smith effected the 49ers defense. While Justin will be ready to go for Training Camp, he will be turning 34 around the start of the Regular Season. This means he won't be at his high caliber for many years and also he is more likely to get injured and "dinged up" and miss time. With the now lack of depth the 49ers will need to address the defensive line. The 49ers could target Sylvester Williams (North Carolina) if he is available at the end of round 1, the one issue with him is the recent bust Kentwan Balmer played the same position and came from the same school. This may affect the 49ers thought process with Williams. Other potential prospects around the 49ers early picks which could be targeted are Kawann Short (Purdue) and Bennie Logan (LSU).

Note: The 49ers signed Glenn Dorsey who I think could blossom in San Francisco, however the need is still there and I expect the 49ers will add another D-Lineman early.

Offense
The 49ers starting offense is all but set in stone, the key for the 49ers will be acquiring key depth at certain positions.

ZACH ERTZ WOULD BE AN IDEAL PICK

Tight End: We all know how much the 49ers love using the pistol offense and 2 Tight End formations and the departure of Delanie Walker means there is a notable void. I don't believe Garrett Celek is ready to be that guy, with other teams Celek could be a number 2 TE but with the amount the 49ers utilize that position, expect an upgrade somewhat early in the draft. The ideal selection would be Zach Ertz (Stanford) with the 61st pick but it's very likely he will be gone by then. Another possibility could be Jordan Reed (Florida).


Backup QB: After Colin Kaepernick, the only other QB on the roster is Scott Tolzien, who looks solid in the pre-season but should be nothing more than the #3 QB option. Kaepernick is the Franchise QB but with the abundance of picks the 49ers have, it never hurts to have a very solid backup QB. Also with Jim Harbaugh's ability to develop and get the best out of QB's, it's possible the 49ers could develop the back up QB and the trade him to stock up on picks in a similar trade to Matt Schaub to Houston or Alex Smith to Kansas City. Some options the 49ers could look at in the 3rd round are Matt Scott (Arizona), Tyler Bray (Tennessee) or Tyler Wilson (Arkansas).

Lets not forget the 49ers also have two 3rd rounders, (74th and 93rd overall picks). The 49ers will have a lot of flexibility in being able to move and trade to get the players they want. This draft could really set the 49ers up for the next 5+ years and the 3 draft days in April and its success could cement Trent Baalke's reputation as being the top GM in the NFL.

That's it for now. Check back soon for more updates. Over and Out.

Anquan Boldin to the 49ers

By Kalen Patrick

Today the 49ers have pulled off a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Anquan Boldin for a 2013 6th round draft pick (insert picture of smiling Colin Kaepernick). The 49ers had 2 draft picks, their own and also owned the Miami Dolphins 6th rounder too. I'm guessing the 49ers gave up the Dolphins pick (earlier pick) but the details have yet to be announced.

BOLDIN IS NOW A 49ER

So what does this move mean for the 49ers? Well for one, to me it confirms 100% that Randy Moss will not be back. It also means that currently injured Wide Receiver Mario Manningham will have to take a pay cut if he wants to remain on the roster.

The 49ers current Wide Receiver depth chart looks like: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams and AJ Jenkins. Now that is a very talented group of receivers, and when you throw in talents like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter, the 49ers and Colin Kaepernick are in a great position.

Specifically looking at this trade, I feel it is a very low risk/high reward trade for the 49ers. Anquan Boldin is a vocal veteran leader, amazing work ethic (someone AJ Jenkins can emulate) and still very productive. While Boldin does not provide much in terms of a speed threat, he is a big body receiver and very sure handed and can make plays after the catch. The 49ers hope and expect AJ Jenkins to be the deep threat they need. Ultimately, this is another great move by GM Trent Baalke, demonstrating why he is so highly regarded in NFL circles.

Over and Out

49ers - A Look Ahead (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

I am still not, and probably never will be over the devastating loss in the Superbowl. No more perfect record in the "Big Dance", not hearing Colin Kaepernick utter the words "I'm going to Disneyland!" and so on and so forth. That is definitely the glass half empty look at the 49ers. However, I will be focusing on the positives. Imagine if 4 years ago I told you that the 49ers would make the NFC Championship Game and then the Superbowl in back to back years. You would have called me crazy. Back then I would have gladly accepted an 8-8 season. We have been spoiled so quickly. Now it's time to take a closer look at how I feel the 49ers will be approaching this offseason.

The Offense really doesn't need much tinkering with, some of the bigger question marks are:

1. How are Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham recovering from their injuries?
2. How well is AJ Jenkins progressing?
3. Will Delanie Walker return?
4. Who's the long term answer at Center?

THE 49ERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE AJ JENKINS MAKE SOME PLAYS IN THE REGULAR AND POST SEASON IN 2013

Both Williams and Manningham are young receivers, so I really don't question their ability to return 100% for the upcoming season. I would make an educated guess that AJ Jenkins got a serious wake up call when he didn't even catch a single pass as a 1st round rookie. I expect a bigger role for him in the 2013 season, but how big a role remains to be seen. How Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh handle the WR's in the offseason, whether through draft or free agency will go a long way in giving us a clearer answer to Questions 1 and 2.

Delanie Walker, I really have a love/hate relationship with him. I love his versatility, his ability to make plays and get open. I hate his knack for dropping passes/fumbling in crunch time and critical situations. I would like to see him back, but I feel another team lacking a receiving threat at TE will probably throw more money at him than the 49ers will. In this case I would be very happy drafting a TE somewhere between rounds 3-5 who is more sure handed.

49ERS OFFENSE IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH THEM

Jonathan Goodwin is a very solid Center and I honestly can't poke too many holes in his game. He gets the job done and has a good grasp of the Offense. The big question will come down to value. What does Goodwin think he is worth in comparison to what the 49ers think he is worth. I personally would love to have him back but it depends on the price tag. The 49ers have been grooming players like Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney for this role. It's also possible the 49ers draft a Center early and hope he can step in and perform well immediately.


Ultimately the 49ers are in very good shape going forward on the offensive side of the ball. Kaepernick is a young and incredibly talented QB who will benefit from a whole offseason as the starter, all the experience he gained last season and more playing time. The 49ers have a ton of young talent at the Offensive Line (Staley, Iupati, Boone and Davis), a bunch of talent at RB with Gore, Hunter, James and Miller. Kaepernick also has some real nice options in the passing game primarily with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. The return of Manningham and Williams, along with the development of Jenkins and possibly further offseason additions will only help significantly.

You may have noticed a lack of Alex Smith talk, don't worry, I will be going in to that in a whole other post. That about sums up the Offense. A Look Ahead Defense + Special Teams Edition will be coming soon.

Over and Out.

The 49ers QB Situation

By Kalen Patrick

Well I guess to start off, I wanna say that it has been a while since I have posted. Been very busy with work and visiting family and what not. Gonna be getting back in to the blog in a big way to end the year and look for some big things happening in the New Year. My own website will be launching, I am looking to get in to coaching at the Pee-Wee/High School Football level and of course all my thoughts on sports throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, along with thoughts on the biggest topics in Sports too. Anyways, let's get to the biggest story that has taken over the 49ers recently.

 I realize that I am a few weeks late on this whole topic but I wanted to just share my thoughts on this topic. First of all, I do have to say and admit that I trust the decision Harbaugh makes, his regular season record speaks for itself (21-6-1). Secondly, Jim Harbaugh knows his players way way better than I or any other person in the media does. However, I am entitled to my opinion and I won't be holding back when expressing that.

JIM HARBAUGH IS ALL IN ON QB COLIN KAEPERNICK

I would NOT have named Colin Kaepernick the starter going forward this season, and here's why. By going with Kaepernick (barring injury) you cannot go back to Alex Smith and start a QB carousel. Just will not work, never has and never will. So Harbaugh has left himself with zero flexibility. Teams will be watching tape on Kaepernick and just like the Rams showed, with a little film, it is amazing how Defensive Coaches can come up with ways to slow down a QB who is a new starter in the NFL. For the 49ers sake, we hope that Kaepernick and the offense can overcome this and come up with new plays and schemes and be able to stay ahead of the defense.

Difference is, as a starter in Harbaugh's system Alex Smith was 19-5 and posted some very impressive numbers to go along with all of those wins. He proved that he was able to stay ahead of the curve and came within a few bounces of a Super Bowl, even with all the tape a defense could ask for on him. Another advantage of going with Alex Smith (once he was cleared to play obviously) would be, you know that should Alex struggle and not play well, you can always go to Kaepernick, and at least there is some justification among the team and fans and organization for making that decision. You have flexibility, which is key in the NFL. Heck, you could start Alex Smith and then maybe give Kaepernick 5 snaps a game. Keep defenses guessing.

ALEX SMITH MAY HAVE STARTED HIS LAST GAME AS A 49ER

The St. Louis game really opened my eyes, with Harbaugh, I have never seen an Alex Smith led 49ers look so ordinary and unproductive against a team the quality of the Rams, and with the defense playing as well as it was to back up the offense. I know the NFL is about taking risks and big plays and what not, but sometimes conservative can be the logical way to go and Alex Smith will not lose you a game, and he has shown multiple times this year he can take over and win games (Buffalo, @Arizona, @Green Bay).

I do admire and root for Alex Smith, but my allegiance is and always will be to the 49ers and whoever is the QB will have my unquestioned support (whether its Tim Rattay, Cody Pickett, Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick). I certainly hope Kaepernick can evolve and progress his game to take this team to the Superbowl. I trust Jim Harbaugh and this is a huge risk that he is taking, but with his record it's hard to argue with him.

That's it for now. It's good to be back writing and please check back for updates.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Jets Recap and Week 5 Preview

By Kalen Patrick

Week 4 turned out to be a walk in the park for the 49ers with a comfortable 34-0 win over the New York Jets. I don't want to spend too much time on this considering it was such a slaughter. Some of the things I really liked in particular was the 49ers ability to rush the passer. Aldon Smith was back creating havoc in the backfield, and over all credit has to go to the guys up front and Vic Fangio. Not to mention guys like Tarrell Brown, Carlos Rogers and Chris Culliver shut down the Jets receivers. The play of the entire game for me was on a deep Mark Sanchez pass to Santonio Holmes that Dashon Goldson swatted away at the last second. That was beautiful.

Offensively the 49ers did what the 49ers do and that is run the football well. Gaining nice chunks of yards every time it seemed. Colin Kaepernick had some big runs and scored his 1st career TD. The one big concern for the 49ers is Alex Smith's ability to hit the deep passes to anyone not named Vernon Davis. I remember 2-3 times Manningham had beat his man and Smith had just about overthrown him each time. Overall the score was 34-0 and it easily could have been 48-0. Sorry Jets fans. That game was ugly.

THE 49ERS DEFENSE SMOTHERED MARK SANCHEZ AND THE JETS

Week 5 the 49ers will welcome the Buffalo Bills to Candlestick Park. The Bills are coming off a crushing loss where they gave up 45 2nd half points to the Patriots. The 49ers have had only 1 home game so far (a win against the Lions) so it will be rocking in Candlestick come Sunday. I do like the 49ers chances in this game. The Bills defense is shaky at best and all the money invested in Mario Williams has not paid off so far. I expect Alex Smith to have consistent time back to throw and the 49ers should be able to run the ball and control the clock. I want to see Alex Smith make some nice passes down the field, if he can start hitting those consistently than I found it very difficult to name more than 3-4 teams who could beat the 49ers.

JIM HARBAUGH NEEDS ALEX SMITH TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE AS HIS WR'S

The Bills love the big play, CJ Spiller has been hitting huge runs all season long. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not afraid to throw the football into tight coverage. He is prone to mistakes but can make some very nice throws too when given the time. I think an underrated match up will be Willis/Bowman in coverage vs TE Scott Chandler who is having a good season so far. The Bills mix it up a lot with the dink and dunk passes and try to use their speed to make big plays out of it, with both Stevie Johnson and CJ Spiller expected to get a lot of short passes thrown their way.

I have confidence the 49ers defense will be able to contain the Bills and the offense should be more than capable of putting up enough points for the 49ers to come away with a win. As usual I hate predicting the score but if I had to guess I'm gonna go with something along the lines of 27-17 in favor of the 49ers.

Over and Out.

49ers - Ready or Not (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

Exactly 1 week from right now the 49ers season will officially be underway, being an avid 49er fan I'd love nothing more than coming away from Green Bay with a 'W'. It's gonna be a great well fought game no doubt about it and despite it being week 1 I expect a very well played game (assuming the replacement refs don't stop that from happening.) The 49ers have their 53 man roster in the books so let's take a look at some of the players who are Ready and some who are Not.

Ready - Alex Smith QB - You know that the 49ers starting QB is more than ready to go when he doesn't need much playing time in preseason to look in regular season form. Of course Alex Smith is heavily scrutinized being a former #1 Overall Pick, but just let these numbers sink in and you will know Alex Smith is ready: From the 2009-2011 seasons (40 starts including playoffs) Alex Smith has 54 TD's to only 17 INT's. Alex Smith has NOT thrown an Interception in his last 7 starts and he has a total of 215 pass attempts in those games. He has never been more ready for a season in his life. And I haven't even mentioned all the weapons the 49ers have added this offseason (oh wait.....)

ALEX SMITH IS READY FOR THE 2012 SEASON - ARE YOU?

Not - Colin Kaepernick QB - I really loved the job Kaepernick did in the preseason this year and it is obvious that he is progressing and developing as an NFL QB. I still believe that Kaepernick will not be launching his attack on Alex Smith for 49ers starting QB until next year. The excellent job Colin did in the preseason bodes well for the 49ers moving forward knowing they have a good QB developing well. He has all the tools to be an excellent QB going forward, big arm, mobility and accuracy but he will need to develop further in his ability to read complex defenses, know when to use his mobility as an asset rather than liability. He is getting there, and the future looks bright for Mr. Kaepernick.

Ready - Michael Crabtree WR - This is the first time in his NFL Career that Michael Crabtree will have been able to work out extensively. Of course we all remember his rookie season holdout and last season's NFL lockout. Add in that in all his years in the NFL he has had foot issues that have kept him out of Training Camps and preseason games. Every year Crabtree has progressed in both catches and yards, 48-625 in 2009, 55-741 in 2010 and 72-874 last year. I think 2012 could be the year when Michael finally eclipses 1000 yards and I'd like to see him haul in at least 7 TD's. The situation and offense is perfect for a receiver with Crabtree's skill set and experience.

MICHAEL CRABTREE IS READY FOR THE PRIME TIME

Not - AJ Jenkins WR - While I believe that Jenkins won't have much of an impact in his rookie year, don't take that as a knock against him or against Baalke for drafting him in the 1st round. This season in the first in many that the 49ers have good-great depth at WR. Jenkins was drafted more to be a big contributor in a year or two down the line. He is definitely a raw player, will need a year of seasoning to be able to get the offense down, to be able to read defensive schemes to adjust routes accordingly and of course his route running abilities can be improved upon. I can see he and Crabtree being the 49ers 1 and 2 receivers going forward for a long time.

That was the Offense Edition for my 'Ready or Not' Column in part of my 49ers preview for the 2012 NFL Season. Check back for my Defense Edition of 'Ready or Not'.

Over and Out.

49ers - Vikings, What to Watch for

By Kalen Patrick

FOOTBALL IS BACK! The 49ers open up the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday at 5PM  Pacific Time. I am never one to care about the scores in preseason games, I much prefer to focus on how certain individual players perform. I am going to compile a list of players that I will be focusing on and I will explain why.

49ERS QB - COLIN KAEPERNICK

1. Alex Boone RG - Boone is currently leading the competition for the starting RG spot, this will be his first chance to prove this when he takes on an opponents D-Line. The Vikings have a pair of very good linemen in Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. If Boone can do a good job on Friday it will help his chances of earning that starting spot. Guards Leonard Davis and rookie Joe Looney will be eager to prove themselves, Boone cannot take this competition lightly.

2. Colin Kaepernick QB - It has already been laid out that Alex Smith is the unquestioned starter, however, Smith does have a history of shoulder injuries and at any time Kaepernick could be asked to come in and play. In the NFL you need to have a good backup QB so that you're season isn't completely over if your starter goes down (Colts 2011 are an example of what not to do). I am very interested to see the progression of Kaepernick having a year in the offense, last preseason he was a disaster, but with a strike shortened offseason and Kaepernick being a very raw player that was to be expected.

3. Aldon Smith OLB/DE - We all know what Aldon Smith is capable of doing when rushing the passer, he is a beast and is already at the cusp of being an elite pass rusher. What makes me want to focus on Aldon is that I expect Vic Fangio to try and get Aldon to focus on his coverage skills and run stopping skills to make him a better all-round player. This way Aldon with his immense talent can see the field a lot more on 1st and 2nd down.

49ERS HC - JIM HARBAUGH HAS FAITH IN ROOKIE WR AJ JENKINS

4. A.J. Jenkins WR - The rookie WR was receiving not only footballs but a fair amount of criticism when he first started taking the field at mini-camps and OTA's. Said to have been out of shape, not catching on as quickly as anticipated, Jenkins is out to prove all his doubters wrong. Unlike last year, the 49ers have quality depth at WR with Crabtree, Manningham and Moss. Jenkins is in a fierce battle with Kyle Williams and Ted Ginn Jr at WR. Lets not forget that Jenkins is a 1st round WR, he has a lot to prove to show he was worthy of the 30th overall pick. Harbaugh has already put it out there that Jenkins is a quality player who can contribute now, lets see if AJ can back that up on the field.

49ers vs Texans Pre-Season Week 3 Review

By Kalen Patrick

Score:
San Francisco 49ers - 7
Houston Texans    -    30

The 3rd game of the Pre-Season is typically the closest you get to Regular Season Football. Coaches keep the starters in for the 1st half, so you get a decent barometer of how your team is looking. I come home from a long day at work and am eagerly anticipating the 49ers take on the Houston Texans. Having missed the majority of the first 2 pre-season games, I figured this would be by far the best chance to see Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers. Ultimately I almost wished I didn't see this game because of how pathetic of a performance it was. The score does accurately depict just how bad of a performance it was by the 49ers. Lets get in to the review of the game itself.

The game started out strong with LB Ahmad Brooks taking an Interception off Matt Schaub to the house. After that I don't think I can find any other positives at all from this game. Besides for the 49ers backup Punter looking solid. Seriously the only positive I can find.

I won't beat up the defense much at all on this game, why? Because the starters were taken out early, I didn't see much blitzing and I expect the defense to look a whole lot different (better) once the season starts. I did like the play of Safety Madieu Williams. Seemed to be near the ball a lot, and along with Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and the impending return of Reggie Smith, I like the 49ers safety group.

Now, to the offense, which to sound very cliche, was offensive to me and every other 49er fan. Fundamentally, the biggest problems of the 49ers offense are: 1- Lack of Talent at QB, 2 - New Offensive System (again) and 3- Poor O-Line play. When we talk about Pre-Season, I tend to take the playcalling out of the equation. I understand not wanting to give away plays, or anything. So I won't criticize the playcalling. However, I have to say, I cannot remember when a time I saw worse OL play....ever. Essentially every time I saw either Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick drop back, they couldn't even finish their step back without one of two things happening. Either they are getting hit or about to get hit. It was downright pathetic.

49ERS QB COLIN KAEPNERNICK UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM HOUSTON TEXANS

I'm not here to make excuses for either QB, and believe I'm not here for some more Alexcuses, but the OL play was atrocious. There is not one QB who could have been successful with the blocking Smith and Kaepernick received. It was simple blocking assignments that were badly missed (I'm looking at you Joe Staley). There are many possible reasons to explain the poor play of the OL, not enough time to gel, new system, blah blah blah. Fact is, this team needs to be ready to play in 2 weeks, yes 2 weeks from this very day, the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park. I just don't know how ready this team will be.

Up and Coming QB's

By Kalen Patrick

I want to take a look here at some of the younger QB's who I like a lot going forward. When I say young QB's I mean rookies and QB's entering their sophomore year. Obviously the biggest names are going to be Sam Bradford and Cam Newton based on them being #1 overall picks in 2010 and 2011 respectively. While Bradford seems destined for stardom, Newton is a major major question mark. On the one hand you could see him turning in to a Donovan McNabb/Warren Moon type player but just as easily could turn in to a better version of Jamarcus Russell.

I like Newton in that he does seem to have a much much better work ethic, and he does have better weapons around him in Carolina. He has a great rushing tandem in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart behind him, and notable weapons in Steve Smith, Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey. I think Newton is in a very solid position to succeed, however, he is just too much of a question mark going forward to go either way. If I had to guess I say he makes an early impact in the NFL, but fades out after 5+ years.

A QB who I think deserves a lot more talk is Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns, he just has the look of a very very solid NFL QB. I think he can really turn in to a Matt Hasselbeck/early Tom Brady type QB. Don't expect too many 4000+ yard seasons. But he will be efficient, make the plays when you need them and win you games, and isn't that ultimately all you can ask for?

COLT MCCOY HAS THE LOOK OF A WINNER

As for a look at the other rookie QB's besides Newton. It's difficult to tell so early on, but you can also tell when a rookie QB has the "look" of an NFL caliber QB. So far based of what I saw, I came away very impressed with Jake Locker, I think a year or so behind Hasselbeck in Tennessee and he (Locker) will be good to go. From his first performance against Minnesota, I see confidence in the pocket, always looking down the field, pocket presence and great touch on the ball.

JAKE LOCKER HAS THE LOOK OF A DEVELOPING FRANCHISE QB 

As for Gabbert, Ponder, Dalton and Kaepernick? Kaepernick looks a least a year away from starting games, he is a boom or bust guy, I liked how he wasn't hesitating and is extremely athletic and accurate. Just needs to make better decisions which can be taught. Gabbert and Dalton just don't seem to have it, especially Gabbert. Of these 4 QB's I like Ponder and Kaepernick the most in the long run.

These are my thoughts on the young QB's. Of course I may end up being 100% wrong on everything I say, but early on these are the impressions I have gotten and I can't wait to see how everything unfolds. Football is back!!

San Francisco 49ers Pre-Season Week 1

By Kalen Patrick

Final Score:
San Francisco 49ers - 3
New Orleans Saints - 24

As the score suggests, the game was pretty brutal for the 49ers. Jim Harbaugh had an extremely tough task ahead of him this year. The lock-out prevented many offseason activities for the young 49er team and throw in MAJOR question marks at QB and you had to expect a very shaky first viewing. Throw in the fact Gregg Williams (Saints DC) decided to blitz the vast majority of the plays, which is typically a rarity in pre-season games.

While Alex Smith looked well like Alex Smith, the blame cannot be put completely on him. Alexcuses? Perhaps, but the o-line was awful, maybe Brady/Manning can work behind a garbage line, but 90% of the NFL QB's can't. Simple fact. The O-Line must get it together, for the 49ers to stand any chance this year. I do expect them to improve and look a whole lot better by September 11th (week 1) when they are much more comfortable in the offense. The positives on the offense were definitely at RB. Gore looked like his old self and Hunter looks like a great pick so far. Of course we can't look too much in to this. We all remember Thomas Clayton.

Colin Kaepernick got the majority of snaps at QB. And was pretty much what I expected, flashes here and there, bad decisions, and athletic. All things considered with the lockout and everything, he performed just as I thought he would.

The defense almost has the feel of the defense the 49ers have had the last few years. Bend not break, will keep the team in most games, and will need the offense to provide much more production if the 49ers aim to go anywhere this year. Aldon Smith looked very solid in his 49er debut, getting the only sack and providing a great rush all night. Newly signed Donte Whitner had a good game at safety too. Again, I feel this defense will be good enough to keep the team in games, just a matter of what the offense can do.

Harbaugh has essentially 1 month until the season opener. The offense will look better than it did tonight, the real question, is how much better will it look?

Alex Smith and the 49ers in 2011

So all signs are pointing to Alex Smith returning to San Francisco for the upcoming 2011 season. Under any normal offseason I'd bet my money on there being no chance of seeing Alex Smith in a 49ers uniform again, however this has not been a normal offseason. Unless you have been living under a rock, you'll know the NFL is locked out, and thus, no free agency period has happened or will likely happen before preseason.

This has lead many teams, like the 49ers, who have gaping holes at the QB position to go to desperate measures, whether its drafting Jake Locker 8th overall (Titans) or Christian Ponder 11th overall (Vikings) or in this case, the 49ers bringing back Alex Smith. New 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and 49ers GM Trent Baalke recognized that they needed some kind of veteran solution to allow their rookie QB Colin Kaepernick time to develop. Which has lead to Harbaugh saying all the right things about Alex, and doing whatever he can to get the former 1st overall pick to come back to the 49ers for what I assume will be 1 more year.

As bad and as frustrating as Alex Smith has been his career, his last 2 seasons have been somewhat respectable, compiling a stat line of: 4720 yards, 32 TD's 22 INT's and a 60% completion rate.

                                     Alex Smith, QB of the San Francisco 49ers

 So while many 49er fans will cringe at the thought of watching more games with Alex Smith under center, understand that the 49ers could do a lot worse. I mean, who else could you get in a realistic scenario? Kaepernick is the teams future QB, so it doesn't make sense to trade a bunch of picks to pick up Kevin Kolb or Carson Palmer. Donovan McNabb you say? The guy who refused to wear an arm band with the play calls on it for offensive guru Mike Shanahan in Washington, the guy who had a notable lack of work ethic in the offseason and who honestly just looked downright awful, do you really wanna give up picks for that, when you can have Alex Smith? I don't.

So now we have established why the 49ers want Alex Smith back, but why does Alex Smith wanna come back to the 49ers? Despite being booed multiple times in Candlestick Park by 49er fans, reasons I came up with as to why Smith would wanna come back were as follows:
First of all, he knows he will be the starter here in 2011, thus giving him a chance to play and maybe driving up his market value for the 2012 offseason and earn a decent contract and maybe even get a starting gig somewhere else.
Secondly, he knows and is familiar with the personnel in San Francisco, guys like Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree etc.

Finally, I think Alex is much more of a competitor then people believe and I'm thinking he may feel like he has unfinished business in San Francisco. Had Alex Smith decided to not come back here next season, he leaves himself way too many question marks, such as, where will I be next season? When will I know where I will be? Will I go somewhere with a realistic chance to start? How will I cope with a whole new offensive personnel in a shortened offseason?

         The future in 49er land - HC Jim Harbaugh and QB Colin Kaepernick

While I think from a personal and professional standpoint that Alex Smith really needs to get out of San Francisco and the 49ers also needing to move on from Alex, the lockout has created an unusual circumstance, where oddly enough, the best situation for both the 49ers and Alex Smith is to come together for 1 more year.