Alex Smith Taking Charge in San Francisco

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This offseason in San Francisco has offered a lot of hope for 49ers fans, but a big question mark remains at the quarterback position where Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan are battling for the starting spot. With OTAs and minicamps complete, it looks like Alex is finally proving why the Niners took him #1 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Head coach Mike Nolan said:

“(I’m seeing Alex) do things that I haven’t seen him do before, in practice or in games. Alex is very athletic. He probably has the strongest arm of all the guys. He’s really intelligent. Now he’s got to go in there and put in four quarters and move the ball consistently and make plays he should make.”

Coach Nolan isn’t tipping his hand as to who his favorite quarterback is just yet, but it’s pretty clear that Alex has the early advantage. With newcomers like Isaac Bruce, Bryant Johnson and DeShaun Foster on-board as a supporting cast (not to mention Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and new OC Mike Martz), any of the three QBs will have a greater chance for success than ever before. Certainly, we’re not talking about the second coming of Joe Montana or Steve Young here, but Alex Smith is poised for a breakout season.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Photo: Newscom