[Jeremy Green] – ESPN
Three Burning Questions
Will Alex Smith become a legitimate QB and leader? Even though it is not necessarily fair, this is somewhat of a make or break-type season for the young QB. Right now expectations for him are high, and a lot of 49er fans are already starting to label him with the “bust” tag. Smith was thrown into a no-win situation last season on an injury-riddled and marginal football team. No rookie QB could have survived under the circumstances he was faced with. That said, he does need to get better. He is coming off a season where he barely completed 50 percent of his passes and threw 11 INTs to one TD. He will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, so that will be tough on him. However, he has a few things going for him. First of all, he has a solid new offensive coordinator in Norv Turner. He has two solid tight ends in Eric Johnson and rookie Vernon Davis. The offensive line should be able to protect him better and he has a new vertical threat in Antonio Bryant. Enough pieces are now in place for Smith to be judged fairly.
Camp battle to watch
Alex Smith vs. Trent Dilfer
You can expect the 49ers to do all they can to make sure Smith wins this battle, but what happens if Dilfer outplays him in the preseason? It is not a stretch for that to occur. Dilfer is a veteran QB who is more likely to pick up the offensive system more quickly than Smith, whose head is likely still spinning from trying to figure out what they were doing last year. Dilfer is a guy who over his career has been an offensive caretaker, which is something this team needs. Smith should win this battle, but the addition of Dilfer means he will constantly be looking over his shoulder should he struggle.
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