Peon's Place

With questions regarding who will be under center next season for the 49ers, I decided to hear your thoughts.

San Francisco has announced that the next starting quarterback is not on the roster. Alex and Troy Smith have not solidified their right to be a starter next season, and the 49ers have the 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft with a new head coach out of a successful college coaching career.

Vernon Davis stated he would not mind catching balls from either Kyle Orton (being replaced by Tim Tebow on the Broncos) or Donovan McNabb (being replaced by anybody on the Redskins). With Michael Vick going off the hinges this year, Kevin Kolb is available from the Eagles. Then there’s the possibility of Matt Leinart, released by the Cardinals, having a chance.

What do you think? Vote below — you can select up to two options.

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A phone call between 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has led to a pretty fun opportunity for fans with a hearty appetite. Working with the 49ers Foundation, Smith and teammate Patrick Willis have organized a charity dinner Nov. 15 at Morton’s in downtown San Jose, where they, a few teammates and 49ers alums Keena Turner and Guy McIntyre will trade their uniforms and helmets for aprons and plates.

Fitzgerald participated in a similar dinner at a Morton’s in Phoenix, and he mentioned to Smith that it would be a great way to raise awareness for the Alex Smith Foundation. The dinner costs $250 per guest and includes a reception, live auction and a four-course meal served by the 49ers.

Now if only I could find a date who enjoys a nice meal served by 49er players, I’d be set!

Proceeds benefit the Alex Smith Foundation and the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information, contact Frances Carter at 408-947-7000 or frances_carter@mortons.com.

You can see it as clearly as I can, right? The San Francisco 49ers aren’t just last place in the division (NFC West); they are last place in the conference. They’re second-to-last in the entire NFL, beating only the winless Buffalo Bills (AFC East).

They suffered yet another embarrassing 4th quarter loss by a field goal, and now head to London to play a battered and bruised Denver Broncos. After that, they get a bye week. I’m sad to state this, but if the 49ers lose to the Broncos, there will be a changing of the guard in the Head Coach department during that bye week, despite 49ers owner Jed York stating that Mike’s job is safe, and despite Singletary having the vote of confidence from his players.

The loss yesterday was more than a devastating blow to already dismal playoff hopes. It was a sure sign that they are not nearly the team the Faithful hoped would come out for the 2010 season. Rather, they are who we feared they’d be.

And for all of you chanting “We Want Carr, We Want Carr” — well, you got him. And you know what you received in that 3-week span of wanting Alex Smith removed? Carr replaced Smith on the third play of the second half after Smith’s non-throwing shoulder was sprained while he was sacked by Charles Johnson. Carr attempted five passes in his first 27 minutes of play with one 6-yard completion. From midway through the third quarter until late in the fourth, he went more than 18 minutes with just one pass attempt (and one sack) as the 49ers ran on 10 of 12 plays. Carr didn’t air out the ball until the Panthers tied the game 20-20 inside the two-minute warning, only to throw an interception that set up Carolina’s game-winning field goal.

So there you have it. Where’s Troy Smith when you need him?

Here’s a little video of one of my first Madden 11 franchise games for the 2010 season, 49ers versus the Bucs. Huge pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis, endzone to endzone. It wasn’t the pass, but the yards after the catch that were crucial.

Kinda neat how I can save highlights, upload them to EA, and then embed them elsewhere. ;)

In a recent writeup, Anthony Davis was named the #2 Rookie in an Ideal Situation, with the San Francisco 49ers.

Don’t mess with Mike Singletary. Just ask Vernon Davis, the former sure-bet draft prospect that had bust written all over him before getting verbally undressed by his new coach. Davis bought into Singletary’s program and rebounded in a huge way, bettering his previous career high in receptions by 26 (up to 78), yards by 456 (up to 965), and touchdowns by nine (up to 13). Given an ultimatum – the Singletary Way or the highway – Davis chose the path to NFL stardom.

Mike Singletary is a culture unto himself, and he’s molded his 49ers team in his image. This is one of the brightest young teams in the league, and they play hard, they play physically, and they’re going to win a lot of games in the very near future.

Singletary’s presence, and the culture he’s quickly established in San Francisco, was really driven home when the team made Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati and Taylor Mays its first three draft picks this past April. Iupati is a road-grading guard that will start immediately and will have an instant impact on the team’s rushing attack. Mays is the most uniquely gifted and physical defensive back to emerge in quite some time, and at a bare minimum adds explosive hitting to a defense that could use more physicality.

But that culture means the most when talking about Davis, the No. 11 overall pick out of Rutgers. No one questions Davis’ talents, as many scouts believed that Davis was the most gifted offensive lineman available this past year. Despite serious questions about his maturity (he’s only 21 years old) and work ethic, he was still the third lineman off the board. He’s in a fantastic situation. Singletary is the perfect coach to get the most out of Davis between Sundays. The rookie enters an offense that made serious strides during the 2009 season behind quarterback Alex Smith.

There is a lot of talent offensively in San Fran, but better line play – and more consistency from Smith – are required. Davis will get a chance to start right away. Under Singletary, he’ll have an opportunity to develop alongside some of the league’s best young skill players (Davis and Michael Crabtree come to mind). Things are looking up in San Francisco, and this young tackle could really solidify a promising young team’s offensive fortunes.

For quarterback Alex Smith, Monday’s organized team activity at 49ers headquarters, the first of four this week, are as vital as any other snaps he’ll take this summer. “As a quarterback, these are a little more meaningful for us,” Smith said after the team’s morning practice. “We’re not hitting, but for us, we get a lot of looks out of it. You’re working on your reads, your timing, because things change a bit. We need to be efficient in our thought process, from the huddle to the end result, making sure everything is sound.”

For Smith personally, working off of last year’s playbook has only increased his play-making ability. “I feel absolutely confident about what we’re doing, protections, all of our route concepts, what I’m expected to do and I feel good about coming in and doing it,” Smith said. “I understand the system, where I can take shots, where I can gamble a little bit and when not to. I think you understand all of that. I’m just really comfortable right now.”

Equally comfortable with Smith’s progression are two of his primary targets, Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis and third-year wideout Josh Morgan. Ten of Davis’ NFL-record 13 touchdown receptions by a tight end were thrown from Smith last season, including three in the first half at Houston. Not bad, considering it was the first time they played football together in a regular-season NFL game since Nov, 12, 2007. The duo continued their growing connection down the home stretch of the season, as Smith found Davis in the end zone in six of the final seven games of the season. “He looks awesome,” Davis said praising his signal caller. “I’m excited about Alex. I’m with him 100 percent and I can’t wait to see him out there this year. He’s going to do a fantastic job.” Morgan also flourished with increased playing time, catching 22 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the final five games of the season. Morgan said he anticipates great things with a full offseason to work on timing with Smith and the rest of the 49ers offense.