The 49ers traded Shaun Hill before the NFL Draft and they signed David Carr to replace him as Alex Smith’s backup.  That means the 49ers need to keep Smith healthy in 2010.  Smith played in 11 games for the 49ers last season and he completed 225 of 372 passes (60.5%) for 2,350 yards with 18 TD passes and 12 INTs (81.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 24 times for 51 yards (2.1 ypc) last season for the Niners.  Smith has now played in 43 games in his career with the 49ers and he has completed 660 of 1,172 passes (56.3%) for 7,029 yards with 37 TD passes and 43 INTs (69.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 111 times for 390 yards (3.5 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career so far.  Smith has a 16-24 (40%) record as a starting QB for the 49ers.  The 49ers hope that Smith builds on his success of last season in 2010.

30-year old David Carr always has looked the part as he has a good throwing arm and enough mobility to take off and run or buy more time in the pocket to throw the ball.  But the light just hasn’t turned on for him in his career yet.  Carr played in 6 games for the Giants last year and he completed 21 of 33 passes (63.6%) for 225 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs (93.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 9 times for 27 yards (3.0 ypc) with a TD run last year.  Carr has now played in 91 games in his NFL career and he has completed 1,346 of 2,251 passes (59.8%) for 14,366 yards with 65 TD passes and 70 INTs (75.2 QB Rating).  Carr has also carried the ball 302 times for 1,331 yards (4.4 ypc) with 9 TD runs in his NFL career.  Carr has a 23-56 (29.1%) record in his career as a starting QB.

2nd year QB Nate Davis out of Ball State will battle undrafted rookie Jarrett Brown out of West Virginia for the #3 job in 2010.  Davis has the upper hand here as he was on the 49ers all of last year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 49ers QBs in 2010:  C+

All Shaun Hill does is win football games but he always seems to be a long shot to start.  Hill doesn’t have a great arm but he gets the ball where it needs to be even if it’s not too pretty.  Hill has worked his way into this opportunity with good old fashioned hard work.  Alex Smith will “compete” with Hill for the starting job this summer.  Smith has looked overwhelmed at the NFL level and missing a whole season due to injury has set him back even further.  He has the look of a first round (and pick) bust but he still has time to turn his career around.  Veteran Damon Huard will be the #3 QB for the Niners this season and he’s a capable game manager type of QB so he could succeed if forced into action by the Niners.  Rookie QB Nate Davis has the look of a practice squad player due to his intelligence.  But, on the football field in college he did look pretty good so he does have a nice little upside.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON:  C

The 49ers are apparently warming up to Mike Martz’ offense as they held onto the football last night for 37:35 while rolling up 425 total yards of offense.  J.T. O’Sullivan is looking more and more like the starting QB of the 49ers.  He completed 7 of 8 passes for 126 yards with a 37-yard TD pass for WR Jason Hill.  Alex Smith followed O’Sullivan in the game and he did not look good.  Smith completed only 6 of 17 passes for 83 yards with a 12-yard TD pass to WR Dominique Zeigler.  Smith also carried the ball 1 time for 10 yards on the ground last night.  Shaun Hill finished up last night strongly for the Niners completing 6 of 7 passes for 60 yards.  Thomas Clayton was very busy last night leading the Niners in rushing with 81 yards on 18 carries (4.5 ypc) with a TD run.  He also caught 2 passes for 20 yards last night.  Frank Gore also was impressive last night with 51 yards rushing on 8 carries (6.4 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 19 yards (9.5 avg).  Fullback Zak Keasey was very involved in the offense last night also as he carried the ball 4 times for 22 yards (5.5 ypc) and caught 2 passes for 12 yards.  2nd year WR Jason Hill was impressive with 4 catches for 94 yards (23.5 avg) last night with a TD grab.  Fellow WR Dominique Zeigler also was busy with 6 grabs for 61 yards (10.2 avg) with a TD grab.  Vernon Davis only caught 1 pass last night but it was a 40-yard strike from J.T. O’Sullivan.  The 49ers finished up last night with 160 yards rushing on 35 carries (4.6 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 32 passes for 265 yards.

Safety Michael Lewis led a below par effort by the Niners with 4 tackles last night.  The Bears finished up with 109 yards rushing on 22 carries (5.0 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 28 passes for 204 yards.  The Niners were lucky that the offense played keepaway as the Bears moved the football well against them last night.

35-year old Joe Nedney kicked well last season for the Niners in his very limited opportunities.  Nedney played in 15 games for the Niners last season and he connected on 17 of 19 field goals (89.5%).  He also made all 22 of his extra point attempts last year.  Look for Nedney to score a lot of points for the Niners in the new offense.  Nedney has now played in 136 games in his NFL career and he has connected on 199 of 252 field goals (79%).  He also has made 261 of 264 extra points (98.9%) in his career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

The 49ers will be looking to the TE a lot more in 2008 with Vernon Davis possibly having the kind of season many think he can.  Davis played in 14 games for the 49ers last season and he caught 52 passes for 509 yards (9.8 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Look for Davis to catch 75-80 passes this season if he can just stay healthy.  Davis has now played in 24 games in his NFL career and he has caught 72 passes for 774 yards (10.8 avg) with 7 TD grabs.

23-year old Delanie Walker also had a decent season for the Niners in 2007.  He played in all 16 games for the 49ers last season and he caught 21 passes for 174 yards (8.3 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Walker should also catch more balls than he did in 2007 in the new wide open offense of the Niners.  Walker has now played in 23 games in his NFL career and he has caught 23 passes for 204 yards (8.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.

25-year old Billy Bajema is a good run blocker but he doesn’t help much in the passing game as he didn’t catch a pass in 14 games for the 49ers last season.  He has played in 45 games in his NFL career and he has caught 5 passes for 54 yards (10.8 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-

The 49ers have brought in three new WRs that they hope fit into new offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz’ offense.  35-year old Isaac Bruce played for Martz in St. Louis and that’s no doubt why he’s here now.  Bruce is getting up there in years but he can still play the game.  He played in 14 games for the Rams last season and he caught 55 passes for 733 yards (13.3 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Look for Bruce to improve on those numbers as long as one of the Niners’ QBs step up.  Bruce has now played in 197 games in his NFL career and he has caught 942 passes for 14,109 yards (15.0 avg) with 84 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 23 times for 150 yards (6.5 ypc) in his career.

27-year old Bryant Johnson has always been a solid #3 WR behind Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in Arizona.  But, he wants to make his own mark as a starter and the Niners will give him that chance.  Johnson played in all 16 games for the Cardinals last season and he caught 46 passes for 528 yards (11.5 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Look for Johnson to possibly double those numbers in the new Niners’ offense.  Johnson has now played in 77 games in his NFL career and he has caught 210 passes for 2,675 yards (12.7 avg) with 9 TD grabs.

28-year old Arnaz Battle was one of the best receivers on the 49ers last season and he should also benefit from the offensive change in philosophy.  Battle played in all 16 games for the 49ers last season and he caught 50 passes for 600 yards (12.0 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  He also carried the football 4 times for 4 yards (1.0 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  Look for Battle to have a really solid 2008 season for the 49ers and he could have a breakout year.  Battle has now played in 64 games in his NFL career and he has caught 149 passes for 1,792 yards (12.0 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  He also has carried the ball 21 times for 59 yards (2.8 ypc) with 1 TD run.

The 49ers really like 2nd year WR Jason Hill despite the fact that he didn’t do much as a rookie last season.  Hill played in 5 games for the Niners last season and he caught 1 whole pass for a whopping 6 yards.  Look for him to catch quite a few passes for the Niners this season as he has been impressive in training camp.

23-year old rookie Josh Morgan has also been outstanding in training camp and he could work his way right up this depth chart.  He played in 14 games (11 starts) at Virginia Tech last season and he caught 46 passes for 552 yards (12.0 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Morgan finished up his career at Virginia Tech playing in 51 games (24 starts) in which he caught 122 passes for 1,817 yards (14.9 avg) with 16 TD grabs.

28-year old Ashley Lelie is running out of chances to re-establish himself as a legit WR in the NFL.  He played in 15 games for the Niners last season and he caught 10 passes for 115 yards (11.5 avg) without a TD grab.  Lelie could move up the depth chart or off of the team altogether and it’s entirely up to him.  Lelie has now played in 94 games in his NFL career and he has caught 206 passes for 3,552 yards (17.2 avg) with 13 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

With Mike Martz calling the plays for the Niners this season look for them to use extra WRs instead of a classic fullback often.  That’s bad news for Moran Norris who is a good lead blocker in the running game but that’s about the extent of his skills.  He played in 16 games (5 starts) for the 49ers last season and he carried the ball 7 times for 17 yards (2.4 ypc).  He also caught 6 passes for 38 yards (6.3 avg).  Look for the 49ers to use Norris on more special teams units as they will try to keep him busy this season.  Norris has now played in 92 games (30 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 10 times for 25 yards (2.5 ypc).  He has also caught 23 passes for 131 yards (5.7 avg) with 3 TD grabs in his career.

Converted linebacker Zak Keasey will be the backup at fullback this season.  He has the size for the job at 6’0″, 245 pounds but he will have a lot to learn before he’s ready for the field on Sundays.  Keasey played in 13 games (0 starts) for the 49ers last season and he made 7 tackles.  He has only played in one other game in his career and he didn’t do anything in it.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

The 49ers are set at running back and new offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz thinks that Frank Gore can have a few seasons like Marshall Faulk did for him in St. Louis.  Gore isn’t the receiver that Faulk was but he has more power between the tackles.  Gore played in 15 games (all starts) for the 49ers last season and he carried the ball 260 times for 1,102 yards (4.2 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He also caught 53 passes for 436 yards (8.2 avg) with 1 TD grab last season.  The biggest issue with Gore is just keeping him healthy as he has had a lot of surgeries in the past.  Hopefully, free agent signee DeShaun Foster will be able to give Gore a break once in a while.  Gore has now played in 45 games (32 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 699 times for 3,405 yards (4.9 ypc) with 16 TD runs.  He also has caught 129 passes for 1,052 yards (8.2 avg) with 2 TD grabs in his career.

DeShaun Foster will give the 49ers a solid backup running back who should help keep Frank Gore fresh.  Foster has a lot of things in common with Gore as they both have had problems with injuries in the past and they are both power runners.  Foster is also pretty fast which should help benefit the whole offense when he is on the floor.  Foster  played in 16 games (all starts) for the Panthers last season and he carried the ball 247 times for 876 yards (3.5 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  Don’t look for Foster to put up big numbers unless Frank Gore gets hurt in 2008.  Foster has now played in 63 games (40 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 851 times for 3,336 yards (3.9 ypc) with 10 TD runs.  He also has caught 126 passes for 996 yards (7.9 avg) with 4 TD grabs in his NFL career.

Michael Robinson has turned into a decent running back who specializes in trick plays as he played QB at Penn State.  Robinson has enough speed to get to the corner on sweeps but he needs to work on his hands a little bit in the passing game.  Robinson played in 15 games (1 start) for the 49ers last season and he carried the ball 26 times for 121 yards (4.7 ypc) and he also caught 11 passes for 73 yards (6.6 avg) but he didn’t score a TD.  Look for Robinson to get a little more playing time than he has in his first two seasons.  Robinson has now played in 31 games (1 start) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 64 times for 237 yards (3.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also has caught 20 passes for 120 yards (6.0 avg) without a TD reception in his NFL career.

Thomas Clayton was a rookie in 2007 but he never made it to the field for the 49ers.  He will be a longshot this season to help out the 49ers much.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-

It will be interesting to see if Alex Smith can excel in new offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz’ fast break offense.  The 49ers surely hope so or Smith might find himself on the bench after Shaun Hill’s emergence late last season.  Smith has a good arm and he’s mobile in the pocket but he often throws the football to the other team and that won’t be tolerated anymore.  Smith played in 7 games (all starts) last season for the 49ers and he completed 94 of 193 passes (48.7%) for 914 yards with 2 TD passes and 4 interceptions (57.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 13 times for 89 yards (6.8 ypc).  If Smith doesn’t improve his game soon he might get banished to the bench for good.  Smith has now played in 32 games (30 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 435 of 800 passes (54.4%) for 4,679 yards with 19 TD passes and 31 interceptions (63.5 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 87 times for 339 yards (3.9 ypc) with 2 TD runs.

Shaun Hill will battle Alex Smith for the starting job on the 49ers and he might win it based on how well he played last season.  Hill might not be the most athletic QB but he knows where to go with the football and he could excel in the Niners’ new offense.  Hill played in 3 games (2 starts) last season for the 49ers and he completed 54 of 79 passes (68.4%) for 501 yards with 5 TD passes and 1 interception (101.3 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 12 times for 14 yards (1.2 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Hill only played in 1 game in his NFL career before last season and he didn’t attempt a pass.  He ran the ball 2 times for -2 yards (-1.0 ypc) in his only game before last year.

J.T. O’Sullivan came west to the 49ers with offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz from Detroit where he was the backup QB last season.  O’Sullivan is clearly the third best QB on the 49ers’ roster but he will at least have the edge of knowing the playbook.  He played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Lions last season and he completed 13 of 26 passes (50%) for 148 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 interceptions (48.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 4 times for -10 yards (-2.5 ypc).  O’Sullivan only had played in 1 game (0 starts) in his career before last season and he did not attempt a pass while carrying the ball 2 times for -2 yards (-1.0 ypc).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  D