Coach Mike Nolan made the QB rotation official for this Saturday against Green Bay.  It'll be the Battle for California as former UC-Davis great J.T. O'Sullivan squares off against former Cal Bear Aaron Rodgers.  The rotation is the same as last week with Alex Smith relieving O'Sullivan and Shaun Hill relieving Smith.

It's only the second game of the preseason, but clearly the pecking order has been established.  I mentioned previously how I just wanted somebody to be the #1 guy, and it seems like we're getting that.

Considering the amount of money Alex Smith is owed in 2009 and 2010 ($9.625M and $15.05M), if O'Sullivan becomes the starter this season and lasts as the starter, I'd imagine Alex Smith would get cut next offseason.  Not a stunning proclamation, but definitely hits pretty deep considering he was a #1 overall pick and the guy Nolan was going to build around.  Of course, if the season goes south, well Nolan won't be around either.  And it makes me annoyed that I bought the Alex Smith jersey.  Great call there.

In another starting note, it looks like Josh Morgan will be starting opposite Isaac Bruce on Saturday.  Hopefully O'Sullivan and Morgan can continue the rapport they seemed to establish last game.  It sounds like Bruce won't get a lot of playing time so Jason Hill will get starter quality minutes. 

Arnaz Battle, Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie will apparently all be in street clothes on Saturday.  Battle's hamstring was feeling ok but he felt it "grab" in practice on Tuesday.  So definitely better safe than sorry.  As for Lelie, well, if he's not cut before the start of the regular season I'd be somewhat surprised.  He brings the vertical threat, but you really can't bring it on the sideline.  He'd need to get healthy for the last 2 games and really wow people to secure a roster spot.

I had a chance to skim through my TiVoed version of last night's festivities.  I'm planning on more detailed viewings beginning tomorrow.  In the meantime I found the first topic I wanted to discuss.  There will be plenty of time to look at the negatives, but I wanted to quickly start with a positive: Wide Receiver Josh Morgan.

Before checking out the game I had seen the box score and 4 receptions for 68 yards in the first half certainly jumps out at you no matter the situation.  However, while checking out Maiocco's blog, I noticed a very intriguing comment.  Maiocco discussed every player's impact from the game and for Morgan he said:

84-Morgan: Got the starting assignment at the X with Bryant Johnson out of action. . . . He was certainly the 49ers' best offensive player. . . . Caught four balls for 68 yards. Made strong, secure catches in traffic, like a rebounder blocking out underneath the glass. . . . This kid can play. . . . He is easily having the best camp from a 49ers rookie receiver since 1996 when Terrell Owens came to the team.

Now, to be perfectly honest, the group of 49ers rookie receivers has included a limited number of what one might call "good" receivers.  Some have been solid but for the most part we're talking about guys like Rashaun Woods, Rasheed Marshall, Marcus Maxwell, Brandon Williams and Derrick Hamilton among others.

I looked specifically at Morgan's receptions and saw some very good and some areas of improvement.

Reception 1: Quick slant for 11 yards - Morgan caught the ball 3 yards downfield and added 8 yards after the catch.  It was a quick and easy pass that Morgan hopped to catch and then got taken out shortly thereafter.  Nothing spectacular, but a nice way for Morgan to get his feet wet.

Reception 2: Either a post pattern or an up and in (couldn't tell from the camera angles) for a 22 yard gain - The corner was behind Morgan but had solid coverage and O'Sullivan made a solid throw to Morgan right in stride.

Reception 3: Post pattern for a gain of 20 yards - Morgan jumped to make the catch and as he was coming down the ball was bobbled.  However, Morgan was able to haul it in for the first down.

Reception 4: An up and stop sort of pattern (I don't know the official terminology for it) for 15 yards - Morgan went up, made a couple moves, gave the corner a little push and turned around to make the catch at the 50 yard line.  He spun back around to reach for the first down but came up a yard short.

The one area of improvement is definitely the sense to know where the chains are.  On that fourth reception he just missed the first down and I definitely think that is something that will come with experience.  Of course we definitely prefer he not bobble the third reception but good work bringing the bobble back in.

Aside from those two details, Morgan was impressive in several areas of the game.  He showed good hands when covered and he was able to go up in traffic and haul down the ball.  He's only 6'1 (says the 5'9 blogger) but he's got good size and was able to use his size very well in getting separation.

I'm certainly not going to call him the next coming of TO, but I definitely like what I've seen so far.  This next game will certainly be important to see if he can put together multiple quality performances.  I do enjoy the fact that he's leap-frogged Ashley Lelie in the grand scheme of things and this only puts Lelie in a more precarious position.

Next weekend the 49ers face the Packers who bring a pair of impressive corners in Charles Woodson and Al Harris, although I would imagine we won't see much of them.  The injury report will be important to see which wide receivers are back on the field.  At the same time, I'd imagine Morgan will get another crack at quality playing time.  He showed great chemistry with J.T. O'Sullivan, so we'll see how he looks with Smith and/or Hill.

Tomorrow I'll have a more in-depth review of the game.  In the meantime, I'm going to keep the game saved this week in my TiVo, so if there is something or someone in particular you'd like me to review on the recording, let me know and I'll look it over.

There's under 30 hours until kickoff (34+ thanks to the blackout) and we're getting a better idea of who we'll see tomorrow and who will be in street clothes.  I thought I'd take a look at the injured players and the impact it will have tomorrow and going forward.

Michael Robinson - This is definitely not surprising at all.  Robinson is not expected back until the regular season, maaaaaybe the last preseason game.  He's looking at more of a special teams role with the addition of DeShaun Foster but will still get time in some offensive formations.  His absence likely means more carries for 2007 preseason MVP Thomas Clayton.  Of course preseason MVP has absolutely no value, other than an apparent ticket to the practice squad.

David Baas - Another non-surprise.  Tony Wragge appears to taken control of the position ahead of Chilo Rachal.  If Wragge looks good in the preseason, I'm curious what happens when Baas is healthy.  We'll also see the likes of Jeb Terry and former Cal guard Brian De La Puente getting some reps in the second half.

Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie - Johnson tweaked his hamstring in the morning practice against the Raiders.  It sounds like he was performing pretty well up to that point so let's hope it's a short term issue.  As for Lelie, well we've discussed his issues at length.  In addition, Isaac Bruce is a game-time decision.  If he does play I would imagine it would only be for a series or two.  The absence of these receivers means more reps for the likes of Josh Morgan, Jason Hill and Dominique Zeigler, which could help all of their chances at more playing time.

Mark Roman - Apparently Roman was scheduled to wear the defensive radio receiver, but with his injury, Michael Lewis will be the guy.  Roman's absence means more time for Dashon Goldson.  He's been a ballhawk in practice, so let's see if he can transfer that over to game situations.

Lewis Baker - Baker is a long shot to make the roster and this thigh bruise is certainly not helping his chances.  He'd apparently been playing pretty well, so it's a shame to see this happen.  This means more playing time for DJ Parker and probably extra time for Keith Lewis as the 49ers are a bit low at safety for this game.

Well then.  J.T. O'Sullivan will be getting the reps this Friday with the first team offense.  According to Mike Nolan he'll play between a quarter and a quarter and a half.  Alex Smith will then play into the beginning of the third quarter and Shaun Hill will close out the game.  Nolan emphasized this does not mean O'Sullivan is the starting quarterback.

Based on his past comments about splitting up the starts I'm not so surprised. Originally it was going to be Hill and Smith starting the first two games, but since O'Sullivan reasserted his spot in the QB competition, that idea is out the window.  It seems like O'Sullivan is in the perfect position where his extra knowledge of the offense is allowing him to put some pressure on Smith and Hill.  At the same time, the extra knowledge could hurt his chances.  The coaches figure he knows the most and thus expect more out of him.

Speaking of starters, the top of the wide receiver depth chart is a bit injury riddled and so it looks like Jason Hill and Josh Morgan will see plenty of first-team action on Friday.  According to Barrows, the top 3 receivers in terms of training camp receptions are Bryant Johnson, Josh Morgan and Jason Hill, in that order.  Since Isaac Bruce and Arnaz Battle have sat out a fair number of practices that is not exactly a stunning statistic.  At the same time, when you're meant to be a first string guy, like Johnson, it's good that he's making plays, even if it is just training camp.

EDITOR'S NOTE 7:50PM: I was poking around Sando's NFC West blog and saw something interesting.  Prior to the announcement of O'Sullivan as a starter, Sando said:

Based on what we've seen, I would expect Nolan to maintain the current order based (to some degree) on which quarterbacks are scheduled to work more with the starters late in the week. That type of allotment could favor J.T. O'Sullivan and Alex Smith in this first exhibition game. The 49ers are anxious to look at each quarterback, so the assumption is that all three will play. But the logical move would be to give O'Sullivan and Smith the longest looks against the Raiders.

So maybe that gives us a little more insight into the decision.

Since we're just going to discuss 49ers, I imagine it's not really giving away my entire draft strategy.  However, aside from Frank Gore, many of the players discussed would be sleeper-type players.  Up to this point we've had some very brief discussions of the 49ers potential fantasy impact.  The preseason will answer some more questions, but in the the meantime, I thought I'd give the 49ers roster a once-over and throw out guys who could have some sort of fantasy impact. 

Including our Niners Nation Fantasy League (register for the free drawing by Thursday!), I'm in 3 fantasy football leagues.  One is a dynasty league where you keep an entire 28 man roster.  Another is a keeper league in which you can keep up to 3 players.  The NN league is a year-by-year league without keepers (at least not yet).  I mention all this because this analysis is aimed at one and done leagues.  Keeper and Dynasty leagues are a little too involved with each league having a million different rules that impact certain players' value.  In a one-and-done league you can account for most, if not all the variables.

QB
Alex Smith: If he is the starter, he's got the arm and ability to put up some quality numbers.  If he looks to be the starter, I think he's definitely worth a late round pick as your backup QB if you've got a very strong #1 option.  If you waited too long and grabbed a guy like David Garrard, you might want a more solid backup option.

Shaun Hill: When I see him in action he comes across as more of the game manager type who will win football games, but won't put up huge numbers.  He put up a nice 3 TDs against TB, but didn't break 200 yards in any of this 3 appearances.  I think he definitely falls into the better real QB than fantasy QB (which I have no problem with as a 49ers fan).

RB
Frank Gore: Gore is a no-doubt first round pick thanks to the huge combined yards I fully expect.  He managed to finish 10th in points for running backs, in spite of the 49ers anemic offense.  And, if you're in a league that offers a point per reception, I think he's absolute gold.

DeShaun Foster: His only real value is as a handcuff to Frank Gore if you're concerned about injuries.  This offense is built around Gore and Foster is not going to put up the kind of numbers that would justify having him on your roster.

TE
Vernon Davis: Davis is going to put up big time fantasy points this year.  He finished 15th among tight ends last year after his 52 receptions, 509 yards a 4 TDs.  ESPN is  projecting 59/623/6 but I think his receptions and yards could be even bigger.  Mike Martz wants to take advantage of his speed a little more often, meaning bigger plays and more yards.  I don't know if he'll necessarily crack the Witten/Gates/Gonzalez/Cooley barrier, but I think he could get to the 5th or 6th spot this season.  I think the Duke is a very viable option as a starting TE.  If you can get Cooley, Witten, etc... maybe you go with them as a safe pick, but I think Davis's upside is immense.

Delanie Walker: I include him here only because the discussion around Walker has been more prominent this year than last.  Martz has really taken a liking to Walker and it makes me curious about him.  I don't think he has a lot of value in a normal league, but he's got keeper potential.  He's a guy worth keeping an eye on as a potential waiver wire steal.

WR
Bryant Johnson: I go with Johnson first because I think for the 2008 season, he has the most fantasy upside.  He's out of the shadow of Boldin and Fitzgerald and looking to make a name for himself.  He could be a spectacular crash and burn, but he might be worth a look as your 3rd or 4th receiver.

Isaac Bruce: I'm not sure how much Bruce has left in the tank, but if he stays healthy and relatively fresh, he gives Smith/Hill the most consistent target they've ever had.  ESPN thinks projects 65 receptions, 866 yards and 6 touchdowns.  While those aren't spectacular, they would blow away anything the 49ers put on the field last year.  For now Bruce is a bye-week fill in but if the offense gets it going, he could be an ok flex option.

Arnaz Battle: It'll be interesting to see if his numbers go down because of the increase in receiving options.  ESPN points to him in a Mike Furrey role in the slot, and to quote them it isn't a bad thing.  He'll never be spectacular but he's probably a good bye week fill in if you have multiple byes with which to contend.  Did anybody here have him on their fantasy team as more than a bye week fill in?

Others: Jason Hill probably has the most upside of the remaining wide receivers if he can stay healthy, but he'll be on the waiver wire so no need to spend a pick on him.  Ashley Lelie is injured and has a lot of work to do before he can become a productive fantasy receiver.

Kicking
Joe Nedney: With only 19 field goal attempts, Nedney was not a viable fantasy option.  If the 49ers can move the ball a little more, he's consistent enough to be worth a look.  Until then he's a better real kicker than fantasy kicker.

Defense
I steadfastly maintain that this defense has the potential to be a top 10 defense.  Fantasy-wise, the 49ers were one of the worst producing defenses.  Until they develop a legit pass-rush they cannot be relied on in fantasy football.  While turnovers and points off turnovers are certainly possible, they cannot be relied upon.

Some leagues do offer IDPs, or individual defensive players, although ours will not be one of those leagues.  If you're in an IDP league, Patrick Willis is obviously money in the bank and will probably be one of the first defensive players taken.  Justin Smith might be worth a look if he is going to be spending a lot of time in the outside linebacker role.  If the pass rush develops, Nate Clements will have value as a pass rush means more hurried passes, meaning the potential for more interceptions.  Also, he finished 2nd among cornerbacks in tackles, so that's certainly a plus for fantasy purposes.

So, there you have it.  Aside from Frank Gore and Vernon Davis, a lot of the 49ers fantasy potential ranges between not much and high risk.  I guess it just comes down to whether you're a gambler or not.

The 49ers wrapped up their third day of practice today.  Apparently the original plan was to have a morning and afternoon practice, but Mike Nolan decided to cancel the afternoon practice.  The team starts practicing in pads tomorrow, so it sounds like a chance to give everybody a little rest before then.

On current injury issues
"Arnaz Battle is nursing a little bit of a hamstring that kind of bothers him somewhat. He might take fewer reps at times, although he didn’t today. But someone like Ashley Lelie, naturally that gives someone else the opportunity to take some of those reps so it’d be important for him to get back. He should be back in a few days."

"Walt Harris was held out of practice just because that’s the way we’re doing it. Just like we’ve done the last two years with him: one a day. That is the case with certain players. Jonas Jennings is one of those and Walt Harris, Isaac Bruce, Arnaz Battle – those are the four that come to mind. Joe Staley should be in at the middle or end of the week. We’ll see how it keeps going, but it will not be tomorrow. Aubrayo Franklin should be in the next day or two. [Damane] Duckett will be a few days. Michael [Robinson] has got a strained knee, and they’ll look at it when they go inside . . . it just looks like a strain.”

On the WR battle
"There are a few established guys and a couple I can speak of right away: naturally Isaac Bruce and Arnaz Battle. [Bryant Johnson] might be in that group but, at the same time, he’s in a new situation and a new offense, and it’s important for him to stay in the competition as far as doing everything he can to get better.”

On whether Battle and Bruce are considered the "starters," with Johnson the #3
“No, I would consider all three of them. I would just talk about a three-wide situation because that’s definitely the case. We’re trying to get our best out on the field, so they may be part of the best 11 as it looks right now when you compare them to a fullback offense or a tight end offense.”

On Josh Morgan
“He’s caught a lot of balls, so he has made a good impression. He’s done a very good job, and he’s working hard. He needs to continue to do those things not only on the field but off the field as far as taking care of his body . . . It would be nice if he factors in because he’s certainly done a very nice job for three days and five practices.”

On whether they'll keep 6 receivers on the 53-man roster
“No, I would hope for at least four. Five would be reasonable, but six would mean that we’ve got a decent core of guys. So, I was hoping for guys to show up and then we’d have six, but I wouldn’t go that far today.”

On whether Tony Wragge and Chilo Rachal are battling for a starter role or backup role
“You know, at this point, if everybody’s healthy, it will be a long shot for one of them [to start over David Baas]. But they keep getting better. I’d like for one of them to prove me wrong. You get your expectations too high on a rookie and you’ve either got a bad football team or you’re getting ready to be bad.”

MY THOUGHTS (Fooch, not Nolan)
It sounds like Josh Morgan is making quite an impact on the coaching staff.  Maiocco and Barrows indicated back in June that Morgan looked impressive in OTAs.  If Ashley Lelie can't get healthy, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Morgan get a roster spot over Lelie.  Considering the team has 3 solid receivers already, it would not be like cutting your top receiver by any stretch.  Lelie continues to frustrate.  He's out for several days and that's just not going to help him, especially considering he was in the dog house most of last season.

As for the battle at right guard, Nolan makes a good point about getting high expectations for a rookie.  Even if Rachal isn't able to step up, Wragge has been a decent offensive lineman when called upon.  And, as previously discussed, even if Wragge or Rachal doesn't take the starting job, they can work to providing some excellent depth.

[EDITOR'S NOTE 7/29 11:40PM: I've noticed many people googling "49ers training camp" are coming across this post.  If you end up here and have not been to Niners Nation before, feel free to explore the proverbial studio space.  If you want to leave comments here, scroll to the bottom and you'll see an option for registering.  Registration is free and it gives you the power of commenting and writing your own Fan Posts, which are like blogs within the blog.  Anyways, hope you enjoy your time here, as we've got a great little community that is growing every day.  We'd love to hear from you.]

The long "winter" that is the NFL offseason is finally at an end.  While games do not kick for another couple weeks, practice is officially underway today.  Thursday saw the 49ers report for duty and take care of phsyicals and whatnot.  Thankfully all the rookies are under contract and in camp.  To throw some cliches your way, in July everybody's a contender.  Some more than others, but every team has some reason or another for hope.  The 49ers hope comes in the form of Mike Martz and Justin Smith among many others.

We've broken down different training camp battles (twice).  We've looked at the new 49ers on the field and amongst the coaching staff.  We've even looked at possible best and worst case scenarios.  Consider this post then a quick overview for those who may have been away from Niners Nation awhile, as well as general info on training camp in Santa Clara.

Practice Facilities
Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Center
Santa Clara, CA
8 practices open to the public: July 25, 26, 27, 28, 30; August 1, 2,3

John Clayton with quick thoughts on the 49ers training camp and things to do away from camp:

• What John Clayton says: What's better than 49er camp? First, it's located on the outside of Great America amusement park, which could make for a great doubleheader for the entire family. Catch a morning or afternoon practice with one of the up-and-coming teams in football and slide over to the theme park. The 49ers train at their headquarters and have a nice setup for fans, with stands and refreshments.
• What to do besides training camp: Santa Clara is 45 minutes from downtown San Francisco; visit 49ers' camp in the morning and shop in Union Square in the afternoon. Other must-see places in San Francisco include Alcatraz, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park and the Ferry Building. Back at team headquarters, the Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club is located but a few feet away, should campgoers wish to take some swings while in town. For a true taste of Silicon Valley history, the Intel Museum also is just down the street. And nearby Triton Museum of Art offers free admission.

Veteran Additions
Isaac Bruce, WR
DeShaun Foster, RB
Bryant Johnson, WR
J.T. O'Sullivan, QB
LaJuan Ramsey, DT
Alan Reuber, OT
Allen Rossum, KR/PR
Barry Sims, OT
Justin Smith, DE
Dontarrious Thomas, LB

2008 Draft Class
Kentwan Balmer, DT/DE
Chilo Rachal, G/T
Reggie Smith, CB/S
Cody Wallace, C
Josh Morgan, WR
Larry Grant, LB

Training Camp Battles to watch
QB1: Alex Smith vs. Shaun Hill vs. J.T. O'Sullivan (no snickering please)
Ted Linebacker: Jeff Ulbrich vs. Larry Grant vs. Brandon Moore
RG (winner does battle with Baas): Chilo Rachal vs. Tony Wragge
CB #2/3: Walt Harris vs. Shawntae Spencer vs. Tarell Brown vs. Reggie Smith
WR #2/#3/#4: Bryant Johnson vs. Arnaz Battle vs. Ashley Lelie vs. Jason Hill vs. Josh Morgan
FS: Mark Roman vs. Dashon Goldson
ROLB: Tully Banta-Cain vs. Jay Moore vs. Parys Haralson
World Wide Supremacy: Patrick Willis and Andy Lee vs. God (trick question, Lee and Willis ARE God)

We'll have wall to wall coverage of training camp.  I'm going to attend one of the eight practices, although that may expand to more if I have time.  In the meantime, if ANYBODY here attends training camp, we'd love to hear your thoughts in a Fan Post.  In the meantime I'll be scouring the Internet for information as things happen.  I hope everyone is as excited as I am for the return of football!

And of course, if you haven't yet signed up, the random drawing for spots in the first Niners Nation Fantasy Football League will be held July 31.  For those not selected, additional leagues will be created to fill all demand and there will be equal prizes to all winners.

Training camp starts tomorrow for the 49ers.  That much everybody knows.  What will be the end result nobody really knows.  Accordingly, I thought we'd take a look at the possible best and worst case scenarios for the 49ers.  The plan is to look at them now and then again at the end of training camp when injuries have occurred or been recovered from. 

I had thought about considering injuries, but the worst case scenario could then result in injuries to half the starters.  So, instead the closest I'll come to injuries is certain starters "wearing down" from overuse.  Normally I'm not a really negative person, but I think it's useful to consider the extremes in this case.  Additionally, when I say extremes I'm not saying 16-0 and 0-16.  I'm not predicting starting QB in the Pro Bowl for Alex Smith or 1,800 receiving yards from Bryant Johnson.  Rather these are "realistic" best and worst case scenarios based on the past and thoughts about the future.

Best Case Scenario
While I know plenty of folks are on the Shaun Hill bandwagon, the best case for the 49ers has to involve Alex Smith taking the next step.  If Shaun Hill steps up and takes the starting job that would be a close second.  However, given the investment in and expectations of Alex Smith, the absolute best case scenario is his continued evolution as the starter.

Smith seemed to be making some progress in 2006, so this would involve him taking a step up from that season, as opposed to 2007.  This would involve about 3,500 passing yards (he had 2,890 in 2006) and getting above 60% in completion percentage.  These are numbers that would put him in the top 10-15 QBs in the league.

Frank Gore would bounce back from a relatively sub-par 2007 to finish with 2,000+ combined yards (1,500+ in 2007, 2,170+ in 2006).  Bryant Johnson steps up with 70+ receptions and the 49ers finally have a 1,000+ yard receiver.   At the same time, Vernon Davis takes the next step to 70+ receptions and over 1,000 yards as well.  Finally, after a step back last season, the offensive line gels and keeps Smith off his butt most of the time.  While I'd hope for Chilo Rachal to step up into the right guard role, he settles in as a solid sub and David Baas holds down the job for one season.

On defense, Patrick Willis sees his tackle total go down, but more because the rest of the defense has improved.  Manny Lawson bounces back and the combination of Tully Banta-Cain, Jay Moore, Parys Haralson and some Justin Smith creates a somewhat viable pass rush.  The secondary's statistics improve because of this pass rush and the 49ers defense finishes in the top 10.

Best Case Record: 11-5, division champion.  While I'm not expecting this by any means, I think if things break the 49ers way and players develop like some of us hope, this is not out of the realm of possibility.  The 49ers face a tough schedule outside of the division but there are some upset possibilities.  11-5 can happen with upsets of the Eagles and Redskins and sweeps of the Cardinals OR the Rams.

Worst Case Scenario
Neither Alex Smith or Shaun Hill steps up and J.T. O'Sullivan proves to be the career backup that we expect.  If Smith and Hill both proved mediocre at best, the 49ers would be in the worst possible situation and I'd expect Mike Nolan would be out the door, possibly before the season is over.  The team would realize they need to draft, trade for or sign a new QB of the future and would have wasted the last four seasons and I'd imagine 49ers would be just a little bit frustrated.

Frank Gore could still be decent in a 49ers worst case scenario but I think he wears down over the course of the season and finishes with 900 or so rushing yards, but an increase in receiving yards because none of the receivers are getting open.  So he still finishes with 1,500 combined yards, but they're not "good yards."  The wide receivers struggle as Bryant Johnson will clearly never be more than a backup and Isaac Bruce hits the wall that 35 year old NFL players tend to hit.  Ashley Lelie is cut before the end of September and Jason Hill struggles in learning the NFL game.  Finally, the offensive line does not gel as Jonas Jennings continues to have personal issues.  David Baas is not fully recovered from his pec muscle tear and Chilo Rachal and Tony Wragge are not the answer yet.

On defense, Patrick Willis has an even higher tackle total than last season because the rest of the defense just plain stinks.  The pass rush continues to be non-existent in part because Manny Lawson is slow to recover from his injuries.  Walt Harris hits the same wall as Isaac Bruce and the 49ers are forced to give more playing time to rookie Reggie Smith and second year man Tarell Brown.  Clearly neither is prepared for this situation.

Worst Case Record: 3-13, Nolan is canned and somebody has strangled Mike Martz.  This would actually involve the 49ers going 0-8 on the road and 1-5 in the division.  Of course, they would still beat the Detroit Lions!

Since training camp starts later this week, I put together a short list of position battles heading into training camp.  I could wait until the day before, but since nothing is likely to change in the next few days, now is as good a time as any.  We previously went over quarterback, right guard and the third/nickel back.  At each position I've posted who I think is the early leader in the battle.

Right Outside Linebacker
Leader at the first turn: Tully Banta-Cain
When TBC was brought in last season, there was hope that he would help generate the pass rush that has been missing for some time.  Unfortunately it did not work out quite like that.  While he pounced on Kurt Warner's end zone fumble in overtime, that was probably the only highlight of significance from 2007.  While with the Patriots, TBC was a veritable super-sub and it's possible he ends up back in that role with the 49ers.  I list him as the leader simply because he's the incumbent.  He'll see competition from my boy Jay Moore and Parys Haralson and will lose playing time to Justin Smith if the 49ers continue mixing him into the linebacker corp.  Moore missed all of last season with a high ankle sprain but certainly had an opportunity to learn the system.  I'm quite curious to see how he looks once the games get going.

Haralson got a big bump in playing time and while he wasn't spectacular, he certainly showed some skills.  I would expect even more playing time for him this season.  Considering the competition for playing time, I could definitely see the right OLB being a rotation between TBC, Haralson, Moore and Smith.  While it'd be nice to see a single guy step into the role, each competitor brings something different to the table.  Would you expect a platoon situation?

#2/#3 Wide Receiver
Leader at the first turn: Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle
It seems pretty clear that Bruce and Johnson are the guys we'll see starting every week.  While the team isn't rolling out the likes of Boldin and Fitzgerald or Holt and Bruce (back in the day), the depth at wide receiver is intriguing nonetheless.  Arnaz Battle is the guy who comes into training camp behind some new toy and is expected to take a step backwards.  And then every year he steps up once again and is the 49ers most consistent receiver.  Barring Isaac Bruce losing all his skills, Battle will primarily be battling Bryant Johnson for playing time.  As much as I enjoy Battle on the field, I also know that if Johnson steps up and takes the #2 (or even #1) position, the 49ers will be better for it.  Johnson brings more athleticism to the position and I think long term, Battle is better suited as the #3 guy.

I certainly would like to see Ashley Lelie step up and make a name for himself, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Jason Hill or even Josh Morgan leap him on the depth chart.  He has supposedly climbed out the doghouse, but until he produces, I'm not holding my breath.  Hill is an interesting option as he spent much of last year injured.  This training camp, particularly the exhibition games, will be very important if he wants to not get relegated to the scrap heap.

Free Safety
Leader at the first turn: Mark Roman
We've heard plenty of reports about Dashon Goldson looking sharp in practice.  Roman had to get his shoulder cleaned out and that gave Goldson more first team time during OTAs.  Roman isn't getting any younger and as is the case so often in professional sports, it's always nice to improve the team while getting younger.  This may actually be the training camp battle I'm most excited about.  Assuming Roman is healthy, I'd imagine he'll have the edge.  They say the challenger has to truly beat the champ to take the title and Goldson will really have to step up.  Roman is a solid free safety, but it would certainly be nice to get the position locked up with a young talent like Goldson.

Aside from the positions mentioned above and previously, the remaining positional battles are more playing time than starting or not starting.  Nose tackle will be interesting because there are so many bodies to mix in that I don't see a single full-time guy there.  Aubrayo Franklin is the nose tackle, but Balmer will get some time and I'm curious to see how they move around Sopoaga.  And, of course, if they mix in some 4-3 schemes the nose tackle disappears.

So, if there's a position battle you think I missed, feel free to let us know about it.

Anytime Alex Smith and the 49ers QB situation comes up, great passion arises.  It's understandable for their to be some frustrations based on performance, or lackthereof.  Combine that with the brief but winning performance of Shaun Hill last season and you've got some combustible material.

Matt Maiocco ran a story yesterday in which he addressed the question of "When is a bust officially a bust?"  We all know that's about Alex Smith and he addressed it as such.  I took a couple of interesting points away.  He cited a 2005 quotation from Alex Smith's former Utah coach Urban Meyer:

"It's going to be interesting in San Francisco," Meyer said. "Alex is an extremely quick learner. However, he's a guy that, until he understands it, he is nonfunctional. He is a guy that -- I keep hearing how Brett Favre kind of makes something out of nothing and is a person that runs around to make a play -- Alex Smith is not that kind of player. Alex Smith is a person that, once he is taught, has to learn it all. He might struggle early, but once he gets it, he gets it."

.......

"I'm going to be anxious to watch his development with the 49ers. Alex is so careful with the ball. His touchdown-to-interception ratio the last 2 years was phenomenal (47 touchdowns and seven interceptions). That's because, unless he knows exactly what's going on, he won't throw it. He won't just try to guess and take a shot. He has to know.

"That's why, early in his career, and early in our career with him at Utah, he was not an effective passer, because he really didn't understand. Once he understood, there was no one better. He learns quickly, though. But he's not a guy that you throw the ball out there and tell him, 'Go play.' He wants to know what is exactly expected of him and then he becomes a dynamite player.'

After this quotation, MM pointed to Smith's comments about how Mike Martz leaves nothing to chance and gives his quarterbacks all the answers.

I've always read about how Martz is very meticulous and provides multiple options.  If what Urban Meyer said is accurate, I could certainly see that leading to some improvement by Smith.  Or am I grasping at straws?  MM made a good point about Smith's interceptions as a 49er that could either sink my hopes or lend credence depending on how you look at it:

When you think about it, you'd be hard-pressed to think of bad interceptions Smith has made in his career. There have been times when he simply made a bad throw. But there have also been interceptions where the receiver ran the wrong routes or the ball tipped off the hand of the intended target. There have been times when he's tried to force the ball into a receiver in a desperation situation. But there haven't been the instances in which he made a horrible read and took an unnecessary, careless risk.

While a lot will be on Smith, the receivers will certainly have to make plays as well.  While the 49ers don't have spectacular receivers, this is probably the most depth they've had since Nolan took over.  Isaac Bruce knows the Martz offense and as a former QB Arnaz Battle should be able to pick it up.  If Bryant Johnson and Vernon Davis can master the playbook as well, maybe Smith won't have as many passes bouncing off receivers' hands (yes, I'm looking at you Darrell Jackson).

There are countless variables including the receivers, the quarterback, the offensive line and the running backs.  That is one definite reason it is so hard to predict what kind of production the 49ers will get at quarterback.  We can wish and hope all we want, but we need a consistent effort across the board to see any kind of success.