Three Burning Questions

From Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.

Three Burning Questions

1. Can these guys really contend? Yes, they will be contenders in the mediocre NFC West. No, this team is not ready for the Super Bowl. The influx of talent will surely translate to more victories, but the Niners couldn't fill all their holes. The quarterback position is still very much a work in progress and Frank Gore (left) isn't going to sneak up on anyone this year. The defense should be better, but not strong enough to carry the entire team. The NFC West is winnable and the future in San Francisco should be very bright, but this looks like a nine-win team at most.

2. How much better will the defense be? Considering it has been rather awful since Mike Nolan has been in charge of the team, it almost has to be improved in 2007. There is certainly a lot more talent on that side of the ball than at any other point in the Nolan regime, and he is an excellent guy to get the most from that talent base. This group was so far down compared to the elite defenses in the league that getting up to the middle of the pack should be considered a success story in 2007. Yes, the 49ers will be better and switching to a 3-4 allignment will certainly help, but don't expect San Francisco's defense to rank among the top units in the NFL.

3. Can Alex Smith get it done? Smith (right) has the looks of being an adequate system quarterback who can be the caretaker of an offense. He probably will never be able to put a team on his back and carry it to victories, but he is very intelligent, will make good decisions and distribute the football. Although many might not be excited about that evaluation of a quarterback who was drafted first overall, with the dearth of quality players at the position around the NFL, San Francisco could certainly be in worse shape. Smith will continue to make mistakes this season, but those will be corrected with more playing time. Although he will never command a team like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, he should eventually turn into a solid starter.