ESPN NFC West Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Smith

CLEVELAND -- The transcript from Mike Nolan's post-practice interview from 49ers camp -- waiting when I touched down here for a layover on my way to see the Rams near Milwaukee -- drives home the point that Alex Smith is just another quarterback in camp.

This is somewhat fascinating. In theory, this would be the time when the 49ers would be doing everything possible to make sure Smith, the first player chosen in the 2005 draft, had the best possible chance to succeed. Coaches would be working with him more than the other quarterbacks, trying to salvage the investment. The team would have named Smith the starter, freeing up players to line up behind him and insulating him from undue scrutiny every time he throws an incomplete pass. The head coach would be going out of his way to defend his prized prospect, pointing out how circumstances beyond Smith's control -- injuries, staff turnover, a lack of quality receivers -- have contributed to previous struggles.

Instead, we have the 49ers giving extra reps to J.T. O'Sullivan, the third quarterback in a three-quarterback race, while making it clear, again, that Smith is no favored son. A few highlights from Nolan on the quarterback situation Thursday:

"It's good competition that's going on. As we said all along, it'll be a fair battle. It'll be a competition. We're not going to play favorites. It'll be won on the field. Today, as you may have noticed, Shaun Hill is resting his shoulder. So since it was his turn to work with the first group, that's why J.T. O'Sullivan worked with the first group. Because if he's going to replace somebody's repetitions, in fairness that's what you do. And it is still wide open. So they're all competing, but that's where it's at."

The 49ers wouldn't want to do anything that would give Smith an advantage and help him finally prove his worth as a top pick? As a reporter said to Nolan at this point of the interview: "I don't understand the logic behind that." To which Nolan said:

"The logic is this: As I've said all along, we've got three quarterbacks battling for the position. Three guys."

Well, O'Sullivan has been the most comfortable quarterback in camp, as expected, because he knows the Mike Martz offense after playing for Martz in Detroit. Which quarterback do you think Martz would be most comfortable with? Is the idea to find the best guy for the next two months or to develop the guy everyone agreed had the most talent? I think that is a fair question to ask.

Two weeks ago, I would have been shocked to see anyone other than Smith emerge as the starter. Now I'm not so sure. Either the 49ers are doing a great sell job on this one -- perhaps at the expense of Smith, by the way -- or there's a chance they'll essentially pull the plug on Smith's 49ers career by relegating him to the bench in his fourth season with the team.