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Dickey: Martz sees QB Smith as a diamond in the rough

CommentsComment on this article
Mar 7, 2008 10:25 AM (219 days ago) by Glenn Dickey, The Examiner
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Related Topics: SAN FRANCISCO
Although the 49ers will have competition at quarterback, new offensive coordinator Mike Martz would like Alex Smith to start.
(AP file photo)
Although the 49ers will have competition at quarterback, new offensive coordinator Mike Martz would like Alex Smith to start.

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Although the 49ers will have competition at quarterback, new offensive coordinator Mike Martz would like Alex Smith to start.

“The first thing you look for in a quarterback is accuracy,” Martz said when we talked in his office this week, “the ability to hit a moving target consistently. Alex has that ability.”

Smith has also had poor protection, inadequate receivers and four coordinators in four years.

“You wouldn’t wish that on any quarterback,” Martz noted.

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As a result, Smith has developed bad mechanics, which Martz realizes.

“That happens to a lot of quarterbacks,” he said. “We’ll have to break him down and start at ground zero.”

The good news for Smith is that Martz runs the same system that Norv Turner did as a coordinator — it derives from the system Don Coryell brought to the San Diego Chargers in the mid-’70s — and Smith played well in his second season, when Turner was the coordinator.

Shaun Hill had a nice run for the 49ers at the end of last season, mostly hitting on short passes, and he’ll be Smith’s primary competition.

“By the time he got in there, teams knew the 49ers were not going to score many points, so defenses concentrated on keeping everything in front of them,” Martz said. “That’s much different than the way they played Alex earlier in the year.”

Martz also advised the 49ers to sign J.T. O’Sullivan, a former UC Davis quarterback who will also be in the mix. Trent Dilfer is expected to retire or be released.

“I had seen him and thought he could play in the NFL, so I brought him in at Detroit last year,” Martz said of O’Sullivan. “He wound up being our No. 2 quarterback.”

The receiving corps has been bolstered by the free-agent acquisition of Isaac Bruce, who starred when Martz was in St. Louis. Though it’s been assumed that Martz was responsible for that signing, he said he had a minimal influence on the decision.

“I had told the front office that I thought the Rams would release him, but that’s all,” he said. “I was in San Diego [when free agency opened] and they were trying to reach me, but I had lost my cell phone and was out of touch. By the time I realized my phone was in my car, they’d already made the decision.”

The 49ers will look for receivers in the draft, but Martz thinks the answer may be on the club’s roster now, because he thinks the current receivers will thrive in his system.

“We try to make players understand why we’re doing something, instead of just doing it by rote,” he said. “When they understand why, it frees them up to take advantage of their skills.”

Specifically, he thinks Arnaz Battle is a much underrated receiver who will do better in his system.

“When he understands exactly what he’s doing, I think you’ll see more speed from him,” Martz said.

Tight end Vernon Davis is another receiver he thinks has been underutilized.

“I just think there were so many problems here, they never got down to him,” he said.

There are still a lot of questions, but there’s one certainty: The 49ers will be much more exciting with Martz.

“Usually, when things go wrong, coaches go conservative,” he said. “I’m just the opposite. When things go wrong, I attack. Bombs away!”

And Alex Smith will be throwing those bombs.

Glenn Dickey has been covering Bay Area sports since 1963 and also writes on www.GlennDickey.com. E-mail him at glenndickey@hotmail.com.  

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Comments from Examiner Readers

1:58 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 18, 2008 re: "Niners’ preseason begins with game vs. Broncos"

 Cody Villines said:
Broncos have got to be the best team in the NFL this year, Perhaps they might be superbowl contenders

 1 agree | 0 disagree
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11:17 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 17, 2008 re: "Dickey: Break bread, even with stadium flap"

 49er PURGATORY!!! HELP US GLEN, GOD HELP US! said:
This team is so boring they don't even SUCK bad enough to create a news story. Hell, at least Steve Young's concussion kept us busy for a year. I can't blame them after last year's over-hyped expectations but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PEOPLE! HAS THERE EVER BEEN A MORE BORING 49ERS TEAM? I'm sick of team players! I want some "killers."

 4 agree | 3 disagree
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5:30 PM MST on Tue., May. 6, 2008 re: "Dickey: Family feud seems to be a thing of the past"

 examiner reader said:
Smith, Nolan. Nolan,Smith. Who cares? Nolan was a bad hire and Smith was a bad pick. Shawn Hill looked good in relief because A)he is a great talent? or B)Smith and Dilfer were not hard acts to follow? do the math..

 4 agree | 8 disagree
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2:40 PM MST on Tue., May. 6, 2008 re: "Dickey: Family feud seems to be a thing of the past"

 Ken said:
I think it's just the lull between volcanic explosions. It's quiet now because there's nothing to push it to the surface, but just wait till the regular season. When are the Niners going to give Alex real WR's? And even if this year goes well (and by that I mean .500), I'm afraid Martz will get swept away like Turner. What happens IF the OC happens to become a better field general than the HC?

 7 agree | 7 disagree
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3:26 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan era already has effect"

 Examiner Reader said:
they need to draft a wide reciever

 6 agree | 8 disagree
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11:29 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan era already has effect"

 TheReg said:
Staley had NEVER played LT before in his career as a football player. Its very hard to switch, your used to watching a guy go right rather than left. This year he will be much improved, i dont see why we let kwame harris go, he was NOT a bad tackle and if need be could have played LT while smiley played RT that would have helped alot, but we'll see what they do with the draft, and FA until day 1 of the season. give smith an o-line and gore some blockers and you can watch out for a tough young defense and a strong explosive young offense. The more concerned with the run the other team becomes, the more open Vernon "the Duke" Davis will be, and if you have ever seen him after the catch, he only goes down with about 3-4 players hitting him...lol dude is a beast.

 5 agree | 8 disagree
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2:19 PM MST on Wed., Mar. 12, 2008 re: "Dickey: Martz sees QB Smith as a diamond in the rough"

 Examiner Reader said:
Anything will be better than the offensive coaching crap they put on the field last season. Last year stunk up Candlestick, Bill Walsh field, the Niners rep.

 8 agree | 4 disagree
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4:18 PM MST on Fri., Mar. 7, 2008 re: "Dickey: Martz sees QB Smith as a diamond in the rough"

 notme said:
no idea if this is going to work out, but i love martz's attitude. not just the system, he personally reminds me of martz. last year, it felt like the coaches never gave the offense a chance... that they had no confidence in the offense. we know that won't be a problem with martz, who is well-known for being, if anything, blindly overconfident.

 9 agree | 7 disagree
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1:23 PM MST on Fri., Mar. 7, 2008 re: "Dickey: Martz sees QB Smith as a diamond in the rough"

 Sam in Reno said:
Assuming they fix the offensive line the 49ERS should be fun to watch. Staley,Baas and Snyder are all future pro bowl players. They need a good center and another tackle.

 5 agree | 8 disagree
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9:29 AM MST on Sun., Mar. 2, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Sam in Reno said:
Smith has performed well under a good offensive coordinator (Norv Turner) I think Mike Martz can make him a winner. No QB can be successful behind a horrible offensive line.Larry Allen needs to retire and a good center needs to be groomed. The O line istill a year away. Assuming the guards are Snyder and Baas with Staley at one tackle they need to find another offensive tackle and a new center.

 27 agree | 32 disagree
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7:50 PM MST on Sat., Mar. 1, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
4:28PM-Maybe you should read the post from 7:22 again. My whole point is that the teams offense, OL most definately included, did not perform as well as they did in 2006. Staley was a rookie so I think It's a little early to start crying "bust" (especially when he had many positive moments/games.) Of course 55 sacks will kill an offense but how many of those can you contribute to Staley?

 34 agree | 11 disagree
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4:28 PM MST on Sat., Mar. 1, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 hindsight said:
let see.. the offensive line gives up 55 sacks and somehow it doesn't relate to the failure of the offense? yikes again..

 26 agree | 14 disagree
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7:22 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
5:04PM-Hindsight is 20/20, If the offense would have performed like 2006, the 2007 defense would have put the team into the playoffs. There was no reason to believe the Niners would be worse than the 06' team. Staley will end up being a Pro-bowl lineman,just wait and see.

 39 agree | 26 disagree
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5:04 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
Please! Are you saying that Joe Staley was worth the seventh pick in this year's draft? I watched Michael Strahan put a hat trick on him and others manhandled him.Good luck to Smith or Hill if he is moved to left tackle..Yikes!

 42 agree | 32 disagree
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2:49 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
While I tend to agree that Alex Smith is not the 49ers QB of the future, I like this move. It let's Shaun Hill know to come to camp and work hard cause there is going to be competition for the starting job. Besides, Smith is an acceptable 2 String making 2 string money. I would like to see the Niner's steal one of these sleeper picks, by taking a Colt Brennen or a Dennis Dixon. I can see both of these guys becoming mid-round steals. The team usually makes pretty sound, well thought-out draft decisions but this year take a chance on one of these ? QB's. The OL needs some beef but winning may be a bit of stretch next year, so why not get your potential QB of the future now and fix the OL with your safe picks or next year free agency.

 37 agree | 24 disagree
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1:35 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
Smith is the biggest bust since Ford Motor came out with the Edsel. Giving Smith another vote of confidence is just laughable.

 43 agree | 26 disagree
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1:25 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
Alex Smith has had enough time on the field to prove he can't play. The 49ers have tried everything, new recievers, new offensive coaches and so on. At what point will Nolan admit he screwed up by taking Smith. We fans are the ones suffering, not Nolan.

 39 agree | 35 disagree
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12:53 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 29, 2008 re: "Dickey: McCloughan confident in QB Smith"

 Examiner Reader said:
Most importantly, we extended Michael Robinson, our future starting rb. He is under the radar, but that will change in time. MROB all the way! FRISCO

 31 agree | 17 disagree
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3:27 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Examiner Reader said:
...What's the largest city in the USA without a sports arena? I believe that would San Francisco. SF is not a sports town and is not going to spend billions on the 49ers. Santa Clara won't spend it, either. If the NFL wants a new stadium for the 49ers, it should pony up the billions that it has and build it itself.

 48 agree | 27 disagree
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3:16 PM MST on Sun., Feb. 17, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 SR raider fan said:
Raising ticket prices? for that team? let's see the Yorks try and buy all the extra tickets that will be available this year with raised prices... Silver and blacked out won't be alone. Of course John wants the Santa Clara voters to approve his loser team some money for a stadium, as long as he doesn't have to go into his tight ass pockets and spend less of his own$. Please good voters of Santa Clara don't vote anything for this rudderless ship "the 49ers", the Yorks have proven time and again that they can't make sound decisions of any kind and don't deserve to be rewarded with tax payer's $ for a stadium, and you the avid fan, stay away from Candlestick point! don't honor this bozo York, force him to sell the franchise he has destroyed.

 26 agree | 32 disagree
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9:00 AM MST on Sat., Feb. 16, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Dave said:
Bottom line, we need Eddie D. back. John York was the worst thing that can happen to the 49er organization. The City of San Francisco will never give the 49ers a new stadium. If any team deserves one, it's the Five-Time World Champions. Not the Giants. Maybe if the 49ers start catering to the Gay and Lesbian communities like the Giants did, they might just get the votes needed. Let's face it, the majority of 49er fans come from all over California. Maybe they should consider Sacramento. Sactown has been supporting the crappy Kings for years now. Also, the triple-A Rivercats out drew the Athletics their first season. GIVE THE TEAM BACK TO YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW John York.

 39 agree | 37 disagree
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1:31 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Ken said:
Yes, I feel more secure with Carmen Policy handling the issue. I am apprehensive about Jed running anything without qualifications or experience. A couple of SF Chron columnists tried to compare him to a young Eddie D. - but backed off after Jed's bizarre public manifesto of Nov 2006 (excerpt below): "...The worst part of the last few days was listening to our fans boo my parents as we honored Jerry Rice yesterday at halftime. There is no way I will allow such obstacles to keep me from achieving my goals..."

 54 agree | 43 disagree
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12:41 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Examiner Reader said:
Let the Fans decide, they're the ones paying for the tickets. Survey the season ticket holders, let democracy work it's magic -- bypast the politicians, who can't even keep wacko bus drivers from working at MUNI or from being on its payroll.

 54 agree | 53 disagree
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10:43 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Examiner Reader said:
I think the City and County of San Francisco should buy the San Francisco 49ers from the Yorks to keep the team in the City. Look at Green Bay. They, the Green Bay Citizens, own the Green Bay Packers (there are a few other cities around the world as well that own their own their own professional teams like in New Zealand, Australia to name a few) then you won't have problems about teams moving from place to place and back to the same place again (like the Oakland Raiders). Everyone in Green Bay has a win-win situation, the local government because of income from the games and other sales from the games, and the citizens because the taxes for property is not there as well as additional funds for other city uses. Now, it might be expensive to buy the team but that could be an option.

 58 agree | 55 disagree
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9:48 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 examiner critic said:
Someone tell the mayor most 49er fans don't live within the City limits!!

 60 agree | 49 disagree
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9:15 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008 re: "Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up"

 Sam in Reno said:
I do not believe that the voters of SF give a damn about the 49ERS. They will come up with several others priorities and conditions. They are probably printing protest signs now. The stadium will be built outside SF by a new ownership that has the money to build one without government help. York and company would have a hard time building a lemonade stand. Carmen Policy is a good man but he is working for a dope.

 50 agree | 55 disagree
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1:21 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 Examiner Reader said:
Did Montana ever lose a Super Bowl?????? Oh that's right no he didn't so you can cut that little cry baby brady out of this blog. No one I mean no one was cooler than Joe

 48 agree | 25 disagree
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10:24 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 20, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 Examiner Reader said:
There is Joe Montana and everybody else.

 61 agree | 47 disagree
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11:50 AM MST on Sun., Jan. 20, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 outtamojo said:
"In the late ’70s, the NFL drastically changed the rules on defensive contact so that linebackers such as Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke and Jack Lambert could no longer clothesline receivers coming across the middle, and defensive backs such as Jack Tatum and George Atkinson could no longer commit mayhem on receivers well past the line of scrimmage." When they talk about the best teams of all time, one wonders how a Randy Moss or Welker would have handled the maulings regularly dished out to receivers.

 80 agree | 61 disagree
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6:15 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 19, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 otbricki said:
How can you compare a retired guy with one who still has half his career to go? Brady has a pretty good chance to get 6-7 rings if he continues at this pace, and the Patriots keep their organization intact?

 59 agree | 54 disagree
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8:14 AM MST on Sat., Jan. 19, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 Examiner Reader said:
Montana was the cornerstone and the beginning of the great 49er teams. Walsh initially put him in situations to develop his confidence and look what happened. Maybe Nolan should have done the same with A. Smith. Walsh had DeBerg back then, Nolan has Dilfer.

 77 agree | 54 disagree
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9:58 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 King of the Dynasty said:
I don't know who the second best all time NFL QB is. Joe's number one. I don't have a problem with that.

 77 agree | 53 disagree
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2:17 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 John, Lafayette said:
Elway was the best college quarterback that I have ever seen and he didn't even play as a freshman. Even without "the play" in the 1982 big game, his exploits leading up to the ending are still legendary. Marino always gets short changed when discussing quarterbacks, but he was arguably the best pure passer ever.

 90 agree | 57 disagree
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1:46 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 Charles of Marin said:
You bet ya! Joe's the MAN!

 68 agree | 46 disagree
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12:58 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 Examiner Reader said:
Alex Smith is the greatest qb ever... Montana comes a distant second.

 92 agree | 52 disagree
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12:27 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 re: "Dickey: Montana still stands above the rest"

 sscl said:
I agree. Everyone forgets the 1981 team. Landry himself said "all they ahve is Monatana". Dallas was superior in just about every position but qb. ( Ronnie was till a rookie) nOone can think of a pro bowler from 1980, some barely remmeber the name elliot. He and Walsh made players play better than they were. Nowadays everyone thinks if you put out a team of probowlers you automatically win. NONSENSE! The NFL is replete with stories every year about "extremely talented" teams that dont win squat. Case in point: Anyone remember our last Niner superbowl team which broke all kinds of records with Steve Young? ( they got their but handed to them from KC with some old has been qb) Sadly the days of flair , panache and cutting edge , intelligent football has gone East of San Francisco. Camelot is dead.

 92 agree | 57 disagree
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7:59 AM MST on Sat., May. 26, 2007 re: "Niners’ preseason begins with game vs. Broncos"

 Examiner Reader said:
the 49ers better loose

 104 agree | 100 disagree
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