The 49ers have previously had one of the best situations with two quarterbacks who could start if needed. With the trade agreement that will send Alex Smith to Kansas City on March 12, things become uncertain. The big question is, who is the backup behind Colin Kaepernick?
Currently, Scott Tolzien is the only other quarterback remaining on the roster. He has spent two years as the third string QB behind Smith and Kaepernick. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has continually praised his work ethic and intelligence on the football field for the past two seasons.
Tolzien was active for two games last season, but never played a snap. Like A.J. Jenkins being unable to catch a ball in a game, Tolzien has yet to complete a pass in the regular season. If Tolzien had to step in, the offense would not be as explosive or flexible as he is more of a pocket passer than Kaepernick.
With 15 draft picks expected in the 2013 NFL draft, the 49ers could address this need in the mid rounds.
An option could be Matt Scott out of Arizona, who is projected as a fourth or fifth round pick. Scott (6-foot-2, 213 pounds), was previously a pro-style quarterback but switched to a read-option style of offense in his senior year under Rich Rodriguez. His lone season under the dual-threat system increased his athleticism to give him a skill set similar to Colin Kaepernick.
A dark horse possibility would be Colin Klein from Kansas State. Under Bill Snyder's run-first offense, Klein ran for more than 2,000 yards in his last two seasons in college and finished third in the Heisman voting. He would need to work on his arm mechanics, but Klein proved to be efficient with a 149.2 rating in his senior season.
The other option could be signing a veteran quarterback as a free agent. Here is the full list of unrestricted quarterback free agents:
Derek Anderson, Carolina
Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh
Jason Campbell, Chicago
David Carr, N.Y. Giants
Kellen Clemens, St. Louis
Chase Daniel, New Orleans
Bruce Gradkowski, Cincinnati
Rex Grossman, Washington
Brian Hoyer, Arizona
Tarvaris Jackson, Buffalo
Josh Johnson, Cleveland
Byron Leftwich, Pittsburgh
Matt Leinart, Oakland
Josh McCown, Chicago
Luke McCown, Atlanta
Matt Moore, Miami
Jordan Palmer, Jacksonville
Brady Quinn, Kansas City
Drew Stanton, Indianapolis
Tyler Thigpen, Buffalo.
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