Future great 49ers QB: Who's next?

May 15, 11:16 AMSan Francisco 49ers ExaminerSamuel Lam

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Montana, Young, Garcia-- Who's Next?
(Image created by Samuel Lam)

Last night, I had myself a pretty good night of TV watching. Other than football, I really enjoy playoff basketball and playoff hockey. It was nice to see both the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets force Game 7s. Then in hockey, the two Game 7s were nothing but spectacular. As a sports geek, now that was some good quality TV.

Later that evening, I was flipping through channels and came across the music channel Palladia. They were broadcasting The Who's "Tommy". I am a huge classic rock fan, so this was a perfect way to end my evening.

While watching the story of the Pinball Wizard, it made me think about my favorite album from the band: "Who's Next". Two years ago, I designed this graphic (seen above) that mimicked the original album cover. I was inspired by the name of the album and the then upcoming 2007 season.

That season, Alex Smith had just completed his first full season as a starter for the team and I wondered if he would be the next great quarterback. In the graphic, I listed the last three great quarterbacks the 49ers had under center. Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jeff Garcia were nothing short of being great winners in our time. Was Smith the answer then?

Fast forward two seasons and the same question still remains: Who's the next great quarterback for the 49ers?

Smith is fighting for a job and the supposed best choice for the team, Shaun Hill, has yet to hold a full season under his belt. Do either of these two have what it takes to be "next"? How about rookie Nate Davis? Does he stand a chance?

The previous mentioned quarterbacks all succeeded under different head coaches. Montana found success with Bill Walsh. Young emerged as a Hall of Famer under George Seifert while Garcia excelled under Steve Mariucci. Under Mike Singletary this year, could this be a combination of new coach and great quarterback?

What made these three quarterbacks successful was the offense that worked so well into their skill-set. The West Coast Offense allowed each quarterback to make simple passes that opened up a great running game. Also, each quarterback had great legs for escaping pressure from the pocket. And of course, all three had Jerry Rice to throw the ball to.

This group of Smith, Hill and Davis are still question marks. Smith, a pretty mobile quarterback, has to prove this his shoulder is healed. Hill can run but isn't that great in the long-passing game. Davis has a strong, accurate arm and can be mobile. But all these don't matter if the offense that Jimmy Raye is putting together doesn't fit well with their skill-set.

So in order to find the next great quarterback, I would hope that the pieces are in place for one of the quarterbacks on the roster. The right offense and the right talent can go a long way. But which quarterback right now has that ability to be great? Right now, I can picture success, but not greatness from these three. But maybe if the offense clicks perfectly, we might have the next great quarterback on the roster.

If not, we do have two first round draft picks next year. But I'm not that patient. I want to see something great happen this year.

If one of the quarterbacks on the roster takes the team to the playoffs this year, I hope that the team sticks with him until he can't produce the same success. I am very optimistic for this season.