SB Nation - Jamie Martin

Quarterback: Long look back, brief look forward

Fooch — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:00:08 -0000

Once again, we reach the position on the team that will probably lead to the most explosive debate. The future of the 49ers QB position has been hanging over the head of this franchise and fanbase since Jeff Garcia left town. We drafted Alex Smith #1 overall, and at one point (late in 2006), it seemed like he was going to step up and be that guy. A disastrous 2007 and injury plagued 2008 seemed to end any hope of that. Now, maybe Smith will be back? I won't say this is getting ridiculous, but it's certainly not the simplest situation in the world.

For this assessment, we're only looking back at J.T. O'Sullivan and Shaun Hill. Alex Smith will be looked at as part of the looking ahead and Jamie Martin gets no consideration given the circumstances.

Shaun Hill: All things considered, could Shaun Hill have done much more to gain a vote of confidence heading into 2009? In his 8 starts the team was 5-3 and the offense seemed to reach some level of consistency that was clearly not there under JTO. Hill finished the season with 13 TDs, 8 INTs, a 62.8 completion percentage and a QB rating of 87.5. Not spectacular, but he clearly got the job done. A closer look at his splits shows a guy who could be downright dominant in the 1st and 4th quarters, decent in the second quarter and downright horrible in the third quarter. A more consistent third quarter and imagine those overall numbers?

Coach Singletary would not give Hill the starting nod heading into 2009 and I actually have no problem with that. If Hill had been clearly dominant it would have been one thing. However, Hill had plenty of ugly hiccups that he needs to address. It's a little harsh to say "you're our guy unless something better comes along," but that's the nature of the NFL. Maybe it could have been handled a little more subtly, but Shaun Hill is a big boy and should be able to handle it. Hill has plenty of areas to improve in his performance and competition might push that improvement (of course there's also the issue of his practice abilities).

The argument for having Hill start in 2009 is that they won with him and he commands the respect of the offense, like any good leader should. Although he's not a gun-slinger like JTO, he did other things to get people excited. It might be the run for a first down without his helmet or tossing the ball to an offensive lineman every time he rushed for a TD. Furthermore, while he made some bad decisions at times, he can usually make the throws a decent QB needs to make. The team doesn't need him to make the big play down the field all the time. And he's not simply a game-manager in the mold of Trent Dilfer with the Ravens. He can manage the game but still make sizable plays.

J.T. O'Sullivan: JTO seemd to embody everything that was the Mike Martz offense. Crazy highs and ugly lows. JTO would blow up with a big play and then one series later, get blown up by an ugly turnover. There seemed to be no middle ground with him. It was literally all or nothing and unfortunately, the nothing took over most of the time. For quarterbacks with at least 100 passes, JTO finished dead last in DYAR and second to last in DVOA for QBs. He seemed to cough up the ball several times a game and the offense was never consistent when he was on the field (except against the Lions, who don't count).

The upside to JTO is he was one of several reasons Mike Nolan was fired, so he's got that going for him. Some people have suggested maybe bringing him back since he has some skills. Given that he was brought in by Martz I don't think that will be happening. It wouldn't surprise me to see Martz bring him along to his next NFL stop, wherever that might be.

Looking Forward
So the question becomes, who is that new quarterback that could compete for the starting position? There are several ways to handle this. If the team drafts a QB, I'd imagine that player would spend the entire season as the emergency #3 QB. They would either rework Smith's deal or bring in some older veteran that is more than just a Dilfer sitting in the background guy.

The question in this instance is who do you draft and when? A lot of people think the 49ers would grab Bradford (or maybe Stafford or Sanchez) with that 10 pick. While I'll hold short of calling that an insane suggestion, I do think it's not the best idea in the world. My suggestion since late in the season has been to draft somebody somewhere inthe 3rd-5th rounds and develop them. Some options include Rhett Bomar of Sam Houston State and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech. I know next to nothing about Bomar and not much more about Harrell's NFL prospects, but I throw them out because 1) they're projected in that range and 2) it's just a matter of getting some names out there.

The other option is going the free agency route. There is of course the Matt Cassell route, which some people would like to see happen. I'm not a fan of throwing out that kind of money and possibly draft picks (if he's franchised), so count me out of that bandwagon. There is always everyone's favorite, Jeff Garcia. He's not a long term answer, but when healthy he's been quite solid, even though he's 38. I guarantee people out there would love to see the 49ers sign him. I'm not one of them, but I know they're out there. The only other real legit option (unless y'all want Rex Grossman!) is Kurt Warner, who's 37 and an unrestricted free agent. Although a different style of player than Garcia, I lump those two together as similar types of free agent QBs.

So there you have it. I'll leave you with a poll that is kind of all over the place. Given the craziness of free agency and whatnot, just throw out what you think will happen heading into Week 1 of the regular season.

Poll

Who will be the 49ers starting QB Week 1 of the 2009 regular season?

Shaun Hill

333 votes

Alex Smith

112 votes

J.T. O'Sullivan

3 votes

Jeff Garcia

42 votes

Kurt Warner

21 votes

Another free agent (specify in comments)

26 votes

A Rookie (specify in comments)

32 votes

569 votes | Poll has closed

Real Solutions To The Kansas City Quarterback Problem

Joel Thorman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:51:17 -0000

So, here's the deal. The feelings regarding our quarterback situation are mixed. However, I feel that a majority of folks are looking to make a change and then some of that group wants to make a change NOW.

I'm on record as saying there's nothing we can do to better the quarterback situation now. Trade scenarios, while always an interesting discussion, almost never come to fruition. There's a reason talented quarterbacks never hit the open market.

Below is a list of quarterbacks who are currently free agents. Keeping this list in mind, I want to hear real solutions to the quarterback problem. Pretend as if trading is not an option (because realistically it's probably not). Anyone can say 'Hey it's not working dump 'em all!' But that's not the way it works.

Tell us who you want and WHY. The latter is key. Would any of these players help us now? Do we currently have the best options on staff?

Player Name	Years Experience	2007 Team
Daunte Culpepper	9	Raiders
Bruce Gradkowski	2	Bucs
Tim Hasselbeck	6	Cardinals
Kelly Holcomb	11	Vikings
Jared Lorenzen	3	Giants
Jamie Martin	13	Saints
Craig Nall	6	Packers
Tim Rattay	8	Cardinals
Lester Ricard	1	Jaguars
Brian St. Pierre	7	Jets
Chris Weinke	8	49ers

Golden Nuggets 10/4/08

Fooch — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:52:21 -0000

We're a day away from yet another big game for the 49ers. The team is 2-2 and as with any early .500 team, there is cause of optimism and cause for pessimism. I remain optimistic, although the offensive line is not giving me a lot of reason to.

Heading into tomorrow's game I'm not sure how to describe my expectations. The Patriots were annihilated by the Dolphins but they're still coached by Bill Belichick and the hooded one had two weeks to prepare for the 49ers. I do not expect the 49ers to roll out a 38-13 victory, that's for sure.

We're only a quarter of the way through, but it's already been a loooooong season for Tully Banta-Cain. While nothing's guaranteed, I think it's safe to say he'll be active tomorrow given Manny Lawson's injury.

Speaking of injuries, nothing surprising in the injury report for this week. Lawson is listed as doubtful and all three Patriots mentioned Thursday (LB Eric Alexander, CB Lewis Sanders adn WR Kelley Washington) are all doubtful.

Last week Mike Nolan said he used a challenge because he wanted to call a timeout anyways and figured why not try and get a reversal. Mike Sando put together a breakdown of the use of challenges by Nolan and Belichick.

Adalius Thomas and Mike Nolan know each other pretty well from their time in Baltimore together. Probably why they tried to sign him last year (that and the fact that he's really good).

49ers offensive line a major concern: Thank you Captain Obvious.

Patriots scout.com site on 5 reasons the Patriots would lose tomorrow.

Brent Jones will be an honorary captain for tomorrow's game.

Jamie Martin didn't think there were any juicy theories about Mike Martz and SpyGate.

Coming off an ugly game against the Dolphins, the Patriots rush defense will have it all it can handle in Frank Gore.

This is good timing with Steve Young getting his jersey retired tomorrow.

A general look at the 49ers by a Massachusetts newspaper that thinks we're a team making progress.

Kentwan Balmer is one of nine 2008 first round draft picks not to make a start this season. Although he did get 20 snaps last Sunday and is slowly seeing his role expand.

Brief discussion about halfway down about potential trick plays by the 49ers. If they do decide to run some direct snaps like the Dolphins did, I really hope they use Michael Robinson or Arnaz Battle for them. Although apparently Frank Gore thinks he can throw the ball pretty well.

Niners @ Saints: Players to Watch

Saintsational — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:00:07 -0000

Carl Nicks' Tattoo (Photo Source).

Reggie Bush Bush has done well against San Francisco in the past. He has looked great so far this season and there is no reason why this won't continue. In fact, its scary to say, but I think we haven't even seen Reggie get hot yet. The Niners will definitely be keying on him so Reggie will definitely need to elevate his game. Patrick Willis makes a lot of tackles so Bush has a tough matchup over the middle on Sunday.

Lance Moore/Robert Meachem This is a big opportunity for the two young receivers. Matter of fact, this is really a big opportunity for all of the receivers. Lance Moore has continued to show improvement and we know that Drew has a lot of trust in him. Meachem has also continued to turn in respectable games with big catches. We could definitely see a break-out game from either of these, maybe 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Maybe even both? That would be sweet.

Carl Nicks Time to step up. Nicks is a rookie so he's no where near perfect but I hear good things about the rookie. Losing a good player like Jamar Nesbit hurts but his pass blocking was better than his run blocking and run blocking is what we need more of. With Nicks' size, maybe he will be the key to opening up bigger holes for our running backs.

Sedrick Ellis/Kendrick Clancy With Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster toting the rock for San Francisco these two are going to have a long day. The Niners run the ball straight up the middle more than any other direction and average 5.6 yards per carry when doing so, 4th highest in the league. Their success in this matchup with be very key in the Saints stopping the run.

Deuce McAllister All signs point to yes. I doubt we will see him much, certainly not 20 carries but this should be the official beginning of the comeback. If he dresses and doesn't see the field again, heads are gonna roll.

J.T. O'Sullivan/Jamie Martin I just thought it was interesting that the Niners have two former Saints quarterbacks.

Maiocco: 49ers to sign Jamie Martin

Fooch — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:48:48 -0000

EDITOR'S NOTE 11:23AM: It's official, Alex Smith is headed to the IR and Jamie Martin is a 49er.

Matt Maiocco is reporting that the 49ers have agreed to sign QB Jamie Martin. Mike Nolan is expected to make an announcement on Alex Smith's condition in about an hour, but I'd imagine this is a strong indication of the direction of that announcement.

If there was an in-season disabled list like in baseball, the Jamie Martin signing could be just a short-term thing while Smith got healthy. People have suggested going after a guy who could be a potential long-term guy, but Maiocco makes a good point about Martin:

He has knowledge of Mike Martz's offense. If he were needed to play, it would allow the team's offense to function. Really, Martin is one of the few free-agent QBs available that would allow the team's other offensive players to go ahead with everything they've learned about this offense without skipping a beat.

Obviously it'd be nice to get a guy like Andre Woodson or John Beck, or really any young QB that could maybe become a franchise quarterback. However, for the purposes of the hear and now, we need a guy who could step in if everything went to hell with JTO and Hill. There is zero upside with Martin, but as a third QB I really don't see any need for now to have upside.

Golden Nuggets: The Morning After

Fooch — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:45:41 -0000

The morning after a tough loss is never pretty, but there is certainly plenty around the blogosphere to check out. Today's a particularly big day as we await word on the extent of Alex Smith's injury, as well as Mike Nolan's wrap-up press conference at 12:15. I think we all expect Smith to be on the shelf the rest of the season, but we'll wait on the official word.

Speaking of Smith, the 49ers have begun searching for a new 3rd string quarterback. First name mentioned: Jamie Martin. Martin is on the radar primarily because of his time in St. Louis with Martz. There are certainly flashier names out there, but I honestly don't think Byron Lefwich is the type of player you want as a 3rd string QB. He's talented but you have to wonder if he could accept such a role knowing he has virtually no chance of becoming a starter.

As has been mentioned in the recap thread, Maiocco saw some crazy stats. The 49ers actually outgained the Cardinals by 6 yards, in spite of running 28 fewer plays. While there were several field goals, only one touchdown was scored off the 49ers turnovers. The defense couldn't make some key 3 and outs, but all things considered (primarily time of possession), it was a respectable performance.

Kurt Warner continues to own the 49ers. The man is 8-1 with 20 TDs and 10 INTs against the 49ers. I'm surprised the TD/INT ratio isn't better as it always feels like he picks us apart.

Lowell Cohn does not want anybody making excuses for the 49ers. He calls the 49ers a "good-looking bad offense." Do people agree with that characterization? I suppose just based on yesterday's game that's an easy assessment to make. As Cohn pointed out, they did score .7 points fewer than they averaged last season. However, I don't think it's possible to perform that poorly, in terms of turnovers, on a consistent basis.

The defense isn't happy about that Ray McDonald roughing the passer penalty. While I agree that McDonald should have known better, I also think it was a pretty ticky-tack call to make. But as was pointed out in the game thread, if you even breath on the QB you're gonna get called for something.

A new form of home field advantage? If our coaches can get in good shape this busted elevator thing could be HUGE!

Isaac Bruce was indeed a bit of a disappearing act. In the post-game interviews JTO did indicate he looked to him a couple times but the Cardinals were covering him pretty steadily. If Bryant Johnson can turn into a consistent threat that should open things up for Bruce a little more.

Should the 49ers have been more "angry" about the loss? I think when you make that many mistakes it's easier to be more embarrassed than anything else. However, Cam Inman is definitely not optimistic about this season.

For those wondering if the 49ers will ever be on in your part of the country, check this site out every week.

The folks at Princeton are psyched to see their boy Zak Keasey starting.

It doesn't get much easier any time soon with a rough first half of the schedule. A quick re-look at the schedule and that Philly could be ugly, the Patriots game could be a lot more interesting and who knows what to think about Seattle right now.

Feel free to drop in your own links and I'll hopefully be back with an update on Alex Smith later today.