Vince Young Starting Quarterback in 2011 for the San Francisco 49ers?

After six years, it appears the 49ers are going to part ways with Alex Smith. Smith was given the keys to the franchise in 2010, a decision that might have ultimately cost Mike Singletary his job.

The 49ers traded Shaun Hill to the Lions for a late round pick and brought in David Carr and Troy Smith. They removed all competition from the quarterback position and made it clear to Alex Smith that they had faith he could excel in the second year of the Jimmy Raye offense.

In order to do so, they bypassed acquiring quarterbacks like Donovan Mcnabb. They also passed on quarterbacks in the draft, failing to draft one even in the late rounds. After only a few short weeks, it was evident that Mike Singletary had made the wrong decision.

Which brings the 49ers to the predicament they are currently in. No head coach -- though they are currently pursuing suitors-- and no quarterback. They do have the 7th overall pick in the draft, but at this point there seems to be a major dropoff between Andrew Luck (should he declare) and the next wave of quarterbacks.

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We've seen quarterbacks' stock rise in the draft, see Sanchez, Mark. We've also seen them unexpectadly plummet, see Rodgers, Aaron or Clausen, Jimmy. It is unclear if the 49ers will be able to obtain even the second best quarterback in the draft, so would they really want to try to develop someone when they could get a quarterback in free agency or through trade?

The biggest free agent quarterback this offseason will likely be Vince Young. The Titans announced on Wednesday that he will not be under center in 2011.

Vince Young has athleticism that only Michael Vick trumps at the quarterback position. He has incredible leadership skills, a big arm, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. It is clear that he needs a new start and San Francisco might just be the perfect place for him to go.

Young would immediately make the defense have to account for the run moreso than they already do with Frank Gore in the backfield. Having a quarterback that can force a defense to recognize his ability to tuck the ball creates more flexibility with the offense.

Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree are all weapons teams must account for on every single play. Young would add yet another weapon to 49ers. Young has the ability to take the 49ers from potentially dangerous, to dangerous.

He is immature. Between the training camp fights, strip club incidents, gun incident, etc.. Vince Young's antics pushed him out of Tennessee, but that doesn't mean he can't succeed elsewhere.

We've seen instances where players have turned around their character, even if it was only temporary. Cedric Benson had a break out year when he moved to Cincinnati after fizzling in Chicago. Randy Moss went silent and nearly lost his shot at the Hall of Fame, only to go to New England and solidify his spot in Canton.

Vince Young is going to need an authoritarian, who can also relate to him. Jim Harbaugh certainly fits that bill, but there are a number of coaches who Young could succeed under. Allowing him too much slack, and we have seen how out of control he can spin, but when Jeff Fisher tried to pull in the reigns, Young resisted and all was lost. A healthy balance can be found.

The 49ers can't settle as they approach April. By bringing in Vince Young, they give themselves a guy under center who they can immediately add three or so wins onto their total. The 49ers tried unsuccessfully to trade out of the number one spot in 2005. They have seen what can happen when you settle on a quarterback because it is a need.

Vince Young can delay the need to address quarterback immediately. With the seventh pick in the draft, the 49ers could grab a super star at another position. A shut down corner or dominant edge rusher and Vince Young under center seems like a more viable option than starting a rookie quarterback.

The 49ers need a playmaker, and Young provides that. Alex Smith was not a liability at best. Regardless of who they have under center, it needs to be a guy who is the difference in the offense. The 49ers aren't going to start the 2011 season with a great quarterback under center, but Vince Young could provide them with a quarterback that ranks in the top half of the league.

Ultimately, the decision will lie with the head coach. A coach may want to bring in their guy to groom and develop for the future. Whoever the coach may be, he needs to be sure of his decision if he brings in a rookie quarterback. The 49ers have seen far too much poor quarterback play and will be unforgiving with a botched selection in the draft.