San Francisco 49ers: Breaking Down the Quarterback Battle Candidates

After a couple of atrocious quarterback showings by Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick against the Saints in the first preseason game, the San Francisco 49er fans can now finally exhale. 

Even though it was against the Oakland Raiders in a game that doesn't even count, both quarterbacks played considerably better than their last appearance.

So while the starting quarterback battle may be down to only two players—since Smith and  Kaepernick have taken 99 percent of the snaps in the first two preseason games—it's hard to forget that there are currently five quarterbacks on the 49ers' roster: Smith, Kaepernick, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Jeremiah Masoli and Josh McCown.

Here is a breakdown of every 49er quarterback on the 49ers' roster in the order they are currently listed on the depth chart.

1. Alex Smith

Pros: Intelligence, perseverance, leadership abilities, able to buy time with his feet, accurate when he has the time.

Cons: Inaccurate the majority of the time, lack of arm strength, happy-feet in the pocket, poor decision making, doesn't show fervency while on the field.

Predicted 2011 statistics: 3,182 yards, 25 touchdowns (three rushing), 12 interceptions.

Breakdown: It has been said over and over again like a broken record, but I believe that this will be the year that Smith finally shows that he can be a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL.

If you look at and analyze the situation that he is currently in, its not hard to believe that all the pieces of the puzzle are in place for Smith to finally put them all together.

For the first time in his career, he will have a legitimate surrounding cast on offense that won't force him to be one of the biggest playmakers on the field. Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards will all take up on that role and allow Smith to solely be the distributor to the multitude of weapons on the 49ers offense. The Niners also have a young and talented offensive line that should limit the amount of time that Smith will be running for his life.

However, most importantly for Smith is that he will be learning under a coaching staff that will tailor to his needs for the first time in his NFL career. Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary—Smith's two previous head coaches with the 49ers—were defensive-minded strategists who tended to push Smith's needs to learn the quarterback position off to the side. On the other hand, Jim Harbaugh is the polar opposite of the two previous head coaches and has invested a lot of time in helping Smith achieve his potential.

49er fans finally saw the first glimpse of that Harbaugh-coaching put to work against the Oakland Raiders last Friday. Smith looked calm and collected in the pocket, moved around nimbly when he needed too and consistently hit his open receivers in stride the entire game.

Things are surely shaping up for Alex Smith to have a fantastic 2011 season.  

2. Colin Kaepernick

Pros: Incredible arm strength, gazelle-like speed, intelligence, winner's mentality.

Cons: Inaccurate at times, poor decision making, inexperience, slow release time.

Predicted 2011 statistics: 511 yards (112 rushing), four touchdowns (two rushing), three interceptions. 

Breakdown: Colin Kaepernick is an extremely raw talent, but is certainly oozing with potential. Many fans were looking forward to seeing what the new 49ers quarterback could do since they had grown tired of watching Alex Smith, but the fact is that Kaepernick is simply not ready yet.

There is no doubting Kaepernick's potential because he has all of the physical tools to become a true dual-threat quarterback, but his unseasoned nature is forcing that potential to be put on hold for at least a while. I think the last thing Harbaugh wants to do is throw Kaepernick into the wolves and force him to learn the game by playing it at full speed right off the bat. For some quarterbacks, that is the best way to go about business, but Kaepernick is not one of those players.

I envision him having a leash tied tightly around his neck and not being allowed to stray too far away from Harbaugh during the regular season in order to grasp as much information as he possibly can from the sidelines.

3. McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Pros: Recruited by Harbaugh out of high school, professional experience (Arena Football)

Cons: Likely won't even get a chance to sniff the football field.

Predicted 2011 stats: N/A

Breakdown: The San Francisco native and former San Jose Sabercat recently signed on with the 49ers in 2011. However, the only reason I see him being placed so high on the quarterback depth chart is that he has probably been in camp longer than the others. The 49ers will probably only keep three quarterbacks, and I do not see McLeod Bethel-Thompson being one of them.

4. Jemiah Masoli

Pros: Solid arm strength, strong and powerful runner, able to buy time with his feet, winner's mentality.

Cons: Inaccurate, poor decision making, not a lot of experience in a pro-style offense.

Predicted 2011 statistics: 21 yards rushing

Breakdown: The former University of Oregon star quarterback has found his way into the NFL. Jeremiah Masoli—also a San Francisco native—is projected to be more of a running back/wildcat formation quarterback in the NFL than anything else.

Masoli does have some of the necessary tools to be a quarterback in the NFL but I strongly doubt that he will ever get the chance.

If Masoli does find a way to make the team, he will have to fight hard with Josh McCown to win the third-string quarterback slot or prove to the 49ers coaching staff that he could effectively run some wildcat plays in the future.

5. Josh McCown

Pros: Experience, veteran presence.

Cons: Eight-year NFL veteran and has yet to prove himself as a starting NFL quarterback.

Predicted 2011 statistics: N/A

Breakdown: Even though McCown is currently listed as the fifth quarterback on the depth chart, he still has the greatest chance of winning the third-string quarterback spot when the final rosters are picked. The only reason he is so low on the totem poll is because he was the last quarterback to join the team.

Harbaugh was looking for a veteran quarterback to join Smith and Kaepernick, and many thought that man would be Daunte Culpepper. Instead, Harbaugh opted to go with McCown, and he will likely make the roster when it's all said and done.

The only way I see McCown getting any playing time this year is if Smith gets hurt at the beginning of the season.