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With Warner signed, Hill may have best shot
By Tony the Tiger Hayes March 5, 2009 |
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SANTA CLARA--With Kurt Warner signing last Tuesday with the Arizona Cardinals for $23 million for two years the San Francisco 49ers are now going back to the drawing board and going with the old song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young "Love the one your with". There is very little chance that the 49ers may sign a big name free agent like a Super Bowl quarterback like Warner. There will be no Brett Favre who has had it and no Michael Vick whose public has had it with him. So the 49ers are back to the drawing board and are looking to Shaun Hill as probably the best candidate to start for the club for 2009. Head Coach Michael Singletary who didn't comment on the Warner situation when he came calling this past week to the 49ers might have been elated if things didn't work out for him in Arizona but now he's looking forward to getting his quarterbacking situation solved and Hill might be the one the Niners might have to settle on. Right now there is no key names at the position that are available or that the 49ers can afford right now. Vick's name was thrown around for some of the better of 24 hours last week but the brakes were put on that proposal as the 49ers received calls from people who didn't think that was such a hot idea and the idea quietly fizzled. Vick could probably help San Francisco with his experience, his ability to run in the pocket, and to find receivers and of course his famous keeper. Being a Pro Bowl quarterback he's reportedly still in good shape and can still heave the ball. But Vick can throw like Joe Montana all he wants, run like Johnny Unitas in the pocket all he wants, and think smart like Joe Namath all he wants he still will not be welcomed by the public in San Francisco. So that brings us to Shaun Hill who showed flashes of brilliance and possibilities last season. Singletary will have to mold Hill into the winning quarterback that he wants or have lots of patience to get Hill to Pro Bowl status. Either way Hill looks like the top contender for the job this summer when camp opens in July. Alex Smith might sign on for the year but at a lot less than he signed in his last deal, which gave him some $49 million. Smith who struggled since his rookie season in 2005 is trying to make it back, Smith missed all of last season due to an injury, but like one scribe said, "if it walks like a duck"... Then there is J.T.O'Sullivan who impressed some in the early part of last season and former head coach Mike Nolan. O'Sullivan won the starting job and then went down in flames afterwards in a few 49er loses and the job was turned over to Hill. Hill was impressive winning most of his games including one over the New York Jets and Farve at Candlestick Park. Hill who will be back in camp and the big question remains is he a quarterback who can get the 49ers to the post season? It remains to be seen what kind of quarterback he'll be under Singletary. Will he get the protection and time and will he get to work with a successful offense? Time will only tell on this one. If Warner had signed it would have been a whole different dimension but we'll never know. Tony the Tiger Hayes covers the 49ers for Sportstalk radio |
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