April 4, 2008

The Niners can talk all they want about an honest-to-God battle materializing for the starting QB job this offseason between Alex Smith, who is coming off the season from hell, and Shaun Hill, who had his moments as a starter down the stretch last season with Smith out of the picture with a bum shoulder. But the way we hear it, Smith is by far the best bet to be the starter in Week One. After taking his time to recover both physically and mentally from what turned out to be a very traumatic season, in great part due to his fractured relationship with head coach Mike Nolan, Smith, we’re told, has been rejuvenated by the presence of new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. According to team insiders, Martz is spreading the word behind the scenes that Smith has a chance to be really good in his system. But is Smith’s throwing arm fully recovered from his Dec. 13 shoulder surgery? “He expects to be fully ready for the minicamp in early May,” a team insider told PFW. “He’s been regularly throwing passes as far as 40 yards, but not with a lot of velocity, and he can do everything in the weight room but lift heavier weights over his head.” As for his relationship with Nolan, we hear Smith was sincere when he told the local media recently that he was ready to bury the hatchet. “Alex is very mature for his age and has made every effort to get back in Nolan’s good graces,” PFW’s source said.