Alex Smith is making progress

It's been the better part of a decade since Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick were part of the same quarterback room with the San Francisco 49ers, but Smith still sounds as impressed as ever with what he experienced on and off the field when the two of them were teammates. Smith spoke for almost an hour this week on Kaepernick and a number of other subjects during a guest spot on the 10 Questions With Kyle Brandt Podcast (click here to listen). Smith, who was the starting quarterback for the 49ers when Kaepernick was selected in Round 2 of the 2011 NFL Draft, told Brandt he remembered Kaepernick as a "great dude" who brought an impressive work ethic to the NFL right out of the gate. "We were doing workouts

If the San Francisco 49ers don't make a move for a quarterback in this year's draft, many can envision the team going after a cornerback or adding another defensive end. Several of San Francisco's top cornerbacks are scheduled to become free agents. It's a list that includes Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, and K'Waun Williams. The 49ers didn't have their top two pass rushers — Nick Bosa or Dee Ford — for most of last season. Bosa is rehabbing an ACL injury, while the status of Ford's back and neck injuries remains unclear. If Ford isn't healthy by April 1, San Francisco will be on the hook for a significant portion of his 2021 salary — $11.6 million — regardless of whether he is on the roster. Rather than target one of these positions,

Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman of ESPN's First Take have different predictions on who will start at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers during the upcoming season. Kellerman often defends Jimmy Garoppolo against Smith's criticisms, so you might naturally assume that Kellerman would predict that San Francisco would avoid shaking things up. You might also assume that the critical Smith predicts that the 49ers move on from Garoppolo. The opposite is true. Smith envisions San Francisco sticking with Garoppolo while Kellerman has another quarterback in mind to lead head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. "Me personally, I think it's going to be Jimmy G (as the 49ers' starter)," Smith declared. "That's what I believe. I believe that everybody's been