After being quiet for the first 12 hours of free agency and silently watching as their own free agents, wide receiver Arnaz Battle and right tackle Tony Pashos schedule their own visits to other teams, a rumor of a potential visit appeared. It was not some big name free agent or a potential starter. Various sources are stating that the 49ers have scheduled a visit with Giants backup quarterback David Carr.
Now this by itself may not seem too interesting. In fact, it may sound downright boring. However, when you look at it from the perspective of the 49ers' current quarterback situation, it suddenly becomes interesting. The coaching staff has backed quarterback Alex Smith as the starter for 2010. The team spent a fifth-round selection on quarterback Nate Davis last year and are fine with letting their young player develop.
Shaun Hill is a different story. Hill started the 2009 season as the team's starting quarterback. After struggling, he was eventually replaced during week 7 by Alex Smith, who remained the starter for the remainder of the season. Carr entering the picture could mean that San Francisco is no longer interested in keeping Hill around or that they are at least interested in taking another look at his future with the team.
For Carr, playing in San Francisco, even as a backup, may be a perfect situation. The California native would be closer to home and have a chance to actually play should Alex Smith struggle or get injured.
It was rumored that the Arizona Cardinals might have shown an interest in Carr. Also, the Cleveland Browns appear to be interested in him now.
It will be interesting to see if the 49ers sign Carr and announce him as insurance or competition for Smith.