49ers Blog and Q&A: No breeze for rookie Willis; Smith-Davis chemistry grows

49ers Blog and Q&A

News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

• Ask Matt a 49ers question

June 10, 2007

No breeze for rookie Willis; Smith-Davis chemistry grows

Question: Great job with the blog. Please keep it up!

I was wondering how well is Patrick Willis doing? Is he still looking tentative, or is his speed starting to show up? Also, I've heard some good things about Alex Smith so far. I know, I know, it's only OTAs and there are no pads and no "real" pass rush. However, I'm interested in finding out if he's getting rid of the ball quicker and if he's hitting more guys in stride. Those are the two areas I think he needs the most improvement on. What say you?

Scott, Hercules

Answer: Hi, Scott. As far as Willis, he hasn't jumped out yet. In fact, the guy playing in front of him, Derek Smith, looked especially good all week. Smith is a savvy veteran with a lot to prove this year. My prediction is he gives Willis a hell of a fight for that starting spot. Alex has looked good. One troubling development, though, is that he has yet to do any meaningful work with his top two projected receivers, Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie. Last year at this time, he was throwing extensively to Antonio Bryant, and that connection paid dividends at the start of the season. One bright spot is that he is throwing a lot to Vernon Davis. If I had to make a guess in June as to Smith's top receiver (in receptions) at the end of the season, I would definitely go with Davis.

- Matt Barrows

About Comments

Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com

Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)

Here are some rules of the road:

• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.

• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.

• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.

• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.

• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.

• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.

• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.

• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.

blog comments powered by Disqus

FOLLOW US | Get more from sacbee.com | Follow us on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook | Get news in your inbox | View our mobile versions | e-edition: Print edition online | What our bloggers are saying

Please use the form below to submit your question. Because there is a 100-word limit for questions, a word counter is located directly beneath the box where you enter the your question.