Dan Pompei

Mike Martz wants to do to the 49ers offense what Bill Walsh once did to the 49ers offense—bring it to life with cutting edge concepts.

Whether or not the 49ers new offensive coordinator can fulfill his goals depends on whether or not his players can execute his game plans. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, he does not have.

Then again, no one expected great things of the Rams offense when Martz took that over in 1999. But Martz's offensive scheme, game plans and play calls brought out the best in quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Falk and wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Martz has taken other previously unheralded quarterbacks to new heights, including Marc Bulger and Jon Kitna. So perhaps he can work his magic on Alex Smith, the former No. 1 pick in the draft.

In order to succeed in Martz' offense a quarterback has to be able to be his own blocker—that is, he needs to know his protections and how to bail out when he has no good option. He also has to be able to take a hit.

The three most important qualities in a quarterback for Martz are accuracy, intelligence and toughness. We know Smith is intelligent. But he is a 54.4 percent career passer, and he has not always held up physically. That could open the door for Shaun Hill, or even J.T. O'Sullivan, who played for Martz in Detroit.

Martz does have a reasonable facsimile of Faulk to work with in the form of Frank Gore. Like Faulk, Gore is a back who can do it all. He clearly is the best thing going in the 49ers offense, and he could entice Martz to rely more on the run.

Trying to play the role of Bruce, surprisingly enough, will be Bruce, who joined the 49ers as a free agent. But it will be the 35-year old version instead of the 27-year old version. Bruce no longer is a dynamic playmaker with whom most cornerbacks can not match up. But he still adds value to the 49ers offense.

There is no wide receiver close to Holt. The 49ers are hoping that one or more emerges from a group that includes Jason Hill, Arnaz Battle, Josh Morgan, Ashley Lelie and Bryant Johnson.

If Martz' offense doesn't click, the 49ers don't stand a chance.

Hot seat
This could be Smith's last stand in San Francisco. Smith started only six games last season before bowing out with a shoulder injury. He never has approached consistency in his three years in San Francisco, let alone excellence.

Last season Smith feuded with head coach Mike Nolan. If he can't find an advocate in Mike Martz, he's going to have to try to find one on another team.

Overheard at camp
The 49ers have one of the most gifted tight ends in football in Vernon Davis, but Davis has yet to capitalize on his abilities. Whether or not he can do it this year is questionable.

Martz' offensive system does not emphasize the tight end. Since 1999, the most productive tight end in a Martz offense was Ernie Conwell in 2001 with 38 catches for 431 yards. Of course, Martz never has had a tight end with Davis' skills. It will be interesting to see what he does with Davis.

Coming and going
The Niners have remade their defensive line. Gone are mainstays Bryant Young (retired) and Marques Douglas (signed with the Bucs). In their places are free agent pickup Justin Smith and first round pick Kentwan Balmer. The 49ers also are hoping end Isaac Sopoaga can step up now that he'll have more opportunities.

There also has been some movement on the offensive line. The team lost Justin Smiley and Kwame Harris in free agency, and Larry Allen retired. The team hopes second round pick Chilo Rachal can help fill in one of the gaps.

Prediction
Hiring Martz was a good move, but now the 49ers have to give him some tools to work with. Without those tools, Martz' impact will be limited.

The 49ers have some good young talent, but they might not have a strong enough nucleus to contend in the NFC. They have the look of a team that will finish below .500.

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