“The strongest of all warriors are these two – Time and Patience.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Alex Smith certainly has spent a good amount of time wearing a San Francisco 49ers’ uniform while fans haven’t always found the patience to tolerate Smith’s mediocrity. In Smith’s case, it was the lack of patience and abundance of time that became his enemies and fought against him. Perhaps to the chagrin of some 49ers’ fans the team was unable to strike a deal with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. All the while, scorned quarterback Alex Smith was off meeting with the Miami Dolphins.

In the end, however, things fell into place as they were destined and Manning is now a member of the Denver Broncos and Smith is once again a 49er – this time with a three-year contract in place.

His return in 2012 should be a very special one indeed. After a 2011 season where Smith led the 49ers to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game and put up the best numbers of his seven-year NFL career he can only get better, in my opinion. Why is that, you ask? There are several reasons, but these seem to be the ones that best explain Smith’s projected development:

Playing in the same system for the second straight year. In 2012, Alex Smith will enjoy the comforts of running the exact same offense, with the exact same coaches and coordinators for consecutive years for the first time in his NFL career. The only difference in 2012 will be the upgraded pieces the 49ers have surrounded Smith with. With the ability to work out of the same offensive scheme as the previous year, the focus can be drawn away from learning the plays and geared more towards Smith’s development. Smith didn’t have a perfect 2011, but his offseason work and stability should prove to be the building block for an even better 2012.

Upgrading of key offensive positions. The 49ers have their top-ranked defense back in full force, so the only logical thing to do in the draft and free agency was to upgrade the offense. Among those upgrades include an improved wide receiving corps with acquisitions A.J. Jenkins, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, and Chris Owusu. Not to mention that the 49ers picked up LaMichael James, Jewel Hampton, and Brandon Jacobs to bolster the running back position. With a much more versatile offense, Alex Smith will have more options than he did in 2011 – and he still has Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and Delanie Walker.

Working out with Tom House. It was reported on May 13 that back in March, for one week, Alex Smith worked out with former MLB pitcher Tom House. While his crossover to coaching a football player may seem lost in translation, Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, and Carson Palmer were all there with Smith, working with House. Perhaps the fact that Tom Brady was there says enough about his credibility, but what would House really know about throwing a football? When he was coaching baseball, House used to have his pitchers throw with footballs because it’s the same neural pathway as throwing a baseball and it could help improve their throwing motion. (Apparently it’s all about getting your body behind the ball for the most efficient throw – regardless of sport.)

According to Jim Harbaugh, Smith has already made dramatic improvement in his throwing motion – something that had been affected by his shoulder surgery in 2008 and has hindered his ability ever since. But now, Smith has the opportunity to build on his 2011 performance and once again have the best year of his career.

Which of the three reasons make you feel the most confident in Alex Smith in 2012: the same offensive scheme, the new talent around him, or the workout with Tom House? Is there something else that has you feeling confident in Alex Smith or do you not have confidence in him to lead the 49ers?

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

Sources:

NFL.com. Baseball man helps Alex Smith rediscover groove. NFL 2012

More from David Mehrwein and the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

San Francisco 49ers’ Undrafted Free Agent Chris Owusu Ready to Prove Doubters Wrong: Fan Breakdown

Will San Francisco 49ers’ Randy Moss Help Guide Michael Crabtree in the Right Direction? Fan Question

Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace Ready to Face Oklahoma City Thunder: Fan Preview

Is Andrew Bynum a Cancer to the Los Angeles Lakers? Quote Roundup

Andrew Bynum Lacks Intensity as Los Angeles Lakers Fall to Denver Nuggets: Fan Reaction

Randy Moss of the San Francisco 49ers has a supposed reputation of giving up on his quarterbacks and his teams. Most notably, other players have said that if Moss gets frustrated, he goes into shutdown mode. However, one thing that can’t be argued is that Moss is still an exceptional athlete. I don’t think anything proved that as much as when the media got their first chance to watch the 49ers work out.

According to other players such as Donte Whitner and Alex Smith they couldn’t believe that Randy Moss is in such good shape after missing a year of football. He apparently has stayed in impeccable shape and leads the players when sprinting and doing other workouts. Most importantly however, he seems to have taken Michael Crabtree under his wing and the two have been inseparable.

My one concern would be Moss guiding Crabtree in the wrong direction. But all indications point to the opposite being true. Moss and Crabtree are always working out together when partners are needed and apparently they both find joy in working with one another. Which brings me to the question, “Will San Francisco 49ers’ Randy Moss mentor Michael Crabtree in the right direction?”

Honestly, I’m just hoping that the motivation is actually mutually beneficial more so than just Moss guiding Crabtree in a positive direction. I don’t think Moss is a bad player, but his reputation does precede him. If Crabtree can somehow “breathe new life” into Moss, allowing him to find the motivation to be a positive influence while playing for the 49ers, then it would be a welcome surprise.

Also if Moss can find the motivation from the 49ers’ youth to be a positive role model it would certainly help Crabtree immensely. Crabtree has been accused of being a diva and prima donna while playing here in San Francisco. Some fans have a negative perception of him and his lack of hard work make him an easy target. Perhaps Randy Moss will realize that his greatest contribution to this team is more than just spreading the defense with his route running. He could end up being a veteran who leads our young receivers in the right direction.

Since I’ve obviously done a good job talking up Randy Moss and what he brings to the 49ers, do you think that his work ethic will last throughout the season? Or will one overthrown ball from Alex Smith force Moss to go into “shutdown mode”?

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

Sources:

49ers.com. Whitner Remembers Facing Moss. NFL 2012.

More from David Mehrwein and the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

San Francisco 49ers’ Undrafted Free Agent Chris Owusu Ready to Prove Doubters Wrong: Fan Breakdown

Andrew Bynum Lacks Intensity as Los Angeles Lakers Fall to Denver Nuggets: Fan Reaction

Los Angeles Lakers’ Playoff History: Why the Lakers Will Beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 – Fan Breakdown

Top Undrafted Free Agents to Make it Big in the NFL: Fan Breakdown

San Francisco 49ers Sign Oft-Injured Undrafted Free Agents: Fan Reaction

WebMD states that a concussion is “a traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull.”

The causes sound like they could easily be caused by the game of football if you ask me. And to be honest, that is the risk that players are taking and have always taken. Even with the new helmets and added protection against concussions, the only sure way not to sustain a concussion would be to never touch anybody while on the field or to not play the game of football.

While that solution is impossible for anyone who wishes to play in the NFL, those who have had concussions and continue to play are upping the ante. Step into frame Chris Owusu, wide receiver from Stanford, formerly coached by Jim Harbaugh, and now a member of the San Francisco 49ers – as an undrafted free agent.

Owusu is a highly talented wide receiver – possibly one of the most physically talented players in the draft – but he didn’t get drafted. Was his 40-yard dash time too slow? Nope. He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash – third best at the combine. What about his vertical jump, that had to have been low? 40.5 inches – fourth best at the combine. It must have been the broad jump then? Try again. 129-inch broad jump – good enough for second among wide receivers, just behind Stephen Hill.

So why wasn’t Chris Owusu picked by a team during seven rounds of a draft that saw 253 players selected over three days? One word: concussion.

Actually, it was more than one. Owusu suffered three concussions over a 13-month period while playing at Stanford. One of which was so severe he was taken off the field by an ambulance. No one drafted him because of his concussive history and he fell all the way to the 49ers in undrafted free agency. Of all the 49ers’ undrafted free agency signings, Owusu may be one of the few that makes it in the NFL. He is challenging what everyone else thought of his injuries by agreeing to join the 49ers and I admire that. I’m just not too certain he understands the implications of playing with such a history of concussions.

Sure the risk for re-injury is there and greater than ever, mostly because of his injury history, but also due in part to the fact that the NFL is played much faster and harder than the college game. While some see him as a liability, I don’t think he sees himself that way. I know that I see him as a potentially talented player who could end up being a key part of the 49ers’ offense. But does the risk of re-injury outweigh the potential reward? And remember, he hasn’t even officially made the team yet. What if he gets injured during the preseason or during an OTA or minicamp?

Only time will tell what kind of risk Owusu is taking and how it could affect him long term. Do you think Chris Owusu is a liability with his injuries or will he prove to be a talented NFL wide receiver?

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

Sources:

NFL.com. Did T.O. Curse the Number 81 for the 49ers?. NFL 2012.

More from David Mehrwein and the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Andrew Bynum Lacks Intensity as Los Angeles Lakers Fall to Denver Nuggets: Fan Reaction

Los Angeles Lakers’ Playoff History: Why the Lakers Will Beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 – Fan Breakdown

Top Undrafted Free Agents to Make it Big in the NFL: Fan Breakdown

San Francisco Giants’ Guillermo Mota Suspended 100 Games: Fan Reaction

San Francisco 49ers Sign Oft-Injured Undrafted Free Agents: Fan Reaction

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had the best completion percentage (61.3) of his career in 2011, but the six-year veteran is nevertheless focusing on improving his accuracy and throwing mechanics this offseason.

During a chat with fans posted on the 49ers’ official team website, via Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Smith revealed that he recently spent time working on his throwing motion independently.

“I saw a mechanics guru, or specialist down in L.A.,” Smith wrote. “I went there to kind of clean some things up with my motion. I’m really focused on getting my fundamentals better. Really didn’t have time last offseason to do it.”

Citing a source close to the quarterback, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reported that the 49ers are hoping Smith can become even more accurate by fixing two key issues with his throwing motion, and that doing so will be a focal point of his offseason preparations.

According to the site, one issue is that Smith doesn’t flex his left knee enough during his stride, and the second is that Smith isn’t balanced enough when dropping back to throw.

Smith, taken first overall by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, made the 2011 season his best in the NFL by completing 273 of 445 passes for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was also picked off just five times while leading San Francisco to a 13-3 record and, eventually, to the NFC Championship Game.

The 2012 NFL draft was an opportunity for the San Francisco 49ers to grow deeper at several positions. In the first round they took A.J. Jenkins, a wide receiver from the University of Illinois and in the second round they took Oregon running back LaMichael James. They certainly surprised some fans by taking those two players in the first two rounds when it was common knowledge that the 49ers needed to strengthen their offensive line. However, despite the need, the 49ers took the opportunity to get deeper at two positions that have lacked depth in recent years.

In addition to the draft the 49ers have signed 17 undrafted free agents, some of which have real possibility of making the 53 man roster – despite having a rich injury history. In fact, if it weren’t for their injuries, they could have potentially had more complete college careers and been drafted. Let’s take a look at some of the formerly injured undrafted free agents who have the potential to make the 49ers’ roster.

Jewel Hampton, RB, Southern Illinois

Hampton signs with a 49ers team that has a lot of depth now at the running back position. Here is a list of potential running backs the 49ers have on their roster: Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Anthony Dixon, LaMichael James, and Brandon Jacobs. Hampton could make the 49ers’ roster and bump off players such as Dixon and Jacobs. I remember Hampton being on track to become a big star before tearing both of his ACLs while playing at Iowa. Another 49er suffered two major knee injuries and turned out just fine – his name is Frank Gore. It will be a challenge for Hampton to make the roster, but I have no doubts that fans will enjoy this player during the preseason and root for him to do so.

Chris Owusu, Stanford, WR

Owusu is another player who could have gone in the draft if it weren’t for three concussions in his last two years at Stanford. At the combine Owusu ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and although he was limited in his junior and senior seasons with Stanford, in 33 career games he caught 102 passes for 1534 yards and 10 touchdowns. Like Hampton, Owusu is facing a 49ers roster that is significantly deeper at the wide receiver position. However, since the need for wide receivers is greater than that for multiple running backs Owusu could easily make the 49ers’ roster and potentially bump a player like Kyle Williams to the practice squad.

Kourtnei Brown, Clemson, LB

Brown was a player who never put up a lot of numbers during his college career, but was another player to struggle through injuries. Brown is a long, athletic pass rusher who was slowed by groin, ankle and knee injuries – limiting his opportunities to produce. Brown was able to put himself on the map with standout performance against North Carolina in the 2011 season. He and Aldon Smith are almost identical in size and having seen what Smith was able to bring to the table in 2011, I’m excited to see Brown join the 49ers as an evolving pass rusher.

The 49ers have built a deep, talented football team that really has put San Francisco back on the map. These players mentioned, including the other undrafted free agents and those taken in the later rounds will only help make the 49ers a more complete football team. What other undrafted free agent signing are you excited about? Do you think others have a better shot at making the team than those I mentioned?

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

Sources:

49ers.com. 49ers Announce Undrafted Free Agents. NFL 2012.

More from David Mehrwein and the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

San Francisco Giants Look to Rebound Against Milwaukee Brewers: Fan Preview

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San Francisco 49ers’ LaMichael James Ready to Contribute: Fan Reaction

San Francisco 49ers Select LaMichael James in Second Round of 2012 NFL Draft: Fan Reaction

Jim Harbaugh addressed the media upon completion of the 2012 NFL Draft. The session gave us an inside look at exactly what Coach Harbaugh thought of the players he drafted, as well as his mentality prior to and throughout the draft. His intensity is everlasting and it showed during the draft and also during the media session. From his time with the media there were a few things that certainly grabbed my attention.

Media: Was there a guy in this class that you had been eyeing all along, that you ended up getting that you’re really happy about?