1. Quarterback - In 2009 Alex Smith didn’t play during the first four games, but returned in week 7 to throw 3 touchdowns and only 1 interception.  Although having a rocky, up and down season, Smith still finished with a 81.9 quarterback rating while throwing for  18 touchdowns and 12 picks.  Two of his best season numbers in his short career.  The 49ers aren’t completely sold though, as they have brought in David Carr as back up.  David Carr should challenge for the position during pre-season, but Alex Smith should easily beat our Carr for the starting spot.

2. Offensive Line – The 49ers have brought in a few new additions to the offensive line coaching staff to help protect Alex Smith in 2010.  The starting offensive line spots should be a battle to watch though. The known battle is between Boone/Sims but what could turn out to be exciting is the battle between rookie Adam Snyder and Anthony Davis for right tackle.

3. The 49ers Defense – The 49ers have a young group of emerging defensive jugernauts who will be fun to watch this season.  With Manny Lawson leading the way at linebacker and Nate Clements at corner back the 49ers will continue to be a tough team to score on. Last year the 49ers finished tied for 3rd in sacks and 11th in interceptions, both great numbers, but the 49ers would like to improve on their yards allowed after finishing ranking 15th in 2009.  With the leadership of Mike Singletary though, the defense will always bring their A game.

4. Michael Crabtree – After holdouts and injuries delayed Crabtrees’ 2009 season, he joined the team in week 7 and begin displaying his talents immediately.  Although only getting into the end zone twice, he did finish with 48 catches and 13 yards per catch. Getting a full training camp and pre-season under his belt heading into the 2010 season, the connection between Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree could result in plenty of touchdowns for the 49ers.

5. Mike Singletary – You can’t go into the 49ers season without having a memorable rant or two from the former ‘Monster of the Midway.’ Singletary has already left some wondering if his camp is t0o tough, after taking the team to the beach for a workout.  So keep your head up and ears ready for some more Singletary moments.

Those are 5 of the things I believe 49ers fans should pay attention to during training camp and pre-season.  What are you paying most attention to heading into the 2010 season?

Lets start with the Quarterbacks.

Alex Smith
The number one overall selection in 2005 finally has the tools around him to succeed, he looks more confident and well, like they say in baseball, he’s due. Smith hasn’t lived up to his potential or the expectations of a franchise that demands great Quarterback play. Jimmy Raye is hoping that he pulled a Bill Walsh and found the perfect system for his Quarterback. Walsh created the West Coast Offense for Joe Montana and Jimmy Raye hi-jacked the Spread Offense from the college ranks for Alex Smith. Those alone won’t resurrect the career of the embattled Quarterback. To be successful, Smith needs to build chemistry with his receivers and find a way to keep his running back involved while working out of the Spread. Reports out of the OTAs say that he is doing this, lets hope they are correct. The Super Bowl isn’t won by barking out blitz pick-ups in shorts but it is a start. To say this is a make or break season for Smith is a drastic understatement. This is his contract year and probably his last chance to be a starter in the NFL. If Smith makes the jump to serviceable QB, the 49ers will be a threat in the playoffs.

David Carr
Another number one overall selection, David Carr, has seen his share of hard times. Carr is an accurate QB with a similar skill set as Alex Smith. In his two year stint with the Giants, Carr was called into nine games and completed about 70% of his passes, that is exactly what you want from a back up. The problem with Carr is that he is replacing many fans’ favorite 49er; Shuan Hill. Hill is an anti-Carr and an anti-Smith. Hill came in with no expectations and when he got a chance to succeed, he did. Replacing Hill in the fans’ eyes will be a tough task but Carr brings more to the table in terms of ability. Carr’s success hopefully will not be measured on Sundays. What Carr brings is a physically gifted quarterback who can help the defenses by mimicking the opposing teams quarterback to give P-Will’s crew a realistic look at what they will be going against in the games. Carr has experience on his side as well, which will go a long way to help Alex Smith on game days. Having a veteran QB on the sidelines as your extra pair of eyes is invaluable. Just ask Eli Manning. Its no coincidence that Eli has had his best two seasons with Carr as his backup.

Nate Davis
With two overall number one picks on the roster it’s hard to believe that this guy could be the most physically gifted out of the bunch. The problem is that Davis is far behind in his development. Davis has a learning disability that has hindered him from learning the 49ers’ offensive system, but it has also hindered his previous coaches from teaching him how to be a quarterback. It’s baffling that a kid with this much talent wasn’t throwing the football with the laces during his entire college career. Davis is a long way off from being a contender for the starting job but if Smith doesn’t have a breakout year, Davis is the next in line to be the 49ers’ long term QB project.

Jarret Brown
With only one year of starting experience in college, Brown is anything but polished. Brown led West Virginia to a 9-4 record and suffered a loss to Florida State in their bowl game. Brown has the arm strength needed to be a NFL QB but needs to work on his accuracy. Look for Jarrett Brown to be a practice squad player. If Brown beats Davis for the third QB, the 49er faithful will go wild with excitement.

Overall, this is going to be a Boom or Bust season for the 49er’s Quarterbacks. If Smith doesn’t break out this season then look for the 49ers to either trade up in next year’s draft or bring in a proven veteran to replace him.

While I was daydreaming about what the 49ers can be next year, I remembered that the last time they were relevant, they had a big time receiver named Terrell Owens.

So could T.O’s return bring the 49ers back to relevancy?

As a fan, I miss the days when Terrell Owens wore No. 81 for San Francisco. For the organization, it could make sense to bring back the guy who caught 20 passes from Jeff Garcia and the torch from Jerry Rice on the legend’s last home game at Candlestick.

And wouldn’t the 49ers faithful love to have the national media attention that we got when T.O danced on the star at Dallas?

There could be negatives to bringing back an aging receiver with such a huge personality to a team in the middle of rebuilding.

I mean what would happen to Crabtree if the biggest diva in NFL history became his mentor?

But wasn’t Jerry Rice T.O’s mentor?

So, not everyone turns out like the older guy on the roster.

What about Alex Smith? Would T.O. demanding the ball, destroy Smith’s attempt at redemption?

Doubt It.

In my last article, “Five Reasons Why Alex Smith Will be a Top 5 QB in 2010,” I gave my thoughts on why Smith is going to succeed this year. The addition of 55 catches and almost 900 yards to his receivers group, would do nothing but help him out.

Another reason why T.O. hasn’t stuck around on any team, he tortures coaches.

But last time I checked, the 49ers have a coach by the name of Mike Singletary. Could you imagine T.O. yelling at the legendary linebacker?

It would be all over for him, he’d be cut instantly. If any coach can handle T.O, it would be Samurai Mike.

The 49ers could handle T.O., but would the aging receiver help the 49ers on the field?

Last year, T.O. had 55 catches, 829 yards, and five touchdowns. Those are down numbers for Owens, but they are better than any receiver the 49ers had last year.

Even with his diminishing skill set, T.O. is still a big time third down and redzone target. The best part about picking up Owens, he’s going to come on a short incentive-loaded contract that wouldn’t mess up the 49ers’ plans for the future.

It’s not a secret that the 49ers are going to have to find receivers to put around Crabtree, but they probably aren’t going to do that this year during the draft. And they probably can’t sign a young receiver without breaking the bank.

Maybe T.O. could be one of the final pieces that bring the 49ers back to relevancy