Maiocco: How Culpepper would fit in with 49ers

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Aug. 15, 2011MAIOCCO ARCHIVE
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Matt MaioccoCSNBayArea.com
During practice Sunday at Candlestick Park, 49ers quarterbacks dropped back 62 times for pass attempts.Alex Smith, No. 1 on the depth chart, took 39 of those pass attempts. Rookie Colin Kaepernick, whom 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said remains in competition for the starting job, dropped back 19 times.Undrafted rookies Jeremiah Masoli and McLeod Bethel-Thompson took three snaps apiece.
Veteran Daunte Culpepper worked out for the 49ers early Monday morning a source close to Culpepper told CSNBayArea.com. All indications are the 49ers expect to sign Culpepper to a one-year contract, the source said. If the deal is completed, Culpepper could be on the practice field at 2:30 p.m. for the team's scheduled three-hour workout.
But the 49ers do not envision Culpepper as a competitor for the starting job. If the 49ers sign Culpepper, he would arrive as the third quarterback.REWIND: 49ers set up workout with Daunte Culpepper
Smith has not done anything in the first two-plus weeks of training camp that should come as a surprise -- one way or the other -- for the 49ers. And the team gave Smith a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth 4 million to come back for a seventh NFL season. (He can earn another 900,000 in incentives.)If the 49ers sign Culpepper, 34, he would not be taking over for Smith or Kaepernick. And he would not be joining the quarterback competition. There aren't enough practice snaps at this stage of training camp to hold a three-way competition.At this stage, the 49ers are looking for a third quarterback with experience who does not need many practice snaps to be able to function in a game -- if needed.Smith took a beating Friday night against in the exhibition opener against the Saints. Is Kaepernick ready to make that transition from college to starting an NFL regular-season game? Would the 49ers want to put him in harm's way this early in his career?That's why the 49ers are, as Harbaugh said Sunday, "kicking the tires" on Culpepper at this point in training camp.

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