Quickly though they set about answering them.

Former Arena League standout Aaron Garcia was released almost simultaneously and rumors continued that former “Quarterback Of The Future” Giovanni Carmazzi, whose NFL career has been derailed by injuries is to be released with an injury settlement.

Clearly not wanting to leave open a roster spot for a 31 year old quarterback who wouldn’t be ready to play this season, the other Garcia was deemed surplus to requirements.

Carmazzi was originally injured when playing for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe in 2001, and hasn’t fully recovered.

This means that the team will likely have McNown and this years firth rounder, former BYU quarterback Brandon Doman competing for the third spot on the teams roster.

Doman’s final college season was his first as a full time starter, and he played well.

Doman completed 64% of his passes, threw 33 touchdowns to 8 interceptions and ran for eight more touchdowns.

However, prior to last season he saw little action at BYU. Fortunately, Doman is smart and coachable with quick feet, good vision and awareness. His accurate short to medium range passes make him a good fit for the teams offensive system.

Apart from his lack of experience, his marginal arm strength was the main knock on him coming out of college, although 49ers quarterbacks are not asked to throw deep too often.

McNown is of similar size to Doman (6-1, 210), the same age (25) and is a similarly mobile quarterback.

Where the former UCLA starter has an edge is in his experience.

Not only did McNown play more in college, but he has been in the NFL for three season and played in twenty games, starting fifteen.

Unfortunately, McNown struggled in Chicago with his 3-12 record on the field and his conflicts with fans and press off it.

In that time McNown rates only 67.7 as a passer, completing just 54.6% of his passes and being sacked 45 times.

49ers fans may well remember his performance in San Francisco in the penultimate game of the 2000 regular season.

En route to being shut out, Chicago never crossed midfield as their young QB struggled mightily in finishing 9/29 passing for 73 yards.

His teammates were said to have been shocked at his lack of preparation for that game, and his tenure in Chicago was as good as over.

It’s not all bad though.

In his rookie season of 1999, McNown showed a flair for the big play, with six plays of over 40 yards and eight touchdowns spread over fifteen games including six starts. He also averages 5.9 yards per attempt as a runner.

One performance in particular gives credence to the argument that Cade McNown is a salvageable prospect as an NFL quarterback.

In week one of the 2000 season McNown compiled a 102.7 passer rating against the Minnesota Vikings as he completed 27 of 41 passes ( a 65.9 completion percentage) for 290 yards and 2 TD’s.

In addition, he ran ten times for 87 yards and a touchdown as the Bears came close to pulling off an upset on the road against a team that would reach the NFC Championship game.

If the potential that a performance like that would indicate exists does exist then the team have given up nothing in an attempt to unlock it, and will look extremely wise if they are successful.

In other news, it was reported that Terry Donahue and his personnel team are said to be looking to add a veteran receiver, namely Willie Jackson.

Brother of 49ers running back Terry Jackson, the former Florida wideout posted career numbers as a member of the New Orleans Saints with 81 receptions for 1,046yards and five TD’s.

Still unsigned, it has also been reported that Jackson is looking for a move to an East Coast team.

If the 49ers don’t sign Jackson then one receiver worth looking at if he is released is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Darnay Scott.

A faster receiver than any the team has on it’s roster, the addition of Scott would provide the team with a legitimate deep threat and third down target.

Scott averages 15.5 yards per catch for his career, and last season had was 18-277 and a touchdown on third down.