QB's Smith, Bulger have much in common

QBs Smith, Bulger have much in common

By Matthew Barrows - mbarrows@sacbee.com

Last Updated 5:47 am PDT Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C3
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SANTA CLARA – When Alex Smith ran into St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger at the Super Bowl in February, the two didn't treat each other like division rivals or enemy combatants.
Instead, they sat and talked.
"There's a unique understanding of what the job entails," Smith said Monday of what he described as the "common bond" of being an NFL quarterback. "You kind of learn to appreciate each other."


Smith and Bulger have a greater bond than most. Bulger is one of Mike Martz's most famous disciples. At the time, Smith was just learning how demanding both Martz and his voluminous playbook can be.
"He doesn't set a limit on what we can do and what we can learn," Smith said of Martz. "He's going to push our development."
Smith, who took the first-team repetitions during Monday's practice, is learning his fourth offense in four seasons in the league. But he said he never has had to digest as much so early in the offseason as he has under Martz.
Asked what percentage of the playbook he has learned, Smith said he hoped it was mostly installed. But he admitted he didn't know. He said he got the sense from Bulger and from teammate J.T. O'Sullivan, who played for Martz last year in Detroit, that Martz's offense is always evolving and that a quarterback never finishes learning it.
Fellow quarterback Shaun Hill, meanwhile, said he hasn't hit the books this hard since college. He even has homework – film clips he brings home with him after practice.
"(Martz) will be the first to tell you – if you think you've got it, you don't," Hill said. "So we have to stay on top of it."
Hill led the second-team offense Monday but will get a chance with the first team today. He and Smith likely will rotate throughout this month's organized team activities (OTAs).
No show – Receiver Arnaz Battle was one of three players who missed Monday's optional practice. Battle had not participated in the team's offseason conditioning program but did take part in last month's mandatory minicamp.
Last week, coach Mike Nolan said he expected Battle to show up for OTAs. Monday, he said he hadn't heard from Battle and didn't know why he was absent.
Battle has been working out in the Dallas area. He had been playing the "Z" receiver position behind Isaac Bruce.
O'Sullivan and right tackle Jonas Jennings also missed practice because of private matters, Nolan said. O'Sullivan is expected back today while Jennings should arrive Wednesday.
Rachal starts – With Jennings out of action, rookie Chilo Rachal worked with the first-team offense at right tackle. Rachal said he practiced at tackle upon first arriving at USC but was moved to guard and never played tackle during a game.
The ***** have little depth along the offensive line and Monday signed Alan Reuber, a 6-foot-6, 307-pound tackle who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2004.


When i first read the title i was like WTF? i was worried they were going to say they were close in skill or something. HAHAHAHAHAH. Smith is going to go down in flames this season.

Talk about a misleading title for an article. Outside of being NFL QB's coached by Mike Martz, Alex Smith and Marc Bulger have nothing in common.

I don't understand. Martz can make no-name, low round/undrafted QB's into pro-bowlers but he won't be able to do anything with the #1 overall pick? I'm not an Alex Smith fan but why would he go down in flames? Martz gave Green, Warner and Bulger careers, resurrected Kitna's and now Smith will go down in flames? I'm not predicting pro-bowl success but if anyone can get Smith going it's Martz.

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Originally Posted by moklerman

I don't understand. Martz can make no-name, low round/undrafted QB's into pro-bowlers but he won't be able to do anything with the #1 overall pick? I'm not an Alex Smith fan but why would he go down in flames? Martz gave Green, Warner and Bulger careers, resurrected Kitna's and now Smith will go down in flames? I'm not predicting pro-bowl success but if anyone can get Smith going it's Martz.

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I just dont believe Smith is any good at all. Yes, he will probably produce a little more then the previous years, but im seeing half way through the season, whether it be injuries or or just bad playing, Shaun hill or O'Sulliven will go in.

1. Martz was with green before the rams and helped him into a pretty great qb.
2.Warner is on the top 20 list for best arena players of all time. The Rams liked him and took him and he fit perfectly with Martz's system and did great. Diamond in the rough.
3.Marc Bulger. Martz made.
4. Kitna has had success a season with the seahawks, bengals, and now in detroit, Martz made sure he could still perform.

I dont know why but i just hate Alex Smith and have already labeled him a bust last year. Martz can work miracles, and he might get the ******** offense going, but i dont think it will be with Smith behind center.

Both are carbon-based life forms.

Smith isn't a Martz QB. Martz likes pocket guys with good accuracy. Smith is neither.

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1. Martz was with green before the rams and helped him into a pretty great qb.

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I don't believe Martz was with Green in San Diego but I do know that even though Martz wasn't the Redskins' OC in '98, the second half of that season had his fingerprints all over Green and the offense. Green really started to come into his own(13 TD's 4 INT's the last 6 games) and it really surprises me that Washington let him go. Brad Johnson was a decent enough replacement I guess but a lateral move at best considering Johnson's known ceiling and Green already posting those numbers in his first year as a starter. Regardless, I think Green can be chalked up as another Martz success. He wasn't anything at all before Martz.

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2.Warner is on the top 20 list for best arena players of all time. The Rams liked him and took him and he fit perfectly with Martz's system and did great. Diamond in the rough.

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I didn't consider that I should qualify my statement with "NFL" QB. I see your point and after Warner got over his stage fright(Green Bay) and bad luck(bit by a spider before trying out with Chicago), he began to excel at every level from Arena League to NFL Europe. However, minor league success does not make an NFL QB. All QB's who get to the NFL have had success in other arenas. That's why they're getting a shot(okay, maybe not Drew Hensen but most do). I can think of a couple of NFL Europe guys who've had NFL success(Johnson, Kitna) but I can't think of a single AFL guy who's made it as a starter, much less a successful one. We'll never know if Warner would have made it without Martz(remember, he barely beat out Will Furrer for the backup job in '98 so other NFL coaches didn't seem to think too highly of him. Not poorly, but he was barely hanging on.) so I chalk up Warner's NFL career to Martz.

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3.Marc Bulger. Martz made.

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Agreed.

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4. Kitna has had success a season with the seahawks, bengals, and now in detroit, Martz made sure he could still perform.

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Kitna's always been a borderline starter in my mind. Just good enough to blow it at the end. No miracles worked here by Martz but Kitna's career was essentially over so I guess a little resurrection credit is due but Kitna has produced with other teams so not much can be taken from this situation. Detroit's utter lack of a quality RB consistently on the field undermined any chance of his offense really working. Kitna had lot's of yards and 20+ TD's so it looked kind of nice on the statline but he didn't exceed his best years in Cincinnati and Seattle.

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Originally Posted by moklerman

I don't understand. Martz can make no-name, low round/undrafted QB's into pro-bowlers but he won't be able to do anything with the #1 overall pick? I'm not an Alex Smith fan but why would he go down in flames? Martz gave Green, Warner and Bulger careers, resurrected Kitna's and now Smith will go down in flames? I'm not predicting pro-bowl success but if anyone can get Smith going it's Martz.

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That was the most reasonable and unbiased post I have ever read in here.

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Originally Posted by Athens

That was the most reasonable and unbiased post I have ever read in here.

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That was the least sarcastic thing I've ever read ever.