San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary never said he was interested in acquiring imprisoned Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. But he also did not say he was not interested.
One day after Singletary declined to close the door on a trade, the club responded to a reporter's request to clarify its position on Vick, who is scheduled to be released from prison in July on federal dog-fighting charges.
"The 49ers are not interested in Michael Vick," a club spokesman said.
In fact, Singletary did say he is content with the quarterbacks he 49ers already have on their roster. With the team intent n forging a strong running attack, the 49ers believe Shaun Hill or Alex Smith will be capable of guiding the team to its first winning record since 2002.
"I think right now we really need to look at the two guys we have," Singletary said.
The 49ers expect to be able to sign Smith to a new contract to replace his current deal. Smith is on the books to make $9.625 million this season, but the 49ers and Smith agree that is too much money.
Smith missed all of last season with a broken right shoulder. He played the first three games in 2008 before sustaining a separated shoulder. He tried to come back, but played ineffectively in three games before opting for season-ending surgery.
"If everything works out with Alex and he's back, we need to look at that and go as far as we can go with that," Singletary said.
Smith is 11-19 in parts of three seasons as a 49ers starter. Meanwhile, Hill has enjoyed success in his limited playing time. Hill's record over two seasons is 7-3. In the games Hill has not started the past two seasons, the 49ers are 5-17.
It is unlikely the 49ers will be able to add a starting-quality quarterback through free agency or the draft. One possibility is veteran free-agent Jeff Garcia, who earned trips to three Pro Bowls with the 49ers earlier this decade. Garcia started the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but has been told he will not be retained in 2009.
"You're always interested in a guy who can win football games and Garcia is that kind of guy," Singletary said. "But I think the most important thing is to look at what makes sense for us. When I look at Shaun Hill, I think he did a great job last year. I'm not sure how much better we get by bringing in a Jeff Garcia and adding to the mix when you have a guy like Shaun Hill."
