David Carr?...Really?

Yep...really. The San Francisco 49ers signed former Texan and late NY Giants back-up David Carr to a 2-year deal yesterday. After days of whispers about how the 49ers were interested in Carr for some reason, it fianlly happened on Sunday. Carr was selected as the 1st overall pick of the Houston Texans franchise in 2002, and boasts a career record of 23-56.

So what were the 49ers thinking? You might as well call Carr "Alex Smith #2." Except that David Carr is the original Alex Smith. Both were drafted 1st overall in their respective drafts, and both have had horrible, underperforming careers thus far. So let's put them on the same team then!

Why sign Carr to play for the 49ers? The only plausible and acceptable reason is to push Alex Smith. Mike Singletary loves competition and the only hope from his standpoint is that a quarterback competition would fuel Smith into becoming a better quarterback. OR maybe Carr wind the job in training camp. In my eyes, both Carr and Smith are the same person, both busts who were taken out of lesser known football schools and made into NFL quarterbacks. Or were supposed to be NFL quarterbacks, the verdict is still out.

So Singletary and the 49ers front office brought Carr in to create a competition between two less than par quarterbacks. At a time in the offseason when the team is supposed to be filling key weaknesses with bigger name players, they sign David Carr as a back-up quarterback. But maybe that was the 49ers first line of business- Obtain a back-up quarterback. How about obtain a quarterback altogether? Donovan McNabb seems to be on his way out in Philadelphia. Where was the pursuit after him? How about an offensive lineman or a kick returner?

Unfortunately, the Carr signing seems like it's going to be the BIG free agency signing for the 49ers this offseason. I had the hope of the 49ers signing someone big after hearing from GM Scot McCloughan that the 49ers were "free to spend." If this happens to be the biggest signing in offseason free agency, the 49ers and McCloughan will have pressure like no other in the Draft in April.

So as it stands, the 49ers now own the rights to 2 of most underperforming #1 overall draft picks in the last 20 years. I can only think of 3 off the top of my head. And lucky for Bay Area sport fans, all 3 currently reside in the Bay Area.