49ers sign #1 pick

By John Onan  |   Monday, July 25, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

San Francisco 49ers
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Sources have confirmed that the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to terms with the number one selection in the 2005 draft, Alex Smith, on a six year deal worth a reported $51 million. His $8.25 million average salary per year tops that of last year's #1, Giants quarterback Eli Manning. A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday morning to announce the contract signing.

The San Francisco 49ers begin training camp on Thursday, and Smith is expected to already be guaranteed the starting QB job, which was shared in 2004 by Ken Dorsey and Tim Rattay. The 49ers are trying to rebuild with a new coach and new offensive scheme after a horrendous 2-14 season in 2004. Mike Nolan was brought in to coach the team after the firing of head coach Dennis Erickson and General Manager Terry Donahue after only two seasons at the helm.

Alex Smith led the University of Utah to it's first ever appearance in a BCS Bowl game, as they dismantled Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. Utah finished with its highest ranking in school history. In addition, Smith was selected as the Sporting News 2004 College Player of the Year.

This signing should create a domino effect whereby the rest of this year's top picks will sign one after the other. Next up is Miami Dolphins' draft pick Ronnie Brown.
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