When Mike Singletary confronted the media, I asked the coach if he felt comfortable with his backup quarterbacks. “When you say comfortable, I’ll put it this way,” he said. “I feel good about Alex Smith. I feel very good about where he’s at. I think we have to do a great job of protecting our starting quarterback. When it comes to David Carr, I think David Carr is a guy that I could grow to feel comfortable with. I think he’s a guy that has a good command of the offense. I think he understands, I just think that he’s still thinking a lot and he’s still having to get the rhythm and all the other things, but I think David Carr, I could grow to feel comfortable with him.”

Not exactly a rousing vote of confidence for Carr and Nate Davis. Of course, Singletary had already put Davis on alert eight days earlier, when he verbally battered the second-year QB after what had looked to the rest of the world like a decent performance against the Vikings. “I think he has to get on the same page and really put himself in the position to really compete,” was one of the things Singletary said of Davis on Aug. 22. “I just think right now that he’s competing against himself, I really do. I really like the kid, there is a lot to like about him, but there is a work ethic that’s involved in terms of being a quarterback in the NFL and he’s got to get it. It’s as simple as that. I’m pulling for him, I’m hoping, but so far it’s inconsistent.” Local media spent much of the subsequent 48 hours analyzing Singletary’s rebuke, wondering if the coach was truly so down on Davis, or if he was trying to bolster Smith’s confidence and/or keep writers off his back regarding the hierarchy at quarterback. What was surprising was Singletary’s tepid endorsement of Carr, the respected ninth-year veteran who is in his third stint as an NFL backup after starting for five seasons in Houston.

The 49ers have played relatively well in their previous two preseason games. The rushing game and the defense have been fabulous. The receiving game has not impressed me yet.

Three things to look for:

1. What role does Brian Westbrook? In his first game action with the 49ers, it will be interesting to see how Westbrook fits into the offense. The Niners seem to have great depth at the running back position so far. Westbrook who had an injury plagued season last year is surely exited to be on the field and show that he still has some miles on his legs-even in limited action.  

2. Can RB Anthony Dixon keep on rolling? So far in the preseason, Anthony Dixon simply has been great. The same was said of Glen Coffee last season but that did not really translate onto the season. Hopefully Anthony Dixon sees some action against the Raiders’ first team defense. The more reps he gets against seasoned veterans, the more prepared he will be for the season.

3. What changes will be made to DL? Now that it is guaranteed Aubrayo Franklin will play this season, Coach Singletary will probably shuffle the defensive line around against the Raiders. Here is hoping that Ricky Jean-Francois continues to see valuable reps going forward and move up the depth chart.

Coach Mike Singletary has said he is not worried about what kind of shape Franklin will be in, knowing the veteran will arrive ready to play football. Since joining the 49ersas a free agent before the 2007 season, Franklin (6-1, 334) has started 44 of 46 games, totaling 108 tackles, 3 quarterback sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception.

As Sando noted, it was only a matter of time before Franklin reported to camp since the 49ers were not expected to release him or trade him, and it would have been too costly for Franklin to miss any time during the season.

Now, should Franklin have the same season he had last year, he will be fairly rewarded.

49ers NT Aubrayo Franklin is scheduled for Saturday morning physical. He’s expected to sign tender before Saturday’s game, source tells CSN.

Here are the six 49ers players who were the best with their jersey number: Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark, Charles Haley, and Julian Peterson.

This is what SI had to say about the six players chosen:

16 Joe Montana

Joe Cool was at his best when the money was on the line. He quarterbacked the Niners to four Super Bowl wins and was named Super Bowl MVP on three occasions.

42 Ronnie Lott

An All-Pro free safety who intimidated wide receivers with his bone-crushing hits, Lott won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned All-Pro honors at three positions (cornerback, free safety, strong safety).

80 Jerry Rice

The NFL’s career leader in receptions (1,549), yards (22,895) and touchdowns (208), Rice was a key member of three Super Bowl champions as a Niner.

87 Dwight Clark

Two-time Pro Bowl wideout hauled in 506 passes during his nine-seasons with the 49ers, none more memorable than The Catch — his leaping end-zone grab with 51 seconds left that beat Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game.

94 Charles Haley

The five-time Pro Bowl pick was a pass-rush force from the linebacker and defensive end spots from 1986-99 and is the only five-time Super Bowl-winner (three with Dallas, two with San Francisco).

98 Julian Peterson

A five-time Pro Bowl selection at outside linebacker, Peterson starred for the Niners (where he wore the number) and Seahawks before moving to Detroit last year.

When last season ended, Lawson weighed 230 pounds, he said. Through his determined program, Lawson got up to 256 pounds before reporting to camp. That’s right, he put on 26 good pounds.

How?

“Constantly eating, eating right . . . getting in all my meals with a lot of protein,” Lawson said. “And weight-lifting. That’s how I keep most of my weight, lifting weights continuously.”

Currently, Lawson’s weight is between 245 and 250 pounds, he said. Already known as solid against the run and exceptional in pass coverage, Lawson also led the 49ers with 6 1/2 sacks last season. He figures the increased strength will serve him well in every aspect of his game.

49ers coach Mike Singletary hinted that tailback Frank Gore might make his exhibition-season debut Saturday against the Raiders according to Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. “It’s possible,” Singletary said Tuesday. “I think it comes down to timing. When you have a very good runner, you want to be careful. But at the same time, you don’t want to limit him too much.” Gore has been healthy throughout training camp but sat out the first two exhibitions for precautionary reasons. Singletary said he would like his young, restructured offensive line to get some experience with Gore – however scant – under game conditions before the Sept. 12 opener.