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Daily Madden: Questions At QB For 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - At this point it appears Alex Smith will again be the starting quarterback for the 49ers. John Madden told the KCBS morning crew he doesn't think draftee Colin Kaepernick is ready.

"He's going to be a ways away I think," Said the former coach.

KCBS sports anchor Steve Bitker asked John if he was surprised the 49ers hadn't tried to land a veteran like Matt Hasselbeck or Carson Palmer.

"You don't know that they didn't... I would bet that one way or another that they did go after someone else, and maybe they're still in the process," he said.

John also said he expects 49er running back Frank Gore to join the team shortly, despite reports he's holding out for a better deal.

"I think it will all work out... He doesn't have a lot of choices."

All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran is expected to join the San Francisco Giants for their game against the Phillies Thursday night. John said he likes the trade with the Mets.

"If they can come close to copying what they did a year ago, that formula worked. They made some changes during the year, changed their roster... By doing that they started peaking toward the end of the season... I would think that what they do, they're very smart at it." (8:30)
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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