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Smith: No Reason for Concern

Alex Smith says the San Francisco 49ers have no reason to be concerned at quarterback now that veteran Tim Rattay has been traded.

The 49ers practiced Wednesday for the first time without Rattay, the team's former starting quarterback who was traded Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after losing his starting job to Smith two weeks ago.

Rattay's departure leaves the 49ers with three quarterbacks who have a combined total of just eight NFL starts. Second-year veteran Cody Pickett, 25, is the oldest of that group. Ken Dorsey is 24 and Smith is 21.

Niner News:
Youth, not envy, has 49ers QBs looking green
Mercury News: With the departure of Tim Rattay, the 49ers have the least-experienced quarterback corps in the league, if not in NFL history.

More Niner News...
Dorsey gets his shot to rise from the depths
Sacramento Bee: Most of the 49ers were freshly showered and heading home Wednesday afternoon when Ken Dorsey trudged into the locker room, sweat-drenched and with a bag of balls slung over his shoulder.

Will 49ers have fun with three young guns?
San Francisco Chronicle: In a sport where there's no substitute for experience, the 49ers have next to no experience at the most critical position. They will go into Sunday's game at Washington with three quarterbacks who have a total of eight starts in the NFL.

Rattay `fired up' by trade to Bucs
Mercury News: Tim Rattay was playing golf when 49ers Coach Mike Nolan finally reached him with the news that he'd been traded. Although surprised, Rattay said, he welcomed the move to Tampa Bay.