49ers running back Frank Gore has spoken to a number of Bears about the offense of coordinator Mike Martz. "Every week, coach Martz changed up his hot reads," Gore explained. "Sometimes he would tell you we were going to do a dart and then the next week we were going to do a hitch. Well, in that game, I didn't do the hot route and he got on me like never before. "He doesn't care who you are. Believe me, he doesn't."

Kyle Williams appears to be the frontrunner to return punts for the 49ers in 2010. Williams was the 206th overall pick in the draft. Williams is similar in size to another return specialist, Brandon Williams, whom the 49ers drafted in the third round in 2006.

The Seahawks are going to hire former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan. Seattle is expected to make an announcement later this week and his exact title isn't yet known. "It's huge for us because Scot is one of the most respected personnel people in the league," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said Monday. "He played a critical role in helping the Seahawks become a Super Bowl team [in 2005] and did a great job in rebuilding the 49ers over the last few years."

The 49ers are expected to retire Jerry Rice's jersey number during a halftime ceremony Sept. 20 against the Saints. Though the official announcement is at least a month a way, an NFL source confirmed that Rice will become the 12th player in franchise history to have his number retired.

Alex Smith had his best practice of his career with the 49ers on Tuesday. "There was a stretch of time during the fall in the second half of the year when he was really on spot throwing the ball," Raye said. "Up to this point, in April and May, it's a lot better than it was a year ago at this time. "There's a lot more confidence, the velocity is better, and his footwork has improved."

Santa Clara voters passed Measure J, which agrees to put $114 million in redevelopment funds toward a $937 million stadium for the 49ers. The York family still needs to come up with the rest of the money to get a stadium built, but the victory clears a hurdle to get a stadium closer to becoming a reality.

San Francisco, Oakland and even Los Angeles area interests are ready and waiting with stadium possibilities for the 49ers if Measure J goes down in Santa Clara, which would be an upset given polls showing a majority of likely voters favor building a $937 million stadium on a parking lot adjacent to Great America theme park. San Francisco and Oakland officials in particular appear to be vying for the 49ers' attentions, both certain they offer the best locations and financial prospects for a new stadium even if Santa Clara voters approve the stadium measure. "If this doesn't pass," said former 49ers President Carmen Policy, who is consulting for the developer of a proposed commercial and residential project at San Francisco's Hunters Point that includes a stadium, "they have to look elsewhere. And we are the logical place for them to look." Advocates of luring the 49ers to Oakland, possibly in a two-team sharing arrangement with the Oakland Raiders, say San Francisco cannot match the East Bay's Advertisement transit-friendly location. Niners President Jed York has said in recent months that he would consider Oakland as an option if the Santa Clara project falls through, and Raiders CEO Amy Trask has told the Mercury News that her franchise could work with the 49ers as both teams try to replace two of the oldest stadiums in the league. "I really believe the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is the best location for a stadium for the Raiders and the 49ers," said Oakland City Councilman Ignacio de la Fuente, co-chair of the region's Coliseum Authority. York is quick to dismiss such speculation, insisting the team is focused entirely on winning the election in Santa Clara and moving forward with the planned 68,500-seat stadium that would open for the 2014 season. And if Measure J fails and the 49ers need to turn to Plan B? "There's nothing active," York said. "If the vote isn't successful in Santa Clara, we're going to do everything we can to build a new stadium in Northern California."