SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Marvel Smith hasn’t had to compete for a starting job since his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers almost a decade ago.

But in his first training camp with the San Francisco 49ers, the 10-year veteran finds himself engaged in a tight competition with Adam Snyder to become the team’s starting right tackle.
The two linemen have combined for 146 NFL starts.
“I’m ready to become a full-time starter,” said Snyder, who has started at every line position except center during his first four NFL seasons. “Having a guy like Marvel push me is real motivation. We both want to be the starter and we’re both working hard to get that job done.”
Snyder began last season as San Francisco’s starting left guard but was moved to right tackle during a midseason shake up. He started six games at right tackle over the season’s final two months and has been with the first-unit offense throughout the spring and into training camp.
Snyder was one of three veterans to start at right tackle last year for the 49ers, following Jonas Jennings and Barry Sims, so the team looked to upgrade the position during the offseason by signing Smith to a two-year deal that could pay him as much as $10.5 million.
After sitting out spring drills to rest a back injury that required offseason surgery, Smith is gradually working into the lineup and making his bid to start.
Smith, who won two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers and made the Pro Bowl in 2004, has been a starter since the second preseason game of his rookie year.
“But it’s not just like you’re going to come in to a new team and they’re going to give it to you,” Smith said. “Anything worth having you are going to have to work for, so I don’t mind the competition.”
The 49ers are trying to upgrade an offensive line that allowed an NFL-high 55 sacks last season.
The team also is looking to get tougher and meaner along the line to fit in with coach Mike Singletary’s vision of a power rushing attack.
“I think we need a physical right tackle,” Snyder said. “We have Chilo (Rachal), who is very physical, playing at right guard, and we need a guy to step in and match his physicality and become a dominant right side of the line.”
The 49ers ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing offense each of the past two seasons after ranking sixth in 2006, when running back Frank Gore produced a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing.
Snyder played well as a starter earlier in his career at both left tackle and left guard, but he admitted he experienced some struggles during his transition to right tackle last season. According to STATS, Inc., San Francisco’s right tackles last year were responsible for 20 sacks allowed, with Snyder surrendering 9.5.
The 49ers plan to let Smith and Snyder fight it out throughout the summer. The team won’t name a starter at the position until near the end of the exhibition season in September.
“I am very pleased with Adam Snyder and the really good progress he’s making,” Singletary said. “And I know (Smith) can play. Everybody knows he can play. So I’m pleased with both of them. We’re going to let them compete, and at the right time we’ll make that decision.”