When the San Francisco 49ers face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday they will be reunited with three players who wore red and gold uniforms last season, CB Nate Clements, OLB Manny Lawson and SS Taylor Mays. Clements and Lawson were starters for the 49ers in 2010 and then-rookie Taylor Mays started in 6 games under former head coach Mike Singletary.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman doesn’t see this an advantage for either team. “They’ve got good insight on some of our personnel, there’s no question. And we’ve got a few insights on theirs. So it kind of works both ways.”

The 49ers cut Nate Clements in July because they weren’t prepared to pay him $15 million he was due in salary. In his last season with the Niners Nate Clements had 82 tackles, 1 sack and 3 interceptions. He made 9 tackles in 2 games with the Bengals.

“I had a chance to face those guys every day in practice, so my perception hasn’t changed,” Clements said. “They’re a young, talented receiver corps that definitely has what it takes to have potential stars in this league. I’ve definitely told my teammates things to look out for and what guys are good at.”

Manny Lawson had a disappointing season in 2010 and the 49ers made no attempts to re-sign him. The linebacker had 59 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 interception but saw his playing time diminish on passing plays. In Cincinnati Lawson made 3 tackles through 2 games.

“It’ll be a fun game and a very interesting game, especially knowing those guys,” 49ers TE Vernon Davis said. “I’ve been going against Manny since I was in college and going against Nate in practice, so it makes my assignment a little easier. I know those guys. I don’t have to go in and really watch them like I have to watch the other guys.”

WR Michael Crabtree, who will likely return to the lineup on Sunday, is excited about the meeting as well. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring against us. That’s the good thing about this football game on Sunday. That’s when the competition gets really tough.”

Taylor Mays is expected to suit up on Sunday. The safety suffered from a knee injury and missed last week’s game but was a full participant in practice throughout the week. Mays made 38 tackles in his rookie season but in August the 49ers traded him to the Bengals for a seventh-round pick.

It may have been a fair competition but there could never be a doubt about the outcome. Alex Smith will be the starting quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks when the regular season kicks off on 11 September.

It was always Smith’s job to lose but the competition never challenged him seriously enough. Rookie Colin Kaepernick finished the preseason with 24-of-50 for 257 yards, 0 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a passer rating of 23.9. Josh McCown played only once, and completed all his pass attempts, but he needs a lot more reps to be a challenger. McLeod Bethel-Thompson was always headed for the practice squad at best.

Alex Smith didn’t have a very good preseason himself but he led two offensive drives on Thursday, which gave the 49ers a 14-0 lead against the San Diego Chargers. In four games he completed 20 of his 36 pass attempts for 198 yards. He threw 2 interceptions and finished with a QB rating of 48.1.

Jim Harbaugh’s West Coast Offense may be a good fit for Alex Smith, though a lot of work still needs to be done. San Francisco’s pass offense failed to score in the preseason and ranked last with 108.8 yards per game.  

It is official, the Jim Harbaugh era begins like Mike Nolan’s and Mike Singletary’s, with Alex Smith as the number one quarterback. Let’s hope he has more success than his predecessors, and I think he will, though rest assured, the 49ers will browse the waiver wire after today’s roster cuts.