This is his roster, so San Francisco 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan shouldn’t be impervious to criticism about the march toward nowhere.

This is his locker room and these are his principles, so Mike Singletary isn’t untouchable.
This is their inconsistent offense, so Alex Smith shouldn’t be off-limits and Jimmy Raye can’t be sacrosanct.
The NFL landscape is clear and cruel: The 49ers are 4-6, things are bogging down again, and those four men are in the spotlight.
If the 49ers go another year without a playoff berth, there would be strong arguments to replace each and every one of them.
“We’re running out of games, and we’re running out of time,” Singletary said Monday of the team’s playoff hopes.
And yet if Jed York dumps McCloughan and keeps Singletary, it’s hard to envision any NFL executive happily inheriting such a famously strong-willed and so-far-unsuccessful coach.
If Singletary is fired after one full season and the GM stays, what coach would want to work for an organization burning through coaches?
If Smith is replaced, who’s playing QB in 2010? If only Raye is bounced, what could the 49ers expect out of their eighth offensive coordinator since 2004?
In many ways, Singletary, McCloughan, Raye and Smith find themselves interconnected and conveniently overlapping.
Realistically, York either has to keep this group essentially intact for one more do-or-die season, or, with a stadium vote coming soon, he has to sweep them all away and start over again.
I think the other four men know it: All in for 2010, or all out.
Singletary isn’t necessarily devoted to public-relations spin, but on Monday he began unveiling portions of a keep-us-together argument.
“My first emotion is anger,” Singletary said of his current feelings. “Anger because it doesn’t have to be like this. It did not have to be this way. But at the same time, excitement.”
He was animated. He was thoughtful. Mostly, for 31 minutes, Singletary was pointing to an indefinite future filled with 49ers success.
It features Smith at a Pro Bowl level, the intrigue of the spread passing offense, and a roster that Singletary insists is growing up and getting ready to confront the bullies.
No major immediate changes, to properly set up for victories in the future.
“I think one of the worst things we could do right now is put Alex Smith in shotgun and say, ’OK, let’s go get him guys, here’s what it is,’ and let him throw 40 or 50 times a game and let’s see where you end up,” Singletary said.
“Alex Smith to me is throwing as well as any quarterback in the league right now. He is as accurate as any quarterback in the league right now ...
“I think the smartest thing for us to do is to continue to open it up as Alex Smith allows us to as he continues to communicate.”
In other words: Singletary’s OK if this turns into a New Orleans-style fancy-dancy offense, but not yet. Give Smith, Singletary & Co. time.
Not coincidentally, Smith agrees with Singletary’s conviction that the team can’t turn pass-happy in late November after all the work done on the power run attack.
“Alex is such a humble guy, a meek guy ... don’t know how long he’ll stay that way. But that’s a great thing to have, a quarterback that’s like that,” Singletary said.
“I do want him to take that next step and just say, ’Hey, you know what? Here’s what I like. Here’s what’s good for us. Here’s what’s good here.’ “
All in due time.
If you get imaginative, there are several adaptations Singletary, McCloughan, Smith and Raye could make from now until next season.
Quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson could assume a larger role in the offense. The 49ers could use their two 2010 No. 1 picks on massive offensive linemen to protect Smith and block for Frank Gore, instead of drafting Smith’s replacement.
They could— finally — acquire a consistent pass rusher. It’s either all that, or the York family has another do-over in 2010.
Jed York has the final six games of 2009 to decide. So far, the Featured Four have proved nothing.
But we’re beginning to hear the sales pitch for 2010. Is anybody buying it?