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The former Heisman winner will be slated to start on Sunday in London against the Denver Broncos.Niners head coach, Mike Singletary, told reporters on Wednesday about his decision to go with Troy Smith over backup quarterback David Carr.Troy Smith is a…
I am not here to tell you that Nate Davis is our savior; in fact, I will concede to you that the jury is still out on him. Some may go as far as to say that they’re waiting on their first piece of negative evidence. Personally, all I will say about him…
Mike Singletary has to be wondering what else could go wrong for his team. He has to be wondering when things will start going right and if he’ll have to make a quarterback change to get to that to happen.Alex Smith hasn’t worked thus far as the quarte…
There was once a time that when a free agent came to visit 49ers’ headquarters, more often than not he left a 49er.
Now I know that the team was not expected to make a huge splash in the free agent market this year.
However, I did expect just a little ripple in the pond.
To date the team has signed quarterback David Carr and cornerback Karl Paymah. Both were signed primarily to add depth to their respective positions as neither is expected to start.
But what seems odd are the free agents that the team has hosted and failed to sign—at least to this point for some.
To date the list includes tight end Anthony (“I’d bring a dominating attitude to the edge and get the running game sparked”) Becht, who promptly re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals in a sort of “de ja vu” scenario to last year’s failed run at Kurt Warner.
Former Dolphins linebacker Akin Ayodele also made a free agent visit last month. The team’s interest in Ayodele is to find a suitable backup (and eventual replacement) for Takeo Spikes, as they are not convinced Scott McKillop is the answer. As of this writing, Ayodele has yet to sign with any team.
Then there is the ongoing saga of free agent guard Chester Pitts. In addition to the 49ers, Pitts has several other suitors, including his old team the Houston Texans, the Detroit Lions, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Since his visit over a month ago, there have been erroneous reports of Pitts signing with the team. Another report claims that Pitts wants to be a member of the 49ers and negotiations are ongoing. The most recent report says that Pitts will now wait until after the draft to make a decision of where he is to play next season.
What gives?
Is the front office really in a mess with the ouster of Scott McCloughan?
Does Jed York know what he is doing?
Well, I have to tell you, for those of you who say, “What would ‘Eddie’ do?”—this is a whole new ball game.
Chances are Eddie wouldn’t do things all that much different than what is being done now where free agency is concerned.
The team would have already signed Julius Peppers, Antrel Rolle, and any other high-priced free agent they could lay their hands on.
Eddie may have inherited his money from his dad, but he also inherited his father’s business sense.
Contrary to popular belief, Eddie didn’t just bring in every high-priced free agent that was available just for the sake of bringing them in.
In 1994, during the second year of free agency, the teamed signed a banner crop of free agents that included Deion Sanders, Ken Norton Jr., Bart Oates, Gary Plummer, and Rickey Jackson, to name a few.
Prior to the season, DeBartolo and Carmen Policy targeted each of these players as being key components to achieving their goal of winning another Super Bowl.
Their success in landing almost every player they targeted and winning their fifth Super Bowl is now a matter of history.
But the (then) unprecedented fifth SB ring didn’t come without an exorbitant cost.
With the advent of free agency also came the salary cap. The 49ers have only in recent years escaped the eventual ambuscade that lavish spending leads to.
Do I need remind you of the 2-14 season in 2004 that a stripped-down roster produced?
In order to sign all those free agents way back in ’94, the team also had to let some players go. Among them were linebacker Bill Romanowski, promising young tackle Ted Washington, backup quarterback Steve Bono, and cornerback Don Griffin.
Additionally, the salary cap ramifications of the great San Francisco free agency binge of 1994 effectively ended the team’s run at the top of the NFL and impeded their ability to maneuver for years to come. The franchise is just now recovering.
The current edition of the team is not a few free agent signings away from a Super Bowl. It is, however, a strong draft away from the playoffs.
And although we have lost some players during the offseason, we will need many of those roster spots for drafted players.
This is a young team being built for the long haul and my bet is Eddie wouldn’t be throwing his money around like Daniel Snyder (and we have seen how well that has worked for the Redskins).
He also wouldn’t be releasing promising young players to sign aging veterans.
A shrewd businessman doesn’t repeat the same mistakes (too often).
Free agents are finding out that the big piles of money just aren’t there like they used to be. There may not be a salary cap but any team with a pecuniary responsibility is using its money to re-sign its own players—now and in the future.
So the waiting game continues. Once the draft is over and teams have re-evaluated their needs, I would expect that free agents will start signing with those teams that still have an offer on the table.
That said, the Niners still have a spot or two open for a couple of free agents.
Even with a great draft, I still believe Pitts would be a great addition to the team. The team could use his veteran presence to help mentor whoever they draft for the offensive line.
As suggested by Matt Maiocco on Monday, the team may also be waiting for June to roll around for a run at Rams safety Oshiomogho (O.J.) Atogwe. If Atogwe and the Rams don’t come to an agreement by June 1st, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Mike Singletary has a very special relationship with the Ram’s safety, as his daughter is engaged to Atogwe. At first blush the 49ers and Atogwe would seem like a match made in heaven. But I just have to ask: How many son-in-laws really want to work for their father-in-law?
In an odd coincidence—and in contrast to this article’s title—linebacker Travis LaBoy visited with the team yesterday. If he stays healthy, Laboy could be an inexpensive option to bolster the team’s pass rush.
LaBoy had reportedly visited the team back in February, but until now nothing had become of it. Could an announcement be forthcoming?
Stay tuned.
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With the key subtractions so far this offseason to the roster of the two-time defending NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals, many are predicting the San Francisco 49ers to rise to the top of the divisional pack in in 2010 .
However, in order to improve on their 8-8, second-place finish from 2009, the Niners are going to have to add some more pieces to a roster already solid with a young foundation.
Let’s just assume that the offseason acquisition of future backup quarterback David Carr isn’t going to be the move to put them back on top of things.
So, with the future in mind, what is typically the easiest way for teams to stockpile talent?
The NFL Draft, of course.
And, thanks to a draft-day trade last year that sent second and fourth-round picks to the Panthers in exchange for their 2010 first-rounder, the 49ers will have a pair of first-round picks to work with in this year’s draft.
As we head into the draft on April 25th, San Francisco will be looking to address a few different roster needs, and obviously hopes to relieve the most glaring problem areas with potential high-caliber first round picks.
It’s been stated that the Niners’ top priority is to find a right tackle, but they’re also interested in finding help with a defensive back, a pass rusher, a running back/kick returner, a quarterback, or a wide receiver.
So, based on speculation, mock drafts, and various guesses from experts, what is the best-case scenario for the 49ers in the first round of the draft, assuming they don’t trade?
Obviously, with their first pick (13th overall), the 49ers would be expected to attempt to fill their biggest need, which likely means offensive tackle.
The highest-rated tackles coming into this draft are Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State, Bryan Bulaga out of Iowa, Trent Williams out of Oklahoma, and Anthony Davis out of Rutgers.
The next-highest offensive lineman appears to be Mike Iupati, a guard from Idaho, while the next best tackle is Charles Brown from USC.
Some mock drafts, such as that of Don Banks from SI.com, have all four of the highest-rated tackles going in the top nine picks.
So, as this is a “best-case scenario” situation, obviously one of them should have to fall to the Niners.
The lineman most likely of the four to fall to No. 13 would be Davis from Rutgers.
Davis, listed at 6’6″ and 325 pounds, has seen his draft stock fall a bit since declaring after his junior season due to a not-so-great combine showing and questions about his maturity.
However, he’s considered to be one of the premiere run-blockers in the pool, noted quite often for being proficient at finishing his blocks.
His pass-protecting skills, while obviously solid, are hindered by his immense size and inherent lack of lateral athleticism.
Despite the negatives, Davis will absolutely be a first-round pick, and the 49ers would be very lucky to be able to nab him here.
If selected, he’d likely slide in at right tackle, opposite young Joe Staley on the left side.
If they were to snag Davis with their first pick, the 49ers would be looking to fill what they would deem to be their second most pressing positional need, or just take the best player available, should somebody fall.
While it appears as though Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant is a clear candidate to drop, it would seem quite unlikely for San Francisco to opt to choose a potential “diva” receiver in the first round for the second straight year.
So, assuming running back C.J. Spiller will be gone and quarterback Jimmy Clausen is either unavailable or not enticing enough, let’s look at a defensive back here.
The Niners appear poised to jump on either a corner or a safety here, and may just decide which based on the level of prospect still available.
Tennessee safety Eric Berry will be long gone by the time the 17th pick rolls around, and Texas safety Earl Thomas is looking like he could go in the top 10 as well.
That leaves USC’s Taylor Mays as the only remaining first-round level safety, and his stock hasn’t exactly been skyrocketing of late.
As for corners, Florida’s Joe Haden is the top prospect, while Boise State’s Kyle Wilson and Alabama’s Kareem Jackson are likely later first-round selections.
Let’s say the 49ers get lucky and Haden falls to them at No. 17.
A top-10 talent prior to the combine, Haden saw his stock drop a bit when he ran an unexpectedly-low 4.45 40-yard-dash.
However, as the combine is an immensely overrated event, Haden’s ability to play football at an elite level should quell any fears teams may have about him.
Some people have concern about the lack of overall polish to his game, but Haden is a hard-nosed player with great instincts.
He’s shown superb ability to support in the run game, and has demonstrated great body control allowing him to make plays on the ball without committing penalties.
He’s rarely thrown by play action, and, even if he is fooled, his closing speed has been noted as a huge plus.
Haden’s physical technique will take some tinkering, but he’s physically gifted enough to make the transition.
San Francisco lacks great depth in the defensive backfield, and if Haden were available at No. 17, the 49ers seem likely to jump at the chance to snag him.
Many are predicting the 49ers to take back the divisional crown in 2010, and their pair of upcoming first round draft picks could be a huge step in the right direction.
For more NFL Draft coverage and NFL trade rumors, head over to NFL Soup .
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