Niner News Thread
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NFL star Patrick Willis joins UFC
LAS VEGAS - With the NFL's 2011 season in serious doubt, many players are looking for other ways to spend their time. Some are taking it easy, while others, like 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, are looking for outlets.
According to sources close to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the mixed martial arts organization has agreed to a deal with 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis. The terms of the deal are unknown.
"Patrick has a knack for beating people up on Sundays," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous since the deal is still unsigned. "So, what they're trying to do is take his football instincts and tweak them to work in the UFC." When asked if the thought it would be difficult to train a linebacker to become a fighter our source smiled and observed, "Look at him. He is a beast. You askin' me if it will be easy to turn him into a fighter is like askin' Rambo if killin' is easy."
While a shroud of mystery surrounds Willis, who isn't talking, and his future in the UFC, one man does know how all of this happened. That man is M.C. Hammer.
Patrick Willis is the star linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers
The former rap great, turned evangelical, turned reality TV star, turned sports agent and football mediator forged relationships within the 49ers organization after helping negotiate the deal for Michael Crabtree. "In 2008, Patrick met UFC great Bas (Rutten) when he came to give a speech to the team," Hammer noted. "Since then, Patrick has had an interest in kicking people in the face."
Willis isn't the only player to consider the jump. Former football great, Herschel Walker, who is older than the combined audience of a Justin Bieber concert, has already won his first fight. Other current players involved in the profession include Tennessee Titans defensive end Jason Babin, who is planning on starting his training in California later this month.
In an article published by The Tennessean, Babin cited MMA's usefulness as a training regimen. "It's actually something that relates to football. A lot of (MMA) is using your arms, and leverage. And a lot of those things I do on those big tackles in football, so it is good hand-to-hand combat training. I think I'd be a natural fit."
The 49er organization is no stranger to MMA training regimens. Jeff Ulbrich, now a special teams coach with the Seattle Seahawks, said that football and mixed martial arts have "a ton of similarities. For example, I used to have the same haircut as UFC great Chuck Liddell; so yeah, football and MMA have a ton in common."
Jay Glazer, who nobody seems to like, but manages to maintain employment even in an economic slump, covers mixed martial arts as well as the NFL thinks the move makes sense. "It's a good fit, you know? It just makes sense for someone like Willis to make the jump. He's a freak athlete and when he hits you, your ancestors feel it. Just ask Brad Smith. I'm pretty sure he has a 52 permanently imprinted into his chest. And last time I checked, I heard Smith still thinks he is Martin Lawrence. On a side note, Big Momma's House 2? Really, Martin? Really?!"
The 49ers were not available for comment.
http://www.ufcfanatics.problitz.com/news/nfl-star-patrick-willis-joins-ufc.html
hehe
LAS VEGAS - With the NFL's 2011 season in serious doubt, many players are looking for other ways to spend their time. Some are taking it easy, while others, like 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, are looking for outlets.
According to sources close to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the mixed martial arts organization has agreed to a deal with 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis. The terms of the deal are unknown.
"Patrick has a knack for beating people up on Sundays," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous since the deal is still unsigned. "So, what they're trying to do is take his football instincts and tweak them to work in the UFC." When asked if the thought it would be difficult to train a linebacker to become a fighter our source smiled and observed, "Look at him. He is a beast. You askin' me if it will be easy to turn him into a fighter is like askin' Rambo if killin' is easy."
While a shroud of mystery surrounds Willis, who isn't talking, and his future in the UFC, one man does know how all of this happened. That man is M.C. Hammer.
Patrick Willis is the star linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers
The former rap great, turned evangelical, turned reality TV star, turned sports agent and football mediator forged relationships within the 49ers organization after helping negotiate the deal for Michael Crabtree. "In 2008, Patrick met UFC great Bas (Rutten) when he came to give a speech to the team," Hammer noted. "Since then, Patrick has had an interest in kicking people in the face."
Willis isn't the only player to consider the jump. Former football great, Herschel Walker, who is older than the combined audience of a Justin Bieber concert, has already won his first fight. Other current players involved in the profession include Tennessee Titans defensive end Jason Babin, who is planning on starting his training in California later this month.
In an article published by The Tennessean, Babin cited MMA's usefulness as a training regimen. "It's actually something that relates to football. A lot of (MMA) is using your arms, and leverage. And a lot of those things I do on those big tackles in football, so it is good hand-to-hand combat training. I think I'd be a natural fit."
The 49er organization is no stranger to MMA training regimens. Jeff Ulbrich, now a special teams coach with the Seattle Seahawks, said that football and mixed martial arts have "a ton of similarities. For example, I used to have the same haircut as UFC great Chuck Liddell; so yeah, football and MMA have a ton in common."
Jay Glazer, who nobody seems to like, but manages to maintain employment even in an economic slump, covers mixed martial arts as well as the NFL thinks the move makes sense. "It's a good fit, you know? It just makes sense for someone like Willis to make the jump. He's a freak athlete and when he hits you, your ancestors feel it. Just ask Brad Smith. I'm pretty sure he has a 52 permanently imprinted into his chest. And last time I checked, I heard Smith still thinks he is Martin Lawrence. On a side note, Big Momma's House 2? Really, Martin? Really?!"
The 49ers were not available for comment.
http://www.ufcfanatics.problitz.com/news/nfl-star-patrick-willis-joins-ufc.html
hehe
Baylor nose tackle visits 49ers
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/07/11/...sits-49ers/landing&blockID=499541&feedID=5936
Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor on Thursday paid a pre-draft visit to the 49ers, a league source told CSN Bay Area. Nose tackle ranks high among the 49ers' offseason needs.
Taylor (6-foot-3, 334 pounds) is considered the best pure nose tackle in the draft. He is seen as a good fit for teams that play the 3-4 defense, such as the 49ers. The 49ers will remain as a 3-4 team under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Widely regarded as a first- or second-round draft pick, Taylor might not last until the 49ers' second-round pick (No. 45 overall).
The 49ers are doing their homework on Taylor, who transferred from Penn State. Taylor left Penn State after he was suspended for his role in an on-campus fight in 2007. He finished strong at Baylor, and was one of the week's more impressive players at the Senior Bowl.
There is plenty of uncertainty for the 49ers at nose tackle. The 49ers did not place a franchise tag on Aubrayo Franklin, meaning he is guaranteed of being an unrestricted free agent when there is a new collective bargaining agreement.
Ricky Jean Francois, a seventh-round pick in 2009, was Franklin's backup last season. Starting left defensive end Isaac Sopoaga is also capable of playing nose tackle.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/07/11/...sits-49ers/landing&blockID=499541&feedID=5936
Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor on Thursday paid a pre-draft visit to the 49ers, a league source told CSN Bay Area. Nose tackle ranks high among the 49ers' offseason needs.
Taylor (6-foot-3, 334 pounds) is considered the best pure nose tackle in the draft. He is seen as a good fit for teams that play the 3-4 defense, such as the 49ers. The 49ers will remain as a 3-4 team under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Widely regarded as a first- or second-round draft pick, Taylor might not last until the 49ers' second-round pick (No. 45 overall).
The 49ers are doing their homework on Taylor, who transferred from Penn State. Taylor left Penn State after he was suspended for his role in an on-campus fight in 2007. He finished strong at Baylor, and was one of the week's more impressive players at the Senior Bowl.
There is plenty of uncertainty for the 49ers at nose tackle. The 49ers did not place a franchise tag on Aubrayo Franklin, meaning he is guaranteed of being an unrestricted free agent when there is a new collective bargaining agreement.
Ricky Jean Francois, a seventh-round pick in 2009, was Franklin's backup last season. Starting left defensive end Isaac Sopoaga is also capable of playing nose tackle.
Could Josh Johnson reunite with Jim Harbaugh?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=nfp-20110407_could_josh_johnson_reunite_with_jim_harbaugh
The San Francisco 49ers are in the market for a quarterback and of course they’ve been mentioned with the rest of the NFC West (not including the St. Louis Rams) as a possible landing spot for Kevin Kolb(notes) in a trade.
The Niners have been out and about doing their homework on draft candidates, but maybe another trade makes sense. Jim Harbaugh helped Josh Johnson(notes) become a star at the University of San Diego before he worked with Andrew Luck at Stanford. And there is a buzz that Johnson and Harbaugh could reunite in San Francisco.
Of course, Johnson was the backup to Josh Freeman(notes) in Tampa Bay last season. A fifth-round pick by the Bucs in 2008, when the previous regime was in charge, Johnson has developed nicely under offensive coordinator Greg Olson. He’s appeared in 17 NFL games over the previous two seasons and made four starts in 2009.
Apparently, Johnson has heard the rumors too. He knows no transactions are allowed during the lockout. Rosters are frozen until the new league year begins, whenever that is.
“I don't know what's going on with that situation, but we're locked out anyway," Johnson said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "So I'm still part of the Buccaneers, as far as I know. I wish I could speak on it, but I can't.
"Once I saw what he was doing at Stanford, I knew he'd be in the NFL soon. Just being around him for three years, knowing how competitive he is and understanding the things he was teaching in college, I felt like it was only a matter of time.
"Even if we don't get together, there's always going to be a mutual relationship between us. There's a lot of respect there, because I know what he did for me as a player. I know how much I grew to love him and his family. I felt like it was more than just a coach-player type of thing."
Johnson also said he is enjoying himself with the Buccaneers. He’s grown there but any chance to get with a team that doesn’t have an established young star like Freeman would likely help his career
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=nfp-20110407_could_josh_johnson_reunite_with_jim_harbaugh
The San Francisco 49ers are in the market for a quarterback and of course they’ve been mentioned with the rest of the NFC West (not including the St. Louis Rams) as a possible landing spot for Kevin Kolb(notes) in a trade.
The Niners have been out and about doing their homework on draft candidates, but maybe another trade makes sense. Jim Harbaugh helped Josh Johnson(notes) become a star at the University of San Diego before he worked with Andrew Luck at Stanford. And there is a buzz that Johnson and Harbaugh could reunite in San Francisco.
Of course, Johnson was the backup to Josh Freeman(notes) in Tampa Bay last season. A fifth-round pick by the Bucs in 2008, when the previous regime was in charge, Johnson has developed nicely under offensive coordinator Greg Olson. He’s appeared in 17 NFL games over the previous two seasons and made four starts in 2009.
Apparently, Johnson has heard the rumors too. He knows no transactions are allowed during the lockout. Rosters are frozen until the new league year begins, whenever that is.
“I don't know what's going on with that situation, but we're locked out anyway," Johnson said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "So I'm still part of the Buccaneers, as far as I know. I wish I could speak on it, but I can't.
"Once I saw what he was doing at Stanford, I knew he'd be in the NFL soon. Just being around him for three years, knowing how competitive he is and understanding the things he was teaching in college, I felt like it was only a matter of time.
"Even if we don't get together, there's always going to be a mutual relationship between us. There's a lot of respect there, because I know what he did for me as a player. I know how much I grew to love him and his family. I felt like it was more than just a coach-player type of thing."
Johnson also said he is enjoying himself with the Buccaneers. He’s grown there but any chance to get with a team that doesn’t have an established young star like Freeman would likely help his career
I havent been doin too much homework this offseason cause the lockout was imminent but out of the QBs I like Locker and Newton, particularly Locker in the second round. But in any case I'm glad I'm not in charge of making our draft decisions. Defensive draft would best suit us but without a QB were still not a playoff team!
Arkansas QB Mallett to visit 49ers on Monday
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/09/11/...-with-Mall/landing&blockID=500668&feedID=5936
The 49ers are scheduled to meet Monday with frequent-flying Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.
Mallett is planning to travel to the Bay Area after spending two days with the Carolina Panthers this weekend, National Football Post reports. After his trip to Santa Clara, Mallett will visit the Dolphins and Titans. He has already met with the Seahawks and Bengals.
At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Mallett has the strongest throwing arm of any quarterback in the draft.
"I can throw it 80-plus (yards)," Mallett said at the NFL scouting combine. "For me, my strength as a person, as a quarterback, is my mental game, knowing defenses and recognizing and knowing what they're going to do on down and distance."
The biggest questions circulating about Mallett have come from off-the-field concerns.
"He has first-round ability," former Rams vice president of player personnel Tony Softli told CSN Bay Area last month. "He'll be a guy in the second or even third round. A lot of teams are scared of him. It's nothing personal against the kid, but if you watch some of the games, you see his immaturity pop up. . . . I don't know if he's wired right. That's what's starting to concern a lot of teams."
Wes Bunting of National Football Post told CSN Bay Area, "I wouldn't have him on my draft board."
Mallett will have plenty of time in face-to-face meetings with the 49ers to prove he is worth a significant investment.
Obviously, the 49ers have spent a lot of time studying the quarterbacks in this draft class. The organization is expected to use one of their top selections to address the position. But Andy Dalton of TCU is the only other quarterback reported to visit with the 49ers.
Colin Kaepernick of Nevada worked out for the 49ers last month. He is not scheduled to visit Santa Clara. The 49ers attended Ricky Stanzi's second pro day at Iowa recently, but there are no plans to bring him in for a visit, either.
* * *
49ers pre-draft visits/reported visits
Quarterbacks
Andy Dalton, TCU (NFL Network): Rated 2nd/3rd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (National Football Post): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Running back
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State (NFP): Rated 2nd/3rd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Wide receivers
Raymond Webber, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (agent via Twitter): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Tight ends/H-back
Chris Blohm, Yale (Newhaven Register/Yale Daily News): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Brett Brackett, Penn State (NFP): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Ryan Taylor, North Carolina (NFP): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Defensive linemen
Marcel Dareus, Alabama (NFLN): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Nick Fairley, Auburn (Houston Chronicle): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Phil Taylor, Baylor, visited April 7 (CSN Bay Area): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Outside linebacker
Justin Houston, Georgia (NFP): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Von Miller, Texas A&M (NFP): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Cornerbacks
Prince Amukamara, Nebraska (NFLN): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Patrick Peterson, LSU (Sac Bee): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Aaron Williams Texas (Austin American-Statesman): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
* * *
Reported private workouts
QB Colin Kaepernick and TE Virgil Green (Nevada); WR Sean Creadick (UC Davis); WR Jordan Watson (Harding); WR Joe Hastings (Washburn); OLB Marc Schiechl and DT Blaine Sumner (Colorado School of Mines); S Colin Jones (TCU); K Kai Forbath (UCLA).
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/09/11/...-with-Mall/landing&blockID=500668&feedID=5936
The 49ers are scheduled to meet Monday with frequent-flying Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.
Mallett is planning to travel to the Bay Area after spending two days with the Carolina Panthers this weekend, National Football Post reports. After his trip to Santa Clara, Mallett will visit the Dolphins and Titans. He has already met with the Seahawks and Bengals.
At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Mallett has the strongest throwing arm of any quarterback in the draft.
"I can throw it 80-plus (yards)," Mallett said at the NFL scouting combine. "For me, my strength as a person, as a quarterback, is my mental game, knowing defenses and recognizing and knowing what they're going to do on down and distance."
The biggest questions circulating about Mallett have come from off-the-field concerns.
"He has first-round ability," former Rams vice president of player personnel Tony Softli told CSN Bay Area last month. "He'll be a guy in the second or even third round. A lot of teams are scared of him. It's nothing personal against the kid, but if you watch some of the games, you see his immaturity pop up. . . . I don't know if he's wired right. That's what's starting to concern a lot of teams."
Wes Bunting of National Football Post told CSN Bay Area, "I wouldn't have him on my draft board."
Mallett will have plenty of time in face-to-face meetings with the 49ers to prove he is worth a significant investment.
Obviously, the 49ers have spent a lot of time studying the quarterbacks in this draft class. The organization is expected to use one of their top selections to address the position. But Andy Dalton of TCU is the only other quarterback reported to visit with the 49ers.
Colin Kaepernick of Nevada worked out for the 49ers last month. He is not scheduled to visit Santa Clara. The 49ers attended Ricky Stanzi's second pro day at Iowa recently, but there are no plans to bring him in for a visit, either.
* * *
49ers pre-draft visits/reported visits
Quarterbacks
Andy Dalton, TCU (NFL Network): Rated 2nd/3rd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (National Football Post): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Running back
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State (NFP): Rated 2nd/3rd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Wide receivers
Raymond Webber, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (agent via Twitter): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Tight ends/H-back
Chris Blohm, Yale (Newhaven Register/Yale Daily News): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Brett Brackett, Penn State (NFP): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Ryan Taylor, North Carolina (NFP): Rated undrafted free agent, NFLDraftScout.com
Defensive linemen
Marcel Dareus, Alabama (NFLN): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Nick Fairley, Auburn (Houston Chronicle): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Phil Taylor, Baylor, visited April 7 (CSN Bay Area): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Outside linebacker
Justin Houston, Georgia (NFP): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
Von Miller, Texas A&M (NFP): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Cornerbacks
Prince Amukamara, Nebraska (NFLN): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Patrick Peterson, LSU (Sac Bee): Rated 1st round, NFLDraftScout.com
Aaron Williams Texas (Austin American-Statesman): Rated 1st/2nd round, NFLDraftScout.com
* * *
Reported private workouts
QB Colin Kaepernick and TE Virgil Green (Nevada); WR Sean Creadick (UC Davis); WR Jordan Watson (Harding); WR Joe Hastings (Washburn); OLB Marc Schiechl and DT Blaine Sumner (Colorado School of Mines); S Colin Jones (TCU); K Kai Forbath (UCLA).
49ers to visit with change-of-pace RB Hunter
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/08/11/...ge-of-pace/landing&blockID=500138&feedID=5936
It has been decades since the 49ers have drafted a change-of-pace running back who has stuck on the roster.
On Monday, they have a scheduled visit from the kind of running back they have routinely avoided in drafts: Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State.
Hunter (5-foot-7, 200 pounds) is a dynamic runner who would give the 49ers an element the team has lacked for a long time. Hunter has drawn plenty of attention from NFL teams.
He has seven scheduled visits, according to National Football Post. Within the next couple weeks, reportedly he will have visited the 49ers, Broncos, Eagles, Buccaneers, Chargers and Falcons.
Hunter posted virtually identical numbers as a sophomore and senior, gaining more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns in both seasons. As a junior, he missed significant time with a foot injury.
"He's not real big and some teams may question his durability, but if he's healthy and on the field, he's going to be an eye-catching difference-maker," former NFL scout Dave Razzano said.
"He's better than the guy the Chiefs took last year (Dexter McCluster). You can have this guy in on some first-down packages. He can run between the tackles, and he's so elusive in the open field."
McCluster was the 36th overall selection last year. The 49ers own the 45th pick overall, but that seems as if it might be too early for the club to take a running back with Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon already on the roster.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/08/11/...ge-of-pace/landing&blockID=500138&feedID=5936
It has been decades since the 49ers have drafted a change-of-pace running back who has stuck on the roster.
On Monday, they have a scheduled visit from the kind of running back they have routinely avoided in drafts: Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State.
Hunter (5-foot-7, 200 pounds) is a dynamic runner who would give the 49ers an element the team has lacked for a long time. Hunter has drawn plenty of attention from NFL teams.
He has seven scheduled visits, according to National Football Post. Within the next couple weeks, reportedly he will have visited the 49ers, Broncos, Eagles, Buccaneers, Chargers and Falcons.
Hunter posted virtually identical numbers as a sophomore and senior, gaining more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns in both seasons. As a junior, he missed significant time with a foot injury.
"He's not real big and some teams may question his durability, but if he's healthy and on the field, he's going to be an eye-catching difference-maker," former NFL scout Dave Razzano said.
"He's better than the guy the Chiefs took last year (Dexter McCluster). You can have this guy in on some first-down packages. He can run between the tackles, and he's so elusive in the open field."
McCluster was the 36th overall selection last year. The 49ers own the 45th pick overall, but that seems as if it might be too early for the club to take a running back with Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon already on the roster.
Charley Casserly: His view of Alex Smith
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?entry_id=86686
The 49ers were put on the clock by NFL Network on Thursday. Their experts broke down the 49ers options at the seventh overall pick. Charley Casserly and Charles Davis also mainly assessed the 49ers quarterback situation. Davis trotted out different systems that Alex Smith worked with in his tumultuous six years. Casserly, the former general manager of the Redskins and Titans, was asked by Burmeister if coaches aside, was Smith good enough to be an NFL starter?
"At the end of the day, I'm sure he's good enough," Casserly said. "I'm not sure the arm strength is good enough to make the throws you need to make. The consistency I don't think is good enough. There's something missing there. Ultimately, I don't think he's the answer for the 49ers or any team in the National Football League."
Former Ravens coach Brian Billick then was asked to assess the team. Billick said of the eight teams that made changes at head coach, the 49ers might be the most talented. He attributed their lack of success last year to break downs at quarterback. The team also solidified their offensive line with first-round picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, and Billick also liked the selection of NaVarro Bowman in the third round. He called safety Taylor Mays an enigma. Casserly said they still have a need at safety, so he must not think much of Mays.
In his mock draft, Casserly has the 49ers taking Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamura because Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Texas A&M pass rusher Von Miller and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson will be gone by then. Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki also believes the 49ers will also choose Amukamura.
NFL Videos:49ers on the clock
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d81f244fe/On-the-clock-49ers
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?entry_id=86686
The 49ers were put on the clock by NFL Network on Thursday. Their experts broke down the 49ers options at the seventh overall pick. Charley Casserly and Charles Davis also mainly assessed the 49ers quarterback situation. Davis trotted out different systems that Alex Smith worked with in his tumultuous six years. Casserly, the former general manager of the Redskins and Titans, was asked by Burmeister if coaches aside, was Smith good enough to be an NFL starter?
"At the end of the day, I'm sure he's good enough," Casserly said. "I'm not sure the arm strength is good enough to make the throws you need to make. The consistency I don't think is good enough. There's something missing there. Ultimately, I don't think he's the answer for the 49ers or any team in the National Football League."
Former Ravens coach Brian Billick then was asked to assess the team. Billick said of the eight teams that made changes at head coach, the 49ers might be the most talented. He attributed their lack of success last year to break downs at quarterback. The team also solidified their offensive line with first-round picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, and Billick also liked the selection of NaVarro Bowman in the third round. He called safety Taylor Mays an enigma. Casserly said they still have a need at safety, so he must not think much of Mays.
In his mock draft, Casserly has the 49ers taking Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamura because Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Texas A&M pass rusher Von Miller and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson will be gone by then. Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki also believes the 49ers will also choose Amukamura.
NFL Videos:49ers on the clock
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d81f244fe/On-the-clock-49ers
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/35956/power-rankings-top-10-nfl-linebackers
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis beat out a strong and diverse field for top billing in ESPN.com's latest positional power rankings.
All eight panelists ranked Willis among their top three, elevating the 26-year-old perennial Pro Bowler above James Harrison and DeMarcus Ware as our No. 1 linebacker in the NFL.
Even 12-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis, the dominant linebacker of his era, pointed to Willis as a worthy successor to his undisputed reign. Not that Lewis is finished just yet. He placed fifth in the rankings behind Willis, Harrison, Ware and the Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews. But there was no more complete linebacker than Willis.
"Nobody in the NFL plays their position better than Patrick Willis, and that is saying a lot," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., whose insights helped shape my ballot. "He is as good a linebacker as Peyton Manning is a quarterback, as Andre Johnson is a receiver, as Adrian Peterson is a running back. He has no weaknesses."
Willis, a three-time Associated Press All-Pro first-team selection, is the first 49ers player since Ronnie Lott to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of his first four seasons. Joe Thomas and Peterson are the only other 2007 draft choices with four Pro Bowls.
Ranking the Linebackers
1. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
2. James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
3. DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
4. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
5. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
6. Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots
7. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
8. LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Tamba Hali, Kansas City Chiefs
9. Jon Beason, Carolina Panthers
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis beat out a strong and diverse field for top billing in ESPN.com's latest positional power rankings.
All eight panelists ranked Willis among their top three, elevating the 26-year-old perennial Pro Bowler above James Harrison and DeMarcus Ware as our No. 1 linebacker in the NFL.
Even 12-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis, the dominant linebacker of his era, pointed to Willis as a worthy successor to his undisputed reign. Not that Lewis is finished just yet. He placed fifth in the rankings behind Willis, Harrison, Ware and the Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews. But there was no more complete linebacker than Willis.
"Nobody in the NFL plays their position better than Patrick Willis, and that is saying a lot," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., whose insights helped shape my ballot. "He is as good a linebacker as Peyton Manning is a quarterback, as Andre Johnson is a receiver, as Adrian Peterson is a running back. He has no weaknesses."
Willis, a three-time Associated Press All-Pro first-team selection, is the first 49ers player since Ronnie Lott to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of his first four seasons. Joe Thomas and Peterson are the only other 2007 draft choices with four Pro Bowls.
Ranking the Linebackers
1. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
2. James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
3. DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
4. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
5. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
6. Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots
7. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
8. LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Tamba Hali, Kansas City Chiefs
9. Jon Beason, Carolina Panthers
