Niner News Thread
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Singletary says Smith to start at QB
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4596926&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Alex Smith is getting a big chance to resurrect his career. All but forgotten, the former No. 1 overall pick is the San Francisco 49ers' new starting quarterback -- again.
"I don't know if I'd say surprised. I don't know if I was anticipating it, either," Smith said Monday after getting the news from coach Mike Singletary. "It's the opportunity I've been waiting for; happy."
Singletary made the announcement Monday after also sitting down with Shaun Hill, who was benched after the first half of the Niners' 24-21 loss at Houston on Sunday.
Smith, who hadn't played in nearly two years, came in and gave the offense a much-needed jolt of energy and efficiency, and he nearly led San Francisco (3-3) back from a 21-0 deficit.
"As far as will Shaun Hill be back and all this other stuff, we're not going to be a flavor-of-the-month kind of thing where, 'Let's see, this guy will be this week, this guy will be next week," Singletary said. "I wanted to make the decision based upon who I feel gives us the best chance to win."
Smith completed his first six passes and finished 15 of 22 for 206 yards and three touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis. Davis is the first 49er since Terrell Owens in 2001 to have three TD catches in a game.
The 49ers play at Indianapolis on Sunday, coincidentally the same team Smith debuted against in 2005. This will be his first start since Nov. 12, 2007.
"I think right now overall Alex Smith really just kind of fit the bill in terms of doing the things that we need to get done," Singletary said.
Smith, the No. 1 draft pick out of Utah in 2005, missed all of last season after reinjuring his surgically repaired throwing shoulder three days before the season opener. He was set to be the backup to J.T. O'Sullivan.
When this season began, Singletary decided Hill was the best man behind center for San Francisco, a franchise desperate to end a streak of six straight losing seasons.
The 25-year-old Smith has shown signs in practice of being more than ready to handle this role. It was Smith who spent several days during the recent bye week working with receiver and top draft pick Michael Crabtree to get him up to speed on the offense before his debut against the Texans. Crabtree, who finally signed his six-year deal Oct. 7, had five catches in an impressive first game.
Singletary, who insisted his decision wasn't "premeditated," sensed a positive vibe from everybody -- save maybe for Hill -- with Smith's calm, confidence presence on the field. Not that Singletary didn't have a feeling Smith could take charge of his unit and lead the team again after all he's been through.
Singletary has seen Smith's strides in recent months.
"Let him develop that hunger, let him get excited, 'Well if I get an opportunity again.' Let him develop some confidence, 'I think I can do that,'" Singletary said of the time Smith needed to evolve. "Rather than just putting him in at the beginning of the season and if you don't have success right away, then it's, 'Same old Alex.' I don't think it's the same old Alex. I think Alex has matured, I think he's grown and I think he's ready to play. We're going to find out. We'll find out next week."
Not that Smith needed any more motivation: He knew he'd better take advantage if he ever got another opportunity. He knows he's done more to earn his spot this time around than as a rookie.
He doesn't plan to change now. And he no longer thinks about his shoulder.
"I've been out for two years now. I don't know if I was getting any hungrier," Smith said. "I've kind of been waiting. It's been frustrating and I've got a chance to get back out there and make the most of it."
Hill began the season as a starter for the first time in his eight-year NFL career and led the 49ers to a 3-1 start. He lost his job Monday a year to the day after Singletary benched O'Sullivan in favor of Hill during the coach's debut against the Seahawks.
Hill struggled in the first half Sunday, when San Francisco had only 50 total yards and he was 6 of 11 for 45 yards.
"It's frustrating. It's upsetting," Hill said. "It's not going to keep me down. Nothing ever has, nothing ever will. It's the same thing he went through and it didn't hold him down, either."
Texans defensive end Mario Williams said he didn't know who Smith was when the QB came out to start the second half. That's how far he had fallen off the NFL radar.
"When I look at Alex, I really didn't know what we were going to get when he went in," Singletary said. "I was hoping we'd get what we've seen out here in practice, and that's what we got. I was excited to see that, the excitement and the enthusiasm on the sideline, the excitement and enthusiasm on the defensive side of the ball, the receivers, the running backs, everybody."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4596926&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Alex Smith is getting a big chance to resurrect his career. All but forgotten, the former No. 1 overall pick is the San Francisco 49ers' new starting quarterback -- again.
"I don't know if I'd say surprised. I don't know if I was anticipating it, either," Smith said Monday after getting the news from coach Mike Singletary. "It's the opportunity I've been waiting for; happy."
Singletary made the announcement Monday after also sitting down with Shaun Hill, who was benched after the first half of the Niners' 24-21 loss at Houston on Sunday.
Smith, who hadn't played in nearly two years, came in and gave the offense a much-needed jolt of energy and efficiency, and he nearly led San Francisco (3-3) back from a 21-0 deficit.
"As far as will Shaun Hill be back and all this other stuff, we're not going to be a flavor-of-the-month kind of thing where, 'Let's see, this guy will be this week, this guy will be next week," Singletary said. "I wanted to make the decision based upon who I feel gives us the best chance to win."
Smith completed his first six passes and finished 15 of 22 for 206 yards and three touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis. Davis is the first 49er since Terrell Owens in 2001 to have three TD catches in a game.
The 49ers play at Indianapolis on Sunday, coincidentally the same team Smith debuted against in 2005. This will be his first start since Nov. 12, 2007.
"I think right now overall Alex Smith really just kind of fit the bill in terms of doing the things that we need to get done," Singletary said.
Smith, the No. 1 draft pick out of Utah in 2005, missed all of last season after reinjuring his surgically repaired throwing shoulder three days before the season opener. He was set to be the backup to J.T. O'Sullivan.
When this season began, Singletary decided Hill was the best man behind center for San Francisco, a franchise desperate to end a streak of six straight losing seasons.
The 25-year-old Smith has shown signs in practice of being more than ready to handle this role. It was Smith who spent several days during the recent bye week working with receiver and top draft pick Michael Crabtree to get him up to speed on the offense before his debut against the Texans. Crabtree, who finally signed his six-year deal Oct. 7, had five catches in an impressive first game.
Singletary, who insisted his decision wasn't "premeditated," sensed a positive vibe from everybody -- save maybe for Hill -- with Smith's calm, confidence presence on the field. Not that Singletary didn't have a feeling Smith could take charge of his unit and lead the team again after all he's been through.
Singletary has seen Smith's strides in recent months.
"Let him develop that hunger, let him get excited, 'Well if I get an opportunity again.' Let him develop some confidence, 'I think I can do that,'" Singletary said of the time Smith needed to evolve. "Rather than just putting him in at the beginning of the season and if you don't have success right away, then it's, 'Same old Alex.' I don't think it's the same old Alex. I think Alex has matured, I think he's grown and I think he's ready to play. We're going to find out. We'll find out next week."
Not that Smith needed any more motivation: He knew he'd better take advantage if he ever got another opportunity. He knows he's done more to earn his spot this time around than as a rookie.
He doesn't plan to change now. And he no longer thinks about his shoulder.
"I've been out for two years now. I don't know if I was getting any hungrier," Smith said. "I've kind of been waiting. It's been frustrating and I've got a chance to get back out there and make the most of it."
Hill began the season as a starter for the first time in his eight-year NFL career and led the 49ers to a 3-1 start. He lost his job Monday a year to the day after Singletary benched O'Sullivan in favor of Hill during the coach's debut against the Seahawks.
Hill struggled in the first half Sunday, when San Francisco had only 50 total yards and he was 6 of 11 for 45 yards.
"It's frustrating. It's upsetting," Hill said. "It's not going to keep me down. Nothing ever has, nothing ever will. It's the same thing he went through and it didn't hold him down, either."
Texans defensive end Mario Williams said he didn't know who Smith was when the QB came out to start the second half. That's how far he had fallen off the NFL radar.
"When I look at Alex, I really didn't know what we were going to get when he went in," Singletary said. "I was hoping we'd get what we've seen out here in practice, and that's what we got. I was excited to see that, the excitement and the enthusiasm on the sideline, the excitement and enthusiasm on the defensive side of the ball, the receivers, the running backs, everybody."
Lewis wants to play in Indy
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblog...lewis-plans-to.html?mi_rss=49ers Blog and Q&A
Thrice-concussed safety Michael Lewis says he will have more neurological tests this week but that so far those tests have been good and that he plans to join his teammates in practice this week. Lewis said he also didn't plan on wearing the black practice jersey worn by players who are coming back from injuries. He was a limited practice participant this past week.
Still, he said that teammate Jeff Ulbrich's ordeal with a concussion - Ulbrich was placed on injured reserve last week - have given him pause.
"Jeff's one of my closest friends on the team," Lewis said. "Just talking to him and hearing some of the things he had to say about it, it kind of concerned me. But at the same time, I feel that everyone has to know that there are different severities of concussions. What Jeff experienced is totally different from what I've experienced."
******************
Linebacker Takeo Spikes' MRI earlier today revealed a shoulder strain. His status for Sunday is up in the air. No word yet on Tony Pashos' shoulder injury.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblog...lewis-plans-to.html?mi_rss=49ers Blog and Q&A
Thrice-concussed safety Michael Lewis says he will have more neurological tests this week but that so far those tests have been good and that he plans to join his teammates in practice this week. Lewis said he also didn't plan on wearing the black practice jersey worn by players who are coming back from injuries. He was a limited practice participant this past week.
Still, he said that teammate Jeff Ulbrich's ordeal with a concussion - Ulbrich was placed on injured reserve last week - have given him pause.
"Jeff's one of my closest friends on the team," Lewis said. "Just talking to him and hearing some of the things he had to say about it, it kind of concerned me. But at the same time, I feel that everyone has to know that there are different severities of concussions. What Jeff experienced is totally different from what I've experienced."
******************
Linebacker Takeo Spikes' MRI earlier today revealed a shoulder strain. His status for Sunday is up in the air. No word yet on Tony Pashos' shoulder injury.
49ers have more to worry about than QB
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_13647468?nclick_check=1
Lose the quarterback fixation, OK?
We all spend too much time worrying about that position with the 49ers. It's probably part of the DNA for every fan of the team. But this 49ers group has far thornier issues to address.
News flash we all expected: Alex Smith is the team's new starter. That decision took about three seconds for coach Mike Singletary to make to make when he arrived at work Monday.
If you watched the 49ers' game in Houston on Sunday, when Smith performed impressively out of the bullpen, then you know why Singletary made the choice. But after telling Shaun Hill that he was now a backup quarterback, guess how the coach spent a decent chunk of his morning?
Sitting in on a defensive meeting. That's how. Singletary said he was attempting to resolve what he called "the communication factor."
Which means?
"Getting the guys in the huddle and having them understand who's talking and who's not," Singletary said. "And who is giving information from the sideline."
Sounds important. If everybody's not on the same page, this could explain why the 49ers' defense ranks 21st in the league against the pass. Another news flash: This has nothing to do with the quarterback.
Also, guess what single fact seems to bother Singletary the most about his team? Try the 49ers' feeble and listless running game. It ranks 23rd in the league. Yet another news flash: Quarterbacks aren't doing the blocking.
"The quarterback situation," Singletary said, "has never been an overriding factor to me, because of the way we said we had to play. And that was to run the ball. The offensive line "... we've got to continue to make sure that we get the things that we need there, the continuity, in a hurry."
No, they need it even faster than in a hurry. How about by Sunday, when the 49ers play at Indianapolis?
I n case you hadn't noticed, the Scarlet Heroes of Yore are riding a very fine edge. They are in the mushy morass of NFL teams that are either going to just barely make the playoffs or just barely miss the postseason.
And right now, after Arizona's upset victory over the New York Giants, the 49ers are out of first place in the NFC West for the first time since opening da y. With a 3-3 record, they need to win six or seven of their remaining 10 games.
That will require better communication on defense. And a better offensive line, to make the running game more functional. Catching the ball on punt returns also will help.
Oh, the quarterback position still figures in there someplace, of course. And there's no question that Smith at least looks more capable of leading the offense than he did in his first stint as a 49ers starter when he was "... what, just a few months out of high school? Sure seemed that way. His body language never radiated confidence.
Now, it does. Maturity can do that for you. Smith is in his fifth season. But at age 25, he is still only a year older than Joe Montana was when Montana became a full-time 49ers starter.
But the immediate mission moving forward, really, is not for Smith to become another Montana. It's to keep the chains moving and loosen up opposing defenses for the 49ers' running game.
Which brings us back to that shaky offensive line.
There's no deep strategy involved here. The 49ers' opponents are neutering Frank Gore by jamming up the "box" — the imaginary rectangular area near the line of scrimmage — with eight or nine defenders. And the 49ers' linemen either can't create space or are outmanned. It's no coincidence that a couple of Gore's better gains Sunday came when he lined up in the "Wildcat" formation and took the direct center snap. In the "Wildcat." there's usually an extra blocker in front of Gore.
What's the O-line problem? Eric Heitmann at center and Joe Staley at tackle are solid. But the other three positions "... not so much. There has been a revolving door. Chilo Rachal, last year's second-round pick from USC, has become a particular target of opponents. Singletary said Monday that Rachal needs "help" because "one particular stunt" gives him trouble on pass blocking.
For Smith, that's bad news. The good news is, he has quicker feet than Hill — and a quicker pass release. That matters. In today's NFL, with the speed of blitzers, a mere fraction of a second in getting the ball away can be the difference between a completion and a batted ball or a sack.
Smith is ready to play quarterback. Is the rest of the team ready to play with him?
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_13647468?nclick_check=1
Lose the quarterback fixation, OK?
We all spend too much time worrying about that position with the 49ers. It's probably part of the DNA for every fan of the team. But this 49ers group has far thornier issues to address.
News flash we all expected: Alex Smith is the team's new starter. That decision took about three seconds for coach Mike Singletary to make to make when he arrived at work Monday.
If you watched the 49ers' game in Houston on Sunday, when Smith performed impressively out of the bullpen, then you know why Singletary made the choice. But after telling Shaun Hill that he was now a backup quarterback, guess how the coach spent a decent chunk of his morning?
Sitting in on a defensive meeting. That's how. Singletary said he was attempting to resolve what he called "the communication factor."
Which means?
"Getting the guys in the huddle and having them understand who's talking and who's not," Singletary said. "And who is giving information from the sideline."
Sounds important. If everybody's not on the same page, this could explain why the 49ers' defense ranks 21st in the league against the pass. Another news flash: This has nothing to do with the quarterback.
Also, guess what single fact seems to bother Singletary the most about his team? Try the 49ers' feeble and listless running game. It ranks 23rd in the league. Yet another news flash: Quarterbacks aren't doing the blocking.
"The quarterback situation," Singletary said, "has never been an overriding factor to me, because of the way we said we had to play. And that was to run the ball. The offensive line "... we've got to continue to make sure that we get the things that we need there, the continuity, in a hurry."
No, they need it even faster than in a hurry. How about by Sunday, when the 49ers play at Indianapolis?
I n case you hadn't noticed, the Scarlet Heroes of Yore are riding a very fine edge. They are in the mushy morass of NFL teams that are either going to just barely make the playoffs or just barely miss the postseason.
And right now, after Arizona's upset victory over the New York Giants, the 49ers are out of first place in the NFC West for the first time since opening da y. With a 3-3 record, they need to win six or seven of their remaining 10 games.
That will require better communication on defense. And a better offensive line, to make the running game more functional. Catching the ball on punt returns also will help.
Oh, the quarterback position still figures in there someplace, of course. And there's no question that Smith at least looks more capable of leading the offense than he did in his first stint as a 49ers starter when he was "... what, just a few months out of high school? Sure seemed that way. His body language never radiated confidence.
Now, it does. Maturity can do that for you. Smith is in his fifth season. But at age 25, he is still only a year older than Joe Montana was when Montana became a full-time 49ers starter.
But the immediate mission moving forward, really, is not for Smith to become another Montana. It's to keep the chains moving and loosen up opposing defenses for the 49ers' running game.
Which brings us back to that shaky offensive line.
There's no deep strategy involved here. The 49ers' opponents are neutering Frank Gore by jamming up the "box" — the imaginary rectangular area near the line of scrimmage — with eight or nine defenders. And the 49ers' linemen either can't create space or are outmanned. It's no coincidence that a couple of Gore's better gains Sunday came when he lined up in the "Wildcat" formation and took the direct center snap. In the "Wildcat." there's usually an extra blocker in front of Gore.
What's the O-line problem? Eric Heitmann at center and Joe Staley at tackle are solid. But the other three positions "... not so much. There has been a revolving door. Chilo Rachal, last year's second-round pick from USC, has become a particular target of opponents. Singletary said Monday that Rachal needs "help" because "one particular stunt" gives him trouble on pass blocking.
For Smith, that's bad news. The good news is, he has quicker feet than Hill — and a quicker pass release. That matters. In today's NFL, with the speed of blitzers, a mere fraction of a second in getting the ball away can be the difference between a completion and a batted ball or a sack.
Smith is ready to play quarterback. Is the rest of the team ready to play with him?
City OKs Santa Clara stadium bidding exception
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/MNIK1ABH20.DTL
The Santa Clara City Council cleared away a potential stumbling block Tuesday night in the San Francisco 49ers' efforts to build a $937 million stadium in Silicon Valley.
The council, in a 5-2 vote, approved using a newly passed state exception that allows it to bypass city competitive bidding rules.
The team, which will be responsible for the vast majority of costs to build the stadium, said the project would be in jeopardy if its desired contractor did not get the job. Without the exception, the project would be awarded to the lowest bidder.
"There are thousands of hours worth of work that have gone into this," 49ers spokeswoman Lisa Lang said. "We have committed to covering the construction cost overruns. That is something that we are only willing to do if we are working with an architect and design-build contractor that we have confidence in to actually build an NFL stadium."
The football team, which wants to move to the South Bay despite San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's efforts to keep it in San Francisco, has been working for three years on design and construction plans with architectural firm HNTB and a joint venture of New York-headquartered Turner Construction and Milpitas-based Devcon Construction, Lang said.
The City Council voted to use the authority awarded to it in a new state law, introduced by state Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara, that carved out the one-time exception to the city's competitive bidding requirements.
Vice Mayor Jamie Matthews, a stadium backer, called the vote an "important step, a milestone," while critics said it stripped authority from voters.
A special committee appointed to explore whether the contracting issue would require a city charter change voted 15-1 to recommend the council make use of Alquist's legislation, SB43.
Without the council's action Tuesday, the question of whether to grant an exception to city contracting rules would likely have been put before voters as a companion ballot measure to the project's $937 million financing plan, which calls for $114 million from public redevelopment funds and a new tax on guests at eight hotels near the site.
The remaining $823 million would come from the team, hoped-for NFL funding, the sale of naming rights and concession licenses, and other sources.
That measure is expected to go before Santa Clara voters in April or June. The team hopes to have a new stadium in time for the 2014 season.
Under the measure passed Tuesday, any parts of the project that use public funds must follow city bidding rules, and the general contractor is required to competitively bid all subcontract work, which the team says is 85 percent of the project.
Stadium critics contend the council's vote denied the public the chance to be heard on how the top contract was awarded.
"The 49ers want it both ways," said Bill Bailey, treasurer for Santa Clara Plays Fair, which is opposed to a stadium subsidy. "They want a stadium built with public money, but they don't want to obey our charter."
Team officials said two ballot measures, both needing to pass for the stadium to be built, would be confusing.
City Councilman Kevin Moore, a driving force behind the stadium project, rejected the notion that voters were being cut out of the process.
"People can vote up or down as to whether they want a stadium," Moore said. "We had a committee of the best and brightest. They gave a recommendation of 15-1 to go this way. It weighed heavily on me, but now I'm certain this was the right thing to do."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/MNIK1ABH20.DTL#ixzz034aQykPL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/MNIK1ABH20.DTL
The Santa Clara City Council cleared away a potential stumbling block Tuesday night in the San Francisco 49ers' efforts to build a $937 million stadium in Silicon Valley.
The council, in a 5-2 vote, approved using a newly passed state exception that allows it to bypass city competitive bidding rules.
The team, which will be responsible for the vast majority of costs to build the stadium, said the project would be in jeopardy if its desired contractor did not get the job. Without the exception, the project would be awarded to the lowest bidder.
"There are thousands of hours worth of work that have gone into this," 49ers spokeswoman Lisa Lang said. "We have committed to covering the construction cost overruns. That is something that we are only willing to do if we are working with an architect and design-build contractor that we have confidence in to actually build an NFL stadium."
The football team, which wants to move to the South Bay despite San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's efforts to keep it in San Francisco, has been working for three years on design and construction plans with architectural firm HNTB and a joint venture of New York-headquartered Turner Construction and Milpitas-based Devcon Construction, Lang said.
The City Council voted to use the authority awarded to it in a new state law, introduced by state Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara, that carved out the one-time exception to the city's competitive bidding requirements.
Vice Mayor Jamie Matthews, a stadium backer, called the vote an "important step, a milestone," while critics said it stripped authority from voters.
A special committee appointed to explore whether the contracting issue would require a city charter change voted 15-1 to recommend the council make use of Alquist's legislation, SB43.
Without the council's action Tuesday, the question of whether to grant an exception to city contracting rules would likely have been put before voters as a companion ballot measure to the project's $937 million financing plan, which calls for $114 million from public redevelopment funds and a new tax on guests at eight hotels near the site.
The remaining $823 million would come from the team, hoped-for NFL funding, the sale of naming rights and concession licenses, and other sources.
That measure is expected to go before Santa Clara voters in April or June. The team hopes to have a new stadium in time for the 2014 season.
Under the measure passed Tuesday, any parts of the project that use public funds must follow city bidding rules, and the general contractor is required to competitively bid all subcontract work, which the team says is 85 percent of the project.
Stadium critics contend the council's vote denied the public the chance to be heard on how the top contract was awarded.
"The 49ers want it both ways," said Bill Bailey, treasurer for Santa Clara Plays Fair, which is opposed to a stadium subsidy. "They want a stadium built with public money, but they don't want to obey our charter."
Team officials said two ballot measures, both needing to pass for the stadium to be built, would be confusing.
City Councilman Kevin Moore, a driving force behind the stadium project, rejected the notion that voters were being cut out of the process.
"People can vote up or down as to whether they want a stadium," Moore said. "We had a committee of the best and brightest. They gave a recommendation of 15-1 to go this way. It weighed heavily on me, but now I'm certain this was the right thing to do."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/MNIK1ABH20.DTL#ixzz034aQykPL
Brown gets promotion in Indy; Clements takes reduced role
When the 49ers began working toward a contract extension with third-year cornerback Tarell Brown in late September, it was apparent that he figured into the team's future.
Well, the future has arrived.
Brown is set to take over at left cornerback for Nate Clements because the 49ers' coaches believe he matches up better against the Indianapolis Colts' receivers. The Colts use a lot of three-receiver sets, so Clements will probably be on the field for most of the game, too.
In all likelihood, veteran Dre' Bly will be the 49ers' fourth cornerback on Sunday.
The San Francisco Chronicle made mention of this change in today's paper, as Brown confirmed starting in "all alignments."
I asked coach Mike Singletary after Friday's practice whether Brown would start to take on a larger role. Clearly, Singletary was not quite ready to make any announcement:
"I think for Tarell Brown, it's just something all the way from training camp, just trying to get him back in the mix and trying to get him on the field more to play more," Singletary said. "It was just a shame, kind of like [WR] Brandon Jones when Brandon got hurt. They were both doing a great job making strides and had a setback."
Brown was in competition for a starting job whe training camp opened, but he sustained a toe sprain that forced him to miss most of camp.
"I think Tarell Brown has worked himself in a situation to try and get more playing time," Singletary said. "So it's just something that we have to monitor as coaches and really try and put him in the best position to win."
I'm told this is a one-week demotion for Clements based on the team's belief that Brown matches up better against the style of receivers the 49ers will face against the Colts. Indianapolis' offense is comprised of a bunch of mostly 6-foot tall receivers, such as Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon.
Clements and his physical style is better suited to bigger wideouts. The Colts' biggest receiver is 6-4 Hank Baskett, who has just one catch this season. Clements might return to his usual role next week against the Titans.
Still, this is a significant move for the 49ers to give Clements a reduction in playing time.
After all, Clements scheduled salary takes a leap to $6 million next year. A cornerback who makes that much should have the coaches' confidence to be successful against any type of receiver.
The 49ers will have to determine whether his play over the final half of the season warrants that kind of financial commitment. (If the 49ers parted ways with him, he'd count $5 million against he cap, so next year would be the first time they could save cap space by releasing him.)
Cornerback Shawntae Spencer has returned from ACL surgery to play very well. Spencer is locked up contractually through 2012, and Brown is now signed through 2013.
http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers...n-prompts-quesions-about-clements-future.html
When the 49ers began working toward a contract extension with third-year cornerback Tarell Brown in late September, it was apparent that he figured into the team's future.
Well, the future has arrived.
Brown is set to take over at left cornerback for Nate Clements because the 49ers' coaches believe he matches up better against the Indianapolis Colts' receivers. The Colts use a lot of three-receiver sets, so Clements will probably be on the field for most of the game, too.
In all likelihood, veteran Dre' Bly will be the 49ers' fourth cornerback on Sunday.
The San Francisco Chronicle made mention of this change in today's paper, as Brown confirmed starting in "all alignments."
I asked coach Mike Singletary after Friday's practice whether Brown would start to take on a larger role. Clearly, Singletary was not quite ready to make any announcement:
"I think for Tarell Brown, it's just something all the way from training camp, just trying to get him back in the mix and trying to get him on the field more to play more," Singletary said. "It was just a shame, kind of like [WR] Brandon Jones when Brandon got hurt. They were both doing a great job making strides and had a setback."
Brown was in competition for a starting job whe training camp opened, but he sustained a toe sprain that forced him to miss most of camp.
"I think Tarell Brown has worked himself in a situation to try and get more playing time," Singletary said. "So it's just something that we have to monitor as coaches and really try and put him in the best position to win."
I'm told this is a one-week demotion for Clements based on the team's belief that Brown matches up better against the style of receivers the 49ers will face against the Colts. Indianapolis' offense is comprised of a bunch of mostly 6-foot tall receivers, such as Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon.
Clements and his physical style is better suited to bigger wideouts. The Colts' biggest receiver is 6-4 Hank Baskett, who has just one catch this season. Clements might return to his usual role next week against the Titans.
Still, this is a significant move for the 49ers to give Clements a reduction in playing time.
After all, Clements scheduled salary takes a leap to $6 million next year. A cornerback who makes that much should have the coaches' confidence to be successful against any type of receiver.
The 49ers will have to determine whether his play over the final half of the season warrants that kind of financial commitment. (If the 49ers parted ways with him, he'd count $5 million against he cap, so next year would be the first time they could save cap space by releasing him.)
Cornerback Shawntae Spencer has returned from ACL surgery to play very well. Spencer is locked up contractually through 2012, and Brown is now signed through 2013.
http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers...n-prompts-quesions-about-clements-future.html
Clements demoted, then suffers broken scapula
(11-02) 04:00 PST INDIANAPOLIS -- Things went from bad to worse for Nate Clements on Sunday.
First he lost his starting left cornerback job to Tarell Brown, for this game at least and now for a lot longer than that. Then late in the first half he fractured his right shoulder blade.
There was no immediate word on how long Clements would be out. Wide receiver Brandon Jones had the same injury in training camp and missed six weeks.
Clements left the locker room early and was not available for comment. He was seen with a sling on his right arm.
"We'll know more tomorrow (Monday)," coach Mike Singletary said.
Clements was on the field for a few plays in the 49ers' nickel defense and also returned four punts for 31 yards. He made two tackles.
One of the best-tackling cornerbacks in the NFL, Clements at times has been a liability in pass coverage. That's damning for a player signed to a theoretical $80 million contract in 2007, with a 2009 salary of $3.5 million.
Facing Peyton Manning and the Colts' No. 1-ranked passing offense, the coaches wanted the quicker Brown covering wide receiver Pierre Garçon. Brown shadowed Garçon well enough that the Colts' No. 2 receiver was limited to four receptions for 53 yards.
After the game, Singletary said the decision to start Brown over Clements was a "one-week thing," but the injury changes that, at least for a few weeks.
Given how Brown played, the 49ers should be fine with him at left corner.
"I think the biggest thing we wanted to work on was basic matchups," Singletary said. "We feel the matchups we got were the ones we wanted."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/01/SPKH1ADPLF.DTL#ixzz0VijD1BQ3
(11-02) 04:00 PST INDIANAPOLIS -- Things went from bad to worse for Nate Clements on Sunday.
First he lost his starting left cornerback job to Tarell Brown, for this game at least and now for a lot longer than that. Then late in the first half he fractured his right shoulder blade.
There was no immediate word on how long Clements would be out. Wide receiver Brandon Jones had the same injury in training camp and missed six weeks.
Clements left the locker room early and was not available for comment. He was seen with a sling on his right arm.
"We'll know more tomorrow (Monday)," coach Mike Singletary said.
Clements was on the field for a few plays in the 49ers' nickel defense and also returned four punts for 31 yards. He made two tackles.
One of the best-tackling cornerbacks in the NFL, Clements at times has been a liability in pass coverage. That's damning for a player signed to a theoretical $80 million contract in 2007, with a 2009 salary of $3.5 million.
Facing Peyton Manning and the Colts' No. 1-ranked passing offense, the coaches wanted the quicker Brown covering wide receiver Pierre Garçon. Brown shadowed Garçon well enough that the Colts' No. 2 receiver was limited to four receptions for 53 yards.
After the game, Singletary said the decision to start Brown over Clements was a "one-week thing," but the injury changes that, at least for a few weeks.
Given how Brown played, the 49ers should be fine with him at left corner.
"I think the biggest thing we wanted to work on was basic matchups," Singletary said. "We feel the matchups we got were the ones we wanted."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/01/SPKH1ADPLF.DTL#ixzz0VijD1BQ3
i wanna see coffee on kicks and maybe punts, if he can handle it without muffing them. he needs to get more time on the field and more touches but during drives we dont always have time/touches for him to get a chance. special teams could help get him some chances and its doubtful he could do much worse than anyone else.
i hated seeing clements back there, even tho he was active and trying to make people miss. it made me feel uneasy thinking something bad was gonna happen, either fumble or injury. he doesnt secure the ball well enough while trying to juke people and cut back. plus he's our #1 secondary player, the risk isnt worth it.
i hated seeing clements back there, even tho he was active and trying to make people miss. it made me feel uneasy thinking something bad was gonna happen, either fumble or injury. he doesnt secure the ball well enough while trying to juke people and cut back. plus he's our #1 secondary player, the risk isnt worth it.
49ers LT Joe Staley will be out for 6 weeks after spraining his PCL and MCL in his right knee on Sunday.
The six-week diagnosis leaves him out until Week 14 and may cost his team a run at the playoffs. Veteran journeyman Barry Sims will step in to protect Alex Smith's blind side. Now the Niners are down both starting offensive tackles after they lost Tony Pashos last week. This makes Alex Smith a shaky play in two-QB fantasy leagues.
The six-week diagnosis leaves him out until Week 14 and may cost his team a run at the playoffs. Veteran journeyman Barry Sims will step in to protect Alex Smith's blind side. Now the Niners are down both starting offensive tackles after they lost Tony Pashos last week. This makes Alex Smith a shaky play in two-QB fantasy leagues.