Niner News Thread
- Thread starter Chree
- Start date
49ers to pass on Trotter
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/012623.html
The 49ers say they are not interested in signing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who visited with the team on Wednesday. Trotter started just one game last year for Tampa Bay and there is a sense that at age 31 -- and pushing 260-plus pounds -- he may be past his prime. However, the 49ers are still pursuing another 31-year-old linebacker, Takeo Spikes ...
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/012623.html
The 49ers say they are not interested in signing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who visited with the team on Wednesday. Trotter started just one game last year for Tampa Bay and there is a sense that at age 31 -- and pushing 260-plus pounds -- he may be past his prime. However, the 49ers are still pursuing another 31-year-old linebacker, Takeo Spikes ...
Gore made to be main man in Martz offense
http://sfo.scout.com/2/755765.html
He'll be working for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years, but what's that mean for Frank Gore? Gore became the first rookie in 15 years to lead the 49ers in rushing under Mike McCarthy in 2005, became a Pro Bowl starter the next year under Norv Turner, then had another productive season last year under Jim Hostler. But now that Mike Martz is in charge, Gore says the best is yet to come.
Gore admitted this spring that it's not the optimum situation for a running back of his pedigree and skill to have to start over again and learn a new offensive system with a new coordinator, which is something Gore has had to do in each of his four seasons since entering the NFL with the 49ers.
But there is starting over, and then there is starting over with a guy such as Martz running the show.
"It's tough," Gore said. "But working with a guy who's had a lot of success in this league, that's been a head coach in this league, it make you really want to work for him and listen to him. Because you know that he really knows what's going on."
Gore, like most of San Francisco's offensive players, never had that feeling last year with Hostler, who was unable to build upon - or even maintain, for that matter - the momentum the offense carried into 2007 after a year of rising promise under Turner's direction. Instead, the San Francisco attack took a nosedive south, finishing last in the NFL in eight offensive categories with historically bad numbers.
But while the 49ers were finishing last in the NFL in total offense, last in scoring and last in the eyes of analysts everywhere, Gore was quietly fighting through an ankle injury that forced him to miss one game and hampered him in others to assemble a fine season - particularly considering he was the only thing the offense really had going right for it the entire year and truly was a marked man every time he stepped on the field.
Gore doesn't see that happening now that Martz is at the controls.
"I mean, this is going to be a fun offense," Gore said. "We're going to be spreading the ball around. We have a lot of sets, doing two backs, motion everybody out, we go empty (backfield). This year, we won't see eight, nine men in the box no more. I like it like that, you know?
Yes, Frank, we know.
Even with defenses stacked to stop him with multiple defenders crowding the line because they had absolutely no respect for San Francisco's anemic passing game, Gore still finished fifth in the NFC with 1,102 yards rushing last year, averaging a respectable 4.2 yards a pop. He also led the 49ers in receptions with 53 and produced 1,538 yards from scrimmage.
This came a year after Gore had captured the attention of defensive coordinators throughout the NFL with a breakout 2006 season during which he led the NFC with a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing and led the 49ers with a career-high 61 receptions.
With the progress both he and the offense made during Turner's one season as 49ers offensive coordinator - Turner left the team in February of last year to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers - Gore boldly stated goals of challenging for NFL records and breaking the 2,000-yard rushing barrier in 2007.
After the humbling experience of last season in Hostler's extremely rocky debut as a NFL coordinator, Gore uses no numbers in talking about his goals this season. But that's not to say his goals aren't big.
"I don' t want to put no numbers out there," Gore said. "I just want to go out there, have fun, play hard and try to win some games, hopefully go back to the Pro Bowl. And that's what this offense is about. It's going to be a fun offense."
And, just like he has been in the past two incarnations of San Francisco's offense, Gore will be the main man in that attack.
"The potential to build that offense around Frank Gore is pretty exciting," Martz said. "He's really a complete player, and that's hard to find in this league anymore. I think you can put him as the centerpiece and build around that."
Gore looked like the centerpiece during the 49ers' spring minicamp earlier this month, lining up as the single back in a variety of formation and slashing through the line with the ball cradled in his chest.
But that was just the half of it. Gore also could be seen going in motion to leave an empty backfield, lining up in the slot and in wing positions along the line, and even splitting out wide in some formations.
In other words, he's not just going to be a running back in the Martz offense. He's also going to be a pass-catcher.
And Gore, for one, is all for that.
"I'm touching the ball more in the passing game and getting out in the slot running routes and showing people I can run routes, showing them I can catch the ball very well running routes out of the backfield," Gore said. "People don't know I can do that. It's going to be a surprise to a lot of people."
The natural comparison observers make is that Gore is Martz's new version of Marshall Faulk, and naturally that's all right with Gore. Gore already has spoken with Faulk several times, with Faulk offering Gore help any time he needs it, even saying he was willing to meet up with Gore when Gore is training at the 49ers facility in California or at his home in Miami.
Gore is soaking up whatever tips he can get from Faulk, because that's the prototype for the position he's now playing.
"(Martz) will use me in the same way," Gore said. "All the success that he's had with other guys, like Marshall … I want to be a guy that one day (Martz) can go tell other people that he once coached Frank Gore."
http://sfo.scout.com/2/755765.html
He'll be working for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years, but what's that mean for Frank Gore? Gore became the first rookie in 15 years to lead the 49ers in rushing under Mike McCarthy in 2005, became a Pro Bowl starter the next year under Norv Turner, then had another productive season last year under Jim Hostler. But now that Mike Martz is in charge, Gore says the best is yet to come.
Gore admitted this spring that it's not the optimum situation for a running back of his pedigree and skill to have to start over again and learn a new offensive system with a new coordinator, which is something Gore has had to do in each of his four seasons since entering the NFL with the 49ers.
But there is starting over, and then there is starting over with a guy such as Martz running the show.
"It's tough," Gore said. "But working with a guy who's had a lot of success in this league, that's been a head coach in this league, it make you really want to work for him and listen to him. Because you know that he really knows what's going on."
Gore, like most of San Francisco's offensive players, never had that feeling last year with Hostler, who was unable to build upon - or even maintain, for that matter - the momentum the offense carried into 2007 after a year of rising promise under Turner's direction. Instead, the San Francisco attack took a nosedive south, finishing last in the NFL in eight offensive categories with historically bad numbers.
But while the 49ers were finishing last in the NFL in total offense, last in scoring and last in the eyes of analysts everywhere, Gore was quietly fighting through an ankle injury that forced him to miss one game and hampered him in others to assemble a fine season - particularly considering he was the only thing the offense really had going right for it the entire year and truly was a marked man every time he stepped on the field.
Gore doesn't see that happening now that Martz is at the controls.
"I mean, this is going to be a fun offense," Gore said. "We're going to be spreading the ball around. We have a lot of sets, doing two backs, motion everybody out, we go empty (backfield). This year, we won't see eight, nine men in the box no more. I like it like that, you know?
Yes, Frank, we know.
Even with defenses stacked to stop him with multiple defenders crowding the line because they had absolutely no respect for San Francisco's anemic passing game, Gore still finished fifth in the NFC with 1,102 yards rushing last year, averaging a respectable 4.2 yards a pop. He also led the 49ers in receptions with 53 and produced 1,538 yards from scrimmage.
This came a year after Gore had captured the attention of defensive coordinators throughout the NFL with a breakout 2006 season during which he led the NFC with a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing and led the 49ers with a career-high 61 receptions.
With the progress both he and the offense made during Turner's one season as 49ers offensive coordinator - Turner left the team in February of last year to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers - Gore boldly stated goals of challenging for NFL records and breaking the 2,000-yard rushing barrier in 2007.
After the humbling experience of last season in Hostler's extremely rocky debut as a NFL coordinator, Gore uses no numbers in talking about his goals this season. But that's not to say his goals aren't big.
"I don' t want to put no numbers out there," Gore said. "I just want to go out there, have fun, play hard and try to win some games, hopefully go back to the Pro Bowl. And that's what this offense is about. It's going to be a fun offense."
And, just like he has been in the past two incarnations of San Francisco's offense, Gore will be the main man in that attack.
"The potential to build that offense around Frank Gore is pretty exciting," Martz said. "He's really a complete player, and that's hard to find in this league anymore. I think you can put him as the centerpiece and build around that."
Gore looked like the centerpiece during the 49ers' spring minicamp earlier this month, lining up as the single back in a variety of formation and slashing through the line with the ball cradled in his chest.
But that was just the half of it. Gore also could be seen going in motion to leave an empty backfield, lining up in the slot and in wing positions along the line, and even splitting out wide in some formations.
In other words, he's not just going to be a running back in the Martz offense. He's also going to be a pass-catcher.
And Gore, for one, is all for that.
"I'm touching the ball more in the passing game and getting out in the slot running routes and showing people I can run routes, showing them I can catch the ball very well running routes out of the backfield," Gore said. "People don't know I can do that. It's going to be a surprise to a lot of people."
The natural comparison observers make is that Gore is Martz's new version of Marshall Faulk, and naturally that's all right with Gore. Gore already has spoken with Faulk several times, with Faulk offering Gore help any time he needs it, even saying he was willing to meet up with Gore when Gore is training at the 49ers facility in California or at his home in Miami.
Gore is soaking up whatever tips he can get from Faulk, because that's the prototype for the position he's now playing.
"(Martz) will use me in the same way," Gore said. "All the success that he's had with other guys, like Marshall … I want to be a guy that one day (Martz) can go tell other people that he once coached Frank Gore."
Cohen Turned Misfortune into Gain
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4228§ion=PR News
Like most rookies, Joe Cohen greatly looked forward to last year’s fourth and final preseason game against the Chargers because it’s usually the best shot that late-round picks or undrafted free agents have for guaranteed playing time and a chance to audition their skills. But instead, Cohen’s rookie year reached a swift and final end with just over 8 minutes to go in the third quarter when he was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury.
“When it happened and the way I went down, I was thinking this better be worse than a knee sprain because I look like a big baby out here,” recalled Cohen. “I kind of knew it was more than a knee sprain but I didn’t know it was the ACL. It hurt, but it hurt more emotionally than it did physically because right when I found out it was an ACL, I knew I had just missed my first season of professional ball and that’s all I had been dreaming of since I was younger, so it was heart aching.”
Surgery to repair the ACL injury also caused some physical aches, ones that Cohen pushed through with the help of his “Team IR.”
“Jay Moore and Manny Lawson pretty much went through it all with me,” said Cohen. “It was pretty tough, but with guys like that around you and the kind of training staff we have here, it helped me bounce back.”
The threesome even got a little competitive when it came to rehabbing their respective injuries.
“I think we all tried to beat each other up here, and see who could get here first in the morning,” said Cohen. “We definitely put in some work and we all pushed each other to do more so that we’d get better. I definitely thank those guys.”
While his fellow rookie teammates gained playing experience in a season that seemed to inch ever so slowly along, the former Gators lineman did the best he could to sharpen his football skills from the sidelines.
“Whatever game was on, I’d watch and I’d always study the nose,” said Cohen. “I’d try to compare myself and see what things they did better than me and try to figure out how I could improve. If we were playing, I’d always watch Bryant Young. There are only a few players who will do a move in practice and then be able to carry over and perfect it in a game. He’s one of the only players I know who can really do that and just look so fundamentally sound, and that’s how I want to be in the long run.”
It’s already seemed like the long run when it comes to his rehab. After going nearly four months straight at the facility, Cohen left for his home in Florida right before Christmas. As well as getting in some quality daddy time with his four-year old daughter, Cohen continued rehabbing and training until it was time to return to Santa Clara in mid-March for the 49ers off-season program. His participation in the program has been modified as a precautionary measure for his knee, but in pursuit of being bigger, faster and stronger, Cohen tends to push the envelope.
“Usually Wes, one of our athletic trainers, is outside with us and if I catch him watching someone else, I’ll try to go ahead and run full speed,” admitted Cohen. “It’s not like I can really run fast anyhow, but it feels good to see what I can do. I know they want to play it safe and I definitely respect that because they know more about it then me, but I am putting my work in every day and trying to get better.”
Topping Cohen’s better list is obviously getting the knee 100 percent healthy so he can participate as much as possible in training camp, but specifically, he’s working to maximize the power in his legs.
“I think the last few years I’ve been playing with upper body strength and right now what I’m working on is pure leg power,” said Cohen. “Playing nose you definitely have to be able to hold some ground I want to be able to go four quarters and get a better pass rush and that’s what I’m working on.”
Despite an unfulfilled rookie year in terms of playing opportunities, last year’s fifth-round pick at least feels in a better place than he did when he arrived wet behind the ears last May for the team’s mini camp.
“Even though I didn’t get to play, it’s good to have a year under your belt to where you’ve been exposed at least,” said Cohen. “You know the system and the ins and outs and you feel more comfortable around the other guys. Also, I know my coaches better and I know what they expect. There was a reason I got hurt last year, and it ended up to really being a learning year for me, and now I’m just ready to go right now. I’m ready to throw on some pads and hit.”
And come training camp, the 49ers will also be ready to see what this young and promising defensive lineman has to offer the ball club.
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4228§ion=PR News
Like most rookies, Joe Cohen greatly looked forward to last year’s fourth and final preseason game against the Chargers because it’s usually the best shot that late-round picks or undrafted free agents have for guaranteed playing time and a chance to audition their skills. But instead, Cohen’s rookie year reached a swift and final end with just over 8 minutes to go in the third quarter when he was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury.
“When it happened and the way I went down, I was thinking this better be worse than a knee sprain because I look like a big baby out here,” recalled Cohen. “I kind of knew it was more than a knee sprain but I didn’t know it was the ACL. It hurt, but it hurt more emotionally than it did physically because right when I found out it was an ACL, I knew I had just missed my first season of professional ball and that’s all I had been dreaming of since I was younger, so it was heart aching.”
Surgery to repair the ACL injury also caused some physical aches, ones that Cohen pushed through with the help of his “Team IR.”
“Jay Moore and Manny Lawson pretty much went through it all with me,” said Cohen. “It was pretty tough, but with guys like that around you and the kind of training staff we have here, it helped me bounce back.”
The threesome even got a little competitive when it came to rehabbing their respective injuries.
“I think we all tried to beat each other up here, and see who could get here first in the morning,” said Cohen. “We definitely put in some work and we all pushed each other to do more so that we’d get better. I definitely thank those guys.”
While his fellow rookie teammates gained playing experience in a season that seemed to inch ever so slowly along, the former Gators lineman did the best he could to sharpen his football skills from the sidelines.
“Whatever game was on, I’d watch and I’d always study the nose,” said Cohen. “I’d try to compare myself and see what things they did better than me and try to figure out how I could improve. If we were playing, I’d always watch Bryant Young. There are only a few players who will do a move in practice and then be able to carry over and perfect it in a game. He’s one of the only players I know who can really do that and just look so fundamentally sound, and that’s how I want to be in the long run.”
It’s already seemed like the long run when it comes to his rehab. After going nearly four months straight at the facility, Cohen left for his home in Florida right before Christmas. As well as getting in some quality daddy time with his four-year old daughter, Cohen continued rehabbing and training until it was time to return to Santa Clara in mid-March for the 49ers off-season program. His participation in the program has been modified as a precautionary measure for his knee, but in pursuit of being bigger, faster and stronger, Cohen tends to push the envelope.
“Usually Wes, one of our athletic trainers, is outside with us and if I catch him watching someone else, I’ll try to go ahead and run full speed,” admitted Cohen. “It’s not like I can really run fast anyhow, but it feels good to see what I can do. I know they want to play it safe and I definitely respect that because they know more about it then me, but I am putting my work in every day and trying to get better.”
Topping Cohen’s better list is obviously getting the knee 100 percent healthy so he can participate as much as possible in training camp, but specifically, he’s working to maximize the power in his legs.
“I think the last few years I’ve been playing with upper body strength and right now what I’m working on is pure leg power,” said Cohen. “Playing nose you definitely have to be able to hold some ground I want to be able to go four quarters and get a better pass rush and that’s what I’m working on.”
Despite an unfulfilled rookie year in terms of playing opportunities, last year’s fifth-round pick at least feels in a better place than he did when he arrived wet behind the ears last May for the team’s mini camp.
“Even though I didn’t get to play, it’s good to have a year under your belt to where you’ve been exposed at least,” said Cohen. “You know the system and the ins and outs and you feel more comfortable around the other guys. Also, I know my coaches better and I know what they expect. There was a reason I got hurt last year, and it ended up to really being a learning year for me, and now I’m just ready to go right now. I’m ready to throw on some pads and hit.”
And come training camp, the 49ers will also be ready to see what this young and promising defensive lineman has to offer the ball club.
S.F. bid for 49ers stirs race issue
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/ci_9319447?nclick_check=1
Race has often been a lightning rod in professional sports, but rarely as part of deciding where to build a billion-dollar stadium.
But in a twist of local politics, San Francisco's bid to keep the 49ers has become enmeshed in the city's long-running turmoil about race, class and the ongoing exodus of its African-American population.
San Francisco already is something of an underdog to keep the NFL team, given Santa Clara's front-runner status. But the city's chances could hinge on June 3, when voters go to the polls to decide on two competing initiatives. One could give a huge boost to a massive development plan and stadium at Hunters Point; the other, according to Mayor Gavin Newsom, could doom the best chance in a generation for an economic rebirth in the city's southeast quarter.
A bitter war of words is building between the Newsom administration and city progressives over Propositions G and F, which would decide whether the redevelopment of more than 700 acres of bayfront land goes forward - and if so, whether half the housing must be affordable to people with moderate incomes.
With polling suggesting that the affordable housing requirement - Proposition F - could pass, the project's developer and city redevelopment officials say the plan could be dead in the water, including the stadium. In effect, the city's angst about gentrification could indirectly bolster the 49ers' plan to move south by eliminating the team's most viable alternative to Santa Clara.
Santa Clara officials say what happens in San Francisco doesn't affect them. "The 49ers have stressed to us they are looking at us as their No. 1 location," Deputy City Manager Carol McCarthy said.
Neighborhood's rebirth
Proponents of Proposition F say affordable housing vs. development is a false choice. They say Hunters and Candlestick points can be reborn with 50 percent affordable housing.
"When F passes, it will strengthen what is going on in the neighborhood. They have other contractors that can build it and do just as well," said Esselene Stancil, a 43-year resident of the nearby Bayview neighborhood who is volunteering with the F campaign.
One of Newsom's top development officials, however, called Proposition F a "completely reckless" and "incredibly disingenuous" plan backed by Supervisor Chris Daly and a group of "rag-tag others."
"It's very clear the strategy isn't to create 50-percent affordable housing, it's to kill the project," said Michael Cohen, Newsom's chief official overseeing the Hunters Point project. He said existing affordable housing standards would assure that at least one quarter of the housing would be affordable.
"I think it's a legitimate concern that F could pass," Cohen said. "It would be an epic tragedy for the city and county of San Francisco and for the Bayview community in particular."
Shifting the balance
Daly, a Newsom political foe, said the initiative would help preserve the city's racial and class balance.
"If we're building 75 percent market-rate condos, we're going to see a wholesale demographic shift that gentrifies neighborhoods that have historically been working class, that are predominantly people of color," he said. "In this case, the last significant African-American community in San Francisco will become increasingly white."
Among the nation's 15 largest U.S. cities, San Francisco is the only one where non-Hispanic whites are a growing share of the population, while minority groups are a decreasing share, federal Census data shows. College graduates are now a majority of the city's adult population, up from 45 percent in 2000 - a much higher share than for the nation overall. San Francisco has lost more than a third of its African-American population since 1990.
Only in San Francisco
In few cities would a traffic-reduction effort like the Google Shuttle, a biodiesel-fueled fleet of commuter buses that transport workers to the Mountain View Internet giant, come under social attack. But few cities are San Francisco.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper recently said Google's free commuter service, by luring rich Googlers, bolsters the gentrification that is "destroying the arts in San Francisco and forcing many low-income workers out of the city."
Working-class people such as Stancil also resent the relentless population shift. She doesn't believe promises from Lennar Corp., the big Miami-based developer picked for the Hunters Point project, that there will be enough affordable housing, unless developers are forced to provide it.
The Bayview District "used to be just about all African-American, but now we have all kinds of nationalities - we have a lot of Asians, we have a lot of Spanish people, and then there are a few whites," Stancil said.
"It's OK, but we want to live here, too. We don't want to be evicted just because they want to bring somebody else in."
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/ci_9319447?nclick_check=1
Race has often been a lightning rod in professional sports, but rarely as part of deciding where to build a billion-dollar stadium.
But in a twist of local politics, San Francisco's bid to keep the 49ers has become enmeshed in the city's long-running turmoil about race, class and the ongoing exodus of its African-American population.
San Francisco already is something of an underdog to keep the NFL team, given Santa Clara's front-runner status. But the city's chances could hinge on June 3, when voters go to the polls to decide on two competing initiatives. One could give a huge boost to a massive development plan and stadium at Hunters Point; the other, according to Mayor Gavin Newsom, could doom the best chance in a generation for an economic rebirth in the city's southeast quarter.
A bitter war of words is building between the Newsom administration and city progressives over Propositions G and F, which would decide whether the redevelopment of more than 700 acres of bayfront land goes forward - and if so, whether half the housing must be affordable to people with moderate incomes.
With polling suggesting that the affordable housing requirement - Proposition F - could pass, the project's developer and city redevelopment officials say the plan could be dead in the water, including the stadium. In effect, the city's angst about gentrification could indirectly bolster the 49ers' plan to move south by eliminating the team's most viable alternative to Santa Clara.
Santa Clara officials say what happens in San Francisco doesn't affect them. "The 49ers have stressed to us they are looking at us as their No. 1 location," Deputy City Manager Carol McCarthy said.
Neighborhood's rebirth
Proponents of Proposition F say affordable housing vs. development is a false choice. They say Hunters and Candlestick points can be reborn with 50 percent affordable housing.
"When F passes, it will strengthen what is going on in the neighborhood. They have other contractors that can build it and do just as well," said Esselene Stancil, a 43-year resident of the nearby Bayview neighborhood who is volunteering with the F campaign.
One of Newsom's top development officials, however, called Proposition F a "completely reckless" and "incredibly disingenuous" plan backed by Supervisor Chris Daly and a group of "rag-tag others."
"It's very clear the strategy isn't to create 50-percent affordable housing, it's to kill the project," said Michael Cohen, Newsom's chief official overseeing the Hunters Point project. He said existing affordable housing standards would assure that at least one quarter of the housing would be affordable.
"I think it's a legitimate concern that F could pass," Cohen said. "It would be an epic tragedy for the city and county of San Francisco and for the Bayview community in particular."
Shifting the balance
Daly, a Newsom political foe, said the initiative would help preserve the city's racial and class balance.
"If we're building 75 percent market-rate condos, we're going to see a wholesale demographic shift that gentrifies neighborhoods that have historically been working class, that are predominantly people of color," he said. "In this case, the last significant African-American community in San Francisco will become increasingly white."
Among the nation's 15 largest U.S. cities, San Francisco is the only one where non-Hispanic whites are a growing share of the population, while minority groups are a decreasing share, federal Census data shows. College graduates are now a majority of the city's adult population, up from 45 percent in 2000 - a much higher share than for the nation overall. San Francisco has lost more than a third of its African-American population since 1990.
Only in San Francisco
In few cities would a traffic-reduction effort like the Google Shuttle, a biodiesel-fueled fleet of commuter buses that transport workers to the Mountain View Internet giant, come under social attack. But few cities are San Francisco.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper recently said Google's free commuter service, by luring rich Googlers, bolsters the gentrification that is "destroying the arts in San Francisco and forcing many low-income workers out of the city."
Working-class people such as Stancil also resent the relentless population shift. She doesn't believe promises from Lennar Corp., the big Miami-based developer picked for the Hunters Point project, that there will be enough affordable housing, unless developers are forced to provide it.
The Bayview District "used to be just about all African-American, but now we have all kinds of nationalities - we have a lot of Asians, we have a lot of Spanish people, and then there are a few whites," Stancil said.
"It's OK, but we want to live here, too. We don't want to be evicted just because they want to bring somebody else in."
49ers Family Day on Saturday, June 7th
According to 49ers.com, this year's 49ers Family Day will be held on Saturday, June 7th from 10am until 2pm.
Event includes:
FREE admission and FREE parking
Autograph opportunities with head coach Mike Nolan, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and offensive coordinator Mike Martz, 49ers players and alumni
First 500 youth, 15 & under, accompanied by a parent or adult, to complete a youth football clinic or Gatorade Junior Training Camp clinic will receive 2 complimentary tickets to the 49ers preseason game vs San Diego
Youth football activities, contests, interactive inflatable games, Junior Gold Rush cheerleading clinics, football 101 sessions and tours of the 49ers locker room
Photo opportunities with the 49ers Alumni, Gold Rush Cheerleaders, NIner Noise, Sourdough Sam and a Super Bowl trophy
Live music
KNBR will broadcast LIVE from the event, featuring Joe Starkey, Gary Plummer and Rod Brooks
More information:
http://www.49ers.com/fanzone/familyday.php
According to 49ers.com, this year's 49ers Family Day will be held on Saturday, June 7th from 10am until 2pm.
Event includes:
FREE admission and FREE parking
Autograph opportunities with head coach Mike Nolan, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and offensive coordinator Mike Martz, 49ers players and alumni
First 500 youth, 15 & under, accompanied by a parent or adult, to complete a youth football clinic or Gatorade Junior Training Camp clinic will receive 2 complimentary tickets to the 49ers preseason game vs San Diego
Youth football activities, contests, interactive inflatable games, Junior Gold Rush cheerleading clinics, football 101 sessions and tours of the 49ers locker room
Photo opportunities with the 49ers Alumni, Gold Rush Cheerleaders, NIner Noise, Sourdough Sam and a Super Bowl trophy
Live music
KNBR will broadcast LIVE from the event, featuring Joe Starkey, Gary Plummer and Rod Brooks
More information:
http://www.49ers.com/fanzone/familyday.php
One guaranteed way to rekindle 49ers-Rams rivalry
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2204918
Mike Silver of Yahoo reports today the Rams are up for sale. He notes Eddie DeBartolo has only a "slight interest" in purchasing the Rams. Still, it's fun to talk about what might happen.
Niners fans who see this as another obstacle to overcome in the NFC West must not fret. There is no way DeBartolo can recapture what he had with the 49ers. First, it would take an incredible stroke of luck to find someone approaching the football genius of Bill Walsh to handle the construction of the team.
No doubt, DeBartolo would give his football people all the resources - in much the same fashion as Daniel Snyder does with the Redskins and Mark Cuban with the Mavericks.
And if there's no salary cap in 2010, you can bet few NFL teams would spend more than DeBartolo. Still, the dollars have to be spent wisely. That's where it gets tricky.
Who would handle that side of the operation? Mike Holmgren? Uh . . . who else? Did I mention Mike Holmgren? There might be some other logical candidates, but Holmgren is the person who immediately comes to mind.
Certainly, the NFL landscape is a lot different than it was in the late 1970s when DeBartolo took over the 49ers. After a couple rough years - remembered as the Joe Thomas era - DeBartolo made one of the great hires in sports history.
Walsh was so far ahead of the curve. DeBartolo would not have been as successful without Walsh. Likewise, Walsh would not have been as successful without DeBartolo as the owner. (One of the best things that happened in Walsh's coaching career came when the Bengals hired Bill "Tiger" Johnson as head coach instead of Walsh in 1976.)
Last month, DeBartolo said he has considered re-entering the NFL. But DeBartolo said he does not miss the ups and downs that go with owning an organization. He also pointed out the league might have a labor problem. He has been through work stoppages before. DeBartolo understands the damage that might be caused by another work stoppage.
The question was asked on today's Q&A whether 49ers' fans might jump ship to the Rams if DeBartolo became the owner. I doubt that would happen. However, such DeBartolo loyalists, such as Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and others, would likely don DeBartolo colors - even if they happen to be new century gold, millennium blue and white.
One good thing would certainly come of it: The 49ers-Rams rivalry would exist once again.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2204918
Mike Silver of Yahoo reports today the Rams are up for sale. He notes Eddie DeBartolo has only a "slight interest" in purchasing the Rams. Still, it's fun to talk about what might happen.
Niners fans who see this as another obstacle to overcome in the NFC West must not fret. There is no way DeBartolo can recapture what he had with the 49ers. First, it would take an incredible stroke of luck to find someone approaching the football genius of Bill Walsh to handle the construction of the team.
No doubt, DeBartolo would give his football people all the resources - in much the same fashion as Daniel Snyder does with the Redskins and Mark Cuban with the Mavericks.
And if there's no salary cap in 2010, you can bet few NFL teams would spend more than DeBartolo. Still, the dollars have to be spent wisely. That's where it gets tricky.
Who would handle that side of the operation? Mike Holmgren? Uh . . . who else? Did I mention Mike Holmgren? There might be some other logical candidates, but Holmgren is the person who immediately comes to mind.
Certainly, the NFL landscape is a lot different than it was in the late 1970s when DeBartolo took over the 49ers. After a couple rough years - remembered as the Joe Thomas era - DeBartolo made one of the great hires in sports history.
Walsh was so far ahead of the curve. DeBartolo would not have been as successful without Walsh. Likewise, Walsh would not have been as successful without DeBartolo as the owner. (One of the best things that happened in Walsh's coaching career came when the Bengals hired Bill "Tiger" Johnson as head coach instead of Walsh in 1976.)
Last month, DeBartolo said he has considered re-entering the NFL. But DeBartolo said he does not miss the ups and downs that go with owning an organization. He also pointed out the league might have a labor problem. He has been through work stoppages before. DeBartolo understands the damage that might be caused by another work stoppage.
The question was asked on today's Q&A whether 49ers' fans might jump ship to the Rams if DeBartolo became the owner. I doubt that would happen. However, such DeBartolo loyalists, such as Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and others, would likely don DeBartolo colors - even if they happen to be new century gold, millennium blue and white.
One good thing would certainly come of it: The 49ers-Rams rivalry would exist once again.
Rookies Join Training Program
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4230§ion=PR News
It’s hard to start over all over again after being top dogs, but the 49ers rookie class seems to have come to grips with reality. Following a whirlwind weekend at the team’s mini camp in early May, the rookies were sent home per league rules which don’t allow them to re-join their teams permanently until May 16, as long as they or their respective class has finished the school year. At this point, the majority of the 49ers rookies are back and planning to make the most of the latter part of the team’s off-season conditioning program.
“You have to get in the best shape of your life really, I saw that in the mini-camp that we did,” said undrafted free agent J.J. Finley. “It's like the jump from high school to college all over again except it's even faster to me. If you want to compete you're going to have to be in the best possible shape and these guys know how to do that.”
“These guys” is a reference to head strength coach Duane Carlisle and his staff – one that plans to work the rookies in full force for two weeks with somewhat of a limited program during the team’s three weeks of OTA’s.
“Most of these guys have come out of Combine prep programs so they're in decent shape to run a forty or jump high and go through the various tests they have to go through for the Combine, but now we have to get them in football shape,” explained Carlisle. “We'll take this five week window remaining to do just that.”
Carlisle added an additional time slot just for the rookies, which allows the youngest members of the team to get better acclimated with the program.
“It's tough getting thrown in there with the older guys and some of them have been here for over ten years,” said Finley. “It's good to get out there with the rookies and learn what they're doing. That way when we jump out there with the veterans we don't look like idiots.”
Wide receiver Josh Morgan echoed Finley, saying, “it was all new to me. I had pulled a sled, but I have to get used to the NFL warm-ups. I had never warmed up like that before, but it was pretty good. It got me loose and it gets you ready to work, ready to give 100 percent every time. You won't pull anything or have any small injuries. I think they do a great job.”
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
http://49ers.com/photos/?level=album&id=132§ion=Team
Also be sure to check out the video of the workouts on TV49.
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4230§ion=PR News
It’s hard to start over all over again after being top dogs, but the 49ers rookie class seems to have come to grips with reality. Following a whirlwind weekend at the team’s mini camp in early May, the rookies were sent home per league rules which don’t allow them to re-join their teams permanently until May 16, as long as they or their respective class has finished the school year. At this point, the majority of the 49ers rookies are back and planning to make the most of the latter part of the team’s off-season conditioning program.
“You have to get in the best shape of your life really, I saw that in the mini-camp that we did,” said undrafted free agent J.J. Finley. “It's like the jump from high school to college all over again except it's even faster to me. If you want to compete you're going to have to be in the best possible shape and these guys know how to do that.”
“These guys” is a reference to head strength coach Duane Carlisle and his staff – one that plans to work the rookies in full force for two weeks with somewhat of a limited program during the team’s three weeks of OTA’s.
“Most of these guys have come out of Combine prep programs so they're in decent shape to run a forty or jump high and go through the various tests they have to go through for the Combine, but now we have to get them in football shape,” explained Carlisle. “We'll take this five week window remaining to do just that.”
Carlisle added an additional time slot just for the rookies, which allows the youngest members of the team to get better acclimated with the program.
“It's tough getting thrown in there with the older guys and some of them have been here for over ten years,” said Finley. “It's good to get out there with the rookies and learn what they're doing. That way when we jump out there with the veterans we don't look like idiots.”
Wide receiver Josh Morgan echoed Finley, saying, “it was all new to me. I had pulled a sled, but I have to get used to the NFL warm-ups. I had never warmed up like that before, but it was pretty good. It got me loose and it gets you ready to work, ready to give 100 percent every time. You won't pull anything or have any small injuries. I think they do a great job.”
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
Carlisle didn’t take long to ease his new group into the program, selecting a tough sled workout right out of the gates.
“I'm glad,” said cornerback Reggie Smith of the intense session. “From what everybody's been telling, that's the last forty I'm going to have to run, the last time I have to max out on bench so I'm happy about that. Now I can just focus on things to get me better at back pedaling, cutting, bursting and things of that nature. The sleds worked on our speed and our burst and those are things that I like working on.”
As they work from the ground up, the rookie group understands the importance of maximizing these first two weeks of the program.
“This is a lot of work and we definitely need it as we go through this
whole process,” said top pick Kentwan Balmer. “OTAs are going to be fast just like mini-camp was. You have to be prepared and I think we're on pace with these workouts to be as prepared as we can going into OTAs.”
Click here to view more photos from the rookie workouts!
http://49ers.com/photos/?level=album&id=132§ion=Team
Also be sure to check out the video of the workouts on TV49.
D-Line Discussion
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?blogid=45&entry_id=26708
Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula put a camera at the line of scrimmage during the last minicamp to better assess his players. The camera allows Tomsula to see who has the best jump and the quickest hands. A sprinter's jump allows a pass rusher to get up field and into the back field in a flash. Quick hands allow a nose tackle to get his hands on the center right after the snap, when the center only has one hand to fend off the hard-charging nose.
The quickest pair of hands on the line might belong to Ron Fields and is a major reason he's switching from defensive end to nose tackle. Isaac Sopoaga will play more defensive end next year, because he's so quick off the ball. At 330 pounds, Sopoaga is just as quick at the snap as Tully Banta-Cain, who weighs 270. The switch of Fields to nose tackle and Sopoaga to defensive end could make a difference this year in the all-important line play.
Another prospect to keep an eye on during organized team activity practices and in training camp is rookie free agent pass-rusher Louis Holmes. He had a little trouble at Arizona with anger issues and he was arrested for laying out a patron, who took a swing at him first, at a Scottsdale night club. He's been ordered to two stints of anger management classes.
Also, after two years of superlative play at Mesa Junior College in Arizona, Holmes failed to flash as an Arizona Wildcat. But the man's physical skills are nearly unparalleled. He's 6-6, 265, with a devastatingly quick first step. He's also raw and might be too immature to handle the NFL.
NO INTEREST: Even though the 49ers took a flyer on Holmes, they're not interested in the troubled castoffs from the Bengals - linebacker Odell Thurman and wide receiver Chris Henry. Both would cost significantly more than Holmes and so far, both have been unable to handle the NFL's big stage.
Henry has been involved in several incidents, including having marijuana in his shoes and lately for breaking a car window with a bottle and then punching the person inside. He's already been suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell for eight games last year and might have to serve more after last month's punching incident. He's just as explosive on the field. He scored on a 52-yard scoring pass at Candlestick Park last December.
Thurman spent two seasons on the suspended list, after skipping a drug test and getting arrested for drunk driving. He was reinstated April 21, but didn't take part in involuntary workouts in May partially because of his grandmother's death. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he didn't want to get into Thurman's family structure but said his grandmother had been buried for a while.
"We've been patient enough with Odell and he's no longer here," Lewis was quoted as saying.
ROMAN SPEAKS TO KIDS: Safety Mark Roman will appear tomorrow at Chaboya Middle School in San Jose as part of the NFL Play 60 program. It encourages kids to get involved in at least 60 minutes of activity a day. It's also part of an effort to promote Beijing Summer Olympics. The Speech is from 10:45 a.m. to noon.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?blogid=45&entry_id=26708
Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula put a camera at the line of scrimmage during the last minicamp to better assess his players. The camera allows Tomsula to see who has the best jump and the quickest hands. A sprinter's jump allows a pass rusher to get up field and into the back field in a flash. Quick hands allow a nose tackle to get his hands on the center right after the snap, when the center only has one hand to fend off the hard-charging nose.
The quickest pair of hands on the line might belong to Ron Fields and is a major reason he's switching from defensive end to nose tackle. Isaac Sopoaga will play more defensive end next year, because he's so quick off the ball. At 330 pounds, Sopoaga is just as quick at the snap as Tully Banta-Cain, who weighs 270. The switch of Fields to nose tackle and Sopoaga to defensive end could make a difference this year in the all-important line play.
Another prospect to keep an eye on during organized team activity practices and in training camp is rookie free agent pass-rusher Louis Holmes. He had a little trouble at Arizona with anger issues and he was arrested for laying out a patron, who took a swing at him first, at a Scottsdale night club. He's been ordered to two stints of anger management classes.
Also, after two years of superlative play at Mesa Junior College in Arizona, Holmes failed to flash as an Arizona Wildcat. But the man's physical skills are nearly unparalleled. He's 6-6, 265, with a devastatingly quick first step. He's also raw and might be too immature to handle the NFL.
NO INTEREST: Even though the 49ers took a flyer on Holmes, they're not interested in the troubled castoffs from the Bengals - linebacker Odell Thurman and wide receiver Chris Henry. Both would cost significantly more than Holmes and so far, both have been unable to handle the NFL's big stage.
Henry has been involved in several incidents, including having marijuana in his shoes and lately for breaking a car window with a bottle and then punching the person inside. He's already been suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell for eight games last year and might have to serve more after last month's punching incident. He's just as explosive on the field. He scored on a 52-yard scoring pass at Candlestick Park last December.
Thurman spent two seasons on the suspended list, after skipping a drug test and getting arrested for drunk driving. He was reinstated April 21, but didn't take part in involuntary workouts in May partially because of his grandmother's death. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he didn't want to get into Thurman's family structure but said his grandmother had been buried for a while.
"We've been patient enough with Odell and he's no longer here," Lewis was quoted as saying.
ROMAN SPEAKS TO KIDS: Safety Mark Roman will appear tomorrow at Chaboya Middle School in San Jose as part of the NFL Play 60 program. It encourages kids to get involved in at least 60 minutes of activity a day. It's also part of an effort to promote Beijing Summer Olympics. The Speech is from 10:45 a.m. to noon.
Final chance? Martz in tow to tutor Niners' QB Alex Smith
Four for four.
Not often a description tied to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.
But in this case, it's entirely appropriate.
The top pick of the 2005 draft begins his fourth season bound to his fourth offensive coordinator, his job possibly up for grabs and his franchise running out of time to turn the program around under the regime of general manager Scot McCloughan and coach Mike Nolan.
NFL'S NEXT FACE: Who will replace Favre?
Maybe Smith can play in the NFL and maybe he can't. But he won't be able to say he didn't get a chance to showcase his skills because the new offensive coordinator is Mike Martz, who never saw a football that he didn't think ought to be thrown.
"There's no one more creative as far as using personnel in a way that allows us to be productive on offense," Nolan says. "Mike's got great command of the room. He inspires players."
ORGANIZATIONAL REPORTS: In-depth offseason visits with each team
They'll need that. The 49ers stumbled to a 5-11 record last year after winning their first two games. Smith (shoulder) didn't play in the final seven and feuded with Nolan about his care and rehabilitation, though both say the episode is behind them. "You move on," Smith says. "This is a chance, with coach Martz coming in, to wipe the slate clean."
With the 49ers scoring an anemic 219 points, leading the NFL in punts (105) and finishing last in total offense (and last in passing), a dose of Martz's creativity can't possibly hurt. He's not afraid to step into a dicey situation with Nolan, with whom he coached in Washington in the late 1990s.
"You've got to remember, I've been on the hot seat, too," says Martz, who joins the 49ers after two seasons with the Detroit Lions and six years as the St. Louis Rams' head coach. "I believe that I have such a great feel for who Mike is and looking at the personnel and looking at what he's been able to build here with this organization; they're just so close. With the defense and the special teams playing a high level, the pieces, in my opinion, are there. It's exciting. The pieces are there on the offense, we just need to tie it together."
Get the rope and the Boy Scout manual. This will require some interesting knots.
Smith or Shaun Hill, who won a couple of games in late-season starts in his first playing time in five years in the NFL system, will likely win this job, though Nolan called it a three-man chase after free agent pickup J.T. O'Sullivan performed well in minicamp. Hill had a chance at free agency but opted to stay with the 49ers.
The 49ers exercised their option on Smith's contract, and he is signed through 2010. He's got to produce well before that — like now. He attempted 193 passes last season, completed fewer than half, and only two went for touchdowns, meaning 1% of his passes became scores.
Whether it is Smith, Hill or O'Sullivan at quarterback, the offense begins with running back Frank Gore, who rushed for 1,102 yards and was also the 49ers' leading receiver with 53 catches.
"He's playing at such a high level," Martz says. "That's where you start. And you try to get everyone up to that level."
The 49ers scored 10 or fewer points in seven games and that included ugly losses of 9-7 to the Baltimore Ravens, who also won only five games, and 13-9 to the St. Louis Rams, who won just three. They scored only 30 first-quarter points and 85 in the first half; they allowed 87 in the first quarter alone. Getting behind is no way to foster the running game or keep pressure off the quarterback.
The offensive line will be a work in progress. Joe Staley, a first-round pick last year, took every snap at right tackle, and it earned him a promotion of sorts. He will move to the other side, and left tackle Jonas Jennings, a big-money free agent a few years ago, flips to the right. Jennings goes into his eighth year without ever having made it through a 16-game schedule without injury. There are some changes at guard as well.
Martz's high-flying offense in St. Louis featured top receivers (Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt) and a host of complementary parts. The larder isn't as well-stocked in San Francisco after failed experiments with Darrell Jackson and Antonio Bryant. Arnaz Battle returns and he will battle a couple of new acquisitions to hang on to his starting job. Bruce, 35, comes over from the Rams as a free agent, and Bryant Johnson exited the Arizona Cardinals' overloaded roster to seek a spot. The 49ers also need more from tight end Vernon Davis, the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft.
The 49ers defense earned respect for its tenacity but wore down without support from the offense and the opportunity to rush the passer while protecting leads. As a result, opponents rushed 504 times against them, and the 49ers came away with only 22 takeaways.
There are cornerstones to build on here, with Defensive Rookie of the Year inside linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Nate Clements and outside linebacker Manny Lawson. The 49ers will miss the leadership of longtime defensive lineman Bryant Young as well as his team-leading 6½ sacks.
The Niners had great expectations in 2007. They were confident enough a year ago at the draft to trade their 2008 No. 1 pick to the New England Patriots to get Staley. He may well be worth an investment like that, but the Niners' collapse left the Patriots holding the seventh overall choice. "You never make a trade like that expecting to lose. You can't think that way," says McCloughan, promoted to general manager in January.
It doesn't mean a disaster season can't happen. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. But it probably shouldn't happen again.
The 49ers last made the playoffs in 2002 and haven't had a winning season since. The 7-9 teaser in 2006 whet appetites but only led to a year that left stomachs in knots. The 49ers can't string anyone along any further.
Now they need to tie everything together or they'll find themselves at the end of their rope.
AROUND THE FIELD IN SAN FRANCISCO
• Quarterback: Alex Smith must become a higher-percentage passer to keep this job. Shaun Hill emerged from obscurity in 2007 and makes quick decisions. J.T. O'Sullivan played for offensive coordinator Mike Martz in Detroit.
• Running back: Frank Gore runs with toughness and catches the ball well. He's a grinder, and when he carries 20 times or more, the 49ers are 11-2. Because Martz is around, comparisons are being made to Marshall Faulk, and Gore will get snaps lined up in the slot, the way Faulk used to in St. Louis. The 49ers picked up DeShaun Foster as a free agent.
• Wide receiver: Arnaz Battle led the wideouts in receptions a year ago, but the 49ers will look to free agents Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson as the probable starters.
• Tight end: Vernon Davis began showing more later in the season after recovering from a leg injury. He has the size-speed-strength package, and the Niners need to make sure he's used properly.
• Offensive line: Tackle Joe Staley moves to the left side in a flip-flop with Jonas Jennings. Changes at guard are also in the wind with Larry Allen not likely to return while Justin Smiley and Kwame Harris did not re-sign. Expect David Baas and Adam Snyder to be the starters, though Baas (torn chest muscle, repaired in late April) might miss training camp. Second-round pick Chilo Rachal could get an early look. Center Eric Heitmann returns. This unit must pass-block better.
• Defensive line: Bryant Young, the last link to the Super Bowl teams of the 1990s, retired, and Marques Douglas left as a free agent. The 49ers spent big free agent money on Justin Smith to be their pass-rusher from the right end. Smith had only two sacks last year with Cincinnati. Rookie Kentwan Balmer, the No. 1 pick, could play inside and out.
• Linebacker: Patrick Willis made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Jeff Ulbrich and Dontarrious Thomas should compete to replace Derek Smith alongside Willis. Manny Lawson, lost early last season (knee), should claim an outside spot. Parys Haralson and the lighter Tully Banta-Cain are also in the mix.
• Secondary: The Niners spent a gazillion dollars on free agent CB Nate Clements a year ago and then managed only 12 interceptions as a team. Walt Harris starts on the other side. Safeties Michael Lewis and Mark Roman round out the quartet.
• Special teams: Punter Andy Lee made the Pro Bowl, and the 49ers excelled in kickoff coverage. Kicker Joe Nedney is accurate but tried only 19 field goals because the 49ers made the fewest trips in the NFL (20) inside the opposing 20-yard line of any team.
• Coaching staff: Martz is the sixth offensive coordinator in six years, and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is in his second season. This team desperately needs continuity so it can develop cohesion and trust. Al Everest is one of the best with special teams. With Scot McCloughan elevated to general manager, Mike Nolan was perceived to have lost some administrative clout. That twosome has been responsible for four drafts and will be held accountable if the 49ers don't start moving up in the standings.
• Outlook: Martz was part of a worst-to-first story in St. Louis where he was offensive coordinator when the 1999 Rams won the Super Bowl. So perhaps the 49ers can leap to the top of a division that isn't exactly overpowering. That requires a quarterback who can manage the offense. The defense needs to find a pass rusher and create some turnovers. This could be a turnaround team, but the Niners might have more questions than answers and not much time to find them.
Four for four.
Not often a description tied to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.
But in this case, it's entirely appropriate.
The top pick of the 2005 draft begins his fourth season bound to his fourth offensive coordinator, his job possibly up for grabs and his franchise running out of time to turn the program around under the regime of general manager Scot McCloughan and coach Mike Nolan.
NFL'S NEXT FACE: Who will replace Favre?
Maybe Smith can play in the NFL and maybe he can't. But he won't be able to say he didn't get a chance to showcase his skills because the new offensive coordinator is Mike Martz, who never saw a football that he didn't think ought to be thrown.
"There's no one more creative as far as using personnel in a way that allows us to be productive on offense," Nolan says. "Mike's got great command of the room. He inspires players."
ORGANIZATIONAL REPORTS: In-depth offseason visits with each team
They'll need that. The 49ers stumbled to a 5-11 record last year after winning their first two games. Smith (shoulder) didn't play in the final seven and feuded with Nolan about his care and rehabilitation, though both say the episode is behind them. "You move on," Smith says. "This is a chance, with coach Martz coming in, to wipe the slate clean."
With the 49ers scoring an anemic 219 points, leading the NFL in punts (105) and finishing last in total offense (and last in passing), a dose of Martz's creativity can't possibly hurt. He's not afraid to step into a dicey situation with Nolan, with whom he coached in Washington in the late 1990s.
"You've got to remember, I've been on the hot seat, too," says Martz, who joins the 49ers after two seasons with the Detroit Lions and six years as the St. Louis Rams' head coach. "I believe that I have such a great feel for who Mike is and looking at the personnel and looking at what he's been able to build here with this organization; they're just so close. With the defense and the special teams playing a high level, the pieces, in my opinion, are there. It's exciting. The pieces are there on the offense, we just need to tie it together."
Get the rope and the Boy Scout manual. This will require some interesting knots.
Smith or Shaun Hill, who won a couple of games in late-season starts in his first playing time in five years in the NFL system, will likely win this job, though Nolan called it a three-man chase after free agent pickup J.T. O'Sullivan performed well in minicamp. Hill had a chance at free agency but opted to stay with the 49ers.
The 49ers exercised their option on Smith's contract, and he is signed through 2010. He's got to produce well before that — like now. He attempted 193 passes last season, completed fewer than half, and only two went for touchdowns, meaning 1% of his passes became scores.
Whether it is Smith, Hill or O'Sullivan at quarterback, the offense begins with running back Frank Gore, who rushed for 1,102 yards and was also the 49ers' leading receiver with 53 catches.
"He's playing at such a high level," Martz says. "That's where you start. And you try to get everyone up to that level."
The 49ers scored 10 or fewer points in seven games and that included ugly losses of 9-7 to the Baltimore Ravens, who also won only five games, and 13-9 to the St. Louis Rams, who won just three. They scored only 30 first-quarter points and 85 in the first half; they allowed 87 in the first quarter alone. Getting behind is no way to foster the running game or keep pressure off the quarterback.
The offensive line will be a work in progress. Joe Staley, a first-round pick last year, took every snap at right tackle, and it earned him a promotion of sorts. He will move to the other side, and left tackle Jonas Jennings, a big-money free agent a few years ago, flips to the right. Jennings goes into his eighth year without ever having made it through a 16-game schedule without injury. There are some changes at guard as well.
Martz's high-flying offense in St. Louis featured top receivers (Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt) and a host of complementary parts. The larder isn't as well-stocked in San Francisco after failed experiments with Darrell Jackson and Antonio Bryant. Arnaz Battle returns and he will battle a couple of new acquisitions to hang on to his starting job. Bruce, 35, comes over from the Rams as a free agent, and Bryant Johnson exited the Arizona Cardinals' overloaded roster to seek a spot. The 49ers also need more from tight end Vernon Davis, the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft.
The 49ers defense earned respect for its tenacity but wore down without support from the offense and the opportunity to rush the passer while protecting leads. As a result, opponents rushed 504 times against them, and the 49ers came away with only 22 takeaways.
There are cornerstones to build on here, with Defensive Rookie of the Year inside linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Nate Clements and outside linebacker Manny Lawson. The 49ers will miss the leadership of longtime defensive lineman Bryant Young as well as his team-leading 6½ sacks.
The Niners had great expectations in 2007. They were confident enough a year ago at the draft to trade their 2008 No. 1 pick to the New England Patriots to get Staley. He may well be worth an investment like that, but the Niners' collapse left the Patriots holding the seventh overall choice. "You never make a trade like that expecting to lose. You can't think that way," says McCloughan, promoted to general manager in January.
It doesn't mean a disaster season can't happen. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. But it probably shouldn't happen again.
The 49ers last made the playoffs in 2002 and haven't had a winning season since. The 7-9 teaser in 2006 whet appetites but only led to a year that left stomachs in knots. The 49ers can't string anyone along any further.
Now they need to tie everything together or they'll find themselves at the end of their rope.
AROUND THE FIELD IN SAN FRANCISCO
• Quarterback: Alex Smith must become a higher-percentage passer to keep this job. Shaun Hill emerged from obscurity in 2007 and makes quick decisions. J.T. O'Sullivan played for offensive coordinator Mike Martz in Detroit.
• Running back: Frank Gore runs with toughness and catches the ball well. He's a grinder, and when he carries 20 times or more, the 49ers are 11-2. Because Martz is around, comparisons are being made to Marshall Faulk, and Gore will get snaps lined up in the slot, the way Faulk used to in St. Louis. The 49ers picked up DeShaun Foster as a free agent.
• Wide receiver: Arnaz Battle led the wideouts in receptions a year ago, but the 49ers will look to free agents Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson as the probable starters.
• Tight end: Vernon Davis began showing more later in the season after recovering from a leg injury. He has the size-speed-strength package, and the Niners need to make sure he's used properly.
• Offensive line: Tackle Joe Staley moves to the left side in a flip-flop with Jonas Jennings. Changes at guard are also in the wind with Larry Allen not likely to return while Justin Smiley and Kwame Harris did not re-sign. Expect David Baas and Adam Snyder to be the starters, though Baas (torn chest muscle, repaired in late April) might miss training camp. Second-round pick Chilo Rachal could get an early look. Center Eric Heitmann returns. This unit must pass-block better.
• Defensive line: Bryant Young, the last link to the Super Bowl teams of the 1990s, retired, and Marques Douglas left as a free agent. The 49ers spent big free agent money on Justin Smith to be their pass-rusher from the right end. Smith had only two sacks last year with Cincinnati. Rookie Kentwan Balmer, the No. 1 pick, could play inside and out.
• Linebacker: Patrick Willis made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Jeff Ulbrich and Dontarrious Thomas should compete to replace Derek Smith alongside Willis. Manny Lawson, lost early last season (knee), should claim an outside spot. Parys Haralson and the lighter Tully Banta-Cain are also in the mix.
• Secondary: The Niners spent a gazillion dollars on free agent CB Nate Clements a year ago and then managed only 12 interceptions as a team. Walt Harris starts on the other side. Safeties Michael Lewis and Mark Roman round out the quartet.
• Special teams: Punter Andy Lee made the Pro Bowl, and the 49ers excelled in kickoff coverage. Kicker Joe Nedney is accurate but tried only 19 field goals because the 49ers made the fewest trips in the NFL (20) inside the opposing 20-yard line of any team.
• Coaching staff: Martz is the sixth offensive coordinator in six years, and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is in his second season. This team desperately needs continuity so it can develop cohesion and trust. Al Everest is one of the best with special teams. With Scot McCloughan elevated to general manager, Mike Nolan was perceived to have lost some administrative clout. That twosome has been responsible for four drafts and will be held accountable if the 49ers don't start moving up in the standings.
• Outlook: Martz was part of a worst-to-first story in St. Louis where he was offensive coordinator when the 1999 Rams won the Super Bowl. So perhaps the 49ers can leap to the top of a division that isn't exactly overpowering. That requires a quarterback who can manage the offense. The defense needs to find a pass rusher and create some turnovers. This could be a turnaround team, but the Niners might have more questions than answers and not much time to find them.
THE BUTLER (ALLEGEDLY) DID IT
Posted by Mike Florio on May 27, 2008, 5:21 p.m.
49ers rookie linebacker Ezra Butler, whose draft stock fell based at least in part on a one-game suspension in 2007 for smoking marijuana, was arrested on Saturday for DUI and possession of marijuana.
Butler, who played college ball at Nevada, recognized last month that his marijuana use kept him from being drafted. “I think [the marijuana revelation] affected me, but at the end of the day I’ve got no one to blame but myself. I’m still going to have an opportunity to make the team.”
Per the police report, Butler admitted to smoking marijuana 40 minutes before the arrest.
The move re-sets the “Days without an Arrest” meter to three, and six points awarded to the Niners will be removed if Butler is cut by 11:30 p.m. on May 31.
Posted by Mike Florio on May 27, 2008, 5:21 p.m.
49ers rookie linebacker Ezra Butler, whose draft stock fell based at least in part on a one-game suspension in 2007 for smoking marijuana, was arrested on Saturday for DUI and possession of marijuana.
Butler, who played college ball at Nevada, recognized last month that his marijuana use kept him from being drafted. “I think [the marijuana revelation] affected me, but at the end of the day I’ve got no one to blame but myself. I’m still going to have an opportunity to make the team.”
Per the police report, Butler admitted to smoking marijuana 40 minutes before the arrest.
The move re-sets the “Days without an Arrest” meter to three, and six points awarded to the Niners will be removed if Butler is cut by 11:30 p.m. on May 31.
Oliver back in action for OTAs
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/012857.html
Organized Team Activities kick off on Monday, and the 49ers expect to get a few of their injured players back onto the practice field. A trio of ACL tear patients - Manny Lawson, Joe Cohen and Melvin Oliver - did not take part in the three-day minicamp earlier this month. Starting Monday, Lawson and Cohen will go through individual drills but not team drills. Oliver, meanwhile, has been cleared for full participation. Oliver tore his right ACL in June, so he had a head start, recovery-wise, on Cohen and Lawson, who tore their ACLs in August and September respectively.
Oliver will return to find a logjam at his position. Last year, he was taking snaps behind Bryant Young at left defensive end. This year, he will find himself behind Isaac Sopoaga and first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer at the position. On the other side, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are first and second on the depth chart. Cohen will find a similar backup at nose tackle. He's got Aubrayo Franklin and Ronald Fields in front of him.
The others who will be sitting out are David Baas (pectoral) and Mark Roman (shoulder). Roman should return by mid June. Jonas Jennings (ankle) was nearly 100 percent during the minicamps. He could be back to normal for the OTAs.
So what's the difference between an OTA and a minicamp? Nothing, really. They're both non-contact (wink, wink) because the rookies haven't signed any contracts at this point. The biggest difference is that minicamps usually are mandatory while OTAs are optional. And when I say "optional," it's like when your mom tells you that Mother's Day cards are "optional." You'd better send one if you know what's good for you::
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/012857.html
Organized Team Activities kick off on Monday, and the 49ers expect to get a few of their injured players back onto the practice field. A trio of ACL tear patients - Manny Lawson, Joe Cohen and Melvin Oliver - did not take part in the three-day minicamp earlier this month. Starting Monday, Lawson and Cohen will go through individual drills but not team drills. Oliver, meanwhile, has been cleared for full participation. Oliver tore his right ACL in June, so he had a head start, recovery-wise, on Cohen and Lawson, who tore their ACLs in August and September respectively.
Oliver will return to find a logjam at his position. Last year, he was taking snaps behind Bryant Young at left defensive end. This year, he will find himself behind Isaac Sopoaga and first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer at the position. On the other side, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are first and second on the depth chart. Cohen will find a similar backup at nose tackle. He's got Aubrayo Franklin and Ronald Fields in front of him.
The others who will be sitting out are David Baas (pectoral) and Mark Roman (shoulder). Roman should return by mid June. Jonas Jennings (ankle) was nearly 100 percent during the minicamps. He could be back to normal for the OTAs.
So what's the difference between an OTA and a minicamp? Nothing, really. They're both non-contact (wink, wink) because the rookies haven't signed any contracts at this point. The biggest difference is that minicamps usually are mandatory while OTAs are optional. And when I say "optional," it's like when your mom tells you that Mother's Day cards are "optional." You'd better send one if you know what's good for you::