49ers News

"Before the 49ers' 2007 season collapsed in futility, before they found points tougher to come by than cheap gas, they were the chic pick in some circles to make the playoffs. This year, you'd have to go out on a limb that would be out of Tarzan's comfort level to pick the 49ers as a playoff contender. They lack an established quarterback and a game-breaking receiver, and they're learning a new offense. And yet coach Mike Nolan thinks the team that reports this afternoon to training camp in Santa Clara is better than the one that had some experts so excited last summer before the high expectations and Alex Smith's shoulder both gave out. The 49ers finished 5-11, their fifth straight losing ..."

"Neither the Raiders nor 49ers did anything of note this day, or really any day since the draft ended. Thus, as they enter the start of their training camps (the Raiders today in Napa, the 49ers Thursday in Santa Clara) they missed many opportunities to get our undivided attention by: -- Making loud and obnoxious runs at Brett Favre. -- Making loud and obnoxious runs at Jason Taylor. -- Making loud and obnoxious runs at Jeremy Shockey. -- Blah-blah-blah-de-blah-blah with Chad Johnson or Jared Allen or Plaxico Burress. -- Offering to play regular-season games in Vancouver. -- Getting caught cheating (the Lance Briggs tampering fiasco happened before that). -- Getting caught talking with ..."

"Larry Allen hasn't retired yet, and it's unclear whether the 11-time Pro Bowl guard wants to return to the 49ers - but coach Mike Nolan said Monday that Allen has indicated he would like to play this season for somebody. Nolan said he has not spoken to Allen, 36, but said the free agent told offensive line coach George Warhop recently that he would like to play a 15th NFL season. Warhop has been his position coach dating back to their years with the Cowboys. Nolan said he made a few calls to Allen but had not heard from him. "I think that he's just going to leave everything up to his agent," Nolan said. The agent, Marv Demoff, couldn't be reached Monday, but early last month he said ..."

"The 49ers head to training camp this week chastened by a 2007 campaign that fell well short of expectations but optimistic after a busy offseason. The team brought in big names on offense and defense, starting with former Bengal Justin Smith. The 280-pound Smith will assume a playmaking role at defensive end as well as fill the leadership void left by Bryant Young, who announced his retirement last season. The 49ers also augmented their defensive line with first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer, the first lineman drafted by the Mike Nolan regime who truly fits the 3-4 defense the coach has wanted to run since he arrived."

"NFL training camps open this week, so hold me back. The anticipation for fifth-string cornerbacks covering sixth-string receivers . . . it's just too much! Frankly, there's no better time to set the stage for the best story lines and open up multiple cans of worms as the 49ers start up in Santa Clara and the Raiders head to Napa. Story line No. 1: 49ers Coach Mike Nolan is on the hot seat after three wobbly seasons. Nolan knows he's on the hot seat. What does this mean? I bet Nolan did his research and found an example of a tightly wound coach who was under fire after three seasons and then fixed the problems resoundingly in Year 4. The perfect precedent for Nolan: Tom Coughlin, who ..."

"We know this much about the 49ers and the Raiders: They aren't dealing with trade offers for Brett Favre. Is he playing? Retiring? Demanding a trade? Bored with driving his lawn tractor in circles in Kiln, Miss. Who cares? Given what we've seen from the Packers' quarterback the past two weeks, maybe Favre should invest in a Waffle House, which are as ubiquitous in the South as pickup trucks and mildew. The Bay Area NFL teams might not be playoff locks, or even sure bets to reach the magical .500 mark. But they don't need Favre. Heck, they've got plenty of quarterbacks - a pair of young, expensive No. 1 overall draft picks in Alex Smith and JaMarcus Russell, along with ample backup ..."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"The Raiders and 49ers have agreed to a joint practice during training camp in Napa, Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. No date has been announced, though the practice likely is to take place before the teams' exhibition game Aug. 8. The Raiders last participated in a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in 1998, when they met in El Paso, Texas. Before that, the Raiders traveled to Austin, Texas, for joint practices with the Cowboys on an annual basis."

"During his final season with the San Diego Chargers, defensive end Fred Dean happened to mention his salary to his brother-in-law. "Hey, I make that much driving a truck," the brother-in-law replied. Dean eventually grew so disenchanted with his compensation for the 1981 season that he forced a trade. Suffice to say, the payoff was huge - and it went way beyond his bank account. His brief, spectacular stay with the 49ers earned Dean a piece of immortality. He will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month in Canton, Ohio. Dean's presenter will be former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo - his employer for all of 57 games."

"It's day 15 of "Green Bay Held Hostage," and everyone's wondering how this standoff will end between the Packers and Brett Favre, their quarterback-turned-retiree-turned-Greta Van Susteren-stalker. In the spirit of the NFL's all-time interceptions leader, let's heave up some wild scenarios for what's next in the NFL's most compelling quarterback controversy since Joe vs. Steve in 1993:"

"Thank you, Brett Favre. Thank you for creating a genuine sports soap opera, one that explores the complicated emotions of a superstar in the final stage of his career and the messy business of a team trying to move forward with a living, breathing monument strapped to its back. L'Affaire A-Rod reached the brink of tedium pretty quickly. That story was always too campy to generate deep drama for the sports world. What's at stake here - whether Madonna and her friendly third baseman can set off more cougar jokes than Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore? Favre and the Packers, on the other hand, already have established a record for the most bungled parting in team sports. For sheer ..."

"It has apparently reached the ears of those embedded in 49er Interplanetary Headquarters that after five years of under-, minimal- and non-achievement, they have to try a little harder to sell their product, so they have pursued a radical strategy. They are making the exhibition season mean something more than exercises in extortion. In this case, it's the first two games, at Oakland and at home against Green Bay. Head coach/semi-general manager Mike Nolan declared Thursday at the tail end of a phone conference to talk about his trip to Afghanistan that he would use those two games to give extended looks to quarterbacks Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, in hopes of having a starter ..."

"Mike Nolan has always had the highest esteem for U.S. soldiers, and he says he makes it a point to thank them for their service when he spots one in the airport. Last month, the 49ers' coach took his appreciation a step further, to Afghanistan. At a time when most of the NFL takes a rare vacation, Nolan boarded a C-17 cargo plane from Kuwait to Bagram Air Base. Nolan made the trip after an invitation from San Francisco radio host Ron Barr. Former 49ers cornerback Eric Davis also was part of the group, and the three spent six days with the troops."

"With precious little depth at offensive tackle, the 49ers on Monday reached across the bay and plucked a longtime Raider, Barry Sims, to bolster the position. Sims, who had 119 starts in nine seasons in Oakland, agreed to a two-year deal. The 49ers fended off three teams, most notably division rival St. Louis, to land Sims, who felt his best chance for a starting job was in San Francisco. He is expected to sign today. Second-year player Joe Staley has a firm grip on the starting left tackle job. But there are questions at right tackle, where Jonas Jennings, who has yet to have an injury-free season in seven years in the league, is the current starter."

"When Vernon Davis watches film of Mike Martz's past offenses, he doesn't follow the tight end. He is told instead to watch receivers Isaac Bruce or Torry Holt streaking downfield. And therein lies one of the biggest differences between Martz's St. Louis Rams offenses from early this decade and the one he is building in San Francisco. He'll still use four receivers to put pressure on defensive backs. Two of those receivers just might happen to be tight ends. "I don't know if anyone in the league can run like he can at that position," Martz, the 49ers' first-year offensive coordinator, said of Davis. "He gets down the field so fast. I don't know who beats him in a footrace." Martz ..."

"Offensive lineman Barry Sims decided today to sign with the 49ers, in part because they gave him the best chance of winning playing time. The 49ers won't formally announce the free-agent signing until the ink is on the contract, but agent Ken Vierra confirmed the two-year deal today about a half-hour after Sims made up his mind. "It's a done deal. That's where he's going," Vierra said. Sims, 33, is a 10-year veteran who can play either tackle spot. He started 119 of 136 games during his Raiders career."

"In the span of a few months, the 49ers and the Raiders essentially have swapped offensive tackles that the other team didn't want. In early March, the Raiders signed free agent Kwame Harris. Monday, the agent for ex-Raider Barry Sims said his client will sign with the 49ers either today or Wednesday. Sims agreed to a two-year deal, according to San Francisco attorney Ken Vierra. He chose the 49ers over the Rams and Ravens because San Francisco offered more money and will give him a better chance to compete for a starting position, Vierra said. The terms were not disclosed. The 49ers, as is their policy, declined to comment on a signing until it was done."

"The rival San Francisco 49ers have beaten out the Rams for the services of veteran offensive lineman Barry Sims. On Monday, Sims agreed to a two-year free-agent deal with the Niners. Financial terms were not disclosed.Sims, 33, started 119 games, mostly at left tackle, in nine seasons with Oakland before the Raiders released him Feb. 29. He met with coach Scott Linehan, offensive coordinator Al Saunders and offensive line coach Steven Loney on June 13 at Rams Park."

"Gene Upshaw has his critics among NFL players, including some of the player representatives. Walt Harris, the 49ers' cornerback and player rep, isn't among them. He thinks the knocks on the 63-year-old executive director of NFL Players Association, including a call for new leadership from Ravens kicker Matt Stover, are misguided. "I think it comes from a lack of knowledge," Harris said this week before the 49ers wrapped up three weeks of voluntary drills. "He's done an exceptional job. I don't think we could have had a better person in that position to lead us."

"As the 49ers' practices wind down this week, the quarterback competition is only heating up. After the final organized team activity Thursday, the coaching staff will spend the next month or so figuring out a tentative pecking order for when training camp kicks off July 24. All indications are that Alex Smith will get the first crack with the starting unit. He played well during the organized team activities and drew praise from Coach Mike Nolan on Tuesday for his improved ability to handle the blitz. But, at best, Smith's name will be written in light pencil. Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan also have a shot at the starting job."

"One of the things 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz is stressing this summer sounds basic enough: He wants his quarterbacks to get rid of the football before the defense gets to them. After all, the 49ers surrendered a franchise-record 55 sacks last season, and defensive coordinators traditionally have countered Martz's high-powered offenses by sending waves of pass rushers after his quarterbacks. But Martz believes all that blitzing makes a defense vulnerable."

"Whenever DeShaun Foster takes a handoff, 49ers running-backs coach Tony Nathan starts sounding like a pitching coach. "High and tight. High and tight," Nathan tells Foster. He is reminding Foster how to hold the football. The recently acquired backup running back has a history of fumbles - he lost five of seven last season - but the 49ers think they can help him get a grip. Foster, a five-year veteran, understands the concern. "It's part of the game," he said Tuesday after the 49ers' sixth of 12 organized team activities. "I tend to swing the ball a little bit low when I'm trying to make things happen.""

"Coach Mike Nolan, whose job very well might depend on whom he chooses as the 49ers' No. 1 quarterback, said he's seeing Alex Smith "do things that I haven't seen him do before, in practice or in games." An example is that, during the team's voluntary workouts, he's getting the ball to receivers more quickly in blitz situations rather relying on his protection to save the play. "Alex is very athletic," Nolan said. "He probably has the strongest arm of all the guys. He's really intelligent. Now he's got to go in there and put in four quarters and move the ball consistently and make plays he should make." Given Smith's physical advantages, is it fair to say he has an edge at this ..."

"It takes Joe Cohen about 30 seconds to scowl, grimace and flex his shot put-sized muscles, trying to strike a pose tougher than his step dad's, before bellowing out a helium-sized bowl of laughter. "Every year, I try to come up with a tough-guy pose, but it never works -- it's hard," laughs Cohen, a teddy bear of a guy off the field, but a menacing defensive player on it. "You ask my mom, though, and she'll tell you I'm a teddy bear on -- and off -- the field." Cohen loves to laugh, and as a second-year pro with the San Francisco 49ers, there's plenty to be happy about. He knows whom to thank. "I don't know where I'd be today without 'Pops' -- and my biological father, of course," ..."

"The rules of "Kill the Man with the Football" aren't complicated. You throw the ball to one of the other players, and everyone else tries to tackle him before he makes it to the other side of the yard. Win and you get to sit out a play. Lose and you find yourself face down at the bottom of a sweaty dogpile. It was in that rough-and-tumble backyard crucible – with all the childhood politics that come when revered older cousins are in town – that Kentwan Balmer made perhaps his greatest tackle. The 9-year-old Balmer not only was the youngest of four brothers. He also was the youngest of his cousins. And to make matters worse he was, well … "Hey, Kentwan, I hear you ..."

"One of the most impressive rookies during the 49ers' organized team activities (OTAs) has been wide receiver Josh Morgan, a sixth-round selection out of Virginia Tech. Morgan made a dazzling catch in the corner of the end zone on a pass from Alex Smith during Tuesday's practice session, and coach Mike Nolan said he had a similarly eye-catching practice Monday. Tuesday's practice was the only one open to the media this week. "A lot of talent," Nolan said of Morgan on Tuesday. "He's very raw. This week he's made significant progress. ? He had a good day yesterday, and hopefully when I go in and look at the film, he'll have had a good day today. He's got some real upside.""

"IT'S JUNE, AND supporters of the Raiders and 49ers are thinking intoxicating thoughts about the upcoming season. Hey, why not? They're unbeaten, right? After what's happened lately, you take your inspiration where you can find it. They are also winless, of course. But if you can't think the good thought in June ... well, we know what cold, cold December looks like. But read those cheeky online posts from fans, and you might catch the fever. That's fine. Go for it. Lord loves a duck. Occasionally. And far be it for this skeptic to spoil anybody's fun. There are upticks to savor."

"One of the most impressive rookies during the 49ers' organized team activities (OTAs) has been wide receiver Josh Morgan, a sixth-round selection out of Virginia Tech. Morgan made a dazzling catch in the corner of the end zone on a pass from Alex Smith during Tuesday's practice session, and coach Mike Nolan said he had a similarly eye-catching practice Monday. Tuesday's practice was the only one open to the media this week. "A lot of talent," Nolan said of Morgan on Tuesday. "He's very raw."

"Marshall Faulk was at 49ers practice Tuesday in his new role with the NFL Network. But the former St. Louis Rams running back was treated more like a visiting coach than a reporter. Several 49ers, including running back Frank Gore, drifted to Faulk's side during the morning practice, and Faulk was not stingy about with advice for his former division rival. "I don't call it tutoring," Faulk said of his relationship with Gore. "We just talk football. Frank's a polished athlete. We talk football, and I try to have conversations with him just about the game in general.""

"Whenever DeShaun Foster takes a handoff, 49ers running-backs coach Tony Nathan starts sounding like a pitching coach. "High and tight. High and tight," Nathan tells Foster. He is reminding Foster how to hold the football. The recently acquired backup running back has a history of fumbles - he lost five of seven last season - but the 49ers think they can help him get a grip. Foster, a five-year veteran, understands the concern. That last part, making things happen, is Foster's stronger suit. The 49ers signed him as a backup to Frank Gore because they like his blend of running and pass-catching skills."

"If a backup quarterback is critical in the NFL, the next most precious reserve player is probably the No. 2 running back. That's the new role for DeShaun Foster, a former starter with the Carolina Panthers and now, at 28, a very valuable role player with the 49ers. "He's got soft hands," coach Mike Nolan said Tuesday. "I think he adds to the passing game as much as the running game." His main role would be to take the No. 1 job if the unmentionable happens. Well, not so unmentionable. "He gives us another starter if something happens to Frank.""

"Arnaz Battle returned to the 49ers' practice field Monday, blaming the hubbub that surrounded his one-week absence on his "lack of communication." "It was something that happened. Nobody is going to have a perfect career where the communication is there all the time and everything is perfect," Battle said. "Everybody is OK. There's no negativity between me and the coaching staff." The team's leading receiver a year ago, Battle mystified Coach Mike Nolan last week by failing to show up at the first week of organized team activities."

"His personal highlight - in a 14-year career in which he has averaged 1,000 yards a season - was a play on which he didn't touch the ball. "Ricky Proehl's catch putting me in that Super Bowl was the highlight of my career," Bruce said after a workout with the 49ers, who hope some of Bruce's magic rubs off on them. His choice of highlights didn't surprise Mike Martz, the 49ers' offensive coordinator and the former Rams coach who capitalized on the receiving talents of Bruce and Torry Holt. "That's Isaac," Martz said. "He's probably one of the most unselfish people you'll ever meet." The 49ers have had Terrell Owens; now they have the "anti-T.O." Bruce doesn't do a lot of commercials ..."

"Justin Smith is sitting at his locker. The interview plan is explained to him. No talk about money. Not today. Not in this interview. No questions about his contract. Too much has been said about that, ever since early March when the 49ers signed Smith and made him their richest free agent with a $45 million deal over six years. Of that amount, $20 million is guaranteed. Way too much, some say. Especially for a defensive end. Others disagree. The issue has been debated into submission. So today, there will just be questions about football. Not money. All right? Smith looks up and grins. "So you don't want to talk about my Charles Barkley gambling habit?" he asks. The 49er fans will ..."

"The name implies simplicity – Ted. The position, however, is anything but. The guy who plays the Ted linebacker spot in the 49ers' 3-4 defense must be rugged enough to take out guards at the line of scrimmage. He must be fleet enough to keep up with tight ends. He has to be smart enough to set the alignment for the front seven defenders. And perhaps most important, he has to be selfless enough to allow the player next to him – Patrick Willis – to get the glory. Which is why a good Ted is so hard to find. Derek Smith played the position last season, and his veteran savvy was a nice complement to Willis' youth and athleticism. But the 49ers deemed Smith's 2008 ..."

"But the 49ers have a new "face," and though people have not yet seized upon it, it will be thrust upon them. It is neither York nor Nolan nor Smith nor Gore nor Clements, nor can it be. It is - based on play, presence, vision and intent - Patrick Willis, the linebacker who started his pro career in April 2007 as the 11th draft pick and finished in December as one of the game's best 11 players. There is no other candidate, and that allows that 49ers fans obsess upon the quarterback to an almost unnatural degree. Willis is it, because he earned it, and because nobody else has his credentials. Not even Andy Lee, the punter."

"Any 49ers fans who were looking forward to breaking bread with Frank Gore or Patrick Willis at this year's Chamber of Commerce luncheon will be sorry to hear the date is off. After 26 straight years of August luncheons at various downtown hotels, the 49ers have pulled the plug. They told the chamber this year that they wouldn't be coming back, and word of that decision is now getting around."

"As the 49ers continue their quest for a stadium in Santa Clara, team officials have a message for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce: Let's not do lunch. The team has declined to participate in the chamber's annual kickoff luncheon, pulling the plug on the event's 26-year run. "Our main reaction is disappointment," said Carol Piasente, the chamber's vice president of communications and events."

"Former 49ers linebacker Keena Turner, a link to the team's glory days, has been named their vice president of football affairs. In his new role, according to Jed York, the vice president of strategic planning, Turner "will be in charge of all programs related to player well-being and success including counseling, faith-based and player-development programs." Turner, 49, who helped the 49ers win four Super Bowls, will serve as an adviser to the coaching staff and head the club's alumni program."

"Arnaz Battle missed his second consecutive practice Tuesday, opening the door for fellow receivers Jason Hill and Ashley Lelie to win over the coaching staff. Coach Mike Nolan declined to comment on Battle's absence, but he said it behooved every offensive player to attend the voluntary practices. "We do have an offense going in, and all the guys here are benefiting from that," Nolan said. "It's a great opportunity for all the guys, especially coming off a year like last year where we did not show the progress that we made the first two seasons.""

"Before fielding questions from reporters Tuesday, 49ers Coach Mike Nolan cautioned that he wasn't going "to talk about anyone that's not here." That was a not-so-veiled reference to receiver Arnaz Battle, who is skipping the team's voluntary practices this week for unspecified reasons. Battle is instead working out at his home in Dallas. Nolan made it clear, though, that Battle's absence is a gain for the other receivers competing for playing time. He mentioned returning players Ashley Lelie and Jason Hill, as well as rookies Josh Morgan and Robert Jordan."

"When Mike Martz talks about altering the mechanics of the 49ers' quarterbacks, he's not referring to their arms. He's talking about their feet. The new offensive coordinator - former ringmaster of "The Greatest Show on Turf" with the St. Louis Rams - might as well be called Dr. Scholl for his concentration on their soles. At the 49ers' current offseason team practices and throughout the offseason, he'll be a stickler for proper footwork."

"When Alex Smith ran into St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger at the Super Bowl in February, the two didn't treat each other like division rivals or enemy combatants. Instead, they sat and talked. "There's a unique understanding of what the job entails," Smith said Monday of what he described as the "common bond" of being an NFL quarterback. "You kind of learn to appreciate each other.""

"Arnaz Battle, the 49ers' leading receiver last season, has decided to skip the team's voluntary workouts that started Monday and is instead training at home in Dallas. The development surprised Coach Mike Nolan, who said he had not spoken with Battle and was unaware of why the receiver decided not to attend the organized team activities. "I'm not sure what his issue is," Nolan said. Battle, a starter the past two seasons, is playing on a five-year contract extension that runs through 2009. He had 50 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns last year. Brad Leshnock, the player's agent, declined comment when reached by phone."

"Aside from the horse race at quarterback, an area of the 49ers that bears watching this summer is the offensive line, where questions abound. Such as, is guard Larry Allen going to retire or will he sign as a free agent with another club? If he's gone, can versatile Adam Snyder fill his cleats? Can second-year man Joe Staley make a smooth transition from right tackle to left tackle? How long will it take right guard David Baas to get up to speed after he misses all of training camp with a torn pectoral muscle?"

"The 49ers' Plan B is up for vote Tuesday. Or is it really Plan A? With the Yorks, you never know. San Francisco voters will decide on a proposition that could lead to a new 49ers stadium at Hunter's Point, a project on which the 49ers have publicly taken no position. But from the moment John York made a U-turn in the middle of 101 and headed toward Santa Clara - in November 2006 - conspiracy theorists have posited he was trying to play one city against the other. That Santa Clara was being used as the electric prod to shock San Francisco into moving forward on a new 49ers stadium. Tuesday, we start to find out the validity of that theory."

"J.T. O'Sullivan, the surprise contender in the 49ers' quarterback derby, was inducted into the UC-Davis Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday. During the presentation his former coach said that O'Sullivan played with a confidence "that some people might call arrogance." He meant that in a good way. O'Sullivan's old offensive coordinator, more diplomatic, replaced "arrogance" with "feisty." Whatever the word choice, the point was clear: When the 49ers' three-way quarterback race resumes today with organized team activities, James Thomas O'Sullivan, 28, isn't going to be cowering in the corner."

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has worked hard to bring his players' behavior under control. Or at least as much under control as possible. Now, he is turning his attention to fan behavior, saying last week he is working with teams on ways to bring out-of-line fans in line and make games more enjoyable for all fans. Details of how the commish plans to do this are forthcoming, but we thought we'd offer our help in the form of these 10 recommendations:"

"The Carolina Panthers took a big step toward mattering again in the NFC South last week. "It's nice to have your starting quarterback out there," Coach John Fox said. Fox and his players rejoiced at the sight of Jake Delhomme taking snaps, dropping and firing balls to receivers for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right, throwing shoulder last fall...With Delhomme in mind, here's a look at 10 players on the mend but on schedule to take the field in time for camp."