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May 07, 2008

Training camp begins July 24; Ten practices open to the public

The start of training camp is tied to a team's first preseason game. So with the news that the 49ers' preseason opener in Oakland will be on Aug. 8 came the announcement that training camp kicks off Thursday, July 24. If you'll remember, last year training camp didn't begin until July 29 and that Mike Nolan wasn't thrilled about the late start. This year's schedule should make him happier. As has been the case the last few years, 10 training-camp practices will be open to the public. Those dates have not yet been announced.

Here's the full preseason sked:

Friday, August 8
@ Oakland
7:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 16
vs. Green Bay
6:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 21
@ Chicago
6:00 p.m.

Friday, August 29
vs. San Diego
7:00 p.m.

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The good folks at 49erswebzone have invited me to take part in an on-line chat this evening at 6:30 p.m. So now's the time to ask about Takeo Spikes' chances of landing in SF, which stadiums serve the best food and what Maiocco does in the press trailer when he's not filming himself with his video phone.

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Also, the team announced it had cut LB Lance Brandenburgh of Nebraska. Brandenburgh was one of the undrafted free agents the team signed in the days after the draft. Perhaps his most memorable moment of minicamp -- blanketing fullback Moran Norris so closely in a pass-coverage drill that Norris tried to start a fight with him.

*****
And finally .... I hope you're sitting down for this, but Barrows is leaving -- for a week. I'm taking my laptop with me but am instituting an in-case-of-emergency-break-glass policy. That is, I won't crack it open unless Spikes signs, the 49ers move to L.A. or they decide to resurrect that ugly "49" logo on their helmet.

Mahalo,
Matt

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 12:59 PM | Comments |

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May 06, 2008

Q&A: Pass rush to judgment

Question: Hey Matt- For a team that didn't have any success rushing the passer last season, and their reluctance to draft a premier edge rusher in the draft (see: Groves, Quentin), do you think that's a sign the Niners are confident that Manny Lawson, Tully Banta-Cain, and Parys Harralson can make a fairly substantial turnaround this season?
Bryan, Sacramento

Answer: That seems to be the thinking at 4949 Centennial – Lawson is on his way to a full recovery from his knee injury, TBC is in much better shape than he was at this time last year and Haralson is a year more experienced. The counter argument, of course, is that not one of those three players has ever been a consistent pass rusher. It should be noted that the two biggest needs heading into the draft – offensive tackle and edge pass rusher – went unfulfilled.
- Matt

Question: Matt, do you know if Tommy Blake, the d-lineman from TCU, ever connected with a team? He was supposed to be a first-round talent until he was diagnosed with a psych disorder.
Pedro, Plano, Texas

Answer: Looks like he got a weekend tryout from the Buccaneers. I have a call into his agent …
- Matt

Question: Hey Matt, great work and nice observations. When Chilo was announced as our RD 2 pick, I was surprised, but very impressed. Seemingly everyone and their mama retorted with a consensus WHO? But, as I'm a fellow Trojan, I know his pedigree is top notch, a great steal akin taking Staley the previous year. Would've been a top 15 pick next year. Your thoughts?
Henry, San Jose

Answer: Well, with the exception of David Baas, McCloughan and company have been on the mark as far as o-line talent. (And yes, I’m including JJ in that category. He’s good when he plays). We’ll have to wait until the team dons pads, but Rachal certainly passed the eyeball test over the weekend. He’s big and can move. He’s so long-legged, though, that he’ll have to be careful about his leverage.
- Matt

Question: What's the big deal about Sopoaga being a NT and not a DE? Or Balmer for that matter? I thought the 3-4 basically calls for three DT-sized linemen to eat up all the blockers and free things up for the linebackers. As for Sopoaga not being quick enough to play end, one of the knocks on his play as a nose is his propensity to penetrate rather than tie up blockers.
Ryan, Washington, D.C.

Answer: Good point. All three of the d-line positions operate essentially the same way, which is why you see guys like Ronald Fields playing all three in one game. I think the rule of thumb for the 49ers linemen is to tie up blockers for Patrick Willis and Co. unless they are close enough to make a play on the ball themselves.
- Matt

Question: Hey Matt: Do you see any improvements or a tiny glimmer of hope that the offense, specifically the quarterback position, will give the 49ers a better chance to win this year as compared to last year? I understand it has only been three days of practices, but what is your gut feeling? Would you run out and buy season tickets? I have been reading all the blogs and it seems to me, hope am wrong, that the writers are not impressed with the progress of the offense so far.
Teddy, Kenner, La.

Answer: Nah – I wouldn’t read anything into it thus far. It’s true, there were plenty of bungles during the minicamp. During one Sunday drill, in fact, there were false starts on five of six plays. But that’s to be expected when you are throwing new guys into the mix and digesting a complicated new playbook. If that is still going on midway through training camp, then you should be worried. The glimmer of hope from the minicamp is that Alex Smith seems to be well on his way to making a full recovery from his shoulder surgery.
- Matt

Question: What is going on with Takeo Spikes?
Kyle, San Mateo

Answer: Nada. I think the 49ers want to see how their “ted” competition turns out before making a move on Spikes. They know what they have in Ulbrich. What they need to find out is whether Dontarrious Thomas or Larry Grant can rise to the occasion.
- Matt

Question: If Larry Allen were to return to the 49ers this year, is there any chance they might move him to right tackle? How do you see the 49ers options at right tackle if Jonas Jennings folds?
Tom, Crystal Bay, NY

Answer: I have to be careful how I say this because I have a rule about upsetting people who can bench press 700 pounds, but Larry Allen no longer has the foot speed to play tackle. (Some (not me, Larry) argue he no longer has the foot speed to play guard). But your concern is legitimate. If Jennings were to get injured (hard to imagine, huh?) the 49ers would either have to move Adam Snyder from left guard to right tackle, something they don’t want to have to do, or cross their fingers with Damane Duckett. The team has been encouraged by Duckett’s progress at his new position. However, he’s sorely lacking in-game experience. Getting him plenty of reps this preseason will be critical.
- Matt

Question: I noticed Larry Allen is not at the minicamp. Is it a foregone conclusion that he is gone?
Goose, Yukon, Ok

Answer: Not a foregone conclusion. Remember, he missed the entire offseason last year before showing up a day after training camp had begun. Remember also that his contract expired. He’s no longer a 49er. He’s a free agent.
- Matt

Question: The 49ers first three picks are all versatile: Balmer might play nose tackle, maybe left end. Rachal could play guard or tackle. Reggie Smith might be a corner, might be a safety. Versatility is a good thing, but would the 49ers have been better off drafting someone they knew was definitely a nose tackle or definitely a corner? Are they trying to fill two holes with one player?
Tommy, Falls Church

Answer: Yeah, I see your point. It seems like the quasi guys the 49ers have drafted in the past – Adam Snyder, for example – are still searching for a permanent position and won’t reach their full potential until they do so. As I wrote last week, the 49ers brass may be playing a psychological game, too. By saying that Balmer can play LDE or NT, they are keeping two veterans, Isaac Sopoaga and Aubrayo Franklin, on their toes.
- Matt

Question: uh... how does Justin Smiley have a torn pectoral and is not practicing? Just wishful thinking of having him back or habbit?
Aaron, Rhonert Park

Answer: No clue how my odd brain managed that one. If anything, I thought I might confuse “Justin Smith” with “Justin Smiley” at some point. However, I’m not sure someone who spells “habit” with two b’s should be pointing out errors. :)

- Matt

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 12:26 PM | Comments |

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May 05, 2008

Five mini observations

1. Alex Smith’s arm. I’m no quarterback expert and perhaps I’m missing some subtle difference between the Alex Smith from the spring 2007 and the post-shoulder-surgery version of Smith. But to me it looked as if Smith’s arm was back to normal during the team’s recent minicamp. In fact, of the top three quarterbacks on the roster, Smith had the most powerful arm and threw the prettiest looking passes. Was he perfect in minicamp? No, he’s obviously working on his drop backs and he needs to make quicker decisions as far as where he’s going with the ball. But that’s to be expected when you are learning a new offense from a demanding offensive coordinator. The bottom line is that Smith is right where he needs to be as far as A) his recovery from shoulder surgery and B.) his education in the Mike Martz system.

2. Justin Smith’s presence. Ok, there was no (wink, wink) hitting during the three-day minicamp so you really can’t gauge how physical a player is. But free-agent acquisition Justin Smith certainly passed the eyeball test. When he was signed, there was a concern that he was too small to be an end in the 3-4 scheme and that he was best suited as a 4-3 defensive end. But I can tell you that he jumps out in the huddle and on the field. Tight end Vernon Davis, for example, has no problem blocking linebackers in practice. He usually manhandles them, tells them as much and then proceeds to spark a fight. When he had to block down on Smith a couple of times, he found that he had had bitten off more than he could chew. We won’t know just how well Smith fits into the defense until the 49ers put their pads on. My sense, however, is that fans are going to be very happy he’s here. The guy never leaves the field. He slides to defensive tackle on third-down passing plays and even played a little linebacker. He’s a 282-pound Energizer Bunny.

3. Where’s the pass rush? A year after generating very little edge pass rush, the 49ers are sticking with the status quo. Is there any reason to think that they can pressure the quarterback more than they did in 2007? Well, yes. The first is that in Justin Smith and first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer, the 49ers expect to have better line play than last year. The hope is that will translate into more wide-open rushing lanes for linebackers. The second is that although he was held out of minicamp, Manny Lawson appears to be on track for a full recovery from his ACL tear. Lawson told me he plans to play this season at 250 pounds and his presence means offenses won’t be able to zero in on the weak-side pass rush. The third is that Tully Banta-Cain is slimmer than he was last season and that Parys Haralson is a year more experienced. It has yet to be decided which of those two players will start at weak-side OLB in 2008. But both should be better than the 2007 versions of themselves.

4. Ted’s excellent adventure. Who will play the “ted” linebacker spot this year? It’ll be one of the better training camp battles. Jeff Ulbrich has the most experience and he was the de- facto starter in training camp. Ulbrich is smart and savvy and would be a nice compliment to still-learning Patrick Willis. However, Ulbrich is not the ideal size for the position and he has been nicked in recent seasons. He also plays a major role in the team’s nickel packages and has been an excellent special teamer the last two seasons. That is, he’d play a major role on the team even if he weren’t a starter. Dontarrious Thomas has the ideal physique for the job. He’s big-bodied but still very athletic. The knock on him, however, is that he’s not physical enough to play a position that calls for him to take on fullbacks and offensive linemen. The fact that the 49ers are still contemplating Takeo Spikes is a sign that they are not fully sold on Thomas. The dark horse is seventh-round pick Larry Grant. At 235 pounds, he is the smallest of the bunch. But the 49ers liked how he attacked the line of scrimmage at Ohio State and they would be tickled if he stole the job this summer. As for Spikes, you have to wonder if a veteran of his stature would want to play a position that demands so much pounding and that plays second fiddle to Willis. If I were Spikes, I might wait a while, see if any injuries befall middle linebackers throughout the league and proceed from there.

5. Rookie review. Well, the rookies mostly stood and watched during the minicamp, so it’s hard to make a keen observation about the class. Offensive lineman Chilo Rachal, however, caught my eye. He has a longer body than I thought he would (long arms, long legs) and he can really get down the field. That makes me wonder whether he can play tackle. As of now, he’s sticking to right guard. And that makes me wonder whether Rachal, and not injured David Baas, will be the opening-game starter at the position.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 11:17 AM | Comments |

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May 04, 2008

Nolan pumps up O'Sullivan

Asked today to comment on the quarterback race between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, Mike Nolan said only one thing was clear: “It’s a three-man race, not just a two-man.” That third man is J.T. O’Sullivan, who impressed Nolan during the three-day minicamp.

What also may have prompted the remark was that Nolan had just watched Hill and Smith bungle their way through a goal-line drill at the end of practice. Both quarterbacks had four chances – from the 20-, 15-,10- and 5-yard line – to get first downs or put the ball in the end zone. Working with the first-team offense, Hill threw three interceptions, all of them picked off by safety Michael Lewis. To be fair, two of Hill’s passes were bobbled by receivers. Smith wasn’t much better with the No. 2s. He threw one swing pass to Thomas Clayton, tucked the ball and ran on another play and then threw a pass that was tipped and picked off by Marcus Hudson. “At the end it got a little sloppy,” Nolan said. “That’s the urgency and the detail I was talking about (earlier) … You can’t have that.”

While Smith and Hill got all the work with first- and second-team offenses in team drills over the weekend, Nolan said O’Sullivan would be worked into the mix next month in OTAs. Nolan did warn, however, that the team would have to have a more concrete pecking order by training camp because there will not be enough repetitions for three starting-caliber quarterbacks.

******
Manny Lawson said it was hard watching the rest of his team practice this weekend, especially when he felt like he was 100 percent. Lawson was held out of the minicamp by team trainers, who wanted to give his surgically repaired knee (ACL) another month to recover. While recovering, Lawson has been experimenting with his weight. He got up to 250-plus pounds earlier in the offseason to see how he could carry the extra weight. He’s now down to 242 and said there was little difference in his speed and fluidity. He said he plans to get into the 250-pound range again by the start of the season.

Speaking of weight, Frank Gore looks noticeably bigger. He said he weighed about 224 pounds, which is 12 pounds heavier than his playing weight. But it’s no concern to him. Between now and OTAs, Gore plans to return to Maimi and begin his hill-running regimen (Gore+rope+truck tire+steep hill) that will knock him down to his playing weight.

And speaking more about weight, while I was interviewing Lawson, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice say, “Roly poly coming through!” Of course, it was Tully Banta-Cain, who was not happy when I described him as “roly poly” in a story last year. It was appropriate timing considering that moments earlier, Nolan had been saying that Banta-Cain looked slimmer than he did last offseason. “Tully is in much better shape and I think he knew at the end of the season he had to be in much better shape,” Nolan said.

It looks like the 49ers escaped their first minicamp without any serious injuries. Cornerback Donald Strickland missed today’s practice because he was sick.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 12:20 PM | Comments |

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May 03, 2008

Saturday afternoon practice

A year ago, several 30-something veterans like Larry Allen, Bryant Young and Walt Harris had the privilege of sitting out the afternoon practice. It seems this year that option will be given to Isaac Bruce who sat out the today's late practice. Jonas Jennings (ankle) also did not participate.

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One of the more interesting drills this afternoon pitted linebackers against tight ends and running backs in pass coverage. On one play, Jeff Ulbrich had such excellent coverage on Vernon Davis that it drew hoots and hollers from the linebacking group, including position coach Mike Singletary. Davis, however, caught the ball cleanly the next time they faced each other.

Another matchup also got the blood pumping. Fullback Moran Norris smacked linebacker Lance Brandenburgh at the end of one drill, then gave him a shove the next time they lined up. The only other bit of rough play came when rookie guard Chilo Rachal knocked Isaac Sopoaga to the ground during team drills. It's extremely early and the team has yet to practice in pads, but Rachal has looked good through two days and seems to excel at making blocks downfield.

******
The 49ers defense practiced their dime coverage quite a bit. The team uses six defensive backs in the scheme: Nate Clements, Walt Harris, Shawntae Spencer, Michael Lewis, Mark Roman and Dashon Goldson.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 05:59 PM | Comments |

Roman has the radio

When the NFL decided to allow one defensive player per team to wear a radio receiver in his helmet a couple of months ago, the assumption was that linebacker Patrick Willis would wear it for the 49ers. It turns out, however, that the job – at least for now – will go to safety Mark Roman, who has been testing the system the past two days. “Yesterday it was a lot worse because they didn’t have the frequency right and there was a lot of static,” Roman said. Michael Lewis, Keith Lewis and Dashon Goldson also have tested out the system.

In the 49ers’ defense, the safeties call the personnel packages based on who is coming on the field for the offense. The real advantage of having the radio, Roman said, is making last-second adjustments. In the past, the defense would have to interpret hand signals from the sideline and then relay those changes to the players on the field. “Now we’re not going to have to be scrambling to know what the personnel (package) is,” Roman said.

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Perhaps the only person in the NFL who didn’t think that Patrick Willis had a good rookie season is, well, Patrick Willis. “I go back and watch from the first game to the last game of the season and pick out play after play I could have done better,” Willis said after the morning practice. Willis said his objective was to improve with every practice and every game. If he improves on his 2007 performance, that ought to land him the league MVP award in 2008…

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Mike Nolan said that the team’s rookies and undrafted free agents aren’t getting a lot of work in this minicamp because the first- and second- team offense and defense need the lion’s share of the work. The 49ers’ offense in particular is more complex than previous incarnations and the players need all the repetitions they can get to understand it. Nolan said the rookies would start seeing more action next month during OTAs. “Otherwise it’s a real sloppy practice and no one gets anything,” Nolan said. Exceptions to that rule have been DE Kentwan Balmer and G Chilo Rachal, who, as top picks, have been thrown into the mix. WR Josh Morgan also has seen plenty of action.

******
On Friday, Alex Smith said he has yet to uncork very many deep passes with his surgically reconstructed shoulder. On Saturday, however, he tossed a half dozen, 45- to 50-yard fly patterns, all of which seemed to be on the mark.

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There were no fights this morning, although Vernon Davis and Tully Banta-Cain exchanged a few heated words. Also, Ronald Fields took exception to some hard blocking from rookie Cody Wallace and gave him a shot in the facemask. Afterward, Nolan joked that he was disappointed there weren’t any scrapes. (At least we think he was joking).

******
One of the nicest catches of the day was turned in by Isaac Bruce, who reached high for a sideline pass by Drew Olson and somehow tapped two toes in bounds. Judging from the personnel groups today, the top three receivers are Bruce, Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle. Ashley Lelie was part of the mix in four-receiver sets.

******
Former receiver P.J. Fleck was a guest at practice. Fleck is currently the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Northern Illinois.

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Battle (ankle) practiced during the morning session. LB Shaun Richardson was held out of practice.

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Some of you may have noticed that I've been moonlighting as a puckhead. Read this to find out how the Sharks stayed alive last night and now are bidding to become the first team since 1975 to win a playoff series after being down 3-0.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 10:48 AM | Comments |

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May 02, 2008

Smith throws footballs; Davis throws punches

Here are the storylines from the first practice of the 49ers' first minicamp:

Alex is No. 1. Well, at least for the morning practice. Smith trotted out with the rest of the first-team offense and made every throw that was called for. He said his longest throw was about 35 to 40 yards and that the only thing he really hasn't done yet is toss the deep ball. Other than that, his arm is back to normal. Mike Nolan said not to read too deeply into Smith's role this morning. For the afternoon practice, Shaun Hill will take the reps with the first team. Before addressing the media, Smith crossed paths with Nolan and the two shared a playful hug. The exchange showed that the two are on good terms and can joke about their 2007 feud, Smith said.

Vernon fights. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Vernon Davis, who was good for at least one brawl every practice last year, got into a scrape with linebacker Parys Haralson. Davis ripped off Haralson's helmet and hurled it onto the adjacent practice field. He was pulled away and spent the next five minutes cooling off alongside the team's chaplain. Nolan reiterated that he doesn't mind fighting but that he won't tolerate dumb penalties in games. He said that Haralson started the fight but that Davis would have been the one flagged if it was a game situation. ***afternoon update*** there was another ruckus during the afternoon practice between Joe Staley and defensive lineman Walter Curry.

Shaun's finger. Last year, I joked that Shaun Hill had a sausage finger. In all seriousness, his broken right forefinger was grotesquely swollen and looked like a Ballpark Frank after 60 seconds in the microwave. Today the digit looked normal. Hill downplayed it last season, but the injury was certainly a hinderance to his throwing. "I downplayed it to myself, too," he said. "You don't want to go into ant games with excuses. You're setting yourself up for failure if you do that."

Justin Smith stands up. Free-agent acquisition Justin Smith spent most of the day lining up at right defensive end with a hand on the ground. But he also spent time standing up like a linebacker, rushing the quarterback from both the right and left side. Smith said he did a little of that early in his career in Cincinnati. He said it was too early to tell how much he might do that with San Francisco.

Other odds and ends:

* Whenever he has talked about the competition for starting quarterback, Mike Nolan only has mentioned Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. But offensive coordinator Mike Martz has included J.T. O'Sullivan into the mix. Asked whether O'Sullivan had a chance to start, Nolan said, "He's in the mix. He's competing with those other two."

* Arnaz Battle rolled his ankle last night and was held out of practice. The other players who were held out were LB Manny Lawson (knee), G David Baas(pectoral), NT Joe Cohen (knee) and DE Melvin Oliver (knee). ***afternoon update*** Battle practiced in the afternoon. Jonas Jennings (ankle) was held out as planned. Damane Duckett played right tackle in his absence.

* After saying that first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer would play both nose tackle and defensive end, the 49ers coaches have had a change of heart. Early on at least, he will solely play left defensive end. That means he will see quite a bit of the team's second-round pick, Chilo Rachal, who is getting all of his reps at right guard.

* Nolan stressed that the starting positions are fluid. But this is how the 49ers lined up when the first-team offense went against the first-team defense in practice.

offense
LT: Joe Staley
LG: Adam Snyder
C: Eric Heitmann
RG: Tony Wragge
RT: Jonas Jennings
TE: Vernon Davis
RB: Frank Gore
FB: Moran Norris
WR: Isaac Bruce
WR: Bryant Johnson
QB: Alex Smith

Defense
RDE: Justin Smith
NT: Aubrayo Franklin
LDE: Isaac Sopoaga
OLB: Tully Banta-Cain
OLB: Parys Haralson
ILB: Patrick Willis
ILB: Jeff Ulbrich
SS: Michael Lewis
FS: Mark Roman
CB: Walt Harris
CB: Nate Clements

Other notables: Brandon Moore and Dontarrious Thomas were the second-team tandem at inside linebacker; Atiyyah Ellison played both LDE and NT; Ray McDonald and UFA Louis Holmes were backing up Justin Smith at RDE; Ashley Lelie saw perhaps more time with the first-team offense than he did through three months last season.

* I'll be damned if Tully Banta-Cain didn't look positively svelte -- nothing like the 280 pounds at which he showed up last offseason. Banta-Cain, Haralson, Jay Moore, Roderick Green and Shaun Richardson composed the outside linebacking group.

* The 49ers have a whole mess of inside 'backers. They are Willis, Ulbrich, Thomas, Brandon Moore, Larry Grant, Ezra Butler and Dennis Haley. Brandon Moore picked off a J.T. O'Sullivan pass during team drills.

* Who'll have the radio inside his helmet? It certainly looks like it will be Willis, who called all the defensive plays during practice.

* And finally, somthing I have never experienced during an NFL practice -- music. Nolan had the team's training staff set up speakers on the sideline that pumped in a CD of NFL Films classics. You know, "The autumn wind is a Raider" kind of stuff. Nolan said he reasoned that there always is background noise when a team plays so it made sense to practice with background noise. "If we find some (music) that adds a little spice, we'll add that, too." Nolan said. Asked about the musical selection, Justin Smith said he found it "interesting." Indeed.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 01:30 PM | Comments |

First minicamp is underway

A couple of notes before the 2008 49ers take the field for the first time:

* Lewis Baker, one of the the undrafted free agents, played linebacker at Oklahoma but will play safety in the minicamp. Baker is listed as 6-3, 203 pounds. His birthplace is listed as Bremerhaven, Germany.

* Wide receiver Isaac Bruce wore No. 80 in St. Louis. He is listed as No. 88 on the roster. Fellow receiver Cam Colvin may have received the kiss of death. He's wearing no. 81, which has been a bit of a jinx ever since Terrell Owens left town. Bryant Johnson is wearing No. 82.

Tune in later for lots of news ....

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 10:32 AM | Comments |

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May 01, 2008

Official UFA list: 49ers high on Butler

The 49ers' undrafted free agents went through their physicals today and will be ready for tomorrow's minicamp, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Here is the list:

LB Lewis Baker, Oklahoma
G John Booker, San Jose State
LB Lance Brandenburgh, Nebraska
LB Ezra Butler, Nevada
WR Cam Colvin, Oregon
G Brian De La Puente, Cal
TE Joe Jon Finley, Oklahoma
DE Louis Holmes, Arizona
WR Robert Jordan, Cal
S DJ Parker, Virginia Tech
LB Shaun Richardson, Tennessee State

Of that group, the 49ers are particularly happy to have landed Butler, who can play both inside and outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. Four teams – the 49ers, Raiders, Buccaneers and Chiefs – tried hard to get Butler following the draft. And two of those teams offered more money than the 49ers, according to his agent, C.J. LaBoy.

But Butler ultimately decided that the opportunity of playing for position coach Mike Singletary was too good to pass up. It also didn’t hurt that defensive coordinator Greg Manusky called him personally in the hours after the draft.

When he first arrived at Nevada, Butler was a 285-pound defensive tackle. Before his sophomore season, however, he dropped down to 255 pounds and began playing a quasi defensive end-linebacker position for the Wolfpack. Over the last two seasons, he played more of a pure outside linebacker position. As a junior, he led Nevada with 71 tackles and finished second with 7 ½ sacks. His senior season, however, was marred by an injury and by off-the-field troubles that cost him the season opener against Nebraska. Those off-the-field concerns – Butler admitted to using marijuana – obviously hurt his draft stock. In terms of talent, LaBoy said, most teams ranked Butler as a second or third rounder.

Butler was invited to the East-West Shrine game and the scouting combine but did not participate in either because of lingering hamstring and shoulder problems. Weighing about 240 pounds at his pro day April 1, Butler ran the 40 in 4.51 and 4.57 seconds. He had a 39-inch vertical jump, 7.15 cone drill, 4.17 short shuttle and 18 reps in the bench press.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 07:04 PM | Comments |

Woofing about the 49ers' draft

By day he is a mild-mannered high school teacher named Jeff Matracia. After hours, he is MadDog49er, NFL draft junkie. MadDog, an ardent 49er fan, has a reputation for on-the-money draft predictions and this year is no exception. He predicted 202 out of the 252 players taken over the weekend. Other draft experts, such as ESPN’s Todd McShay, didn’t crack 200. Here’s what MadDog had to say about what he described as an underwhelming 49ers draft class …

· I have no issue with the Kentwan Balmer pick, although they do not seem to have a specific position for him, which was the common thread on almost every selection in this draft. I'm not a big fan of the "let's get a guy who is versatile". I'd rather take a guy who is very good at one position, than a guy who is pretty good at multiple positions. My prediction is that Sopoaga will not be quick enough at defensive end, so Balmer will play on the edge, not NT. The Niners obviously liked Balmer a lot, since they seem to submit their card in about 15 seconds, which is also a mistake. Wait to see if other offers come in. Overall assessment: An OK pick.

* The next three picks were the ones that perplexed me the most. Chilo Rachal at 39 was not good value, and once again, are they planning to play him at guard or tackle? Nobody seems to know, although it seems the strategy is for him to play guard. So, what does that mean for David Baas and Adam Snyder? These guys were targeted to be the guards of the future. If the plan is to move Snyder back out to RT, then it makes sense. Likewise, if the strategy is for Baas to take over the center position, it makes sense. Do the Niners have a plan? I'm not sure. I hope they do.

* As for Reggie Smith, he was a terrific college player, and could be a nice pro, but once again, where will he play? I see him as a Cover-2 CB, so he is not going to beat out Harris, nor Spencer, in my opinion. At best, he will be a dime CB. If he can win the free safety position, then there will be value. The supposed plan is to see if he can play CB, and if not, shift him. Not a good strategy with the 75th overall. You want a CB, get a cover corner. You want a safety, get a safety. We have enough of these CB/Safety tweeners (Hudson, Goldson).

* The Cody Wallace pick was the worst of the draft. Way too early for good value, and many more talented guys still on the board. Wallace was eaten alive at the Senior Bowl, and I think he'll be eaten alive at the pro level. The speedy interior guys in the league have to be licking their chops. I liked the comment that he was surprised how early he went in the draft. Uh, so is everyone else.

* It is hard to criticize late-round picks. Josh Morgan is probably a practice squad player, and nothing more. He'll give them special teams play. The best pick by the Niners was the last pick. I watched Larry Grant play a lot this season, since OSU is about 8 miles from my place. The kid just got better and better as the season went along. I'll lay money he makes the 53 man. He's quick, strong, and likes to make contact. A really nice value pick late in the draft.

So, in the end, the Niners did not address their biggest issue (pass-rush LB), picked up a talented DT who is unsure where he will play, a very young, and immature (he's not a man yet) offensive guard, a tweener CB/S, and a center/guard that probably was a mid-late 5th rounder, at best. Overall, a C- grade.

-- MadDog

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The undrafted free agents that the 49ers assembled are at the team’s facility today for physicals. The team plans to release the full list this evening. Stay tuned.

-- Matt Barrows.

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 10:58 AM | Comments |

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April 30, 2008

The draft ... had Tampergate never happened

With the seventh pick in the third round Sunday, the Chicago Bears selected a receiver, Earl Bennett, out of Vanderbilt. The selection is significant because that slot belonged to the 49ers before Commissioner Roger Goodell made San Francisco swap third rounders with the Bears because of the Lance Briggs tampering flap. Bennett was the SEC’s all-time leader in receptions and was believed to be one of the best possession receivers in the draft. Would the 49ers have taken him if they still had their old draft spot?

“No,” said GM Scot McCloughan. “But he’s a good player. He will end up being a good football player.”

You gotta believe McCloughan. The Bears desperately needed a receiver after losing Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammad in the offseason. The 49ers, meanwhile, passed on several other Bennett-like receivers throughout the draft. The only ones they really appeared to contemplate were the big, physical receivers like Texas’ Limas Sweed and eventually Virginia Tech’s Josh Morgan, whom they selected in the sixth round.

The 49ers likely would have passed on most of the other players that were selected between their former third-round pick, No. 70 overall, and the one they got from the Bears, No. 75. They never thought that Chris Ellis, taken at pick No. 72, had the necessary athleticism to play outside linebacker. Jamaal Charles went at No. 73 and the 49ers would not have taken a running back. The 49ers never seemed all that interested in linebacker Dan Connor, who went at No. 74.

The one player who might have caught the 49ers’ eye would have been Miami linebacker Tavares Gooden, who was taken by the Ravens at pick No. 71. Gooden began his career at outside linebacker but really excelled when he moved inside. He finished with a career-high 119 tackles last season. Would he have been the 49ers’ new “ted” linebacker? We’ll never know. But given that he’s now wearing a Ravens uniform – wink, wink – there’s a good chance he’ll wind up playing for Mike Nolan at some point in his career. One might also say that a failed attempt to land one inside linebacker, Lance Briggs, cost the 49ers another inside linebacker in Gooden. Is that irony?

In the fifth round, meanwhile, again it was the Bears picking in the slot the 49ers had pre-tamperGate. They took Zackary Bowman, a defensive back out of Nebraska. The players who might have tempted the 49ers had they had a fifth rounder? How about QB Dennis Dixon or G Roy Schuening or LB Jonathan Goff? Or better yet, how about the guy who went third to last in the round, tackle Carl Nicks?! Oh, Carl, we hardly knew ya …

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 11:26 AM | Comments |

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April 29, 2008

The Ford F-150 of drafts

This weekend the 49ers had what I would describe as a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust kind of draft. It was a solid, blue-collar, very Nolanesque haul. It was the Ford F-150 of drafts. From the moment Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan arrived on the scene in 2005, they said they wanted to build a power-running team with big linemen and big skill players. And by golly, they’re sticking to that theme.

But therein lies the rub. This draft seemed a lot like the one they had in 2005 when they took two interior linemen (they had already earmarked Adam Snyder as a guard) in the first three rounds. This year, they took two interior linemen in the first four rounds and one of them, Chilo Rachal, probably will replace one of the 2005 linemen in the starting lineup. It’s not a bad draft. It just seems like the same old draft. You might call this a Groundhog Day draft.

You don’t want to be a team like the Redskins or the Raiders that only seems to be interested in flashy players. McCloughan’s philosophy is a sound one – build the team from the inside of the offensive and defensive line. But at some point the 49ers have to stop working on the inside and look after the outside. This is a team that finished with just 31 sacks last year and still has no reliable edge pass rushers. This is a team that finished last in the league in passing offense that still has no dominant wideout. This is a team that has one of the fastest tight ends in the league but uses him as if he were a guard.

You can argue that the 49ers addressed those needs in free agency. But Justin Smith never had any more than 8 1/2 sacks in his career. Receiver Isaac Bruce is 35 and Bryant Johnson only has a one-year deal. They are not long-term answers to the 49ers’ 2007 problems.

You can also argue that the 49ers received all the offensive sizzle they needed when they hired Mike Martz who, it’s true, has done an amazing job of turning water into wine in the past. But it seems like the 49ers are putting an awfully large amount of eggs in Martz’s basket. As far as the 49ers’ roster, Martz won’t be charged with turning water into wine. He has to try to turn meat and potatoes into sirloin croquettes and potatoes au gratin. Bon Appetit, coach ...

Other observations from the 49ers’ draft:

· The 49ers’ have a well-documented love of Senior Bowl participants. But only one of their picks, center Cody Wallace, was a Senior Bowl alum. Kentwan Balmer was invited to the SB but did not participate due to a lingering hamstring issue. On the Thursday before the draft, Mike Nolan acknowledged that the talent pool at this year’s SB wasn’t as good as in recent years. What’s also noteworthy is that two out of the six picks were juniors and the 49ers usually are wary of juniors.

· There were 35 SEC selections throughout the draft but none taken by the 49ers. Instead, the 49ers tapped two ACC players (but, alas, none from UVA), two Big 12 players , a Pac 10 player and a Big 10 player.

· The last time the 49ers took a DT in the first round? 1994 when they selected some guy named Bryant Young 7th overall. ***correction*** The 49ers drafted Reggie McGrew in the first in 1999. Maybe I was repressing the memory.

· And finally, it’s time to face the music, pay the piper, step in front of the judge. I didn’t do so well in my mock. Maiocco and I had the same number of players who went in the first round – 25 – but his picks put the players closer to the spot where they were actually taken. I tallied the following by calculating the difference between the player’s predicted draft position and his actual position. For example, Branden Albert went in the No. 15 slot but I had him going No. 9. So I wound up with a six for Albert. Naturally, the lower your score, the better you did. Maiocco got a 145; Barrows a 162.

Now let’s throw in the experts. Mel Kiper Jr. had an impressive 118 in the proximity tally. Ah, but he only predicted 23 of the 31 first rounders. Todd McShay predicted 24 but got a 153 in proximity, which is practically Barrows’ territory. Mike Mayock did the best, but I suspect this was due more to good reporting by co-worker Adam Schefter (who, it should be noted, sucked all the suspense from the draft) than by his skills of prognostication. He finished with a 102 in proximity and had 24 of the 31 first rounders.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 10:47 AM | Comments |

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April 28, 2008

Balmer wearing No. 67 ... for now

***Update*** The 49ers also have a verbal agreement with UFA OL Brian de la Puente of Cal.

Just spoke on a conference call with Kentwan Balmer, who seemed like he was on Cloud 9 (49?) after being drafted on Saturday. We were supposed to have had met him at a press conference yeterday but he missed his original flight, then ran into delays in Texas. The first thing he did when he got on the phone was apologize for missing the press conference yesterday.

It was clear from talking to Balmer that he has always had a defensive mentality. When he and his older brothers and cousins would play tag, Balmer wouldn't just tag his playmates. He would tackle them. "And I got a lot of whuppings for it," he recalled with a laugh. He also remembered the time he and a cousin, who was seven years older than him, ran into each other while playing outside. The collision left the older boy with a bump on his head that Balmer described as a "unicorn horn." Balmer said he and that cousin, Shaun Stevenson, were fondly recounting the incident on Saturday when he was drafted.

As far as what position he would play, Balmer said he didn't know yet. He said he currently weighed 311 pounds but wasn't sure whether the 49ers would want him to get heavier to play nose tackle or lighter to play defensive end. He's also not sure which number he will wear. For now, he's been saddled with ugly No. 67. Asked if he would be happy with that as his permanent number, a laughing Balmer said, "No comment. That's the number they wanted me to have. ... As long as I have a 49ers logo on my helmet, I'm content."

Balmer said he was picked up at the airport by defensive line coach Jim Tomsula and has been meeting various 49ers this morning. He even got an autograph from Nate Clements "because I'm still a fan of this game." Balmer also got his first-ever autograph request outside of his San Jose hotel. He said he didn't know how to react, so he scribbled "Go 49ers" instead of his name. "I was a little embarassed," he said.

On Sunday, Mike Nolan compared center Cody Wallace to former 49er Jeremy Newberry. But it will be Chilo Rchal, not Wallace, who wears Newberry's old No. 62.

Chilo Rachal: No. 62
Cody Wallace: No. 65
Reggie Smith: No. 31
Josh Morgan: No. 84
Larry Grant: No. 57

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 10:18 AM | Comments |

49ers sign Cal WR Jordan, OL De La Puente

The mad scramble to land undrafted free agents has begun, and the 49ers have hauled in a receiver, Cal's Robert Jordan, and a linebacker, the University of Nevada's Ezra Butler, according to agent Jeff Sperbeck. They also have a verbal agreement with Cal OL Brian De La Puente, according to agent Bruce Tollner. NFLDraftbible.com is reporting the team also has snagged DE-LB Louis Holmes of Arizona, TE Joe Jon Finley of Oklahoma and LB Gary Guyton of Georgia Tech. Guyton played for the 49ers at the Senior Bowl. They also are looking for at least two offensive linemen.

Guyton has excellent athleticism and showed such at the combine when, at 245 pounds, he ran a 4.47 40 and jumped 36 1/2 inches in the vertical leap. But his production never really matched his potential at Georgia Tech.

Butler also is a guy who also put up good numbers in the drills. He is intriguing because he can play that edge-rusher position the 49ers did not address in the draft. Last year at Nevada, Butler had 93 tackles (13.5 for losses), 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions

Jordan, meanwhile, certainly is familiar to all the Cal fans who watched his senior season. He had a great Pro Day in Berkeley and many thought he would be a second-day selection in the draft. Jordan isn't very big -- 5-11, 172 pounds -- but he has been adept at getting off the line of scrimmage and finding soft spots in the defense.

-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 09:03 AM | Comments |

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