49ers Observer

That will be all.

2008-08-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm done.

For those of you still holding your breath for me to return and keep the 49ers Observer going, I thank you. I just don't have it in me to do it anymore. It was fun, but frankly my aspirations to write pretty much diminished over the course of the summer. It's over.

Last month, I applied to be the new resident writer for The 49er Huddle, the San Jose Mercury's Niner blog. I haven't heard anything back from them on their final decision yet, but if they threw me the job, I would go ahead and put my writer-hat back on for them and blog my heart out. I'm surprised they haven't hired anyone yet with the first preseason game scheduled to kick-off tomorrow night in Oakland. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

So if you are wondering where you can go on the internets to hear my opinion on the Niners this season and beyond, hit up the 49ers Webzone forums. Most of you readers originally came from that site anyway, and that's where I hang out pretty much on a daily basis. My "handle" is NickSh49. I'd like to write a regular column for the Webzone's main page, but their staff operates like an elitist cult of sorts. I'm still not sure what kind of animals I need to sacrifice to get to write for them, so don't hold your breath on seeing an article with my name on it on the front page anytime soon (I'm pretty sure one of their writers kinda hates me, and I'll let you guess which one).

So this is goodbye, faithful readers. Unless the Merc comes calling, my career as a blogger is done. My prediction for the Niners in 2008 is a 7-9 record, with Nolan getting a small extension at the end of the season (by default) and Martz getting a massive salary increase in order to retain his services. I'm not even going to go into the QB competition, except to say that I'm pulling for Alex Smith to be THE quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers by the end of the season.

That's it. I'm out. Go Niners.

- NS

Gone 'Til Preseason

2008-05-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

Hello again, faithful Observer readers.

So I haven't written anything for the site in a while... my sincerest apologies. Still, I have a very good excuse for my lack of internet posting productivity.

I've been busy as all hell.

Also, the off-season is dreadfully slow for anything that is REALLY worth writing about. Mini-camp, OTA's, and training camp are only truly worth commenting on if something really significant makes the news.

I don't know about you, but I'm personally OK with not being your first source of analysis on what Tully Banta-Cain's off-season weight loss means for the 49ers' pass rushing abilities in 2008. Sorry, I just can't bring myself to care about these minuscule developments when there aren't actual football games to watch every week.

So I am going to close up shop here until the start of the 2008 NFL Preseason. Jesse and I will probably return once Nolan and Martz have named a starting quarterback (spoiler alert - it's going to be Smitty) and by that time there will no doubt be lots and lots to write about.

So as I leave you until late-July, here are my quick takes on some Niner-related developments that have happened since I last posted in April. Enjoy, and I'll be seeing you later this summer.

THE 2008 NFL DRAFT - Not a sexy draft for the Niners, but a very smart one. The defensive line should now (in theory) be solid as ever, with Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga, and now first rounder DT Kentwan Balmer from North Carolina as the front three maulers.

Second round pick RG Chilo Rachal out of USC is either a 49er right tackle of the future or the 49er right guard of today. He could end up starting early this season at the right guard spot if current RG David Baas isn't healed up in time from his recent pectoral injury. For those who complained about the 49ers taking a guard this early, the Niners gave up a franchise record (and NFL league high) 55 sacks in 2007. Rachal was drafted to help in that department and bolster what was a very thin offensive line corps. In my opinion, a great, great pick.

Also, Rachal is literally "Straight out of Compton." How can you not want to see this guy succeed?

Third round pick CB Reggie Smith from Oklahoma is now the front runner to replace either CB Walt Harris or FS Mark Roman (Harris is much more of a priority over Roman, as Roman may have 3-4 years left in him). Between Reggie Smitty and second year player CB Tarrell Brown, the cornerback position is now looking surprisingly safe over the next few years.

Also, the dude can RETURN PUNTS. Hal-le-lujah.

The rest of the guys... fourth rounder C Cody Wallace is a project and will probably not play in 2008 (o-line utility man Tony Wragge will backup Heitman at center). Sixth rounder WR Josh Morgan will probably live and die on the practice squad. Seventh rounder OLB Larry Grant will get a chance to compete with Banta-Cain and Parys Haralson at the weakside OLB spot, but he is still unlikely to touch the field during the 2008 regular season.

Overall, a good draft for specific positions of need. I think Morgan was a waste of a pick with WR Jason Hill still looking to earn his spot, but maybe Morgan will surprise me and be amazing. Also, there is a big part of me that that thinks WR Limas Sweed is going to be a great play-maker with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but then the Niners couldn't have grabbed Rachal. Such is life.

VERNON DAVIS VS. PARYS HARALSON MINI-CAMP FIGHT - It wasn't Vernon's fault really, and overall it is a non-story. You can download an uncensored, high-quality Quicktime version here.

The only thing I can say about this is that the 49ers better start getting closer to a .500 record before Click-Clack's contract runs out. This might sound like speculatory-BS, but I am predicting some T.O./Chad Johnson type-shenanigans with Davis if Nolan (or whomever coaches after Nolan if he gets fired after this season) can't get the Niners back to their winning ways by Davis' contract year in 2010. There are a ton of NFL teams that would be happy to snag Davis and make him a star. Let's hope Martz can beat them to it and keep VD productive and happy.

QB COMPETITION - It's going to be Smitty. To the Shaun Hill supporters, just be happy Hill will remain a reliable option if the Alex Smith Experiment (ver 4.0) fails in 2008. To the J. T. O'Sullivan supporters, I feel sorry for your misguided optimism, cause it's not happening.

That's it. I'm done until sometime in July. I'll see you guys then. Go Niners.

2008 Draft Prognostications - The O-Line Scenario

2008-04-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

The 2008 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and the 49ers Observer has a new feature for your reading pleasure. Leading up to day one of this year's draft, your Observer writing team will be chalking up various predictions on just what might happen when the San Francisco 49ers make their first pick on April 26. Who will they take? What might go down as a result? Read on...

San Francisco 49ers 2008 Draft Tracker

THE OFFENSIVE LINE SCENARIO

The next prognostication on tap for your reading pleasure is "The O-Line Scenario." This situation is founded in the idea that Nolan and Scotty will prioritize adding an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. FYI, this scenario should have been posted last week, but I had a family emergency that kept me from getting it posted earlier. My apologies, beloved readers.

WHY IT COULD HAPPEN

Without a doubt (and especially because of OG David Baas' recent injury), the 49ers offensive line must add some depth before the 2008 season begins. Let's go ahead and play a game of "Where Are They Now?" looking back at the Niners' o-line starters from 2007:

• LT Jonas Jennings is usually a solid player and is still with the team. However, Jennings is extremely injury prone and has recently been victim of some unfortunate circumstances concerning his family. He has never played a full season of 49er football since he was added to the roster in 2005 via free agency from Buffalo. He is swapping positions with Joe Staley this summer and will compete to start at right tackle for the 2008 campaign.

• LG Larry Allen is an old fart, but is a true blocking badass when he's motivated and can muster up the energy. He could very well retire this summer (and some fans are hoping he does, just for the sake of progress), but right now his return is still up in the air.

• C Eric Heitman could be the only guy on the line to retain his position from 2007. He spent most of last summer recovering from a broken tibia he snapped against Seattle late in the 2006 season. His performance in 2007 ranged from semi-reliable to not-so-semi-reliable.

• RG Justin Smiley joined the "Bill Parcells Movement," signing with the Miami Dolphins in the spring on the first day of free agency. The once dominant guard played about as good as Heitman in 2007, if not worse.

• RT Joe Staley beat out aspiring bull fighter Kwame Harris last summer for the right tackle position. Besides one crap-tastic showing against the New York Giants last season, Staley was without a doubt the best player on the Niners' o-line in 2007. Kwame Harris has since done the impossible and earned a contract with the Raiders after entering free agency.

So that gives us an injury case, a retiree, a question mark, a Dolphin, and a proven newbie.

While the 49ers have some quality big men in guards Adam Snyder, Tony Wragge, and David Baas ready to step in and contribute as starters in 2008, the Niners need new, experienced bodies add to this collection of giants as well. These new players will hopefully not only serve as depth for the starting five, but will compete with them as well for playing time.

WHY IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN

First, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the 49ers will without a doubt take an offensive lineman with their first or second pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. And if I was to guess, the offensive lineman the Niners have a shot with the 29th or 39th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft are maybe Gosder Cherilus of Boston College (though that is looking more and more unlikely as Saturday approaches) or Sam Baker of USC. The rest of the o-line badasses will be gone by the time the Niners get a shot, so it will probably be one of these guys.

So, for the sake of argument, why might the Niners NOT grab one of the above offensive lineman early in the draft on April 26? There are only three situations I can fathom that would bring about such a case.

The first situation would come about if a high value, non-offensive line prospect dropped to the Niners at #29 (that isn't named Quentin Groves). I am really not expecting this, because if anyone drops to the 49ers, it will probably be an offensive linemen. Still, if a solid corner back like South Florida's Michael Jenkins drops to San Francisco at #29, I could maybe see it happening (but it probably won't).

The second situation would deal with a team like the Atlanta Falcons attempting to trade up with the 49ers. The Falcons have ELEVEN picks in this year's draft, and their needs are many. I could see them swapping a couple second round picks with the Niners (the Falcons have three of them) in order for Atlanta to move up to the 29th spot and grab a quarterback. The Niners would then have more picks, but would then risk potentially missing out on some of the better players in this year's draft (that means no Quentin Groves in a Niner uniform).

The third situation is my "Mad Martz" situation, where offensive coordinator Mike Martz bursts into the 49ers' war room on draft day, punches Nolan and Scotty in the face, and subsequently takes control of San Francisco's 2008 draft. Martz then drafts only wide receivers and quarterbacks for the 49ers. He then pledges he will have San Francisco run the first ever two-QB set in 2008, with Alex Smith and Delaware's Joe Flacco both lining up in shotgun on every play. Mel Kiper, Jr.'s head then explodes on live television, and RB Frank Gore cries watching at home.

OK. In all seriousness, the Niners COULD take a wide receiver early in the draft and then wait until the third round to pick-up an offensive lineman, but it probably won't happen.

HOW IT COULD HAPPEN

So where I stand, "The O-Line Scenario" rests on the availability of Quentin Groves. If Groves is available, the 49ers will probably take him. If Groves is scooped up by another squad and Gosder Cherilus is not available, then the 49ers will trade down and probably grab Sam Baker or Carl Nicks of Nebraska in round two. I don't see it getting more complicated than that (though LB Jerod Mayo of Tennessee could be the Niners' guy if Groves is gone).

2008 Draft Prognostications - The Groves Scenario

2008-04-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

The 2008 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and the 49ers Observer has a new feature for your reading pleasure. Leading up to day one of this year's draft, your Observer writing team will be chalking up various predictions on just what might happen when the San Francisco 49ers make their first pick on April 26. Who will they take? What might go down as a result? Read on...

San Francisco 49ers 2008 Draft Tracker

THE GROVES SCENARIO

So we're going to start out this new feature with the most predictable draft scenario of them all. "The Groves Scenario" is based around the notion that Nolan and Scotty will do everything short of selling their souls to land Auburn OLB Quentin Groves in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

WHY IT COULD HAPPEN

If you could pick one player that best fits the needs of the 2008 49ers that will probably be available in the latter part of the first round of this year's draft, it's Quentin Groves.*

The simple truth is that Mike Nolan's intricate plan to install a bad ass, suffocating, sack-tastic 3-4 49er defense is extremely close to being complete. Nolan has pretty much covered every area on the defensive side of the ball with competent bodies except for one postion- weakside outside linebacker, where the primary responsibility is to rush the passer.

The lack of a consistent pass rush has been a problem for the Niners since before Nolan took over the team in 2005. The healthy return of OLB Manny "Man-Law" Lawson from his season-ending ACL injury last year will no doubt help to get the pass rush going on the strong side. Still, one would have to think that Nolan would like to replace OLB Tully Banta-Cain, who is the Niners' current starting (and consistently disappointing) weakside outside linebacker (picked up prior to last season from the Patriots via free agency).**

In short, Groves could potentially replace Banta-Cain and be the true sack-artist Nolan needs to complete his 3-4 defense.

WHY IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN

Groves' stock has been rising and falling over the past few months, and it is hard to predict whether or not he will fall to the 49ers at pick #29.

For starters, there are other teams on the prowl trying to get Groves. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the first big threat with the 23rd pick, as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made all buddy-buddy with the linebacker at Auburn's Pro Day earlier this month. While the idea of the Steelers using their first round pick to grab Groves would be considered a definite reach, it could very well happen. However, I personally believe that Pittsburgh will focus on their offensive line in the first round (especially considering the departure of Alan Faneca to the Jets via free agency), and Groves will slide further towards the Niners at #29.

The other big threat in the Groves sweepstakes are the Jacksonville Jaguars. They need Groves as much as the 49ers do to help create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. I am personally very scared that Jacksonville could swipe Groves without much of a problem, but there is also a strong chance the Jaguars will instead pounce on the best safety available. The safety position is not much of an immediate need for the rest of the teams in the first round (besides maybe the Philadelphia Eagles or Green Bay Packers), and the Jaguars could be one of the first teams to take a player at that position.

HOW IT COULD HAPPEN

So could Groves fall to the 49ers at #29? It's definitely possible, but it will be somewhat of a crap shoot come April 26. There are many reasons Groves could slide, ranging from his recent heart surgery to doubts concerning his ability to play at a high level consistently in the NFL.

Earlier this month, there was a part of me that thought Nolan and Scotty would potentially sacrifice a pick or two of the Niners' draft next year in order to move up and grab Groves in the first round somewhere before the #29 spot. While Nolan and Scotty are no strangers to draft day shenanigans, some experts believe that Groves could still be available in the beginning of the second round, even dropping to the 49ers' second overall pick at #39. Thus, one would have to think that Groves is not worthy of draft-shenanigans, and the Niners should probably just play it straight in their quest to get Groves in the first (or second) round of this year's draft.

But will they go for Groves if he's available when pick #29 comes on the board? I guess you'd have to think so, but it will probably depend on what top-tier offensive lineman are still available at that time. I'll discuss "The O-Line Scenario" in the next installment of the feature.

*I'm sure Nolan would prefer to somehow magically grab Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston, but sadly that's not going to happen in this lifetime. Gholston and his massively huge pipes will be long gone by pick #29.

**Third-year player OLB Parys Haralson could be end up being the guy to replace Banta-Cain if Groves is taken before pick #29. Haralson has yet to prove he is to be truly feared by opponents in terms of his ability to get to the quarterback, but I believe he has the potential to be the guy. However, right now it's safe to say he's still developing.

Random Niner Links - Smitty Has A Beer, Licks Women

2008-04-08T01:30:00.000-07:00

I was just about to go to bed, and what do I find on the internets?

Alex Smith pulling a Matt Leinart.

CLICK FOR DRUNKEN SMITTY BRILLIANCE

(If you haven't seen them already, you can also see Matthew's contributions here and here).

This isn't the first time Smity's been caught on camera after having a few cervezas. A little over a year ago, these pics surfaced as well. I'm willing to bet these "new" pics could be pretty old though, as Smith was recently engaged (yes, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt).

All I have to say is that I guess young people still drink alcohol to have a good time. Who would have guessed?

And is that defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga behind Smitty in the picture above? Nah, couldn't be. Could it? ;)

Niners on TV - Alex Smith Interviewed on CBS 5

2008-04-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, the San Francisco Bay Area's CBS affiliate, CBS 5, interviewed 49ers quarterback Alex Smith on their sports magazine show "Gameday."

Conducting the interview from Lake Tahoe (where the 49ers have that team fundraiser every year) was Kim Coyle, who I know absolutely nothing about (her bio is here if you care as much).

I can't say Coyle really asked the "hard" questions of Smitty, but the video is worth a look anyway.

In short...

  • Smitty wishes the 2007 season never happened.

  • Smitty would probably like to put both Nolan and Hostler on blast for what happened in 2007, but can't.

  • Smitty is excited about Martz, but isn't visibly excited about having four offensive coordinators in four years.

  • Smitty got engaged to a blonde chick.

  • Smitty is throwing and stuff.

  • Smitty and Nolan have come to a truce.

• CBS 5's Dennis O'Donnell oddly expects Smitty to be all smiles and sunshine when he's describing the worst year of his professional football career.

That's all the analysis I have in me on this one.

Niner Rumblings - Martz Hated Detroit

2008-04-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, faithful readers. Thanks for sticking with us while I was out with the latest strain of the black plague. Your continued patronage to our humble site is much appreciated.

A very interesting article has come to the surface over at 49ers.com, written up by the very lovely and talented Crissy Mauck.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz apparently traveled to that Tahoe fundraiser the 49ers have every season (along with Manusky and Nolan) and took the opportunity to breakdown some of his plans for the 49ers offense for some of the fans that were in attendance.

Pretty standard stuff, except for the fact that Martz took the opportunity to hate on the Detroit Lions... again.

This is the second time Martz has bagged on the Lions when comparing them to the Niners. He did it back in January too after Nolan and Scotty gave him the coordinator's job.

I love hearing this from Martz. It continues to strengthen the generally-ignored notion (by the national media, anyway) that the 49ers have the talent to win a good amount of games in 2008.

If one actually kept up with the nuances 49ers 2007 season (unlike this guy, who goes out of his way to do both Smitty AND Hill no favors), it was pretty obvious that last year's squad was a pretty good team saddled by injuries, Trent Dilfer, inconsistent o-line play, and Jim Hostler. Of course, not that many football experts outside of San Francisco watched every game the 49ers played last season, so it was easy for them to call last year's team "awful" and be done with it.

But Martz believes otherwise, and that's why we're starting to love him more and more around here.

(Oh, and be sure to check this out. Your life will be better because of it. Trust me.)

Breaking Observations - Hooray Preseason!

2008-04-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

So this would have been a "Breaking Observation" had I not been sickly all last week. Oh well. Disease is a bitch.

On Friday, the NFL announced its preseason schedule for the 2008 season. The 49ers got their four games just like everyone else. Here's what lies ahead in August.

• WEEK 1 @ Oakland - I can't say I mind that the NFL keeps giving the 49ers preseason games against the Raiders. It's a short trip, which is easier on the players, and the cross-Bay rivalry is an added bonus. Concerning Oakland's squad, my eyes will mostly be on WR Javon Walker, whom I wouldn't have minded joining the Niners this season instead of Isaac Bruce (but we trust in Martz, right?). The continued progression of second-year QB JaMarcus Russell will also be worth watching.

• WEEK 2 vs. Green Bay - Smitty vs. A-Rodg, and I'm just glad it's happening during the preseason. I don't know if I could take a full regular season game of uninformed comparisons by second rate television commentators who know little beyond stats concerning San Francisco's offense over the past three seasons (the Niners rarely get a team of quality broadcasters anymore unless they are playing in a nationally televised game). Still, it will be interesting to watch Smitty and A-Rodg battle it out for a quarter, and the match-up will probably get some attention from the national media as well. But still, I'm glad it's just an exhibition game.

• WEEK 3 @ Chicago - For some reason, the NFL loves the match-up of 49ers vs. Bears in the preseason. By my count, this is the fourth time in five years the two teams will meet in exhibition play. Of course, there will be tons of talk about tampering and Lance Briggs and blah, blah, blah. I just hope by this game that the Niners are building confidence on offense and have the ability to crush the Bears early in the first half. Yes, fellow fans, a new NFL rivalry has been born.

Oh, and I'm also very, very excited to see what has become of everyone's favorite former 49er WR Brandon Lloyd, who will lineup with Chicago this season presumably as a starter. There are so many, many memories. I can't wait.

• WEEK 4 vs. San Diego - Another preseason match-up the NFL loves, although this one makes a bit more sense geographically when compared to Chicago. The 49ers have faced the Chargers in exhibition play dating back to 1999 (and maybe even farther, but I couldn't find the records anywhere), with the Chargers winning six of the last nine games. I will mostly be looking at the offensive and defensive lines in this contest, since the Bolts seem to really thrive in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

And that's the preseason rundown for your 2008 San Francisco 49ers. Of course, the real story with this year's exhibition games will be Smitty vs. Hill, but that's another (probably gigantic) article for another day.

Maiocco's Take

Barrow's Take

Random Niner Links - Off-Season Conditioning Photos (Week 3)

2008-04-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello again, faithful readers. I apologize for the lack of updates this week. On Monday, I got sick with a pretty bad cold and have been trying to recover ever since. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be at 100%.

So another random link for you, and again it's more off-season photos for you to gaze upon.

CLICK FOR OFF-SEASON PHOTO BRILLIANCE

My favorite photo this time around? It has to be this one of Martz dropping some knowledge on the quarterbacks. One can only hope Smitty and Hill were listening intently.

Enjoy.

Adventures in Free Agency - Jeb Terry = OL Depth

2008-03-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

And now for some older Niner-land news we missed because of all the tampering nonsense.

The Niners signed free-agent guard Jeb Terry last week presumably to add more depth and competition to the offensive line corps. Terry was originally a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In three seasons, he amassed an "impressive" resumé of one whole start and 30 total games played. He was cut prior to the beginning of last season, rendering him inactive for 2007.

Suddenly, Qasim Mitchell's chances at making the squad seem a whole lot better (although it does appear that Terry is already bonding with his new teammates).

Maiocco's Take

Adventures in Free Agency - Donald Strickland Re-Signs

2008-03-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Nearly every day, I log onto the internets and hope to see some Earth-shattering, Niner-news that will put the hope in my heart as a fan and put the fear of God in the hearts of the rest of the league.

Something along the lines of "SAN FRANCISCO SIGNS WR CHAD JOHNSON FOR LEAGUE MINIMUM" would suffice. It may sound unbelievable, but there was a time when great players came cheap for the Bay Area's better half simply because those players wanted to win. Those days are sadly long gone.

Instead, the biggest stories over the past week have been the re-signing of reserve CB Donald Strickland and the stripping of a mid-level 2008 draft pick because of some tampering nonsense with Lance Briggs, a player the 49ers didn't even come remotely close to signing. Be still my beating heart.

OK, so Donald Strickland is indeed a solid backup at the corner position. He's made some good plays in his brief tenure with the 49ers, and he is the type of player great teams need to support the stars. Were starting CB's Nate Clements or Walt Harris to get injured for a few games, I would feel relatively comfortable knowing that a seasoned vet like Strickland could hold down the fort for a brief while if at all necessary... but I still stress the word brief.

Which brings me to the looming Walt Harris situation. The most succinct way I can explain this is to say that Walt's old, and old guys who aren't named Darrell Green don't last long playing cornerback in the NFL. Case in point, an aging wide reciever that the Niners just picked up by the name of Ike Bruce abused the hell out of Walt last year early in the season, making a reciever two years senior to Walt look like he was still in his prime.

I'm not saying Harris is completely washed up, but that day of reckoning is drawing nearer and nearer. Unless Nolan, Scotty, or Manusky think the wildly inconsistent Shawnte Spencer is going to all-of-a-sudden become a starting caliber corner (and no, he definitely isn't), then they'll have to do something to make sure teams still have to throw at Nate Clement's side of the field at least once in a while.

Nick's Take
Jesse kind of hit the nail on the head with this one. Strickland is good enough at what he does, and I'm glad he's coming back. I like CB Marcus Hudson a bit more in terms of being the current "go-to" backup guy at the position, but Strickland isn't awful by any means (unlike former 49er corners Mike Rumph or Sammy Davis).

I also definitely agree with Jesse that there could very well be a pending disaster on the horizon with the situation surrounding CB's Walt Harris and Shawntae Spencer (I wrote about it last season as well).

Feel free to take off your 49er "homer hat" for a second, because I'm about to bash a couple of players most fans hold in pretty high regard.

Ok, you've been warned.

The fact is that Walt Harris is old and severely overrated. His 2006 Pro Bowl season was a result of racking up interceptions against errant quarterbacks like Oakland's Andrew Walter and Seattle's Seneca Wallace. As Jesse wrote above, former Rams WR Isaac Bruce schooled him for 145 yards last year in St. Louis, and trust me when I say that such a case was not an isolated incident.

Now, does that mean Harris is washed up? Absolutely not. He is a pretty good cornerback that comes up with a solid pick or two from time to time (just ask Matt Linehart and Jay Cutler). But does he strike fear into the hearts of some of the NFL's best wide receivers? I'd bet against it.

I'll just say this. When the Patriots come to Candlestick this season and it's Wes Welker vs. Walt Harris, I would not be surprised if Welker racks up over 100 yards receiving (if not over 150) against Harris. That's just what I expect based on Harris' performances in 2007. The dude is just regressing.

And then there's CB Shawntae Spencer. He was so inconsistent last season that he's become almost 100% unreliable. Need proof? Watch the highlights from Saints @ Niners last season. The Saints knew exactly who to go after, and Spencer got absolutely destroyed by WR Marques Colston. Again, just trust me that such an example was not an isolated incident.

So I know some of you out there reading this are dying to tell me that the 49ers had no pass rush during the 2007 season and therefore the defensive backs got burned more often than not as a result. I will only somewhat see the logic in this, as Nate Clements seemed to hold his own more often than not in 2007. Yes, the lack of having a decent pass rush is a problem, but there are just too many times that Harris and Spencer (especially Spencer) get abused by opposing teams' wide receivers.

So where's my CB love going these days? I believe second-year player Tarrell Brown could be the long term answer concerning the replacement of Walt Harris. Brown was a stud at Texas, and he only dropped to the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft because he had character issues. As long as Nolan finds a way to give him some playing time (like Nolan should have last season after the 49ers were out of the playoff race), I think Brown could be the Niners' next star at corner.

Random Niner Links - Off-Season Conditioning Photos (Week 2)

2008-03-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers. Here's another random link for your internet browsing pleasure.

This time, it's more off-season photos for ya.

CLICK FOR OFF-SEASON PHOTO BRILLIANCE

My favorite photos this time around are probably this one of new RB DeShaun Foster (hooray for free agency) and this one, which is of LB Tully Banta-Cain trying desperately to prove all of his critics wrong... one step at a time.

Enjoy.

Breaking Observations - Yeap. They're Probably Guilty.

2008-03-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

"Where are the e-mails or faxes to Rosenhaus that specifically mention interest in Lance Briggs that break the holy laws of sacred tampering?" - Nick, written less than two days ago.

Well I asked for it, and it looks like I may have got it. San Jose Mercury writer Tim Kawakami has posted on his blog that sources close to him know of internal emails that were sent between some of the 49ers' braintrust regarding Briggs.

Kawakami's Take

I'm not going to break this e-mail thing down too much, for a variety of reasons.

First, I'm pretty much convinced at this point that the 49ers are indeed guilty of tampering with Lance Briggs. Whether it was Nolan, Scotty, or any one of these fools, I think it's likely someone just goofed. The 49ers sadly have to pay for that goof now, mostly because the Chicago Bears' front office decided to take advantage of San Francisco's mistake. Goodell then decided to make an example out of the 49ers to the rest of the league. Case closed.

Next, I don't trust Tim Kawakami whatsoever. I simply cannot read anything the guy writes and then assume that it's true.*

How can any reader take the man seriously when he writes articles like this and this? Kawakami writes like a misinformed, Riddlin-addicted, 14-year-old football fan who drank one too many Red Bulls and then decided to sit down at the keyboard and attempt to poorly imitate ESPN's Bill Simmons (which NO ONE should ever do).

Example: Kawakami's latest fabrication of sorts is that there is already a power struggle between Nolan and Scotty because of Scotty becoming the GM back in January. According to Kawakami, Scotty as the GM is the "trigger man," Nolan is just the coach, and all of this off-season's free agency moves need to be closely scrutinized in order to figure out which one of the two wanted which player to join the 49ers.

Did Nolan push Scotty to sign DE Justin Smith against Scotty's better judgement? Was Nolan begging for Scotty to keep QB Trent Dilfer on the team in 2008, but Scotty being the "trigger man" said no? Kawakami seems think so, and he speculates like this ALL THE TIME. Trust me when I say I'd believe him if Maiocco or Barrows EVER mentioned at any time something similar to the claims Tim has made like those written above. Sadly, it hasn't happened yet.

Do I doubt Kawakami has sources close to the 49ers that could drop him some inside information regarding the tampering situation? No, I think he's probably telling the truth. But can I believe any word of what he wrote on his blog regarding the further content of those e-mails? No way.

So to sum it all up, I think Kawakami's information on the existence of e-mails regarding Briggs is probably accurate. I can't trust anything he says regarding the further content of the e-mails (beyond the idea that they specifically mention Briggs and therefore incriminate the 49ers), but I'll assume the e-mails do indeed exist and they mention Briggs. It makes sense.

Maiocco's Latest Take, which specifically DOES NOT mention Kawakami's latest blog entry or anything about internal e-mails. If in the next few days Matt Maiocco or Matt Barrows confirms the existence of these e-mails AND confirms Tim's claim that there is some "disgruntled-ness" in those e-mails regarding the relations between some of the 49ers top-tier employees, I'll be sure to inform you guys and give Tim his props. Until then, I stand firm on what I've written above.

*So why do we have a link to Kawakami's blog on the Observer then? It's mostly because I feel his completely off-base perspective on all things 49ers makes for a good contrast to what everyone else writes about the team. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but he's entertaining in that respect. Hell, I even have him bookmarked myself. If and when Tim ever shapes up, I'll be sure to give him his proper due. Until then, I can't help but state how I feel about the way he covers the 49ers.

Breaking Observations - You Shouldn't Have Done That Roger

2008-03-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is happy with his decision yesterday concerning the 49ers and their evil, tampering ways.

I mean that. I really do. Because now he might have to deal with Herm, and no one likes to deal with Herm.

Mike Florio's Take at ProFootballTalk.com

I hope the Commish is happy, because this could just be a hint of things to come.

On a related note, if you haven't seen this, it's pretty funny as well.

Jesse's Take

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really starting to miss Paul Tagliabue. It just seems like since Goodell took over, there's been a lot more unrest and controversy around the league. Perhaps all these problems were just looming under the surface before he got there, but there's something to be said for Tagliabue's ability to keep a unified front and uphold the league's image.

From a Niner fan's perspective, this reeks to high heaven. However, I suppose I can understand the league's desire to make an example out of someone to show they mean business. Right now, I'm sure every team's front office is discussing how they can avoid even the hint that they might have tampered with another franchise's player. However, even if I wasn't a biased party in this particular case, I'd like to see a little more concrete evidence proving that there was foul play involved before such a significant penalty was handed down. Furthermore, I have a hard time believing all the league's owners are going to take this "guilty until proven innocent" attitude sitting down once enough of them feel the pinch of this new totalitarian regime.

Breaking Observations - Tampering Case Officially Makes No Sense

2008-03-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

So after I posted my initial take to the tampering ridiculousness this afternoon, some new information came to be upon the glorious internets this evening.*

I have supplied the necessary links for your referencee, because I'm not going to even try to summarize the gigantic mess of oddness that has gone down today in Niner-land.

In my opinion, Maiocco has the best take on things here, but I believe lawyer-internet-sports-dude Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk had the first post up about it.

Mike Florio's Take at Profootballtalk.com

Maiocco's Take

Barrow's Take

So seriously, is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell coming down on the 49ers based on phone records?

And because of calls to Drew Rosenhaus of all people? Really?

The first thing you (being the reader and an assumed 49er fan) need to do is let go of your prejudices against Drew Rosenhaus. Forget the T.O. debacle that made him look like a scumbag and realize the guy is an agent. It's his job to protect his clients and get deals done. I personally have no problem with the guy and feel he consistently gets a bad shake because of one incident concerning the most flamboyant athlete in professional sports today. If not for T.O.'s antics in Philadelphia, no one would have ever heard of Drew Rosenhaus.

So get it out of your head right now- Drew Rosenhaus is not to blame here whatsoever.

I think the funniest thing about all of this is that the evidence against the 49ers is 100% circumstantial. If the reports are true and the 49ers placed two phone calls to Rosenhaus that were 20-seconds or even 20-minutes long, it shouldn't matter. Rosenhaus represents almost 100 active NFL players, including a handful of active 49ers (those being RB Frank Gore, FB Moran Norris, WR Jason Hill, and former WR Taylor Jacobs). To think the 49ers wouldn't be in contact with Rosenhaus around the time of the trade deadline is ridiculous.

I want to know where the recorded conversations with Rosenhaus are. Where is an eyewitness who overheard one of the conversations and came forward (because Rosenhaus sure didn't)? Where are the emails or faxes to Rosenhaus that specifically mention interest in Lance Briggs that break the holy laws of sacred tampering?

Here's a good question... how can it even be proven who was calling Rosenhaus from the 49ers' office in Santa Clara? This may sound completely absurd, but what if Frank Gore was calling to talk to his agent? This incident did allegedly happen during the 2007 NFL season in mid-October; it's actually a possibility (well, maybe).

Kevin Lynch at the Chronicle's "Niner Insider" also has an interesting take on the situation, suggesting the 49ers contacted the Bears around the time of the deadline to try to get a trade going. Remember, Briggs was all huffy and puffy about the Chicago front office before the 2007 season. It's not far fetched to think the Bears wouldn't have minded unloading Briggs for a good price.

But then there's the whole notion that the 49ers had no where to put Briggs on defense anyway. The guy plays middle linebacker in Chicago in a 4-3 defense. The 49ers predominantly run a 3-4 defense. The only position Briggs could have played in San Francisco was the MIKE linebacker position, which is the spot currently held down by 2007's defensive rookie of the year Patrick "Bam Bam" Willis. One could theorize that Briggs could have been brought in to take over at the TED linebacker position, which last year was played mostly by former 49er Derek Smith, but it's doubtful.

At the end of the day, the whole thing is just odd, and it makes me believe the media is not getting all of the info here. Something significant is missing or Goodell is unfairly trying to send a message to the rest of the league regarding the evils of tampering in the NFL. I don't doubt that Goodell could be trying to make up for his semi-klutzy handling of the New England Patriots' "Spygate" situation by coming down harshly on the 49ers, but it is all just very, very odd concerning the details involved.

However, in Goodell's defense, I will say this- it is not surprising for me to see Nolan and Scotty caught up in this mess. The dudes are free agency vultures and player-trade magicians, and they could have very well overstepped their bounds. Today's 49er fan can have all the ill feelings towards the losing ways of the current Niner dynasty they want, but they should never doubt that Nolan and Scotty are trying their best to improve the team by adding players they believe can help San Francisco win on Sunday's.

Maybe this time Nolan and Scotty just made one too many phone calls. We may never know the truth, but right now it sounds downright fishy.

*What was I doing in between? Watching a Bay Area sports team that's actually winning games. So sue me.

Breaking Observations - Nolan & Scotty Are Tampering Morons

2008-03-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's just embarrassing. There's not much of a better way to describe it.

I'll be back tonight to break down this lameness. I don't care if Nolan and Scotty thought they knew what they were doing. This whole thing, combined with the 49ers awful performance last season, is just embarrassing.

Maiocco's Take

Barrow's Take

Jesse's Take
What else can I say... except that it really sucks. Getting docked a draft pick and swapping spots with the Bears in the third round of this year's NFL Draft for talking to a player that never really looked to join the 49ers in the first place is like getting detention for trying to cheat on a test you already know the answers to. It's just... stupid.

I don't know the specifics of the situation at this time, so I won't snap-judge the qualifications of the men upstairs (like angsty Nick did this afternoon). Still, I don't see this happening to any other teams around the league. I have to assume that their biggest sin was not "tampering" with Briggs, but leaving evidence that they did so. If they didn't, this probably wouldn't be any kind of an issue.

Does losing a fifth rounder mean the 2008 season is doomed? Of course not, but you can bet that if the player picked at that time turns out to be a stud, then the 49er Faithful are sure to talk about it for years to come.

The 2008 season hasn't even started yet, but the 49ers front office is already adding to the shoddy legacy that is modern-day 49er football.

Random Niner Links - "Nolan Knows..." Article

2008-03-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful Observer readers. Happy Easter to all of you (unless you don't do that kind of thing, to which I say "Happy Sunday"). I'm here to provide you with a random link for your reading pleasure.

Over at NFL.com, writer Jason Feller has penned a solid article concerning Nolan's job status going into the 2008 NFL season. Besides not mentioning Jim Hostler by name,* it's a great read.

CLICK FOR NOLAN-ON-THE-HOT-SEAT BRILLIANCE

The best part of the article has to be this admission by Nolan:

"We gotta win this year," said Nolan. "I'm not going to hide behind anything else, we do. We have to win."

Interesting quote for sure. Maybe Nolan means he won't "hide behind" mediocre quarterback play? Hmm...

*Why is this suddenly a trend with the non-local media when discussing the awfulness of the Niners' 2007 season? No one mentions Hostler by name; they just talk about how Norv Turner left San Francisco to coach in San Diego. Is everyone in the national media just playing nice? Is it the fact that Hostler is now the wide receivers coach in Baltimore and people feel bad calling the guy out? I'm just saying...

Niners on TV - Mike Nolan on NFLN Total Access

2008-03-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

So one thing you will have to get used to here at the Observer is that Jesse and I will not always be ready to write up articles as soon as something happens in Niner-land. To repeat what you've probably read on this blog before, we make no money from running this site, we have day jobs, girls to see*, lives to live, and blah, blah, blah. I just ask that you try to be patient with us, and we'll get around to writing for you guys when we get the time.

So back on Wednesday, the NFL Network in Los Angeles had 49ers head coach Mike Nolan on their daily Sportscenter-esque show "Total Access," which on that particular day was hosted by Rich Eisen, former 49er/Steeler/Raven/Raider Rod Woodson, and former NFL offensive lineman Jamie Dukes. Also making an appearance was special correspondent/friend of sports agents Adam Schefter, as well as former Washington Reskins/Houston Texans GM Charley Casserly, both via satellite.

Here are some video links for you guys so I don't have to summarize everything that happened with The Suited One:

State of the Franchise: San Francisco 49ers

Nolan on Coaching Philosophies

Nolan on Patrick Willis

Top 10 Plays of 2007 - San Francisco 49ers

Watched 'em all? Good. Now for some analysis.

• One thing you can't take away from Nolan is that his image is great for the 49ers franchise. Whether you like the guy or not, he's seems to be well liked around the league and draws a good amount of interest from even non-Niner fans. It might just be a gimmick at this point, but Mike's suit somehow helps broadcast the belief that the San Francisco 49ers are working hard to become a better NFL team. I'm not saying that because Nolan wears a suit on the sideline, it automatically sends the message that the 49ers are trying to improve the quality of their team (I think the Niners' shifty moves in free agency broadcast that message loud and clear), but I think the suit is a reminder of such things.

• I was surprised to see Jamie Dukes on the set as the third analyst on the program. I would have thought the Network would have pushed to have Marshall Faulk present to talk about his experiences playing with Mike Martz in St. Louis, but they had Dukes in his place. Looking back, Dukes did have a pretty good handle on the situation last season with the Niners in 2007 once Smitty went down, calling for the firing of Jim Hostler earlier than most analysts on his program "Put Up Your Dukes." Still, I get the feeling Dukes doesn't think much of Nolan in general.

• I was not surprised that analyst Deion Sanders was not on hand for the show. With Nolan as the day's guest, the program had to be a very controlled environment in terms of the content discussed . I'm not sure the Network could have kept Deion from asking Nolan about the status of his personal relationship with Alex Smith.

• I was also surprised that the producers of Total Access and Rich Eisen went straight at Nolan, with the first question having to do specifically with Smitty and the quarterback position. Maybe they were just trying to be obvious and lead Nolan into explaining the Norv Turner/Jim Hostler situation (which he did), but I didn't expect Eisen to start his first question with the words "Alex" or "Smith" in them... especially when everyone knows what happened between Smitty and Nolan last season.

• I absolutely love how Nolan indirectly threw Jim Hostler under the bus concerning the offense last season. It really can't be emphasized enough how awful Hostler was as the play-caller, especially since people's memories are now beginning to get cloudy concerning what happened game-to-game during the 2007 season. The one common variable with every game last season was the ineptitude of Jim Hostler as the 49ers offensive coordinator, and how he destroyed just about everything Norv Turner did in 2006 with San Francisco in less than four games.

• Can someone explain to me where Nolan got his stats for Alex's record as a starter with the 49ers? Where the hell did he get 7 wins and 5 losses for Smitty as a starter? I've tried to figure out just how Nolan got that stat, but I can't make sense of it. Smitty was 2-5 in 2005 and 7-9 in 2006. In 2007, he was 2-1 while healthy and 0-4 after his shoulder injury. Where did Nolan get 7-5? Anyone have any idea?

• Nolan seemed honestly hopeful and supportive about Smitty's general abilities at quarterback and his potential to lead the team as the starter in 2008. I half-expected Nolan to take a few indirect swipes at Smitty, but he was pretty pro-Alex.

• Listening to Nolan and reading interviews with Mike Martz, I have a feeling Frank Gore is going to be a very, very busy man in 2008. I firmly believe Nolan and Martz are going to work Frank Gore into a majority of the plays on offense next season. How many times can the Mike's say "Frank Gore is going to be the centerpiece of the 49ers' offense in 2008" before it gets repetitive? I just don't see Gore getting ignored like everyone thinks he could be with Martz's new offense... not if the Mike's keep talking about using Gore like they are over and over again.

• Charley Casserly says the 49ers will take Pittsburgh OT Jeff Otah or Boston OT Godser Cherilus with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. This seems pretty spot on. There is a part of me that thinks the 49ers will be part of some draft day shenanigans to move up in the first round of the draft to get a pass rushing linebacker to replace Tully Banta-Cain, but that's another article for another day. Picking for the offensive line next month is a safe, sound notion.

• Patrick Willis is great. He's a lot like Ray Lewis. Nolan agrees. Great. Never saw that coming.

• During the "Top 10 Plays of 2008" for the Niners, Nolan took a weird "swipe" at WR Arnaz Battle, saying he "didn't know [Arnaz] had that kind of speed." I'm trying not to read into it too much, but I think it's safe to say Nolan is like everyone else in terms of their opinion on Battle- generally underwhelmed, but occasionally surprised by his level of play.

• There was no discussion of former 49er WR Darrell Jackson or new 49er WR Bryant Johnson, which I believe was a specific decision by the producers of the NFL Network. Jackson was also absent from the "Top 10 Plays of 2007" for San Francisco. I guess his release just wasn't something anyone felt comfortable bringing up, which is to be expected I guess. By the way, I still plan on writing about the sudden release of D-Drop, hopefully to be posted this Sunday.

In the end, I feel like this media appearance by Nolan helped out his cause in general as well as the image of the 49ers as an NFL franchise. Too many analysts and football fans alike stopped keeping up with the game-to-game developments of the 49ers in 2008, and this appearance by Nolan helped clear the air a bit concerning exactly what went wrong last season that led to a 5-11 record.

Now if I can just figure out how Nolan got 7-5 for Smitty's record as a starter...

UPDATE: I believe Nolan was trying to say that Smitty is 7-5 in his last 12 starts BEFORE his injury this season against Seattle. Nolan sadly didn't phrase it right, and as a result he sounded a tiny bit uninformed. Oh well.

*If a situation comes up in the future where I have to chose between seeing a lady-friend or writing up an article for you guys... I'm sorry, but the Observer can wait. ;)

Adventures in Free Agency - The Gigantic Qasim Mitchell

2008-03-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

So to catch up on some older news, the Niners brought in free agent guard/tackle Qasim Mitchell on a one year contract earlier this week. Besides having a first name that displays one of the few instances you'll see the letter "Q" not followed by a "U," there's not much outstanding to say about this guy.

Mitchell spent the last two NFL seasons trying to catch on with the Carolina Panthers (in 2006) and the Arizona Cardinals (in 2007) and was cut before the regular season in both instances. His most productive stint came with the Chicago Bears (2003-2005), where he actually started a majority of the 2004 season. He's definitely a big dude (even by NFL standards) and is listed at 6'5," 347lbs.

Honestly, I think the odds are long on Mitchell making the final roster in San Francisco this year. I hope that Nolan & Scotty have somehow found some kind of diamond in the rough with Mitchell, but I highly doubt it. If this guy has been given his chance as a starter and he still hasn't been able to hang on with anybody, I don't see why that trend is going to change anytime soon. At best, he'll provide depth for the offensive line in the event of an injury.

Of course, now that I've said that, Mitchell will probably end up making his first Pro Bowl following the 2008 season. If that does happen, I'll gladly own up to my own misjudgment if it means the Niners got a steal in free agency.

Random Niner Links - Off-Season Conditioning Photos (Week 1)

2008-03-18T03:04:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers. Here's something new to look forward to with the revamped version of the 49ers Observer.

Every now and then, your trusted writers here at the Observer will stumble onto 49er-related links for your reading/viewing pleasure. Sometimes, the links will be pretty random. Other times, they'll be pretty significant concerning recent developments surrounding the Red and Gold.

Today's first installment sends you to a page on the 49ers official website, where their web staff (headed up by the lovely and multi-talented Crissy Mauck) has posted the first photos from San Francisco's 2008 off-season conditioning program.

CLICK FOR OFF-SEASON PHOTO BRILLIANCE

The best two photos are probably this one of Mike Nolan (in front of what looks to be a special teams game-by-game achievement board) and this one, which is I believe the first published photo of all three of the 49ers' current quarterbacks.

Enjoy.

Breaking Observations - Tampering Hearing Held Today

2008-03-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

So if you hadn't heard, the San Francisco 49ers are under investigation by the NFL for possibly tampering with skilled Lamborghini driver LB Lance Briggs of the Chicago Bears. The hearing for the charges was held today at the NFL's main office in New York.

To sum up this nonsense, the 49ers tried to grab Briggs last fall before the October 16 trade deadline. The only problem was that Briggs had been designated a franchise player by Chicago before the 2007 NFL season, and franchise players cannot sign long-term deals until the new league year. This was also accompanied by this nonsense from Briggs during the summer prior to the 2007 season. Now the whole thing looks very stinky for the Niners, as it kind of looks like they were trying to lure a disgruntled Briggs to the Bay Area. The Bears filed the charges about four and half months ago. San Francisco now could be fined for the action, as well as lose a draft pick or two if Roger Goodell decides to lay down the law.

My take on this? I don't think I'll ever have have an "official" stance with the situation, because we'll never really know what exactly took place in terms of phone calls to Briggs' agent Drew Rosenhaus and/or to Briggs himself. It's a touchy situation, but I will say that it's not far fetched to think that almost every team tampers in some way with some player once the free agency period gets closer and closer on the calendar in February.

If we hear any inside info on this, we'll be sure to let you guys know. The Observer does actually have some inside contacts that from time to time drop us some exclusive info. I can't tell you how we have access to this info, but I promise I'm not BS'ing you either.

Maiocco's Take

Barrow's Take

Jesse's Take

I personally paid witness to the debacle that is professional sports in Chicago for quite a few years while I lived in the Midwest. Out of all the crappy management each franchise had experienced over the years, the general consensus was that the McCaskey's, the owning family of the Bears and direct decendants of "Papa Bear" George Halas, were the ones that truly didn't know what the hell they were doing. They're not terribly smart, not terribly moral, and not anywhere near sportsmanlike. One thing they did know was that win, lose, or draw, Bears fans would still come and buy tickets every season.

The point I'm trying to make here is that we are now seeing why there are few trades in the NFL that ever get made with the Chicago Bears. I don't doubt that the Niners took some kind of liberty that went against the strict guidelines of NFL regulations regarding tampering, but I doubt that it was without the McCaskey's knowledge or even their consent. Once they realized that rules had been infracted upon, they seized the opportunity to stick it to another franchise even though the situation was already long over.

From the beginning of this bizarre situation, I had been hearing that this was purely being driven by the Bears ownership and management. Considering the trade never happened or came even close to being legitimized, why would they push so hard? Must still be sore over the 80's I guess.

Adventures in Free Agency - Will It Be Enough?

2008-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

So once again, the 49ers have been aggressive in acquiring talent prior to the draft. The additions of DE Justin Smith, WR Isaac Bruce, RB DeShaun Foster, K/PR Allen Rossum, QB J.T. O'Sullivan, LB Dontarrious Thomas, and WR Bryant Johnson have signaled that the front office is confident that this team can win and win now. In my opinion, these have been some fine acquisitions, and I want to break each one down.

DE Justin Smith (Cincinnati Bengals)

This by far has been the most high profile signing of the offseason for the 49ers, and the local media has been very supportive of the deal from the start. I think the pricetag was a bit high for such a blue collar player, but I really can't complain since it really doesn't hurt the Niners in terms of overall cap space . The bottom line is the 49ers defensive front needs to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks; Smith ought to be more of a factor in that regard than Bryant Young was in the past few years. Smith brings youth, speed, and intensity to the position. Perhaps most importantly is the hope that Smith's work ethic and enthusiasm bleed into the rest of the defense, getting the rest of the ten guys on the field to play with a chip on their shoulder (something that's been lacking in recent seasons). If the Niner's are truly trying to recreate the defense Nolan oversaw in Baltimore, then they have to know a big part of Baltimore's success was their attitude and aggressiveness. Smith is a step in the right direction for this young team. But, will Smith alone be enough? At this point, I honestly don't think so.

WR Isaac Bruce (St. Louis Rams)

It's questionable as to how Bruce will fall into place with the team. His production understandably fell off in St. Louis, but this could be partially attributed to the change in offense that Scott Linehan brought to the Rams. Bruce obviously knows how to play in Martz's system, but I don't think that's going to be as large a factor as his chemistry with whoever becomes the 49ers starting QB in 2008. I'm still presuming that it will be a healthy Alex Smith under center when all is said and done, and it will be crucial that Bruce grows acustomed to catching passes from the young thrower. In a best case scenario, Bruce will help the other 49er receivers adjust to Martz's system and will accelerate the implentation of the system as well. It's not unreasonable to speculate that if Bruce gets in a groove with the quarterback, he could have a 1,000 yard season.

RB DeShaun Foster (Carolina Panthers)

I was pretty suprised by this signing, but I think it's a great pickup for San Francisco. In watching the most successful teams in the league, most now have two backs that can be effective in different situations (the New York Giants used about 17 guys in their backfield this past year). I've watched Foster pretty closely over the years (he's not a bad fantasy back), and he can indeed be a "home-run" playmaker that can score from anywhere on the field... when he's healthy. Frank Gore is more aggressive in his running style, and my hope is that after the defense tires of getting pounded by Gore, Foster will come in and have some opportunities to break some long ones. Conversely, Foster can help shoulder the load so that when the offense gets down near the goal line, Frank Gore will be fresh and even more difficult to stop. I know everyone likes Michael Robinson (and I do too), but he hasn't proven enough to be the #2 as of right now... and he's not the change of pace that Foster can be for the Niners in 2008.

RB Allen Rossum (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Rossum's been around for a long time, and as we all remember, he did take one to the house against the Niners last season. He's not getting a ton of money to do what he does, so there's really no reason to gripe about the acquisition. Still, it's questionable as to what kind of impact he'll really have. Returning kicks appears to be more of an "instinct" kind of thing rather than something that can be learned, so he's got value there. Just knowing that a pair of sure hands will be doing their job on special teams is an undervalued asset.

QB J.T. O'Sullivan (Detroit Lions)

I don't really know much about O'Sullivan, other than he played under Martz in Detroit and became the unlikely backup to Jon Kitna without really having any kind of offseason preparation (he came straight to the Lions in 2007 from a co-MVP season in NFL Europa). This guy has been in the league for around 7 seasons and has played with 8 different teams, so he's a journeyman quarterback if there ever was one. Still, O'Sullivan must be doing something right to continue to get chances, otherwise he'd have gone the way of Jim Druckenmiller by now.

LB Dontarrious Thomas (Minnesota Vikings)

I know even less about Thomas than I do J.T. O'Sullivan, but the talking heads seem to think he's going to be the full-time counterpart to Patrick Willis. That means he'll be taking on blockers much larger than him frequently to clear the way for Willis to make tackles. Thomas weighs in at about 240 lbs., and I'm wondering if that will be enough to contend with massively-sized guards trying to block our defense at the second level. Nevertheless, he adds depth to an already solid LB corps. I think the more options and fresh bodies the Niners can use in this regard, the better the results will be on the field. Personally, I'd like to see Brandon Moore step up and show us the same level of play that he did in 2006. But still, if Nolan thinks it ought to be somebody else, then I'm all for it.

WR Bryant Johnson (Arizona Cardinals)

This was a late addition that few really saw coming. Johnson's a former 1st round pick from the 2003 draft, but he's always been overshadowed by 2nd rounder Anquan Boldin. With the further addition of Larry Fitzgerald, Johnson was pretty much forced into the #3 position on the reciever-heavy team (Denny love's his wideouts, which is puzzling for a man of his spherical dimensions). Johnson filled in well when both of Arizona's starting wideouts came up injured during last season. He was never dominant as a starter, but he did the job better than most considering the situation. Johnson's a big strong body at 6'2" and about 210 lbs., which is a departure from the build of the typical "Martz-offense" receiver. With the sudden release of Darrell Jackson, it appears that the Niner brass thought Darrell's contribution to the team was marginal... and that his "damage" to the salary cap was more significant. The current belief seems to be that the 49ers have enough veteran wideouts to make it work in 2008, and clearly Johnson has contributed to this line of thinking. Hopefully, Johnson will prove he was worthy of that 1st round pick in 2003 while he is with the Red and Gold.

In closing...

There are still significant needs to be addressed before the 2008 season begins, but I feel this is a pretty good start before the NFL Draft in April. The 49ers' defensive line is clearly a question mark, even after the addition of Justin Smith and the re-signing of Niner nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga. Perhaps the second most pressing need is at WR, and although the Niners didn't get a true "#1" guy in the prime of his career, Isaac Bruce should be able to help and also assist in shaping the attitudes of his teammates. The only area that we didn't see get addressed during this latest free agency flurry was with the offensive line. With Larry Allen still on the fence with his retirement plans (and I'm not sure we even want him to come back) and the departure of Justin Smiley to Miami, there's are some holes to fill. I wouldn't mind seeing the Niners use their first draft round pick on a new lineman, if a good one were to fall to San Francisco late in the first round. If Joe Staley and the Browns' Joe Thomas have proven anything, it's that there are NFL-ready tackles playing in the college ranks right now. If the Niners could get one to contribute immediately, that would be a nice situation to be in.

Breaking Observations - Hello Bryant, Goodbye Darrell?!?

2008-03-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

So a day after Nolan and Scotty add WR Bryant Johnson from the Cardinals (hooray!), they waive WR Darrell "D-Drop" Jackson (wait, really?).

I'll be back on Sunday to discuss this really, really, really bold move by Nolan and Scotty, as well as my quick takes on a lot of other Niner-happenings I missed during my winter vacation from the Observer.

But my initial reaction on the waiving of D-Drop? Very bad move, but I believe there COULD be some sound reason behind it. I'll explain Sunday.

Maiocco's Take

Barrow's Take

And... We're back!

2008-03-13T17:39:00.001-07:00

So the wait is over. As of today, the 49er Observer is back in business.

Did you miss us? If you didn't, then that's fine... cause we didn't miss you either. We'll just have to work together and repair our relationship over time... with lots of love, communication, and hopefully, some cuddling.

So no joke guys... this site was indeed dead for about two months. Basically, former Observer boss-guy James got too busy to run the site, and the rest of us writers got too caught up in holiday stuff to keep up with the team as Shaun Hill went on his late-season rip against teams that weren't that great to start with (sure, Shaun Hill is a nice surprise and all, but is he going to be THE guy to lead us to glory? That's another article for another day).

So what changes can you expect around here? Well for starters, Jesse and I (me, being Nick) are now running the site ourselves. Everyone else you know and loved around here has moved on. James, Chris, Ben, and Eddie are no longer officially "on staff" anymore, but don't be surprised if one of them pops in here during the 2008 season to rant a bit about Martz not running the ball enough. They know they are always welcome to come back and contribute any time.

So, what else can you expect from the "new" Observer? A lot more sarcasm and a lot more cynicism. We have a new look (evidenced by the new banner I designed yesterday, which I think exhibits some true Photoshop-badassery), and in general we're approaching things with less of a serious tone around here. We'll still break down everything that happens in Niner-land to the best of our ability, but we're not going to try to be Maiocco or Barrows. If you want to be truly informed on all the Niner-happenings, read their stuff. If you then to hear some general opinion about it and laugh a little, then read our stuff. Our main goal is to give you a different perspective on the team and entertain you a bit, and I believe that if you stick around and keep coming back, you won't be disappointed.

So thanks for coming back to check in on us, and we hope you return regularly. And if you bookmark us, and we promise not to suck too badly. Go Niners.

Shh... We're coming back VERY soon.

2008-03-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. We take two months off, and not only did Nolan and Scotty get rid of Kwame, they got rid of Derek Smith too?

If James was still hanging around the Observer offices, he'd be guzzling champagne at a record pace... probably even now... weeks after Kwame left Santa Clara for Oakland.

But yeah, we're on the verge of a comeback, Observer readers. Stay tuned, and add us to your bookmarks again when you have a sec. Patrick Willis would want it that way.