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49ers Interested in Leon Washington

erickson@49ersnews.com — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:55:09 +0000

The San Francisco 49ers could be more active in free agency than first anticipated. Reports have surfaced that the club has been in talks with the New York Jets about running back/special teams ace Leon Washington. Judging from some of the message boards on the report (SFgate.com), I am in the minority when I say I’d be ecstatic about having Washington as the return man. I even have a nickname awaiting his arrival. The future “Scarlet Speedster” has averaged 25.5 yards a kick return and 9.4 yards on punts. The little guy was born to elude tacklers and use his 4.42 speed to race to the end zone. His services would not come for free of course.

Washington is a restricted free agent, and is tendered with a second rounder. If the 49ers offer a deal to Washington, the Jets can either match it, or accept a second round pick from the 49ers as compensation. This is where most fans become divided. The 49ers second round pick is the 49th overall. Good, talented prospects will still be on the board. A second round pick for a return man is a little steep, but we know Washington can play. The front office wouldn’t be gambling on a prospect. He is an experienced, explosive return specialist. The two first round picks should also lessen the blow of not having three selections in the first 50 picks. With Washington, there wouldn’t be any questions, he is a reliable kick returner who can take it the distance.

The biggest problem I feel is the depth already at running back. Frank Gore is the best player on offense, and he is fully capable of carrying the ball 20-25 times a game. He is however a bit of an injury concern. He has only played in all 16 games once in his five year career. Current back-up Glen Coffee had a chance to start when Gore went down, but he averaged 2.7 yards a carry. Michael Robinson would be the odd man out should any move occur. In four season with the 49ers, Robinson has not been able to find his niche. Throughout his time with the Jets, Washington has learned how to share the workload. He isn’t the typical size you’d like as a running back, but he has no fear going through the middle. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be relegated exclusively to special teams, and he would make a great third down back. Both he and Gore are excellent receivers, forcing the defense to worry about another dimension at all times.

A second round pick for the Scarlet Speedster would not be too high of a cost. He would probably demand a pretty high contract for a return man/running back, but after last season, I witnessed how important it is to have good field position. Imagine some of the losses could have been won if the offense had to go 10-25 yards less than they actually did. The main focus in the draft would be where they need it the most. The holes along the offensive line are so wide, even Scott Norwood wouldn’t be wide right. Without worrying about special teams, the 49ers can focus on the o-line first, then a pass rusher. It would also be nice to have some depth in the secondary. The revolving door of Nate Clements, Dre’ Bly, and Tarell Brown didn’t work out too well. Michael Lewis isn’t getting any younger or less concussed. The more needs taken care of before the draft will allow the 49ers to have more options come late April.

Carr Not in the Driver’s Seat

erickson@49ersnews.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:39:03 +0000

The San Francisco 49ers’ first free agent pick-up of the offseason is much better than last season’s. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated Brandon Jones’ lone catch for 18 yards. He got a first down on that one. Not to mention his nine punt returns for 26 yards. That’s almost three yards a return. Way to work hard and earn that $5.4 million dollars of guaranteed money.

This season, David Carr is the first free agent signed. I’ve never been a David Carr detractor, and I never thought he got a fair deal being the thrust into the NFL on an expansion team. I’m hoping however, people realize that Carr was brought on to mentor, not compete. See, David Carr is an expert at what Alex Smith is going through. He knows what it’s like to be the scapegoat for a losing team. Like Smith, Carr received the brunt of the blame for the franchises woes. In his first five NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, Carr was sacked an astonishing 249 times. When you average getting knocked on your back 3.27 times a game, your confidence in yourself and your team will surely diminish.

Once Carr left Houston, he was hoping to regain his confidence and passion for the game without any pressure as the back-up to Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, Delhomme suffered an injury after the third game and Carr was pressed into action once more. He was on a much better team, but we saw what 249 sacks in 76 games do to a player. Carr was skittish in the pocket. He didn’t set his feet. He held onto the ball too long. He didn’t trust his instinct, or his O-line to protect him.

Carr spent the last two seasons as a member of the New York Giants. He was never called into action for any “real” playing time. In his two seasons there, he played very sparingly and accumulated 340 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked three times on his 45 pass attempts, which falls in line with his average, solidifying his knack for holding onto the ball. Although the sacks are concerning, the lack of interceptions is a nice sign to see.

For all the speculators, I do not envision any type of quarterback controversy. I believe Alex Smith played well enough last season to be penciled in as the starter. However, Mike Singletary doesn’t want to guarantee any position. Carr is a good move for the franchise in the sense he will bring leadership and much needed experience to the current quarterbacks. Smith, and Shaun Hill have played in a combined 62 games compared to the 91 games of experience Carr brings. He is also a cautionary tale about asking a young quarterback to do too much by himself. As if it isn’t tough enough to make the transition from college to professional football, Carr had to do it as the starter on a brand new team. The difficulty multiplies exponentially in that case. Players and coaches who have never worked together shouldn’t reasonably be expected to succeed.

I do have to wonder how much this signing had to do with not wanting Carr to go to another team, namely the Arizona Cardinals. Among other teams, the Cardinals were interested in him, and were next of the list of places for him to visit. The Cards must have had the same idea to sign a veteran to help out their young, unproven quarterback. They’ve already been rather busy in free agency, both losing and adding players. I’m a little disturbed at the low price the Baltimore Ravens were allowed to acquire Boldin. What’s even more disturbing is the fact that other teams weren’t willing to part with at least a second rounder. How good, or bad I guess, do teams think Boldin is? Considering the New England Patriots demanded, and received a first round pick for Deion Branch, a player who has never had a 1,000 yard receiving season, or has caught more than five touchdowns. But that’s another argument for another day and another forum.

The 49ers shouldn’t be too busy this offseason. The draft is where I believe they’ll make the biggest splashes. After free agent losses of OT Tony Pashos and WR Arnaz Battle, the depth pool must be restocked. Other than the glaring holes along the offensive line, and the absolute desperate need for a return man, the roster is solid. If Nate Clements can work his way back to a top cover-corner, the defense can be one of the NFL’s best. The signing of David Carr improves the depth and hopefully will allow Smith to further grow as the quarterback.

David Carr and 49ers Come to Terms

erickson@49ersnews.com — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:35:33 +0000

The 49ers and free agent QB David Carr have agreed to a 2-yr deal, no word on the amount money Carr is set to get. To get an idea here is what he got from the Giants, he signed one-year deals of $1 M and $2.1 M.

What does this mean for QB Shaun Hill? My guess is most likely filling out applications at Home Depot or maybe calling up Kurt Warner for a reference at his local Hi-Vee.

All Quiet on the Western Front

erickson@49ersnews.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:21:35 +0000

Free Agency is under way and the 49ers are not expected to make a huge splash as they have in the past. (Nate Clements, Jonas Jennings, Justin Smith) GM Scot McCloughan has said that anyone they bring in and sign is mostly for depth. One name out there that is intriguing is Rams Safety OJ Atogwe. Atogwe got lowballed by the Rams and there is a chance the 49ers could get him and not give up anything in return (draft picks)

We’ll try and keep this post updated with all the visits that the 49ers have scheduled with players.

According to NJ.com former No.1 pick David Carr is set to visit the 49ers. (If they do sign him, and that means Shaun Hill is gone. I’m all for it.)

Baas and Brooks Tendered

erickson@49ersnews.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:05:48 +0000

The San Francisco 49ers have tendered contract offers to linebacker Ahmad Brooks and offensive lineman David Baas.

The move Monday gives San Francisco the right to match any offer sheet the restricted free agents sign with another team or receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.

Brooks had a career-high six sacks last season and tied a franchise record for forced fumbles by a linebacker with four. Brooks was a third-round pick by Cincinnati in 2006 and joined the Niners in 2008.

Baas was a second-round pick by San Francisco in 2005. He has appeared in 76 career games with
38 starts

Darren Sproles to 49ers a Possibility?

erickson@49ersnews.com — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:25:54 +0000

I was reading the Press Democrat today and came across an article from Matt Maiocco where he describes how recent San Diego Charger free agent Darren Sproles is a good fit for the 49ers and also he thinks it is a realistic possibility.

And at 9:01 p.m. (PT) on March 4 – the first minute the move is legal – the San Francisco 49ers should make the arrangements to get him on the next flight to the Bay Area.

Moreover, I think it’s a realistic possibility.
The San Diego Chargers tagged Sproles last year as their franchise player, giving him a one-year contract worth $6.62 million. Sproles is scheduled to be a restricted free agent, but in order for the Chargers to maintain that status they’d have to give him a 10-percent pay raise to $7.28 million.

That is too much for a return specialist and change-of-pace running back, so the Chargers will allow Sproles to be an unrestricted free agent. And that’s where the 49ers should step in.

Coach Mike Singletary promised the 49ers would place an emphasis on improving the return game this offseason. There have been hints all along the 49ers planned go after a top-notch return man. And Sproles could be that man. The 49ers, theoretically, could sign Sproles without compromising their salary structure.

I would the 49ers to sign Sproles, signing Sproles would mean the 49ers would most likely not have to use a draft pick on a return man, like CJ Spiller or Dexter McCluster.

After Coin Toss, 49ers Get Pick No.17

erickson@49ersnews.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:02:01 +0000

The NFL has flipped the coin and the Panthers lost. So that means the 49ers will get the No. 17 pick in the NFL draft and the Tennessee Titans will get pick No. 16.

So heading into the draft the 49ers have pick No. 13 and No. 17.

Tag…Franklin Is It

erickson@49ersnews.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:14:57 +0000

Only 10 days from the deadline for teams to franchise players, the first prospective free agent is about to be removed from the market.

The 49ers will franchise defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, according to NFL sources. The franchise tag for defensive tackles this year is $7 million, and teams must designate their franchise players by Feb. 25.

Until the tag is applied to Franklin, the 49ers will try to work out a long-term contract for their standout defensive tackle.

Their newest long-term offer for Franklin is expected to come in this week. However, one league source highly doubted that any type of long-term agreement could be struck and the 49ers will franchise Franklin, who would have been one of the most desirable free agents had he been allowed to test the market.

It is what could be the start in a string of franchise tags for defensive tackles. The New England Patriots are reportedly expected to slap their franchise tag on defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and the Pittsburgh Steelers could do the same with defensive tackle Casey Hampton.

At the age of 29, Franklin specializes in freeing up blockers for 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Franklin started all 16 games for the 49ers last season and had 36 tackles.

Draft Talk

erickson@49ersnews.com — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:04:22 +0000

Figured since not a lot of news happening in Ninerland, we decided we open up a post so you all can talk the Draft. Who you think the 49ers should take at picks 13 and 16/17.

Will the 49ers go with pass rush, safety or offensive line. You decide.

NHR – Ep 7. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

erickson@49ersnews.com — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:46:28 +0000

Back again with another episode of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. This week we discuss the conclusion of the NFL playoffs, depature of Chris Foerster, the NFL Draft and more…