[So far so close... again] 49ers topic / 2009 Edition

Citation :

ALEX SMITH DOES A NEW DEAL
Posted by Mike Florio on March 10, 2009, 11:44 a.m. EDT

At a time when one of Tom Condon’s high-profile clients is contemplating taking a salary haircut in order to stay with a California team, another high-profile Tom Condon client has opted to reduce his compensation in order to keep his job.

Per a league source, the 49ers have agreed to a new two-year deal with quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Though specific numbers are not yet available, we’re told that it’s normal two-year money for a backup-type deal, but all in all a fair package.

Our guess is that Smith will make something like $2 million to $3 million per year.

Et maintenant va bosser pour pas te faire piquer ta place sur le banc par Huard.

Finalement, les 49ers ne vont pas attendre que Bruce se décide pour une 16è saison ou non. On se débarasse aussi du squatteur d'infirmerie qu'était Jonas Jennings et de Mark Roman mais ça, on s'en doutait depuis que les 49ers l'ont autorisé à chercher à se faire échanger.

Citation :

Jennings, Roman, Bruce absent from minicamp
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Little by little, the 49ers continue to shape and tweak their roster for the 2009 season as the team gathered Monday for the start of its offseason workout program.

Three former starting players will not be participating in this week's minicamp Friday and Saturday, an indication that they do not figure in the 49ers' plans for this season even though all three are under contract.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/16/SPH116GB4M.DTL

Citation :

One of the more pressing needs for the 49ers when free agency began was offensive tackle. The 49ers took a wait-and-see approach at that position through nearly three weeks. Now, they're making a move.
The club has scheduled a visit with Steelers free-agent tackle Marvel Smith, who missed 11 games last season with a back injury. He also underwent lower-back surgery in December 2007.

When healthy, Smith is an outstanding performer. He was named to the Pro Bowl team in 2005. He began his career at right tackle for the Steelers before moving to left tackle. The 49ers envision Smith as a right tackle, but he'll have to check out healthy during his physical tomorrow.

Smith attended Skyline High in Oakland and went to Arizona State, where he earned All-America status as a junior and was a second-round pick of the Steelers in 2000.

The 49ers have a need at right tackle. The club has informed Jonas Jennings that he will not return to the club this season, according to 49ers sources here and here. The 49ers got spotty play from backups Barry Sims and Adam Snyder.

If the 49ers were convinced Smith is healthy and sign him to a deal, it would give the team great flexibility in the upcoming draft. They could still take an offensive tackle with the No. 10 overall pick, but they would also have the flexibility of selecting a player at just about any other position, too.

http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers/2009/03/niners-finally-looking-at-offensive-tackle.html

Donc, on va peut-être signer un type qui a l'air bon mais pas solide, juste après avoir laissé libre Jonas Jennings, un type qui avait l'air bon mais pas solide...

Double C a écrit:

Donc, on va peut-être signer un type qui a l'air bon mais pas solide, juste après avoir laissé libre Jonas Jennings, un type qui avait l'air bon mais pas solide...

ça s'appelle le changement dans la continuité ...

c'te misère......
c'est pas comme ça qu'on va rattraper les stealers au nb de bague

Citation :

This 49ers minicamp has Singletary’s stamp
By Matthew Barrows
mbarrows@sacbee.com

Published: Sunday, Mar. 22, 2009 - 12:00 am

SANTA CLARA – Around 49ers headquarters, Mike Singletary is known as "coach." But perhaps "sergeant" is a more appropriate title this offseason.

Players received a quick introduction to what life would be like under the Singletary regime when they stepped outside on the first day of minicamp and were put through a circuit of drills that rivaled a Parris Island, S.C., boot camp.

At one point Saturday, a group was shuffling over bags and between cones while assistant coaches barked at the players to run faster. At the sound of a whistle, the same group moved to another drill that had the players lifting heavy bags in a grueling relay race.

"I didn't know how heavy that bag was going to be," linebacker Patrick Willis said. "I almost fell over."

And though that was tough, perhaps the worst is yet to come. Looming on the north side of the practice field is a grass hill that was augmented with 2,500 tons of dirt. The result is a 15-foot-high climb with inclines of 30 degrees on one side and 40 degrees on the other.

Singletary's name for the new edifice: Pain.

"There's something about the hill," Singletary said, noting Jerry Rice and other great NFL players have trained on hills. "It's beautiful to look at but what it's going to do for our guys is it's going to bring about something that you can't really get in the weight room. Something that you really can't get on the track. It builds something that's kind of a mystery."

Everything that Singletary has implemented this offseason screams the same message: No one will work harder than the 49ers in 2009.

"We're one of two teams in the league, I think, that are having a minicamp in March," said linebacker Takeo Spikes. "And I guarantee you … they're not doing what we're doing out here. People can say it's malicious. People can say it's the 'Junction Boys.' But at the end of the day, it's all about mind-set."

Spikes said the routine reminded him of what life was like when he played at Auburn: Up every day at 4:30 a.m. to run football drills and then off to classes.

"If you didn't see a guy, you knew he caught a Greyhound bus home early that morning," Spikes said. "That's how hard it was."

So far, none of the 49ers is hopping on a bus.

In fact, Singletary said he was impressed how the players reacted when the circuit drills were sprung on them Friday afternoon. At one point, Singletary said he was prepared to end the session early.

"I think Vernon (Davis) was the first one that said, 'No, we are going to finish this.' And everyone else chimed in," Singletary said. "I think it says a lot about our team and it says a lot about our guys. I'm just really excited about it."

Z'avez signé pour en chier!

Bande de p'tits salopards!

Singletary a été à l'école Mike Dikta ... c'est autre chose que Nolan !!

Putain !!
ça , ça fait plaisir à lire.


je ne sais pas ce que donnera notre saison, mais on ne pourra pas nous dire que c'est parce qu'on l'aura pris à la légère.
Singletary va les obliger à se sortir les doigts et rien que ça, c'est déjà énorme
les vernon davis, kentwan balmer et autres vont devoir se sortir les tripes........

Au fait, Marvel Smith a signé pour deux ans (et J. Jenning aka l'homme de verre est officielement libre) et déclare que sa blessure au dos et les deux interventions qui en ont découlé n'étaient pas si graves que ça...
J'ai peur qu'on se fasse encore une fois légèrement enfler. En plus, il veut nous faire croire qu'il préfère être dans une équipe qui n'a pas foutu les crampons en playoffs depuis 6 saisons plutôt que chez le champion en titre. Mais bien sûr...

On verra à l'usage mais je la sens pas très bien, cette affaire.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/30/marvel-smith-downplays-his-back-surgeries/

Citation :

Veteran WR Bruce decides to return to Niners next season
Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Wide receiver Isaac Bruce is postponing retirement for another season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Bruce, the second-leading receiver in NFL history with 14,944 yards, informed 49ers coach Mike Singletary on Wednesday of his decision to return for his 16th NFL season.

Bruce missed the 49ers' minicamp last month while contemplating retirement, but his return is a major boost to a San Francisco offense that would have lacked a top receiver. Bruce led the 49ers with 61 catches for 835 yards and seven touchdowns last season, his first with the team after 14 seasons with the Rams.

Bruce hit two major milestones during a late-season victory over St. Louis, passing Tim Brown for the second-most receiving yards in NFL history and becoming the fifth player to catch 1,000 passes.

Voila le genre de nouvelles qui ne peut pas faire de mal.

Citation :

(...) Within the building, there's been a sublime loss of faith in former overall pick Alex Smith. General manager Scot McCloughan was the leader in the Draft Smith First campaign in 2005 and he's been supportive of him throughout Smith's troubled tenure. But maybe others (read Mike Singletary) don't believe Smith can be a field general. Smith didn't look sharp in the most recent minicamp and his passes wobbled more than usual. At one point after missing a receiver on a slant route, he doubled over and began shaking his arm. Is Smith fully healthy? Is he recovering from his latest surgery without a glitch? Hmmmm. (...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?blogid=45&entry_id=38456

Ça commence...
Bon, c'est pas pour ça qu'il faut se croire obligé de drafter Sanchez (ou Stafford, s'il tombe là) hein. Fais pas le con, Mike. Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush.

Le calendrier 2009 est dispo. On a droit à deux matchs en prime-time à domicile contre les Bears et les Cardinals.

1 Sun, Sept. 13.................at Arizona Cardinals
2 Sun, Sept. 20...............vs. Seattle Seahawks
3 Sun, Sept. 27.................at Minnesota Vikings
4 Sun, Oct. 4...................vs. St. Louis Rams
5 Sun, Oct. 11.................vs. Atlanta Falcons
6 Bye
7 Sun, Oct. 25...................at Houston Texans
8 Sun, Nov. 1....................at Indianapolis Colts
9 Sun, Nov. 8..................vs. Tennessee Titans
10 Thu, Nov. 12..............vs. Chicago Bears
11 Sun, Nov. 22................at Green Bay Packers
12 Sun, Nov. 29...............vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
13 Sun, Dec. 6..................at Seattle Seahawks
14 Mon, Dec. 14..............vs. Arizona Cardinals
15 Sun, Dec. 20.................at Philadelphia Eagles
16 Sun, Dec. 27................vs. Detroit Lions
17 Sun, Jan. 3....................at St. Louis Rams

On se tape une période difficile après le bye. Le 8-8 est envisageable, voire un peu mieux (avec le titre de la NFC West) mais faudra pas perdre plus de 2 matchs contre les rivaux.

Retour aux sources.

Double C a écrit:

Chouettes uniformes! Un mélange de moderne et d'ancien pour le casque et les maillots rappellent notre époque glorieuse.


Bon les Niners qui chopent Crabtree. J'en espérais pas tant même si le besoin en pass rush est toujours présent (et pas encore comblé).
C'est peut-être pas un Larry Fitzgerald ou un Calvin Johnson mais je pense qu'il nous fera définitivement oublier le dernier WR drafté au 1er tour et sorti de la Big 12 avec une flopée de records.

Par contre pourquoi avoir tradé le second pick alors qu'Everette Brown était là (d'ailleurs pris par Carolina avec le choix de San Francisco) ? Surtout pour le 1er choix des Panthers l'an prochain, c'est très (trop?) aléatoire.

j'aurais pas dit mieux.
je ne comprend pas ce trade. on avait l'opportunité de choper Brown ou sintim et.........nada.
quant à Crabtree, c'est sur qu'on ne pouvait pas le laisser passer.En même temps, je reste réservé notamment du fait de son comportement. Il se la joue déjà star. je le trouve un peu frimeur. entre lui et VD, on a deux bons gros melons. Espérons qu'il nous prouvera sur le terrain que j'avais tort de m'inquiéter.

Bon alors, bilan de draft... Bah j'en sais rien parce qu'à part Crabtree, je connais pas les mecs qui ont été pris. Juste une question : pourquoi un RB en second choix, au début du 3è tour?
Tout juste entendu parler du QB de Ball State et c'est tout. Un type qui a passé sa carrière universitaire sans toucher le cul de son Centre, comme un certain ancien 1st pick qui squatte chez nous depuis 4 ans, et qui est d'ailleurs comparé à... Alex Smith lui-même. A mon avis, Damon Huard peut souffler parce que Davis ne passera pas les camps

Citation :

Compares To: ALEX SMITH, San Francisco -- Davis is a combination of Alex Smith and -- because of his athletic skills -- Baltimore's Troy Smith, undersized passers who rely on their quickness, balance and feet to make big plays on the move. Davis is in the same situation as Alex Smith in that he would've greatly benefited from an additional year in college. If he is drafted into a rebuilding situation without a standout receiver or offensive line, Davis could quickly regress as Alex Smith did. How teams choose to handle Davis in his early NFL career will be critical. He could be devoured by unfriendly media and some are concerned that his last three performances, with Ball State aiming for an undefeated season and Davis looking to the NFL, showed he can't handle immense pressure.

Sinon, oubliez les Frank Gore, Patrick Willis ou autres Josh Morgan, mon nouveau 49er favori se nomme désormais... Ricky Jean-Francois, DT à LSU et notre dernier choix cette année. En plus il est décrit comme ayant une plus grande gueule que Warren Sapp, excusez du peu. Rien que pour avoir drafté un type avec un nom pareil, je pardonne au Front Office d'avoir laissé passer Everette Brown... ou pas.


La classe américaine

Intéressant je trouve la draft des niners, assez orienté SEC avec Coffee et les deux de LSU.

A part le TE de Fresno, j'ai vu jouer tout le monde cette saison.

Concernant Coffee je pense que c'est un peu haut quand même un second tour pour lui. Je pense qu'il a surtout profiter d'une OL onstrueuse à Bama l'an passé.

POur les deux de LSU...je sais pas, pas forcement les joueurs majeurs de la defense des Tigers l'an passé mais ca reste des joueurs avec pas mal d'expérience du très haut niveau en jouant àLSU. Mais c'est surtout s joueurs qui physiquement n'ont pas forcèment les outils pour être les joueurs type en NFL. Perso je suis plus optimiste pour le DE Jean-François, la DL de LSU c'est toujours un truc assez affolant. Et je pense qu'il perd en reconnaissance étant aligné à l'opposé de Tyson Jackson.

Je suis forcément decu qu'on ait pas ramené (L)Everette chez nous, au 2eme tour ca aurait été un beau steal nais je pense que de toutes facons, la priorité aurait du etre sur un OT (Beatty par ex) ou un CB.

Je pense que les 9ers ont en tete de securiser 2 premiers tour l'an prochain pour pouvoir prendre Bradford ou Mc Coy, et si ils y arrivent je serait le premier a applaudir.


Les joueurs draftés ont pas l'air mal du tout, mais je me demande toujours comment on va protéger notre QB et sécuriser notre backfield (surtout avec Fitz et Houshman dans la meme division)

Pour resumer l'équipe sur le papier n'est toujours pas impressionnante, espéront que le facteur X soit Singletary

Citation :

The San Francisco 49ers announced today that they have signed fifth-round draft choice LB Scott McKillop and seventh-round draft choice DE Ricky Jean-Francois to four-year contracts. The players become the second and third 2009 draft picks to sign contracts with their NFL teams this offseason. Lions QB Matthew Stafford signed his contract prior to the start of the draft.

http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5301&section=PR%20News

L'histoire est en marche... ou pas.

Dre' Bly vous rejoint puisque Walt Harris risque de ne pas jouer un match en 2009 :

Citation :

49ers sign veteran CB Bly to one-year deal

Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Veteran cornerback Dre' Bly signed a one-year deal Thursday with the San Francisco 49ers, who moved quickly to fill the spot created by Walt Harris' knee injury.
Dre Bly, CB
San Francisco 49ers

2008 Statistics:
Tackles: 62
Interceptions: 2
Forced fumbles: 1

The Denver Broncos released Bly in a salary dump in February after he spent two of his 10 NFL seasons with the club, starting all 32 games and intercepting seven passes. Bly was chosen for two Pro Bowls during his four seasons with the Detroit Lions, and he won a championship during four years with the St. Louis Rams.

"We lost a Pro Bowl-caliber player in Walt Harris this week, and we were able to fill that void with another Pro Bowler in DrDe Bly," 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan said. "It was important to get DrDe in here quickly so that he can get acquainted with our system, our coaches and his new teammates."

San Francisco, which finished four days of organized team activities earlier Thursday, signed Bly just a few hours after he arrived in town for a workout. Brian Kelly, the former Tampa Bay cornerback, also was scheduled for a visit.

The 34-year-old Harris' career is in jeopardy after he tore a ligament in his right knee during workouts Tuesday in a collision with receiver Dominique Zeigler. The 13-year pro has been a mainstay of San Francisco's defense since 2006, but almost certainly can't recover from his upcoming surgery in time to play this season.

Bly, who played with cornerback Champ Bailey in Denver, will line up alongside Nate Clements in San Francisco. San Francisco also has third-year pro Tarell Brown, a fifth-round pick who's expected to get more playing time this season.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12481213?nclick_check=1

Le nouveau stade se confirme. Par contre 2 choses :
- il se situera assez loin de San Francisco
- il se peut que vous le partagiez avec les Raiders... Oui je sais...


Enfin bon, faut encore que ça passe au vote tout ça...Loin d'être fait.

Citation :

The Question of V

Could Mike Martz be right? When he was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers last year he wasn't right about much. He picked the wrong quarterback to start the season, he completely imploded in Arizona at the end of the game that led to the season's defining, playoff-negating loss. But he might be right about tight end Vernon Davis.

While on NFL Network last week, Martz said Davis was the best in-line blocking tight end in the NFL and he's probably the second best pass protector on the 49ers next to Joe Staley. Because of that, Martz said he would limit Davis's catches to 30 or year (he had 31 receptions last year).

Martz didn't say it, but he believes Davis is nothing special as a receiver, probably because he often doesn't know where to go. Davis continued to prove that during OTA's obliviously striding down field a couple times when Shaun Hill was trying to throw him quick-hitting, blitz-busting passes. It conjured up the comment by Trent Dilfer who said none of the 49ers quarterbacks trusted Davis as a receiver.

Now, it might be different by the start of the season. Davis is with an offensive coordinator in Jimmy Raye who developed future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, and Davis caught plenty of other passes in OTA's. But if Davis doesn't catch on early in the season, Raye might start directing passes to burgeoning talent he has in his receiving corps.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?blogid=45&entry_id=42201

Encore un qui va devoir sérieusement se sortir les doigts s'il ne veut pas aller grossir les rangs de l'UFL.

Citation :

San Francisco coach Mike Singletary explained how he almost made Michael Crabtree cry. Singletary said that he saw Crabtree doing a jog-through on the practice field. Singletary said he hadn't heard that Crabtree was medically clear, so he went over and told Crabtree to get on the sideline and sit until he gets full clearance. Singletary said Crabtree got "teary-eyed" because he wanted to be out there.

En attendant d'avoir quelque chose a se mettre sous la dent...

Singletary ne fera peut etre pas des niners une équipe pour les PO mais au moins depuis qu'il est la, il a le merite de me faire rire.