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49ers offseason overview (1 Viewer)

azcards33

Footballguy
from a 49ers website:

TEAM NEEDS/OFF-SEASON STRATEGY

The 49ers, who have won six games combined the past two seasons, have a lot of holes at virtually every position on the team. Most of the 49ers' problems surround the passing game - both offensive and defensive. They need offensive players to help quarterback Alex Smith in the passing game. Defensively, the 49ers have a dearth of players who can rush the passer and cover receivers.

They will certain make concerted efforts to re-sign linebacker Derek Smith and kicker Joe Nedney. Because they received the veteran salary exemption in signing Nedney to a one-year contract last year, they can't sign him before the start of free agency. The club is close to working out a deal and will likely announce his signing on March 3. Linebacker Julian Peterson might warrant too much money for the 49ers to re-sign him. The 49ers will not use their franchise tag on Peterson, who has filled that role the last two years.

Cornerback Ahmed Plummer landed in the doghouse last season while missing the final 13 games after undergoing what the club thought was minor surgery to remove bone chips. The 49ers are expected to release him to save $1 million in cap space.

1. Pass rusher: Whether it comes from a defensive end or an outside linebacker, the 49ers need a player who can put hits on opposing quarterbacks. That was one of the team's most glaring needs last season. If North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams is still around when the 49ers pick in the first round, don't expect him to get away.

2. Defensive back: The 49ers believe starting cornerback Shawntae Spencer will be a reliable player, but there is nobody else the club would feel confident having as a starter in 2006 especially because they will likely release Ahmed Plummer instead paying the $5.5 million salary he is due to make. Also, Tony Parrish is a solid safety, but the 49ers would like to upgrade at free safety.

3. Receiver: Arnaz Battle showed signs of being a productive receiver, but when he missed much of the season with injuries, the receiving corps did not have the depth to respond. Brandon Lloyd is a one-dimensional receiver who has an aversion to catching the ball in traffic. At the very least, the 49ers need to find a reliable No. 3 pass catcher.

FRANCHISE PLAYER

None.

TRANSITION PLAYER

None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

S Marques Anderson; FB Fred Beasley; TE Steve Bush; DE/LB Andre Carter; OT Anthony Clement; DE Travis Hall; FB Chris Hetherington; TE Terry Jones; WR Jason McAddley; LB Brandon Moore; PK Joe Nedney; LB Julian Peterson; LB Saleem Rasheed; S Kris Richard; LB Derek Smith

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

QB Ken Dorsey; WR Brandon Lloyd.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--None.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--None.

PLAYERS LOST

--None.

MEDICAL WATCH

RB Frank Gore will have approximately five months of rehabilitation has he undergoes extensive surgery on both shoulders. Gore has already undergone one surgery. The club is expecting Gore to be ready for limited work during their last minicamp. They expect him to be available for full work early in training camp.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
that's a snip from USAToday probably, here's the full thing

Linebacker Julian Peterson, knowing his one-year pay was increasing to the point where it could do harm to the 49ers' salary cap, conceded after the season that he would not be the team's franchise player for a third consecutive year.

And, indeed, 49ers coach Mike Nolan has confirmed that the organization has no plans to pay Peterson $8.7 million to retain him as the club's franchise player.

"I know we'd love to have him back but when 31 other teams are out there, it's hard to say," Nolan said when asked if the club will make a big push to re-sign him. "As I always say, no one player will be bigger than the team. I've made that comment before when talking about character or selfish issues, but that goes for cap involvement, too. If the (salary) number takes us out of the realm where it hurts the football team, we have to be smart about how far we go."

Peterson was not his usually disruptive defensive presence last season, his first year back after returning from a torn Achilles' tendon that ended his 2004 season after just five games. Peterson recorded three sacks on the season, but 2 1/2 of them came in the season opener.

"I thought he made significant strides," Nolan said. "A lot of people will be very interested in J.P. because of player he's been over the years. I don't think people will see his health and think it's not an issue."

The 49ers, under the previous management regime, offered Peterson a six-year, $38 million contract that included a $15.5 million signing bonus prior to the 2004 season. He earned more than $14 million the last two years while tagged as the 49ers' franchise player.

He is not expected to attract a signing bonus in that range this off-season when he becomes a free agent. Peterson, a six-year pro, has said he wants to return to the 49ers. In the days after the season, Peterson said he knew the 49ers would not make him their franchise player again because of the 20 percent wage increase the club would be obligated to pay him.

"They might have to cut a couple guys to fill the depth chart if my (salary) number was so high," Peterson said. "I don't think that would be a smart move to do something like that because we have a lot of talent on the team. You don't want to start over from ground zero."

—Already this off-season, 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff have coached the South squad at the Senior Bowl, which is the best collection of talent of any of the college all-star games.

Nolan has also popped in from time to time during two weeks of pre-combine meetings that vice president of player personnel Scot McCloughan has held with the club's scouts.

All this studying has made Nolan more prepared than he has ever been heading into the NFL scouting combine.

"Even as an assistant, I've never been up to speed as much as I am right now," Nolan said. "If 100 percent is the goal, I'm about 25 percent. In a normal year, I'd be about five (percent), if lucky. Right now, I have a lot more awareness of who the players are going in."

The 49ers will draft either sixth or seventh in the first round, pending the outcome of a coin toss with the Raiders to be held at the combine in Indianapolis.

The 49ers are expected to enter the free-agent signing period from $15 million to $20 million under the salary cap. Nolan said they have already targeted some players to pursue. But he said the lifeblood of the organization will be the draft.

"The big thing for us is to supplement the holes we have with a free agent or two," said Nolan.

More important, Nolan said, is that the club has targeted some of its own players to re-sign. Kicker Joe Nedney and linebacker Derek Smith lead that group. Nedney is nearing a contract extension and is expected to be re-signed. Smith is largely an unheralded performer who has led the 49ers in tackles in each of his five years with the club.

NOTES, QUOTES

—The 49ers plan to widen their search for a high-level executive after Mike Reinfeldt, Seahawks vice president of football administration, turned them down. Coach Mike Nolan has wanted to hire a respected NFL administrator to strengthen his support system. Just two weeks ago, the 49ers announced that owner John York had given Nolan the go-ahead to fill such a spot in the organization.

Falcons executive vice president/chief administrative officer Ray Anderson is among the candidates for the 49ers' opening, along with Rams executive vice president Bob Wallace, former NFL general manager Bob Ferguson and Cardinals senior director of football operations John Idzik.

—Quarterback Alex Smith said he plans to speak this off-season with former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who won his first two Super Bowl titles with Norv Turner as his offensive coordinator. Turner is the new 49ers' offensive coordinator, taking over for Mike McCarthy, who left to become head coach of the Packers.

"I've talked with him before but my past conversations were more on what it's like to be a starting quarterback as a rookie," Smith said. "I know he speaks very highly of coach Turner, so I'll definitely want to talk with him again."

—Smith said he was eager to delve into his off-season of work with McCarthy as his coordinator, but he now must make an adjustment to a new coordinator.

"Obviously, it was a surprise," Smith said. "I was looking forward to an off-season of not having to learn a new offense. But I grew so close to coach McCarthy last year that part of me is really happy for him. We talked about we were both looking forward to getting this thing going this off-season. I understand the business and realize this was a great situation for him. There are only 32 of those jobs out there. We talked and decided to stay in touch. He said I could always call him."

Smith has already started learning Turner's new system after spending time this off-season at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and in Detroit for the Super Bowl.

"I'll be going back to a learning environment again," Smith said. "I'll be starting over with a lot of things, which is not a terrible thing. I learned a ton last year going through Coach McCarthy's system. If coach McCarthy had stayed, we could have hit the ground running. Now, it's going to be a lot more scholastics."

—The 49ers have allocated quarterback Bryson Spinner to NFL Europe. Spinner has been released by the Redskins, Jaguars and Seahawks. A 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, Spinner completed his college career at Richmond in 2003.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I feel a lot better about the football team today than a year ago. Also, I'm very realistic about the improvements we need to make. Next year we'll make some strides. We're going to start stacking on top of good players as we continue to draft well." - 49ers coach Mike Nolan on the progress the club has made since he took over.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The 49ers hired secondary coach Johnnie Lynn to take over for A.J. Christoff, who was hired as Stanford University's defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach. Lynn served in the same capacity with the 49ers in 1996 on George Seifert's final staff. Lynn has coached 12 seasons in the NFL, including the last two with the Baltimore Ravens. He spent seven seasons with the New York Giants, including two as defensive coordinator.

Coach Mike Nolan said he is optimistic that the club will re-sign some of its scheduled free agents before they are scheduled to hit the open market on March 3.

TEAM NEEDS/OFF-SEASON STRATEGY

The 49ers, who have won six games combined the past two seasons, have a lot of holes at virtually every position on the team. Most of the 49ers' problems surround the passing game - both offensive and defensive. They need offensive players to help quarterback Alex Smith in the passing game. Defensively, the 49ers have a dearth of players who can rush the passer and cover receivers.

They will certain make concerted efforts to re-sign linebacker Derek Smith and kicker Joe Nedney. Because they received the veteran salary exemption in signing Nedney to a one-year contract last year, they can't sign him before the start of free agency. The club is close to working out a deal and will likely announce his signing on March 3.

Linebacker Julian Peterson might warrant too much money for the 49ers to re-sign him. The 49ers will not use their franchise tag on Peterson, who has filled that role the last two years.

Cornerback Ahmed Plummer landed in the doghouse last season while missing the final 13 games after undergoing what the club thought was minor surgery to remove bone chips. The 49ers are expected to release him to save $1 million in cap space.

1. Pass rusher: Whether it comes from a defensive end or an outside linebacker, the 49ers need a player who can put hits on opposing quarterbacks. That was one of the team's most glaring needs last season. If North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams is still around when the 49ers pick in the first round, don't expect him to get away.

2. Defensive back: The 49ers believe starting cornerback Shawntae Spencer will be a reliable player, but there is nobody else the club would feel confident having as a starter in 2006 especially because they will likely release Ahmed Plummer instead paying the $5.5 million salary he is due to make. Also, Tony Parrish is a solid safety, but the 49ers would like to upgrade at free safety.

3. Receiver: Arnaz Battle showed signs of being a productive receiver, but when he missed much of the season with injuries, the receiving corps did not have the depth to respond. Brandon Lloyd is a one-dimensional receiver who has an aversion to catching the ball in traffic. At the very least, the 49ers need to find a reliable No. 3 pass catcher.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

—S Marques Anderson was a late-season acquisition brought to team because of the myriad of injuries in the defensive backfield.

—FB Fred Beasley lost starting job to Chris Hetherington while he feuded with running backs coach Bishop Harris. He does not fit into Mike Nolan's plan for the club.

—TE Steve Bush did not add much to the team at a position that was one of its glaring weaknesses.

—DE/LB Andre Carter is a player the team would like to bring him back but it has to be at the right price. Carter did not adjust well to the team's new 3-4 scheme, as he recorded just 4 1/2 sacks.

—T Anthony Clement started at left tackle for a rough six-game stretch. The team would like to be a little more confident in its backups in the future.

—DE Travis Hall does not figure into the team's plan, and he might decide to call it a career.

—FB Chris Hetherington beat out Fred Beasley for the starting job late in the year, and the journeyman figures to return at a realistic salary.

—TE Terry Jones, a Ravens' castoff, came to 49ers at midseason and immediately became a starter. Still, this is a spot the 49ers have to upgrade significantly.

—WR Jason McAddley did a respectable job as the club's third or fourth receiver, but he should find himself up against stiffer competition this year for a roster spot.

—LB Brandon Moore became a starter when Jeff Ulbrich was lost for the year with a biceps injury. He was second on team with five sacks, and might have earned a decent payday from a team elsewhere. The club would like to bring him back as a reserve.

—K Joe Nedney set a club record for single-season field-goal accuracy, and is expected to re-sign with the 49ers in early March.

—LB Julian Peterson will not be made the 49ers' franchise player, a tag that would cost $8.7 million. He should be better in 2006 because of the time removed from his torn Achilles' tendon. Don't look for the 49ers to make a huge investment to keep him.

—LB Saleem Rasheed is an injury-prone player has not been much of a factor in on defense or special teams since being a third-round pick in 2002.

—S Kris Richard was a late season pickup who came to the team to fill a roster spot. Might get invited to training camp.

—LB Derek Smith is the top priority for the 49ers to re-sign. Coach Mike Nolan and his staff were impressed with his work ethic and production as the team's leading tackler.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

—QB Ken Dorsey will almost assuredly be tendered at the low level. The 49ers would receive a seventh-round pick as compensation if another team signs him. The 49ers want to retain him, but they don't believe another team would offer a big enough deal to scare them from matching.

—WR Brandon Lloyd makes the acrobatic catch as well as anyone, but he has to show a willingness this year to catch passes over the middle. He could receive some nibbles if the 49ers give him the low-level tender, which means the 49ers would gain a fourth-round pick as compensation if he leaves.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

—None.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

—None.

PLAYERS LOST

—None.

MEDICAL WATCH

RB Frank Gore will have approximately five months of rehabilitation has he undergoes extensive surgery on both shoulders. Gore has already undergone one surgery. The club is expecting Gore to be ready for limited work during their last minicamp. They expect him to be available for full work early in training camp.

 
49ers | Team re-signs B. Moore

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:27:05 -0800

ESPN.com's John Clayton reports the San Francisco 49ers have re-signed LB Brandon Moore to a five-year, $8 million contract.

 
49ers | Nolan still thinks team can re-sign Peterson

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 18:11:17 -0800

Greg Beacham, of the Associated Press, reports the flurry of free-agent signings around the league left San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan surprisingly confident the 49ers had a chance to re-sign free agent LB Julian Peterson (49ers). He is still on the market while many other high-profile free agents are gone. "I don't know why, (but) I have a sense of being encouraged by all the things that have happened," Nolan said.

:pickle:

 
Here's a little info:

Alex Smith's delivery is much quicker this year, plus he has more zip on the ball. I guess they've been working on his mechanics. Norv seems to be trying to get the ball out of his hands quickly. I guess he doesn't want Alex thinking too much out there. His accuracy needs some work however.

Bryant is definitely Alex's favorite target. I expect Bryant to get lots of balls thrown his way. Bryan Gilmore has been a surprise. It's something to keep an eye on as Battle is nursing an injury. Gilmore could even take WR2 duties, because Battle has been working on inside slot routes.

Eric Johnson is healthy and looking good. Vernon Davis definitely has the athletic edge at TE, but he's raw and doesn't seem to catch the ball smoothly. Davis is definitely a great blocking TE though.

Frank Gore definitely looks like the best RB out there, great burst when he gets the ball. Barlow is still dancing in the backfield trying to put moves on guys. Hicks has shown speed and agility. Michael Robinson also looks really good, he's physical and he runs really low to the ground, I hear they're planning on putting him at F-Back.

 
toxicbees said:
Here's a little info:

Alex Smith's delivery is much quicker this year, plus he has more zip on the ball. I guess they've been working on his mechanics. Norv seems to be trying to get the ball out of his hands quickly. I guess he doesn't want Alex thinking too much out there. His accuracy needs some work however.

Bryant is definitely Alex's favorite target. I expect Bryant to get lots of balls thrown his way. Bryan Gilmore has been a surprise. It's something to keep an eye on as Battle is nursing an injury. Gilmore could even take WR2 duties, because Battle has been working on inside slot routes.

Eric Johnson is healthy and looking good. Vernon Davis definitely has the athletic edge at TE, but he's raw and doesn't seem to catch the ball smoothly. Davis is definitely a great blocking TE though.

Frank Gore definitely looks like the best RB out there, great burst when he gets the ball. Barlow is still dancing in the backfield trying to put moves on guys. Hicks has shown speed and agility. Michael Robinson also looks really good, he's physical and he runs really low to the ground, I hear they're planning on putting him at F-Back.
:shock:
 
By: Craig Massei

SFI editor in chief

Date: Aug 2, 2006

Top of the day, featured attraction, looking forward, player spotlight, plays of the day and news, views and interviews from 49ers training camp Wednesday as the team closes in on the end of the opening week of summer camp.

TOP OF THE DAY

For the first time since Terrell Owens bolted the premises for greener and more volatile pastures, the 49ers have a few wide receivers who can legitimately stretch the field. The team had to buy them, but free-agent newcomers Antonio Bryant and Bryan Gilmore have added a dimension the Niners haven’t had in the past few years, and particularly last season, when opponents could crowd the San Francisco passing game on the edges and gang up on receiving targets because they didn’t have to worry about anybody getting behind them. Bryant, who had another solid day of practice Wednesday, clearly has emerged as the team’s top target in the passing game, and as of now, coach Mike Nolan says Gilmore is the frontrunner for the No. 3 role behind starters Bryant and Arnaz Battle, though Gilmore is getting some competition from rookie Brandon Williams and veteran Jason McAddley is refusing to go away. Gilmore, however, probably would dust those two in a foot race. “We didn’t have much speed last year in the wide receivers corps, so (Gilmore) gives us some things that we didn’t have last year,” Nolan said. “Obviously, Antonio Bryant gives us some of the same things.” While Gilmore and Bryant each have the quality speed at receiver, it’s how they use it to get open and create space underneath for others that makes them effective. While Gilmore says he’s “definitely” fast enough to beat quality NFL cornerbacks, he also makes the point that, “You’re not going to out-run too many guys in this league. Everybody can run. There’s so many great corners back there.” Now, at least, the 49ers have some wideouts that will challenge those corners on the run, a must in offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s vertical offense.

FEATURED ATTRACTION

Turner will be leaving the 49ers after Thursday’s practice sessions, but it’s for a good reason. Turner will miss Friday’s two practice sessions and Saturday’s team scrimmage when he departs on a red-eye flight late Thursday to Canton, Ohio, where the Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2006 on Saturday. Turner will deliver the presentation speech for former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman, who credits Turner with being the major influence that turned him into a successful, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Aikman asked Turner earlier this year to be his presenter at Saturday’s induction ceremony, and Turner - who spent three seasons with Aikman in Dallas before getting his first head-coaching gig in Washington - considers it one of the highest honors he ever has had in football. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I’m excited about going back and doing it,” Turner said. “This is as big a deal as I’ve been involved with. It’s as big an honor as I’ve had as a coach or competitor. It’s a real privilege and it means a lot to me.” Turner said nobody need worry about the summer progress of the offense while he’s away. “We’ve got a heck of an offensive staff and coaching staff. I think we’re on the same page as much as any staff I’ve been on.” Then, with a smile, Turner added, “They’ll probably enjoy having me gone a little bit.”

LOOKING FORWARD

After three days in pads, Nolan gave his team an evening off for the first time in training camp Wednesday, with players given a 12 midnight curfew. The 49ers will have their meetings in the morning Thursday, then will practice in pads on their newly-installed turf field for one of the few times in camp. The session will emphasize short-yardage and goal-line situations. A group of NFL referees will be on hand to officiate practice and also give the 49ers a taste of how the league’s new rules this year will be interpreted and educate them about any other changes in playing regulations. Missing conspicuously from the short-yardage and goal-line work likely will be linebacker Derek Smith, who usually is right in the thick of such situations. Smith suffered a left quad contusion Wednesday and was held out of the afternoon session. He was limping slightly with his thigh iced and bandaged coming off the field in the afternoon, and Nolan indicated Smith might be held out of Thursday’s full-squad practice, which will be followed in the afternoon by a one-hour special teams session.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

There is considerable debate whether Shawntae Spencer will ultimately develop into a legitimate No. 1 cornerback in the NFL, but there is no question where he stands on this team. While the 49ers feverishly look to upgrade their talent and quality at cornerback this summer - a task that seems to be succeeding - Spencer is on an island all alone after being moved earlier this year to left cornerback, where most of the league’s No. 1 corners reside. Spencer emerged in just his second season last year as the best thing the Niners have going in their secondary, starting 14 games at right cornerback and leading the team with four interceptions - one of which he returned 62 yards for a touchdown - to go along with 14 passed defensed (first on the team) and 76 tackles (fourth on the team). He has picked up where he left off last year as one of the team’s smoothest and most consistent defensive performers. Spencer rarely is out of position in coverage, and his developing ball skills were vividly on display when he made an impressive interception (See Plays of the Day) during team drills and followed it several minutes later by slapping away a pass intended for tight end Eric Johnson in the end zone.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

Morning session: Receiver Jason McAddley, continuing to assert himself on a daily basis, slipped behind cornerback Kris Richard and late-arriving safety Mark Roman to haul in a deep spiral from quarterback Trent Dilfer and take it into the end zone.

Afternoon session: Eric Johnson momentarily looked open down the middle on a post route until Spencer closed on the play in impressive fashion. With quarterback Alex Smith sending a wobbling pass to his intended target, Spencer surged in from left corner and leaped in front of Johnson as the ball arrived, taking it away from the tight end with an outstanding leaping grab.

 

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