As far as a plan goes, do you mean for this year or for the future.
Mike Nolan is really big on character guys. He is trying to purge the team of anyone he feels does not have character, to a fault maybe I don't know yet. He wants to build a team through the draft much like the 49er teams of old. Even though this team is young until the last 2 or 3 years we have really done poorly in the draft as far as turning our picks into people who can play at a high level.
Andre Carter isn't worth anything or at least hasn't shown much for the Niners and he doesn't seem he didn't seem to fit into his role as a 3-4 backer because he was only able to play on passing downs and wasn't as disruptive as you would hope so I think that is why they are letting him go.
Julian on the other hand wants out, he doesn't want to play for the 49ers and we have known this for about 2 years, I think they francised him last year because they wanted to see if he would like playing for Nolan and the "new culture" they are trying to create.
Brandon Lloyd speculation was that he didn't want to sign his tender and wanted to leave. Also he had been called out for not being much of a team player. I think they let him go for a little less than I would have but I think we all agree that a first rounder would be too much, but a second or at least two 3rds would have been nice.
The Sac Bee reported that Antonio Bryant is at Niner headquarters right now and I would look to be that Bryant or Givens would be they way they are looking. I think they really like Battle and Hamilton so they feel that a decent Veteran type reciever would be a good addition over someone who has been in the league a few years but is still very inexperienced and also someone with locker room issues.
For the most part I think they are trying to be conservitive because unreasonable moves are what got them in the possition they were in a few years ago. Lets be honest there was nobody on there team that deserved any sorta tag going into this offseason other than Julian and I think both ends wanted to part ways Julian more than the niners.
In the draft the "Homers" like Vernon Davis or AJ Hawk. AJ would be a great replacement for our departed linebackers, although I don't think Carter is a big loss. And Vernon Davis is seen as bringing some offensive fire power to a team that needs to develope a young QB.
If they bring in one of the 2 WR they are looking at I see them going Davis at pick 6 and then one of the other linebackers in round two, or else I see them with AJ Hawk and maybe Moss if he falls to the begining of round 2.
Here is an article about the trade
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...03/12/49ERS.TMP I left out talking about randel el because I really hope they don't sign him, the guy is getting hyped for making one play in the super bowl and it was a pass, maybe he throws better than our quarterback but he still wont have anyone to throw to.