SB Nation - Marvel Smith

Golden Nuggets: Should be a good one..

Ninjames — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:18 -0000

Morning everyone. Well, it's gameday. Today the Titans come to San Francisco to lose... I mean play the 49eers in what should be a slaughter... I mean good game. Still, I'm excited, though kind of in a hurry considering I have to rise very early so I can make the two and a half hour drive to SF and get there early enough to pull out the BBQ, table, ice chest and of course the laptop for parking-lot tracking of the other games. So I'll make my introduction rather sort. Oddly enough, right this very second is the first I've thought about the game in the past 24 hours, I've been too excited for Strikeforce. Well my two guys won, though I'm not nearly as passionate for MMA as I am my 49ers--I sincerely hope the streak continues for my favorites with a Niners victory today. Without further ado (again, I will somehow ban anybody who tells me it is adieu instead of ado) here's your links. Oh, and GO NINERS!!!

Titans RB Chris Johnson is the biggest threat to the 49ers today--he should be a challenge, he's not exactly the same type of back as the team has faced this season. Still, I figure we got him. (SacBee.com)

The 49ers offensive line continues to shuffle. I'm seriously so surprised how this season went as far as the o-line goes. The second Marvel Smith retired I just got this gut feeling that the line would not be a good one this season. I was right. (MercuryNews.com)

Alex Smith is returning to the Candlestick spotlight--and I'll be there to cheer him on. Yes, I've been heavily opposed to Alex Smith for a couple years but if he's the starting QB then he's my favorite QB on the roster. I'm not a fan of "root for the backup." (PressDemocrat.com)

This game isn't a must-win, but it's real close. (PressDemocrat.com)

A good preview article from the Chronicle with many notes, odds and opinions. (SFGate.com)

TE Delanie Walker is ready to bust out. I've always liked Walker... as a side note, does anybody else absolutely hate the new look of Maiocco's blog? He's probably my favorite beat writer but Christ almighty I can't stand his new layout. (PressDemocrat.com)

The team remains upbeat regardless of three straight losses. This is key, I fully would expect this team to rollover today if we still had Nolan as our coach--but under Singletary I find myself optimistic as well. (SFGate.com)

Be sure to check out the NFL Game Center for tracking the game today as well as a preview before it and a wrap-up afterwards. (NFL.com)

Be sure to watch Gameday Morning to see a video of Vernon Davis' workout routine. This is obviously for the ladies. (MercuryNews.com)

As stated before, ex NFL QB Rich Gannon thinks the 49ers are on the right track. (SFGate.com)

Why not check out the blog for the opposition and read their preview of today's game. (MusicCityMiracles.com)

And here's one last preview to round out the links. (Examiner.com)

Tony Pashos is a 49er

Andrew Davidson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:34:45 -0000

by Marta Lavandier - AP

View full size photo »

There were a few stories I found regarding Pashos signing a one-year contract with the 49ers, and PFT is reporting it also. The Offensive Lineman refused to take a pay cut in Jacksonville and has reportedly signed a one year deal worth less than the pay cut Jacksonville was asking him to make. Obviously this signing is big news for the 49ers, who seemed shot in the foot after Marvel Smith's retiring.

A Quick Look at Pashos

2007 - 2008: Started all 31 games that he played in with the Jaguars at RT. In 2007, the team averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and allowed 31 sacks. In 2008, Jacksonville averaged 4.2 ypc and allowed 42 sacks. According to this "article", Pashos allowed 5.5 sacks in 2008. For additional info,check out this bio at the Jaguars website.

2003 - 2006: Drafted in the 5th round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2003 and didn't play in the 2003 season (played 6 games in 2004). Started 7 games in 2005, becoming the starter at the midway point (participated in all 16 games). Played in and started all 16 games for Balimtore in 2006, when the team allowed just 17 total sacks on the season. On the first day of free agency in 2007, Pashos signed with the Jaguars.

What's it mean for the 49ers?

Obviously Adam Snyder is the starter, but for how much longer? Tony Pashos has the experience as an effective starting RT in this league, and should push Snyder all season long for playing time. Chances are, once Pashos is acclimated to the system, the RT job is his. The 49ers will also have to release a player to make room for Pashos when the deal is official, any guesses on who that will be?

Projecting the 49ers 53-man roster #4

Fooch — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:18 -0000

As the preseason rolls along, more and more positional battles are won, meaning more and more folks lock up roster spots. For example, yesterday's release of Damon Huard not only locks in Nate Davis's roster spot, but as far as I'm concerned, it removes him from our last 5 on list. I'd imagine it's not a major concern to Nate, but still worth considering.

As you'll notice, I've bumped down Bear Pascoe to last 5 on. Maiocco rolled out his 53-man roster projection (feel free to compare with mine) and actually went with J.J. Finley as the third tight end. He based his decision on the fact that Finley is getting the lion's share of playing time, although he admitted he's not completely sold on that pick. I can see why he might pick Finley, but for now I'm gonna stick with Bear, albeit rather tenuously. I've listed Finley as one of the first 5 off because honestly nobody else really jumps out at me for that list.

Offense
QB (3): Shaun Hill, Alex Smith, Nate Davis
RB (4): Frank Gore, Glen Coffee, Michael Robinson, Kory Sheets
FB (1): Moran Norris
WR (6): Isaac Bruce, Brandon Jones, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, Arnaz Battle, Dominique Zeigler
TE (3): Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Bear Pascoe
LT (2): Joe Staley, Barry Sims
LG (1): David Baas
C (2): Eric Heitmann, Cody Wallace
RG (2): Chilo Rachal, Tony Wragge
RT (2): Adam Snyder, Alex Boone

Defense
DE (5): Justin Smith, Kentwan Balmer, Demetric Evans, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald
DT (1): Aubrayo Franklin
OLB (4): Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks, Marques Harris
ILB (4): Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jeff Ulbrich, Scott McKillop
CB (5): Nate Clements, Dre Bly, Tarell Brown, Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson
FS (2): Dashon Goldson, Mark Roman
SS (2): Michael Lewis, Reggie Smith

Special Teams
K: Joe Nedney
P: Andy Lee
LS: Brian Jennings
KR/PR: Allen Rossum

Last 5 on: Ahmad Brooks, Kory Sheets, Dominique Zeigler, Alex Boone, Bear Pascoe

First 5 off: Jay Moore, J.J. Finley, Curtis Taylor, Ricky Jean-Francois, Micheal Spurlock

After the jump, I include a practice squad projection and some further thoughts...

Practice Squad (8): TE J.J. Finley, OLB Jay Moore, FS Curtis Taylor, DL Ricky Jean-Francois, FB Brit Miller, OLB Diyral Briggs, G/C Matt Spanos, DL Khalif Mitchell

I doubt Crabtree signs when the practice squad is first put together, but if he signs before the season, I'm thinking he gets Zeigler's roster spot and Zeigler gets to use his last year of practice squad eligibility. The Crabtree situation definitely makes the wide receiver decisions a little more difficult...if not now then at some point.

Maiocco's 53-man projection, as compared to my own, is particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Under running backs he lists six, with the last being "Unnamed Fullback Not on Roster." I find that rather interesting given Michael Robinson's occasional use as a fullback. I'm curious what fullback that is. Lorenzo Neal? Is he considering Brit Miller "not on the roster" at that point? Although fullback isn't a glamorous position, I find myself immensely curious by what Maiocco means with that. I even shot him a tweet about it. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

The other major area where we differed was at offensive tackle. Maiocco had Alex Boone on his practice squad and Barry Sims as the only backup tackle, basically acting as a swing tackle. I know how most people here feel about Barry Sims, and since the retirement of Marvel Smith, I figured Boone had moved into much safer territory. This kind of has me wandering back to his unnamed fullback. Is it necessary to grab another fullback over a second backup offensive tackle? Riddle me that....

Other than that our 53-man rosters don't differ all that much. That is primarily due to the fact that the 49ers are in a position where they have sufficient talent to actually fill a 53-man roster (unlike a few years back). Following the departure of Damon Huard (making Davis a lock), probably 46 of the roster spots are close to locks. Non-locks on top of the last five on might include Marques Harris and Marcus Hudson. So not exactly a lot there.

49ers Right Tackle options

Fooch — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:16:43 -0000

The retirement of Marvel Smith naturally brought a lot of consternation as to what the 49ers might do to shore up the now thin offensive line. The team has their 5 starters, but there are big questions at the backup offensive tackle position. Adam Snyder missed Saturday's game due to a knee injury, but is expected to be fine coming opening day. However, he has yet to prove himself as a consistent force at the right tackle position, so depth is certainly a necessity.

The 49ers currently sit with Barry Sims and Alex Boone as their primary offensive tackle backups. Beyond that they have guys like Jacob Bender, Joe Toledo and Matt Spanos. A week ago they had no prayer of making the roster. Today they've certainly got a chance, although I still don't see them making the roster. I'd imagine we've heard all we need to hear about Barry Sims. He's old and lost many steps in his game. He was pretty atrocious last year, but one has to wonder how much of that was due to his aging and how much was due to the Martz offense. Any thoughts on that?

The other man is of course fan favorite Alex Boone. Boone has shown some skills and could very well end up being a player in this league. One would imagine the retirement of Smith has come pretty close to locking up a spot on the roster for Boone. Many would argue that it's way too soon to expect much out of him other than as an emergency fill-in. I would tend to agree with that, although we all have heard his draft story. He has talent and would have been drafted if not for his off the field problems.

No matter who you take from the above mentioned offensive tackles, I wouldn't exactly call it an awe-inspiring group at this point. Certainly some upside, but a whole lot of "rough around the edges."

So where does that leave us? Well, potentially in need of another offensive tackle. Adam Caplan of Scout.com developed an updated list of best free agents still available on offense. After the jump we break down some of the more intriguing options from that list. We also utilize an older list from February.

Jon Runyan
This is definitely my favorite option at this point. Runyan had microfracture surgery at the end of January, which was expected to keep him out four to six months. Well, as of a few days ago, Runyan was cleared for full contact. Back in February Caplan had an interesting comment about Runyan:

This mauling type of lineman is nearing the end of a solid 13-year career. Despite playing in a passing offense, Runyan actually may be a better fit for a team that uses a power running game.

Well, ya don't say? Of course, before we get ahead of ourselves, both sides would have to want this to happen. Runyan was drafted by the Oilers/Titans, but spent the majority of his career in Philly. Would he be interesting in coming to the West Coast? Adam Snyder is currently the starter at right tackle, but we know that's not a sure thing. The team could ease Runyan back into things and if Snyder falters, Runyan could pounce on the job. I'm not holding my breath for this to happen, but I am definitely intrigued by the possibility.

Mark Tauscher
The big problem for Tauscher is his recovery from ACL surgery. There were reports that his knee was in pretty bad shape, but the last report I could find (end of July) indicated his rehab was running ahead of schedule, and he could be ready for game action in September. Obviously take that with a grain of salt, but again, this is a guy the 49ers could ease back into the swing of things.

Charles Spencer
Spencer generally was considered a solid talent before going down with what sounds like a pretty nasty compound leg fracture. He tried out for the Giants in May, but nothing ever came of that. Spencer recently signed with the UFL so he's certainly looking to make a comeback. As is the case with most everybody still available, plenty of injury baggage. At one point he was going to be Houston's left tackle of the future, so the talent level was certainly there at one point.

Jason Fabini
Fabini is generally considered a serviceable backup at this point in his career who can play 3 positions (right tackle and I think both guard positions). Of course, he's 35 years old so I wouldn't expect the 49ers would do much in terms of kicking the tires.

Levi Jones
The 49ers have denied interest in Jones, but I'll throw him on here anyways. Jones is certainly talented, but it sounds like he wants a starting job and that won't happen at this point in San Francisco.

I refuse to list the two former 49ers that are on Caplan's list.

There are numerous other offensive tackles on their last legs that I certainly could have included. For now though, I think this list includes the most pertinent options at the position.

In general, injuries are the overriding concern with any of the offensive tackles available. I'm curious how one views knee injuries as compared to back injuries. Do we have any old offensive linemen who would be able to provide us with some insight? I ask because people might complain about bringing in another injured free agent tackle, but maybe a knee injury can be worked around a little more than a back injury. Any thoughts?

Who do the 49ers axe? NFL roster cut-down date approaching

Fooch — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:42:48 -0000

On Tuesday September 1, NFL rosters have to be cut down to 75 men. According to Mike Sando, rosters have to be at 80 men by tomorrow. The deadline for the final cut to the 53-man roster is September 5.

For the 49ers, the retirement of Marvel Smith appears to bring them down to 80 men at this point (counted up their roster and subtracted Crabtree). The question becomes who to release by Tuesday. They need to release five guys in the coming two days, although they would need to cut a sixth person if they wanted to sign a veteran offensive tackle (Jon Runyan anybody?). So, who gets the axe at this point?

A quick look at an unofficial depth chart (page 13 of this pdf) would probably yield some combination of the following:

K/P Alex Romero, WR Maurice Price, WR Mark Bradford, WR Chris Francies, FB Bill Rentmeester, one of the three young CBs (Carlos Thomas, Terrail Lambert, Jahi Word-Daniels), one of two LBs (Mark Washington, Justin Roland), one of the younger offensive linemen maybe (Jacob Bender, Joe Toledo, Matt Spanos).

The team is high on Lambert, and I'd imagine they'd prefer to avoid releasing any offensive linemen at this point. However, I just wanted to get the names out there for consideration. Given that Brandon Jones will be sitting on the roster, I bet at least 2 of the 5 cuts are from the wide receivers. At fullback, Brit Miller will make it to the last roster cuts, so the only reason to hold onto Rentmeester is if Moran Norris won't play at all next Friday, you don't want Miller playing the whole game and you don't want to use Michael Robinson at FB. So basically I'm saying, Rentmeester might not make it past Tuesday.

Anybody I'm missing or shouldn't be including? I realize the offensive linemen are probably safe right now, but I figured I"d just include them anyways.

Marvel Smith officially retires: The bright side of life

Fooch — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:09:19 -0000

It's official. Marvel Smith has announced his retirement The 49ers announced it just now and Coach Mike Singletary had this to say:

"I would like to thank Marvel for his service to the 49ers organization over the last several months," said head coach Mike Singletary. "Marvel and I have spoken, and I know that this was not a decision he took lightly. We appreciate that he came to us when he did with this decision, and wish him well in the next chapter of his life."

Personally I feel bad for the guy. He's spent his life as a football player and he has reached a point where his body just won't let him do this anymore. It's a shame for it to happen to anybody, but particularly a young guy (he only just turned 31).

When Pro Football Talk's report that Marvel Smith was going to retire went down yesterday, reaction was certainly swift and mostly negative. Obviously given the circumstances it's understandable for people to be upset, but as many of you should expect, I'd like to look at the positives related to this...or at least why things could be worse. After the jump I've got my thoughts, but I thought I'd lead you past the jump with this classic scene from Monty Python's Life of Brian.

As the day went on I think people started to give the positives a little more consideration, but I thought I'd spell out some of the things I see with this impending retirement (since we have to hear from Marvel Smith).

First off, not a positive, but just a point to be made: Barrows confirmed the 49ers are NOT interested in free agent Levi Jones.

So, first the timing of the decision. When the 49ers and Smith began discussions and he eventually signed, much of the talk centered around his back injury. While it was a concern in my mind, I also was hoping he had moved past it. Obviously that's not the case. However, I'm not going to lay blame on him. A few mentioned it but I'd certainly rather hear this news now than after the last preseason game, or even worse, a week into the season after the 49ers have possibly waived and lost Alex Boone.

Of course, it would have also been nice to know this back in March before the draft and before other players were snatched up in free agency. It's easy to be critical of 49ers management for rolling the dice on a guy with a bad back and they certainly deserve criticism for that. At the same time, I think Smith had high upside if he had been able to remain healthy. Sometimes you roll the dice and crap out. That's just life. If they had been looking at a guy who would be the starting left tackle I think I would have been more upset about all this.

Then there's the fact that Adam Snyder seems to have won the job. Some folks don't think Snyder is any good. I've decided to reserve judgment given that he's never had a legit opportunity to stick at one position, having moved back and forth from tackle to guard throughout his career. I'm open to giving him a little bit of time at the position before saying he's useless. Of course, he's also hurt at this point and out for tonight's game. The upside to that? We get to see more of Barry Sims and Alex Boone. Ok, maybe more Barry Sims is not "upside." However, if Smith makes this retirement official, and barring some late free agent addition or trade, Boone and Sims would seem to both be locks to make the 53-man roster.

I have had Boone teetering on the bubble in all of my 53-man roster projections and now he's certainly moved into safer territory. You never like to see it happen because of injury, but at this point we'll take it any way we can get it. Alex Boone may not be ready to start in the NFL, but he's clearly better than an undrafted free agent. As long as he can keep on the ole straight and narrow, he could have himself a solid NFL career.

These next two games, and tonight in particular, will be very interesting to watch. Either Sims or Boone will get the start at right tackle. The question then is who comes in where behind the RT starter, and then behind Joe Staley at left tackle. The only other backups at this point are Jacob Bender and Joe Toledo. Both seem to get time at both tackle and guard. I don't think either is likely to make the roster, but they've certainly been given a better shot if they can put something together these next two games. Bender also has some time on the 53-man roster after being signed from the Patriots practice squad last season. His last regular season playing time was for the Jets in 2007.

The question is, do you just roll with Boone and Sims these last two playoff games to give them the most amount of time to show something? Or do you try and grab a free agent who would seem to be in an awkward position trying to learn the playbook and impress the coaching staff in a very limited amount of time? The poll is fairly simple but it'd be a waste of time to just throw a bunch of random free agent names on a poll.

Poll

How should the 49ers address the backup offensive tackle(s)

Stick with Sims and Boone

170 votes

Add a veteran free agent

230 votes

400 votes | Poll has closed

49ers - Cowboys: Q&A with Blogging the Boys

Fooch — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:00:14 -0000

The 49ers meet their old rival the Dallas Cowboys tonight in what many would view as the most important game of the preseason. Most teams roll out their starters through most of the first half, if not into the third quarter. For the 49ers, the potential Marvel Smith retirement will have people tuning in a little more to Barry Sims and Alex Boone's playing time. Speaking of which, I'll have more on that later today around lunch time.

In the meantime, with the old-school rivalry game going tonight, I had a chance to speak with Dave Halprin over at Blogging the Boys. Dave has been a part of SB Nation since early on and was instrumental in getting me going here at Niners Nation. Here's what Dave had to say about his Cowboys.

Fooch: I'm sure you've been talking about this all offseason, but now that TO is gone, what changes can we expect to see from the Cowboys in the passing game? Related to TO, do you think team chemistry as a whole automatically improves with TO gone or will it be wait and see?

BtB: Expect the Cowboys to try and spread the ball around to all their weapons in the passing game. That’s what they’ve been saying in the offseason and what they’ve been doing so far in preseason. TEs Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett will be involved, along with the running backs, especially Felix Jones. The Cowboys hope more balance in their passing attack will more than compensate for T.O.’s absence.

I think the team chemistry is improved so far, but the real test will be when things don’t go well in the regular season for a stretch of time; will the team pull together and work their way out of slumps and not blame each other? It wasn’t just T.O., we had a group of guys who were unhappy or complainers and got rid of most of them.

Fooch: I was hoping the 49ers would go after Igor Olshansky, but alas it was not to be. What kind of impact do you expect from Olshansky on the defensive line? Speaking of which, what's it like to have a real 3-4 defense? The 49ers have been supposedly implementing a 3-4 for much of the decade.

BtB: I’m a huge fan of the 3-4 defense. It feels like the Cowboys might have the key components in place this season on defense. We upgraded out secondary, especially safety which was a weak spot, in hopes that we’ll produce more turnovers this year. We led the league in sacks last season but didn’t get as many turnovers as you’d expect out of that. Igor Olshansky was signed to replace Chris Canty. He should be very good against the run, he has a history of that. If he can also put pressure on the QB, that will be a big upgrade.

Fooch: What do you guys expect from the running game this year? A lot of fantasy writers are projecting big things for Marion Barber, but then you've still got Felix Jones and Tashard Choice back there. Will it be RBBC or Barber getting the lion's share with Jones and Choice as clear-cut backups?

BtB: We couldn’t be more excited about our trio of running backs. We’ve got some serious talent in that group. If the Cowboys follow what they’ve shown in preseason so far, Marion Barber will be the starter but they will use Felix Jones pretty liberally in substitution. While Tashard Choice showed he had the talent last year to be a primary back, his spot in the rotation is third and will probably see significantly less touches then the other two. I think of it as a Barber/Jones starting duo, with Choice ready for mop-up duty, an occasional series and always ready in case of injury.

Fooch: I'm a big fan of Tony Romo. He's one of my favorite non-49ers. It seems like there are always a lot of distractions surrounding him and he seems to get a lot of crap even though he's been a solid player. What do Cowboys fans make of Tony Romo?

BtB: The opinions on Tony Romo from Cowboys fans are as varied as can be. If you want to generalize - always dangerous I know - I think the majority of Cowboys fans believe that Tony Romo is a top-flight QB and that he has a very good chance of leading us where we want to go. Sometimes there is frustrations with the outside stuff, but generally don’t believe that it hurts his game. Count me among that group. There is a vocal minority that doesn’t believe in Romo and think he’s a "celebrity" QB, but I would say that’s a smaller percentage of Cowboys fans. Then there are the Romosexuals, who think that Romo is only second to Jesus in his holiness!

Fooch: What are the major battles left to be won heading into this preseason game?

BtB: All of the major battles are about backup positions. The pecking order of the backup receivers isn’t quite settled yet and there’s a chance an undrafted free agent, Kevin Ogletree, could crash that party. There is a battle for the backup C/G spot on the o-line. And the backup linebackers on the outside and the backup secondary is still in flux.

Fooch: Will you really be surprised when Andy Lee (a God among Men) knocks down the jumbotron with a booming punt?

BtB: Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to the Cowboys.

Thanks again to Dave for taking the time to answer some of our questions.

The VRR: San Francisco (2-0) @ Dallas (1-1)

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Time to get ready for another preseason matchup. This time, Cowboys Stadium welcomes the team's old rivals from the west, the San Francisco 49ers.

Browse more photos »

When the 49ers bring their undefeated preseason record into Cowboys Stadium tomorrow night, they will be looking to play a solid game against a quality NFC team. The game will be the third for each team, and both expect to give their starters a considerable amount of playing time that could stretch into the third quarter.

Last season when the two teams met, the Cowboys handed their old west coast rivals a 35-22 defeat. The 49ers finished the season 7-9, which was good enough for second place in their division behind the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. They have a young team led by head coach Mike Singletary, and a defense led by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis.

Willis will be playing in his first preseason game this year after injuring his ankle and Achilles tendon early in training camp. He is looking forward to Saturday's matchup.

Patrick Willis said the chance for backups to compete against a talented team like the Cowboys would only be beneficial to everyone in the long run.

"I think it’s very big," Willis said. "To go out there and have a good game against a good-caliber team like the Cowboys, it means a lot across the board from the ones to the twos. Coach [Mike Singletary] will say all the time, ‘We don’t have backups. We have guys who come in and when they’re in there, they’re starters at that point in time.’ So, it’s going to be really big across the board."

More 49ers @ Cowboys after the jump.

49ers QB Shaun Hill, who has been resting a strained lower back and has recently been named the regular season starter, expects to play against the Cowboys.

San Francisco's starters are expected to play the first half against the Cowboys, with some continuing on into the third quarter.

"This is a very important game for everybody on the team," Hill said. "For the guys who are going to be starting it's important to establish a tempo and do some good things. Every opportunity to play is important. My goal is, no matter how many series, to come away with touchdowns."

Singletary isn't sure how long Hill will play.

"He’ll start the game and we’ll go from there," Singletary said.

If for some reason Hill can't go, 13-year vet Damon Huard will start in his stead.

Also, Barry Sims will start at right tackle for Marvel Smith.

We will not get to see WR Michael Crabtree. The team's first-round pick is still holding out. In fact, it looks like a messy situation between the organization and the former Texas Tech Red Raider.

Former 49ers cornerback and KPIX game analyst Eric Davis said that wide receiver Michael Crabtree is willing to sit out the season.

[snip]

Davis said the player and team are about 7 million apart on the guaranteed money. Davis knows people in Crabtree's camp, which might be his old teammate Deion Sanders, who's close to Crabtree. Davis wasn't sure if the continued holdout was motivated by Crabtree or his agent, Eugene Parker, but he did say this:

"Eugene Parker is not the football player. Eugene Parker works for Michael Crabtree, the key phrase here is 'works for,'" Davis said. Also Davis believes Crabtree might go through with his holdout threats.

Expect the 49ers to try to bring some pressure on Tony Romo. Linebacker Manny Lawson sounds like they've got something to prove tomorrow.

"We all pride ourselves on getting sacks. We want to get sacks and we're going to continue to try our hardest to get sacks," Lawson said Thursday as the 49ers prepared for Saturday's game at Dallas. "People may look at the first two games, but these are preseason games. We (starters) don't play that much. We don't really study film on our opponents. We just go up there and want to see what guys have."

The Cowboys are fortunate that Roy Williams' shoulder injury does not look too serious. Unfortunately for us, we won't get to see him play against the Niners.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Friday did not offer a firm timetable for Williams' recovery, but indicated there's a good chance Williams could be ready for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener at Tampa Bay. Jones said Williams had good strength and movement in his shoulder Friday morning, but emphasized the team will not "push anything" regarding his return.

[snip]

In the meantime, the team's medical and training staff will monitor Williams daily. Given Williams' chance for a relatively swift return, Jones said he doesn't envision the Cowboys signing another receiver for depth purposes. They could be short-handed at the position Saturday, however. Fourth-year veteran Sam Hurd has missed practice this week with a sore quad and seems questionable to play against the 49ers.

Here's what Jones had to say in response to a question about whether Orlando Scandrick practices too hard.

"No, not at all," Jerry Jones said during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan this morning. "When you're out there and you're not padded up, it's a time that you're sensitive about that and you try to avoid those collisions. But when you're moving at 95 to 100 percent speed, then sometimes they're not avoidable."

With Williams out and Hurd questionable, many eyes will be watching Kevin Ogletree, who is fast-becoming the favorite to win the fifth WR spot.

Another thing in Ogletree's favor is the presence of tight ends coach John Garrett, the brother of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. John coached Ogletree for two years at Virginia and promised him a fair shake; that was a big reason he signed with Dallas instead of the other 20-plus teams that offered him the chance to try earning a job.

"I trusted that he had my best interest in mind when he told me that I would have a good chance to play here," Ogletree said.

Another receiver, Manny Johnson, has attracted some attention for himself at practice.

During team drills, Johnson used his left hand to grab a 50-yard pass from Jon Kitna. What's more impressive, he made the catch despite tight coverage from Orlando Scandrick and Ken Hamlin down the left sideline.

New C/G, Duke Preston, will most likely sit this one out while he learns the offense.

"I'm going to pretty much not sleep and dive into the playbook this weekend and be ready to go Monday," Preston said.

Injuries actually helping the Rams this year

VanRam — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:35:44 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little could have some big games against division opponents missing their starting offensive tackles.

Browse more photos »

Despite what's been a relatively long list of injured Rams players missing preseason time, the team has been pretty lucky in that department. Of the starters that have missed time this month, Marc Bulger's broken pinkie has been the most serious of the bunch. I might have through Avery's broken foot was the worst, but, as he said, he runs fast, but he heels faster.

I'm knocking on wood as I type this, but the offensive line has remained pretty healthy, with LG Jacob Bell and LT Alex Barron missing some time with, respectively, a mild concussion and some swelling in the knee. Compare that with what's happening elsewhere in the NFC West.

In Seattle, future Hall of Fame LT Walter Jones is out with a knee injury, and the team is denying a credible report that Jones is not finished for the season. Either way, it's highly unlikely that Jones will be in uniform when the Rams open their season in Seattle.

Today, it was announced that San Francisco 49ers RT Marvel Smith will retire because of back problems. The Rams pass rushers have to be licking their chops at that news.

Arizona hasn't been so unfortunate in the injury department. Some big names have missed some time this month, but only second round pick LB Cody Brown has suffered a major injury, a dislocated wrist, that will keep him out for the season. Arizona's first team offense has not scored a TD so far in preseason play...emphasis on the preseason part.

In their 2009 Almanac, Football Outsiders made a shocking prediction that the Rams would win 8 games. A big part of that prediction hinged on the Rams not being likely to sustain as many injuries as they have in the last three seasons. A healthy Rams team matched up against a couple division rivals missing key players now makes that prediction more likely, since that's where the Rams have to pick up wins given a tough schedule outside the division.

Marvel Smith - Done

Andrew Davidson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:31:44 -0000

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Accorinding to PFT, Marvel Smith is indeed retiring. Big thanks to sfgfan for getting a speculative fanshot up. With the retirement of Mr. Smith, this leaves our RT situation directly on Adam Snyder's shoulders. In other words, we could be in trouble, despite Snyder showing considerable improvement. It also means that Alex Boone could stand a pretty good chance at making this roster. I'm sure Fooch will have more on this when he can, but for now Niners Nation, how does Marvel's retirement make you feel?

Personally, I feel rather upset and disappointed. I mean, we completely ignored RT in the draft because all our eggs were in the Marvel Smith basket. He hasn't been healthy at all, and now with the retirement, will contribute nothing to our team. Here's hoping Adam Snyder can beast his way to a productive season, but I hear Fearless Frog laughing somewhere.