SB Nation - Brian Jennings

49ers Unofficial Official 2009 depth chart

Fooch — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:24:24 -0000

At some point this week (I'm guessing), the 49ers will post what they consider their "official" depth chart for 2009. For now the site says the official depth chart hasn't been released.

The good news is that we do have an unofficial depth chart that seems likely to be pretty close to official. In that game release I received from the team, it includes a page with the unofficial depth chart. A couple weeks ago it would have meant a lot less in terms of week 1 starters. At this point though, even with a couple signs potentially in the offing (a TE and RB/FB), we probably have a pretty good take on it. I'd imagine most of us could write this on our own, but it's still worth posting what the team is saying.

The one thing I still find particularly interesting is that they only list one player at nose tackle (Aubrayo Franklin) with no backups. I'm curious to see how the team rotates players in to keep Franklin fresh. Will we see a line of Smith - Sopoaga/Balmer - Sopoaga/Balmer on occasion? On nickel it will be just as interesting. Maybe go Smith, Sopoaga, Balmer, McDonald? Just one of many things we'll find out on Sunday.

Underline: rookies
Italics: drafted rookie who has yet to sign
[player]: injured

Offense

Pos.	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
WR	Josh Morgan	Arnaz Battle	Jason Hill	Michael Crabtree
LT	Joe Staley	Barry Sims
LG	David Baas	Tony Wragge
C	Eric Heitmann	Cody Wallace
RG	Chilo Rachal	Tony Wragge
RT	Adam Snyder	Tony Pashos
TE	Vernon Davis	Delanie Walker
WR	Isaac Bruce	[Brandon Jones]	Micheal Spurlock
FB	Moran Norris
RB	Frank Gore	Glen Coffee	Michael Robinson
QB	Shaun Hill	Alex Smith	Nate Davis

Defense

Pos.	Starter	2nd	3rd
LDE	Isaac Sopoaga	Kentwan Balmer	Ricky Jean-Francois
NT	Aubrayo Franklin
RDE	Justin Smith	Ray McDonald	Demetric Evans
SAM	Manny Lawson	Marques Harris
TED	Takeo Spikes	Scott McKillop
MIKE	Patrick Willis	Jeff Ulbrich
WILL	Parys Haralson	Ahmad Brooks
LCB	Nate Clements	Tarell Brown	Marcus Hudson
RCB	Shawntae Spencer	Dre' Bly	Allen Rossum
SS	Michael Lewis	Reggie Smith
FS	Dashon Goldson	Mark Roman	Curtis Taylor

Special Teams

Pos.	Starter	2nd	3rd
P	Andy Lee
K	Joe Nedney
H	Andy Lee
PR	Allen Rossum	Micheal Spurlock	Arnaz Battle
KR	Allen Rossum	Micheal Spurlock
LS	Brian Jennings

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.

Projecting the 49ers 53-man roster #3

Fooch — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:15 -0000

It is indeed that time of the week. Eight days ago we rolled out the second 53-man roster projection and plenty has happened since then to mix things up a little bit more. The biggest news affecting our roster projection is probably the return of Ray McDonald from the PUP list. As with before, new additions are underlined. After the jump I go into some of the details of my changes.

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

Last 5 on: Ahmad Brooks, Kory Sheets, Dominique Zeigler, Barry Sims, Nate Davis

First 5 off: Jay Moore, Alex Boone, Curtis Taylor, Ricky Jean-Francois, Micheal Spurlock

Right off the bat, I'm sure the Barry Sims projection will have folks up in arms. The problem with this projection is deciding whether it's more predictions, projections as things currently stand, or a mix of both. I mention this because in his recap of yesterday afternoon's practice, Barrows mentioned that Sims was getting first team snaps over Boone. Marvel Smith only practices once a day, so in the second practice somebody else has to fill in at right tackle (since Snyder is out). I certainly reserve the right to adjust this depending on how practice and this weekend shakes out, but for now Sims seems to have an edge. I definitely would prefer to see Boone on the roster, but I'm just not seeing it right now. I'm sure there will be plenty of comments about this one.

The return of Ray McDonald does not bode well for Ricky Jean-Francois. The bump off the squad for now also bumped FB Brit Miller off the first 5 off. While he has looked solid, I think the five guys listed there are significantly closer to securing a roster spot than Miller. If the team keeps 4 running backs, I can't see more than one fullback (assuming we're not counting Michael Robinson as a fullback). Miller and Boone are two prime practice squad candidates. They're also two guys who might be tough to slip through waivers; Boone more so than Miller.

Other than that I just don't see a lot changing at this point. One guy who has gotten a decent amount of publicity is Diyral Briggs. Takeo Spikes was talking him up on the sideline last weekend during the Raiders game. He continued to impress this past weekend and has probably made a sufficient case for the practice squad. It would be tough for him to crack the 53-man at this point, although certainly not impossible. At this point he's listed behind Parys Haralson and Ahmad Brooks at the Will outside linebacker position. Personally I'd keep Brooks just because of that impressive goal line play when he made the leap and almost sacked Russell. I just don't see the team taking Briggs over Brooks at this point. Harris is backing up Lawson on the other side with Jay Moore behind them so again, I don't see him leaping them, at least for now.

At this point, as the starters are being figured out, the last few roster spots remain up for grabs. That list of first 5 off, among many others are all scratching and clawing for some ~~craps~~ scraps off the table. Most would argue Alex Boone has the best chance of making the roster. I would tend to agree, but it remains a tough road ahoe. I continue to root for Jay Moore, but Harris's experience in the Manusky defense gives him a big advantage.

At this point, who do you find yourself rooting for the most among the numerous "roster underdogs?"

Projecting the 49ers 53-man roster #2

Fooch — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:00:18 -0000

Approximately six weeks ago I rolled out my initial projection of the 49ers 53-man roster. While there is still plenty of preseason football to be played, I thought a couple weeks of training camp and a preseason game is enough time to consider revisions to our 53-man roster projection.

I have to admit that this has gotten really difficult to figure out given some of the injuries and the Michael Crabtree holdout. Brandon Jones is out until early October with his shoulder injury and Zak Keasey is out for 8-10 weeks with his forearm injury. Neither player can go on the PUP list since they passed physicals at the start of training camp. I think that means Keasey is likely to be cut at some point soon and potentially placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers (if I'm getting the rules correct).

Then there's Crabtree. Given his holdout he's still not a member of the 49ers. That basically means we'll come up with a list of 54 players because once Crabtree is signed, he'd have to go on the 53-man roster and somebody would need to be cut. At this point Crabtree is not included in this projection. After the jump we discuss that impact among other things.

Also, I've underlined new additions to the 53-man roster.

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, Alex Boone
LG (1): David Baas
C (2): Eric Heitmann, Cody Wallace
RG (2): Chilo Rachal, Tony Wragge
RT (2): Adam Snyder, Marvel Smith

Defense
DE (5): Justin Smith, Kentwan Balmer, Demetric Evans, Isaac Sopoaga, Ricky Jean-Francois***
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, Ricky Jean-Francois, Alex Boone

First 5 off: Jay Moore, ~~Barry Sims~~ Curtis Taylor, Micheal Spurlock, Damon Huard, Brit Miller

***Ray McDonald is on the PUP list and would need a spot on the roster at some point in the season. Replacement TBD

After the jump I take a look at some of the changes and some of the notable omissions. After you've read that over, feel free to tear me a new one on some of these selections.

There are a few players that are giving me all sorts of trouble. Let's start at wide receiver. Once Crabtree signs, who do you cut? The quick thought is to get rid of one of the receivers (either Zeigler or Battle). However, if Crabtree signs before the season starts, or even that first week or two, Brandon Jones will not be back yet. Given that Crabtree has a ton of ground to make up, I don't think you want to cut a guy who's been playing since day 1. So who exactly do you get rid of to make room for Crabtree on the 53-man roster?

Quarterback
I'm a bit conflicted here, but I think it's just that initial rush of a good performance from Damon Huard. If Nate Davis doesn't get much playing time, can the team afford to have him sitting at #3 if they elect to waive Damon Huard? Or is this an indication that Huard isn't going anywhere and they might actually keep 4 QBs? Given the injury issues, can this team afford to give a roster space to a 4th quarterback at this point?

Running Backs
The season ending injury to Thomas Clayton helps Kory Sheets, but doesn't guarantee anything. I kept Sheets on the roster, but I actually am thinking that his real "nemisis" for a roster spot is Micheal Spurlock. Spurlock has shown a good bit of potential and has been getting moved around all over the field, including in the wildcat/taser formation. At this point, I think either Spurlock or Sheets makes the roster, but not both.

Fullback
Close to 2/3 of you think Brit Miller will make the 53-man roster for week 1 of the regular season. I'm not quite comfortable adding him in yet given the presence of Moran Norris and Michael Robinson. At the same time, I've elevated him to first 5 off the roster. Miller will see a whole lot of playing time and if he puts up similar performances in the coming weeks, he might bump somebody off the roster. Who that would be exactly, I'm not so sure.

Offensive Tackle
I succumbed to the pressure and replaced Barry Sims with Alex Boone. Sims did perfectly reasonable in his backup role last week, but consider me on the upside bandwagon of Boone. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised with any outcome in this battle. However, as I said before, it's going to be either Boone or Sims, not both, on the roster.

Miscellaneous
I thought I'd close with a few miscellaneous thoughts on other roster spots. I added in RJF with McDonald on the PUP list, but I think RJF is still in a tenuous position at this point. He'll need to build on last weekend's performance. I moved Jay Moore off my projection, and went with Marques Harris. Harris has experience in the Manusky defense and that veteran presence would likely give him an edge. And Moore retains practice squad eligibility.

Projecting the 49ers 53-man roster #1

Fooch — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:00:15 -0000

FOOCH'S NOTE: Typo on my part. I listed 54 guys by accident. I've decided to subtract Curtis Taylor at this point. Sfgfan made a good point that with Mark Roman working out at both FS and SS they'll have some flexibility there and no need for a fifth safety.

Over the last couple months, people have begun rolling out their 53-man roster projections. We had kiyoshi rolling out an immediate post-draft depth chart comparison to 2008. That was followed by sam23 with the impressively early projection. I believe there have been some more, so feel free to post them in here, or link to them. Up until now I've been posting projections at each position as an exercise to start squaring away the last few roster spots. The first 40-45 spots are fairly easy to determine. It's those last 8-13 that are a toss-up.

Last year I rolled out my first 53-man roster projection in early June. Things ended up busy enough this year that we've held off on the roll-out until only a few weeks before training camp. As we did last year, the second roster projection will be shortly after the first preseason game and the second will come just before the final preseason game. And don't forget that we'll have a practice squad projection coming soon as well. It's only slightly more useful than projecting the 2010 draft in August 2009, but what are you gonna do, right? Anyways, onto the projection.

Offense
QB (3): Shaun Hill, Alex Smith, Nate Davis
RB (34): Frank Gore, Glen Coffee, Michael Robinson, Kory Sheets
FB (1): Moran Norris
WR (6): Isaac Bruce, Brandon Jones, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, Michael Crabtree, Arnaz Battle
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): Marvel Smith, Adam Snyder

Defense
DE (5): Justin Smith, Kentwan Balmer, Demetric Evans, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald***
DT (1): Aubrayo Franklin
OLB (3): Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Jay Moore
ILB (5): Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jeff Ulbrich, Scott McKillop, Ahmad Brooks
CB (5): Nate Clements, Dre Bly, Tarell Brown, Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson
FS (2): Dashon Goldson, Mark Roman
SS (2): Michael Lewis, Reggie Smith, ~~Curtis Taylor~~

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

Last 5 on: Jay Moore, Ahmad Brooks, Curtis Taylor, Kory Sheets, Arnaz Battle

First 5 off: Ricky Jean-Francois, Dominique Zeigler, Thomas Clayton, Alex Boone, Justin Roland

***If McDonald starts the regular season on the PUP list, Ricky Jean-Francois takes this spot

After the jump I provide an overview of these projections, along with a look at the numerous bubble spots. After you've read that over, feel free to tear me a new one on some of these selections.

THE BUBBLE
As should be expected, there are several guys I've put on this list that are on very shaky ground. I'd like to make a quick clarification. I have Aubrayo Franklin listed as the only defensive tackle. That will most certainly not be the case once the season starts, but I think it would be some of the other primary defensive ends (Sopoaga and Balmer) spelling Franklin at times. Thus, I leave them at their traditional position.

WR
The bubble is really where it's all at. As I said before, the last 10 or so spots can be rather dicey, and the last 3 or 4, even more so. I took a look back at our various roster projections to see what people were thinking about some of these bubble spots. Many of you might be surprised to see Battle on my 53-man roster. I was a bit surprised myself, as I actually voted that neither would be on the roster way back when. However, when I got down to the end, I had some spots open and I think Battle's special teams contributions could very well carry the day. Of course, that also qualifies as one of my two or three most tenuous picks.

OT
Another spot where I really had to think was the last offensive lineman on the roster. For now, I've placed Barry Sims on the roster and Alex Boone as one of the first five left off. Based on our previous poll, I know a lot of people will disagree with me at this point. I actually had Alex Boone initially, given the undeniable talent this youngster has. However, there are two reasons I switched Boone and Sims. I think the team will go with a veteran backup at tackle and Alex Boone has practice squad eligibility. Sims was not good last year, but if an emergency arises and Joe Staley has to leave the field, I think the team wants a veteran on hand. Of course, if Alex Boone impresses in training camp, that could be one of the first changes I make on the second projection.

RB
Running back is another position that will certainly generate some controversy. After the first 3 guys, will Kory Sheets make the roster, will Thomas Clayton make the roster, or will neither? I decided to go with Sheets in this little exercise. People are high on him as a potential kick returner, which would certainly give him a leg up against Clayton. Also, given the potential he could bring as a running back, I see more reason to keep him than a guy like Micheal Spurlock. There are plenty of Clayton supporters (I've been one of them), but I'm slowly coming to accept the fact that we may just not see him in a 49ers uniform in the regular season anytime soon. Training camp might change that, so we'll see.

LB
Ahmad Brooks and Jay Moore are both larks for me at this point. I was getting close to 53 and like the talent both could bring to the table. Of the two of them, Moore is probably more likely to not make the 53-man given his practice squad eligibility. I think Moore is probably the #1 person most likely to be removed from this list come early August. It just pains me so.

QB
Why Nate Davis over Damon Huard? Well, first, I see no way Davis makes it through waivers onto the practice squad. Second, Damon Huard may be a great guy for all I know, but what does he really bring to the table? This team does not need a Trent Dilfer type mentor at this point. And as far as upside off the bench? Well, Huard doesn't bring that either. He's certainly not an awful QB, but there's just not enough there worth hanging on to.

Early thoughts for projection #2
Consider this a general summary of changes I would not be surprised by in the least. Jay Moore and Ahmad Brooks could certainly practice/play their way off this list. Kory Sheets and Arnaz Battle could both certainly do the same. Really anybody in the last 5 on or first 5 off could play their way on or off the list. Most of the free world finds preseason football completely useless. The rest of us realize how much value there is in these games. Well, at least 3 of them. Last season the preseason saw a guy like Josh Morgan played himself into contention (injury issues aside), while a guy like Dontarrious Thomas played himself off the team.

So, where am I way off? If you want to roll out an entire 53-man roster projection, fire away in the comments. If you just want to point out differences, that works too. Just a heads-up to post them here as opposed to a new FanPost for now. For references, check out the ESPN Depth Chart and the team site roster list.

49ers long snapper Brian Jennings signs 5-year extension

Fooch — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:49:15 -0000

The 49ers have come to terms on a 5-year contract extension with long snapper Brian Jennings. Jennings was scheduled to be a free agent after this season, but this new deal will keep him with the 49ers through 5 years. I had said in the salary cap post earlier today that the 49ers would likely sign at least one more person to a contract extension. I have to say, I nailed that one...even if it wasn't the player I was expecting! Scot McCloughan had a few comments about Jennings:

"When you have a player that is one of the best in the league at his position, you are very lucky when you are able to lock him up for a long time like we have done with Brian," said general manager Scot McCloughan. "What he does for us is not only important in scoring points, but in creating favorable field position. I know Joe Nedney and Andy Lee are very happy men to know that Brian will be here for another five seasons. Consistency is integral for our special teams."

Jennings (6-5, 242) is considered one of the NFL’s elite long snappers. A seventh round pick (240th selection overall) by the 49ers in 2000 out of Arizona State, Jennings has snapped to six different placekickers and five different punters in his nine seasons. He also possesses the ability to make open field tackles on special teams, having recorded 53 career special teams stops. In 2004, he was named to the Pro Bowl as a need player. A native of Scottsdale, AZ, Jennings shares claim with LB Jeff Ulbrich as the longest-tenured 49ers players on the roster.

Special Teams: Long look back, brief look forward

Fooch — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:00:13 -0000

If this is the first post you're seeing today, just a quick heads-up that there was a lot of little things happening yesterday afternoon/evening that I threw up in various posts/promoted FanPosts. So, if you want to discuss the potential franchising of Terrell Suggs, the 49ers just saying no to Vick or the new uniforms for 2009, head to the appropriate link.

We now reach the final position in our review of 2008 and brief look to 2009. If you missed any of the previous editions, here are links: QB, RB, FB, WR, TE, OL, DL, OLB, ILB, CB, S.

Amidst all the turmoil in the organization, this last area might be the one area of the game where the 49ers have succeeded pretty consistently the last few of years: special teams. They're not the flashiest group at times, but they have gotten the job done rather consistently. It'd be nice if they were getting that job done in bigger situations, but I won't quibble for the purposes of this review.

Andy Lee: He may look young (although not nearly as young as former punter Tommy Thompson, but it's safe to say the man is a beast with a cannon for a leg. His numbers decreased this year, but that was due in part to the relative improvement of the 49ers offense, as compared to last year. His numbers went down across the board, but he still finished 3rd in the NFL gross average and 8th in net average. His best highlight was his NFL high 82 yarder against the Patriots. Lee signed a 6-year deal prior to 2007 after the 49ers matched the Steelers offer sheet and I could not be happier. The remaining 4 years on his contract (and any additional years) will only cement his legacy as the best punter in 49ers history (with due respect of course for Tommy Davis).

Joe Nedney: In four seasons with the 49ers, Nedney, a product of San Jose State, has quietly amassed an 87.83% completion percentage on field goals. That's significant because the NFL career leader in percentage is Nick Folk at 86.79%. Nedney has never been a flashy, well-known kicker. However, for 49ers fans that have dealt with the likes of Jeff Chandler and Jose Cortez, this is a welcome respite. Although Nedney is certainly not perfect, he is usually pretty money, and any misses are usually made up later in the game. He's signed through 2009 and given the care management has taken in maintaing cap space, I'd hope they could spare a few bucks to resign Nedney before he hits free agency.

Allen Rossum: Over the last few years, 49ers fans have dealt with the likes of Maurice Hicks, Arnaz Battle, Brandon Williams and Michael "Beerman" Lewis returning kicks and punts. Not the worst options in the world, but definitely nowhere near the best. Delanie Walker has been mixed in as well and had some success. However, one of the biggest impact signings last offseason turned out to be Allen Rossum. He had injury issues that kept him out for a month, but when healthy, he was a potential home-run hitter every time he returned a kick.

He had one return touchdown, but I recall quite a few instances where he set up the 49ers offense quite nicely with a big return. Now, the offense didn't always convert those opportunities, but that's not his fault. He finished the season 6th in kickoff return average, and although he didn't qualify with only 15 punt returns, he finished 7th among everybody with a punt return. The 49ers have lacked that kind of punch for some time and it was much appreciated, and one of the bigger surprises (at least for me) of the season. Of course, that directly leads to our Looking Forward question in just a moment.

Brian Jennings: The best thing we can say about Jennings is that he was rarely mention. Jennings is signed through 2009 and I'd imagine the only way he's not back is if he gets a bigger offer from somebody else. Given how specialized he has become, I don't know if that should be expected.

Looking Forward
Let's get right to the point. Kicker and punter are clearly fine going forward. The big question is in the return game. Allen Rossum is a free agent and the 49ers have to decide if they want Rossum back, or if they want to work on developing a returner of the future. They signed Michael Spurlock, a man who became the first Buccaneer to return a kickoff for a touchdown, to reserve/futures contract. If they want Rossum back, or they want to grab somebody in the draft, that sort of contract will not get in their way.

The two biggest names as potential return men right now would probably be Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin. We discussed Maclin in the scouting report and speed is certainly his forte. Harvin, a WR out of Florida, appears to be a more snake-bitten version of Maclin. He's got crazy speed but had injury issues this past season that might give teams a strong enough reason to wait on him. I'm not a huge fan of taking Maclin in the first round. However, if the 49ers addressed pass rush or offensive line in the first round, I would certainly be a little more intrigued if a guy like Harvin fell a bit into the second round.

So what is the best way for the 49ers to address the return game? They've got some potential candidates on the current roster, but none has proven themselves on the level of Allen Rossum. Of course, Rossum isn't getting any younger, so maybe it's time to develop the younger talent. Given that free agency opens before the draft, we should know what's up with Rossum pretty quickly.

Poll

What should the 49ers do at kick/punt returner

Re-sign Allen Rossum

201 votes

More Delanie Walker

7 votes

Draft Jeremy Maclin

48 votes

Draft Percy Harvin

39 votes

Someone else currently on the roster

11 votes

Another free agent out there (please specify)

4 votes

Another draftee (please specify)

10 votes

320 votes | Poll has closed

49ers 27 - Redskins 24: Mike Singletary's Formula for Success

Fooch — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:46:05 -0000

Given the events of the last 24 hours, it is especially appropriate to be discussing Mike Singletary's Formula for Success. As the newly minted head coach heading into 2009, this is the philosophy that will hopefully carry the 49ers into the playoffs next season. It was an entertaining finish to the season that required the team hit on all six aspects of the formula.

1. Total Ball Security
2. Execute
3. Dominate the trenches
4. Create great field position
5. Finish
6. Heart

Total Ball Security
The 49ers made it a habit this season of coughing up the ball left and right but sometimes managing to recover most of them. Yesterday was no different. Frank Gore, Shaun Hill and Vernon Davis all had fumbles that were recovered. Hill also had an interception that resulted in a Redskins field goal. The good news in the turnover department was Takeo Spikes recovering a Clinton Portis fumble early in the third quarter. The 49ers turned it into seven points and saw the momentum swing completely in their favor. I'd have to give them a B+. Security issues in the first half were overcome quite nicely with the huge Portis fumble in the second half.

Execute
The team was touch and go on offense in what seemed a little bit like a repeat of the Rams game. They started out strong but then stunk before coming back strong, this time in the entire second half, instead of just the fourth quarter. In spite of what Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli were saying, Shaun Hill did not seem to be completely off his game. He had some errant passes and struggled at times, but for the most part seemed to take care of business. Considering the fact that the Redskins hadn't given up 25 points this season, I'd say the offense did what it needed to eventually. I'll give them a B+. I think last week I over-graded them and while there were some issues at times this week, they were solid.

The defense kept the offense in the game, but they struggled in giving up some impressive Redskins drives. Statistically they contained the Redskins but I'd keep it at a B considering the big drives the Redskins created. The 49ers have had several games this year where the results and the stats seem at odds. Jason Campbell only had 156 passing yards and they averaged 3.7 yards per rush. That doesn't seem too spectacular, but clearly the overwhelming number of single digit yardage drives made up for it.

Special teams was up and down, but thankfully they were up when it mattered. Brian Jennings had a rare poor snap that led to a Nedney miss. Of course, they bounced back sufficiently to allow Nedney to drill the game-winner. Andy Lee continued to star with a 49.7 gross and Allen Rossum had some big returns again. In spite of the field goal miss, I think the special teams earned themselves an A at the end of the day.

Dominate the Trenches
The 49ers put together a very solid performance in the trenches when it mattered most. On offense, the rushing attack averaged 4.7 yards per rush and Hill was only sacked once. In spite of what Pitts said (I sense a running theme), even when Hill was throwing incomplete passes, he had enough time to step up in the pocket. I think the offensive line has shown as much improvement as anybody over the course of the season.

On defense, the line only managed one sack, but it came at an opportune time in the third quarter. Campbell still needs to improve his game, but he showed signs of what he can do yesterday. While the defensive line didn't get a ton of pressure, when they did, Campbell showed impressive scrambling ability in getting out of the way. Tony Boselli analogized Campbell to Steve McNair and given his mobility, size and arm, I can see that. Given the performance of the offensive line, I'd go with a B performance in the trenches.

Create Great Field Position
The Portis fumble was key in setting the 49ers up in great field position. Of course fumbles are often a product of luck so it's not like that's a huge factor in field position. Allen Rossum, though, showed why he was really quite valuable to the 49ers this season. Maybe he's not the most valuable guy on the team, but an argument can be made for his value. A 35-yard punt return set the 49ers up in position to eventually get a field goal. He's not going to break one every punt return, but when healthy, he seems to be good for one quality return a game. I'll go with a B for creating field position. The fumble recovery was huge, but luck was certainly a factor.

Finish
I think it's safe to say the team finished strong. Prior to the game-winning field goal, the three touchdowns showed this team can punch the ball into the end zone on occasion. And finishing the game the way they did was impressive. The 49ers had 1:02 left and managed to move quickly into field goal position to win it. If they can keep doing that in the future, I'll be a happy camper. I give them an A for finishing off another tight one.

Heart
The team seemed to somewhat replicate last week's win at St. Louis. They went through the first half looking like zombies, before turning it on in the second half. Given all the distractions surrounding Mike Singletary's status and the potential firing of Mike Martz, the team gutted out a solid win to carry momentum into the offseason. It's hard to grade heart so I think going forward I'll just discuss the issue without a firm grade analysis. Rather, I think they continued to show heart (I think that's generic enough).

Golden Nuggets: Four years, baby.

Ninjames — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:09:08 -0000

Hey guys, and we're on to the offseason, yeah? I'm (hopefully, if ya guys like me, etc) I'll continue to post the Nuggets daily updating you on everything Niners. There will likely be a few other big stories near the bottom of the links from now on as things quiet down in the coming weeks/months that don't have much to do with the Niners but are important nonetheless. Right now I'm pretty stoked, it was a good win and I'm happy that we're keeping Singletary. I'm so unsure how I feel about Mike Martz though, at one point I want to keep him, our offense is greatly improved. Then I wonder if that's because Singletary is balancing it well. Then I wonder if we're just playing better becau--well screw it. If we fire Martz, fine there better be someone good, if we don't, then... fine, the guy better figure out how to not stall in the red zone. And here's some links. (There's not much unique news today, links will be short.)

How 'bout that win, huh? How about Singletary as head coach? Pretty sweet. (SFGate.com)

I'm sure you've heard, but Jed York is officially president of the team. (SFGate.com)

The contract for Singletary was all set on Friday, everything fit so perfectly with the win yesterday to get it all done at once. Perfect. (SFGate.com)

More on Singletary, with some notes from the game (considering the botched long snap, when they decided they wanted Singletary, etc.) (SFGate.com)

Here's a few notes from the game. (SacBee.com)

A nod to Frank Gore for becoming the first 49er in team history to rush for three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. Good show, Gore. (MercuryNews.com)

Give Jed York a chance. I agree with this article. (MercuryNews.com)

Here's some quotes 'From the Locker Room.' (49ers.com)

Maiocco grades the Niners for yesterday. (PressDemocrat.com)

And some quotes from McCloughan. (49ers.com)

Should be a lot to update today. That is all for now.

Golden Nuggets: Season over yet? How about now?

Ninjames — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:53:19 -0000

As we get closer and close to the end of our season, I'm getting more and more... anxious. I just want it finalized, I want to see it declared that Singletary is returning next season as our head coach. I want to see if he has a plan, I want to see if we keep DeShaun Foster and if Takeo Spikes stays, etc. There's so much going on I almost couldn't care less about the Redskins game, all I want out of that is solid play and hopefully a Thomas Clayton sighting. Gore's 22 yards would be nice as well but I don't want the guy hurt. I cant wait to start reading and covering this offseason. It should be interesting to say the least. That being said, enjoy your links.

So what do you think we need to address in the draft first and foremost? I agree with this article in that we definitely need an impact receiver to free up some room for Gore next season. Also to note is the link within this link to the thread on the official forums about trading Frank Gore... I think its a mistake, a big one. (RealFootball365.com)

Again, I ask you, how far are we from the playoffs? Are we really so far? I don't think so. (PressDemocrat.com)

Despite what he may show on the outside, Isaac Bruce definitely knew exactly what he needed to reach the two milestones he hit on Sunday. (Scout.com)

Here's a look at what the 49er's free agents will look like. I don't see us keeping many of them. I'll rally for Keasey, Rossum, and Spikes all day though. (SacBee.com)

Here's this week's The Wrap Up with Eric Davis from the official website. (49ers.com)

In his blog, Brian Jennings talks about meeting Mike Singletary as a child and being inspired. (YardBarker.com)

Here's a look at the "top" head coaching candidates. (ContraCostaTimes.com)

This seems like one of the few times firing a head coach mid-season was the right thing to do. Other than you know, firing him at the beginning of the season. (MercuryNews.com)

Tune into 'A Day in the Life: Joe Staley.' Should be ten kinds of awesome all at once. (MercuryNews.com)

And we take a look at what could have been this season. (BleacherReport.com)

Ah, good ol' Deadspin talks about the mustaches. Good times. (Deadspin.com)

Sooo, the Dolphins signed Derek Smith and waived WR Chris Hannon. I'm sorry, but I'm just about positive they signed the guy solely to quiz him on us. There's no doubt in my mind. (Sun-Sentinel.com)

Vernon Davis' brother, Vontae Davis is the first underclassmen to declare for the draft. I really like this guy and I can honestly see us trying to get him if possible. He's got attitude problems, and if we keep Singletary then... Well, I see no problems there. (3rdStringSafety.com)