SB Nation - Tony Wragge

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:32 -0000

vs.

While this game lost a lot of its luster with the Sunday's 49ers loss and Cardinals win, it still should provide an entertaining football experience. As folks were trying to develop a legit 49ers-Seahawks rivalry, the 49ers quietly developed a rivalry with the Arizona Cardinals. Even though there have been numerous sweeps of the series, the games usually are highly competitive, if not going down close to the wire. Even if the 49ers are all but eliminated from playoff contention, this game provides a chance for the team to take a step forward in execution and build towards 2010.

The 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals in what will be the 37th meeting between the two teams, with San Francisco holding a 20-16 advantage in the series. In the season opener earlier this year, the 49ers defeated the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium, 20-16.

San Francisco enters the upcoming game following a 20-17 defeat in Seattle. In that game, QB Alex Smith connected on 27 of 45 passes for a career-high 310 yards, which included a 33-yard touchdown pass to TE Vernon Davis for his 10th receiving touchdown on the year (tied for 1st in NFL and a new single-season record among 49ers TE’s all-time) and a 22-yard touchdown reception by WR Josh Morgan to mark his third score of the season. It marked the second week in a row that the 49ers defense had posted at least 5 sacks in a game, having had 6 sacks against the Jaguars before notching 5 sacks against the Seahawks.

The 49ers have won 7 of their past 9 home games and have a 38-24 overall record on Monday Night Football.

49ers-Cardinals Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was a teammate of Cardinals assistant head coach/OL coach Russ Grimm with the Washington Redskins from 1988-91. Manusky played linebacker, while Grimm played offensive guard.
• 49ers TE coach Pete Hoener has had coaching stints with the Cardinals in both St. Louis (1985-86) and Arizona (2001-03).
• 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan spent 3 seasons as the Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
• 49ers special teams coordinator Al Everest coached in the same capacity for the Cardinals from 1996-99.
• Cardinals LB coach Billy Davis was the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2005-06.

FORMER CARDINALS - 49ers K Joe Nedney spent three seasons with the Cardinals from 1997-99 ... 49ers G Tony Wragge was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals in 2002. Wragge spent 2 seasons (2002-03) with Arizona.

PANTHER PRIDE - 49ers CB Shawntae Spencer and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald were teammates at the Univ. of Pittsburgh from 2000-03.

FORMER 49ERS - Cardinals DE Chike Okeafor spent the first 4 years of his career with the 49ers after being drafted in the 3rd round (89th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.

HAIL THE VICTORS - 49ers G David Baas played at Michigan alongside Cardinals DT Gabe Watson, DT Alan Branch and WR Steve Breaston.

CARDINALS NOR-CAL CONNECTIONS - Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington played 2 seasons at Cal.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 36
Series Record: 49ers lead series 20-16
49ers Home Record vs. Cardinals: 49ers Lead Series 11-8
First Meeting: 11/15/51, Cardinals win, 27-21, at San Francisco
Last Meeting: 9/13/09, 49ers win, 20-16, at Arizona
Current Streak: Won 1
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (9/14/80-10/18/87 | 10/24/93-12/21/02)
Longest Cards Win Streak: 4 (10/6/74-12/2/79 | 10/2/05-12/24/06)
Most 49ers Points: 50 (12/7/03): 50-14, at San Francisco
Most Cardinals Points: 34 (Two Times): Last (10/6/74), 34-9 at SF
49ers Shutouts: None
Cardinals Shutouts: None

SAN FRANCISCO 20, ARIZONA 16
At Glendale, AZ, September 13, 2009

Head coach Mike Singletary delivered a very simple message to his team in advance of their season opening matchup against the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals … "Believe." His players did just that as they battled through a tremendously physical game highlighted by impressive defensive efforts from both squads. After being stymied on offense for more than 3 quarters, the 49ers embarked on a 15-play, 80-yd. drive that consumed 7:26 of clock time en route to a 3-yd., go-ahead TD pass from QB Shaun Hill to RB Frank Gore. On the drive, offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye scrapped the run game that he had dialed up all afternoon and left the contest to Hill’s right arm. The QB responded going 9 of 13 for 72 yds. and the TD to Gore. On the series, Hill utilized his playmakers, including TE Vernon Davis who hauled in 4 passes for 35 yds.

The 49ers opened the scoring in the 1st quarter after All-Pro LB Patrick Willis intercepted a QB Kurt Warner pass to set his team up at the ARZ 36. Six plays later K Joe Nedney connected on a 37-yd. FG. Nedney later connected on a 50-yd. FG to give the Niners a 6-0 lead entering the 2nd stanza. The Cardinals finally got some offense going in the 2nd quarter as K Neil Rackers drilled a 44-yd. FG on their first possession. As the 49ers run game continued to struggle, Hill aired the ball out to All-Pro WR Isaac Bruce on a 50-yd. bomb, setting the offense up at the 6-yd. line. With a tired Arizona defense, the 49ers called on Gore the very next play. He hit pay dirt plunging through a massive hole into the endzone.

With the momentum in their favor, CB Nate Clements capitalized on another Warner mistake, as he hauled in his first interception of the year. Clements’ effort, and those of his defensive backfield mates, limited one of the game’s best WR tandems in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, to a combined 8 recepts. for 90 yds. and 1 TD. The 49ers were unable to capitalize on Clements’ pick, as Hill was sacked and forced to fumble on the next series. The Cardinals jumped on the opportunity, posting another Rackers’ FG this time from 29 yds. San Francisco left the field at the half with a 13-6 lead.

The Cardinals carried momentum into the 3rd quarter, and on their 2nd possession, Warner led his team on 69-yd scoring drive that resulted in a 5-yd. TD pass to Fitzgerald, knotting the score at 13. After a 49ers 3-n-out, Arizona again moved the ball to post points, a 43-yd. FG by Rackers just seconds into the 4th quarter, for the Cardinals final points of the game. The Niners would then embark on their game-winning drive and back it up with a defensive performance that paralyzed the Cardinals.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		CARDINALS (rank)
5-7 (t-2nd NFCW)	Record	8-4 (1st NFCW)
20.4 (19th)	Points per game	24.8 (9th)
285.4 (28th)	Total Offense	360.9 (10th)
91.3 (28th)	Rushing Offense	94.1 (26th)
194.2 (22nd)	Passing Offense	266.8 (5th)
28:55 (20th)	Possession Avg	30:41 (12th)
19.4 (t-10th)	Points allowed/gm	19.5 (12th)
346.4 (20th)	Total Defense	362.6 (24th)
95.8 (5th)	Rushing Defense	104.8 (12th)
250.6 (27th)	Passing Defense	257.8 (30th)
30 (t-7th)	Sacks	35 (3rd)
48.3 (2nd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	47.4 (3rd)
+1 (t-11th)	Turnover Differential	-3 (t-21st)

The San Francisco 49ers LOLffensive LOLine: Lamentations and solutions

Fooch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:57:31 -0000

I mentioned last week that we'd hold off quarterly reviews until this week since the team has a bye and it's close enough to the quarter point. Things changed rather dramatically with the on-field product, and even for those who view it as just one game, it's still a very tough pill to swallow. Nonetheless we will power through with a first quarter review of the 2009 San Francisco 49ers.

I think it's safe to say the biggest issue at this point for the team is the offensive line. That's one reason we're referring to it as the LOLffensive LOLine (LOL for short - thanks to Florida Danny and others for rolling that one out, and I think we can stick with that as our OL's nickname). There are obviously plenty of other concerns, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. However, an improved offensive line would likely help mitigate some of these problems. The 49ers may not have the best QB in the world, but how good can he be when he's only getting a second to make decisions on passing plays? Glen Coffee may be struggling as a rookie, but without holes it's hard to gain confidence on an every down basis. Again, the offensive line is not the only problem on this team, but I would argue it is the biggest problem.

Over the course of the season we've had a variety of comments about the o-line ranging from we're screwed because of bad drafting to bench Chilo to fire OL coach Chris Foerster. In today's Mike Singletary approval rating thread a few folks were discussing the issue in terms of who should be on the line and who should be benched. What I wanted to do at this point was bring all the discussion into a single thread so we can sort through the mass of ideas out there.

In the Singletary thread, Florida Danny pointed to a pair of plays (check out the comment here) that I pulled up on my DVR. The first one is a rush play (11:08 left in the first quarter) and as Danny points out, Rachal ends the play blocking nobody and falling face first. The linebacker comes through untouched and stops Coffee. I was listening just after the play and Tony Siragusa talks about how it was such a great play by Atlanta considering they were rolling 5 DBs and had six men in the box. They certainly took advantage of the situation, but I'd say the 49ers provided them a great opportunity with the poor blocking.

The second play Danny pointed out was the pass play with 14:18 left in the second quarter. The offensive line issues came into play because Rachal let through the nickel linebacker. Hill got the throw off but the trajectory was definitely messed up by the blitzing LB. As Danny pointed out, Pashos went to defend the defensive end and released the LB for Rachal to block. Rachal instead decided to move up and to his left, once again guarding nobody as the LB burst through. If you get a chance to review the game tape, I strongly encourage you to check these two plays out.

In his press conference yesterday, Mike Singletary was asked if right guard was his biggest concern and he said: "Quite possible. Quite possible." Singletary explained the lack of preparation, but in the end the players also have to execute. Chilo Rachal has struggled in his execution this year. Does that mean it's time to go with Tony Wragge at right guard? Wragge is no superstar, but he has proven himself to be a solid competitor, which this offensive line just might need.

We continue on after the jump...

While the line as a whole is struggling, the second main issue with it is at right tackle. The team has bounced between Adam Snyder and Tony Pashos and does not seem to be any closer to a resolution of the matter. In previous press conferences Mike Singletary indicated that Adam Snyder had pulled ahead in the position battle. Then this Sunday he went down with a left thigh contusion. We don't have an update on his injury yet, so I'm not really sure what the immediate future holds at right tackle. Should the team stick with Pashos at right tackle? Someone suggested moving Barry Sims there, but I personally think Pashos deserves a complete game (or more) of action at right tackle before the team considers something drastic like letting Barry Sims on the field of play.

The other potential change is of course to fire Chris Foerster. In most any sports, but particularly in baseball and football, when a team is struggling in a particular area of the game, that particular assistant coach is often the one who gets canned. When a baseball team isn't hitting, adios batting coach. Chris Foerster was actually a beneficiary of such a change last October. Mike Nolan fired OL coach George Walthrop and promoted Chris Foerster in his place. Of course, that transaction occurred the same day as the team fired Mike Nolan and promoted Mike Singletary. So it's hard to assess the returns through the end of 2008.

So given that the team has some limited roster options (basically Wragge), is there any reason to think a new offensive line coach could make much of a difference for this line? Would they be able to better prepare the individuals on the line and put them in a position to succeed? Or is the OL in a position to succeed, but they're just not executing? Or maybe it's a combination of both. Either way, something needs to be done.

Vikings 27 - 49ers 24: Injury recap

Fooch — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:11:12 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

Browse more photos »

Maiocco and Barrows have posted injury reports, so I thought I'd pass along some of that information and look ahead to what means next week and beyond. After two relatively injury-free games to start the season, the 49ers leave Minnesota a little more banged-up up than before.

The big injury was to Frank Gore. As Persiflage stated in the recap thread, an NFL Network person is reporting it's a high ankle sprain, although nobody can confirm that one yet. High ankle sprain usually means 3-4 week absence, but even if it's just a simple ankle sprain, the odds of Gore playing against St. Louis next week can't be good. Of course if Gore will be out, one would imagine Kory Sheets will be added to the 53-man roster fairly soon. We never want to see Gore go down, but I have to admit that I'm intrigued to see what Coffee and Sheets can do together in the backfield. And heading into a home game versus the Rams, it could have been a lot worse of a matchup.

The offensive line suffered a loss of Joe Staley to a leg whip-induced right knee contusion and David Baas to a sprained ankle. Baas did return and it sounds like Staley should be fine. However, it's safe to say none of us ever want to see a left side of the line containing Barry Sims and Tony Wragge going forward.

Dre Bly and Reggie Smith both left with injuries before returning. Mike Singletary usually has a press conference Monday around lunch time so hopefully we'll get an update on Bly and Smith. Reggie Smith hasn't exactly been awash in playing time, but depth is always a concern.

In the end, Frank Gore remains the main concern. The Rams may be awful, but a Gore-less 49ers team for an extended period of time is a significantly weakened squad. If Gore is going to miss a few weeks, now is probably the best time for it, as SpurredOn pointed out in the recap thread. The 49ers host the Rams and Falcons and then have a bye week. The Falcons are obviously tough, and the Rams fall in the "Any Given Sunday" category, but it could have been much worse timing.

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

San Francisco @ Arizona Cardinals: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:22 -0000

For those that have joined our site since the end of last season, we run a weekly feature during the regulat season called "A Prospector's Guide." It's a pretty simply feature really. Each week the 49ers PR department emails me the game release for the week. It includes a run down of all sorts of information about the 49ers, their opponent and the history of the rivalry.

When I put together this Prospector's Guide, it will usually include a quick rundown of the previous week and the season to date and give some basic info about the history of the rivalry. After the jump, I've added info on coaching connections between the 49ers and Cardinals (new from last year) and some series highlights. After that we have a recap of the last matchup, followed by a rundown of the teams' 2009 statistics. That last section for this first game is a rundown of 2008 statistics. This isn't exactly earth-shattering information, but it gives you a nice little resource heading into the game. I try to get these out each Wednesday, but it depends on how quickly I get the release from the 49ers.

For the fourth consecutive season, the 49ers and Cardinals will square off against one another in the season opener. The game will mark the 36th regular season meeting between the two teams, with San Francisco holding a 19-16 advantage over Arizona in a series that dates back to 1951. The 49ers have posted a 33-29-1 overall record in season openers, which includes a 14-7 record since 1988.

The upcoming game will mark Mike Singletary’s first season opener as a head coach. After Singletary took over the reins midway through the 2008 season, the 49ers went on to register a 5-4 record, which included wins in five of the team’s final seven games.

San Francisco recorded a 3-1 record in 2009 preseeason, winning the first three contests before dropping the final game to the San Diego Chargers. The team ranked 2nd in the NFL in turnover ratio (+8), posting 10 takeaways and just two turnovers. The 49ers also ranked among the league leaders in rushing during preseason play, ranking 5th with 143.0 yards per game on the ground.

49ers-Cardinals Connections
Coaches
• 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was a teammate of Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm with the Washington Redskins from 1988-91. Manusky played linebacker, while Grimm played offensive guard.
• 49ers tight ends coach Pete Hoener has had coaching stints with the Cardinals in both St. Louis (1985-86) and Arizona (2001-03).
• 49ers wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan spent three seasons as the Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
• 49ers special teams coordinator Al Everest coached in the same capacity for the Cardinals from 1996-99.
• Cardinals linebackers coach Billy Davis was the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2005-06.

Players
FORMER CARDINALS- 49ers K Joe Nedney spent three seasons with the Cardinals from 1997-99...49ers G Tony Wragge was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals in 2002. Wragge spent two seasons (2002-03) with Arizona.

FORMER 49ERS - Cardinals DE Chike Okeafor spent the first four years
of his career with the 49ers after being drafted in the 3rd round (89th
overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.

HAIL THE VICTORS - 49ers G David Baas played at Michigan alongside Cardinals DT Gabe Watson, DT Alan Branch and WR Steve Breaston.

CARDINALS NOR-CAL CONNECTIONS - Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington played for the College of the Canyons in Valencia before playing two seasons at Cal.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 35
Series Record: 49ers lead series 19-16
49ers Away vs. Cardinals: Series tied 8-8
First Meeting: 11/15/51, Cardinals win, 27-21, at San Francisco
Last Meeting: 11/10/08, Cardinals win, 29-24, at San Francisco
Current Streak: Lost 2
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (9/14/80-10/18/87 | 10/24/93-12/21/02)
Longest Cards Win Streak: 4 (10/6/74-12/2/79 | 10/2/05-12/24/06)
Most 49ers Points: 50 (12/7/03): 50-14, at San Francisco
Most Cardinals Points: 34 (Two Times): Last (10/6/74), 34-9 at SF
49ers Shutouts: None
Cardinals Shutouts: None

ARIZONA 29, SAN FRANCISCO 24
At Arizona, CA, November 10, 2008

The Arizona Cardinals stopped RB Michael Robinson up the middle on a run from the 2-yard line as the game ended to preserve a 29-24 victory against the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Cardinals never led in the game until 4:16 left to play when a 34-yard INT return by LB Karlos Dansby set up a 5-yard TD pass from QB Kurt Warner to WR Anquan Boldin to give the Cardinals a 29-24 lead after a failed 2-point play.

San Francisco still had two more chances with drives into Arizona territory. The first one ended when QB Shaun Hill was intercepted by S Adrian Wilson at the 12-yard line. The 49ers defenses stopped the Cardinals on three straight plays on the ensuing series and got the ball back at the Arizona 42-yard line with 1:06 left in regulation. Hill completed three-straight passes to WR Jason Hill, including a 14-yard pass to get to the Arizona one-yard line with 21 seconds left. RB Frank Gore was tripped up on the first run, and then Robinson was stopped on a 2-yard run up the middle to secure the Cardinals win.

The 49ers took the game’s opening kickoff for a TD on a 104-yard return by KR Allen Rossum, and then jumped in front, 21-13, at halftime behind a 31-yard TD pass from Hill to WR Josh Morgan and an 18-yard TD pass from Hill to TE Vernon Davis. Warner, who finished with 328 yards passing, led the Cardinals on a TD drive to start the 2nd half, but the 49ers answered with a FG drive to keep a 24-20 lead heading into the final quarter.

Ball security plagued the 49ers late in the game, leading to 9 Arizona points. Hill lost a fumble on an exchange from center at the San Francisco 10-yard line to set up a Cardinals FG early in the 4th quarter. That was followed Hill’s two INTs later in the 4th quarter. The 49ers defense held the Cardinals to 46 yards on 19 carries for a 2.4-yard average. The 49ers offense ended Arizona’s NFL record of 31 straight games with a sack.

2008 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		CARDINALS (rank)
7-9 (2nd NFCW)	Record	9-7 (1st NFCW)
21.2 (22nd)	Points per game	26.7 (3rd)
311.1 (23rd)	Total Offense	365.8 (4th)
99.9 (27th)	Rushing Offense	73.6 (32nd)
211.2 (13th)	Passing Offense	292.1 (2nd)
29:22 (20th)	Possession Avg	30:09 (16th)
23.8 (t-22nd)	Points allowed/gm	26.6 (28th)
326.0 (13th)	Total Defense	331.5 (19th)
106.8 (t-13th)	Rushing Defense	110.3 (16th)
219.2 (20th)	Passing Defense	221.3 (22nd)
30 (t-16th)	Sacks	31 (t-14th)
47.1 (3rd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	41.8 (26th)
-17 (t-31st)	Turnover Differential	0 (t-17th)

Nate Davis to play most of 49ers-Chargers game

Fooch — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:27:27 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Browse more photos »

Mike Singletary had a variety of comments today related to tomorrow's game and we can definitely infer a lot from them. I don't have a transcript at this point so we'll link to Maiocco's and Barrows's stories on the comments.

The biggest piece of news to come out of it, and the primary reason for this post, is that Alex Smith will be held out of the game and Shaun Hill will give way to Nate Davis after no more than 12 or so plays into the game. Depending on how the first drive goes, that means Nate Davis likely gets the final three full quarters, and maybe a little of the first quarter. Alex Smith apparently would be available if this were a regular season game, but the team would rather avoid aggravating the thumb injury in a meaningless preseason game.

Some other players that will be out ~~tonight~~ tomorrow are Arnaz Battle (shoulder), Cody Wallace (viral meningitis - not the bad bacterial one), Ahmad Brooks (knee), Jay Moore (groin), Brandon Jones (shoulder), Isaac Bruce (preventive), Frank Gore (preventive).

The injuries definitely can't be helping some folks in their battle for a roster spot. Jay Moore seems pretty much destined for the practice squad. Cody Wallace could be an interesting decision. In his article above, Maiocco discussed some battles to be determined tomorrow and included center/guard Matt Spanos vs. Wallace. I hadn't really thought much about it as Cody Wallace has quietly just sort of been there. Considering Eric Heitmann is the man for the foreseeable future at center, Wallace is just "there."

The team currently has Tony Wragge as a backup guard/center (although primarily a guard). Do you just let Wallace continue to sit on the roster not doing anything, or do you see what Spanos could do for you? Whereas the team has depth concerns at the tackle positions, they're in pretty solid shape at center and guard. What do you do?

Poll

Who makes the 49ers roster?

C/G Matt Spanos

133 votes

C Cody Wallace

232 votes

Both

60 votes

Neither

94 votes

519 votes | Poll has closed

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.

2009 San Francisco 49ers: Welcome to your first game week!

Fooch — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:10 -0000

For the second to last time this season (bye week is the other), we enter a Monday without a 49ers game to break down. It may only be the preseason, but if you can't get excited about that, well maybe you should be checking out this blog. Otherwise, welcome to the jungle that is the 49ers 2009 season.

The 49ers did not have a practice yesterday, but rather had the morning off and a "light walk through" in the afternoon. I'm not sure what a training camp walk through is like exactly. Maybe it's the opportunity to practice the little things they have to do off the field in preparation for each game. Practice those hotel check-ins, practice putting on equipment? Who knows.

However, the two Matts had what are probably the most important articles to date for your 49ers fix. This is particularly so heading into the first preseason game week of the season. Barrows provided us with three who've looked good and three who've looked bad. Maiocco took it just a small step forward breaking down every single player on offense! I'm guessing tomorrow he's going to cover the defense. Given that he's been at pretty much every practice, he's definitely one of the best sources for realistic thoughts on each player.

I'm thinking we can use this to start getting an idea of what to look for this coming Friday night. Given that this is the preseason opener, nobody really cares about the score. Most of us are excited to see the training camp battles take a big step forward. We haven't heard much about the offensive line in practice, so I thought we'd concentrate on that for now. Given the past struggles, one could argue the offensive line is as important to the success of this offense as anything else.

After the jump we break down the big battles at offensive tackle and potentially left guard...

There are a couple things to keep an eye on with the offensive line. Offensive tackle as a whole has a lot of interesting things to look at on Friday, even with Joe Staley locked in at left tackle. Staley will get a series or two in this Friday. Other than that there will be a LOT to keep an eye on. We've got Marvel Smith, Adam Snyder and Alex Boone battling for a variety of playing time. I exclude Barry Sims because as with Damon Huard, what else can we possibly learn about a 34 year old offensive tackle?

First there's Alex Boone. According to MM, he's been "solid in run-blocking but not as consistent with his feet in pass protection." Barring a claim on waivers, he's at least guaranteed a spot on the 49ers practice squad. However, he'll be looking to show the coaching staff he can be reliable as a backup, potentially over Barry Sims. There's no way both of them are kept on the 53-man roster.

While Joe Staley will likely come off the field relatively quickly, I'd imagine whomever starts at right tackle will see a good deal more playing time. Given how things have played out so far, Snyder will probably start the game. Given the importance of determining that starter, I'd imagine Snyder could play upwards of a quarter and a half, with Marvel Smith following through the end of the third quarter. In Maiocco's rundown of the offensive line, he basically pointed out that Smith hasn't risen up to take the job and Snyder is battling to hold on to it. This first game will either narrow the race or allow Snyder to take a huge step forward.

The other area of interest has become the left guard position. David Baas sprained his foot and Maiocco indicated he very well may miss the exhibition opener. Tony Wragge has been practicing in his place and would get the start if needed. Last season Wragge started the first ten games of the season at right guard before being replaced by Chilo Rachal. As MM put it, "[Wragge] appears determined to make it a difficult decision on the coaching staff when Baas is healthy."

The good news in all of this is that Chilo Rachal, Joe Staley and Eric Heitmann have looked solid in camp. The key is keeping them in sync for the regular season, but also, very, very healthy.