This from Foxsports.com:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9615050/Cowboys-release-LB-Ellis

What is your opinion on Greg Ellis, now that he is not a Cowboy? I mean, the 49ers do need a proven pass rusher just in case Manny Lawson remains to fizzle. With 77 career sacks, that would make him the most experience pass rusher, in terms of numbers, in the market. He would certainly be a welcome addition to the defense, creating mayhem on the field (hopefully, on the field only).   

He could also play either DE or OLB.

Does anyone remember TE John Frank at all? Decent TE with good receiving skills and good enough blocking skills. He followed his dream and never looked back. He could have played even after getting his MD license but decided that being a doctor was more important. He didn't want to ruin his hands and not be able to perform surgery, thus left the game with a pretty good legacy on and off the football field.

Good luck to Rolle. I hope he does well in whatever he decides to do.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-rollerhodes052609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

the Detroit Lions. Not good for Julian.

Former SF 49er LB and Pro Bowler, Julian Peterson has been reportedly traded to the Detroit Lions for DT Cory Redding and a 5th round draft pick. The 49ers could have had him, I guess. But, for salary cap purposes,I don't think it was a good fit.

Here's the link (Thanks to FoxSports.com):

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9335192/Source:-Seahawks-trade-LB-Peterson-to-Lions?MSNHPHMA

FOOCH'S NOTE 1:03PM: Aside from not having Julian Peterson in the same division, this could affect the 49ers draft options. Adam Schefter pointed out that this could mean the Seahawks would not reach for B.J. Raji.  Maybe he still doesn't fall to the 49ers, but you never can tell.

Last year's draft produced some interesting picks. Some were good picks and some were very intriguing. Chilo Rachal could be a starter at some point this coming season, Josh Morgan could be the starting WR if he has a good training camp, Cody Wallace could be Heitmann's replacement at C in two years. Balmer is a diiferent story. I am not sure he could become a decent NFL player. Larry Grant could have been a good player but I think the numbers at LB was against him being a 7th Rounder.

Reggie Smith, from college football powerhouse Oklahoma, could be a very good safety for the team. He has experience at strong safety and CB in college and that could be enough for the team to throw him in the battle for the starting FS position. He has good size at 6' and 196 lbs. He was also a 5 star player coming out of HS (Santa Fe HS Edmond, OK). His 40 yard time at the workouts last year might have affected his draft status as one of the top prospects at CB, coming in at 4.68 and 4.65. He could be an ideal FS, like a Merton Hanks or even a Ronnie Lott. Not a lot of speed but a lot of football instincts.

This is not an anti Dashon Goldson post. It is merely an opinion to somehow make a team with a need in a position to look at other options. Besides, soon, someone has to take over Michael Lewis at the other safety spot. I think having Smith do an OJT this coming season could be very benificial, not only for Smith but also for the team.

Here are some Reggie Smith highlights from the 2007 season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTnKM1fGP6w

For all intents and purposes, the 49ers need to upgrade in just about every position on both sides of the ball. The only sure things that the team have are the kicker, punter, MLB's (Willis and Spikes), DE Justin Smith, and RB's in Gore and Norris. I agree with some that Shaun Hill should be given all the opportunity to shine as the starting QB since he did an admirable job last season. I have had enough of the "Alex Smith had different coordinators every year" BS because that can be said of the whole offense. Yet, Shaun Hill have shown a much better record as the starting QB of the team.

Most Niners Nation fans think that the team should draft a DL (or a pass rushing OLB) and I agree with that, too. It would be nice to have an Everette Brown, Brian Orakpo, Michael Johnson or an Aaron Maybin available at the 10 spot. Let us hypothetically say that the 49ers announces that Dashon Goldson is going to be the starting FS next season, that could have the team draft an OL (particularly RT) in round two.

In round three, I really believe that the 49ers should invest in a RB. Javon Ringer, Shonn Greene, and Rashad Jennings of Liberty,  may be available. Another player to look out for is Ian Johnson of Boise State. He was under the radar for all of last year but is a good RB. I think that not playing a lot last season actually helped him, preventing him from getting banged up too much.

If the team is going that route in the first three rounds, barring any trades or FA signings, do you think that the team will be set for this coming season, in terms of playing good defense and decent offense? Possibly making the playoffs, too?

The second day of drafting, I believe the team should pick the proverbial "best available athlete" course of action. I really believe that the team is heading the right direction. After all the mess that Terry Donahue (the worst Bill Walsh move) had made, I think the team is now in line to be in the playoffs once again.

No, this is not a mini mock draft. It's an opinion that some of you may agree or disagree with. Thanks for reading this.

Note: no caps lock.

If the Giants want to be really competitive, they really need to sign these players and invite them to spring training.

Boonitez--- career .0loser hitter.

Natto ---  okay, then. N/A.  

MarceLL-ow --- career batboy

I hear they are really good. They play PS3 or whatever and think they are better than what the Giants have. Besides, Natto is like unemployed for the last two years or whatever. Won't hurt to try.

I live in Arizona and can't wait to see them in Scottsdale.

And,  I am begging you, gaytown415, please be at spring training.

According to ProFootballweekly.com, these are the top-10 player rankings by position( these are all seniors):

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Player+Rankings/2008/08top101220.htm

What do you think? Who are the top underclassmen who might and who needs to go pro (before they have a bad season)?

I am surprised that Zack Follett of CAL was not on the top 10 OLB's. He could be the steal of the draft.

Deke Mutombo is coming to town? That would be a big defensive presence for the team. Not only would they be able to play Eddie House at the 2, that will allow Big Baby and Leon to move to the 4. If Eddie plays the 2, they could switch to a zone.

This would be the shot blocking the C's need down the stretch. When was the last time the C's had a shot blocking presence? I think it was McHale.

Again, this is not a shot at Frank Gore. But, that Vernon Davis guy proclaiming that he should have been out there, on that crucial play, against Porter. Kinda reminds me of what happened against the Cardinals when the team opted to give the ball to Robinson in the final drive. I don't recall Gore saying much about that play or the call after the game.

Call it insubordination, but Vernon Davis had a good point. If you are the top player in that position, play him especially during crucial moments of the game.

Any thoughts on this?

"I Told You So!!" Many of the fans here were very critical when I mentioned that Foster can be a featured back if and when the 49ers decide to trade Gore for a franchise QB or a high draft pick.

DeShaun Foster played a decent game. I think if he is given the chance to at least touch the ball 5-10 times a game, things might happen. It also could help Gore by giving him some time to rest during a game. I mean, Foster is not a great RB. But, at least he can give us more than what Robinson can give. The team can use Robinson ala Harry Sydney since Mike was a QB anyway.

The 49ers can follow in the footsteps of the Giants with Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw; the Panthers in Williams and Stewart; Titans in White and Johnson, among others. An NFL team can never have enough good RB's in their roster. Remember the Chargers last year and other previous years, with Turner and LT? Besides, Foster fits the teams salary cap quite well (unless he holds out next season for a better contract).

Hopefully Gore can just rest his body for next season. It may also be wise to preserve him from future injuries since the team is not in contention anyway.

It seems that Shaun Hill will remain the starter as long as Mike Singletary is the head coach. He played well against the Jets and have played well with all the other games he was involved in. Hill is definitely an upgrade over JT. His salary, compared to other starting QB's, is relatively affordable and cap friendly. In the meantime, what to do with former over all number one pick, Alex Smith? If Shaun Hill is truly going to be the 49ers starting QB for the rest of the season and beyond, Alex Smith has to go. JT would then become the 2nd string back-up and draft someone to be the understudy. And, it doesn't have to be a high draft pick, either. If Alex Smith stays, not only are the 49ers paying him a huge contract to be a back-up, he might even be a distraction. Shaun Hill has proven to be effective. Continue to play him and let him grow comfortable with being the starter. In the meantime, let the draft be the center piece for building a future Super Bowl team. The team still drafts pretty high next year. I also think that Spikes should be resigned. So, Shaun Hill, are you going to be the man to handle the duties of resurrecting the 49ers team? Particularly the offense?  

In the late 70's and the 80's, we 49ers fans had the luxury of having Bill Walsh coach the team of the 80's. Not only was he a great coach, he was a great evaluator of talent, a good motivator and an offensive genius. He brought in many talented players to the Bay Area and also gave the team the Super Bowls that made the 49ers a great team, finally.

His offense was simple: 1.let the pass set up the run. 2. short gains are better than no yards at all. 3. let Joe Montana take over the game. 4. give the damn ball to Jerry Rice.

His offensive linemen were not behemoths compared to the linemen of today. The only requirements are be quick, be smart and be strong. No need to be over 300 lbs and over 6'3''. His RB's were also not to be confused with the Eric Dickerson's and the Walter Payton's, instead, be a great blocker and make sure you catch those passes.

Equally interesting was the fact that most of his succesful players were drafted in the later rounds. His best rd. 1 picks were Lott, Rice and Barton. Joe cool, Dwight Clark, Keena Turner, Eric Wright, Carlton Williamson, Roger Craig, Jesse Sapolu, Dr. John Frank, Michael Carter, Jeff Fuller, Bruce Collie, Bubba Paris, Tom Rathman, Tim McKyer, Don GriffinJohn Taylor, Charles Haley, Pierce Holt Daniel Stubbs, Larry Roberts, Brent Jones, Merton Hanks, Steve Bono, and Bill "spitter" Romanowski were all not 1st round picks. But, those players helped keep the 49ers either win Super Bowls or kept the team in the play-offs. When Joe cool went down with injuries, Jeff Kemp played well. When Joe cool and Steve Young went down, Bono did an admirable job, though they missed the play-offs even when they won 10 games.

The reason why I am saying this is because of the state of the team, even when having some of the early picks in the first round and even getting some of the best available players in the free agent pool, has not helped this team build a competitive roster. The last real competitive roster was Steve Young's final full year in the NFL. After his retirement, we all thought that we had a decent QB in Jeff Garcia that could keep the team in the play-offs, at least. Instead, he was released. The last QB's the team has drafted are the following: Jim Druckenmiller, Giovanni Carmazzi, Tim Rattay, Brandon Doman, Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, and Alex Smith. Of those players, none had produced close to what even Steve Bono had done for the team.

Maybe changing the way college players, specifically QB's, are evaluated could help. Instead of looking at players who could thrive in a certain system, look at the best athlete with good behavior and personality (we don't want another Lawrence Phillips). Instead of listening to some scouts about how small and light a player is, look at the players determination to succeed. Also, not because a player never played a down in Div. 1 doesn't mean that the player can not be competitive against players from bigger programs. I mean, Mississippi Valley State, Delaware State, James Madison or Angelo State are not exactly football powerhouses.

Don't get me wrong, the 49ers scouts are good people and good evaluator. Maybe the problem lies in the person who decides who to draft. Of course the free spending ways of Eddie D is also gone due to the salary cap. But, players who can play does not have to be the 1st tier free agents.

All I'm saying is basically this, "I am tired of losing!" My favorite team has got to step up and get back to the play-offs. How hard is it to do if you have to play the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals twice in a year. That's at least four or five wins during the regular season.

I still show my support for my favorite team. I wear 49ers hats and jackets. I watch their games if they are on tv. But, until they start winning, I won't purchase tickets to their annual visit to Glendale to play the Cardinals. Not with this economic mess we are in. If someone gives me tickets, I will be grateful and take them, of course.

It won't hurt to say, "Go Niners!" They are still my favorite team.

Was Ahmad even given a chance to play? I'm not sure because here in Arizona, they've only shown a few 49ers games. 2 against the Cards, 1 against the Giants and another versus the Cowgirls. Anyway, a couple of years ago, the team thought of using it's supplemental draft to pick this guy up. Heard that he had plenty of potential and was very athletic. So, what happened? Was it bad coaching by the Bengals that led to a diminished potential and self-esteem?

Let's just say that the 49ers indeed pick 6th overall in the 1st round. Sure enough, the top players will be gone and a few pretty decent ones will be left. Let's hypothetically say that the 49ers want a super size upgrade in the QB position and offer their 1st pick to the NE Patriots for either Tom Brady or Matt Cassell. Since DeShaun Foster is on board, trade Frank Gore for a number one this year. Next year, Jahvid Best might become available and the 49ers pick him up. For the number 1 they get for Gore, they can get a top flight DL, either at end or nose tackle. I would say that that would really work. What do you think?

who would you want the 49ers to pick in the first round?

Me personally, I would like to see that QB from Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, in a 49ers uniform.

What position do you think will the team fill in the draft?

I think they need a pash rushing LB. They just might get that in the 2nd round.

What other moves do they make in the off season other than interviewing people for the top coaching spot?

Please, no more expensive free-agent signings. Unless the FA's names are Adrian Peterson, Wes Welker, or Antonio Gates.

What happened? I saw it on ESPN and youtube, but not sure what really happened. Did Calderon tick KG off? Given KG's intensity on the court, Calderon must have gotten KG really upset with something because KG was really animated there. Is there anyone out here who was at the game? Give us the 411. Then Calderon started jawing back and I thought, "Whew, the NBA needs something like this." I mean, forget the taunting foul rule. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. On the court, all players play to win, right?

Oh my goodness, the Niners will be on MNF! I just hope that the fans (like me) do  not get embarassed with their performance in front of (potentially) millions of people watching the game on TV. I would really like to see the Niners at least play good even if they lose. Maybe the media and football experts will start saying that they will be the sexy pick (again) in the NFC West , next year, if they win this game.

All these trade talks I read on the C's Blog is purely fantasy. Never trade your back-up point guard, never know what might happen to Rondo. Scal has "2" years left not 1. Big Baby is better than most of the players suggested. Remember, Big Baby is playing out of position. He should be playing the 4 versus 5. I still think he is doing a decent job so far. I say, bring back Darius Miles. He sure is a bargain. If you want to bring somebody in, like PJ Brown, look at rosters in the European league. Marc Jackson is playing there. Plays a decent 5 with a nice touch from 15'.

Makes me wonder why the Niners do not make an attempt to draft  more players from nearby schools like CAL and Stanford (may be limited, lack of impact players). There have been many CAL players who I thought the Niners should have drafted in the past such as: DeSean Jackson, Brandon Mebane, Desmond Bishop, Mike Gibson, Aaron Rodgers (you know, over Alex Smith), Ryan O'Callaghan, to name a few. They were pretty succesful with Andre Carter, Doug Brien and Jeremy Newberry of CAL and Cris Dalman, Eric Heitmann and Greg Clark of Stanford. I think that they have a big advantage over other scouts because these are local players anyway. Also, players drafted from smaller schools, players like TO, John Taylor, Jerry Rice, Eric Davis, Lee Woodal, Lance Schulters, Charles Haley, Don Griffin, Tim McKyer, and Pierce Holt have been very solid for them compared to picks from traditional football powerhouse schools like JJ Stokes, Israel Ifeanyi, Reggie McGrew, Dana Hall, Mike Rumph, and Saleem Rasheed. There have been very succesful late round picks, too, that they took a chance with like Andy Lee, Brian Jennings, Eric Johnson, Lee woodal, Elvis Grbac, Tai Streets, Jesse Sapolu, Don Griffin and Dwight Clark, to name a few. It seems as if the higher the draft choice, with a few exceptions of course, the worst the player is. Case in point: Vernon Davis, Keith DeLong, Jim Druckenmiller, RW McQuarters, Reggie McGrew, Dana Hall, Mike Rumph, and of course, Alex Smith. I am  hoping that next years draft will produce the next set of players that will elevate the Niners intesity and play to the next level (which is at least to finish without a losing record). I suppose that scouts have a very tough job evaluating a players heart versus their potential and physical attributes. let us all hope that next years draft, either Colt McCoy or any decent QB land with the team. I hate watching the Niners lose a lot of games every season.

Just a couple of things regarding the all time team. I voted for players and I only have one position that I have to disagree with and it's RB. As good as Roger Craig was, I think Garrison Hearst was better, although Hearst did not win any SB's. Also, are we going to vote for the safeties? If so, I would like to nominate Ronnie Lott for free safety, and Tim McDonald for SS, with Jeff Fuller as honorable mention.

This is an update on Jeff Fuller, former 49ers SS in the late1980's. He was going to be a star until his injury, sustained after the big 1989 earthquake in the Bay Area. This was written in May 2007 in SFGATE.com. He was the ultimate SS/LB hybrid who was fast, strong and smart. Enjoy.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/20/SPGNNPU2821.DTL&feed=rss.sports