SB Nation User Blog: StrictlyFootball

2009 49ers Free Agents: Should they stay or should they go? Poll has been redone...

StrictlyFootball — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:51:18 -0000

Well with all the talk about if Mike Singletary has done enough to be the 49ers head coach next year, it got me pondering about the 49er's 2009 free agents and who has earned a spot on the team for next year.

J.T. O'Sullivan(QB) - UFA: Where are all those chants i heard at the beginning of the year, those "JTO JTO JTO JTOOOOOOOOO!!!" guys. Of course I was a Smith supporter so I shouldn't talk. Anyways while we all know about his 11 interceptions and his 2 lost fumbles (fumbled at least 6 times though) in a 8 week span he had some positive sides as well. He averaged 210 yards per game and in his first 3 weeks he had around a 103.3 QB rating. Plus he was a definite competitor and maybe if Martz didn't 7 step drop him as much, and if Martz had given him a similar game plan as Shaun Hill's, perhaps he would have done better. I think he is a solid back-up and if the 49ers pass on renewing Smith's contract they could do worse than re-signing JTO.

Zak Keasey(FB) - RFA: Was not a bad FB, not a great one, but not bad. He has the speed to run with Gore and can set up outside blocks, but he is definitely not a great receiving Full-back. Also there were some occasions where his missed blitz pick-ups led to JTO being flat on his back. He is still very young and has room to improve, but perhaps Michael Robinson may make a permanent move to Full-Back and leave Keasey on the outside looking in. It should be noted though that he was a stand-out on special teams.

Bryant Johnson(WR) - UFA: Surprisingly, Johnson's stats have been consistently good when the quarter back has been consistent. In the first three weeks he had 1 touchdown and averaged 50 yards a game and since Shaun Hill has been playing he has 2 touch downs and averages 43 yards a game. He hasn't been stellar, but has been solid. I think since It's very doubtful that Bruce will be playing after next season and because of the youth of our WRs, if we don't get a veteran WR next year it would be nice to have Johnson stay and provide some experience.

Eric Heitmann(C) - UFA - He has had a pro-bowl caliber year, won the O-lineman award (Bobb McKittrick award) and besides from Staley, is the only proven O-lineman this team has. A must Re-Sign. AND HE IS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you bay boy.

Tony Wragge(OG) - RFA - He stormed through training camp and took the starting Guard position after Bass was hurt, but since mid season is now the back up guard. He is known as the strongest guy on the team but it seems his lack of technique and speed has left him vulnerable to speed pass rushers.

Allen Rossum(CB/RS) - UFA - He has been a great improvement in the return game and when he was out, his absence was sorely noticeable. The three downsides for him is his age, his injury proneness, and the fact that the 49ers are giving up a roster spot for only a return specialist. I think if the 49ers are planning to draft a speed WR who can do returns, then Roosum might be out on his butt, but if not, then I wouldn't mind seeing him back next year.

Some other 49ers free agents are Jamie Martin(QB), Damane Duckett(OL), and Ronald Fields(DL).

So who should stay and who should go?

QB - Jamie Martin UFA - Go
QB - J.T. O'Sullivan UFA - Stay
FB - Zak Keasey RFA - Stay
WR - Bryant Johnson UFA - Stay
OG - Tony Wragge RFA - Stay
OL - Damane Duckett UFA - Go
DL - Ronald Fields UFA - Go
CB - Allen Rossum UFA - Go

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By the way, i just saw that the Yankees have signed Mark Texiara for 8 years and 180 Million. I am a giants fan and have been one since I was 5. The way the Yankees have thrown around there money and the lack of off season improvement this year from the Giants has led me to boycott this baseball season. I'm sorry but the way the MLB is set up, large market teams will always have an upper hand. Ya maybe a small market team will have a run for a year or two, but once the stars become free agents you can bet the big market team will out bid them 10 times over. This Sucks...

I was just on fritz and brooks (I was Gino) talking about this, I think I held my own for that 7 minute call but probably not.

Poll

Which free agent would you like to see re-signed, the most, in 2009?

J.T. O'Sullivan(QB)

3 votes

Zak Keasey(FB)

5 votes

Bryant Johnson(WR)

70 votes

Tony Wragge(OG)

5 votes

Ronald Fields(DL)

2 votes

Allen Rossum(CB/RS)

41 votes

126 votes | Poll has closed

The final bid for my College Football Soul....

StrictlyFootball — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:53:20 -0000

EDITOR'S NOTE 10/13 4:45pm: I realize some of us aren't college football fans, or are not fans of the teams here, but I thought it'd be fun to move this to the front page. StrictlyFootball is looking for a college football team to cheer for (here's his original post about the subject). So, vote away and if you have a particular suggestion or reason, throw it in the comments.

Well this it, the final vote/discussion. California won (shocker), so all DIV-1 CAL teams will be represented, (Except CAL) but because of two big pulls for outside of CAL teams in the comment section, I will also be including Boise St. and Oregon.

How this final Vote will be determined is 60% votes, 20% General Comments (Not just amount but also conviction) and 20% the person's team who made the best argument.

The teams how I see them, that's left:

San Jose State - Not that great of a team, but some big talent has come out of their school (Joe Nedney for one), and is very local.

UCLA - Has a great history, but is on a down swing as of late (kind of like the 49ers), but is still competitive.

Stanford - Has had "The Play", great history, is very local, and is currently on a big upswing.

Fresno State - An over-acheiving underdog who has done alot with not that much, is local enough to make a day trip, and is (or was) ranked.

USC (University of Spoiled Children - JK) - A prerinail favorite for the BCS championship, a california team, and has many pro prospects to root for in the NFL.

San Diego State - A Cal team, not that great, rarely see them on TV.

Oregon - Great Uniforms ;), has Donald Duck as their mascot, very competitive/ranked team, and has some pro level talent.

Boise St. - Statue of Liberty Play, perennial upset-er, blue turf, and great coaching.

So those are the final choices. I will announce who I will be a fan for this Wednesday at 9:00pm.

Poll

Which Team Do You Think I should Be A Fan For?

Boise State

17 votes

Fresno State

28 votes

Oregon

19 votes

San Diego State

8 votes

San Jose State

11 votes

Stanford

16 votes

UCLA

20 votes

USC

23 votes

142 votes | Poll has closed

Need A College Football Team to Root For...

StrictlyFootball — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:33:38 -0000

Alright here's the deal. I am a die hard 49ers, Giants, Warriors, and AC Milan (Italian Soccer Team) fan. My dad is a 49ers fan but never really included me in his Sunday ritual. It was only when I flipped on my Madden 02 did I start becoming a football fan. Football parlayed into other sports (Except soccer, always have been a fan, Viva Italia!), and soon I was a Sports "Geek".

Now that I have transferred into a 4 year college, I want to be able to root for a College Football Team. I always told myself as soon as I get into a university I would have my team to root for, unfortunetly my college, UC Santa Cruz (Go Slugs!), does not have a football team for me to cheer for. So now I am putting my fan soul on the line and would like some of the 49er faithful to convince me to root for their team.

I have a few qualifications though:

- First - NO CAL! I was accepted by CAL only to be dropped 3 months before the start of school because of "over enrollment", which consequently ruined my back up school UC Davis. I have nothing against CAL fans (best friend is a die hard fan) just have bad memories.

- Second - I would very much preffer a PAC 10 or WAC team. Eventhough I haven't had a team to root for I have followed these two conferences every Saturday. Also those teams are usually the only ones I can watch every week on TV.

- Third - Please just don't vote for a team, give me reasons. Tell me why you love them.

Since I don't want to make a huge list for the poll, I will just put each team's state. After the first poll is done I'll take the state with the most votes and list each team within it.

I want to say, that once I chose a team, I am monagamous and unwaivering. I follow that team through thick and thin and will always be a fan.

So now let the bidding for my fan soul begin!

Poll

Which state does the team you would like me to be a fan for, reside in?

Arizona

0 votes

California

17 votes

Hawaii

0 votes

Idaho

1 votes

Louisiana

0 votes

Nevada

1 votes

New Mexico

0 votes

Oregon

3 votes

Utah

1 votes

Washington

2 votes

25 votes | Poll has closed

With Seahawk Injuries, Does That Mean NFC West Up For Grabs?

StrictlyFootball — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:29:38 -0000

With the latest news on Bobby Engram being out for 6-8 weeks (hurts my fantasy team) does this mean the Seahawks our prime for the taking this year? Deion Branch is most likely out till mid October and with another 20 players not participating in practice because of injury, it sounds certainly plausible. The 49ers face the Seahawks twice in the first 8 weeks, and with this now clipped Seahawk offense it seems more and more likely that the 49ers may walk out holding their heads high against NFC west Champions. Lets also not forget they have a relatively unproven running game and that their o-line is shaky after loosing some depth from injury and retirement. All I know is that for the first time in a long time the Seahawks seem weaker than they have in a long time.

If you could have dinner with any living 49er who would it be?

StrictlyFootball — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:36:44 -0000

Alright it's late and I will probably make many grammar/spelling mistakes but I thought I would bring up a question. This question is a take on the question the radio hosts Mike and Mike proposed earlier today. "If you could have dinner with any living person in sports who would it be?" I suppose I could just leave it at that but I'm going to branch it off into 3 "49er" related questions. 1. Dinner with a current 49er 2. Dinner with a living 49er 3. Dinner with a deceased 49er. Also don't forget to take into account what restaurant or what type of dinner you would have with them.

1. Dinner with a current 49er... Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky, eating at Everett & Jones, in Jack London Square. I don't know why but I have always been more infatuated with the defense than the offense and I think Manusky is very knowledgeable and he seems to be a vocal guy so you know it won't be a quiet dinner. It was tough choosing between Manusky and Singletary, but Manusky actually stopped and talked to a group of us at last years training camp for a good 10 minutes after practice, and I could never get Singletary to sign my ball or even head over to us despite going to 3 different practices. I chose Everett & Jones because Manusky is a former line backer, so I know he'll love himself some ribs and fixens, and anybody who knows a thing about great ribs in the Bay Area, knows Everett & Jones has the best.

2. Dinner with a living 49er... QB Joe Montana at Benihana. I mean Joe Cool is the man and he was the best QB, period. He is my all time favorite player so I gotta chose him. I don't know what else I can say about Joe Cool without it sounding too much like a man-crush. I think Benihana because I think Joe would appreciate a show and the food is always top notch.

3. Dinner with a deceased 49er... Innovator of the west coast offense, three time winning Superbowl coach, and the best eye for talent who ever lived, the man himself, Bill Walsh! (at my Nonna's house for dinner) Bill Walsh was the greatest coach of all time who could have coached for longer if his genius was recognized earlier. He has made legends not only of players but of coaches as well. Bill Walsh can be considered the grandfather of coaches as he has breathed life into the careers of 31 different head coaches. He was the god of football and knew everything about a game days before it would even start. As such a man like him deserves the best food on Earth, my Nonna's cooking. Authentic Italian food made entirely from scratch, Molto Bene! Bill Walsh will forever be enshrined as a legendary figure not just in football, but in all sports. Rest in peace Bill.

Anyways, those are my three feel free to submit who you would go to dinner with as well.