49ers Team Report - NFL on day true story

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INSIDE SLANT

And then there was silence. After an eventful start to free agency in which the 49ers signed six players, and had a highly publicized dalliance with quarterback Peyton Manning , the 49ers backed off any signings last week. It may spell an end to the first phase of free agency for San Francisco.

So how did this team fare? Overall their free-agent signings were completely unimpressive; in fact only two of the six signings are assured to make the team. While the prize of the class, wide receiver Randy Moss , sounded dedicated on a conference call with reporters, is he really? Moss showed little dedication in his last two stops, Minnesota and Tennessee, and after sitting out a year, who's to say he has finally found the passion?

Cornerback Perrish Cox sounded like a reformed man after being exonerated of a sexual assault charge. However, attitude problems dogged him coming out of Oklahoma State. Will Cox be able to subdue his demons?

Former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs doesn't play special teams and puts forth erratic effort. He's also not likely to see a lot of playing time should starter Frank Gore stay healthy. Last year, Jacobs told Men's Health in November he was unlikely to return to the Giants because he wasn't getting the playing time he wanted. Does he really expect to get more in San Francisco?

Josh Johnson , who was Jim Harbaugh's quarterback at the University of San Diego, will be challenged to unseat either Colin Kaepernick or Scott Tolzein as the main backups to Alex Smith.

Former Giants receiver Mario Manningham appears to be a lock to make the team. Fringe player and special teams standout Rock Cartwright is also likely to be on the roster.

However, where the 49ers really scored is on re-signing their own players. Placing the franchise tag on safety Dashon Goldson and re-signing cornerback Carlos Rogers and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks means the 49ers will return all 11 starters on a defense that allowed the second-fewest points in the league.

Re-signing Alex Smith means the quarterback will have a second year in the Harbaugh/Greg Roman system, which could really benefit Smith. He won't have his head spinning with yet another new offensive coordinator and another new offensive system.

The surprise was getting return man Ted Ginn Jr. back. After taking a pay cut last year, team officials figured Ginn would flee. But he decided to come back to the team which has to delight special teams coach Brad Seely.

Failing to re-sign Adam Snyder leaves a hole at right guard, but the 49ers might not have had much interest in bringing Snyder back. Mitigating the loss of wide receiver Joshua Morgan, who went to his hometown Redskins, are the signings of Ginn, Manningham and Moss.

Add to this the seven selections the team has in the draft and the potential for bargain shopping in June, and the 49ers have positioned themselves for more success in 2012.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Comments captured by a documentary filmmaker of suspended defensive coordinator Gregg Williams the night before the Saints-49ers playoff game are nothing short of stunning. Here's a sampling: "Kill the head and the body will die. We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. … We want his head sideways." Former 49er Jeremy Newberry said on KNBR-AM that the major reason commissioner Roger Goodell came down hard on the Saints was because of the many concussion lawsuits against the NFL that are pending.

• Alex Smith showed up last Saturday to search for a South Bay teen who has been missing since mid-March. Smith was one of 581 volunteers combing a 20-mile section of Morgan Hill looking for clues in the Sierra LaMar case. The 15-year-old girl vanished on the morning of March 16. "He wasn't there for attention. He was there to search," said Marc Klass, who organized the volunteers. "It was about his heart. It's certainly a touching thing, and it's a huge thing, too. By showing up, he provided a value that went well beyond his own presence as a searcher."

• The 49ers decided on the Nike Elite 51 uniform, which according to the company's web site, includes "flywire" technology that reduces weight and promotes a shrink fit. Nike said, "The Nike Elite 51 uniform is completely engineered from the inside out, focusing on creating a system where the base layer, padding, jersey and pant work in concert. A few of the new innovations include increasing sleeve articulation for better range of motion and integrating new four-way stretch fabrication to provide a streamlined shrink-wrap fit."

• The team announced that a ground-breaking ceremony for their new stadium will take place April 19. Ground has already been broken with the "make ready" phase, which includes tree removal, ground leveling, and a redirecting of sewer lines and other utilities. It's made the 49ers Santa Clara complex into a dust bowl.

• Here's the team's preseason schedule: Week 1, Vikings. Week 2, at Houston. Week 3 at Denver. Week 4, San Diego. The glaring omission? No Raiders. Reports surfaced that the 49ers did not want a repeat of last year's debacle at Candlestick Park where two people were shot in the parking lot after the game. Several fights also broke out in the stands during the game. This breaks a streak of 12 straight summers featuring "the battle of the bay."

Quote To Note: "We need to decide on how many times we can beat Frank Gore's head." —Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in a speech before the 49ers 36-32 divisional playoff win over New Orleans.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The 49ers are still attempting to sign a veteran guard to compete with second-year offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore . This week they brought in former Ram and Raven player Jason Brown , who lost his starting job in St. Louis after signing a large contract in 2009 that included an $11 million signing bonus. Brown, at 6-3, 328 pounds, has the type of girth the 49ers are looking for at the position.

The 49ers have already entertained former Cardinal, Cowboy and Lion Leonard Davis , who weighs 360 pounds but was never activated for a game last year in Detroit. The team also brought in Deuce Lutui , a guard for the Cardinals who failed a physical last offseason after a trade to Cincinnati. The Bengals shipped him back to Arizona after Lutui weighed in at 388 pounds. Lutui signed with Seattle.

The 49ers may not have made an offer to last year's starter, Adam Snyder, who eventually signed a five-year deal in Arizona. Snyder reported at under 300 pounds for the start of training camp last year and was susceptible to the bull rush. The team seems bent on getting a veteran big man to compete with Kilgore.

Kilgore appeared in one game last season and is a relatively lean 6-3, 308 pounds.

Team Needs

1. Guard/center: Adam Snyder's departure not only opens up a starting spot at guard, but also creates an ardent need for a backup center.

2. Defensive line: Starters Justin Smith , Isaac Sopoaga and Ray McDonald logged serious minutes last year. Smith will enter his 12th season, McDonald has a chronic knee problem and Sopoaga is in a contract year. Ricky Jean Francois is versatile and able, but the 49ers could use a few more like him.

3. Wide receiver: The need at wide receiver has been mitigated by the addition of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. The 49ers might look in the draft, but the need now isn't as urgent.

Medical Watch: No change.

Franchise Player: S Dashon Goldson (tendered at $6.212 million).

Transition Player: None.

Unrestricted Free Agents

• FB Moran Norris will be pushed off the team more than likely by the development of last year's rookie sensation, Bruce Miller .

• TE Justin Peelle is unlikely to return particularly with tight end Nate Byham returning from a knee injury.

• OG Chilo Rachal started after a solid training camp but once again disappointed and was replaced by Adam Snyder. Rachal also doesn't switch easily from the right to the left side, which limits his value.

• S Madieu Williams Will is testing free agency, but the team wants him back because of his value as a special teams player and a swing safety.

Unrestricted Free Agents (not tendered offers)

• WR Brett Swain (not tendered as RFA) was signed by the team during the season when Joshua Morgan went down and could be brought back to compete in training camp.

Restricted Free Agents

• LB Larry Grant (tendered at $1.26M with seventh-round pick as compensation) played extremely well replacing the injured Patrick Willis for part of the season.