Excellent! If Smith stays healthy he'll be an excellent right tackle and in any case we have depth at that position...i really like this pick up. Now lets go for a pass rusher in the draft!

i pray he stays healthy.....nobody can question JJ's performance when on the field......

This definitely helps our O-line, now pray he stays healthy. With this p/u we can address our pass-rush with our 1sr pick and get an OT in the 2nd or 3rd round. I hope Everette Brown falls to 10. Matt, do you think trading down and picking a RB and CB late 1st/early 2nd is feasible?

Matt --- BeeRows says the Jennings move saves the Niners $3 million in cap room; you say $716K "this season". Is the difference reconciled by factoring in cap savings in the "out" years?

If so, isn't this all the more reason to spend some money now locking up people like Parys H.?

BTW, totally agree with others that this means we should emphasize pass rush with #10 and get some insurance for RT in later rounds. That leads to this question: if a Tackle is the BPA on the board when it comes time to turn in the card for #10 do the Niners blindly pass up someone like Everette Brown just to get the BPA? Hopefully there's more flexibility in their thinking than that.

Jonas Jennings should be arrested!! Thief! I still think the niners draft a OT.....NOT!!! This could end up being a great pickup at OT
Franchise - if Sanchez is there we are going to take him. No doubt about it after today news.
There is NO WAY IN HELL the 49ers pass up Mark Sanchez now at 10!
You heard it here first on.....the Franchise Network.....

Yay we just signed another Jonas Jennings.

Comment: .. . Jennings move saves the Niners $3 million in cap room; you say $716K "this season".

My response: Look again. --Matt M.

I wonder if this signing has any implications on what the Niners are gonna do at 10?

Hey man, I wasn't trying to play "gotcha"; I, like most, don;t understand the nuances of the cap and the difference between your report at BeeRows caught my eye. Thanks for clearing it up. Now, take a shot at my 2nd question: would the Niners still take a Tackle if their board showed him to be BPA when #10 comes around?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

If they draft Sanchez they're making a huge mistake. Qb, while it is a position of need, does not need to be addressed in the draft, especially with the #10 pick. Get a OLB, DT, OT, or WR. Those positions, specifically OT and OLB, would have the greatest impact on this team right now and in the future. Smith or Hill will do more than enough not to lose games and the defense and everyone else will need to do what it takes to win games.

Question: Thanks for clearing it up. Now, take a shot at my 2nd question: would the Niners still take a Tackle if their board showed him to be BPA when #10 comes around?

My response: I did the quick math, then I looked back at the story I wrote last month in which I reported Jennings would be released. I noticed I had a different number then, and I tried to correct it quickly.

As for your question, absolutely, the 49ers would still take an offensive tackle at No. 10, if there's a guy there that they like. --Matt M.

Nice pickup I believe. I think Smith differs from Jennings in that this guy is a top tackle when healthy (Pro Bowl). Jennings, while a very good tackle, never seemed like a top 10 tackle, and was never fully healthy. Smith has missed games in 2 seasons but from what I've heard thats it, he doesnt have a history of constantly being injured year in and year out. Back injuries are bad but he could loose a little weight, pick up some speed and take some pressure off the spine.

2 year deal tells me they have confidence he's back from his back surgery. I really like Smith he should be a fixure at RT for the next 2 years. As for the draft always take best player available at #10, but if it's a pass rusher all the better.

Smith hasn't exactly been a shining beacon of health the last two years either, but seeing how we've been averaging a whopping 5.75 games out of Jennings for the last four years, Smith's average of 8.5 over the last two seasons sounds like a lot more desirable.

I like this move just fine, but we still need to draft a RT....this COULD, however, effect WHEN we take a RT. Do we still take one at 10, or do we wait until the mid-rounds since this draft class is allegedly deep at OL?

Jennings was a disaster and several Bills coaches said as much when we signed him. Hopefully Smith can stay somewhat healthy. SF should still look for a young OT in the draft but this move gives us flexibility.JJ we wish you well but you need to man up like those Wall Street executives give some of the cash back. Good move signing Marvel (luv that name) Smith. Just stay healthy MS. Now on to the draft...with the 10th pick in the 2009 NFL draft the San Francisco 49ers select......Brian Cushing of USC.

Since it is only a 2-year deal OT is still one of the top priorities at #10. Marvel isn't a young buck, and they need another OT if for nothing else so the the Niners aren't bringing B. Sims off the bench. It may give them a little bit of flexibility, but if anyone things that Marvel is anything other then a band-aid, you better reconsider. The signing of Marvel does nothing to their needs at #10. If the OT they like is there, you need to take him. If Orakpo or E. Brown are there as the top guy, take him. But don't alter your plan because you signed a veteran, coming off back surgery, to a two year deal.

The NFL is a QB driven league. If you don't have one, only a group of idiots would pass on one. If Sanchez had gone back for his senior year, he would have been the favorite to be the top pick. So if Sanchez should happen to fall to the 49ers at 10, it should take only seconds to bring the card with his name up to the podium. Then you let him watch for a year while Smith/Hill keep the chair warm. Let's see if the 3 idiots make the correct call!

Montana_to_Clark brings up a great point, but I don't think we are in a position to invest in another 1st round pick into a one year wonder.

While I personally like Sanchez (my last name is Sanchez!) and what I've seen from him in his brief career, we need to think of the team first and the fact that we've led the league in sacks given up 2 years in a row.

I think we still need to take an OT with #10, or a pass rusher depending on who is available. We have capable starters now in both of these areas, but we have NO DEPTH, so if someone gets hurt (Manny, Joe, Parys, Marvel), we are screwed again.

Marvel is older and we need to protect our QB's and run the ball, so I'd rather get a big young OT and have him be an anchor for years to come. If any of you remember Smith in his first 3 years, he was getting so much pressure put on him ... give any QB some time and they will produce, no matter what their skill level is.

Matt, you were game yesterday to answer people's hypotheticals about the draft. How about this-- how would you guess the 49ers' board looks like from 1-10, ie, how do they rank the top 10 players in the draft?

After thinking about this further, I don't see the Niners taking OT at #10. They have their LT of the future, and would be drafting for Right Tackle. I'm not sure they'd value a RT as a #10 pick. It would HAVE to be the best player available for them to take a RT. A #10 pick should see the field nearly immediately. With the Smith signing, this makes me think the Niners themselves don't see themselves taking a Tackle at #10.

Did it seem weird to anyone else that Singletary is going to be onstage at the draft day party after we pick in the first round? Dosen't he have more important things to do that day? Like, what if there's a trade offer while he's onstage talking to the fans? Does he come strapped with the McBat phone? And if he's going on right after our pick then he'll be there instead of at team HQ when the decision is made. Have coaches done this in the past?

McCloughan has said that if they get an OT that is better than Staley, he'd move back to RT.

Nolan was at the past Draft Parties and talked to fans, besides, if McCloughan is the trigger man, he's the guy who needs to be in the war room.

I don't see us taking an OLB at this point. How many guys are almost there in the 2nd and 3rd round compared to the top 3 OLB's being talked about. 1 more year of maturity with some players is like day and night. I think there is just as much value in an OLB/Pass Rusher in the 2nd round as in the first. Who is the real monster in the top three being talked about? Do you see anybody in the top 10 who you would pay 25 mill guaranteed at this point with the signing of the OT today? I see one kid, Smith From Baylor he is the most impressive player I have seen since Howie Long's son got drafted. This is a special kid. He is the only kid I have seen in the draft that makes me say. Hall of Famer.
Of course I thought Daniel Stubbs was a sure fire HOF'er.
I just think Smith is a very impressive human being. I would spend the 25 mill on him.

Scouts Inc's take:

Marvel Smith, OT: If his back trouble subsides, he’s on the fringe of the league’s top 10 tackles. He can take over a game and dominate when healthy. If it doesn’t, his career may be in jeopardy.

This is a good move im glad we finally upgraded the position. I just hope that hes injury free and productive. I still think we should take a tackle in the first round because of the chance that his lower back injury can come back....unless we trade up and get crabtree hes gonna be a beast for years in the NFL.

Now all the Smith's need are rhyming first names ala Ham, Lam, and Jam Jones.

the difference between Jennings and M.Smith? M.Smith comes from a winning program(the Steelers), Jennings didn't. Also, even with M.Smiths injuries the last 2 years he played in twice as many games in that time as J.Jennings. I believe M.Smith will do what it takes to stay healthy.....and unless Crabtree or B.raji is still available we should take another Smith, Andre. That'll be 5 Smiths!

Oh Montana to Clark.....while you bash Hill just remember he had a better passer rating than Rothlisberger last year, and he wasn't even in a system that fit him, and he played behind a horrible o-line. If we take Sanchez i'll be cool with that but we have more pressing needs. Sean Hill is the most under rated qb maybe ever.

Also, the difference between M. Smith and J. Jennings is about $26 million. Smith is 2 years worth $10 IF he hits all his incentives, which mainly are based on playing time. Jennings was 7 years $36 mil, so this is a very low risk signing. Solid job by the front office, and as someone who has bashed them routinely, this is not a comment I make lightly.

Not to bring you down Toby, but the math on Jennings was 5.14 million a year average and Smith is 5 million a year average, if he hits all his incentives as you said. Not a huge difference and I'm sure that Jennings contract was balanced out nicely as well and included incentives.

You're not bringing me down, my point was that the Niners signed Jennings for 7 years for a total of 36 mil, and got how many games out of him? 23 in 4 years. And he collected all his money each year because nothing was built into his contract to protect the team. M. Smith does. If he gets hurt, he won't collect that 10 mil, Jennings' never had that in his contract. So the only way Smith averages 5 mil a season is if he plays 32 games. And for 32 games I'll gladly pay an OT 10 mil. I won't pay 20 mill for 23 games worth of work, which is what Jennings provided.

Good signing. If he can stay healthy we got very good bookends at OT. Not to mention Smith and Rachal make for a formidable duo over on that side of the line :)

Here's a Steelers' fan take on Smith:

"As a long time Steelers fan, I have watched Marvel develop into a great tackle. If he stays healthy and his back problems are cleared from the surgery, you guys just got one heck of a good Tackle. Congrats Marvel, and thanks for the memories!"

I'm glad they signed Marvel.Nobody spends #10 money for a RT,so they must feel Staley is not the LT envisined when they gave up so much to snag him.I thought he really came on by season's end.A # 10 OT would yield a running game upgrade,but that seems like a luxury tweak for a talent-rich team,which the Niners are not.We could drop to circa #15 and snag Harvin and use the juice to get Delmas or another ballhawk.I Don't think electrifying playmakers are part of the vision,but they shoud be.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Staley is the second best LT in the division and will be the best once Walter Jones retires. If we take a tackle at #10 and if they decide to slide Staley back to RT, then that draft pick would have to be one helluva LT and that would be a nice problem to have.

By all accounts, the team is very happy with Staley and so am I. The dude is a stud and was well worth it.

It's a great day in 49er Land with the signing of Marvel. As I said before the 49ers can now pick an OT in the 3rd round & concentrate on BPA in the first 2 rounds other than OT. It's pretty much a given that these players below will be gone by pick#10

Stafford
Jason Smith
Curry
Crabtree
Monroe
Andre Smith
Orakpo
Raji
Maclin

That leaves these players based on how the scouts see it for the next BP'sA

OLB Maybin & Everette Brown
RB Knowshon Moreno
DE Ayers
WR Percy Harvin

It's got to be one of those players right Matt?

Well F49er, i just had a look at Pat Kirwans mock draft on nfl.com...he has us taking Percy Harvin with the number 10...though i personally feel that's a bit of a reach.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d80f7a9fe&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

jjjjjj,

I don't quite understand the diss from some 49er fans about Harvin. If you look at the National Champion Gator Team they had so much speed at the skill positions & Harvin lead the whole group in that department. He brings multiple skills to the table & he's so explosive. Let's face it the 49ers have had nobody of that caliber in a long long time. Yes there's some question about his durability but I feel if the 49ers use him on the outside & get him the ball in space he could definetly do some major damage & defenses would have to account for him on every snap. There's no other current 49er on the roster that possess that if I'm not mistaken.

Bro its not about me dissing him. I like the guy, he's an explosive player he adds a whole new dimension to our offense. But i don't think he belongs at No.10..or anywhere in the top 10 for that matter. I'm pretty sure we can get someone who's bound to be an excellent 49er for years to come. I'm also reminded of Vernon Davis..he was supposed to add a whole new dimension not just to our offense but to the TE position..unfortunately we haven't used him as effectively as i would have imagined...my fear is that if we do get Harvin, we will have the same issue.

Percy Harvin is the most talented offensive player in this draft, He will be a steal for whoever drafts him. Just like when Patrick Willis was drafted. This guy is the truth

Sorry about my earlier comment..It was Maclin not Harvin who we took in the mock.

jjjjj ....Vernon Davis is an athlete playing football, which is why hes so mechanical and has problems catching the ball.Percy Harvin is a football player with natural instincts,he will be sucessful and i think he will make an instant impact because of those qualities. I dont think we will draft him but whoever does will be happy as hell.

I would agree with you only upto a certain point...i believe he can be incredibly productive depending on the team and the system. I don't think he would be as productive with us than say..Arizona for example. Then again either way, defenses will have to account for him when he's on the field and i guess thats what matters.

Very true....But the only way we aquire dynamic offense players will be through the draft. No great offensive player will come here, because of Singletarys so called offensive "vision."

Matt as always, your blog takes care of my Niner fix. Wish you had a blog for the Giants too. LOL! Now for all of those super gitty about the Smith pick up... not to sound so pessimistic, but he's no different than Jennings. They are both great when health... problem is they're not healthy very often. I would hope they still go OT with #10 pick. If nothing else, it gives us the depth we need, worst case scenario, our stud rookie gets to learn for a year (or as long as Smith stays healthy). I want a pass rusher too, but a great D will not win games if our QB is on his arce all day. remember, our D was not the reason we went 7-9, it was our red-zone Off (Off in general). Granted, Mad Mart's system did not work for the personnel the Niners had. We can pick up a decent DE/DT in the second round. We could even trade up for two second round picks and grab a RB too (I think we should give Clayton his shot; rookie #3, and Robinson ST stud). Our most glaring need is FS (can't believe we didn't go for the free agent from the Browns, he's an INT monster). But a last... there are no stud Safeties in the draft. So we fill our needs in rds 3-7. For the guy who exclaimed Sanchez for sure and all the other fans who want a QB with the # 10... WTF are you thinking?! Bet you'd be the first ones to start complaining about big bucks to another QB in training. Get a clue... rookie QB's thrown to the wolves is a bad move. Granted there are some exceptions, but so was the fact that Brady was a 6th round pick, you're not gonna tell me you expect every late round QB to be a Pro Bowl stud. Lightning in a bottle is not the way to build a championship caliber team. With Sing's no BS approach, and the core of young hungry players trying to make their (ex pro bowl coach proud), we should eek out an extra 2-3 wins. 10-6 equals division title. Sea chickens (even with TJ) will not take it, the desert birds will not get lucky two years in a row, and Lambs... need I say more? Good to hear Niner fans a buzz with excitement over their team... all you heaters though can take your arces across the bay! Go Niners!

I hear you man...i don't think the vision is as bad as everyones making it out to be though. I imagine, or at least i hope, that what Sing wants to do is go back to the kind of offense we had in 06. Which wasn't at all drab by any stretch of the imagination. I just think people hear all this we need to be physical running game stuff and construe it to mean a predominantely run team...what i've understood is that Sing wants his team to dictate the tempo of the game...when the time comes to run the ball, he wants to be able to do just that! Anyway seeing as we both agree Niners won't go for Harvin..what do you think of say...Brian Robiskie in the 2nd round?

Reply to F49er
Yes, Florida's super star is one pick. Or Moreno. Followed Niners when most of you were in diapers. Remember the idiot Morobito Bros trading away our All Pro safety, Taylor just before the playoffs. Dallas made that fabulous comeback bec he was missing.
Anywho, in all these years I've never witnesses a duller tean than the Niners. So bad their highlight shot on Sports Center is a field goal.
Draft Moreno, Haven, etc. Get some speed and dazzle. It's not contrary to Sing's phil. If you run the ball, give it to a guy who can break it. Not dissing Gore, but the ave back lasts about five years - look at LT the last two years. You have to get young at back & if you get a receiver hybrid -Percy -so much the better. Rules have changed, harder to mugg the little guys now.

I think Brian Robiske will be a very good pick if they were to draft him. But i dont think they will draft a reciever at all. Personally i would luv for them to draft BJ Raji, the OT Britton and Herman Johnson! Were in need of a great DT to put in front of Patrick Willis.Or could you imagine our OL with Staley,H.Johnson,Heitmann,Rachal and Andre or Marvel Smith or Britton.Young and solid!...This is when we can draft a QB. When we have an quality line to protect him!

I actually believe they will go. OT or OLB, RB and DB in the 1st 3 rounds but in no particular order.

ancientniner,

That's why I have Moreno in the mix, you can never have enough RB's look at the Giants & the Panthers. Knowing Sing the way I do you need to productive RB's in today's NFL. No disrespect to Frankie. It will just make Gore better at the end of the year.

Toby certainly agree about not altering plans with Marvel added -he's a good pickup if his back holds up and gives us a little space to work in our rookie OT(and it is a high percentage bet that will occur in the first three rounds!) Sims can be dropped then.I would be happy with A.Smith or Oher at 10 but who knows with Marvel pickup they could target someone like Topou in the third.As Franchise intimated yesterday- if we played our hand properly at ten with Sanchez as bait we might get a trade to lower first and an extra 2nd -that would have real import for our team as I"m sure you know(and thereby making my fav Connor Barwin a sensible pick in lower first -AH a guy can dream can't he?).

I hope the Marvel Smith signing brings a little perspective on our fixation with an OT at #10. Can anyone give a recent example of someone who was drafted in the top 10 to be a right tackle? Teams are usually reluctant to spend the kind of money necessary for a top 10 draft pick on Right Tackles. All of the names we've mentioned as possible top ten OT picks are Left Tackles. That's really a different skill set. We already have a 1st round pick playing LT and earning good money. (And playing the position pretty well.) There seem to be lots of good choices that bloggers are suggesting for RT picks in rounds 2 or 3. I'd much rather see a pass rusher or CB or if we're lucky even a WR, with the first pick.

I'm sorry and I love this team. I just don't see the point of signing a guy for 5 mil a year that has only played 17 games in two seasons!!!! We release Jennings who's had the same nagging injuries. I might be wrong but I would rather have someone that's had nagging injurys all over than someone that has back injuries. Steelers Oline was horrible this year. They need all the Oline they can get. Why do you think they let this guy go. I live in Pittsburgh. Though I'm not a fan I have to follow them because its all the media around here reports on. They are very shrewd and talented talent evaluators. They are one team that I don't want their trash. If they thought he could return to form they would keep him. I'm sorry that tells me something. If we don't do something soon I'm scared we are going to be held in the same category as the Bengals. I don't want to ever hear the phrase same old 49ers. I'm scared that's where we are headed. what happens if we don't get to playoffs by in the next 3 years. Don't get me wrong I love the addition of Singletary. I don't mind them not breaking the bank on FA. So far I only like two of the moves in FA. Resiging Spikes and Norris. B. Jones hasn't shown anything special. Looks like the signing of B. Johnson last year. Ecspecially at 3.5 mil it looks rediculous. If we don't have a stellar draft we are in trouble this year boys. I'm not being pessimistic I'm being realistic. All I know M. Smith and his plus 30 bad back isn't the answer. You do realize guys he will make more than J. Jennings first four years here right. Jennings didn't have injury issues before he got here. 5 mil a year for M. Smith is just Ludicrist. We are one injury away from another 7-9 season or worse. We aren't better than last year and we lost depth.

Harvin and Gore would be one scary two-headed monster. Apparent the Giants might make a run for him.Pairing him with Jacobs would be equally scarry,plus they get Plaxico insurance.Although his speed makes the vertical stretch a given,what makes him so perfect for the niners is the ability to take a short pass to the house.

Hi Matt, The signing of Marvel Smith seems to follow a pattern of aged or oft injured O-linemen. They made no attempt to get one of the better free agents. I hope this frees up the 10th pick to grab a skill position. They can take the best running back and have a two headed monster attack. The hybrid DE-LB is a risky pick, they can be total busts as past drafts have shown. I don't think they can wait for Sanchez, all said they probably take Smith from Alabama.

I think we'll draft an OT at some point in the draft. When we pick at #10, it depends whose available. If one of the top 3 or 4 is available, we'll probably pick him to eventually play LT and shift Staley to RT. If the one we like is gone by then, we'll draft defense and look to pick up a RT in round 3-4. The Smith signing is great because it gives us that flexibility

I would love for us to get Raji or an Rush guy in round 1, a Big Time RB in round 2 (although Sing really doesn't want that) and an CB in round 3, RT in round 4.

"Remember the idiot Morobito Bros trading away our All Pro safety, Taylor just before the playoffs. Dallas made that fabulous comeback bec he was missing."

Refresh my memory cells, ancientniner. The only Taylor I know of at safety was the one the Niners would have drafted at 10 this year if he had decided to come out early from USC – Taylor Mays.

Maybe I'm further dating myself – there were safeties Johnny Fuller (68), Ralph McGill (72), Windlan Hall (76), Stan Black (77), then we finally struck gold in 81 with Ronnie.

Ok he is a Niner, but all this talk of now lets go out and get a pass rusher with our 1st round pick is silly. Everett Brown? Puhleeez! Best Available Athlete is the way I would go all the way through 5 Rounds period. No way is Oher,Maybin,Brown worthy of our #10 pick. Orakpo is a 4-3 defensive end and will be gone. I would rather take Robert Ayers over Maybin or Brown. Depending on how this shakes out I'm still gonna make a case for Harvin or Moreno in this war room of ours with Harvin having the slight edge because of his BIG time play making ability from anywhere on the field and his versatility.

Great football minds think alike. Bellicheck likes Harvin alot as well. Gore/Harvin would be SICK! And he don't fumble ever.

Smith is a short term solution at RT. #10 has to be a OT or DL. A long term contributor to the team. If you run a 3-4 you do not spend a top ten pick at OLB....bad place to tie up big cap money. The rookie contract will be big at #10.

I'm not a fan of Harvin at #10, but Razoreater sell me. Who in the NFL would you compare to Harvin?

Percy Harvin is Devin Hester with exceptional receiving skills

RealityCheck needs to Check Himself,

How can you compare Hester who was a kick returner / "pretend" DB @ Miami to Harvin who was "THE" proven offensive "weapon" in multiple sets on offense & special teams?

Harvin is fast and strong yet difficult to pin down or compare-see him dangerous in a wildcat but how much will we run that!? Don't get me wrong I think he Very talented. The tenth position may be a good spot but difficult to place this year-many of the guys mentioned in wish lists here will be gone-if we stay pat do we go Oher /A Smith/E Brown...Malcolm Jenkins?-even goofed around here couple nights ago by considering Peria-(fully knowing he's a 43 guy but wanted throw a monkey wrench in"our" thinking here). So the guy I want first is massive reach Connor Barwin so I've devised a trade scenario involving Detroit in which -IF they don't go QB first they trade spots 20 and 33 for our ten pick(presumably to grab QB)-a high second rounder will serve us well so here is where I go from there:(20)Connor Barwin DE/OLB/TE;(33)Jarron Gilbert DL;(43) Max Unger OL(74)Austin Collie WR;(111)Rashad Jennings RB;(146)Lydon Murtha OL;(171) Tony Carter CB;(184)Frantz Joseph ILB;(219)DIyral Briggs OLB;(244 )Myron Pryor NT and my favorite UDFA sleeper this year Greg Micheli QB.!!!

Percy Harvin=Ricky Natiell=SUCKS! Flordia may have a nice little College Program, but Florida players traditionally more often than not have been TERRIBLE in the Pros. The so-called "college speed" they have doesn't translate to the NFL where EVERYBODY is fast. Tebow will SUCK too! It's a gimmick program. I would much rather see the 49ers take players from traditional pro style teams like USC, Notre Dame, Miami, etc. who have a proven track record of producing NFL greats even when their programs have down college seasons.

Matt,
I believe Bill Walsh said teams should draft a QB at some point in the draft every year. Why does McCloughan continue to avoid taking a QB in the later rounds??? Eventually you will hit on one if you keep taking one in the later rounds and won't be pressured every year to get one in free agency or in Round 1. To me this has been his BIGGEST FLAW as 49ers GM.

Dont put much weight on what people like Casserly say. If he was that good at the draft and building a team he would still be a GM some where. I dont hold these so called former GM's opinion to high because if they were that good they would still be leading a team.

Think most of us could do just as well coming up with our own mock draft and get more right then the so called experts.

I like the signing of Smith and believe it was a smart move to make the contract filled with incentives. I do not see us drafting a OT with #10. For the kind of money we would have to pay the #10 pick in the draft it may not be worth it. Lets say that Smith beats the guy out and reaches most of his incentives, can you imagine the money that would be tied up in OT position. I like the idea of trading down in first and drafting a RB and CB in first and second rounds. Then look at your QB, pass rusher, OT, and ILB. 9-10 picks is not a bad number.

Rosey Taylor... played most of his career with the Bears, then came here for a while. Free safety on the 1970 playoff Niners.

Rosey Taylor:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TaylRo00.htm

He was a two-time pro-bowler before he came to SF, with the Bears. Traded in the off-season to the Redskins after '71 for a second pick in '73 and a third draft pick in '74.

F49er i feel ya. Maybe what i meant was that he is a dynamic receiver with the return skills of Devin Hester.

I don't think anyone is on the level of Hester in return skills.

I'm still sticking to my thoughts on Harvin. I think Nicks and Britt will be better WR's in the pros and those guys might not even be first round picks.

"Tebow will SUCK too!"

Going back to school did him no favors, he would be better off going now if he's ever going to grow at the QB position. Until then, he's a nice sleeper at TE if he's willing.

":(20)Connor Barwin DE/OLB/TE;(33)Jarron Gilbert DL;(43) Max Unger OL(74)"

I like this a lot. Unger can be depth all over the line and could be LG replacement for Baas. I don't like Unger as much as a starting center or tackle.

Thanks-Yes Max gives talent at several positions and agree guard would be foremost -Barwin and Gilbert meet the "F"hysical requirements in spades I think ...Lydon Murtha is a guy who could develop in to formidable OT with proper guidance-just want to draw special attention to Frantz Joseph ILB-this is a guy flying under the radar who I firmly believe would be STRONG pick for us (another kid rising above difficult circumstances with dignity!) and Myron Pryor a nose tackle way under the radar who might prove to be a major find.(Kudos to Toby on J Dillard pick in his mock he looks to be real find at WR as well!).

Thanks grumpy! Any players that were drafted before the AFL/NFL merger in 67, I need the encyclopedia.

Tebow will be a quarterback at the next level. He's Shaun Hill, but with feet.

If Sing passes on Sanchez, then he'll have his eyes on Tebow in round 3 or 4 next year. You can bet your local church on it.

Above criticisms opine that Harvin isn't as good at Rb as Moreno or isn't as good at receiver as Britt or won't be as good as Hester in the return game.Take these 3 critiques as a collective statement and you have a ringing endorsement for Harvin.The guy is such a multi-talented threat that one can't attack even half of his game.

Think of it this way ,when we signed JJ to that free agent contract in 2005 ,that was the year that Marvel Smith was voted to the Pro Bowl !!! If by some miracle we had been able to sign Smith instead of JJ (and Smith had remained healthy) then I am sure he would have been and still would be an anchor on the line for us and we certainly would not be thinking of replacing him for at least a couple more seasons . Well,we have him now and the upograde is obvious.

And Reality Check...

When will you start listening to Sing and Raye when they tell you over and over and over again what kind of offense they want to run,instead of paying attention to some writers etc that seem to want to miss the point of what they have said?

-Sing said he wants about 50-50 run and pass. Does that sound like only a 3 yards and a cloud of dust ,run all the time offense to you ?
-Sing said he wants the Niners offense in 2009 to go back to being more like the Bill Walsh offense was here.Does that sound like a dull,run all the time offense to you?
- Sing said he wants an offense that throws the ball to the TE's and FB more than in recent years,instead of using the TE and FB to only block most of the time (And we did not even have a REAL FB last year under Martz !).
Does that sound like a run ,run ,run offense ,or a well balanced offense ?

---What sing DID say that seems to be missunderstood by you and some writers is that he wants to be able to pound the ball and run anytime he thinks it is a proper time to run
He was very very very upset that last year when the team needed a couple of yards on 3rd down that FAR too often they could not get it by running. They could not pick up a 4th and 1 by running all too often. They could not protect a lead in the 4th qtr by running the ball and running out the clock.
Sing was angry that his running game was soooo inept and vowed to change that this year by concentrating on fixing the broken running game. He said his goal is to have a running game that can run at will and dominate a defense,even when the defense knows they want to run and stacks the defense to stop the run.

BUT he never said he wants to be a running team at the expense of not being just as good of a passing team.
He wants to be very good at both.
Why can't some people understand that when he keeps saying it so clearly ?

This tendency to make assumptions/presumptions based on past regimes bad picks or college stigmas is just plain silly. Here are some stats for Harvin 2008: 70 carries for 659 yds, 9.4 avg per, 10 TD's with long being an 80 yder. 40 receptions for 644, 16.1 avg per, 7 TD's with a long of 70yds. He did not play in the opener against Hawaii or the SECC game against Alabama. Harvin can hit top speed in an instant. He has Suddenness. His hands are one of his best assets. Hes tough able to beat press coverage. Once hes in the open its over(scored 32 times in 36 games). He has excellent vision able to slip tackles and can turn short passes into BIG PLAYS. He does this better than ANYONE in this draft. Its hard to find a present day NFL player to compare him to. Some say Reggie Bush but I say Harvin is a much better big play threat. With Harvins' vision and moxie I would have to say Eric Metcalf.

Oh yeah, another important fact: ZERO FUMBLES!!!!

Franchise said..."Tebow will be a quarterback at the next level. He's Shaun Hill, but with feet."
-------------------------

I wonder why some fans think S. Hill does not have good feet? He runs better than any QB we have had here since Garcia ,to pick up first downs and evade the pass rush to keep plays alive. He is not blazing fast but he gets the job done with his feet much better than Smith,who was supposed to be a good scrambler coming out of college but has not shown that skill in the NFL hardly at all.

I would bet anyone that in a 10 yard dash that Hill would leave smith in the blocks looking like a clumsy 300 pound lineman. In a 40 yard dash I would take smith but the fact is that the 1st few yards of quickness is what gets a QB out of trouble and keeps plays alive and gets those 1st downs by running or keeping a play alive to pass for a 1st down. Hill shows that quickness and mobility ,while on the football field Alex has the same trouble making quick moves with his feet as he has making quick passes with his arm . Hill's body puts the signal from the brain into action immediately while there is some sort of built in delay in Alex from the time he makes a decision until his body gets the message and reacts. (that is why he hesitates and holds the ball too long ,he is smart enough to know the receiver is open and he should throw the ball NOW but he has a lag time before the signal gets to his arm ,lol ,same with scrambling,he delays.

In my family we call this the Minnesota effect.
My wife's family is from Minnesota and when we have family gatherings sometimes someone will tell a joke and all of my family laughs and then there is a small delay and then my wife's family all start to laugh. ( Don't get me wrong ,many of my wife's family are very very intelligent but they seem to have that built in genetic lag time before their brains process info and send the info to the body for action (laughter).
Or maybe it is just a laid back family trait that is learned by being raised in an enviornment of a more relaxed and slower moving part of the Country,I don't know.
But whatever it is I recognize it in Alex's play and if he can't overcome that "slowness to process and react" then in the NFL that makes you look slow (even when you are in reality a good athlete,like Alex).

Great post Razoreater.Harvin is money.

Agreed on Alex. He's lacking both jokes and field awareness.

As for my Tebow scouting report from the armchair, when I said "feet" I implied athleticism and escapability. He's a runaway forklift down the middle when plays break down. Shaun Hill has never been a threat to run when Baas and/or Snyder miss their assignments. But I agree that he has excellent field awareness and be fleet of foot just enough to make plays happen in the pocket.

A quarterback has to be DECISIVE as much as anything else. Things happen so quickly, you have to be able to react quickly and correctly, without delay. The biggest thing that holds Alex back is his 'paralysis by analysis'. He wants to see, to understand, to reason. But there's no time for that. You just have to play the game. That's the biggest reason Shaun Hill, despite looking like his passes can't possibly go 20 yards, is 7-3 as a starter, and Alex looks like a deer in the headlights. Can a guy learn decisiveness? Alex better hope so.

Smith underwent surgery for a herniated disk. Wouldn't you think after a 10 year career in the NFL you would hang it up? I hope it works out for him. He is a young man and life is precious.

I usually hold my tongue in the Hill vs Smith debate, since the results will be evident on the field this coming year or two and who needs another opinion on the matter? 955 opinions seem enough already. There's also the unknown factor of Smith's psyche after these past two years. But, I do have to confess amazement at the cottage industry that has grown up around belittling Smith and his abilities. All I have seen of Smith is two years of a very young QB, playing for a vastly inferior team with no quality receivers or pass protection, stoicly improving his game each week, producing four or five fourth quarter comeback victories, a couple of those on the road, a guy who scrambled some twenty-five yards keeping alive the game winning drive against AZ in the 2007 opener, taking a full on shot from a blitzer and bouncing back and coolly completing a pass down field, tossing not one, but two straight (the first one was dropped by the Seattle FA receiver who's name escapes at the moment) on the money long laser shots to the end zone to win a game, a guy who has demonstrated character and resolve and humility beyond belief - and yet all I ever hear on this site (save for Oneniner) is a constant litany of his utter inadequacies at virtually everything in his game! The barbs have been repeated so often that they have acquired the status of accepted facts. And all of these short-comings seem to have been acquired by Smith during two years on IR not playing any games! As I said, truly amazing. I think it's clear Shaun Hill is a winner. But I would not be at all surprised to see Smith blossom into a superior NFL QB, either. And to those who think (like the ill-informed national media) that we have some sort of desperate situation at QB here in Ninerland, boy, are you fellows in for a rude awakening. Go Niners!

NO,Smith played very poorly in every game when he was healthy too. But now that you mention it ,his agent DID say last week that smith is still not 100% healthy. Do we know if he ever will be ?

And another thing...Aligning yourself with Oneniner is about the quickest way to get your posts ignored as could be thought of ,lol !

Dude!

You got me all fired up now about Harvin Razor. Where do I sign up?

...And don't think I am one of those Smith bashers. I have been pulling for him from before the 2005 draft.I wish him all the best (he is still a Niner afterall) and I want him to suceed. He seems to be a good kid and a really nice guy.
I just don't like how he plays football ,he just is not at all near as good as was advertised. It is not the team around him or the OC or the other bunch of excuses his fans use to wish away his inept QBing,it is just that he doesn't seem to be very good at his job and doesn't seem to have the talent and awareness it takes to become very good. He hashad more than enough time on the field to show his skill or lack of skill and so far he has been a huge dud. Not because of the players around him or his coaching staff etc but because he has been a flop all on his own. Of course we all understand he would have looked better if he had a better team around him and the same good OC for several years in a row and great OL protection etc etc . But all I am talking about is his showing on the field,even taking into account all those other issues. Just isolate him alone in all the film of those games and watch him as if he were at the combine etc and that is what I judge him on. And in doing that and trying to be fair in every way to the kid I must conclude that SO FAR he has been rather horrible most of the time and at his best has been mediocre.
I hope he gets better but I also hope I win the lottery,lol . I suppose both could happen but I sort of doubt it .

I'm glad to see the Marvel Smith signing. I hope he stays healthy and plays well. But realistically, you can't be sure he'll stay healthy and play at a high level. We need to draft exactly the way we would have if we hadn't signed him, which, I think, means an OT is our highest priority.

Actually the Smith signing frees the team up to draft the best player available at #10.

You are right that we will still probably need another OT in the next several years ,even if Smith stays healthy. But we don't NEED one at #10 now that we have Smith. Obviously the team believes there is a really good chance that he will not have any lingering effects from his former back injury. If that is true then he could start for several years at RT . So a new tackle drafted in a later round might be a good idea for depth and to possibly take over in a couple of years when and if Smith starts to slip.
But a playmaker at OLBer or NT or WR or even QB might be a better use of that #10 pick.

Sorry, TOP_CAT, I usually like your posts, but there's no way you can judge a 22 year old QB with his skills after only two years playing time on a bad team. I'm not making any excuses for him and I don't think he needs any. I'm just stating the facts. And to say he's never looked any good is simply false.

This year there is no consensus on the top 12-15 picks, so no telling who will be there at 10. But last year, in the first round, there were 7 OTs selected in the 31 first round picks. This year there will be two in the top five picks. Teams know how critical that position is on both the L and R side. Back injuries are unpredictable. I like the gamble on M Smith. But we need to do more to make certain we have an upgrade at RT. I think it makes sense to gamble a roster spot and some salary money on him, but not the season. One back tweak and we're back to a revolving door at RT? That said, maybe there is someone in later rounds they like.

I'm not ready to give up on Alex.Vernon or Manny.Accordingly,I see no reason to not let Staley play the position for which he was drafted,LT.We could snag T.J Lang in the 3rd,who should be a real good RT.and get a playmaker at #10.Our team has such a dearth of playmakers.yet it seems as if so many want to write off the ones we have before they have every opportunity to exhibit their potential upside.

Pretty accurate summation, the only thing you forgot was that Smith was a project to begin with and he had to start his career with Hostler as his QB coach the 1st two years and then the OC for Smith's 3rd. Nolan was totally clueless on how to put together an offense. Most QBs wouldn't have stood a chance to develop under those conditions.

It's just nice to finally realize that some previous errors are being erased.
I will pull for Alex, but recognize that he's got to speed up the clock in his head if he has any expectations of becoming the starter for this team again.
It's a fair competition at least in comparison the Mad Mike QB shuffle of last Spring.
I'm still 70/30 for Trading down if the opportunity arises.
Philly is rumored to covet a TE.Pettigrew is also in conversations related to Buffalo.
If Philly coughs up their 2 1s, they could buy slot 7.
Talk to them about swinging a deal to have them wait for 10, they still get in front of Buffalo.
Pay Holmgren a consultation fee to speak to Reid sometime in the next 3 weeks!

I know this will not change anyone's mind, since opinions never change in political os Alex Smith/Shaun Hill issues, but I wanted to offer a perspective. I like both quarterbacks. I think they are both good guys who must have a lot of maturity and character to be close friends in this situation. I don't think that we know all that we think we know about Alex Smith. These are not high school offenses that he has had to learn each year, where there are only 8-20 plays and it is still a struggle to get them all right. I didn't play my college ball for a great team, but we had a pro-style, 3 wide offense with a zone/counter line scheme. Every receiver had at least two options for their route, depending on the coverage. On a 63, the z runs an out against cover 3 or 4, or a post-corner vs cover 2. The y runs a flag or skinny post, respetively. Bottom line: no freshman QBs or WRs got to play. Ever. You play too slow when you run a system like that without having it down completely. I could feel myself thinking and playing slowly the first year. Everyone said Jason Hill played slow his rookie year, but halfway through last season, he suddenly got fast. It is more complex for a quarterback, who must know every receiver's route options and the protection scheme. Not to take anything away from Shaun Hill, who I love to watch, but he has never started a season. We have no idea what he would look like without half a season to watch the offense work and hear coaches critique in the film room. That stuff helps a ton. Your first real games in a new system are always tough, and the offense never clicks like it should right out of the gate. High passes are associated with over-excitement. You see something you like, you get over-excited, and you let it fly. That stuff goes away with comfort on the field. I like Shaun Hill, and I think he is the best option to win a game today. He has a seemingly all-inclusive comfort zone, he plays like he's in his backyard, he is accurate, and everyone who knows him seems to love him. Those traits can help you win, and he has results. Unfortunately, he just doesn't get enough velocity on the ball to open up the whole route package. Yes, I know he can get the ball 40-50 yards downfield, but the ball gets there with 2-3 defenders because he has to hang it up in the air and let it flutter just to cover the distance. A 10-15 yard out is an interception waiting to happen, which is why he never throws them. I also like Smith, and I believe that he has a MUCH higher ceiling than Hill, and is the only quarterback on the team that has the tools to be great. Can he get enough comfort with the offense to out-perform Hill this year? I don't know if he can, but we have a much better chance to be a great team if he does.

I am sorry for the length of the post, I just think that it is a little childish that we have to tear down on QB too feel that we are properly supporting the other one.

Well said, Aaron. The Smith vs. Hill debates seem like those annoying taste great vs. less filling beer ads from several years back. A lot of teams have demonstrated that you need two solid quarterbacks to have a winning season. None of us has any idea who will finish the season at QB. Two key points for me about Smith. First, he spent a lot of time escaping from a collapsing pocket in his first two years. Fortunately he's got the speed to do that. We don't know what he can do with some protection. Second, there were a lot of comments about how Smith hadn't gotten any coaching on mechanics, and how that was leading him to over throw a lot of passes. I went to a couple of practices each of the last few years, and could see what folks meant. Let's see what Mike Johnson can do with his mechanics before we pass judgement on his upside. Given these two QBs I would have us pick a QB in the mid to late rounds, based on the Walsh theory that you should draft a QB every year.

I agree that we should bring in a mid-round QB every year. The college offenses are generally getting so far away from NFL tendencies, that you need to have a QB on the roster for a year to even know what he really offers, other than basic physical traits.

Also, sorry for the typos on my previous post. I am a little sloppy as a typist.

I didn't know Walsh had a draft a qb yearly strategy. Males sense though. After all those years of capable b/u qb's when Montana got hurt. Kemp, grbac, moroski. All these guys benefited from sitting a few years to learn the system. Drukenmiller was a huge exception, but even Walsh can be wrong. Decent idea to constantly keep competition and be prepared. The NFL requires two good qb's cuz if 1 gets hurt they are usually done for the year. If the backup is good, he gets good money to be a starter elsewhere. Great thoughts.