This sounds like a done deal to me.

I had a chance to meet Kurt Warner at my hometown church here in Iowa back when he was an Iowa Barnstormer and a nobody nationally. He is FOR CERTAIN a first class human being who really cares about others and there is SIMPLY no denying that. His charitable work speaks volumes and even if he is trying to get more money he will do great things with it for others. It would be fun to see what he could do for the 49ers.

Matt, what are your thoughts on this? This doesn't seem to fit Singletary's vision. Why would we fire Martz and then bring in Warner. If we were going to invest this much into Warner, it seems Martz would be the man you'd want coaching him. Why pay this much for a team who supposedly wants to pound the ball and bloody noses.

Hi matt,

If niners sign warner, do you think they will go after Tory Holt as well since Rams placed him on trading block?

Who was in the 22 ft limo?!?! :O

Now all the 49ers need to do is give him a heli ride and put him on the Topgun ride in Great America.

SupaFLY poses a good question, especially if Holt is outright released. I was trying to think of what would happen with the WR core if Warner took over but there are too many guys fighting for position to know which will land where. However, what I would ask at this time is what affect would Kurt Warner have on Vernon Davis' receiving game? I don't remember Warner having a great history with tight ends.....but that's just offhand.

And have Singletary preach to him. :D

I've always been a big Kurt Warner fan. I'm not sure that giving Warner nearly half of our cap cushion is a great financial idea.

If they sign Warner, keep Hill, and re-sign Smith, it makes the most sense personnel-wise.

or they can trade Hill to the Seahawks....

Patw, I don't think they planned this. I think it kind of fell into their lap. At the time Martz was fired, I don't think they had any idea that Warner could possibly land here. Remember also that, when Martz was fired Warner hadn't taken the Cards to the superbowl yet.

They should trade Alex Smith for Kurt Warner. That would be awesome.

Bite your tongue Indiana Jim. We don't want Hill to go to a division opponent. That would be stupid. Just like if AZ let's Warner sign here.

"Fell into their lap" is right. I would guess Sing sees an instant fix to the vertical threat problem, and figures all that playoff experience is worth whatever it takes?

Bobby, with as often as Hill gets picked by our DB's, I think I like our chances against him.

EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE! OOOPS! I mean JED, JED, JED! Taking a page from the uncle. Lets buy the NFC west for 14Mill a year. I love it.

Hahahahah this reminds me of that scene in Coming to America where James Earl Jones and his motorcade (entourage) arrive in New York City!!!

Why waste the money for one year? I'm sorry, Warner had a great season, but he was throwing to Fitz and Boldin, I doubt he'd have the same success with our young core of receivers.

Spend the money on deeper quality FA's and draft Sanchez and perhaps get a new stadium built in the city of SF.

Trying to make us relevant for a season is not the answer, we must keep building for the future, we don't need a 38 year old who could be done with one big hit!

I'm so glad Jed took over for John. He is clearly taking this team back to the Eddie D teams where they did everything FIRST CLASS and stood out from other organizations. DO NOT let them leave SF without signing!

Sign Warner. 49erfitz, you've got it all wrong. I've been hearing about building for the future since Erickson left. I want to win now. Warner can get us into the playoffs in 2009. Win now.

Keep up the great reporting Matt!

If we could get Warner then you know Bruce would come back...say hello to the 2009 San Francisco Rams. All we would need is Martz back.

If we could get Warner then you know Bruce would come back...say hello to the 2009 San Francisco Rams. All we would need is Martz back.

Hi Matt,

Do you think the signing of Warner would mean that Bruce sticks around with the team? Also, what would it take to bring Holt over to SF?

I'm beginning to really dislike many of you. Mainly because you refuse to think before you type.

First of all, is Warner a the long term solution to the 49er's QB problems? No. But neither are Alex Smith or Shaun Hill. The Niners DO NOT have their QB of the future on the roster, he needs to be drafted. And my 2 cents, you take Nate Davis from Ball St.

We are talking about a 2 year contract, this is not a long term deal that is going to screw them.

From a salary cap stand point, they have the money, and clearly have/had no intention of going after guys like TJ Housh, Chris Canty or other high priced FAs. So having extra money does the team no good, it's not like they get to carry it over.

You want to open up running lanes for Gore? Have the threat of a passing game. Warner provides that.

So I see ZERO downside to signing him. It hurts the Cards, it doesn't hurt the Niners cap, it provides a passing threat, and it's not like he is holding back some other younger talent, since we don't have a better QB option.

Bottom line, who ever plays QB this year is only a band aid, the QB of the future needs to be drafted.

I just went on the Cardinal's website(I feel so dirty), and it seemes like they think there is no way he plays for anyone next year except the Cards. They view his visit as a way to set Warner's market value, so they can sign him. Once Singletary gets his hands on him and starts with the God this and our savior that, I think we could have a new starting Qb. Funny question, would Singletary name Warner the starter, or tell him he's in an open competition?

Toby = Smart

Very well said Toby. This is exactly the way I feel about the Warner thing.

Well said Toby. Even though I'm not 100% sold on Nate Davis.

I think the character angle on this might be big. Singletary probably feels pretty safe courting a guy with big bucks that he knows are going to get invested in good causes and not someone's old age cocaine habit.

Hey PatW, good point, but if I remember correctly Martz and Warner had a strained relationship near the end of the Martz/Rams tenure. We have alot of young upside at WR (Morgan, Hill and Jones) with possibly Bruce comming back for Warner to work with.

Pat i totally agree with you,Although i like the thought of Warner it would be a contradiction to everything Singletary has presented as his vision for the team.Does this mean that Singletary will back off a bit from his so called philosophy?

I don't think his vision will change much. This could be fantastic.

Toby - You took the words right out of my mouth. Well done!

Toby, good comments but I haven't given up on our QB's yet. And see the possibility of Warner coming here a little different because I want Shaun and Alex to learn from him the next two years.

I'm with you Toby (especially the part of starting to dislike many, not all, of you).

Some people can't seem to understand simple concepts like you have laid out.

Hey PatW, good point, but if I remember correctly Martz and Warner had a strained relationship near the end of the Martz/Rams tenure. We have alot of young upside at WR (Morgan, Hill and Jones) with possibly Bruce comming back for Warner to work with.

On the off chance the Niners land Warner, he would be handed to starting job the minute he signs his contract.

He would have to play himself out of the starting job.

Hey PatW, good point, but if I remember correctly Martz and Warner had a strained relationship near the end of the Martz/Rams tenure. We have alot of young upside at WR (Morgan, Hill and Jones) with possibly Bruce comming back for Warner to work with.

Bobby Boucher,Alex wont be back. He had 4 years. He wont get any better. It better if a rookie learns under Warner. Then a guy that already a bust.

Hey PatW, good point, but if I remember correctly Martz and Warner had a strained relationship near the end of the Martz/Rams tenure. We have alot of young upside at WR (Morgan, Hill and Jones) with possibly Bruce comming back for Warner to work with.

Seems to me Sing would want to check out Warner's willingness to mentor--but I don't see anything inconsistent with philosophy in going after Warner as a starter for a year or two. Sing has made clear that we needed a down-field arm; those who have interpreted his run comments as meaning nothing but ground game are way mistaken. And a team that can run means Warner might be able to survive long enough to throw the down- field pass.

Matt,

Is it really 10K from the SJ Airport to 49ers HQ? Maybe the players should have to run back after a real poor performance. Who do you think would win?

Also one thing that might scare off Warner could be Mike Singletary's "vision" or lack thereof. That same vision that scared of prospective Offensive Coorinators,Will he present this same "vision"to Warner and it not send up a red flag? Can Warner operate behind an OL that has been consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in protecting the QB the last 4 to 5 years? If Warner is signed will the organization change its free agent approach to accomadate their new QB?

Yummy I totally disagree. First of all Alex is still only 24. He has aquired alot of knowledge, having had 4 different OC's. The last two years he was out with injury, and the year before that he was looking pretty damn good. Why flush all we have invested in him down the toilet to pick someone like "dirty" Sanchez?

Thank you for being reasonable. My take on the pros and cons of Warner:

Pros/Hopes:

1. Experienced, well-established QB. Gives our offense instant credibility.

2. Cripples a division rival. Last year they proved that winning the division is all it can take to get a legit shot. This is actually just as big of a pro as anything he could bring to SF.

3. Would give brass some breathing room (and peace of mind) to find a long term option.

4. Would be a huge asset for the locker room and tutoring our young receivers.

5. Almost certainly gives us a better chance to win now.

6. A veteran makes a lot more sense under Singletary. I don't see Singletary having any more of an advantage over Nolan in terms of developing a young QB and the last thing we need is another Alex Smith scenario. This would be less relevant if we had a stud OC, but Raye is a meat and potatoes kinda guy.

Cons/Concerns:

1. Will likely be overpaid, but will also be a short-term cap hit. The Niners can afford him if the contract was structured to have his guaranteed paid off within a couple years. Not an issue from a fan's perspective assuming the contract is done right.

2. Could hurt the opportunity to take a solid prospect come April. This is more dependent on what the Niners were thinking for a QB come Draft Day before Warner became more possible. If they were set on taking Sanchez or Stafford, then signing Warner makes little sense, as it's pretty likely one of the two will be available at #10 with Cassel going to KC. If the Niners are not impressed with either, this is a moot concern.

3. Warner isn't exactly iron man. Ample risk of injury.

4. Warner has had streaky years and there's little to suggest he will ever have another year like last year, regardless of where he plays. We don't exactly have Fitz and Boldin vying for balls. But again, he would help our young guys.

5. Quells any hope of Hill developing into the long term starter. This is 100% subjective and based on what the Niners think Hill's ceiling is. It seems pretty evident at this point, they don't think much higher than what they've seen.

6. Quells any hope that Smith has another legitimate shot to start, unless he's the #2 and Warner goes down. This is another subjective point, as many fans would rather see Smith not re-signed at all. Also a moot point if Smith and the Niners can't get a finalized contract.

7. Based on the notion that that we're going to run more than pass, one wonders why waste the money on a prolific passer. Thing is, if Warner is philosophically OK with Raye or Singletary's vision, it doesn't matter. We want the best guy under center. I think Warner would love to have a strong running game to take pressure off of him and minimize risk of hits and injuries. Think of Collins' role with Tennessee last year.

------------------------------

BOTTOM LINE: I think Hill and Warner are both stop gap measures. Neither option changes the fact we need to be looking for a long term guy. Warner is obviously a superior QB, so using the "Warner is too old and won't be here long" argument doesn't hold water, as the same is likely true for Hill (short-term).

Neither Hill nor Warner will be our starter within a few years.

The only question to consider is this: Is Warner worth the money because he gives us a better chance now? If the answer is yes, our inquiry makes sense. If the answer is no, then we should not waste our time or roster spot.

Bobby Boucher,Alex sucks he had his chance. You Alex lovers need to face reality. He's not going to ever be good. Also I never said Sanchez. They can get someone in the 3nd or 2nd round. Why pay Smith to be a third string QB? When you can have a rookie be third string and in 2 years take over a much better team.

Even if Warner doesn't pan out in San Francisco at LEAST it makes Leinhart Arizona's #1 and he CLEARLY SUCKS!

Good comment. Seems the last question has already been answered in the affirmative, or we wouldn't be hearing about stretch limos.

Can't see the Niners doing any of this unless they are ready to pull the trigger. I would think that Warner has probably been pretty receptive to coming here...you don't go private jet and limo on a whim.

This is why the 49ers will suck again in 2009 (and beyond if they don't get rid of NoClue-ghan). This is a lose-lose proposition for the Niners. If they end up striking a deal with Kurt Warner, then they'll have grossly overpaid for a 38 year-old quarterback who's seen his best days. If they don't sign Warner, then this exercise will have turned out to be exactly the type of the leverage Warner wanted to re-sign with the Cardinals for more money.

The fact is, Warner does not want to be a 49er. He wants to be a Cardinal but he also wants Arizona to pay him what he thinks he's worth before calling it a career. He's only visiting the Niners to scare the Cardinals into thinking he'd actually leave Arizona. What better negotiating tactic than to threaten the Cards with the possibility of signing with a division rival? Can Arizona stomach letting Warner sign with the Niners and being left with Matt Leinart at QB (who's more interested in studying his party guest list than a playbook)?

The fact that the Niners didn't bring in a single player for a visit on the opening weekend of free agency in order to prepare for Warner's visit shows just how short-sighted the team has become. I know Bill Walsh isn't walking through that door, but I firmly believe that Mike Holmgren will take over for NoClue-ghan in 2010 and he'll bring Jon Gruden aboard as HC.

This would be such a good move. Enough of the talk about Hill being good for this system, or will Smith ever pan out. Why can't we finally have a proven QB? Be it, he might be here for just a couple years, but how has our QB situation been doing for the past 5? At least we would have a totally accurate thrower. He'd also have confidence, because our run game would be monstrous welcome back Noran. We have good receivers, all that needs addressing is solidifying the line. If we get Warner, we WILL address that. No way do we pay good money and not protect him. If we were to have gotten a QB in the draft, he decided not to opt out this year...Sam Bradford. Oh, BTW, this is only the offensive side of the ball.

Yes, and I think the Christian connection should not be overlooked.

I think this move is as much about removing Warner from the Cards as it is about adding Warner to the 49ers. With Matt Leinart starting, the 49ers and the Seahawks become much bigger threats in the West.

With time in the pocket and capable receivers, there are very few quarterbacks who can match Kurt. If he is quickly pressured, he is extremely turnover prone. Do the 49ers have the pieces in place to allow him to be the MVP Warner or will they relegate him to the NY Giants Warner. Well that remains to be seen.

When JTO had time in the pocket, he was very accurate and made things happen. We were explosive but turnover prone. If Warner faces the same pressue as JTO, how much better do you think he'd be? I think it would be even more important to shore up the right tackle position with somebody very good, starter level.

Warner + Gore = deep into the playoffs, book it!

If we can pound the ball, you can't just blitz. If you can't just blitz, Warner will find and open man. We haven't had a QB of Warners caliber since Young retired.

my take from germany,

not much high value left in the free agency market except for TJH......the DE/DT on the market are mid-value.....

so i am OK with bringing in Warner for a couple of expensive years keeping in mind next year is capless, right?

this years free agency money is not roll-over money and i think the re-structuring of our own team keepers will get their bonuses in next years capless year.

also waiting to develop smith(moderately high ROI risk) or hill (doubtful ROI will ever be more than just managing the game) closes the windows of opportunity for getting any ROI on N. Clemets or J. Smith....I don't want to wait till the end of their contracts to make a run at the playoffs....lets go ahead and give it a shot now and if we pick up a 4th rounder QB in Freeman then i think we still have a chance to keep the window open longer.

also about Warner's worth....isn't there bubble talk going on about if he is hall of fame material....well this is incentive and honestly for the next two years do u think smith or hill can every claim that.....even garcia for that matter

Make the deal and if it blows, well it blows....what else is there really to do in this case when it is a division opponent u are working against?