Here is a quick look at every position:
QUARTERBACKS (5 now; 3 or 4 keepers on 53-man roster)
13 Shaun Hill: It's not always pretty, but you can't argue with the results from his small sample of starts.
11 Alex Smith: After his last healthy season, everybody seemed convinced he was going to be a pretty good starter. Niners are still convinced.
14 Damon Huard: Signed as the third man, he has thrived as spot starter throughout NFL career.
7 Nate Davis: There is no rush to get him ready; if 49ers like what they see, they'll find a way to keep him on 53-man roster.
9 Kirby Freeman: Started just eight games in his college career, which concluded at Baylor after three seasons at ). Freeman was waived today.
RUNNING BACKS (7 now; 4 or 5 keepers)
21 Frank Gore: Coach Mike Singletary wants offense to resemble '06, when Gore rushed for 1,695 yards.
44 Moran Norris: He is back, with a fatter contract, after spending most of last season in exile with Lions.
29 Glen Coffee: Powerful, one-cut runner was brought in take some of Frank Gore's workload.
24 Michael Robinson: Backfield is crowded, but he is still valuable because of versatility and special teams.
30 Kory Sheets: Speedster did not get endorsement from Purdue coaches and went undrafted.
33 Thomas Clayton: Team's leading rusher past two preseasons with combined 386 yards on 87 rushes (4.4 avg).
45 Zak Keasey: Stuck on roster last season because he was a better fit for the style Mike Martz brought to team.
RECEIVERS (11 now; 5 or 6 keepers)
15 Michael Crabtree: His on-field debut is scheduled for training camp after offseason foot surgery.
88 Isaac Bruce: Soft-spoken vet lets his exemplary performance and work ethic talk for him.
84 Josh Morgan: Even with Crabtree playing his spot, he should work into a position to get ample playing time.
81
89 Jason Hill: Third-round pick of '07 showed some good flashes when he finally got chance to play.
83 Arnaz
17 Dominique Zeigler: Sure-handed practice-squad grad caught five passes late in season after getting promotion.
18 Micheal Spurlock: His claim to fame is he became first player in T.B. Bucs history to return kickoff for TD.
19 Mark Bradford: Stanford product spent final seven weeks on 49ers practice squad.
10 Maurice Price: Had cups of coffee on the active rosters of the Chiefs and Patriots in '08 but did not play.
82 Dobson Collins: Caught 76 passes for 937 yards and 10 TDs as senior at Gardner-Webb.
TIGHT ENDS (4 now; 3 keepers)
85
46 Delanie Walker: When paired with
48 Bear Pascoe: He has a lot of versatility, but his easiest path for playing time will be as blocking specialist.
49 J.J. Finley: Former high-school QB spent all 17 weeks on the practice squad as a rookie.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (14 now; 10 keepers)
74 Joe Staley (LT): Has not missed a snap in two seasons, and looks to be the team's building block on the offensive line.
64 David Baas (LG): Was the No. 33 overall pick in '05 draft, but has yet to hold starting job for an entire season.
66 Eric Heitmann (C): Size, strength and smarts are main reasons he's been team's best O-lineman.
62 Chilo Rachal (RG): Singletary's pet project took over after coaching change and showed steady improvement.
71 Marvel Smith (RT): Former Pro Bowl player was signed to a low-risk contract because of injury concerns.
68 Adam Snyder: Versatility is his strength, and club would like him as insurance policy.
69 Tony Wragge: Dependable guard didn't lose starting job as much as team wanted Rachal to get his chance.
59 Cody Wallace: As long as Heitmann is around and healthy, it'll be difficult for Wallace to get into uniform on game days.
65 Barry Sims: At this point in his career, he's probably as a stop-gap measure at either tackle spot.
77 Jacob Bender: Picked off Patriots' practice squad for final six weeks, but did not see action with 49ers.
75 Alex Boone: Prototypical right tackle will get a chance after off-field issues were reason he went undrafted.
61 Joe
76 Kyle Howard: Three-year starter at
78 Matthew Huners: Won
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9 now; 5 or 6 keepers)
94 Justin Smith (RE): Signed big-money deal in '08, and he tirelessly earned every penny as team MVP.
90 Isaac Sopoaga (NT): Just a guess here, but I'm thinking his best fit is nose tackle after starting at left end in '08.
93 Demetric Evans (LE): If he does not start, he'll fit into rotation while setting great example.
92 Aubrayo
96 Kentwan Balmer: Determined to make amends for rookie year, he has dropped body fat by four percent.
95 Ricky Jean-Francois: If ends up playing as well as he talks, he will be a big help to the defensive line.
91 Ray McDonald: Club his expecting a return in training camp after offseason surgery to reconstruct ACL in right knee.
60 Khalif Mitchell: Got a lot of action at the rookies minicamp at nose tackle.
67 Pannel Egboh: If he can show he has ability to rush the passer, he has a chance to stick around.
LINEBACKERS (12 now; 8 keepers)
98 Parys Haralson (OLB): Gotten better every season, so club gave him a nice contract extension through 2013.
51 Takeo Spikes (ILB): Respected vet enjoyed his first year with 49ers so much, he campaigned for a second year.
52 Patrick Willis (ILB): Fantastic athletic skills coupled with blue-collar work ethic make him one of best in biz.
99 Manny Lawson (OLB): His success at rushing passer might ultimately determine the defense's success.
56 Scott McKillop: The 49ers were giddy when they landed this gritty player on the second day of the draft.
53 Jeff Ulbrich: Hard to believe he won't find a way to stick around and help the team.
54 Marques Harris: Ex-Chargers backup adds pass-rush skills to thin outside linebacker group.
58 Jay Moore: Spent first two seasons rehabbing after landing on IR due to camp injuries.
50 Justin Roland: Was a member of Texans practice squad for several weeks last season.
55 Ahmad Brooks: Suited up for one game but did not play; pass-rush skills will be tested.
47 Diyral Briggs: Led the Mid-American Conference with 9.5 sacks, and will have an opportunity to show his stuff.
57 Mark Washington: Originally signed by 49ers in '07, Dolphins plucked him off practice squad to play in three games.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (15 now; 10 keepers)
22 Nate Clements (LCB): Forget about the contract, he is a very good all-around corner.
27 Walt Harris (RCB): Showing signs of slowing down, but is still probably best option.
38 Dashon Goldson (FS): In need of playmaking at this spot, the 49ers turn to the third-year player.
32 Michael Lewis (SS): He has done what he's been asked, Lewis has been among leading team's tackle leaders both years.
25 Tarell Brown: Niners have taken it slowly with draft pick, but he should get ample shot to contribute more.
31 Reggie Smith: Spent rookie season as backup corner, made the switch to safety this offseason.
36 Shawntae Spencer: After two injury-plagued years, will be hard-pressed to hold onto No. 3 job.
26 Mark Roman: No takers after he was granted permission to seek trade; could be insurance if Goldson falters.
23 Marcus Hudson: It's not a good sign that his playing time has diminished each of first three NFL seasons.
28 Curtis Taylor: He looks like a linebacker, and will be asked to take Keith Lewis' role on special teams.
41 Jimmy Williams: Out of league a year ago, he must prove quickly he has what it takes to play safety.
30 Terrail Lambert: A three-year starter at Notre Dame, he recorded four career interceptions.
35 Jahi Word-Daniels: His best season was '07 as a junior when he had 56 tackles, two picks and eight passes defensed.
43 Lewis Baker: He's back after he missed most of training camp last summer with a thigh injury.
40 Carlos Thomas: Will get involved in tough competition at bottom part of roster for a spot on practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (5 now; 4 keepers)
6 Joe Nedney (K): Most accurate kicker in team history signed a contract extension through 2011.
4 Andy Lee (P): One of best in the game is scheduled to make $1 million annually through 2012.
86 Brian Jennings (LS): Always so darn good, it was shocking to see him a little off his game last season.
20 Allen Rossum (RS): Team was eager to bring back veteran after he showed home-run ability on kickoffs and punts.
3 Alex Romero: Will serve as backup kicker and punter in camp to save a spot on 80-man roster.
* * *
The 49ers open organized team activities on Monday, and most of the team is expected to attend these voluntary workouts. The only mandatory minicamp of the offseason is scheduled for June 5-7 - at the end of the second week of OTAs.
Each team is allowed 14 sessions of work during OTAs. Here is the 49ers' schedule: May 18-21, June 1-2, June 8-11, June 15-16. These workouts are closed to the public.
The 49ers have not announced the official start of training camp, but we can assume it will open Thursday July 30. Teams are allowed to open camp 15 days before the start of their exhibition season. The 49ers' exhibition opener is Friday, Aug. 14 at home against the Broncos.
* * *
Wow... great breakdown. Thanks.
Is J.J. Finley still practice squad eligible? We do need 4 TEs for practice.
nice breakdown.....sucks...i am sure some of the players the fans like are not going to make the roster.......i just hope the right ones do make it
Question: Is J.J. Finley still practice squad eligible?
My response: Yes, he is eligible for the practice squad. You didn't ask, but I just wanted to add that Dominique Zeigler has practice-squad eligibility, too. --Matt M.
Thanks Matt . . . you just couldn't stay away could you!
I'm really starting to like the talent and depth on the roster. This could be a good year. Matt, have you heard anything else about Julius Peppers? Is he still at a standstill with the Panthers?
excellent post Matt, just 2 questions: Is Jay Moore eligible for the practice squad? And why would we have 10 OL keepers, don't most teams only carry 9?
Matt,
Last year you charted the completions/attempts etc.. of the competing QBs, any chance you'll be doing that again? It was really interesting to follow, seemed to give a pretty good picture of what was going on at the practices.
Outstanding overview, Matt. I'm going to copy and store it in a handy place for future reference. Thanks.
rjb, did you catch KNBR the other day? Barbeiri commented on the QB competition. He said both QB's have looked about even. One thing he did noticed was that Alex was still throwing behind his receivers and not hitting them "on stride." Hey Matt, I think Alex hasn't "convinced" anybody hes a legit NFL starter. Hes lucky enough to be given yet another shot. This is his last chance to prove himself.
Matt,
You included the number of players available for a 53 man roster. I'm just curious, what are the usual breakdowns for active rosters on gameday?
Thanks!
Excellent Matt. Thanks. Looks like some good players are not going to make the roster.
And I agree with Joe Gomez, "bust" was used a lot about Smith even after his "best" season. Don't go revising history on us all :-)
PS I'm rooting for Sheets & Boone, I hope they can recover from their college mistakes & use them as motivation to make the team.
Matt-As Theo Kojak said...who loves ya baby?
Great work.
Good breakdown...In your analysis, only one of the positions that shows a range can go to the high side. I think the Ninners have to keep at least 6 DL especialy if Justin Smith plays any OLB on first and second down. Those guys rotate so much, you could really up to 7. In the 6 DL scenario, likely projected cut casualties could include names like:
Arnaz Battle
2 quality young RBs
Ricky Jean-Francois
My guess is we go a little lighter at OL and LB. We can get by with only 9 OL because Adam Snyder's can give quality reps at either guard or tackle (look for either Simms or Boone to be cut here). On the LB front, we may keep eight but I don't think the talent is there to justify 8 it. Plus Justin Smith can give some reps at OLB especially if someone goes down. I'd say 7 LBs make it with 5 locks (Parys Haralson, Takeo Spikes, Patrick Willis, Manny Lawson, Scott McKillop) and 2 of the remaining guys.
This allows us to hold onto two of the follow four things:
1. a fifth running back (aka Clayton/Sheets)
2. Arnaz Battle
3. A seventh DL (RJF?)
4. An eighth LB if 3 guys really step up in training camp
Kirby Freeman was just waived.
Could you get current weights on Marques Harris and Dominique Zeigler?
Any court date set on Alex Boone?
Who seems to be ahead on the OLB depth chart - Jay Moore or Ahmad Brooks?
When looking at the potential roster, you need to project most backups as contributors on special teams. That's why I agree with Dave about the O-line. Linebackers and DB's usually compose the majority of the coverage teams. I do disagree with J.Smith playing LB. I don't see the need for him to play there. If yhou want him to rush the passer on passing downs, you go to a 4-3, like many 3-4 teams do, and play him at DE. But when you look at the roster, isn't it refreshing to have some tough decisions? We have more credible players at many positions than we've have for several years. I remember asking myself the past few years, " Who the hell on this roster is really good enough to play in the NFL?"
Thanks Matt! I know I asked you about this after the draft. So assuming the
RB's are: Gore, Norris, Coffee, Robinson (4)
wr's are: Bruce, Crabtree, Morgan, Hill & Jones (5)
TE are: Davis, Walker,& Pascoe
Which other RB (Sheets/Clayton) or WR (Battle/Zeigler do you see on the roster Sept 13th.???????
Without actually going back and comparing with last year, the roster does look stronger, if only because guys like Staley and Haralson have improved and proven themselves. The big question in my mind is, what about all the guys that will be entering their 3rd or 4th year and haven't yet shown they belong in the NFL? Guys like Clayton or Hudson, or even Goldson and Brown. If they aren't ready to step up now, will they ever be? If we're headed for the playoffs this year, some of these guys will need to emerge as quality starters.
Wow. Thanks Matt. I tried my best to reduce the roster to just 53 men but I can't get under 54! LOL.
3 QB's (plus 1 on Practice Squad)
5 RB's (Thomas Clayton on PS)
5 WR's (bye bye Battle but keep Ziegler on PS)
3 TE's
10 OL
6 DL (Jean-Francois on PS)
8 LB
10 DB (or go with 9 plus Rossum as backup DB)
4 ST
Do you think there is any chance the Niners would keep 9 Defensive Backs being that Allen Rossum started his career as a DB and he will probably make the final roster?
Thanks Matt.
Do you know who will not be in attendance, if any?
Joe, I didn't. I actually live in colorado so I can usually only follow it via blogs. I did read on Maiocco's blog that he thought for not throwing a football in a year he actually looked decent.
Allen Rossum started his career as a DB and he will probably make the final roster?
Allen Rossum playing DB is like Brian Jennings playing TE. It would be funny to see, but not if we are using real bullets
Matt,
Glad you're back & a nice breakdown of the roster. That being said none of us have ANY idea what's going to happen until TC gets going & it would be foolish to perdict any specific thing right now don't you think? I mean there's so much that can happen even before the 1st Pre-Season game with injuries and all so it's mindless to perdict what's going to happen. That's just my 2 cents.
Call me cRaZy... I think Sheets is going to BLOW UP and is the steal of the draft. 2nd is Bear :)
I agree Sheets could make the team being undrafted (so wouldn't count him as part of the draft selections). I see Scott Mckillop ILB from Pittsburgh - another tackling machine with Willis making some noise in the NFL. An inside Linebacker isn't flashy but you watch the more this kid gets on the field the more you view this draft around this guy!
> DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9 now; 5 or 6 keepers)
5 DLs = understaffed. Minimum is 6 bodies.
Maybe an 7th body/regular inactive if we can afford it -- I'm thinking RJF or, if he's still unfit, R-Mac. We've shelved Ron Fields & Attiyah Ellison on the active roster this way in recent years.
Matt,
What's this I hear about Jed innagurating the Edward DeBartolo Sr. 49er Hall Of Fame. I think it's a GREAT IDEA! after all Sr. did buy the team for Jr. Your thoughts Matt?
This could be the most intense training camp in years and I have a hunch it will produce not only a few fisticuffs but a lean mean brutal machine of conquering warriors.
If by foolish, you mean a near certainty of being wrong, then yes, making predictions is foolish. However, compared to beating on the hoods of cars while being tasered by the police, it's just a little harmless fun.
Realistically, what we are doing now is more in the area of speculation. We know there's 53 spots. We know what is the typical balance of roster spots per position. We know almost all the starters, so that's almost half the roster (22 Offense and Defense, plus 3-4 Special Teams). Even a lot of the backup spots are spoken for. Barring injuries, that allows us to focus on just a few spots.
Just don't get the "Tastes Great!" "Less Filling!" starting QB fanatics going again...
Hey Matt good breakdown, now I know you do something pretty similar in Lindy's Pro Football edition every year. By any chance could you tell me when that mag is set to hit the stands?? Thanks.
Now that Jonas Jennings and Mike Nolan have been run out of town, I wonder if it'd be possible to find out why Jennings missed that time (was it last season?). It's still a mystery...
petaluman,
I'd rather stick a needle in my eye ball than to have another go-around of the naseating QB debate. No thanks!
rjb.. do you think being decent is a good thing? i surely dont want a "decent" looking qb running our offense. Alex will always look "decent" at his best and like an "idiot" at his worse. personally i cant wait until this bum gets shipped off. i have no idea why so many people are willing to give him so many chances. it will be the year 2014 and theyll still be waiting for Alex to show them something....lol.
it wasn't long ago that we were filling our roster with cast-offs from other teams. Now it looks like we will be casting off some players that will be making other squads. Say what you want about Jed & McC but our talent is getting better and with Coach motivating & developing the hard nose approach to the game I'm feeling more optimistic that 09 will be a breakthrough year for us.
Joe,
If it's pre-season and he only looks decent, then no that's not good enough for me, but that's a long way away and if he looks 'decent' after not throwing the ball for a year, I'd say that's where I would expect anyone to start.
You also say he's getting a ton of chances, he's been hurt for two years. It's not like he's played the entire time and sucked. He truly only sucked his rookie season and then after he was injured... so I'm not sure how you can claim he's had a ton of chances.
For the record, I'm not a huge alex smith supporter, I definitely didn't want to draft him. But if he beats out Hill and then even only plays the way he did in 06, I think the 9ers can easily be a playoff team playing in our weak division.
Thanks Matt, very cool!
rjb.. il put it this way then, forget the injuries, throw that out the window.. the kid has had 800 freaking attempts at throwing the football and still hasnt shown anything. his numbers from those 800 attempts compare to the likes QB's who got cut way before they hit their 800th attempt. yes hes been injured, but yes he has played also. im only counting the times he set foot on the field. its not like hes been injured so we cant really evaluate the guy. if you cant evaluate and make a decision on a guy who has thrown eight hundred freakin passes than i dont know what to say. hes had PLENTY of chances to show something, anything, but the bottom line is he doesnt have IT and in this league NFL stands for NOT FOR LONG.
13 Shaun Hill: It's not always pretty, but you can't argue with the results from his small sample of starts.
You mean your post hoc rationalization from a very small sample of starts where he goes 5-3 against a bunch of bad teams? lol.
We lose to the Cards, who had a bad defense, because he can't operate in the redzone. Then we beat the collapsed Rams. We're not even in the Dallas game until the Cowboys LET US score in the 4th quarter because the game was over. The DEFENSE beats Buffalo. The defense, the Jets collapse and Farve's bad arm puts us over the Jets. We lose against Miami because Hill can't beat coverage in the redzone no matter how many cheap stats he puts up between the twenties. We BARELY beat the crap-Rams the second time around. And, finally, ONE good game where Hill actually made a difference against Washington.
I mean, seriously, stop looking at the results of the TEAM for Hill. Hill didn't kill us with stupid mistakes like JTO. But he didn't contribute much in all but one of those games, either.
Think about it Matt. In 4 of the 5 wins, the 49ers gave up just 16 or fewer points. That, in today's NFL, is a winning formula and most QBs have a significant winning percentage when their defense gives up 17 or fewer points. I don't remember the exact number. But, off the top of my head, I think it's pretty high.
For example, in 2004, including playoffs, the Falcons were 7-1 when they gave up 17 or few points. With the #16 scoring offense in the NFL!!!
So, screw Shaun Hill's 5-3. A hack like Michael Vick can get you 7-1. We should, what, go after the dog killer.
Enough of the quarterback debates! We're standing outside of a five-star steakhouse, debating whether we prefer McDonald's or Burger King.
nate davis,qb if he goes to practice squad could another team pick him up?born and raised niner fan,got good feeling about this kid.
nate davis,qb if he goes to practice squad could another team pick him up?
If we cut him any team may claim him off waivers. If no team claims him we can sign him to the practice squad. If he is on the practice squad any team can sign him at any time if it places him on the 53 man roster.
I expect him to be either on our 53 man roster or on IR when the season starts.
If we cut him he will probably be gone.
thank you,thats what i was afraid.get rid of huard.....