Singletary cuts back on the workload
Two-a-day practices concluded last Wednesday, and now 49ers coach Mike Singletary is scaling back on the contact as the regular season approaches.
Singletary said his biggest goal entering training camp was developing the right mindset for the team. He said the physical nature of camp served its purpose.
"They really worked their tails off, in terms of workload," Singletary said. "This week, we're going to cut it back a bit. . . . I thought the guys responded well and did not complain."
When asked about the 49ers' approach to the final exhibition game on Friday, Singletary said he will be planning ahead. He said he expects to get a lot of the injured players back for the first regular season game.
So the 49ers will use Friday's exhibition finale against the Chargers to "look at a lot of the young guys."
* * *
LB Ahmad Brooks underwent an arthroscopic procedure today to remove a bone fragment from his left knee. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, which means he might not be available for the season opener against the Cardinals.
The only player certain to be on the 49ers' 53-man roster who definitely will not be available for the opener is receiver Brandon Jones, who sustained a broken right shoulder on Aug. 6. Jones is expected to be out of action through September.
The 49ers expect backup QB Alex Smith, and starting offensive linemen OL Adam Snyder and David Baas to be available for the opener. They'll wait and see about safety Michael Lewis, who sustained his second concussion since Aug. 18.
***UPDATE: Baas saw his first work with his teammates since tearing the plantar fascia of his left foot on Aug. 4 during a "nutcracker" drill. Baas said he's always had flat feet. He said his foot feels better now than it did before the tear. He'd like to get as much playing time as possible on Friday to help him get in football shape, but said it's up to the team.
* * *
The pass-rush prowess of linebacker Manny Lawson is one of the keys to the 49ers' season. Through three exhibition games, the pass rush as a whole and Lawson, in particular, have not shown much.
Singletary said part of the reason is because the 49ers have not game-planned for an opponent. In other words, they've mostly been lining up and going man-on-man against the player in front of them.
This has to be a concern. As I just noted with Ralph and Tom on KNBR, good teams are able to show something without trying to show something. That goes for the 49ers' pass rush, and that goes for the 49ers' passing offense, too.
The 49ers are 3-0 in the exhibition season, but the 49ers have scored just 15 of their 58 points in the exhibition season in the first half when the team's best players are generally on the field.
* * *
Matt: Do you think FB Miller will be put on the PS,he seems like he would make a great backup FB this year (if he can play well on ST's) and possibly take over next season as the starter for Norris. FB's are hard to find these days coming out of college,since not many teams use the classic backfied any more,do you see any teams that might value a great prospect like him and grab him off our PS ?
And what about Sheets,is he a lock to make the 53 ? It would be a shame to lose him off waivers.
-And please,it's bad enough to hear Ralph Barbieri on the radio,just to get to hear you,but don't soil your site by mentioning the Devils name on your site,lol. Ralph is so hatefull against Singletary and the niners in general,that it is sickening to listen to knbr during the time he is on the air. What a hatefull, full of himself,stuck up piece of work that guy is ! As opposed to the fine gentleman and class guy we have as head coach of the Niners !
"but the 49ers have scored just 15 of their 58 points in the exhibition season in the first half when the team's best players are generally on the field."
.....Its ok ..Gore hasnt been on the field......
I agree with Top Cat. Ralph Barbieri is most hateful against the 49ers. He is a classic example of damning with faint praise. He really ought to go back to being a cheerleader for USF.
Hey Matt, you might look into this post by Matt BEE-rows from 2007, specifically this part:
"Sure, you can argue that Frank Gore's return will buoy the team. And that the 49ers featured their most vanilla offense these last two games in an effort to hide their cards from the Cards. But as Alex Smith noted after the game, the vanilla offense also is San Francisco's base offense. If they can't run that effectively, all the bells and whistles they throw in against Arizona won't amount to much."
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/2007/08/
So please, tell Singletary that the "vanilla" excuse is getting REALLY old (though you might wanna use your own words). ;)
I like vanilla,better than chocolate or strawberry ! Oh,errr,uhhh,never mind.
You were right Top-Cat! Nate Davis looks like the real thing, or maybe it's that #1 and #2 QB look so bad. I'm eating crow right now!
Our OL, when its a passing play, looks like a Chinese Fire Drill (no offense to anyone here!) Man, one of these QB's are going to get murdered going back to pass. Before the 49er game the Cowboys had big problems with their defense, but it didn't look that way to me during that game! Marvel Smith coming here was BIG mistake! The guy had a bad back and has probably been entertaining retirement for a while. He waisted the teams time leaving like he did! It takes every second of each day to form a precision OL for pass protection. Can't afford wasted time. It seems the 49ers are a long way from precision.
The DL? Well I don't have enough room to comment on them!
I'm wondering if we'll see the "nutcracker" drill next camp being that Patrick Willis and David Baas injured doing it. Willis strained his achilles tendon and just as easily could have torn it. Baas' injury also is of significance. The 9ers are fortunate to not have lost either of these two players for the season becasue of a drill, which in my opinion proves absolutely nothing and only exposes the players to injury. I hope Coach Singletary has learned something from these injuries to a couple of his 1st unit players.
Brit Miller has played well: he gets low on his blocks, he was never driven backwards, and he isn't Moran "can't get a push at the goal line" Norris (that's the best nickname I could think of, my other choice was Moran" flat on his back" Norris).
Where's your crow eating buddy Mr. F49er?
Everyone seems to be getting all wiggy about the upcoming season. Let's not forget the last few dark years under the Nolanator. At least we have hope for this year and the future. Sure Sing is saying all the stock coach-speak phrases, that's what coaches do. Sure the niners have issues. OL, pass rush, QB, etc..... Sean Hill will do better than most think, but he's not going to carry this team on it's back to the Super Bowl. The D will get some sacks, and the DB's will get a bunch of picks. Gore and Coffee will be awesome. The NFC West is weak sauce. It's not unreasonable to think with some luck we could go 9-7 and make the playoffs. Sure the backups did most of the work, but we went into Dallas and beat the Cowboys in the EgoDome! You know some decent players will get cut soon, so let's hope Scotty boy does his job and picks up a decent D-lineman. Let's have some faith, at least until the s$%t hits the fan, lol. Now, about the youngsters. Keeping Nate "Franchise" Davis is not an option. Brit Miller has earned a spot, and so has Kory Sheets. Hopefully Sing will see it that way too. And let's not forget Douchetree. Hopefully he'll give the crack pipe back to his cretin cousin, and sign this week. I'm pretty sure Douchetree can add 2+2, therefore he has to see the financial wisdom of SIGNING HIS FREAKIN' CONTRACT. He could inject the energy this offense needs. Cowboys suck, go 'Niners!
I'm sure Singletary is a fiery leader who will mold young men into fantastic human beings. Now on to football. Without a playmaker at the qb spot and a playmaker rushing the passer the 9ers will be in for a long season. There are so many holes on this team I can't see much room for optimism. I'm not sold on Singletary as a head coach and I'm not sold on Raye as an offensive coordinator. Having said that, I'm hoping for a miracle and I'll watch every second of every game like I always do.
I think everyone should simmer down a little bit. We have reason to be optimistic about the coming season. Coach Singletary understands what is necessary for a team to succeed (physicality, execution, team unity, etc.). We witnessed a dramatic turnaround last season, which Coach Singletary inspired, and we haven't had this much excitement going into a season for a long time. This team is tougher, better focused, and more unified than any of Nolan's teams. So lets chill a little bit. Lets allow Shaun Hill the chance he's earned, and be fired up about up-and-coming Parys Haralson. Lets not be chicken little. So far, Coach Singletary is 8-4 as a head coach in the NFL. He's earned some leeway, and I have ultimate faith in his football acumen. Plus, if you disrespect, he'll hit you in the mouth. We're going to good, and mean.
On O: Nate Davis has been awesome. He represents our bright future. If he plays this year, it means things will have gone very badly though. We should do whatever it takes to keep him and Sheets. If Sheets can't contribute on special teams, he should go first. I like what I've seen from Brit Miller too. He should take Keasey's spot. On the O-Line, I've been impressed with A.Snyder, and once he's healthy, I think we'll be strong there. Wragge has been good enough, and Chilo = running yards. On D: Tarrel Brown is legit, and I like picking up Eric Green. So long as M.Lewis is okay, I think we're good in the secondary. I'm most concerned about Nate! Bly adds playmaking we need badly on D, especially after losing W.Harris. We need to get Bly and Brown on the field. I'm happy with Goldson so far. On the other hand, our pass rush has sucked, and I am concerned that Lawson isn't a pass rushing OLB. The Crabtree thing is a heartbreak. I was stoked he fell to us, but something ain't right here. Has an ongoing foot issue been ruled out? If not, this guy is a diva, and we should have taken Oher.
It's no secret the Niners have some holes...but, guess what, so does every team in the NFL, some just more than others. For sure, every NFC West team has multiple holes. And really, that's what should give all of us fans legitimate hope. Looking back to last season, we literally gave away several games. Singletary's pounded away at his guys to take care of the football. If we do that alone, we'll win more games. Last year, we didn't create/cause many turnovers...this year, I believe we will. Another plus factor that should result in winning more games. Once Crabtree and Brandon Jones are on the field, we'll have a considerably improved receiving corps. Coffee looks like the real deal to compliment Gore. Naturally, the OL is key to their success. The starting group...Staley - Baas - Heitmann - Rachal - Snyder should be fine. OT depth is an issue...but, there are some young guys who can step up. Mac could still sign another vet...every team's cutting players...there could well be one or two who're right for us.
Ok, we don't have an elite pass rusher...that's a need that can be addressed with one of next year's 2 1st rounders. What we do have are a couple of new guys on the DL (Evans & Jean-Francois)...collectively we need to see more consistent push up front. Balmer's showing signs of emerging. We don't have a dominating NT...another issue to be addressed in the next draft. Our LB corps of Lawson, Willis, Spikes, and Haralson's a good group. They have some good depth behind them. The secondary definitely looks improved.
Collectively, I think we've definitely improved over last year's team. How many more wins will that translate to? Anybody's guess...but I still say we have as good a shot to win the NFC West as anyone.
Matt, you had made the comment prior to this article that the team might try and trade Huard prior to the regular season. Is there a chance that the team trades Smith, even with the new contract signed?
I would find that a little more plausible. That way they can take Bradford next year.. LOL
Great job!
I wrote to Ralph Barbieri about the following:
"How can you be so forgiving to Robert Rowell of the Warriors who is a total douchebag for giving Stephen Jackson an extension which now has blown up in his face yet be a total jackass to Singletary, who has done a little something with what he has on the roster?
Perhaps it's because you like to make friends in high places rather than do your job and make insightful comments rather than off the cuff remarks based on if you like a person's interest, i.e. Baron Davis.
Regardless if a person is well read, i.e. Adonal Foyle, what has he done for the franchise?
At this point, Singletary has done more in his short time versus Robert Rowell.
It just goes to prove that douchebags attract other douchebags."
....a blessing in disguise is A.Smith and Crabtree on the bench building chemistry for the future....
Too late Razor,
I already admitted to TOP_CAT on Barrows blog last week after the Raider game that the 49ers might have something with Davis for the future. And let's get something straight I don't claim to be right all the time or have all the answers but when I'm wrong & somebody proves I'm wrong on an issue I'm more than happy to fess up to it. My ego isn't that big.
Frank,
Yes all the teams in the division have holes it's just that you can't have the biggest hole at QB. Warner, Hasselbeck & Bulger are all better QB's than Hill. Need I say more? I'm telling you as Houston 9er mentioned I'm VERY concerned about the QB play & pass rush. To me those are 2 HUGE HOLES that you just can't gloss over. I'm not feeling as confident as some of you others leading up to the Opener against the Cards.
...nobody in their right mind is confident about facing the cards...
..compared to the last time we faced them in the opener...
....what pisses me off is other teams (ravens) are worried about their kicker - we are still concerned about QB after all this yrs....
MM - "The 49ers expect backup QB Alex Smith"
......Didnt you report Sing saying there are no backups on the team - Didn't he say he had ones and twos?
....am gonna assume you needed more words for the read rather than trying to you know what....
Glad to have you back Mr. F49er.
This is why I love Gore. From the Niners official site.
Frank Gore got some extra work in at practice, more so than usual. While watching special teams practice, Gore decided to jump in the drills and participate in the gunner drills. While special teams assistant coach Dave Fipp held the blocking bags, Gore tried his best to avoid the block and run down the field. He even had special teams ace Marcus Hudson offering him tips.
It sounds like Gore is doing everything in his power to make himself indispensable to the club. With that kind of work ethic, he'll go far.
Matt,
I know this sounds off the wall but it would be very interesting to find out if any of the teams - especially teams with the top 9 picks - took Crabtree off their draft boards due to concerns about his character. I know he didn't have run-ins with the law but his current holdout has caused a ton of red flags to go up around the league regarding his character. I remember watching a news story about Ryan Leaf before the draft that year. Even though he held every possible QB record at his high school his name was not mentioned anywhere in the schools wall of honor. It was noted by many that he was persona non grata with the coaches and faculty because he was a total jerk to everyone around him. After the draft, the Chargers seemed suprised by his behavior when all the evidence was there that he would be a problem. I personally think Crabs isnt a bad kid. He simply has bad influences in his family. We know what Mangini thought. Did he take Crabs off the board? Did other teams take him off their boards? Is this an example of McC dropping the ball like Bobby Beathard dropped the ball with Leaf?
"On whether QB Shaun Hill will play in the Chargers game:
“I want to see how he does this week and we’ll just look at him day-to-day and see if he needs more rest, see if we need to play him. We’ll figure it out. If he does play, it will be very limited.”"
....WHAT ? - he needs more rest?.....are you freaking kidding me?
this is a joke right?
That's fair comment but I'm not sure how the Niners could have done anything differently. Smith was the best QB in his draft class and he had to be given a few years to see if he was the man. I guess a lower round draft pick could have been used to take a flyer on another QB in one of the following drafts but draft picks are scarce and the team had so many weaknesses. And of course there's no guarantee another drafted QB would have done any better.
I think it's just been appalling bad luck. Even in hindsight, I don't know what I would have done in McLoughin's place that would have produced much of a different outcome.
What's wrong with Hill resting his back that's been bothering him? Smith rested his finger all week.
...i am not sure which comment you are referring to but...
.you are accurate in terms of ...."i don't know what I would have done in McLoughin's place that would have produced much of a different outcome."
..i keep going back to the draft to see if we could have picked another QB
Both Jason Campbell and Aaron Rodgers couldnt have survived being on this team.....also both had the luxury of sitting on the bench
Aaron Rodgers is finally getting it this yr (not last yr) and you still have to consider as an overall team are the niners in the same class as the packers...
Jason Campbell - Might get cut after the season unless he perform miracles.....he would have been released if he was drafted by the niners...
Derek Anderson is the only QB drafted that yr to make the pro-bowl and even he is fighting for the starting job....
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Cassel, Adrian McPherson, Dan Orlovsky, Stefan LeFors, Kyle Orton, David Greene, Andrew Walter, Charlie Frye
Except for cassel who did well in NE and looks terrible in KC ; and orton who we all saw recently.....every one else on that list is a backup...
...even after looking at the results so far a GM will still pick A.Smith in the first round.....maybe not number 1 but definately in the 1st round
...i thought the back wasnt serious...obviously it must be a concern if he has to rest it......
"....a blessing in disguise is A.Smith and Crabtree on the bench building chemistry for the future...."
Their conversation would go something like this:
Alex: Remember when we both wanted way more money than we were worth?
Crabtree: Yep.
Alex: Remember when we both came from spread offenses and when we both had a lot of questions about our NFL potential coming out of college?
Crabtree: Hell-to-the-yeah.
Alex: Want to play some Madden tonight? If I turn the pass protection all the way up, I can think about my passes as long as I want!
Crabtree: Nah. That game won't let me trade myself to Dallas so that I can get Jerry Jones money.
Good chemistry.
I'm sick of hearing about CRAPTREE...I'm not a Nate Clements hater but, dude needs to show why he's making all that money and no pro bowls, Nate stop saying your nickname is "lockdown"...maybe its time to move to safety...picked up where he left off las year getting beat...T. Brown and D.Bly for corners, Clements and Goldson at safety...Sing needs to "motivate" Clements by saying both corner positions are open competition!
Funny!
My 53 Man Roster, I had Kory Seets, Joe Jon FInley and Curtis Taylor as the last 3 guys cut
QB Shaun Hill Alex Smith Nate Davis
RB Frank Gore Glen Coffee Michael Robinson
FB Moran Norris
WR Isaac Bruce Michael Crabtree Michael Spurlock
WR Josh Morgan Brandon Jones Arnaz Battle
TE Vernon Davis Delanie Walker Bear Pascoe
LT Joe Staley Barry Sims
LG David Baas Tony Wragge
C Eric Heitmann Cody Wallace
RG Chilo Rachal
RT Adam Snyder Alex Boone
DE Justin Smith Kentwan Balmer
DE Isaac Sopoaga Ray McDonald Demetric Evans
DT Aubrayo Franklin Ricky Jean-Francois
OLB Manny Lawson Marques Harris
MLB Takeo Spikes Jeff Ulbrich
MLB Patrick Willis Scott McKillop
OLB Parys Haralson Ahmad Brooks
CB Nate Clements Dre' Bly Shawntae Spencer
CB Tarell Brown Eric Green Allen Rossum
FS Dashon Goldson Mark Roman
SS Michael Lewis Reggie Smith
K Joe Nedney
P Andy Lee
LS Brian Jennings
...nicely done..kudos.....i think you got the roster....
...i just need Sheets on there.....who can we take out?
Thats where im at except id get rid of Demetric Evans and keep kory sheets.
evans really has not stood out enough for me to keep him around.
id also keep Joe Jon Finley over bear.
hmm...about Hill the WR - i bet he can be traded
If I was Miller,I would be practicing my long snapping right now and my ST's work etc,anything to make myself more valuable. I guess he will be safe on the PS but it is very hard to find a stud FB these days because college programs are going away from the two back set more and more. I hope someone who needs a FB doesn't grab him off the PS ! Norris is no guarantee to come in and pick right back up where he left off a couple of years ago,we were the only one who wanted him.
Miller reminds me of Rathman,especially the way he can catch the ball and run and especially in his attitude,which comes from being a LBer until now. He looks great already ,immagine how great he might become as our starting FB ,after he gets some experience?
...And it would be a shame if Sheets was picked off of the PS by another team. A real shame!
Im willing to bet my whole months salary that if sheets gets cut he will be picked up the same day.
and if they do keep huard, my guess would be eric green would get the boot
good list. 53 is just not enough, I'd like to see Sheets & Huard remain but recognize there may be no room. I'd love to see Sims gone; I thought we got the better of the OL swap with the Raiders when they took Kwame and us Sims, not so clear now.
...whtz not clear about it...kwame is unsigned - sims has a roster spot?
Loved this article... in case anyone said Crabtree is influenced by Rice. This is a great read, simply why Rice is Rice. Damn I miss the good all days....
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10006516/On-the-Mark:-Diva-WRs-don't-impress-Rice
Of course we know from Crabtrees college HC that he is as far from being a diva or prima donna as he could be. As a matter of fact,the HC said Crabs is shy and reserved and a good citizen and great team mate. Hopefully he DOES have a big enough ego to play WR in the NFL,but he has never been a dive etc. But on the other hand,T.O. was never a diva either,until he was in the NFL for a couple of years and then he completely changed,so I guess Crabs could change from what he has always been. But there is no proof of it yet.
Just an agent who is trying to get him what the agent promised him.
---OH yeah,the college HC said last night that he believes Crabs is not even keeping close tabs on his agent but is just letting the agent handle the job Crabs hired him to do and just keeping himself in football shape by working out every day. He said Crabs wouldn't mix much if at all in the business side of things,that is why he hired the agent.
Great read, the article. Makes me respect the likes of Rice even more.
I read that too. Can't deny it when it comes from the greatest football player of all time. Prove it, then get paid, not the other way around.
I heard Andre Smith just broke his foot. Mr. Crabtree, I hope you're staying active!
We all love rice ! but that doesn't have anything to do with us having new WR's with class and that can play well. Hopefully Morgan and Crabtree etc,will set some standards for future generations of Niner receivers,like Rice and Taylor did in the past.
If you recall Rice had some run ins with the press and had a few stories about him off the field that were less than flattering,outright embarassing would be more like it. And Taylor was so upset by rumors and unflattering stories from the press that he refused to even talk to anyone after games or during the week,for several years.
Hopefully the press will not keep up the diva nonsense about Crabtree and will just report what he does as a Niner,after he signs.He has been a good team mate and good citizen on and off the field,we should be proud to have him unlesss or until he does something to change that attitude. Holding out is not that something,it is just business. He will sign and will become a Niner WR. Then judge him on what he does after that.
Our biggest problems looking at our division is that the 3 other teams have good to real good passers, and move the ball basically that way. Two teams have decent OL's protecting the QB. And a lot of the other good teams in the NFL also have that ability. And one can argue that one of our weakest points, if not THE weakest point is our pass rush. Unless we really improve the pass rush we could have problems. Without doing that, teams will just move from first down to first down. We saw it last year.
I understand that one of the reasons MS wants a good running game is to keep the ball and clock moving and also keep the ball away from opponents and keep the defense off the field. The only problem with that is when the team falls, say 2 to 3 TD's behind and has to score quickly to get back into the game, running the ball begins to be less of an option.
From what I've seen, the opposing QB can stand in the pocket for a pretty long time (ex. Romo) thus giving receivers time to get open.
We've got a problem that really needs to be addressed. And I ain't going for the "vanilla" excuse.
Sheets has got to be on the roster! This kid has so much talent and is the perfect Spurlock type change of pace back! He gives 150% everytime he's on the field. There's a place for him, from time to time to be that change of pace back this year.
It would be a horrible mistake to put this talent on the PS! He'll get picked up before they write the last letter of his name! Horrible, horrible!
Raiders were more decisive
who would you cut to make room?
Terry: I would worry about the pass rush,(as I have been complaining about it for years). But I would not worry about being able to score points with the passing game. They want to establish the run game as something they can count on during the 4th qtr of a game we are ahead. The want to make sure that we can get a 3rd and 2 or 3rd and 3 by powering for a 1st down. They want to be pretty sure they can get a 4th an 1 to keep a critical drive going.
BUT they are not strictly a running team by any stretch .
Sing said in the off season that his top priority was to be sure that the run game would not let them down in 2009 like it did in 2008. So he is over emphasizing it now,to be sure it is there as a foundation ,when he needs to call on it.
He does not want to be a run run run offense. He wants to be well balanced and wants to be able to do both pass and run ,whatever is needed.If the run is working and can be counted on ,then the defense will put 9 in the box to stop it and we will respond with a QB with an over 90 QB ating with a quick release and plenty of receivers who can catch and get 1st downs. When the drop back to stop the pass,then here comes the run again. That is the ideal senario,hopefully that is what we see when the games are for real. Right now it is still the time to be certain that the running game is in place and can be counted on. We know Hill can pass,we saw that last year.And we also know that when I hear interviews of the WR's,they all say that the Jimmy Raye offense they have seen in practice will have plenty of passes flying through the air to keep all the receivers happy.
WOW, Andre Smith broke his foot in the first day of practice after he finally signed his contract !
Good thing Crabs didn't sign yet,lol
how matt didnt make a new blog today?? you ok matt? did the OL tell you no more articles and proceeded to throw you across the field?
Maybe I didn't leave him any room on the site because I use it all up with my boring,overly long posts ? lol
hahaha maybe but he just posted something new!
Nastysteve don't waste your 100$ for the month...who cares if someone picks up our 4th or 5th running back
first of all, theres no need to talk trash to fellow niner fans unless the person is talking crazy like oneniner.
second the only reason he is 4th is because hes a rookie and coffe was picked before him. depending on who you ask, a lot of people might tell you the sheets should have went before coffee. the fact that we got both of these powerful runners is great any way you look at it.
thanks to sheets and nice playin by davis, we won the last 2 games. sheets is faster then coffee and gore for that matter. if we can keep 3 powerful runners such as gore, coffee and sheets and still keep robinson, WE NEED TOO!
sheets might not have been drafted, but now that all of the nfl has seen what this kid can do with second and third guys blocking for him. oh HE WILL be picked up as a back up for a team who doesnt have 3 strong backs on their roster.
you may see him as just a 4th or 5th RB becuase of the talent we have at that spot this year. but another team might see him as there 2nd or 3rd.