The 49ers face the winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday at Candlestick, and Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo joined the 49ers press corps on a morning conference call.
--When asked what Spagnuolo sees on film from the 49ers, he said, "Tough, physical football team. Let's face it, they could easily be 3-0. Mike's done a terrific job. It looks like those players are echoing and mirroring exactly what he's all about, which is a class guy and a tough football team. In knowing that, we have a challenge. We have to go to
--Without Frank Gore, Spagnuolo says he does not expect the 49ers' focus to change with Glen Coffee as the featured back.
"I think what they're all about is a tremendously strong, physical, tough offensive line and I include the fullback in that. I think that's what that run game's all about. Now you throw Frank Gore in there, an excellent premiere back in this league, and that's a pretty good run game. I see some really good things in the young kid, Coffee, and I think he's going to be outstanding. I've always felt O-lines make running backs and running backs make O-lines, so it works hand in hand."
--When asked what he sees in the 49ers' offensive line, he answered, "I just think they're big and physical. When I turn the tape on, I see them move people around. I see them coming off the ball, flat backs, and I think Jimmy (Raye) does a good job scheming them."
--Isaac Bruce, of course, will always be remembered for his work with the Rams. He'll play his former team for the third time in his career on Sunday. Spagnuolo pointed out one play from this season that shows what Bruce is all about.
"He's terrific," Spagnuolo said. "I remember him vividly when he was in
"I think it was
--QB Marc Bulger has an injured shoulder that forced him out of last week's loss to
--On Boller: "I think he's been terrific. He stepped up in a similar position in preseason games when Marc got hurt and didn't play last few preseason games. He's been a starter in this league, so that's comforting to know."
--The Rams are 0-3, and have been outscored 73-24 in those games. "We don't look back and we don't look forward, and we know we're facing a good football team."
--The Rams had a physical training camp, just like the 49ers. "We really needed to learn about our team. And the only way to play this game - it is a physical game, it is a hitting game - and the only way to really learn what guys can do is to put them in those situations. So we did a lot of that. I believe in that, whether you know your personnel or not. I think it's more important when you're coming in and new. It's difficult to assess everybody's ability in OTAs and minicamps because there are no pads."
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The 49ers hit the practice field in a couple hours. The only players who definitely will not be available for Sunday's game are RB Frank Gore and S Reggie Smith. Gore is out for two games, while Smith's groin strain might keep him out past the Oct. 18 bye week.
Left tackle Joe Staley is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a right knee contusion in the fourth quarter against the Vikings.
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Question: Should Niner fans continue to hold out any hope for a Crabtree deal, or would you say it won't happen at this point? (Ender)
Answer: My advice to you is take the Mike Singletary approach. Don't worry about it. If it happens, it happens. It still might take a while. But -- as I've written before -- I just don't see how Crabtree benefits from not signing the deal the 49ers have on the table. The only way, I suppose, is if there really has been some blatant tampering with guarantees from another team (or teams) that they'd be willing to pay him more. And I can't see that happening. Players at the top of the first round are overpaid as it is. Crabtree would be overpaid at $16 million guaranteed -- because of the system. I can't believe there's a team willing to overpay him even more. --Matt M.
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Matt,
I think you are 100% correct with your Crabtree assessment, however, you are using logic. Nothing suggests that Crabtree uses anything close to logic to make his decisions. Crabtree will be traded after March 3, 2010 for a 1st round draft pick.
There's nothing to suggest Crabtree isn't using logic either (since we haven't heard from his camp at all). I don't understand why this is such an emotional issue for fans. Like Matt said, take the Singletary approach. When he comes in he'll be welcome, but in the meantime let's focus on the team we have.
...s.hill better get ready for the Spagnuolo blitz...
I completely agree with you. He has shown no concept of logic. Crabtree has only shown he can't prove his worth on the field. I say forget about even trying to sign him. If it happens fine, if not fine.
The antithesis of blowhard Rex Ryan. Spagnuolo sounds like a class act.
...and a. smith better get ready for a vigorous day of clipboard duties.
you mean coffee, i still think about that one play he got hurdled...
How?? How has he shown that? If a team like the Jets really did tamper and guaranteed him more money than the 49ers are willing to pay, then it makes perfectly logical sense to sit out!
I'm willing to listen. Can anyone provide me with a quote from Crabtree that indicates he is logicless?
dem boyz ain't ready...
Matty,
Shouldn't we concentrate on signing Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis to contract extensions instead of this dead weight?
PLEASE GET RID OF ONENINER MATT!
thank you.............
I'd like to have this game in hand early. Can't let a team like this hang around. Decapitate with extreme prejudice.
Question: Shouldn't we concentrate on signing Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis to contract extensions instead of this dead weight?
My response: The 49ers can concentrate all they want, but I can't see Davis or Willis feeling any urgency to get new deals done because their market values are only increasing. --Matt M.
A cornered 0-3 team can be dangerous. Just the same, I'm hoping for a Niner blowout. 32-0 by halftime. Put Alex in for the third quarter. Then, put Nate in for the fourth quarter.
perhaps you are right. If he's been tampered with, ok then. but I'll be pretty pissed if we end up swapping third round picks. that wouldn't stop me from tampering with every team in my division every year to kill there first round picks. a slapp on the wrist would be terrible. if we are awarded the alleged tampering teams first round pick next year that would be acceptible. they kill ours we take theirs.
Matt - Adam Schefter said on his twitter that Crabtree is not going to sign. You think he has some inside information on that?
StevenG,
The mere fact of Crabtree's illogical actions are proof that he is not thinking clearly, quotes or not. You will be hard pressed to find anyone who agrees that sitting out the season is good for his career or will even net him more money. The kid is letting his ego get in the way of his brain and pocketbook.
Matt - Adam Schefter said on his twitter that Crabtree is not going to sign. You think he has some inside information on that?
Wow what a surpise. A comment from Oneniner about Shaun Hill....
Reportedly, Eugene Parker is now telling people around the league that some team has stated that they would pay Crabtree $40 million over 4 years.
Assuming Crabtree reenters the draft, I'm going to love watching the spectacle. First of all, he'd have to get picked in the first 8 picks to make that kind of money.
If he doesn't get picked that high, he's going to fall like a stone because people will know that he's delusional and wants to be paid that kind of money regardless.
He'll fall all the way to the Cowboys and Jerry Jones will offer him slotted guaranteed money, but ludicrously easy-to-reach incentives totaling...around $40 million over the first four years with an out option on the fifth.
Other teams will be outraged, the 49ers will file tampering claims against the Cowboys, and Roger Goodell will have to finally find a way to stand up to one of his most entitled owners.
...or he'll get picked by a team that's like the 49ers and also not willing to pay him based on Mel Kiper's fantasies and they'll know there's no way he can afford to do to them what he did to the 49ers and he'll get his lunch handed to him after firing Gene.
Either way...Bring ya popcorn!!
"fact of illogical actions are proof that he is not thinking clearly" is a circular argument. You can't use his actions as proof that he's illogical without first demonstrating the actions themselves are illogical. It makes no sense!
Listen, Crabtree only needs one NFL GM to agree with him for his actions to make perfect sense. The 49ers said they have a strong case against the Jets for tampering and so it appears that Crabtree found his one GM.
"Just a fan" caught on to that and I agree with him that, if indeed Crabtree has been tampered with, serious punishment is necessary. Messing around with another team's first round pick is unacceptable.
Reply to Ender:
I hope your right I love to see Alex Smith and Nate Davis get some play time. 49ers need to show what they can do with their Quarterbacks and good pass offense. I also like to see what other rookies can do.
Matt-
Any word on if Isaac Sopoaga's family is alright after the tsunami in the Samoan islands? Just wondering- hope all is okay- maybe you could let him know that some fans asked....thanks...
We all talk about Crabtree and the money he wants but consider that for Crabtree to sign with the 49ers would be like Alex Rodriguez signing with a baseball team that publicly says "We don't swing for the fences. We bunt, bunt, bunt until the opposing outfielders fall asleep. Then maybe we try one or two swings late.".
I am with you. This smells too much like an upset waiting to happen. Last week was a hard fought game and the 49ers did better than anyone expected considering the circumstances. But a victory is a victory, and you can't put the word " moral" in front of it and call a loss a victory. They need to be pissed off and disappointed in themselves. If they are, then I think they can beat up on the Rams. also, I don't think Alex needs to get anymore reps, Davis showed enough in the pre-season that he should get the reps. There is no future with Alex.
Good points. I think Singletary will have this team ready to play, the Rams shouldn't catch them by surprise. I don't want another close one, I have no fingernails left after last week. I'm really hoping the Niners can beat them soundly and we see a backup QB in late in the game. My feeling is however, that even though Alex Smith is as good as gone, the coaches aren't ready to trust Nate Davis in a game that counts yet.
Alex Smith made good progress through this year's training camp and if he had a good showing instead of the same showing as Hill then he would have been named the starter. The only way he will not be back next season is if we take a first round QB to develop behind Hill. Alex is under contract for this year and next and for someone who was so close to winning the starting job and who reportedly has so many people in the front office in his corner...I doubt they will terminate his contract barring an injury this year or game situations in which he actually stinks it up if Hill were to get hurt.
Looking for the logic is something this blog has done for quite some time. You make the point that if a club's GM said he was worth $40kk then why would should he sign with us for $20kk.
A couple of points.
1. How would this GM make such a commitment to a savvy agent that would provide the assurity, that by waiting a year he'd double his pay? It can't be in writing = proof of tampering. If it's me, a nod and a wink just would not be enough.
2. Life is tough. I know that 22 year old men feel indestructable, but stuff happens. He could drop weights on his neck while bench pressing (I do not mean this in ANY negative way, it is a real-life example), he could drop a bowling ball on his foot, get hit by a bus, or harm himself while trying to remain in shape. Or, what about illness?
Additional commentary
1. The young man is motivated by money shown by his action to enter the draft as a junior.
2. Today's value of money, I think I saw somewhere here that a contract of $20kk today would equal the value of a $28kk contract next year.
In my mind it makes no sense to my logic. But then maybe it is difficult for this, more mature, at least in age, man to put myself in his place.
Sorry for the length of this post, I know I have been one to complain about those that leave posts that are greater than a page.
Agreed, I really don't see Alex Smith going anywhere anytime soon. Also, I have a lot of respect for Spagnuolo. I don't know much about him, but everything I have seen and heard over the past year or so tells me he's a class act. I really hope he doesn't get all the blame for the Rams 4-win season, because he doesn't deserve it. The coaching staff is not the problem in St. Louis.
It's nice to finally have a decent offensive line, but I still think we're missing a truly physical presence. The type of guy that defenders hate to line up against. Someone like Jeremy Newberry or Scott Gragg.
On the 9ers taking the Rams lightly and getting surprised. I was pleased to see the quote from Coach that was made while still addressing last week's loss. He made the point that his team is not good enough to take another for granted. His focus will undoubtedly be driven into this ball club. 9ers by a bunch!
Absolutely
You and Matt have the proper attitude and are using logic and facts to support your opinion about Crabtree!
Some fans are just so upset about the hold out that they are not using logic,but are just being swept along by the emotions of anger and hatred.
If he signs,all will be forgiven .(except we will probably never forgive Parker for his poor handling of the kids future).
The Rams HC said this??? --When asked what he sees in the 49ers' offensive line, he answered, "I just think they're big and physical. When I turn the tape on, I see them move people around. I see them coming off the ball, flat backs, and I think Jimmy (Raye) does a good job scheming them."
How many yards did we have rushing the ball last week???
I used to think Bill Walsh was THEEE best coach at misdirecting and over stating things about the opponenent to set them up!
Now the Rams HC is either delusional or trying to be one up on Walsh as theeee best at creating a fabrication of an opponent!
It's good to see someone else here with their head on straight. =)
The fan reaction has been funny to me, since I'm sure his biggest haters were his biggest fans when we originally drafted him. I find it interesting that people are writing him off as a lost cause, like he can't contribute or is the next coming of Mike Williams. He's still a heck of a football player who scored 40+ TDs in two years and I hope the 49ers get him under contract ASAP.
Crabtree has created this reaction against him by his apparently "me first" attitude by not signing a "slotted" and fair offer. No one is questioning his ball skills. It amazes me there are fans defending his actions when they do not make any sense in obtaining his reported goal of earning more money (see above answer by MM).
Clearly Davies & Willis are major diva's for putting their interests in front of the Niner front office by not signing extensions this year instead of holding out for free agency & other teams offers.
No doubt MM is working on a piece that will trash their intelligence, attitude & character.
MM's too busy drumming up page hits with his Crabtree hating to bother with real news.
Try reading another newspaper.
Parker's logic is crystal clear. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand.
Parker has got the Niners to significantly increase their offer by not signing. Waiting longer will "encourage" them to improve the offer further.
If I understand Parker's comments correctly, he's not asking for the value of the overall package to increase but to make some of the incentive money more likely to be earned.
Deon alluded to this in his broadcast. He asked something like: why should Crabtree sign up for an incentive clause that requires him to catch more balls in his first two years than Jerry Rice did?
Seems to me Parker & Deon have a point. I love player incentives. I think we all do. But for goodness sake, they have to be reasonable.
How have the Niners increased their offer? If you mean his per-game salary goes up by virtue of his basically throwing his first season in the toilet then yeah, I suppose that's one way of looking at it. We ought to be reducing it every week to make up for that but that's another issue. Where have you seen a credible source say the Niners have already significantly increased Crabtree's offer in terms of salary or incentives that are likely to be earned?
And I've not forgotten yet. Now that we've lost will you point to the Minnesota game as one of the at least two games you said we would lose that we otherwise would have won had we caved and given Crabtree everything he wants? If so please provide the evidence to support your claim.
Alchemist: I believe that Realfan is correct in at least one thing he stated,that the Niners have raised their offer to Crabs . that is not to say that the Niners have caved in any waymjust that they have stated they are willing to go higher than their first offer,as is usually the case in all reasonable negotiations.
Correct me if I am wrong Matt,but I believe it was on this blog (and other places) that reported that the niners were willing to up their offer to as much as $1 under the contract that Raji got at #9 (of course that would be contingent on the Niners agreeing that it was otherwise a fair agreement,etc.). I believe that would mean that the Niners are willing to go as high as something like $18 million guaranteed and an overall number of as high as $28.5 million-$1.
So the Niners HAVE uped their original offer,if this info is correct,as they would have done anyway,during normal negotiation,even if Parker had not gone insane,as he has.
Comment: Correct me if I am wrong Matt,but I believe it was on this blog (and other places) that reported that the niners were willing to up their offer to as much as $1 under the contract that Raji got at #9
My response: It is my understanding in talking to people close to the situation that the 49ers have not increased the five-year, $20M offer that includes $16M in guaranteed money. But they are willing to push the maximum amount attainable (via incentives) right up to B.J. Raji's maximum amount of $28.5M. --Matt M.
Sounds like the "same difference" to me Matt . That DOES show their willingness to increase their offer,if Parker negotiates in god faith.And the total in guarantees would certainly be more than $16 million in that senario.And the total would certainly be more than $20 million in that senario.
No matter how they get there,if the Niners have indicated they are willing to go as high as $1 below the Raji deal,then that would be a HUGE increase in their offer !
I also remember the statement being made that they were willing to up to $1 less than BJ Raji's deal but I didn't think it had actually happened yet. What's more given how entrenched the Niners (rightly) are leads me to believe if they upped the offer at all it would be something along the line of $2 million if Crabtree is chosen as rookie of the year AND elected to the Pro Bowl five times (i.e.: impossible to achieve incentives) which would increase the value of the contract on paper but not to Crabtree in any meaningful way.