San Francisco 49ers

By Samuel Lam I came across this and it got me thinking about Alex Smith’s future. Niners GM Scot McCloughan was asked about QB Alex Smith’s future for the 49ers next season if Smith was still going to be a bench player. “You can’t. The amount of money we’re going to invest in him, he’d have to [...]

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By Samuel Lam I can’t wait! The NFL season begins tonight! Yeah, I know that it doesn’t feature the 49ers and for most people, the real deal is on Sunday. But hey, no more preseason. No more whatifs and anything else! Everything is real! This is it! And yes, I can regain what was once mine in Fantasy Football. [......

By Samuel Lam The 49ers today decided to let LB Dontarrious Thomas go on waivers to make room for LB Ahmad Brooks of Cincinnati. Thomas was signed from the Vikings during this offseason, but never made a huge impact. And with the signing of Takeo Spikes, it didn’t make it any easier for him.

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By Samuel Lam T Joe Toledo and WR Chris Hannon have been announced as the last two members to make the team’s practice squad. And also, WR Ashley Lelie, who the Niners ridded of, looks to be catching balls in Oakland. The Niners will use the team captain “C” patches on their uniforms after deciding not to spe...

Modesto Bee  MA - The leash on Nolan is going to be short. Extremely short. In fact, if the Niners look anything nearly as bad as they were last year, expect Nolan to be ... 49ers have reasons for hope San Jose Mercury News 49ers at a glance Inside Bay Area

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By Samuel Lam Running back (4): Frank Gore, DeShaun Foster, Michael Robinson, Zak Keasey. Secondary (11): Nate Clements, Walt Harris, Michael Lewis, Mark Roman, Shawntae Spencer, Dashon Goldson, Reggie Smith, Donald Strickland, Tarell Brown, Keith Lewis, Marcus Hudson.

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By Samuel Lam Enjoy the game! Go NINERS! The Battle of California begins tonight, where the Niners host the Chargers. Last preseason, down in San Diego, the Niners had SIX turnovers. SIX! In that 16-13 loss, it was just a sour way to enter the season. The team looks to be much more prepared and equipped to put...

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By Samuel Lam Vic Carucci: When Mike Nolan was asked for the biggest reason the 49ers would be better than last year’s 5-11 team, he promptly pointed to the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. If that’s true, J.T. O’Sullivan, whom Martz coached in Detroit last season, must have a big year. Predicti...

By Samuel Lam The drama has ended and we can finally get some sleep tonight. Mike Nolan as named J.T. O’Sullivan to be the opening day starter for the 49ers. Even though this was what I had thought since the second preseason game, it’s not official. Alex Smith will be the second stringer, with Shaun Hill at thir...

By Samuel Lam Mike Nolan is scheduled to address the media at 3:00PM today. I won’t be near a computer for today and tomorrow since I am traveling down to San Luis Obispo for a wedding. Because of that, I won’t be able to report any new news. The only thing I expect that might be of any concern is if when Mike Nolan...

By Samuel Lam But last year’s preseason MVP RB Thomas Clayton NEEDS to sign with the team. He is eligible for practice squad again, but after his 18 rushes for 81 yards and a touchdown, some team is going to pick him up. Gore and DeShaun Foster are quaranteed 1-2 on the depth chart. But I feel that the Niners cou...

By Samuel Lam But if he doesn’t and stinks it up, then I don’t know where the team is heading. Alex Smith looks to end up as the bench warmer for the team, but if JTO does not do well, I would want Smith to start the season. Smith has the most experience in the NFL and even though I don’t like him, we need him.

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By Samuel Lam Sam: Devin Hester has now been inserted as wide receiver; do you think that will affect his kick returning? Sam: The Bears have had one of the most consistent defenses for year. How do you see them preventing the aerial attack of Mike Martz and the 49ers?

By Samuel Lam So as Nolan makes the decision on the quarterback, he needs to determine if JTO (who is the likely candidate to take the job) is equipped to lead the team down the stretch. We won’t expect the Niners to have huge leads down the stretch in games, so we need to hope that they have a quarterback that...

By Samuel Lam NINERS WIN! I wish the headline to this game would be “Smith vs. Rodgers: The Battle of the 2005 Draft.” But that’s not going to be the case. As you all know, J.T O’Sullivan is the choice to start for the 49ers. With that in mind, we know that Aaron Rodgers of the Packers won’t necessarily [...]

By Samuel Lam The most impressive part of JTO’s performance was his ability to get back into the swing of things after the interception. The Niners defense stopped the Packers from scoring a touchdown following the pick. Limiting them only to the field goal, the 49ers defense set the mood for the rest of t...

49ers vs. Packers: Q&A with The Frozen Tundra In the Niners’ case, the team also has to be concerned whether Mike Martz will utilize his best weapon (Frank Gore) more than he usually uses the position, ... Preseason Review/Preview: Physical Play Personifies Packers Bleacher Report

By Samuel Lam Tim Rattay: Bringing him back to San Francisco is not a good idea. He was decent in San Fran, but realistically, would you want him to run the Niners? Yeah, didn’t think so. Trent Dilfer: I hope the Niners don’t get desperate if they need an extra QB. He’s cool and all, but not the answer.

By Samuel Lam I would think Smith would get more reps, but I bet O’Sullivan’s familiarity with Martz’s system (they worked together back in Detroit) gives him that slight edge. So if this is the case, all cases point to JTO as the leader of the offense.

By Samuel Lam My favorite Super Bowl only to the fact that I grew up a Steve Young fan. All the haters of Young and lovers of Montana ragged on me for liking this guy. But he was my first quarterback. Besides, this team was an all-star cast. Ricky Watters (who should be in the Hall of Fame) was amazing. Jerry Rice wa...

By Samuel Lam Now, this may be one of those Mike Nolan head scratchers. Smith obviously looked like the guy who should be getting the reps with the first team. In fact, I was expecting Smith to start on Saturday. But if O’Sullivan is getting all these reps with the first team, is this an indictation of him star...

By Samuel Lam Overall, this “meaningless game” just got all the wheels turning on a very interesting preseason. More questions should be answered next week when the Packers come to town. It would be interesting to see Aaron Rodgers and what he can do with the Packers. I had hioped the Niners chose him inste...

By Samuel Lam GO NINERS! It’s FINALLY time for the 49ers to get it on! And who better to face than the cross-bay rivals, the Oakland Raiders! Sure, this is just a preseason game and bragging rights aren’t really made with third-stringers playing. HOWEVER, this always makes the game just a little more fun...

By Samuel Lam Go Niners! As the match up between the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers becomes an annual affair during the preseason, I thought it would be neat to have a little Q&A with fellow MVN columnists Patrick Patterson and Rob Calonge. Who said Raiders and Niners fans couldn’t get alon...

By Samuel Lam Mike Nolan has named J.T. O’Sullivan the starter under center for Friday’s preseason game against the Raiders. Well, that just takes a whole lot of speculation into the mix. Well, Nolan claimed that it was because he was so familiar with Alex Smith and Shaun Hill that he wanted to test out ol’ “S...

By Samuel Lam But why have the Niners gone from this to this? It was white all the time back in the day. SOCKS The Redskins are also victims of going from unique to boring. I mean, who would discontinue something that gave the late Sean Taylor a lot of fun with? The new switch confused Clinton Portis.

By Samuel Lam All this may help play out somewhat on Friday as the 49ers and Raiders meet in Oakland for their first preseason game of the year. Preseason games are always pretty interesting if you’re a real geek of football. And adding a cross-bay rival to the mix always adds a little kick to the game.

By Samuel Lam Who’s going to step up in this 3-4 defense? Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky will have a lot of players to evaluate and a lot of questions to answer. One of the players that I have been excited about since the Niners drafted him is Manny Lawson. Sadly, Lawson only was able to play in two games l...

By Samuel Lam Our good friend Larry Allen did that in Dallas and brought it here to San Francisco. LOGO PLACEMENT Teams are starting to add their team logos right about their nameplates. The Vikings and Cardinals are two notable teams. Let’s not do that in San Francisco.

By Samuel Lam Four months later, Young threw a record six touchdown passes in San Francisco’s 49-26 thrashing of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. And guess what – everything changed, instantly and permanently. From that day on, Young was defined by his own accomplishments, rather than by his i...

By Samuel Lam The tight end position is the one that needs attention. I had mentioned earlier about the tight end position being reworked by Martz. But Davis is still so raw after two injury-plagued seasons. Can he even handle all this? Maybe. I hope so.

By Samuel Lam But also to make room, the team has to think about adding uniform numbers on their helmets. Teams like the Steelers and Bengals, Broncos and Giants have these. Doubt the Niners would go this route, but if they do, I hope it’s small like the Broncos and not on the front also like the Steelers. And I...

By Samuel Lam One of the hardest things for 49ers fans who grew up with Montana, Rice, Young and everything else in between is the success. Sure we love the success and boy did it taste good. I became a 49ers fan in 1994. At that time, I was merely eight years old, trying to learn the game. Naturally, I would have b...

By Samuel Lam Other 49ers news: Niners have signed defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey, who was released by the Eagles on June 12. The Patriots and Giants wanted him, but because the Niners were terrible last year, the record allowed the Niners get first bid on him. Here’s his Yahoo! Sports profile.

By Samuel Lam The news on Barry Sims seems that he is shopping around for his services. Other teams like the Patriots and Ravens are interested. The 49ers met with Sims Monday but haven’t secured anything. For a team that needs to figure out their offensive line positioning, the 49ers are a safe choice. But o...

By Samuel Lam But look at guys like Pacman Jones and Ray Lewis. Jones may find himself in Dallas, a team that might win the Superbowl after all the fiasco he went through (especially the wrestling gig). What about Ray Lewis? He basically cost someone’s life and he still has his job and is praised.

By Samuel Lam Eddie DeBartolo to return to NFC West? Check out this source report, saying that Eddie D might want to buy the Rams. Out of all the free agent signings, the biggest one for the 49ers was clearly Justin Smith. On the day of free agency, the Niners swooped in Smith before any other team had a chance...

By Samuel Lam Remember Thomas Clayton? The rookie running back from last year? He had an amazing preseason, but was put on the practice squad. Now, I don’t know what he will do this season, but he really has potential. If he doesn’t make the team again this year, I hope he finds another team maybe. I am not sayi...

By Samuel Lam But for some teams, the white on white look is a second alternate road look, which sometimes looks better than their primary road look (usually because it’s a refreshing look than what we’re used to seeing). Take a look at the Chargers (this versus this), Chiefs (this versus this), Texans (...

By Samuel Lam S Lewis Baker (Oklahoma), G John Booker (San Jose State), LB Lance Brandenburgh (Nebraska), LB Ezra Butler (Reno), WR Cam Colvin (Oregon), G Brian De La Puente (California), TE Joe Jon Finley (Oklahoma), DE Louis Holmes (Arizona), WR Robert Jordan (California), S D.J. Parker (Virginia T...

By Samuel Lam OK, well do we see this guy beating out Vernon Davis, Billy Bajema or Delanie Walker at tight end? Probably not. He really wasn’t much for Oklahoma either. In fact, he wasn’t much of a big factor throughout his career. His yards per catch is really good though, maybe because no one expected him t...

By Samuel Lam Throughout the whole day, I was really pushing for the 49ers to get a QB in the draft. I don’t hae faith in either haun Hill or Alex Smith coming out of camp being very definitive. And more importantly, I really don’t know if either one are ready for the big stage. Drafting a QB would be a great secur...

By Samuel Lam He had some knee issues last year, so having him protecting the middle will be best for the team. He can block real well for runners, so Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster should enjoy this pick. He doesn’t do to well in picking up quicker defenders, so it may be a little task for him to get used to in the...

By Samuel Lam Go NINERS! Current update 3:21 PM The Niners take DT Kentwan Balmer from UNC, whom had impressed the Niners during the Senior Bowl! EDIT: Jets traded for the Packers #30 spot. Current update 1:15 PM Patriots with the next pick take LB Jerod Mayo from Tennessee.

By Samuel Lam LAST SEASON: Hugely disappointing, with the 49ers stumbling to their fifth consecutive losing record after beginning the year with playoff hopes. The offense was the NFL’s worst for the second time in coach Mike Nolan’s three seasons, leading to big changes in the offensive coaching st...

By Samuel Lam Week 12: Nov. 23, @ Cowboys, 10 a.m. The Cowboys will play the Niners in Texas Stadium for the final time. Are the Cowboys going be off to the hot start they had last year? Will old 49er Terrell Owens be crazy and cry for his quarterback, Rick Romo… I mean, Tony Romo. Jessica Simpson anyone?

By Samuel Lam I was over at Instant 49ers checking up on the current goings. Apparently, there are a few future NFL rookies that are trying to make an impression with the Niners. Among the players are LB Quentin Groves (Auburn), WR DeSean Jackson (Cal), QB Dennis Dixon (Oregon), WR Cameron Colvin (Oregon...

By Samuel Lam – Instant replay on field-goal attempts. This was proposed in part because of a game last season in which Cleveland’s game-tying field goal against Baltimore appeared to hit the crossbar and bounced back on the field. It was eventually ruled to have hit the support stanchion behind the cro...

By Samuel Lam “I always had a great deal of respect for Darrell as a player in the NFL,” 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. “I appreciated his dedication and work ethic during his season with the 49ers. He always had a positive attitude every day he came to work. While we are going in a different direction, I know he c...

By Samuel Lam LB Dontarrious Thomas will be my last highlight. Derek Smith is gone, but throw in Thomas who will crash the line might be a better trade off. Patrick Willis and Manny Lawson should approve of this. He may be developing into something bigger. Allen Rossum CB/KR * Height: 5-8 * Weight: 178 * Born:...

By Samuel Lam Just a thought and maybe it may come true. As the draft approaches, the Niners have been viewed as a team looking for a wide receiver. Maybe DeSean Jackson since Jerry Rice has found a liking in him. So last year, Jerry Rice took a liking to USC wide receiver Steve Smith. The NY Giants drafted him an...

By Samuel Lam One of the biggest things that came up with the 49ers when they signed Isaac Bruce was what number he would wear. Throughout his career, Bruce wore #80 with the Rams. Now, that would be a little difficult here in San Francisco. Ever since the legendary Jerry Rice left SF, no receiver has donned #...

By Samuel Lam Next up is Allen Rossum. My best memory of him is from the Madden video games. For a guy who had to play the Falcons all the time (my roommate loves loved Michael Vick), I saw this guy return kicks all the time. Well, snap into reality, we’ll see if this signing is any good for the team. J.T. O’Sullivan Q...

By Samuel Lam EDIT: As noted by Michael D, my last sentence apparently was misleading. It’s not because I didn’t know UC Davis had a football team, it was really trying to state that many of don’t know they had a team. My bad. What was I thinking? My apologies. Justin Smith DE * Height: 6-4 * Weight: 275 * Born: Se...