Baseball Nation: All Posts by David Fucillo

49ers, Greg Roman agree to two-year extension, according to Ian Rapoport

2013-06-19T18:08:49Z

What started out as a slow week is quickly picking up speed. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport just tweeted out that the 49ers have signed offensive coordinator Greg Roman to a two-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2015. That would indicate that Roman had originally signed a three-year contract with the 49ers. This comes shortly after the 49ers announced Justin Smith signed a two-year contract extension. I don't expect an announcement from the 49ers on Roman's extension. They are pretty quiet about their coaching staff contracts.

This does not guarantee Roman will be with the 49ers through 2015. He has interviewed for head coaching jobs, and likely will continue to do so. He has indicated he would like to become a head coach, and he is not required to get permission to interview for head coaching jobs while in a coordinator position.

It is also worth noting that if Roman originally signed a three-year contract, one has to imagine the rest of the 49ers coaching staff signed similar deals. There are no guarantees, but if this is the case, that would mean that Ed Donatell, a much sought after assistant, could be on the move after this coming season ends. Next year could be an intriguing offseason for the 49ers coaching staff moving forward.

Keep Reading:

Justin Smith signs two-year contract extension with 49ers

2013-06-19T16:42:55Z

Woo hoo, Cowboy is sticking around! The 49ers announced this morning that defensive tackle Justin Smith has signed a two-year extension. He was previously signed through 2013, and this deal will keep him with the 49ers through the 2015 season.

Smith was one of the more prominent free agents on the horizon, and this deal would seemingly lock him up for the rest of his career. He has said in the recent past that he saw himself potentially playing a few more years, and this would seem to set that up. There is no word yet on contract details. The 49ers have renegotiated a few deals lately to clear up some cap space, and even with Eric Reid still left to sign, the team had some room to potentially do some work.

Smith has been rehabbing his torn triceps muscle this offseason, and not taking part in team drills during the offseason workout program. He is expected back in time for training camp, and even said that had there been a game this past week, he would have played.

Since joining the 49ers in 2008, Smith has 536 tackles, 32.0 sacks, one interception, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed. And that does not even come close to describing his impact with the 49ers. There is a strong argument to be made that he is the most valuable player on the 49ers defense. His absence late last season and performance at less than 100% in the playoffs just about sums it up.

Fooch's Note: Here's the complete 49ers press release on the signing:

"Justin's All-Pro contributions on the field, as well as his leadership on and off the field, are integral to our success as a team," said 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. "Justin consistently sets a standard of excellence, serving as an example for everyone within our organization. This contract allows Justin to finish his career as a 49er!"

Smith (6-4, 285), a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, has led the 49ers defensive front for the past five seasons, helping the team rank second in rushing yards allowed per game (94.4) and yards per carry (3.6) over that time span. He has amassed 536 tackles, 32.0 sacks, one interception, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed since joining the 49ers in 2008.

Smith has also etched his name into 49ers annals, as he was a two-time recipient of the Len Eshmont Award (2011-12) and the Bill Walsh Award (2008, 2011), the team's MVP awards as selected by the players and coaches, respectively. He is also the only player in franchise history to win the Matt Hazeltine Iron Man Award in consecutive seasons (2010-11). Selected by the defensive coaching staff, the award is given to the most courageous and inspirational defensive player.

In 2011, Smith was named First-Team All-Pro at defensive tackle and Second-Team All-Pro at defensive end, becoming the first player to be named to the Associated Press' first and second team at different positions in the same phase of the game. In 2012, he was named Second-Team All-Pro at both defensive tackle and defensive end. Smith also became just the third player in franchise history to register 6.0-or-more sacks in four consecutive seasons, joining LB Charles Haley (1986-91) and DE Dwaine Board (1983-86).

Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2001 NFL Draft, Smith has played in 189 games (185 starts) and tallied 1,163 tackles, 75.5 sacks, three interceptions, 13 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and 30 passes defensed in his 12-year career. According to NFL Gamebooks, Smith has recorded 792 tackles since 2001, ranking first among all defensive linemen over that span.

A 33-year-old native of Holts Summit, MO, Smith played at Missouri.

Keep Reading:

Vernon Davis, Anquan Boldin work in specific roles at minicamp

2013-06-19T15:04:31Z

The 49ers minicamp did not provide many answers to the burning questions facing the 49ers, but there are still bits of information worth noting. According to Grant Cohn, Vernon Davis spent all of minicamp working with the wide receivers, as opposed to the tight ends. Additionally, Anquan Boldin lined up in the slot "a vast majority of the time."

The 49ers used two tight ends rather frequently last season, but one has to wonder how they'll work in their tight ends this season. Greg Roman is always looking for an edge, always looking to throw defenses off guard. Vernon Davis has done some work out wide the last two seasons, but nothing near what he has done on the line or just offset.

Imagine sending him out wide more frequently? He's a monster of a man with serious speed. I can't imagine a cornerback could do much bumping him off the line. Even though there are plenty of fast corners in the league, Vernon is fast enough that the speed issue could become a moot point. Once you've got Vernon and some 6'1 200 pound corner step for step, how could that corner get up over Vernon to break up passes? Imagine the pass interference calls he could draw?

Over on Twitter, Andrew Garda (friend of the site) asked if this was damning to the 49ers other wide receivers. I don't think there's any question Vernon Davis is the most talented receiver the 49ers have. He is a tight end, but his combination of size, speed and overall athleticism makes him one of the more unique weapons in the league. It would be foolish for Greg Roman not to figure out ways to get him more involved, particularly in light of Michael Crabtree's injury. Ideally another receiver will step up alongside Davis and Boldin, but Davis will be a significant factor in the offensive game plan.

49ers overrated and underrated players: Who you got?

2013-06-19T13:00:06Z

The slowness of the offseason leads to a variety of themed columns that are oft-repeated across the Internet. I'd like to say everything we create here at Niners Nation comes from my own brilliant mind, but that is hardly the case. Today, we continue forth with an Internet favorite: overrated and underrated players!

A couple weeks ago, CBS Sports Pete Prisco put together his overrated and underrated players for each team. For the 49ers, he listed Vernon Davis as most overrated, and Ahmad Brooks as most underrated:

Overrated: TE Vernon Davis. He is good, and he did some good things in the playoffs, but why do people think he ranks in the top three among tight ends when he didn't do enough in the regular season with 41 catches?

Underrated: OLB Ahmad Brooks. On a talent-laden group, he gets overlooked. That's a mistake. Some offensive coordinators I talked to raved about him.

If you're looking strictly at statistical production, I suppose you could say Vernon Davis is overrated. The problem with that view is that the game of football is about so much more than just the number of receptions you have. Vernon Davis is a great blocker, and he draws double teams, thus opening up other players. It is not a glamorous role, but it is an important role.

As for underrated, Ahmad Brooks is an easy one in this case. He is another guy who has not put up monster numbers, but he does a lot of the dirty work. I don't think he's undervalued by all 49ers fans, but I can see how fans across the league might overlook him.

Who would be your underrated and overrated players on the 49ers? I think it's a bit more difficult for us to define either since we pay so much attention to the players. For example, I've seen some call Carlos Rogers overrated, but given what we know about Rogers, is he really overrated? He might be overpaid, but that doesn't mean he's overrated when we know he struggled last year. What do you think?

49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Vance McDonald

2013-06-19T00:05:52Z

Here at Niners Nation, we're presenting a series called "90-in-90". We'll be looking at every player on the 49ers offseason roster, one player per post, from now until the start of training camp.

While Eric Reid is the rookie many expect to make the biggest impact, a close second could come in the form of tight end Vance McDonald. The 49ers second-round pick is expected to get a significant opportunity to replace Delanie Walker as the 49ers number two tight end. Given how frequently the 49ers include two or more tight ends, that opens the door for a lot of playing time for McDonald.

The 49ers moved up six spots in the second round to select McDonald, marking their third trade in as many picks this past April. McDonald was a tight end at Rice University, but he had extensive experience working outside the tackle box. He has the size of a big tight end at 6'4, 267 pounds, but his 4.6 40 makes it easy to see him galloping down the field from all over the place.

Nick put together a scouting report on McDonald, and it emphasizes his size/speed combination. The question mark facing McDonald is his blocking. He will also need to work on getting off the break from the traditional tight end spot, but really we'll be keeping a close eye on his blocking this preseason. The good news is he gets to work with one of the best blocking tight ends in Vernon Davis. Additionally, the 49ers offense as a whole does a good job at blocking, so the examples are there for him.

What to expect in 2013

McDonald will likely settle in to the No. 2 tight end role. While we wouldn't expect McDonald to get past Vernon Davis on the depth chart, he should be able to get past Garrett Celek. We have some Celek fans in the crowd, but I'm just not sure I see Celek having the right combination of size and athleticism to upset McDonald in the tight end position battle.

Assuming McDonald is in that number two tight end role, I actually think we could see greater statistical production from him than we saw from Delanie Walker last year. Walker had 21 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns. With Michael Crabtree out for much of the year and Anquan Boldin not quite the young buck he once was, the 49ers tight ends will prove extremely important to developing their offense.

The Davis/McDonald duo has a chance to become the top pair of receiving tight ends in the league. That's saying a lot considering Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are out there, but injuries aside, I think the talent is there. For McDonald though, his chance to do that will require he show some skills as a blocker.

Odds of making the roster

There's no way he doesn't make the roster, so this is more about odds of him surpassing Garrett Celek on the depth chart. Celek stands 6'4, 250 pounds, and ran a 4.72-second 40. He's got solid size and speed, but he's never been a pass catcher. At Michigan State, his career totals over four years were 14 receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns. I suppose he could figure something out, but at this point, he is looking like the third tight end for jumbo packages.

49ers waive Brandon Carswell, open up roster spot

2013-06-18T22:00:08Z

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have waived wide receiver Brandon Carswell. The 49ers signed Carswell a week ago to add some wide receiver depth at the bottom of the depth chart. Unfortunately, Carswell tore his ACL in his first practice with the team. Carswell will likely clear waivers, after which he can either revert to the 49ers injured reserve list, or receive an injury settlement. The latter would allow the two sides to go their separate ways.

This roster move leaves the 49ers one player short of the maximum 90 allowed. The 49ers brought in Austin Collie for a workout, but there is no word yet if that is going anywhere. The 49ers have a little over five weeks until training camp gets going. I would not be surprised to see them bring in a camp leg to spell Phil Dawson during training camp. He needs to get his work in at Candlestick to get used to the winds, but otherwise, as a veteran it makes sense to find somebody to help save his leg for the start of the season.

Here is the 49ers current 89-man roster:

Quarterback (4): B.J. Daniels, Colin Kaepernick, Colt McCoy, Scott Tolzien

Running Back (10): Anthony Dixon, Frank Gore, MarQueis Gray, Jewel Hampton,D.J. Harper, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore, Bruce Miller (FB), Jason Schepler (FB)

Wide Receiver (11): Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Chad Hall, Chuck Jacobs, A.J. Jenkins, Ricardo Lockette, Mario Manningham, Marlon Moore, Kassim Osgood, Quinton Patton, Kyle Williams

Tight End (3): Garrett Celek, Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald

Offensive Tackle (5): Carter Bykowski, Anthony Davis, Luke Marquardt, Joe Staley,Kenny Wiggins

Offensive Guard (8): Alex Boone, Mike Iupati, Daniel Kilgore, Joe Looney, Al Netter, Parick Omameh, Adam Snyder, Wayne Tribue

Center (2): Jonathan Goodwin, Sherman Carter

Defensive Line (12): Cornellius Carradine, Lamar Divens, Demarcus Dobbs, Glenn Dorsey, Quinton Dial, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Ray McDonald, Lawrence Okoye, Mike Purcell, Justin Smith, Will Tukuafu, Ian Williams

Outside Linebacker (6): Ahmad Brooks, Darius Fleming, Parys Haralson, Cam Johnson, Corey Lemonier, Aldon Smith

Inside Linebacker (6): NaVorro Bowman, Nick Moody, Dan Skuta, Michael Wilhoite,Patrick Willis, Nate Stupar

Cornerback (9): Nnamdi Asomugha, Tramaine Brock, Tarell Brown, Marcus Cooper,Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver, Darryl Morris, Carlos Rogers, Lowell Rose

Safety (8): Darcel McBath, Eric Reid, Trenton Robinson, C.J. Spillman, Donte Whitner, Craig Dahl, Michael Thomas, Raymond Ventrone

Kicker (1): Phil Dawson

Punter (1): Andy Lee

Long Snapper (3): Brian Jennings, Kevin McDermott, Kyle Nelson

49ers position battles: Handicapping the defense following OTAs

2013-06-18T20:31:08Z

Last month, before the 49ers got into their OTAs, we put together a pair of posts looking at the offensive position battles and defensive position battles. The offseason workout program doesn't provide winners or losers to position battles, but they do give us at least a little more information about the different participants. Yesterday, we followed up with the offensive position battles. Today, we move on to the defensive position battles.

Minicamp practice reports: Day one Day two Day three

Cornerback

Participants: Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, Chris Culliver, Nnamdi Asomugha, Perrish Cox, Tramaine Brock, Marcus Cooper

In the pre-OTAs post, I mentioned how Tarell Brown was a likely leader for one of the two starting positions, and Carlos Rogers had the spot to lose opposite him. Rogers focused on some weight room work, but has not been involved in team drills. He is expected back in time for training camp, but his absence has provided Nnamdi Asomugha with plenty of first team reps.

The offseason workout program did not really help us in getting any closer to a resolution on the starting situation. Tarell Brown spent most of the offseason working out at home, Rogers is getting back to 100%, and Chris Culliver has been flying under the radar. Nnamdi, Cox and Brock benefited in terms of more reps, but we're left to wait until training camp.

For now, Matt Barrows put together his thoughts on the current depth chart, and it is what would be expected: Rogers/Brown at the top, Culliver/Asomugha second, Brock/Rose third and Cooper/Morris fourth.

It is of course worth noting that the 49ers spend more time in their nickel than in their base 3-4. Vic Fangio has said Carlos Rogers will remain the nickel back, although he did not clarify if that meant he would be out of the base starting lineup. It would seem however, that for now the primary battle for playing time could be between Culliver and Asomugha. That is more speculation than anything on my part, as we really are stuck waiting for the start of training camp.

Backup outside linebacker

Participants: Parys Haralson, Corey Lemonier, Cam Johnson

We've had a small bit of clarification at the outside linebacker position. Previously I listed Darius Fleming here, but Vic Fangio has confirmed the team moved him to inside linebacker. That leaves three players with distinct storylines. Parys Haralson is the aging veteran who took a pay cut to stick with the team. Corey Lemonier was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Cam Johnson was a seventh round pick last year, but spent much of the season on the practice squad.

It is impossible to assess the pass rush skills of Lemonier and Johnson from the offseason program, since there is no live contact. However, of this group, I think we can expect to see Haralson as an injury fill-in option early, while Lemonier gets most of his work as a nickel defensive end, in the mold of Aldon Smith's rookie season. Cam Johnson will compete with Lemonier for that role, but faces an uphill battle. Johnson has practice squad eligibility, and it would not surprise me to see him spend another year on the practice squad.

Free Safety

Participants: Eric Reid, Craig Dahl, C.J. Spillman, Trenton Robinson, Michael Thomas, Darcel McBath

At the start of OTAs, Eric Reid was working with the second team. By the end of OTAs, Reid was splitting first team snaps with Dahl and Spillman. Reid did not take any first team snaps at minicamp as he was "working through something" after day one.

I would not be surprised if the 49ers opened training camp with a rotation at free safety, but if Reid wasn't handling most or all of the first team snaps in the days following the first preseason game, I would be a bit surprised. He has the athleticism, intelligence and work ethic to take his game to the next level. It strikes me as a sink or swim situation for the 49ers. Maybe Reid ends up not working out. There are no guarantees. But to not see what he does with the ones would not strike me as the best decision.

It will also be worth tracking Dahl vs. Spillman for additional playing time behind Reid and Donte Whitner. Spillman got some of that work last year, particularly in the team's goal line package.

Nose Tackle

Participants: Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams, Quinton Dial

Nothing appears to have changed here. All signs point to Dorsey starting out as the first team nose tackle, but I think Williams will get some chances in the preseason. Quinton Dial is dealing with a toe injury and has not had a chance to get on the field thus far. He will not pass Dorsey or Williams anytime soon, but I think we'll see him getting some mop-up time at the position during the preseason games.

Defensive line depth

Participants: Tank Carradine, Glenn Dorsey, Demarcus Dobbs, Quinton Dial, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Will Tukuafu, Lawrence Okoye

We can't make many changes to our assessment thus far because of the lack of contact work (stop me if you've heard that before!). The notable information would be that Carradine and Dial have not practiced because of injury rehab. Both are expected back sometime in training camp, but until then, the rest of the depth chart gets a chance to improve themselves.

Lawrence Okoye remains a significant question mark, and based on comments from camp, the practice squad seems more and more possible. Nobody has said he is struggling, but Vic Fangio has emphasized how much he has to learn, and how hard it is to assess anything before contact and double teams and pads. If I had to pick one guy I am most anxious to see in the preseason, it would have to be Lawrence Okoye. He could do absolutely nothing in the preseason, but it would give us more information with which to work than we have thus far.

KEEP READING:

Quinton Patton talks with SB Nation

2013-06-18T18:49:05Z

Quinton Patton sat down with SB Nation to discuss his move to the NFL.