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| Alex Smith still believes he is competing for the starting job, even though J.T. O'Sullivan will start his third straight preseason game on Thursday. "They haven't said otherwise, so absolutely. I'm going out there treating it like that. You have to," Smith tells the San Jose Mercury News. |
Our View: What else is Smith going to say? The media may have been fishing for some controversial comments here. O'Sullivan seems to have a clear hold on the Week 1 job. |
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| The 49ers will be without left guard Adam Snyder when they face the Bears on Thursday. He sprained his right ankle on Tuesday and is out indefinitely, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. |
Our View: Snyder is stepping into Larry Allen's old spot, and we can't help but worry about this offensive line. Startin right guard David Baas has been out since April due to a torn pectoral tendon. |
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| 49ers starting right tackle Jonas Jennings underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. |
Our View: Jennings is expected to be back before the team's final preseason game. However, this gives Barry Sims a chance to take over the starting spot for Jennings. |
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| J.T. O'Sullivan will start his third straight preseason game on Thursday, according to the Sacramento Bee. |
Our View: Mike Nolan refuses to name O'Sullivan the starter, but it's not often that a quarterback starts his team's first three preseason games and then doesn't start in Week 1. |
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| As the intrigue surrounding the practices for the San Francisco 49ers intensifies and more questions focus on the indecision at the quarterback position, coach Mike Nolan has begun feeling the pressure, though he has yet to indicate which player he would prefer to have behind center on Week 1, according to Pro Football Talk. “[T]here’s been no decision,” Nolan said Sunday during a media conference call. “ As soon as we do, I’ll offer it, but right now we don’t. As soon as we watch the film, grade it, and our guys are getting more involved in Chicago and we’ll go from there. No decisions. Nothing to announce.” |
Our View: The signs are pointing to J.T. O’Sullivan, who pulled himself into the battle a couple of weeks ago and has started both preseason games. The other candidates are Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. We'll continue to keep you posted, but it appears Nolan is struggling to get the guy he wants. |
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| The Mercury News states that J.T. O'Sullivan will be the 49ers' starting quarterback for Week 1. He did not perform great against the Packers but was good enough. Coach Mike Nolan said, "It reinforces what I thought about him, and that's real key." Alex Smith did not do much with his 12 passing attempts, and Shaun Hill was limited to five passes. Nolan is officially yet to choose his opening day starter. |
Our View: O'Sullivan would be an intriguing fantasy prospect as the 49ers' starter while under the direction of pass-happy O.C. Mike Martz. |
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| Josh Morgan led the 49ers' receiving corps with five grabs for 114 yards and a score in Saturday's 34-6 win over the Packers. His touchdown covered 59-yards, and was delivered by J.T. O'Sullivan. |
Our View: The sixth-round rookie out of Virginia Tech should make the final roster, but will not likely be fantasy worthy while fighting for playing time behind Isaac Bruce, Bryant Johnson, Arnaz Battle, and Jason Hill. |
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| Quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan failed to impress in his start against the Packers on Saturday. He completed 8-of-17 passes for 154 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. O'Sullivan did connect on a few nice throws, including a 59-yard touchdown to Josh Morgan, and lead the 49ers to two scores. |
Our View: The truly good news for J.T. is that Alex Smith made the starter look sharp by stinking in the second half. O'Sullivan is still in the driver's seat, but he needs to start making better decisions in these preseason games. |
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| J.T. O'Sullivan will start the team's preseason game against the Packers, according to ProFootballTalk.com. |
Our View: O'Sullivan has been the best performer in practice according to reports, so now he will have his chance to go up against another team's No. 1 defense. |
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| Unfortunately, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith's best friend committed suicide over the weekend, according to the Sacramento Bee. Smith will miss practice on Friday to attend services, which will be held in the backyard of Smith's parents home. |
Our View: Smith and the young man, David Edwards, were extremely close, so he is struggling through a difficult period right now. Smith is still planning on playing in Saturday's preseason contest against Green Bay. |
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| Arnaz Battle strained his hamstring during practice Tuesday, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: The team did not disclose the severity of the ailment. Projected starter Bryant Johnson is also still out due to his hamstring ailment. |
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| 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan could wind up being one of the starters for the offense because of how well he's played, according to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. |
Our View: Morgan is a rookie sixth-round selection, and those type of players rarely contribute immediately, especially at receiver, but Morgan has been the talk of camp so far. Don't go so far as to draft him on your fantasy squad, but pay close attention to how he does early in the season. |
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| Linebacker Brandon Moore, previously cut by San Francisco, is close to signing a contract with the Arizona Cardinals, according to the Arizona Republic. |
Our View: Moore was a backup in San Fran last season and would likely fill the same role in Arizona. |
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| On his radio show Tuesday morning, Coach Mike Nolan confirmed that J.T. O'Sullivan is currently leading the 49ers' quarterback competition, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
Our View: Expect the QB competition to continue, although it seems offensive coordinator Mike Martz is a strong O'Sullivan backer. |
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| J.T. O'Sullivan has gone four straight practices and the first preseason game working with the Niners first team offense, and according to the San Francisco Chronicle he appears "to be taking command of the starting job." |
Our View: Can it be that the Niners really will go with the inexperienced signal caller? With each passing day, the chances of it occurring continues to grow. One thing is for sure, Shaun Hill is completely out of the hunt at this point. |
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| The Santa Rosa Press Democrat indicates that Shaun Hill has not taken a practice snap during 49ers' camp since August 6. JT O'Sullivan worked with the first-team offense Monday, and was not sharp as he completed 10-of-18 passes with two interceptions. Alex Smith worked with the second-team, and fared even worse as he threw three interceptions over 14 attempts. |
Our View: With Hill not participating, it appears it is a two-man race for the starting quarterback job between O'Sullivan and Smith. |
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| Coach Mike Nolan will not set his quarterback rotation for Saturday's game against Green Bay for a few more days and is open to adding another player to compete at the position, according to the SF Chronicle. Nolan said, "The door is open to any player we feel makes us better. But there is no one out there at this time that we feel strongly about."
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Our View: The team should be able to find a worthy starter out of their current mix of Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, and JT O'Sullivan. |
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| Delanie Walker needed several stitches to close a wound on his right elbow after his 40-yard kickoff return against the Raiders, according to the SF Chronicle. He said, "My elbow got caught in a guy's chin-strap buckle." |
Our View: He noted that he will play Saturday against the Packers. He is working to serve as Vernon Davis' primary backup at tight end. |
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| Offensive lineman Chris Patrick has been signed by the San Francisco 49ers, according to the Sacramento Bee. |
Our View: Patrick should provide depth on the offensive line should he make the squad. |
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| Linebacker Takeo Spikes has officially been signed by the San Francisco 49ers, according to ProFootballTalk.com. |
Our View: Terms of the deal were not announced, and Spikes will join the 49ers young linebacking corps that includes Patrick Willis and Manny Lawson. |
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| Takeo Spikes will head to 49ers training camp to take a physical, and should he pass, it is likely he will sign with the team,according to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. |
Our View: Spikes had shoulder surgery a year ago, and he had yet to sign with a team after playing for Philadelphia last season. |
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| Brandon Moore has been released by the 49ers, according to the Sacramento Bee. |
Our View: Moore may have been released to make room for Takeo Spikes. Moore was competing for a backup role at inside linebacker prior to his release. |
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| After suffering from a calf injury and being outperformed by the likes of Josh Morgan, there is a chance that unless he steps it up, wide receiver Ashley Lelie could get cut by the 49ers, according to Pro Football Weekly. |
Our View: Lelie is a perennial under-performer who has teased fantasy owners before. Consider it a lesson learned and stay away from him during drafts. |
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| The 49ers QB competition is still open, but if Alex Smith fails to impress and gain the starting job there is a chance the team could even go so far as to cut their former first overall selection, according to Matt Maiocco of the Santa Clara Press Democrat. |
Our View: While this is unlikely to happen, the fact that the team has discussed the option shows you just how unimpressed the team has been with his lack of understanding of the new offense and performance on the field. J.T. O'Sullivan actually appears to be in the lead to start for the club right now. |
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| J.T. O'Sullivan is in the competition for the starting job at quarterback, and had another solid day of camp Thursday, according to the SF Chronicle. On the day, he completed his first 12 passes, the latter six on downfield throws in 11-on-11 drills. Only a drop by Josh Morgan on a deep pass kept O'Sullivan from a perfect 15-for-15 day. Alex Smith had a pair of nice touchdown passes, but was intercepted once, and almost twice. Shaun Hill did nothing special, and went 12-for-17. |
Our View: O'Sullivan is expected to start tonight's game against the Raiders, but does not mean he is at the top of the 49ers' depth chart. We will keep you posted on his progress. |
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| Isaac Bruce may not play tonight in the 49ers' preseason opener against Oakland, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: He isn't hurt, and the 49ers just want him well-rested for the regular season, and already know what he can do. |
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| Vernon Davis stated that his role in going to increase "big time" with Mike Martz in control of the offense, according to the SF Chronicle. He believes he can be the top tight end in the NFL and said, "I'm going to be No. 1. That's my goal, nothing less. With this offense, I believe I can do it. I'm saying I'm going to have a great season. An awesome one. Under Martz, my role is going to increase big time. Way more touches. This is a new beginning. This is a breakout season."
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Our View: Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson will be the starting receivers this season, but Davis is the most dangerous of the three, and could actually lead the 49ers in receptions and touchdowns in 2008. |
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| The San Francisco 49ers have announced quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan will start the team's first preseason game, according to ProFootballTalk.com. The move doesn’t mean that O’Sullivan is at the top of the depth chart. He’ll play the first 22 minutes of the game, and Smith will finish the first half and start the third quarter. Hill will finish the second half. |
Our View: It has been believed that Alex Smith and Shaun Hill were the top men on the chart, but O’Sullivan took all of the 1st-team repetitions during Wednesday afternoon’s practice. He has been gaining the favor of coaches and could be ready to make a case for the starting job, if that position is as truly open as coach Mike Nolan has indicated. As always, we'll keep you posted as this situation moves forward. |
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| Bryant Johnson sat out Wednesday to nurse his hamstring ailment, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
Our View: The injury is not believed to be serious, and the team considers him day-to-day. |
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| Mark Roman has returned to practice, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. He participated in individual drills after being out since July 28. |
Our View: He should hold his spot as the 49ers' starting free safety. He is in competition with Dashon Goldston for the job. Neither player should be fantasy worthy. |
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| Frank Gore has trimmed 10 pounds off his frame in a bid to get into better shape, according to the SF Chronicle. He currently weighs 214 pounds, and Marshall Faulk (who had great success in Mike Martz's offense) advised him to get down to 212. He also told Gore to run at practice every day, which he is doing. |
Our View: Gore may not generate fantasy MVP-like numbers, as Faulk did while under Martz, but he could rank in the top-5. |
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| Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, and J.T O'Sullivan are all listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the 49ers first "unofficial" depth chart, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Kyle Wright is the No. 2 quarterback. |
Our View: Either Mad Mike Martz has designed a new offense which features three quarterbacks or the 49ers aren't tipping their hand. Do you think Wright feels a little lonely as the only man in the No. 2 spot? |
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| Rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan has been playing very well in training camp and had a strong scrimmage against the Raiders as the teams practiced together, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "Josh has been outstanding. We're really pleased with him. He's running like crazy and doing a lot of nice things," said offensive coordinator Mike Martz. |
Our View: It will be tough for Morgan, a sixth-round selection, to beat out some of the 49ers veterans for playing time, but you never know when the next Marques Colston may come around. |
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| Ashley Lelie returned to practice following his bout with a calf injury, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: He could not afford to miss too much time in training camp, as he is fighting with Arnaz Battle, Jason Hill, and rookie Josh Morgan to make the 49ers' roster. |
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| Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan will split the reps equally over the Niners 15 remaining practices in training camp, according to the Santa Clara Press Democrat. |
Our View: Obviously Smith has failed to impress in his comeback from shoulder surgery while Sullivan continues to offer more than the club thought he would. We still have to believe that Smith will emerge the starter, but this latest announcement proves that even the team isn't sure. |
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| Those on hand to watch the proceedings at San Francisco's training camp are suggesting it may be hard to deny J.T. O'Sullivan should be given full consideration to start at quarterback, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. |
Our View: O'Sullivan looked best of the three again Saturday, and Nolan did not object to a characterization that placed O'Sullivan as the starter if the season started today. Any answer he gives on that or any quarterback-related question has to be taken in context, given that he has already backtracked on the number of quarterbacks in competition for the job. He now states, after asserting it was all but assured that Alex Smith would be the man, that all three passers (including Shaun Hill) are putting together worthy performances and thus the team must consider all three. According to the Chronicle, if the performance in camp thus far is any indication, it could be O'Sullivan lining up behind center in Week 1. We'll keep you posted. |
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| San Francisco first-round pick Kentwan Balmer was running and doing rehabilitation on his sprained ankle today, and he should be back practicing with the team in just a few days, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
Our View: Balmer has been out since Tuesday when he sprained his ankle. He is expected to play a big role at defensive end in the team's 3-4 alignment. |
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| Instead of doing their best to make sure former first overall pick Alex Smith is progressing as a quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers are giving repetitions to J.T. O'Sullivan in order to be "fair" and not give anyone an advantage in the three-way battle to be the starting quarterback, according to Mike Sando of ESPN.com. |
Our View: Sando said it perfectly in the article: "The 49ers wouldn't want to do anything that would give Smith an advantage and help him finally prove his worth as a top pick?" It really doesn't make much sense that the 49ers would hold back Smith instead of giving him every opportunity to win the job and redeem his career. |
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