The Bay Area Sports Journal

Bay Area Sports Notes: 49ers, Raiders, A's

2012-01-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well, like we try to do at least once a month here at the Bay Area Sports Journal, we're going to use today's post to sort of touch on a lot of different topics happening right now in the Bay Area sports scene. From the Raiders hiring a new coach, the 49ers #1 offseason priority to A's offseason and their pursuing of Manny Ramirez.

49ers: We'll start with the hot topic team around the Bay Area right now, which is the San Francisco 49ers, who came within 15 minutes of representing the NFC in Indy at the Super Bowl on Sunday. However, they were unable to pull it out in the end, and much of the can be attributed to their horrid third down percentage and poor play from their receiving corps. Alex Smith didn't have his best day, in wet conditions, but his receivers failed to do much of anything to help them out as the wideouts attributed for just 1 catch and 4 yards on in game. So obviously, the 49ers number one priority in terms of the area they need to upgrade the most, I think it's unquestionably the receiving corps. Luckily for them, this particular draft comes stocked with at least 5 potential first round wideouts, and this years free agent market certainly has no shortage of impact receivers either. Now, we'll spend many of hours and posts between now and the summer discussing who the 49ers could potentially target in free agency, as well as who may fall to them in the late first round of April's draft, but I just wanted to get out my early targets if I were running the team. Their are three free agent, number-one receivers hitting the market, assuming they don't get franchised, and I'd be happy with either of them. Those three names are Dwaye Bowe, Vincent Jackson and Marques Colston, and I'd probably rank them in that order too.

Raiders: Also, being so wrapped up in the NFL playoffs and the 49ers over the last few weeks, we haven't yet talked about Reggie McKenzie's first big hire as Raiders GM, bringing in Dennis Allen, who was Denver's defensive coordinator in 2011. He's just 39 years old and brings a focus a defensive philosophy to the Raiders head coaching spot, something they haven't had in many years. Ultimately, horrid defensive play down the stretch is what cost the Raiders a trip to the playoffs as they were definitely the best team in the AFC West in 2011. I'm not too sure yet what to make of the Allen hiring, as he's young and doesn't have a bunch of experience to judge from, but I think the Raiders looked just across the Bay and saw just how successful the 49ers were with a premium defense and average offense and figured it was time they change philosophy. That's a good move in my opinion, so I see this move as a step in the right direction.

Athletics: And the third and final team we're going to discuss here today are the Oakland Athletics and the somewhat bizarre offseason they've had. They started off by dealing every player that had any value on the roster, including their top three pitchers, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey. Then in this latter part of the offseason, they've all the sudden started adding veteran pieces back to the puzzle, including the re-signing of Coco Crisp, and now their apparent serious interest in Manny Ramirez. They also inked Bartolo Colon to a deal after dealing away Guillermo Moscoso. I can kind of understand pursuing Ramirez, being that he'd draw some fans out to the Coliseum, would come pretty cheaply and would provide offense at the DH spot. However, I feel like they may have just blocked one of their better prospects in Michael Taylor, from his natural position by bringing back Crisp, and I just don't get the Colon signing a bit. Maybe they added him hoping he'll dominate the first half and they'll have a trading chip come July? I just don't really get those two signings with the theme of their offseason being in fire sale mode and looking to rid as much payroll as possible. I do like the addition of Seth Smith and the signing of Jonny Gomes, who came cheaply but could payoff big time if he just hits .250, with the pop he has. Smith is a very solid hitter who will now have an everyday gig and should respond with a .280/25/85 line, or thereabouts. Watching him over the years as a Giants fan, he's sneaky good. The A's have been one of the more active teams over the last couple of weeks, and according the Lou Wolfe, they'll be adding more before Opening Day! Like with the 49ers, we'll have much more A's talk with Spring Training quickly approaching.

Giants Lock Up Lincecum, Sandoval

2012-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

We're going to go ahead and fully switch gears for a second as we look ahead to Spring Training. The Giants locked up ace Tim Lincecum and all-star third basemen Pablo Sandoval to multi-year deals and baseball fever is starting to pick up in the Bay Area now that the 49ers season has ended. Here is the lastest recording for our show, The Giants BlogCast:

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Also, wanted to give our readers a heads up that I'll be joining the Phil Naessens show on The Baseball Page, on Thursday 1/26 to talk a bit about the upcoming Giants season. Be sure to check that out Thursday night!

49ers Come Up Short In NFC Championship

2012-01-23T12:33:00.001-08:00

The 49ers had their shot, they had the lead heading into the 4th quarter of play on a wet, sloppy field, but the Giants had just too much fire power offensively in the end. Victory Cruz had a field day tearing up the Niners secondary, and even when the pressure was on him, Eli Manning hung in and played a heckuva game.

The 49ers sacked Eli 6 times, they were in his face on numerous other occasions, but Eli managed to put up a big fat goose egg in the turnover column while the 49ers had two costly ones, and when all was said and done, that was the difference in this game. Now, I know nobody is feeling worse about things than Kyle Williams, who muffed two punts, which gave the Giants some easy points on a short field. I kept telling the people I was watching the game with that the 49ers are going to have to force a big turnover themselves in the waning minutes, or else they aren't going to do it. Their offense was stagnant vs. the Giants defense, really all day save for Alex Smith's two TD tosses to Vernon Davis. Smith completed just 12 of 26 pass attempts, and although they seemed to have a nice rythym to their running game, they only ran Gore 16 times, which on a wet and sloppy field took me by surprise. I mean, this team was really in control of the game after that 3rd quarter and had all the momentum and all they had to do was put together a final 15 minutes of solid play, but they just came up short. I mean, set aside the muffed punts, and the 49ers win this one, probably easily. However, the Giants cashed in with 10 points on 49ers turnovers while the 49ers couldn't get the Giants to cough one up. I credit Eli for that, cause there were a few times where the 49ers had him and he pitched it out last second to find Ahmad Bradshaw and gain yardage rather than getting sacked and possibly fumbling the ball. I think the 49ers were a better team, but they didn't play with the Giants on Sunday, and didn't deserve to win the game.

Now, I don't want to just sit here and rag on all the things that went wrong, the Vernon penalties, the muffed punts, the botched reverse, letting Victor Cruz burn you time and time again, I'd rather talk about what this team has going forward. I mean, I was saying whoever won that NFC game should be favored against a flawed New England Patriots team, and I still think that, so it's incredible just to think a minute how far this team has come over the last 12 months. From a laughing stock of football and the poster-team for the NFC Worst (NFC West reference), to being within a quarter of going to the Super Bowl. I don't want to sound like a sore loser, cause I'm not, the 49ers exceeded all my expectations this year, and even though I was hoping for another Cinderella ride like the San Francisco Giants gave us in 2010, I'm content with where this team is and the direction it's headed. Now, for the first time since I created this website 2 years ago, we get to talk about a football team moving in the right direction, a team that is maybe another player or two away from being real legit contenders. I've been saddled with the Raiders and 49ers the last few years, and it's just been one comical mishap after another for each franchise until the 49ers finally broke through this year, and again, they aren't that far off at all from really transforming into year-in and year-out contenders under coach Harbough.

We'll have all spring to talk about the draft and all summer to talk about potential free agents the team could pursue, but just based on needs from this game alone, I think it's pretty clear the 49ers need to re-look both their cornerback depth chart and take a long look at available wide receivers. I know Josh Morgan went down in season and should be back next training camp, but even he should be a 3rd or 4th guy. Michael Crabtree disappeared on Sunday vs. the Giants, even more so than he did vs. the Saints last week, when at least he got free for a TD catch but did little else. I think he's proven how inconsistent he can be and I no longer consider him a #1 type receiving talent. The 49ers went 1-13 on third downs, and I attribute that solely to the receivers failing to get open. I mean, had they converted on just 25% of third down tries, they win the game. Smith had to tuck the ball and run numerous times cause he couldn't find anyone. Vernon Davis managed to put up a huge postseason, even though defenses really had most of their focus, in terms of the Niners passing game, on containing him, but he could only do so much, being a tight end and also being involved in blocking schemes. Also, the 49ers showed in the end they just didn't have enough cover guys to matchup with all the Giants weapons, and barely managed to do so vs. the Saints last week. Carlos Rogers has one spot locked up, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 49ers open up some competition for those CB 2, CB 3 and CB 4 spots, cause in this day and age of the NFL, you need at least 3-4 good cover corners.

Again, we'll have the whole offseason to talk more about the 49ers needs and who they should go after. Starting with what to do with Alex Smith, who's going to be a free agent? Most think he's assuredly coming back as the 49ers starter, and I'm not at all opposed to that, but I hope they add some more depth and competition there than just Colin Kaepernick.

NFL Conference Championship Previews

2012-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Well folks, here we are, just two days away from the biggest game the 49ers have played since the 1990's, and the weather in the Bay Area is getting worse, which in my mind, favors the 49ers even more. We'll also talk a little bit about, quite possibly the next 49ers opponent, as we break down the AFC Championship as well.

NFC Championship Preview

As good as the Giants defense is, and Eli Manning can be, if it's raining at the Stick on Sunday, which is looking probable, then the meter definitely tilts towards favoring the 49ers. They have a better defense, especially up front, to stop a running game should it get into a smash-mouth type of wet and muddy ballgame. They also have the rushing attack, not only with Gore and Hunter, but as he showed last week, even Alex Smith can tuck it and run. I'd like to see at least 5 designed runs for Alex Smith as well as Harbough giving him free reign to tuck-and-run every single time he sees a seem and can't find an open receiver. For my money, I take the Gore/Hunter/Smith combo as far as ball carrying, over the Bradshaw, Jacobs and Manning. Eli, while he can pick the 49ers secondary apart if given ample time, is not a mobile QB and if the 49ers pressure him, he's prone to making mistakes. He throws for a lot of yards, he gets his TD's but he throws for a lot of interceptions too, and the 49ers need to be on their game as far as the takeaways. They every time they see an opportunity to knock a ball loose or go for a pick, take it. That's what got them to the NFC championship and that's what will keep them moving forward. At the same time, the toughest part of the New York Giants defense is their pass-rush. If they get Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul all going, and aren't able to protect Alex Smith, then it's going to be very tough for the 49ers to develop any kind of passing game. The way to beat blitzers and pass-rushers is to run right at em or do screen passes right over them and the 49ers need to have a contingency plan for every time Alex drops back to pass.

As long as the 49ers can control the Giants pass rush, and the 49ers do what they've done so well this season, win the turnover battle, I think they'll be extremely tough for the Giants to handle. They need someone else to step up though like Vernon did vs. the Saints and I'm looking to Frank Gore to be that guy (he got hurt early vs. the Giants in November and hasn't had a 100-yard game since). The 49ers crowd will be so loud, louder than Green Bay's fans were able to get on Sunday, that's for sure, and that should make it tough for the Giants to run their no-huddle and hurry-up offense that both the Manning brothers have ran so well over the years. Home field advantage in this case, I believe makes all the difference in the world, so the 49ers need to use that to their advantage and not let their crowd get out of it for a second. That's where Green Bay lost it last week, they got down, and their crowd got out of it, and they played a bad game. I may get a moment Sunday to do a quick pre-game before the NFC Championship, but in case I don't I want to get my prediction out now. I've said over the week, and probably 2 or 3 times in this post, that as long as the 49ers play their game, win the turnover battle, protect Alex Smith and establish the run on a wet field, it'll be their game to lose. After seeing them take it to New Orleans, I don't think the Giants will be able to beat this team, I just don't. Now, if Eli get's going early, the 49ers can't pressure him, and in turn, are in Alex Smith's face every time he drops back to throw, than advantage Giants. They didn't beat Green Bay on a fluke win, they beat them in every facet of the game and when they're on, they're tough, but so are the 49ers. Either way, I think we're in for another nail-biter and a game going that comes down to the final minutes.

NFC Championship Prediction:

San Francisco 49ers 27 - New York Giants 24
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AFC Championship Preview

Oh, by the way, there is another game going on this weekend, and if the 49ers do win, I'm sure every single TV in Northern California will be tuned into it. After the 49ers/Giants game, the AFC Championship figures to be a pretty darn good matchup itself. This Patriots offense is such a unique offense that can beat you with a variety of players while the Baltimore defense is really second to none in the NFL right now. New England has the receivers with Branch and Welker to cause the corners to focus there, and then they have Gronkowski and Hernandez at tight end, who pose an extremely tough matchup for any defender, linebacker, safety or corner. They're basically wide receivers in tight-end bodies, and I think it'll be tough for the Ravens to account for all the weapons. I mean, they barely pulled it out against a rookie QB in their own house last week, so it's tough to see them straightening up enough over the week to go into Foxboro and beat a Patriots team that has arguably the best offense in the football right now, certainly the AFC. The only way I see the Ravens pulling this one out is if Joe Flacco steps up and has a big game himself. Ray Rice should be able to dice through the Pats defense, but it won't matter if they get down early to the Pats, cause the game will probably rest on the arm of Flacco. And even though the Patriots defense can be exposed, they also play opportunistic football, and I could see them causing takeaways if they get after Flacco. I just see to many things needing to line up in order for the Ravens to win, and I just don't see it happening for them on the road. It should be another very good matchup though, kind of like the 49ers/Saints, a defensive powerhouse vs. a true offensive juggernaut.

Prediction:

New England Patriots 31 - Baltimore Ravens 23

Giants - 49ers Trash Talk Begins

2012-01-18T12:25:00.001-08:00

Well, we're mid-way through the week, and there's already been enough trash talk between the Giants and the 49ers via Twitter, that it's almost comical. It just adds another element to what should be an epic NFC Championship at a potentially wet Candlestick Park.

The forecast calls for rain this weekend, and if you live in the Bay Area, you could almost feel it coming on Wednesday, as it's been a little overcast all morning. I think if the weather report does hold up and the teams are playing on a wet field come Sunday, it exponentially helps the 49ers. The 49ers have a better run game and can control the ball on the ground. I would expect to see a lot more of Alex Smith on the move in this game as well, whether it's straight QB-sneak calls, or roll-out QB choices, I think Harbough will give him free reign to tuck it in and run whenever he sees a hole. I was hoping he'd do it more often against the Saints, but he didn't until the play called for it and ended in that beautiful sweep out for a touchdown. One thing Aaron Rodgers did at will seemingly vs. this Giants defense was pick up some yards on the ground, leading the Packers with 66 yards on just 7 rushes. Smith can move better than Rodgers, and if the Giants will are going to expose that, then the 49ers need to take full advantage. They managed to beat the Saints without really establishing a run game. They had a few big plays including Smith's run and Gore's 42-yarder to help give them 150 rush yards for the game, but they never really go into rhythm with it. That will have to change in order to beat the Giants. The 49ers cannot be a one-dimensional offense and as good as he looked vs. the Saints, they cannot rely on Smith throwing for 300 yards against that defense.

As for the trash talk, it all started with Giants' wideout Victor Cruz saying his team is much more content going on the road to play the 49ers than they would have been had they had to face the Saints. That's fair enough, I mean, the Saints demolished the Giants when they played in season whereas the 49ers just beat them by 7. The fact that the Giants already lost to the 49ers, when the 49ers didn't have their best offensive player, Frank Gore, should be a concern for that team though. As good as their pass-rush can be, a good running attack and short pass game can beat a good pass rush. I know they weren't 100% right defensively, and there leader on defense, linebacker Michael Foley, when the 49ers beat the Giants in November. The Giants played OK, and Eli got his yards, but the 49ers already outplayed this team, this season, on the very turf they'll lineup on this Sunday. They should be rolling into this game with all the confidence in the world and I think they are. In response to some of the Giants chatter, all Donte Whitner had to say was, "In San Francisco, we talk with out pads", and then partner in crime Dashon Goldson reiterating that the 49ers hit and tackle, they don't miss. Sure, the trash talk helps make for a more intriguing matchup, but this game is already under the microscope and is (obviously because of the New York team no doubt) getting the most media play, in a week where Tom Brady will face the ultimate test in a rugged Baltimore defense.

I said this in our last post, and reiterated it a bit in this one, but again, I have all the confidence in the world in the 49ers right now, much like I felt about the 2010 San Francisco Giants. As long as they play their game, get the rushing attack established and keep Alex protected on offense, at the same time control the Giants' running game and making them one-dimensional, this is there game to loose. If they get another quick 14-0 lead like they did vs. the Saints, it wouldn't hurt either. I said it all season long, and even though they proved me wrong Saturday, this team plays much better with a lead, even a small one, and they need to ensure they get out to an early one Sunday.

As I've been doing over the last few weeks, we'll have our final thoughts and preview/prediction for this game, as well as the AFC game in Friday's post, but as of now, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 49ers-Patriots Super Bowl match-up.

Giants Pull off upset, will meet Niners in NFC Championship

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

If you thought last weeks crowd was rockin', just wait till you see what they have in store next Sunday for the first NFC Championship game played in San Francisco since the early 1990's.

The New York Giants went into Lambo and pulled out the upset in very, very convincing fashion, so much so to the point where I was watching that fourth quarter thinking, "This team may actually cause more problems for SF than Green Bay if they play like this again." They've been the team that's hit the hot streak as the playoffs got started, winning 3-straight to clinch the NFC East and then knocking off the Falcons in round one in a matchup that wasn't even close (24-2). They really remind me of the 2010 baseball Giants, as they really caught fire at the tail end of the year and manage to just keep winning. They're a very well rounded team, much like the Niners and even though, yes, there's no doubt I'd rather be hosting the NFC Championship in San Fran rather than traveling to Green Bay, the Packers, believe it or not, have more holes in them than the Giants do right now. New York has the QB who can pick you apart if given time, plus a defense much tougher than a New Orleans D that was amongst the leagues worst defenses. They are going to be tough to run on, tough to pass on and they're going to probably drop Eli Manning back 45-50 times and let him try and find soft spots in the 49ers defense. New York's running game doesn't scare me that much, but they're much more formidable than the Saints and the Packers, bringing the two-headed monster of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw has me a little worried as he's a lot like Darren Sproles, who really had a field day with 14 receptions Saturday vs. the 49ers.

On top of Eli scouring the field, and Bradshaw and Jacobs out of the backfield, New York has a good O-Line, and 3 very good, deep threat receivers the 49ers are going to have to account for. I really think they're going to have to bracket cover Hakeem Nicks because of his deep ability (280 yards, 4 TD's in 2 postseason games in 2012). Let Eli have all he wants underneath and in short routes, just don't expose yourselves deep, something I think the Niners did a very good job of versus New Orleans (sans the Graham and Sproles big TD's). Luckily, despite what they showed vs. a sub par Packers defense, the Giants aren't a real big play team. They want to play a lot like the 49ers, but if they need to win it through the air, Eli is a guy who's done it more than once and has a ring on his finger to prove it. It seems like Eli picked apart Atlanta and Green Bay at will, and he did, but both of those defenses had huge miscues all game. The Green Bay secondary was doing spins and turns trying to keep up with Giants' receivers, you could tell they either weren't prepared, or they just got caught off their game, cause they looked bad. The 49ers are going to be a much tougher defensive matchup than the Giants have seen over the last 5 weeks. That said, this isn't going to be easy by any stretch. Yes the 49ers beat New York, in New York in the regular season, but the Giants were sputtering then and without Ahmad Bradshaw. Now they come to stick, at full strength with a full array of weapons, so the 49ers have to prep for them exactly like they did New Orleans, just don't plan on scoring nearly as many points.

49ers Pull it out with "The Catch" Part 3

2012-01-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

With the 49ers down 3 points and on their own side of the field with 40 seconds left, I'm sure a lot of people thought they were finally down for the count. But in a moment eerily similar to the Steve Young-to-Terrell Owens game winner way back in '98 that beat the Packers, Alex Smith found Vernon Davis down the middle on a 14-yard strike with 9 seconds left to send SF to the NFC Championship.

Vernon Davis, who's numbers were down this year despite Alex Smith's success, had by far his best game of 2011/2012, regular season, preseason or postseason, he was a beast today. If he doesn't come up with that TD catch on that perfectly thrown ball by Smith, and hold onto that ball with two defenders barreling into him, then the 49ers would have had to take their chance at a field goal and possibly OT against a Saints offense that was gaining momentum. More importantly, he came up with that big 35-yard catch and run prior to that to put the 49ers in position to tie or win. But first of all, the reason Vernon Davis was able to go for nearly 200 yards on 7 catches, 2 of which were for 6, was because Alex Smith was absolutely on his game today. I really wish Smith would have done the Steve Young "monkey off my back" sign after the victory, cause this game really solidified his arrival as a legit NFL QB. He won this game on his arm. The 49ers running game was never established, granted Gore broke one big 40 yard run, this game was won on the arm and legs of Mr. Alex Smith, the one 49ers fans loved to hate coming into the 2011 season. I know he proved to me today that he is for real, and maybe he was a little late to the party, but he's arrived, and the connection he has with Jim Harbough and his offensive players is really something special. Smith's only blunder on the afternoon was a fumble in which he probably should have tucked the ball and taken the sack but tried to make something happen on that Roman Harper blitz in which the ball popped out of Smith's hand.

Alex Smith arrived, and showed he could keep up with the elite offenses when need be, and the defense, for the most part, did exactly what they do best, cause turnovers and hit the Saints in the mouth. They had Aldon Smith or Justin Smith in Drew Brees' face consistently, and although they did give up the two big plays to, wouldn't you know it, Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham, the defense came out aggressive from the start and you could tell Brees just was never real comfortable. He did throw for 463 yards, but it took him 63 tosses in order to make it there, and he also mixed in a few interceptions, so by comparison, Smith's game (299 yards on 42 attempts, 3 TD's and 0 Int's) blew Brees' out of the water. I said Dashon Goldson had to have a big game, and he did. I said Aldon Smith had to be on the field and be effective at getting after Drew Brees and he was. They had to account for Graham and Sproles, and even though they each managed to reach paydirt, the 49ers basically shut them down on the most every other play. Graham's TD was the only big play he had all game, take away the borderline PI call he got off Goldson early in the first, but that was nullified by Donte Whitner's clock-cleaning hit on Pierre Thomas that not only knocked the ball loose and gave the 49ers possession deep in their own territory, but also knocked Thomas out of the game, and he was the team's most effective rusher vs. Detroit last week with 2 TD's.

I could go on and on and on about this game, and I'm sure I'll talk about it a little more throughout the week, especially as we preview the NFC Championship which very likely could be another offense vs. defense battle if Vegas odds prevail and Green Bay beats New York. But this game, to me, was a benchmark for Smith. If Smith came out and played badly and the 49ers lost in bad way, then questions would have undoubtedly come into play this offseason as to whether or not Smith is the guy that can take this team to the next level. But he eliminated any need for that talk. No matter what happens in Green Bay next week, or if the 49ers get lucky enough, in San Francisco again, he proved he can win a playoff game against a team and QB that he wasn't supposed to beat. For all Alex Smith has been through, anyone who's followed the 49ers over the last 6 years can't help but feel great for Mr. Alex Smith! For all the defense did, and the game Vernon had, the 49ers don't win this game today without Smith doing what he did, and it very well may have earned him his long-term stay in San Francisco. (He'll be getting some big bucks this offseason, tell you that much!)

49ers - Saints, NFL Weekend Preview: Part 2

2012-01-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

We did our main preview of the 49ers-Saints game in our last post here, but like I said yesterday, we'll do one more small section on the game on what needs to happen for the 49ers to win the game! We'll also use the second part of the post to preview the other 3 games going down this weekend, the weekend that determines who will wind up playing in each respective Conference Championship game.

First off, we'll start with the 49ers of course. As I said yesterday, we're going to keep it mostly to what the 49ers have to do to win this game, and win it they certainly can if they play the style of football that got them here. What has to happen is the 49ers have to dictate the tempo of the game early, they can't let the Saints control the ball and let Drew Brees drop back and throw 40 times. They have to keep the Saints offense off the field with good running and sound short-route passes and screens, then take your shot's deep, cause they have to be aggressive and show confidence early. Go conservative early, but surprise the Saints with some deep balls too, and open up the playbook, but the Saints are a blitzing team and Smith is going to have to make good, quick decisions in order to avoid turnovers, just as he's done all year. They're going to have to put up some points, so I wouldn't hesitate to bust out some trickery on offense, and pull out some plays that we haven't seen all year, plus the Saints secondary is average at best, so Smith can pick them apart if he makes smart choices. The 49ers will most likely have to score 24-30 points to win this, at least.

That brings us to the defense, just like the Saints will do to Alex, the 49ers have to have pressure on Brees all day long. Play Aldon Smith! Play Aldon Smith in as many snaps as he can take whether it's as a down D-end or an outside backer, they need his pass-rush. Also, they need to take away the Saints two secret weapons in Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles. They need to matchup players onto those two that can keep up with them. I suggested putting Goldson on Graham all day, and put an extra DB on the field every time Sproles is out there. If the 49ers get the early lead, and can play with their defense, they can win this. If Brees get's the ball frequently and has open receivers and little pressure, then the 49ers probably won't be able to keep up. My Prediction, 49ers pull it out in a close one, 27-24... Here is the rest of our playoff weekend predictions.

NFC Divisional Round Predictions:

San Francisco 49ers 27 - New Orleans Saints 24

Again, most of the talk about this game is above and in the previous post, but the 49ers have the defense to disrupt Drew Brees and give him problems, plus the 49ers have the home field advantage as the Stick will be rockin. Drew Brees has a career 107 QB rating and 12 TD's and 2 Int's vs. 49ers' defenses, but he's never faced one like this and could have issues with the January gusts at Candlestick Point.

Green Bay Packers 31 - New York Giants 27

I think this one will be closer than people are thinking and the Giants should pose some problems for Aaron Rogers and the Packer passing attack which hasn't been quite as crisp the last few weeks of the season. I still think the Pack pull it out in Lambo and conditions they're so used to. The thing is, the Packers defense has so many holes right now, that the Giants should be able to keep up with them offensively, especially if Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs can get going like they did last week and that defense plays lights out like they did vs. Atlanta (only 2 points allowed came on a Safety caused by Eli Manning's intentional grounding in the endzone). If they bring that against the defending champs, then I doubt the Packers will just have their way with the Giants defense like they've had their way with so many D's this season.

AFC Divisional Round Predictions:

New England Patriots 35 - Denver Broncos 17

As much magic as Tebow pulled out vs. the Steelers rock-solid defense, I just don't see him being able to keep up with a healthy Tom Brady and the top passing attack in the league. Denver can get burned through the air, as they showed last week allowing a broken down and beat up Roethlisberger to throw for 282 yards and a TD, though they did sack him 5 times (again though, his mobility because of the ankle was basically nil). The Broncos had the home field and did pull off a huge upset in round one, no doubt about it, but now they travel to the loud, frigid Northeast where the Patriots play so darn well in Foxboro. Unless the Broncos pull can win the turnover battle and rattle up the Pats passing game, they don't have much of a chance. If it were in Denver, then maybe they have a shot, but not away in a notoriously tough place to play, I don't see them pulling out another one. Especially after seeing the Pats defense finish so strongly vs. the Bills (2 sacks, 4 picks, one for a TD), the Patriots don't have the best defense, but they have some speed to keep up with Tebow and Demaryius Thomas.

Baltimore Ravens 20 - Houston Texans 13

It's really too bad the Texans lost Matt Schaub, cause with him, and Foster and Andre Johnson healthy like we saw last week, they are legit Super Bowl contenders. But in enters rookie T.J. Yates, who if this team was playing any other playoff team besides a very green Bengals squad last week, probably loses. Yates' play was sporadic, his TD toss to Johnson was spot on, but for the most part, he showed he's still a rookie and missed some easy reads and open receivers. Now he faces a defense that will not only bring more heat than Cinci, but they have better coverage and a much tougher front-7 and I expect that front to eat Yates alive while still containing Foster enough to pull out the W. The only way the Texans win is if they pull out an early lead and can play with a lead, cause their defense, while not Raven-good, is very formidable. The Ravens also struggle to come back in games, and if you have them down early, you can beat them. All in all though, with the rookie traveling into the cold climate of Baltimore in January, I just can't see them taking it to the ferocious Baltimore defense.

49ers - Saints Preview: Part 1

2012-01-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, in the biggest game for the 49ers since 2002, I figured I'd give it so much attention, we'll do a two-part preview to the 49ers-Saints game this Saturday at Candlestick Park.

In part one, I wanted to talk a little bit about what I think the offense and defense each need to focus on, and then in part 2, we'll do a straight list of things that need to happen in order for the 49ers to win, and things that, if happen, the 49ers haven't a snowflakes chance in hell. Now, starting with the offense, I don't think they should change anything up from what they did all year, at least at the start of the game. Establish the run, let Alex do some play fakes and some easy short-route completions, I don't care if they're only 3-5 yards, they have to keep the ball moving and keep the clock running offensively. Obviously, they're going to need Frank Gore and the offensive line to be on their A-game, and not only in the running game. The Saints aren't a top defense by any means, and the 49ers shouldn't have too much of a problem getting the run game going, but what the Saints front does do is bring a lot of pressure and they'll blitz you, especially if they get a lead. That's where having Gore is so key, because he's one of the best, if not the best, blitz pick-up/blocking backs in the NFL. Again, that's why I say a lot of screens, and short routes against this team will be effective if executed properly. Get Frank to bust off a couple 10-15 yard runs to get the defense honest, and then take your chance down field on a play fake. I'm not saying go all-out conservative by any stretch, cause they're going to have to score some points. Take your shots down field and take them with regularity, but don't try and play the Saints game and keep up with them via the pass. Ball control/game clock control while establishing the run should be the team approach to start the game.

Defensively, they really need to focus on two key players in my mind, and those two are the ones that pose the toughest matchup for defenses, Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles. I would assign Dashon Goldson to Graham, just because he's got the strength and speed to keep up with the TE/WR and has cover skills as a college CB. If that means using Goldson as a quasi-linebacker/cornerback than albeit. Let Reggie Williams or Madieu Williams slide into the safety spot if need be or come up with defensive schemes that use Goldson on Graham. As with Sproles, I really think they need to treat him like a wideout and when the dudes on the field, bring in an extra DB to account for him. The 49ers have a strong enough front to play with an extra DB in the lineup and sort of a 3-3 front. As good as Pierre Thomas looked vs. Lions, I'm not at all worried about him at all. I doubt he averages 8 YPC vs. the 49ers stout D, but Sproles does worry me, so keep as much speed on the field as you possibly can. As for the receivers, I have confidence in the way that Carlos Rogers has been playing, that he should battle Marques Colston pretty well, but it's going to be on the 49ers front getting pressure on Mr. Brees. The 49ers absolutely have to have Brees under pressure all-day long from start to finish. Play Aldon Smith as much as he possibly can take, and bring 5+ guys each and every time Brees drops back to pass. Again, I have confidence in this teams' secondary when the team's pass rush is on it's game. That's when they get their picks and play their best.

Either way, it's going to shape up as a very good battle at the 'Stick Saturday, and if your lucky enough to have tickets, your in for one helluva a battle. An offensive powerhouse vs. a defensive juggernaut. The ultimate strength vs. strength game! Check back tomorrow for more 49ers and Saints talk as well as predictions for the weekends games!

Raiders Give Jackson the Axe

2012-01-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well, in a week that has the 49ers squaring up with the Mr. Unstoppable, Drew Brees, at Candlestick Park, the big talk in the Bay Area Tuesday lied around the Oakland Raiders. After just one season as head coach, Hugh Jackson was ousted after his squad finished the season terribly.

It came as a surprise to me, I'll tell you that much. I mean, I heard the rumblings over the weekend, but you normally hear some level of that with every team that just misses the playoffs and probably should have made it. This shakes up the whole Raiders organization because Jackson had full control and last say on player movement. He was the one that, probably, signed off on the Carson Palmer deal and then once his team lost 4 of their last 5 ballgames, and their stronghold on the AFC West. But what I think really sealed his fate was after the season when he threw his players, mainly star linebacker Rolando McClain, under the bus and blamed missing the playoffs solely on the players. Now, I've coached, granted at Senior Little League level, but one thing you never, ever do as a coach, is place blame on players publicly. If you have a problem with a player, it's between you and them, you don't make it a public issue, and Jackson had no problem doing just that. Couple that with the fact that the team just hired, Reggie Mckenzie and the two probably did not hit it off, as Jackson wanted more say in personnel issues and McKenzie was probably less than impressed with Jackson's performance as a coach and leader over the last month or more. All that said, I think Jackson did a pretty good job until that end of season meltdown. I wouldn't have done the Carson Palmer deal, would have held out for Orton at like 1/16 of the price, but that's water under the bridge now. I do think Jackson will find another home as an NFL head coach at some point, but this was the right move for the Raiders.

Whichever coach is brought in will immediately enter a tough situation, as the Raiders are set to enter 2012 with 2 QB's expecting to start in Carson Palmer and Jason Campbell. My guess is they deal Campbell and try and get some draft picks back. There is a major lack of QB options this winter, outside of RG3, Andrew Luck, Kyle Orton and Matt Flynn (who I'm still not really sold on), there aren't any starting caliber QB's who will be free this summer. I could see Miami definitely having some interest in Campbell, as well as Washington. I think whatever team doesn't get Griffin or Luck should go after Campbell before trying to sign Matt Flynn. That's just my personal opinion. Campbell had the Raiders on a clear road to the playoffs and he went down and this team was never the same. At the same time, after an offseason and preseason working with Raider receivers, I'd expect a much better Carson Palmer in 2012 Raider fans, and as long as Run DMC is healthy and those receivers stay on the field, this team will be a playoff squad. As for coaches, I'm haven't a clue yet who they're thinking of, but with Al Davis passed on, it may make coaching the Raiders a little more desirable. When Davis was alive, bless him, he had complete control of everything, rumors spread that he'd even call down plays to head coaches on occasion.

Still the Raiders aren't going to get an established head coach like a Bill Cowher or Jeff Fischer. Heck, they probably couldn't even get Steve Marriuci out of retirement and he loves the Bay Area. Unless they want to go with a guy desperate for a HC job like Mike Martz or Denny Green, they need a bright eyed, rattle the troops, college-type coach if you ask me (Chip Kelly anyone?). They need a Pete Carroll-type would be ideal for the Raiders, though he's locked up with the Seahawks, but maybe try and pluck a premium college coach up. Jim Mora Jr. would have been another young, fiery head coach perfect for this job but he just signed on with UCLA They need someone who's well known enough to the players to command their respect, at the same time, they need someone with energy and who will fire that team up rather than sit back and point fingers.

Wild Card Weekend Review: 49ers Get Saints

2012-01-08T17:50:00.001-08:00

Well, the Texans game was exciting until they just pulled away late, but other than that, no game this weekend came close to the drama the Pittsburgh Steelers/Denver Broncos game brought. At the same time, the 49ers couldn't get their wish, and indeed will end up playing New Orleans after Drew Brees disected the Lions defense.

Gotta give it up to Tebow and Demaryius Thomas for their performance against the Steelers on Sunday, cause Pittsburgh's defense was playing pretty stoutly. They weren't allowing Tebow or McGahee to get any running space, so Denver had to beat them through the air and Tim Tebow did just that, breaking 300 yards and throwing for a couple of scores. Demaryius Thomas was probably the most valuable receiver of Wild Card weekend as well, as he reeled in 204 receiving yards, a huge 50 yard pass-interference play and the game winning 80-yard TD catch. That was a big day for Thomas in the maturation category as I think he finally showed his real potential, and will be a beast from here on out. They'll need him to be with Eric Decker likely sidelined for the rest of the year. The other, less exciting games went pretty much as I predicted; Eli Manning and Ahmad Bradshaw tore up Atlanta while Arien Foster and a healthy Andre Johnson carried the Texans, and of course, Drew Brees ate up the Detroit secondary!

Now, onto week two, in which the 49ers step into play. Now we'll probably be talking this game all week, so we won't get into it too much now, but my early thoughts are that the 49ers are going to have to be pressuring Drew Brees at all times. If they want to run Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas, let them, the linebackers will track them down, but I'd have at least 5-6 guys going at Brees each play. The 49ers are corners have played strongly lately, but Tarrell Brown and Carlos Rogers will have their hands full as they'll likely be the ones covering Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston. And the Saints have more weapons than that, so the nickel and dime backs will have to be on their games next Sunday. Offensively, obviously the team will have to score, but I honestly think they need to do whatever they can to keep Drew Brees off the field. Play defense with your offense, so to speak. Do short 5-yard routes and screen plays, a lot of Frank Gore and Kendal Hunter. Just try and keep getting first downs and let the rest fall into place. We'll get more in-depth as we get into our game preview later on in the week, but what a wild-card weekend, just too bad Detroit couldn't pull off the upset!

Wild Card Weekend Predictions

2012-01-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to jump in real quickly with my picks for this weekends NFL Wild Card matchups, guessing both the winning team and final score for each game with a brief reason as to why.

AFC WILD CARD Predictions

Houston 23 over Cinicinnati 17

In a defensive battle, with two young QB's and WR's with with injury concerns, the Texans get the advantage because A - They're at home and B - They have the best RB duo in the league and an early lead could spell trouble for Cinci. Andre Johnson needs to be healthy (looks like he is) and pose at least a threat for Cinci's corners to back off though and keep 8 out of the box, otherwise they could shut down Foster and Tate.

Pittsburgh 21, over Denver 13

I just don't see Tebow dicing through the Pitt. defense, even if they are banged up, and even if Ben Roethlisberger isn't 100%. Still though, without Rashard Mendenhall, the Pittsburgh is looking like the surest bet to be 1 and done. Even if Denver wins, the winner of this game is doomed next week!

NFC WILD CARD Predictions

New Orleans 38, Detroit 31

In a shootout in the Bayou, I see Drew Brees and Co. walking away the victors. The only way Detroit can get to them is if they get Kevin Smith going like he did that one game a few weeks back and Matt Stafford is perfect. Otherwise, it's tough to see Brees lose a playoff game vs. an average defense at home!

New York 28 over Atlanta 20

If this game were in Atl., I think the Falcons have a better shot, but I just am not a big fan of Matt Ryan on the road in the load Meadowlands environment. Not to mention, it'll be tough sledding for them to get any kind of run game going against the Giants defense which is finally healthy (last 2 games held Jets and Cowboys to combined 28 points and a combined 84 yards to starting RB's Shaun Green and Felix Jones. I see the Giants walking away the victors here, even though Atlanta won more games and is coming off a huge win in week 17!

Now we can look back Monday and see how terribly off I was!

A's Re-sign Coco Crisp, Now What?

2012-01-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, after the A's dealt away right-handed ace Trevor Cahill, premiere lefty Gio Gonzalez and all-star closer Andrew Bailey, then let every single one of their free agents walk without attempt to re-sign any, most people thought the A's were entering full-rebuild mode.

However, the A's just signed center fielder and leadoff man, Coco Crisp to a very lucrative 2 year, $14 million dollar deal, which defies the logic they've been using all offseason. First off, most people thought the A's would be going all young this year and giving Michael Taylor his shot in center, but he'll now likely move over to left field with Crisp's return and the addition of Josh Reddick. Secondly, I think the A's could have gotten Crisp for a helluva lot cheaper than they did, probably closer to 2 years/$10M, but he does have gold-glove defense. It also makes me wonder whether or not Billy Beane may be pulling a page out of Brian Sabean's book and waiting until free agents get desperate enough to sign somewhere, then you get them at a reduced price. Problem with that strategy is that if the player is a good one, he normally finds a home before that plan can come to fruition. Anyhow, if Beane is indeed looking for cheap players to help get A's fans excited for 2012, and help their chances in moving to San Jose, there are plenty of bargain-bin players still left on the market who the A's could definitely use. The names that immediately comes to mind is first basemen Casey Kotchman, who fits Beane's type of player to a T. He's patient, gets on base, and has a good batting average, just doesn't hit for too much power.

Either way, he'd be a huge upgrade at first base over the incumbent Daric Barton and he's still pretty young at 28, so he still hasn't reached his ceiling. They also need some help over at third base, and no the answer is not Kevin Kouzmanoff, obviously. I'd take a gander at Wilson Betemit if I were Beane though, he's a really good hitter (.285, 22 doubles and 8 HR in 97 games) and his most comfortable position is third base. I know Scott Sizemore did some good things after coming over from Detroit last year, but if they could get Betemit on a 1 year/$2M contract, then why they heck not get some competition in there!? Also, they better have a plan B if they're seriously planning on starting the year with Chris Carter in the starting lineup, whether it's at first or DH. The man who's destroyed every level of baseball he's ever played at has managed a mere .178 batting average with a whole 3 home runs in 114 big league at-bats. Small sample, but ugly showing non the less. Plus the one spot where this FA class is still pretty stocked, besides with mediocre pitching, is with DH-types. Carlos Pena would be sweet, even as a first basemen, but probably out of the A's price range. Rual Ibanez though, could very well sign a 1 year, "prove-it" type deal after a huge falloff in 2011. Or even bringing back Johnny Damon if the price is right. Cody Ross or Ryan Ludwick would also be nice right-handed additions who could play outfield or DH.

As far as their pitching staff, after they've dealt away what they did, Billy Beane should add at least one veteran influence to help lead this group of youngsters and as insurance. You probably can't count on too much in 2012 from Brett Anderson, so that leaves the rotation like this at the moment: LH Dallas Braden, RH Brandon McCarthy, RH Guillermo Moscoso, RH Tyson Ross, LH Tommy Milone. They also have the prize from their deal with the D-Backs Jarrod Parker knocking on the door. It looks like a nice young group and you can see why he felt comfortable dealing away Cahill and Gonzalez, but what if Milone and Parker prove to still be a year or 2 away? Not to mention the injury history with Moscoso and McCarthy then Braden coming back from his season-ender in 2011, there are some real questions around that staff. If they could bring back a guy like Harden or Jeff Francis or Brad Penny. None will get more than a one-year deal and all are focused on proving themselves again in 2012 after less-than-spectacular 2011 seasons. As far as their bullpen, it looks like they have plenty of options to take over for Andrew Bailey (Brian Fuentes, Joey Devine, Grant Balfour), and with all those young arms they have in their system, I wouldn't expect any other pitchers to be signed for bullpen duties.

49ers Clinch 2 Seed, Send 8 to Pro Bowl

2012-01-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

It was a great week in the Bay Area for 49ers fans as the Niners finally got some long awaited respect again. Not only are they returning to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, they're also sending 8 players to Hawaii for the Pro-Bowl in February.

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves and start talking potential 49er opponents for round two of the playoffs, I have to say, I was less than impressed with Sunday's win vs. the Rams. Not only was St. Louis starting a backup QB, but they're one of the worst teams in football, and they nearly came back and took that #2 seed away from San Francisco. It wasn't the offense's fault either, as they cruised through the Rams' defense, with Smith completing nearly 70% of his passes and throwing for a score and 220 yards. The team also rushed for over 100 yards again, although they did rest Gore for much of the game. The 49ers rush defense, which hadn't allowed a rushing score heading into week 16, allowed two more TD's via the ground, one coming against the first unit too. Granted, most of the Rams comeback was in the 4th quarter when most all 49ers starters were sitting, it was a tad unsettling to see them come that close to losing out on the crucial first round bye. But besides the 4th quarter meltdown, things went well in the first half, as Michael Crabtree continued his assault on NFL corners with 2 more TD's and 9 catches for 92 yards. The dude just catches everything you throw in his direction, as evidence of that TD reception from kicker David Akers. The dude is finally coming into his own, and has become a clear cut #1 wideout (starting to be a leader on field as well!).

Crabtree, unfortunately though, won't be joining 8 of his other teammates in Honolulu next month for the NFL version of the All-Star game, as the AFC and NFC square off in the ever meaningless Pro-Bowl. The 49ers and the Patriots each are sending 8 players, which leads all NFL teams. For the 49ers, both kicker and punter David Akers and Andy Lee will get a much deserved trip as those two were arguably a couple of the most valuable 49ers this season. Joining them and starting on the NFC's defense will be Patrick Willis and Carlos Rogers (pictured to right saving a big TD), while Joe Staley will start at RT for the offense. The other three players who earned the honor are Frank Gore, Justin Smith and Dashon Goldson. All who had huge years for 49ers playoff run. Also selected as alternates (which means some of these guys will probably make it) are linebackers NaVorro Bowman (how he wasn't a first-balloter is blowing a lot of minds around the Bay Area) and Ahmad Brooks as well as Vernon Davis, Mike Iupati, Jonathan Goodwin, Ray McDonald, Ted Ginn Jr., Blake Costanzo and Bruce Miller. My guess is Bowman and Davis end up making the team.

Going for the Raiders will be kicker Sebastian Janikowski, punter Shane Lechler and DT Richard Seymour.

New GiantsCast Up At Unify TV!

2011-12-30T17:21:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd mix things up a little bit and post our most recent video-cast in today's post, just since we haven't talked Giants baseball, or really any baseball, here in a long time. Anyway, here is The GiantsCast you can find at the base of our page or right here at UnifySports.tv!

UnifyVideos.tv-Create and Share Branded Video Content.

49ers Beat Seahawks, Cut Braylon Edwards

2011-12-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

The 49ers barely made it out of the Seattle game limping, but they did manage to pull off the 19-17 win, but it didn't come at cost.

There's no doubt, this win vs. Seattle was one of the bigger wins of the season, going into their house (loudest stadium in NFL) with the Seahawks hungry and the 49ers fended them off like a good team would do. They didn't have their A-game, as Smith was just 14-26 for 179 yards, but once again, he held onto the ball and never gave Seattle good field position via turnover. Gore was Gore, going for 83 yards and a score while Kendal Hunter provided the burst off the bench (12 runs, 73 yards). The big play of the game though to me, came at the hands of Michael Crabtree, who in my eye has graduated from mid-level NFL wideout with huge talent into a real good NFL wideout. His maturation is probably a big reason the 49ers felt they could cut Edwards and not miss a beat at the wideout position, though I'm a little concerned. The reason they won this game though, again, was due to their tremendous defense. Yes they allowed "Beast Mode" to go for 100 yards and a score, but they had no Willis, so the 100-yard rusher streak should still be alive. Navarro Bowman and Larry Grant (Willis' replacement) each led the team in tackles while Grant also forced a fumble in the defensive oriented game. Alson Smith and Ray McDonald each delievered sacks as well. All-in-all, the 49ers went up into a packed Seattle house vs. an underrated, hungry football team, in a playoff environment and won, bottom line!

Onto the notables. Delanie Walker (jaw-bone) and Kyle Williams (concussion), two very key contributors in the 49ers passing game, took some gnarly hits on Sunday vs. Seahawks that were both head shots. Walker looks to have a broken jaw-bone and will likely be out 4 weeks, meaning he could miss the first playoff game and more if they go on. That's a big loss as about 1/2 the 49ers offensive packages came with 2-TE sets in which Walker and Davis were the guys. Perhaps the bigger injury though, lies with Kyle Williams, who now all the sudden is thrust into the starting flanker spot full-time upon the releasing of Braylon Edwards. I think the Edwards release surprised me as much as anyone else, as the 49ers just don't have receiver depth to begin with. Not to mention, Teddy Ginn has had a bum ankle and he may miss next weeks finale. He must have been fussing about his lack of targets or something, otherwise I don't get this. They still may bring in another veteran wideout to help for their playoff run, but they've been trying out names like Brian Finnernan and Chris Chambers at Santa Clara in recent weeks and haven't found anyone yet. With Edwards out though, they're going to need someone else to fill that roster spot and it's most likely going to be a wideout. If I had my choice, I go for someone who's played recently, most notably former Niner Jason Hill. Bernard Berrian or Brandon Stokley would also be nice alternatives. I believe Antonio Bryant or T.O. could have obviously have the biggest impact of all the free agent wideouts, but both already have some spotty history here in the Bay.

Bay Area Sports Notes for the Holidays

2011-12-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well folks, Christmas and the New Year are just around the corner, and we here at The Bay Area Sports Journal wish all our readers and their families the very best. We'll be away for a few days starting Christmas eve and returning December 27th and won't be posting at that time so I figured I just do another quick version of the Bay Area sports notes.

A's: The A's have gone into full on fire-sale mode and it's making one wonder whether this team is long for the Bay Area. Tearing down your team and dealing away your young, marketable stars is not the way to get baseball to help back you for a new ballpark. They've lost half their lineup to free agency, and dealt away 23 year-old fan favorite, Trevor Cahill. Their latest giveaway was left-hander Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals in exchange for 4 minor leaguers. While I really like young Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, I just think they could have gotten at least one major league proven player with those two for a healthy 26 year-old left-handed all-star starting pitcher. Ian Desmond would have been nice! Danny Espinosa would have upgraded the offense, but the deal obviously shows the A's are not worried about 2012 or 2013.

Raiders: Each Bay Area team gets the Saturday game this week, as the NFL switches over to Saturdays now with the NCAA regular season finished. Both have games that favors them, though the Raiders will have a tough go of it in Kansas City again without Darren McFadden and the Chiefs coming off the Green Bay upset. I still think the Raiders win this game on the arm of Carson Palmer, who's quietly been great after coming in mid-season with no training camp. He's kept the Raiders playoff hopes alive but they have to win Saturday to stay on track. They should do that though as long as their defense keeps Kyle Orton in check and the Raiders can keep their wideouts (mainly DHB and Denarious Moore) on the field cause KC has a good secondary and a lock-down corner in Brandon Flowers, so the Raiders need options! Still should see a lot of Michael Bush though too.

49ers: The Niners are facing a similar situation with the Seattle Seahawks, who have come on tremendously strong in the 2nd half of the season. If they take them too lightly, the Seahawks will take advantage of the 49ers, so they have to stay on their game. They're still fighting for a first round bye with New Orleans and have plenty to play for, so it's not a game where you take your starters out at halftime. They have to let Smith loose cause Seattle packs a tough front-7 that will focus on Frank Gore. With the emergence of Kyle Williams and the strong play of Mike Crabtree and Vernon Davis though, that shouldn't be a problem for the Niners. To get them ready for the playoffs, I'd like to see Alex throw the ball 30 times just for the heck of it, even if they're leading 23-7 or something like that. Take some shots down field. You know if you see New Orleans or Green Bay in January, your going to have to do it, my as well start now.

For Warriors and Giants talk, be sure to check out The Warriors Rundown and The Giants Baseball Blog! Also, we'll be talking a lot more Fiesta Bowl upon our return as well as Andrew Luck and his chances our votes for the Heisman. Cal also has the Holiday Bowl on the 28th and we'll be sure to get our thoughts on that as well!

So, we'll should be back by the 27th for sure, maybe even a late post on the 26th, but definitely by the 27th. Merry Christmas all from here at The Journal!

NBA Eastern Conference Preview: Atlantic

2011-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

With the NBA season set to tip off in just a few days, we figured we'd go ahead and cram our NBA Preview in, although it will likely leak into the start of the season, seeing that we'll be covering the 49ers and Raiders this weekend as well. But here's our start with the Atlantic Conference in the East.

Atlantic Conference:

First Place: New York Knicks

Starting Lineup:
PG Toney Douglas
SG Landry Fields
SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Amare Stoudemire
C Tyson Chandler
6th: G Baron Davis

As you can see, I like the Knicks this year. I think Carmelo and Amare are going to be like a Shaq and Kobe Part 2. They also have one of the best centers in the game in Tyson Chandler to compose by far the best front court in basketball. If Baron Davis comes back soon and healthy, they'll be even that much better. I even think a perfect fit for them would be a guy like Calderon who could distribute the ball to Amare and Carmelo. The one thing this team does lack, is depth. When Baron heals up in January, they'll be fine at guard, but up front, things are very thin after their starting 3. Al Thornton, AK-47 and Chris Douglas-Roberts (if healthy) are all players I cannot believe aren't employed yet and any one or two would be welcome additions to the Knicks depth-chart. With Ny's expectations this year, I think they'll make that necessary move when it comes time!

2nd Place: Boston Celtics

Starting Lineup:
PG Rajon Rando
SG Ray Allen
SF Paul Pierce
PF Kevin Garnett
C Jermaine O'neal
6th: F Brandon Bass

The Celtics are just about everyone's pick for the Atlantic conference this year, but in a shortened, back-to-back-to-back game season, I fear the aging Celtics are going to wilt. They'll still make the playoffs, but I think New York, especially if they can get a guy like Calderon in here who can distribute the ball to Amare and Carmelo, are going to end up the team to beat in the shortened season. If this were 2005, the Celtics would be kings of the univers, but in 2o12, they don't have enough youth, outside of Rando who they're shopping for some odd reason, to run with quicker younger teams night after night.

3rd Place: Philadelphia 76ers

Starting Lineup
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Jodie Meeks
SF Andre Iguodala
PF Elton Brand
C Spencer Hawes
6th: F Thaddeus Young

Young's so good they had to pay him starters money to keep him around, prompting all the Iguodala trade-talks. As much as Young helps this team off the bench, I think they would have been better off spending that money on Jason Richardson and an upgrade at center. They'd have done that, they'd be challenging the Celtics and Knicks for a playoff spot. Holiday, in my opinion is the 2nd best PG from the 2009's draft behind Steph Curry. They have a lot of talent on this squad and if they put it together, look out Atlantic!

4th Place: New Jersey Nets

Starting Lineup
PG Deron Williams
SG Anthony Morrow
SF Damian Jones
PF Kris Humphries
C Brook Lopez
6th: G MarShon Brooks

The re-signing of Humphries saved their season in a sense. In the dudes last 30 games in 2011, he averaged nearly 15/15 a night. Very similar to former Knick Derek Lee in my opinion. They also have the exciting MarShon Brooks who they drafted in the first round this summer. He should get plenty of time as a 6th man and could overtake Morrow's starting 2-guard spot by mid-season if he plays like he has this pre-season. What they need is a solid wing scorer, a team a guy like Caron Butler would have been a perfect add for.

5th Place: Toronto Raptors

Starting Lineup
PG: Jose Calderon
SG DeMar DeRozan
SF James Johnson
PF Andrea Bargnani
C Amir Johnson
6th: G Jerryd Bayless

The Raptors are a team in full re-build mode and they really should try and pitch Jose Calderon to a team like the LA Lakers who need a point guard badly. Jerryd Bayless is their future there, and they need him, DeRozan and Bargnani all getting valuable time together this season if they want to eventually become contenders. Bargnani needs to start rebounding too, not 5 a night, more like 8-9, he's 7 feet tall and needs to be down low more often.

49ers Hand it to Steelers at Candlestick

2011-12-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

I could go on and on about this game, from some of the blocks that were made for Frank Gore at key times, to some big, third down stops by the defense, but I since this was such a big game and there's so much being talked/written about, I just wanted to stick to the points (bullet style) that I stuck out to me!

Aldon Smith is a monster, simple as that. The dude is the best pass-rusher I've seen in a 49ers uniform in my 27 odd years on this planet, and he makes it look so effortlessly. He sacked Roethlisberger 2 1/2 times and knocked him down at least five more times. He was so good that I forgot Pat Willis wasn't even playing Monday Night. The 49ers defense caused 4 turnovers, Smith played a big role in most all of them!

Alex Smith had his typical '11 Smith game, tossing for 187 yards and a score without a turnover. He missed a few receivers who were wide open (Michael Crabtree), but made up for it with a beautiful cross-back pass to Vernon Davis that led to another creative play call for a Davis TD. Alex played with confidence and you could see it in his face!

Frank Gore quietly plugged away at the Steelers, but didn't go crazy, collecting 64 yards, but did break free for a nice 5-yard game-sealing TD run.

Niners O-Line did a very, very good job against the violent Steeler pass-rush, granted they were without their ace rusher, James Harrison. Still though, even without Harrison, the Steelers have a vaunted defense that is a top-5 NFL D.

Just another couple of things before I get outta here for the day, I wanted to point out the emergence of Kyle Williams. The dude's been a PC player for years here and never had much of a chance, but injuries to Braylon and Josh Morgan have paved the way for him. I think he should be the clear-cut #2 WR from here on out with Ginn moving into the slot.

I also don't think it would be a bad idea for the 49ers to maybe look into free agency for another wideout as insurance. The guy I'm thinking of is Chris Chambers, who played just last January and basically had 20 catches 200 yards for the Chiefs in 6 games at the end of the season. T.O. would be awesome for this offense (what Braylon hasn't been) if he didn't come with such baggage!

Wanted to give out kudos to the special teams, who've done a real bang up job this year in all. Andy Lee (4 punts inside 20) and David Akers (among league leaders in scoring) are sure Pro-Bowlers and showed why yesterday. Shout out to C.J. Spillman too!

The defense as a whole, besides Aldon who we gushed about at the top of the post. Carlos Rogers has been re-born as a 49er and they need to extend him another year right now. He grabbed his 6th pick of the year, and deflected 2 key passes.

Goldson was again his active self (6 tackles, int), still can't believe the 49ers almost let him get away! He missed two hole games and still has 66 tackles/6 ints.

Lastly, Tarell Brown is developing into a pro-bowl caliber cover man as well, but still sometimes gets beat, needs to get more consistent! Brown, Goldson and Rogers have been the reason why the Niners secondary isn't getting burned like they did pre-2011. (Still waiting for Whitner to really breakout)

Raiders Get "Megatroned" vs. Lions

2011-12-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

In easily one of the best football games I've laid eyes on this season, the Raiders and Lions squared off in a good old shootout in the Black Hole and it came down to a last second, epic blocked field goal that sealed it for Detroit.

It's been a while since we dedicated a post solely to the Raiders, and with the 49ers playing in Monday Night's game, it gives us a chance to look at their contest with Detroit a lot closer. I thought it was a very well played game on both ends, especially offensively. Both teams didn't seem to have trouble throwing the football, as Carson Palmer went 32-40 for 370 yards while Matthew Stafford bested him with 391 yards and 4 scores. The most impessive TD's, easily in my mind, came from MegaTron himself, Calvin Johnson who had one of his best games of his career. He hauled in both a 51-yard and 16-yard strikes from Stafford and finished the day with 9 grabs and 214 yards. He really was the difference maker out there Sunday as the Raiders were again without Darren McFadden. Michael Bush struggled to get it going on the ground, which stumped the Raiders offense a lot on 3rd-and-short. Early on in the game, I thought Oakland had the hold on them though. Speaking of career type games, Darrious Heyward-Bey easily had his, reeling in 8 passes for 155 yards and a TD. It makes me wonder what happened to him in the offense after the Palmer trade when he became non-existent until a week ago. I know there was some injury issues there, but this guy is rounding into the Raiders top pass-catcher.

It really just came down to two good football teams battling it out and the better team won. The Lions, even with the question mark at running back, clearly are the superior team to Oakland, especially without Run DMC. It also took a last second block of a "Seebass" 65-yard attempt that may have very well been the game winner. You hate a loss, and this one hurts, but the Raiders, especially their offensive passing unit and O-Line should take plenty of positives out of this game. What they do need to figure out, is how to contain teams' big-play recievers without negating the rest of the offense, which is why Hue Jackson makes millions of dollars of dollars per year!

Bay Area Sports Notes

2011-12-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

With the Holliday season upon us, I thought I'd run down the various teams in the Bay Area that we cover her at The Journal, and let you know where each team currently stands. We've been talking Niners in every post so we'll hold back off them (just scroll down for our last post on the), but what about the Warriors, the Giants, the A's and Raiders?
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Warriors Notes:

First off, the Warriors made a move for a much needed big man this week, inking former Michael Jordan protege and #1 pick Kwame Brown. I don't necessarily love the deal, but it sure beats throwing huge dollars at an un-proven DeAndre Jordan in my eyes. I don't get the infatuation with Jordan, he can jump and rebound and cause havoc in the middle, but so can Epke Udoh and Brown will bring just that kind of presence if he's motivated and healthy. Not saying I think Brown's a better player than Jordan, just saying that the W's have overpaid their share for mediocre big men already. I'm glad they didn't waste a bunch of money in order to do so and got themselves a defensive presence in Brown. Kwame's never lived up to his #1 pick billing, so people will always look upon him with a frown, but he's a Warrior now and he's got my full backing. If the W's get the player who showed up in Charlotte in the 2nd half (10/7 per night), then he'll probably take the starting job from Biedrins without much of a fight. The only other center being possibly discussed was Samuel Dalembert, so Brown doesn't look so bad considering. What surprised me the most upon hearing this signing was that Biedrins was not amnestied, instead they used it on Charlie Bell. Should make for an interesting small preseason!
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Giants Notes:

On the Giants front, their offseason has been very quiet outside of two mid-range trades in which they've added Angel Pagan from New York and Melky Cabrera from Kansas City. With the two moves, the Giants appear to have done their major work this winter, with the chance of them still signing a utility infielder and a right-handed hitting outfielder before spring training. If they are indeed done though, I can't say I'm overly impressed with what Sabean has done. I like Pagan and Cabrera as players and believe the Giants made good deals, but they still need pop in that lineup. Someone who can hit more than the 20 HR's Pablo and Buster will give them. They're banking on Huff, Sanchez, Posey, Crawford and Belt all improving by standing pat, and that's a lot to ask. As always, for our daily, in-depth Giants talk, check out The Giants Baseball Blog!
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A's Notes:

Onto the A's, who have moved into full on sale mode once again. Luckily though, they traded the right pitching in my mind in Cahill instead of Gonzalez, but they still could deal Gonzalez away as well. They sent Cahill to Arizona for a speedy average hitting outfielder in Collin Cowgill, and a few young arms in Jarrod Parker (starting pitcher) and Ryan Cook (relief pitcher). Now, Parker is a nice young arm, who projects out to be a 3 or 4 starter, but Cook looks like a mid-reliever and I'd be surprised if Cowgill becomes a successful MLB regular. In other words, I think AZ won this deal hands down, getting a potential 23 year-old ace under control for years and not even near his prime yet. I know he had a hiccup in 2011, but he was still one of the most consistent starters in that rotation and again, he's 23! Seems to me for a 23 year-old #1-2 starter, they could have gotten an already proven everyday player (Drew, Montero, Perra?), as well as the team's top pitching prospect like Parker. I mean, Cahill's younger than Parker, and already has years under his belt!
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Raiders Notes:

I'm going on longer than I was planning, so I have to keep the Raiders notes short and sweet. This team hasn't tanked like everyone in the Bay Area media is saying they have, they've actually played quite well up until the last few weeks considering the QB change in season and all the injury problems on the O-line and wideout spots, but the ultimate missing piece has been Darren McFadden, who just made this offense go when he was on the field. No knock on Mike Bush, who's playing well in DMC's absence and is good enough to start in this league, but he doesn't catch the ball like DMC or have that game-breaking speed. Also, Denarious Moore and Jacoby Ford, arguably the two most vertical threats on the roster, who also have great rapport with Carson Palmer (who we'll analyze more since the trade soon!), have been non-existent the last month. Even so, the only game this team lost that they really shouldn't have since the bye was the game vs. Miami in week 13. They could have played better vs. Green Bay, but they weren't winning that game with Rogers having the year he is. All in all, the Broncos are in better shape right now, as they both have pretty equal ending schedules, but Denver hasn't lose a game since October!
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49ers: Since we do so many 49ers posts here and this blog has become a psuedo-49ers Blog, this post will be 49ers-free. Just scroll down for plenty of current Niners talk, including thoughts on Sundays rough loss here?

Also, please join our Twitter Feed here, (under GiantsBlogger) for news on new posts and breaking Bay Area sports news!

49ers Return to Old Ways Vs. Arizona

2011-12-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was enjoying my time in beautiful Santa Barbara Sunday morning, and getting ready to watch another 49er's clinic of fundamentally sound football vs. the lowly Arizona Cardinals. However, instead, we saw one of the worst 49ers offensive outputs of the year, and it just so happened to come against one of the NFL's most generous defenses.

They were in Arizona territory for most of the first half of the game, but could only come away with David Akers field goals, and that's what ended up costing the team. Yes, they did give up a lead late and their defense let them down a bit, but if they perform like they should have on offense in

the first quarter and the passing game was more in tune, it would have been a blowout early rather than a field goal parade. Three times in the first half the 49ers got inside the 10-yard line of Arizona, and were held tofield goals on all three trips. The turning point in the game though, in my opinion, came in the 2nd quarter when the 49ers executed a fake field goal perfectly when holder Andy Lee hit All-Pro center Jonathan Goodwin on a perfect lob pass that would have put the 49ers inside the 5-yard line, or possibly into the endzone. However Ken Whisenhunt threw a challenge flag for the previous play a spit second before the snap, challenging the previous Kyle Williams catch which put the Niners in field goal position. It was a such a bad luck play for San Francisco because replay booth didn't even allow the officials to challenge the play so it was all moot anyway. Then Akers went on to miss the 50-yard field goal attempt, giving the 49ers zero points instead of 7. Then to top it off, Josh Skelton hit Early Doucet on the very next play for a 60-yard TD pass and it was all down hill from there.

The 49ers didn't play their normal hard-nosed style defense either, as their front-7 failed miserably at getting after Josh Skelton. They shut down Wells and the running game, and did a fair job in pass coverage except for a few big plays they gave up.

Skelton's TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald was classic Fitz, beating good coverage and going up to get a tough pass then taking it to the house. The Doucet TD, then that little Andre Roberts dump off TD pass were each plays the 49ers stop when they're on, so that was more than a little concerning to see them play like that. The offense struggled all day long, and Alex Smith completed just 48% of his 37 pass attempts while Frank Gore was running wild on them early (10/72 TD) but then Harbough abandoned the run in the second half. Basically though, if Alex Smith plays Sunday like he has for most of the 2011 campaign, the 49ers win this game, but we got pre-2011 Alex, and it caused a ripple effect. It's not entirely his fault, as receivers dropped balls all day, including one by Kyle Williams in the end-zone, and also a key one by Vernon Davis. They better get right this week, cause they have Pittsburgh next Sunday and if they show up like this against them, they're in for another loss and another hit to their attempt at a first-round bye.

On the Raiders front, it was a mess, again. You can really see how important Run DMC was to that team cause they've been a mess without him. Their receiving corps has been banged up all year and their best pass catcher can't seem to stay healthy. Carson Palmer is trying to work with what he's got, and I think the Raiders don't have too far to go to really improve themselves, but a makeover on the O-line as well as their secondary would be a good place to start.

Giants/A's Winter Meetings Preview

2011-12-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

We're just 24 hours away from the start of the Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, and with many of the top free agents still looking for homes for the 2012 season, it promises to be a busy week.

Just how busy the Giants and A's get this week though is anybodies guess. They have been extremely quiet since their trade for Melky Cabrera in early November, and as the offseason moves along, it's looking more and more like that was their big move of the winter. Their still is an outside chance they bring back Carlos Beltran, but Sabean isn't going to get into any bidding wars for the aging outfielder and that's what it would likely take to get him to return to San Francisco. Instead, Giants beat-writer Andrew Baggerly is speculating the club will look to a 2nd-teire free agent to help round out their starting outfield. The name that I immediately think of if Beltran is indeed off the table is former National and A's left fielder, Josh Willingham. The 32 year-old outfielder put up huge numbers in a spacious Oakland Collesiuem in 2011, with a career high in home runs with 29 and RBI with 98. His batting average didn't exactly shine, as he finished at .248, but he still managed a +.800 OPS due to his slugging and ability to take walks. He really reminds me a lot of Jeff Kent, and I think he would fit very nicely out in left field as a shoe in for 25 HR/90 RBI. He isn't the greatest outfielder defensively, but his career .262/.361/.831 line would currently rank 2nd to only Pablo Sandoval on the entire Giants roster, so there's no doubt he'd be an upgrade. He's younger and healthier than Beltran, and wouldn't cost as much. He'd also slot into left field and keep right open for Nate Schierholtz and possibly Cody Ross... The Giants will also be searching for a utility infielder and backup catcher this week.

As for the A's, they have been quiet all offseason long, and not much figures to change at the Winter Meetings. They have a whole slew of free agents, including Josh Willingham, who likely won't be returning, although they did offer arbitration to Willingham and have expressed interest in bringing him back. The A's brass seems more interested in securing a spot in San Jose for a future ballpark rather than focusing on improving the team. One thing they've considered doing, and something I definitely support, would be dealing away a starter, such as Gio Gonzalez, in order to bring a couple of young hitters in to town. The Marlins have interest in Gonzalez, and have plenty of young pieces to deal should they decide to go that route. If I were Oakland, I'd ask for Gaby Sanchez and Chris Coghlan. Sanchez could fill a big void at first base while Coghlan could play an outfield spot and leadoff. They're pretty set up the middle with Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weeks, and Michael Taylor should be given an oppotrunity in center. A couple of guys I think would fit in well with Oakland, and are realistic targets are first basemen/DH Casey Kotchman, 3B Wilson Betemit and outfielders Raul Ibanez and Ryan Ludwick. None of those guys will likely take more than a 1-year deal and none will break the bank. As much as I respect Billy Beane, I haven't been too impressed with anything he's done in recent years, and it's time for him to mix things up.

Lockout Unlocks: NBA Back in Business

2011-11-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Well, they've already missed about a month of regular season action do to on-going discussions regarding the new CBA, but things finally took a turn for the best over the weekend. As soon as the new deal is ratified, which should happen any day now, the National Basketball Association will be back in business.

Now, don't expect to see free agents signing anywhere once the CBA has been ratified, as free agency wont start until December 9th. However, do expect teams and players to start discussions immediately, and deals to be unofficially announced even before that date. Speaking of free agency, this class isn't necessarily stocked with premium talent and has nowhere near the star power it did in summer 2010, but there are still a few nice players on this market that could come in and help a team like the Warriors. I've been thinking that the W's best chance to upgrade their roster would be via trade, but the one spot where the Warriors are weak happens to be the most stocked position on the free agent market, center. Andris Biedrins is currently the starter and is making over $10M this season, but has really had a rough couple of seasons since Barron Davis left the Bay Area. I'm not sure the Warriors are confident in starting the season with the thought of giving Biedrins huge minutes at center. They could deal him, or cut his work load way back, but it shouldn't keep them for exploring ways to improve themselves. The two guys I'd like to see them at least inquire about are Nene Hilario and Mark Gasol. Nene would bring the type of defense that Biedrins has failed at while Gasol would bring consistency, athleticism and scoring to the front-court. Nene is unrestricted, so would be an easier target, yet he's the consensus #1 free agent out there, so he could be tough to snag.

Now, as far as the details in the new Labor Agreement, I'm not going to go through each thing and ramble about it here, although here is a list of the changes to the new agreement. The only thing that jumped out at me when glancing over the new agreement is that the league will still be able to squeeze a 66-game schedule out of this by having teams play on back-to-back-to-back nights on numerous occasions throughout the season. Tip for Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, get your team in shape and keep youngsters for that bench because those 3 consecutive game nights will drain a team. Luckily for the Warriors, their average age in their starting lineup is 25, so it could be an advantage for them especially if Jackson has them running offensively. We don't know yet exactly when the tip-off for the regular season will be, as the new CBA has yet to be ratified, but NBA officials have stated they're shooting to be open before Christmas, which is their biggest non-playoff night of the year as far as television ratings. David Stern is way too greedy to let that cash cow slip by him, so I fully expect the NBA to be in regular season mode by the end of December. The real question is, how long is it going to take teams to start playing their brand of basketball after such a long layoff and virtually no training camp? Time will tell, but it's certainly great to have the NBA back... Fantasy Draft Time!

Predicting MLB's Top Free Agent's Destination

2011-11-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

The MLB free agency period is starting to heat up as we inch closer to December, but none of the premiere free agents have found homes yet. Here is our prediction as to where the top-12 free agents on the market end up:

1. Albert Pujols, 1B- The best free agent to hit the market in years will easily be the winters most sought after prize, but after winning it all with St. Louis, I have a tough time seeing them let him walk. Re-signs with Cardinals, 8 year/$224 Million.

2. Prince Fielder, 1B- A great consolation prize in the Pujols sweepstakes probably won't sign until Albert is off the market. Milwaukee wants him back, but I see a bigger market getting involved and Prince following the money. Signs with Cubs, 7 year/$160 Million.

3. Jose Reyes, SS- An injury plauged 2011 really hampered what was going to be a great season. Even though he barely cracked 100 games, he still put up huge numbers, is only 28 and plays a premium position and he'll get paid accordingly. Signs with Marlins, 7 year/$115 Million.

4. C.J. Wilson, SP- He's been the Rangers' ace the last few seasons, but hasn't shown up when they've needed him in October. Still, he's been one of baseball's best lefties in recent years and is going to cash in. The Yankees or Angels appear the most logical fit with the most money to spend. Signs with Angels, 6 Year/$85 Million.

5. Yu Darvish, SP- The Japanese import will likely ink with some major league team this winter, and he comes over more hyped up than Daisuke Matsuzaka was back in '06. Reminds me a lot of Pedro Martinez with his had fastball, slider and off-the-table forkball (highlight video). Signs with Rangers, 4 Year/$55 Million.

6. Carlos Beltran, OF- The best outfielder on the market is coming off a very nice All-Star season, but still has some injury concerns as he hits his mid-30's. Still can rake though, and should easily get a 2-3 year deal with a team in need of hitting. Re-signs with Giants, 2 Year/$28.5 Million.

7. Jimmy Rollins, SS- Like the case with Fielder and Pujols, Rollins will probably fall to whoever comes up 2nd in the Jose Reyes sweepstakes. Rollins is older than Reyes and doesn't have the quality years that he 28 year-old has left, but should have no problem finding a 3-4 year deal. Re-signs with Phillies, 3 Year/$40 Million.

8. Roy Oswalt, SP- Flying a bit under the radar this winter, but still very effective into his mid-30's. Won't cash in like the younger left-handed Wilson, but on a 3 year contract, could be very efficient in this over-priced pitching market. Signs with Yankees, 3 Year/$39 Million.

9. Michael Cuddyer, OF/IF- I have him this high because of the kind of hitter he is and his ability to play multiple positions. He's probably the 2nd best outfield option on the market, and shouldn't break the bank to get signed. Signs with Boston, 3 Year/$33 Million.

10. Ryan Madson, RP- The market's clear-cut top closer with Jonathan Pappelbon now in Philly. Madson could very well be headed to Boston to now fill Pappelbon's old spot like Pappelbon did his. This market is stocked with closing options though. Signs with Boston, 4 Year/$42 Million.

11. Yoenis Cespedes, OF- The Cuban defector is getting a lot of hype heading into the winter. A lot of people see him as a younger, healthier option to Carlos Beltran. Still risky since he's never played in the Big Leagues, but he has tools very similar to a young Vlad Guerrero. Signs with Nationals, 4 Year/$52 Million.

12. Aramis Ramirez, 3B- He's asking for big money, but his declining defense at third base makes him best suited for the AL. Still can rake though as long as he's healthy, and a sure bet for .285 avg, 25+ homers and 90+ RBI with a full season. Signs with White Sox, 4 Years/$44 Million.

Other Prominant Free Agent Predictions:
David Ortiz, DH (2 Years/$25 Million w/Red Sox); Mark Buehrle, SP (3 Year/$40 Million w/Tigers); Heath Bell, RP (3 Year/$36 Million w/Rays); Grady Sizemore, OF (1 Year/$9.5 Million w/Cubs); Carlos Pena, 1B (2 Year/$22 Million w/Brewers); Francisco Rodriguez, RP (3 Year/$28 Million w/Blue Jays)

Gore Ready for Sunday, McFadden Out Again

2011-11-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

Coming off his worst start as a pro in an injury shortened game vs. the Giants last weekend, Frank Gore is healing up surprisingly fast. The Raiders aren't so lucky, as their start back Darren McFadden will miss at least another game with his bum foot.

The pro-bowl back said he fully expects to be on the field Sunday for the 49ers match-up with the Arizona Cardinals. Even if that is the case though, I expect his workload to be a fraction of what it typically is, especially if the 49ers gain control of the game early like expected. Kendal Hunter has been outstanding as the change of pace back thus far and filled in admirably for Gore vs. the Giants. I still expect Gore to start as long as he's healthy, and get the majority of the carries, but if the 49ers are smart, they'll pace the 28 year-old and not give him more than 12-15 touches. The 49ers need to be taking advantage of their schedule right now and if it means resting a key player or two vs. the weaker teams in the league like Arizona, then I'm all for it. However, the 49ers need to be on their game and must take advantage of the light schedule if they are going to start resting their veterans a bit more. Staying on the injury front, it was very good to see Braylon Edwards back on the field after his brief absence. Michael Crabtree leaped into the forefront of the 49ers passing game in his absence, but he appeared to be on the same page as Alex Smith last Sunday like he never missed a beat. The 49ers didn't have him out there for every offensive snap though, as they're bringing him along a little slower than they have to. They need to use the same logic with Frank Gore.

Across the bay, the Raiders have their own backfield injury to deal with, as Run DMC has missed the last two games with a foot sprain, and will likely miss a 3rd consecutive game this weekend vs. Minnesota. Luckily for the Raiders though, they have Michael Bush backing him, and Bush has been a monster the last few weeks. I've always thought that Bush would be a great featured back because of his power and speed, and he's showed it November. So much so that the Raiders could find themselves shopping the former Rutgers star this offseason. I'm sure they'd like to hang onto Bush as McFadden's caddy, but I'm sure he'll want more carries after his showing over the last 2 seasons, and this could be the time for the Raiders to really cash in on him. I mentioned trading him before the deadline as part of the Carson Palmer deal, but his name was never brought up. Speaking of Palmer, in McFadden's absence, Carson has taken reigns of the offense and begun to get very comfortable. After his miserable start vs. KC before the bye, he's torched the Broncos and Chargers, throwing for 631 yards and 5 TD's in the last two weeks. He's also found his favorite target, taking a real liking to rookie Denarious Moore and putting the talented wideout right back on the pace he was at in the beginning of the year. With their passing game now catching up with their rushing attack, the Raiders have improved to 6-3 and look destined playoff football for the first time Since 2002.

Stanford Falls to #9: Unfortunately for the Stanford Cardinal, they couldn't keep up with the 49ers and Raiders winning ways last weekend. They fell to the speedy Oregon Ducks, who really laid it to Stanford like I haven't seen in a few years. They had control of the game from the get go and really gave Andrew Luck trouble all night long. I knew it was going to be a battle, but Oregon really made it look easy. We'll talk much more Stanford football as we gear up for Bowl season, but this loss eliminates any hope at a National Championship appearance for the Cardinal.

49ers Hold Off Giants, Move to 8-1

2011-11-13T21:42:00.001-08:00

In one of the biggest home games in years for the 49ers, they showed up to play and held off a tough New York Giants squad to move to 8-1. This was a huge win to disprove all the doubters who have given the 49ers schedule sole credit for their incredible first half.

What was probably the most impressive thing about this victory, is the 49ers offense was very productive without their hoss in the backfield. Frank Gore left the game early on after carrying the ball just 6 times for a grand total of 0 yards. Gore tweaked his knee in the first half, forcing him to the sidelines and leaving his streak of 100-yard rushing games dead at 5. Fortuanately for San Francisco though, Alex Smith, again had a big day Sunday, and Gores replacement stepped up big in his absence. Rookie back Kendal Hunter had just 6 carries on the day, but made them count, highlighted with a 17 yard scamper in the 4th quarter that ended up being the game deciding score. Eli Manning made it interesting with a quick TD pass to Hakeem Nicks, and drove done the field in the final minute getting to the 49ers 10 yard line, but failed on a 4th and short with 30 seconds left which sealed the game for the Niners. It really was a quarterback duel, and even though Alex Smith was outgained by Manning in the yards department, 311 to 242, he actually sported a higher QB rating than Manning as he turned the ball over just once. It was truly an eye opener for me to watch this team hold in the 4th quarter after seeing them blow so many of those leads in the last few seasons. That, to me, is a sign that tells me that this team is for real.

Talking about for real, how incredible was the defensive performance for the 49ers? They eliminated the Giants' rushing attack early and forced them into a one-dimensional offense. The pass rush was solid, and although Manning did throw for over 300 yards, he threw the ball 40 times to get there, and the 49ers took advantage of his throws that weren't on target. Carlos Rogers continues to prove the most valuable free agent that this team brought in over the summer, as he collected both picks Sunday to raise his total to 5 on the season. With 7 games still remaining, the former first round pick is on pace for 9 picks, which is one more than he had for his whole career coming into the season. Now I'm not saying he's going to get to the 9, but 7-8 is a very reachable goal and would certainly plan Rogers in the Pro Bowl. As we pointed out in our last post, Rogers won't be the only one on this defense representing the NFC in February. Patrick Willis and Novorro Bowman have become machines in the middle for this defense, as the two combined for 19 tackles while Willis recorded the only sack of Manning Sunday. Even though they only got credited with one sack this afternoon, the constant pressure on Eli was huge for this secondary and a big part of Rogers' two interceptions. On both sides of the ball, especially without Gore, I don't think even Jim Harbough could have drawn it up any better!

49ers Climb to 7-1, The 2nd Best Record in NFL

2011-11-09T21:57:00.000-08:00

The 49ers have officially hit their mid-way point in their 2011 season, and nobody could have drawn it up any better than how it's gone so far for this team.

You take away that late game comeback by Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys and this team is sitting right along with Green Bay as the only un-beatens in the league. Granted, they haven't had the hardest of schedules thus far, and their 2nd half schedule has just Baltimore and Pittsburgh as the only 2 winning teams, but they've played steady football, and these wins are certainly no fluke. We talked a lot in the last post about Alex Smith, and how he's become a completely new QB under Jim Harbough and put up another solid game Sunday vs. the Redskins. Smith threw for 200 yards with a score and led the 49ers to another easy victory. Alex also upped his season QB rating to 97.3, good for 6th in the NFL. Again, he hasn't put up ridiculous numbers by any stretch, but his 2 int's are the lowest total of any NFL QB who's thrown for 10 or more TD's. His lack of turnovers and ability to keep drives alive this year has been what's set him apart from the pre-2011 Alex Smith. He's on pace for a 20/4 touchdown/interception ratio for the season, and I see him just getting better and better. You can attribute a lot of his success, as well as the hole offense, to the much improved O-Line. The unit has really gelled together and is starting to play up to their potential, loaded with high-round draft picks. They've also helped pave the way for a determined Frank Gore, who collected his 5th straight game over 100 yards rushing after a very slow start to the year.

The offense has been surprising this year, but the strength of this team still lies on the defensive side of the ball, and if they keep up with the way they've been playing, that defense will be sending numerous players to the pro-bowl in February. There are already 3 guys who I think are pretty much locks to be there, and those three are linebackers Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman and cornerback Carlos Rogers. Their linebacking corps have become one of the better bunches in all of the NFL. Along with Bowman and Willis, they have rookie linebacker Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks who have 12 sacks between them so far and each appear to be getting better as the weeks go by. The only spot on defense where they still get exposed occasionally is in the secondary, but even that seems to be tightening up as the weeks go by. It's hard to fathom, judging where this team has been over the previous 10 years, but they could very well be looking at a 14-2 or 13-3 record for this season. A record that strong wouldn't just get them to the playoffs, it would like get them a first round bye too, something this team hasn't had since the days of Steve Young, Garrison Hearst and Terrell Owens. The difference between that team and this one though, is this team is much younger and appears to be just hitting it's stride. Good time to be a Niner fan.

Bay Area Sports Blog Network

2011-10-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area Sports Blog Network was created in 2009 and currently consists of 3 Bay Area Sports Blogs:

The Giants Baseball Blog: The Giants Baseball Blog, http://giantsbaseballblog.blogspot.com, was created in 2005 by Trevor Cole. It was basically the founding blog of BASBN, and it focuses only on the San Francisco Giants, their organization, as well as some other major issues involving Major League Baseball. It is the longest running blog with BASBN, and is one of the most popular San Francisco Giants Blogs on the Internet according to Google (PR 5 as of 12/13/11) and other publications. Check it out for news, analysis and hard nosed opinions on everything dealing with the San Francisco Giants organization.

The Warriors Rundown: The Warriors Rundown, http://warrriorsrundown.blogspot.com, was created in January 2008, and has been rapidly growing ever since. This blog focuses on the Golden State Warriors and the NBA and runs year round. It's mostly written, edited and ran by Trevor Cole, with occasional posts from Brian N. Wright. (A PR 3 site as of 12/13/11)

The Bay Area Sports Journa l: The Bay Area Sports Journal, http://baysportsjournal.blogspot.com, is the newest addition to the B.A.S.B.N. This blog will cover anything and everything going on in the bay area sports world, while giving a bay area sports fans perspective on the rest of the sporting world. If I had to choose one sport and team in the Bay Area that we cover the most, especially during the winter, were a psuedo-49ers site. But check it out for the latest news on the Giants, 49ers, A's, Raiders, Warriors and Sharks as well Stanford and Cal sports as well as Trevor's opinion on the big news involving MLB, NBA, NFL . Ran and written by Trevor Cole. (A PR 3 site as of 12/13/11

Palmer Tanks, Has Alex Smith Arrived?

2011-10-25T13:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I wouldn't have thought I'd be saying this at the beginning of the football season, but I believe Alex Smith has elevated himself as the Bay Area's top QB (professional that is) now with Jason Campbell out for the year.

The Raiders paid dearly to put their faith in Carson Palmer as their answer at QB for the near-term future, but against a very beatable Chiefs defense, Palmer looked downright horrible, tossing 3 picks, 0 TD's and completed just 8 of 21 pass attempts in over a half of play. I can't even imagine what those numbers would have been like had they been facing a formidable secondary like New York or Philly, but regardless, it's not a good sign for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders basically gambled their next two top draft picks away with the hope that Palmer is their QB for at least those next 2 seasons and hopefully beyond, but he's got a long, long way to go before he starts paying for the Silver and Black. Now, I do expect Palmer to improve, and vastly. It was his first game in 2011, and he had about 2 full days of practice with his teammates going in, so things will undoubtedly get better for Palmer, but the fact that he was that bad should cause some concern. I was thinking the Raiders were getting an improvement over Campbell in Palmer, but I'm not sure that's going to be the case. Campbell was a perfect fit for this run-first Raider offense, and now with Palmer behind center, it's going to force Hue Jackson to call more passing plays. It's basically changed the identity of the Oakland Raiders, but the do have the bye this week, and when Palmer lines up behind center next time, we'll get a clearer picture on what exactly he can do at this point.

Across the Bay, the 49ers are coming off the bye week, and couldn't be feeling any better about themselves. Their defense has arisen as one of the leagues best and youngest bunches, and finally, their offense is turning into a multi-dimensional attack, rather than a Frank Gore fest with a few quick passes here and there. The reason being for that has been the outstanding play of Alex Smith, and I never would have thought I'd be saying those words. Now, it's not like Smith has completely arrived as a legit NFL QB, but he does have a top-5 passer rating and a 7/1 TD/INT ratio through 6 games. His lack of mistakes, and knack for pulling out the big play this year has been huge for the 49ers. The only game they lost this year is when their defense tanked in the second half against Dallas back in week 2, but otherwise, they've looked like the Steelers of the NFC. Winning with strong defense, a good O-line, and mistake-free football. They also have a few teams coming up on the schedule that they should be able to handle if they play the way they've been playing with Cleveland and Washington the next two up on the schedule. The 49ers could easily be looking at 7-1 heading into their game with the Giants in week 10. Isn't it amazing how much a good coach who knows the game like a Jim Harbough does, comes in and takes over! I know players get the credit with wins and coaches get the brunt off the losses, but Jim Harbough is the reason this team is where it's at, no doubt about it, coach of year through the first half (on what he's done with Smith alone, forget the 5-1 record)!

Raiders Pay Steeply for Carson Palmer

2011-10-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

All you have to do is scroll down to our previous post from yesterday to see how much I was behind the Raiders going all out for Carson Palmer. They just lost their starting QB for most likely the season and have a surging team that can make some noise in the NFL this year with the right man behind center.

Carson Palmer certainly appears to be that right man, but I didn't think the Raiders would have to surrender 2 first round picks for his services, and I don't think I'm alone in being a little blown away at just how much the Raiders gave Cincinatti for a guy who wasn't ever going to play for them again and was just sitting at home on the couch. If you read our post from yesterday, you'll see that I was anticipating more of a "2nd round pick" from 2013's draft since the Raiders don't have one in 2012, and maybe a decent young player who the Bengals could use know. I though Michael Bush would have been a brilliant fit in Cinci and is probably more talented than Cedric Benson and could have been the future at running back there with their young core of Andy Dalton, Jermaine Grisham and A.J. Green. But that wasn't the case, the Bengals knew the Raiders have high hopes for this season and they took them to the bank in order to give up their rights for Carson Palmer. So much is being said on the internet and on sports talk shows that I'm sick of beating the actual specifics of the trade to death while ignoring the implifications that Palmer will have once he joins his new team. Fact is, the Raiders will likely be drafting in the 20's in April's draft, so it's not like they'll be losing out on Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley or Landry Jones.

Gone are the Raiders top pick for 2012, and either 2nd or 1st rounder in 2013, but in comes a guy who's 31 years old (not at all old in Quarterback years) and easily the Raiders best gun-slinger since Rich Gannon was at the helm. There is no doubt in my mind that Palmer will come in and immediately pay dividends. Jason Campbell was a nice player, but Carson Palmer is a top-5 NFL QB when on and will give this team an element they haven't had in years. The Raiders have emerging weapons at wideout like Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore and Palmer should make DHB a 1,000 yard receiver while Moore should continue to be a red-zone magnet. Yep, I said it, DHB set for 1,000 receiving yards this season with Palmer at the helm and finally gets the monkey off his back and removes the tag "first round bust" off his back. Not to mention, this also takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of Darren McFadden who was set to become the center of attention for opposing defenses. All in all, yes, I do think the Raiders gave up far too much in order to get Palmer to Oakland, but they knew what they wanted, and they made it happen, so for that, I give them kudos for having the stones to complete the deal. They likely lose their next 2 first rounders, but if it means they're in the playoffs the next 2 seasons, I think any Raider fan will take it. Do I think the Raiders gave up too much? Certainly. But they needed Carson Palmer and have a window here in the next few years to do something special. They likely wouldn't have found a QB as good as him in 2012's draft (seeing that they'll pick in the 20's and premium rated QB's Matt Barkley, Andrew Luck, Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden will likely be off the board), and this guy could easily be the man for 4-5 more seasons as long as they can keep him healthy. Sure, the Bengals will be better for it in a few years, but the Raiders are infinitely better for it, both this year and next and possibly beyond. Looking at it that way, Jackson didn't make out too badly.

Note: Carson Palmer was at practice Wednesday and appeared to go through drills as though he plans to play Sunday, and I think that will indeed be the case. Better be seeing that the Raiders will be parting with each of their next two drafts top picks for him. Hue Jackson has been hush-hush so far on the topic and won't publicly say until Friday, but I think Palmer lines up on Sunday as the starter, and I although it may take him though next weeks bye to really get acclimated, I see a nice season ahead of him with weapons like DHB, Ford, Moore, McFadden and Boss.

Fearless Prediction for Palmer's 2011: 10 games, 197-336 (59%), 2,250 yards, 16 TD/10 Int, 85.7 QB Rating

Raiders Need Carson Palmer!

2011-10-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Raiders have been one of the early season surprises in the NFL so far, as they moved to 4-2 with Sunday's win over Cleveland. However, the victory came at a steep price, as the Raiders lost their starting QB Jason Campbell to a busted shoulder that had to be surgically repaired immediately, and will likely shelve him the rest of the year.

The Raiders need to move on with a "Plan B", and as we saw in Kyle Boller's relief performance, he doesn't appear to be answer going forward. He can fill in for a few quarters like he did Sunday, but imagine him going the rest of the way? Even punter Shane Lechler sported a higher QB rating than Boller on Sunday, and it's not like he was facing a defensive juggernaut. Again, not to knock Boller, as he did what he had to, holding on to the second half lead and take the Raiders to victory, but if he takes over as the starter going forward, it will be back to 2008 all over again. For a 4-2 team determined to play strongly for their late owner, Al Davis, I don't think the Raiders brass will be content with their current QB situation, but the only decent free agent out there, David Garrard, just had surgery on his knee and likely won't play in 2011. So where does that leave the Raiders? The other FA's are guys like Josh McCown, Daunte Cullpepper and Marc Bulger, who are basically equal to Boller. They'll either scurrying the trade market before Tuesday's deadline, or ride it out with Boller, hoping he can be serviceable while Michael Bush and Run DMC become the whole focus of the offense. There's a chance they could look at Jake Delhomme, who's had the most success most recently as far as the free agent QB's and could be OK with a strong O-line and weapons around him.

I know just about every Raider fan is probably thinking the same thing, "Well what about Terrelle Pryor?" As talented and athletic as Pryor is, he's nowhere near ready to take over an NFL team and he may not even translate into a QB at the NFL level. Still though, after witnessing the success of Cam Newton, the Raiders may try out Pryor if Boller isn't the answer and they don't find anything else. They could be watching the Tim Tebow experiment in Denver to see how a pure run first QB translates to the NFL. At least Newton had the passing attributes to translate at this level. I'm not sure Tebow or Pryor do.

As far as the trade market, there are a few options out there who the Raiders could definitely use and who could come in and really help this offense. Kyle Orton is the biggest name out there as far as QB's on the trade market who've actually thrown a pass this season, and as good as I see him fitting in with Oakland, I highly doubt the Broncos would send him inside their division without taking a ransom from Oakland in return, even though reports suggest they'd consider. I think the real target for the Raiders though has to be Bengals reject Carson Palmer. The top pick of 2003's draft is just sitting on his couch right now waiting for the Bengals to trade him, and I can't think of a better target for the Raiders. The former USC-alum is coming off a 26-TD season in 2010 but never showed up for camp with Cinci after disagreements with management. It would be very tough for the Raiders to work something out with the Bengals in this short of a window though. If I'm Hue Jackson though, I'm pushing hard for either Palmer or Orton, and if it cost a 2nd round pick, than that's what it costs. Problem is though, is that the Raiders don't have a 2nd rounder until 2013's draft. What I'd try to do if I were Oakland would be to try and get Michael Bush involved instead of a high draft pick. Cinci has Cedric Benson but he's hardly the future for them there, while Bush is clearly cut out for a primary role. It would be a slight blow to the Raiders RB depth chart with the fragile McFadden atop the list, but backup running backs seem to be a dime a dozen in the NFL. Julius Jones, who collected 120 yards and 2 TD's in his last game during the Saints playoff loss in January, is un-employed for some reason, and he could easily caddy DMC.

The Raiders have a chance to make a splash this year and an addition like Palmer (assuming he's in football shape) would make the Raiders offense a unique powerhouse. Just think about him chucking deep balls to DHB, Denarious Moore and Jacoby Ford, not too mention the pressure and focus it would take off of DMC.

World Series Set: It seems like Baseball's postseason is just flying by this year as the Cardinals just defeated the Brewers Sunday night win the NL Pennant and stamp their ticket to the World Series to oppose the Texas Rangers. With the 49ers on bye, and without a game for the next 2 weeks, we'll be talking a lot of World Series baseball, along with more Raiders and Stanford. For more World Series coverage and Giants talk, check out our partner site, The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website!

49ers Move to 5-1 With Win in Detroit

2011-10-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Don't look know NFL, but the 49ers have reverted back to their pre-2000 days! No, we probably can't go that far yet, but after another upset, and another road victory, they've certainly gotten the NFL's attention.

The 49ers ran for over 200 yards Sunday vs. Detroit, with Frank Gore collecting 141 of them on 15 carries. Alex Smith wasn't great, as he turned the ball over 2 times and threw for just 125 yards. On top of all of that, they were facing the undefeated powerhouse Detroit Lions in their own backyard, and they still managed to pull this one out, 25-19. Matt Stafford got his, throwing for 280 yards and 2 scores, but the 49ers were able to get in his face enough to disrupt him at key points in the game, one big one for a safety and another clincher late in the game when Detroit was making their final push. The defensive front was the subject of the day in Detroit for San Fran, as they were in Stafford's face constantly, sacking him 5 times for a net of 49 yards. Rookie Aldon Smith continues to show everyone why the 49ers chose him over a higher ranked QB, or CB, as he collected 2 big sacks and know has 6 on season which puts him right up with the leagues premiere pass rushers. The usual suspects, Justin Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Ray McDonald, all got credit for sacks as well, as the 49ers front 7 played near flawless football. Their secondary played pretty well overall, considering they were going against the prolific Lion attack. They kept Calvin Johnson out of the endzone, and although they didn't pick Stafford off, they knocked down 9 of his passes.

This win obviously puts the 49ers on the map as not only the team to beat in the NFC West, but arguably one of the best squads in the whole NFC. Right now, the only teams I see playing clearly better than SF in the league are Green Bay and New Orleans, and the only team to beat them this year, Dallas. Those teams scare me because of their premiere passing attacks, which may tempt the 49ers even more to test the waters as far as potential trade targets at cornerback with just 48 hours before Tuesday's trade deadline. Chris Culliver stepped up very nicely as he was matched up with Calvin Johnson quite a bit. He and Smith are making huge impacts as rookies early in 2011 already. Carlos Rogers also played another nice game as he's turned out to be one of the best FA signing for the 49ers so far if you ask me. Fellow corner, rookie Chris Culliver had a standout game as well, matching up with Calvin Johnson on a lot of plays and holding his own quite well. Despite Culliver's emergence, I still would really like to see the 49ers pursue another cover-man before Tuesday's trade deadline, though I don't see it happening. The 49ers have a decent team that is very well coached, but still don't have the talent offensively, especially with the injuries at wideout, to keep score with teams like New Orleans and Dallas.

The 49ers are heading into bye week, which I'm sure they wish would have came a few weeks later with the way they've been playing, and although we'll still discuss them plenty over the next two weeks, we'll be focusing more on the MLB playoffs and the Raiders, who are currently up on Cleveland at half.

Trade Deadline Targets for 49ers and Raiders

2011-10-13T15:22:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are, entering week 6 and wouldn't you know it, both the 49ers and Raiders are not only in the thick of playoff contention, they're a couple of the better teams in the league through 5 weeks. Still, the NFL trade deadline comes on October 18th, and there are a few players on the block who could interest both San Fran and the Raiders.

Here are a few potential targets for each team, as well as what it may cost to obtain the (top priority has * with name):

49ers

QB Kyle Orton/Brady Quinn, Den.- This comes as a two headed monster, because either of these guys should be available now that Denver is putting all their cards in the Tim Tebow basket. Orton is obviously the better, more polished guy, but also would probably cost a lot more in return. Plus, he'd be a guy you'd look towards more if Smith had struggled through 5 weeks, and he's actually been a pleasant surprise. Still, they need a better backup, and Quinn could be a nice fit. As could Tampa's Josh Johnson.

CB Champ Bailey, Den- Get used to seeing Broncos, cause they're likely the team most likely to be selling. The 49ers obviously could use another hand at corner, and if they could get Bailey motivated, they could cash in on him in final 12 weeks. Problem is, his contract is undesirable and he has been declining.

*WR Brandon Lloyd, Den*: Now he's a guy who can really make an impact on this offense if the 49ers could figure out a way to get #84 back in town. Only difference between now and 6 years ago is that he's learned the game and is a dynamic play maker who can go down field while opening up the middle for Crabtree. He's a Pro-Bowl talent, and the 49ers haven't produced a pro bowl wideout since T.O. Percy Harvin would be my first choice as far as possible names who could be dealt before October 18th, but highly doubt Minny gives him up without getting back a 1st rounder or someone like Aldon Smith or Navarro Bowman. A top rate receiver who can help out Crabtree and Davis could do wonders for this offense though and Lloyd is a perfect fit! Honestly, an add like Lloyd and maybe one of these DB's listed to San Fran and you not only have the NFC West favorites, but a legit contender in an unpredictable NFC. (Remember some of the catches he'd make while with San Fran?) He's almost worth parting with a 2nd round pick, especially on the off hand you keep him around after the year. I just think he, Crabtree, Davis (and when healthy) Edwards would be a sight for sore eyes!

CB Marcus Trufant, Seattle- Doubt the Seahawks send him inside the division, but he could be a huge upgrade to this secondary if he stays healthy. On pace for pro-bowl year, and would be dynamite next to Rogers. I've always liked Trufant and would definitely consider offering up bright young safety Reggie Williams, along with a mid-round pick.

RB Reggie Bush, Mia- It's sad that NFL coaches seemingly have wasted Reggie's talent, believe it or not. Maybe he could come in and help Frank Gore on 3rd downs and provide another solid outlet for Alex Smith. I really think Harbough would know how to utilize the unique pass-catching back, and he could allow the 49ers to open up the playbook and get creative.

Raiders

*CB Antoine Winfield, Minnesota*- Either him, Bailey, or Trufant would be welcome additions to a below average secondary giving up 300 yards through the air per week. It's the one area where the Raiders are constantly getting burned, yet they do have a some solid play makers back there. Winfield is having a pro-bowl type year and the Vikings are going nowhere. Maybe the Raiders can unload a young receiver like the super talented, yet never healthy, Luis Murphy. I could really see a match here if these two teams were serious, and they should. Sticking Murphy next to Percy Harvin amplifies the Viking passing attack and Winfield only has 12 weeks left under contract.

TE Anthony Fasano, Miami- Kevin Boss has not translated well in replacing Zach Miller's aerial production, and Fasano could be one of the best receiving tight ends on the market. He'd be a huge upgrade over Boss as the starter and would allow Kevin to move into a more comfortable, blocking-oriented TE2 role. I almost selected Fasano as a potential top-target over Winfield, but the Raiders have enough options in the passing game, and although he's not great, Boss is a serviceable player.

OLB Joey Porter, Arizona- The Raiders are still reeling a bit at linebacker, as evident by their acquisition of Aaron Curry (more below). Porter hasn't had a great year in Arizona, but something tells me a move back to his home town and playing for the Raiders would ignite him. He's a perfect fit for the Raiders hard-nosed defense, and can really, really help improve that team against the run.

They Raiders could also use another wide receiving option for Jason Campbell, although Denarious Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey are starting to come into their own, and Murphy and Chaz Schillens are more than capable. Again, a rock-solid DB could help solidify the secondary, but a plus-pass catching TE is something Campbell really needs to be at the top of his game. Maybe Boss is the guy, but it hasn't showed yet.... As for the guy they already picked up, Aaron Curry, I absolutely love it, as it's another no risk, potentialy huge reward type pickup grabbing a 23 year-old former former #4 pick. I think he had such high expectations, that people got so down on him that he doubted himself, so a change of scenery should be ideal. I think this is the perfect type of project player for the Raiders to take on and he couldn't be coming in at a better time with all the injuries on the defensive side. Another guy the Silver and Black should look into too for help with pass rush is the ancient Jayson Taylor (assuming he can pass a physical that is). The Raiders are getting burnt through the air so two things need to improve, and that's coverage by the DB's and some more pass rush up front!

Morgan Hits IR, Leaves 49ers Reeling at WR

2011-10-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

One of the last guys this offense could afford to lose looks like he'll be down for the rest of the year after wideout Josh Morgan injured his shoulder in Sunday's game, prompting surgery and an immediate trip to the IR. This has big time impact on a Niner offense that was just starting to get it's identity.

What makes this loss even harder to swallow, is that free agent acquisition Braylon Edwards has been hobbled by injury and isn't coming around too quickly on that front. Not to mention, the one guy who is healthy enough to suit up is reeling as well. Now Michael Crabtree is having issues with both his feet and will likely take it easy at practice this week, though he should play. This team really needs to Edwards to heal quickly, because he can really soften the blow of losing Morgan for the year. He was developing decent chemistry with Alex Smith and Smith is having far and away his best season as a pro, so Edwards could be thriving if he can get heatlhy soon. Otherwise, they really will have no other choice but to bring in at least one free agent wideout. Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams are serviceable, but the 49ers are 4-1 and all the sudden have expectations, so they would at least like another proven guy lining up with Crabtree until Edwards is 100%. The name of the week has been T.J. Houshmanzadeh, as the former Steeler/Raven and Seahawk showed up at Niner camp this week for a tryout. I have just a little skepticism thinking about Edwards and Housh on the same sideline, though Edwards has appeared to be a solid leader so far (probably because they're winning).

All in all though, Housh does have talent and could immediately help this team, and he's probably the best guy out there who they could realistically get (sorry T.O. or Moss wishers). He could help out while Edwards recovers then move into the slot when Edwards returns to keep the 49ers offense full of weapons. Again, T.J. is not done, just not quite sure if the 49ers take a chance on him. Another two guys I'd give a look see at, again health permitting, are Antonio Bryant (has a rapore with Alex already). I know he's had some personal issues in the past, but I can't see why Bryant isn't employed with the talent he has unless he's hurt.

49ers Surprising the NFL With 4-1 Start

2011-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

After the 49ers upset the Eagles last Sunday, I got that feeling you get when you know your watching something decent come together. It reminds me of the way I felt about the SF Giants at the end of 2009 when they had these young players come up and dominate and they looked well on their way to greatness in 2010.

After pulling out the big victory over Vick, LeSean McCoy and the "Dream Team", which is looking much more like the "In Your Dream Team" if your an Eagle fan or player, and doing so in convincing fashion, it showed me the 49ers not only can manage their way to a win, but they can go out late and take a close game. That's something I hadn't seen since Jeff Garcia was throwing to T.O. Not only did they build off that win over Philly, theyimproved on it, and laid down the biggest 49ers beating that I can remember by manhandling the then 3-1 Tampa Bay Bucs, and cruising to a 48-3 victory. It was like a top ranked national powerhouse college team taking on a Sacramento State or something like that, it must have been painful to watch if you were a Buc fan, but more importantly, a long overdue laugher for the 49ers side. If you would have thrown a Drew Brees shirt onto Alex Smith yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart, that's how on the kid was this Sunday. He only threw for 170 yards on 11-19 passing, but tossed 3 TD's, two of which landed in the hands of his go-to guy, Vernon Davis. Smith didn't need to throw the ball 30+ times because the 49ers had control of it from the get go while Frank Gore and Kendal Hunter had no trouble at all finding running lanes. Gore (20-125/1 TD) and Hunter (9-65) combined for 190 rush yards and the 49ers could have probably ran on just about ever play after the half and would have came out just fine.

The offense was clicking on all cylinders, but once again, this underrated offense did it's thing and shined in a big way. Again, these Bucs were 3-1 coming in and had taken down some decent football teams, but they were clueless vs. Niners at Candlestick. Whatever football insider that said Carlos Rogers cannon catch footballs better be checking himself right now, cause Rogers has turned into a game-changer in the 49er secondary and is doing exactly what they paid Nate Clements so much money to fail at. Rogers is off to an all-pro start with 13 tackles and 3 picks through 5 games, including a TD and 7 PD's. He's by far been the biggest payoff off all defensive free agents the 49ers obtained this summer, and I pushed for this team to add him once Asomugha was off the market. Also continuing to improve is rookie pass-rush specialist Aldon Smith, who added another pair of sacks to raise his total to 4 in 5 weeks. He's on pace for 12.5 sacks and it's been a while since a 49er defender hit that high of a mark. Navaro Bowman and Pat Willis also locked down the middle of the field, like they've been so darn good at through 5 games. Bowman must have taken to Willis because this guy has turned into Pat Willis Jr. and and is one of the better tacklers in the league already.

Fans were questioning some of the moves this team made early on after the lockout, like letting Takeo Spikes walk, and getting started a lot slower than the rest of the NFL was in terms of player movement, but it's certainly starting to look like Trent Baalke and Jim Harbough had an idea of what they were doing after all. There's still a long, long way to go, but in this division, after taking down two solid teams like Philly and Tampa in consecutive weeks, 49er faithful can't help but have some optimism towards this 2011 bunch.

Oh by the way, Alex Smith in 2011: 104 QBrat., 66% Comp, 965 yards, 7/1 TD-INT ratio through 5 weeks. Again, who knows how long this continues, but right now, it has him ranked 3rd in the NFL behind Brady and Rogers.

DOUBLE POST ALERT...... SCROLL DOWN!

NFL Legend, Al Davis Passes Away at 82

2011-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

One of the NFL's most recognizable ambassador, and long-time Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders Owner, Al Davis, has passed away at age 82.

The 49ers have always been my number one team, but I've always had very much respect for Al Davis. I didn't always agree with the choices he made, but he certainly did a lot of things right during his long tenure with the Raiders franchise. The man has been the face of this franchise for darn near 40 years, and even though the man himself has passed, his name will forever live on with the Raiders. In fact I could very easily see the Raiders new stadium dedicated to the former Raider owner, let's just hope it's in northern California like Davis wanted. Al moved the team to LA for a brief stint their in the 80's and early 90's, but quickly realized that Oakland is the spot for the Silver and Black. The 3-time Super Bowl winning owner also had success briefly as a head coach and entered the NFL Hall of Fame in 1992. If your trying to find an example of an owner who goes all out for his team and will spend the extra buck in order to try and get them over the hump, Al Davis is the poster boy. He didn't always make the best decisions (JaMarcus Russel), but he made more than a few good ones (Tim Brown, Marcus Allen, Jim Plunkett, Bo Jackson etc..). He certainly had mixed reviews on how he handled the Oakland Raiders, but those inside the organization always praised him and he was a good tremendous individual for the NFL, where his name will be immortal.

For the Raiders, I don't expect a whole lot to change on field, right away that is. I do think this team is going to step it up as much as they can to try and win the AFC West in Al's honor, and it's a great thing after being able to witness the Raiders improve to 3-2 with a big win at Houston. They'll certainly be playing with him in their hearts this season. We probably will start to see some change in philosophy until the offseason though, even if the Davis' keep the franchise in family. It looks like Mark Davis, Al's son, will take reigns of the day-to-day operations and already there are headlines in newspapers saying the Raiders now may end up making their way back to LA. Al Davis was in talks with AEG about playing in a stadium they're opening up in LA, but backed out of negotiations because AEG wanted to own stock in the franchise. I don't know Mark Davis at all, couldn't even pick him out of a picture of 5 people, so I have no idea if he'd consider something like that. I'm still hoping they decide to keep the Raiders up north. There's no doubt LA needs a football team, but the Raiders are John Madden, Al Davis, Tim Brown, the Black Hole, they're Oakland. Not to mention, they won 2 of their 3 world championships in the Bay Area too. I see the financial gain for the franchise to move south though, as they constantly fail to fill seats in Oakland and would probably be overflowing in LA. I'd like to see them stay in Norther Cali for the long haul, but LA would be more of a lucrative home for this team and there are certainly positive reasons for the franchise to retreat back to their 2nd home. If they do end up in LA, I would definitely suggest they still play a few honorary games back at the former home. It may not even be a bad marketing scheme to play a single game in LA each while still in Oakland. You know they'd sell out the Coliseum, and that would allow the Raiders hometown fans to see the Raiders play an actual home game on the tube, albeit from the LA Coliseum and not Oakland's.

49ers Deliver Upset of 2011

2011-10-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I didn't think the 49ers had a glimmer of hope in this game vs. the Eagles. Philly was coming off a rough 2-game losing streak, and Michael Vick appeared to be as determined as ever coming into this contest after getting knocked around a bit in week's 2 and 3.

Michael Vick showed up and delivered his most prolific passing day as a pro, but the 49ers came up with a key turnover, and Alex Smith actually took charge of a game rather than just trying to manage it and get by making the least mistakes possible. It was almost as if the 49ers were such underdogs, that he played with a sense of ease. Smith has always looked good when games have been out of reach, but I don't recall him ever taking charge of a game so close, against such a good team, like he did on Sunday. Smith was sharp, throwing for 291 yards, completing 21 of 33 completions and two TD's with no picks and took command of the game late. Vick countered with a whopping 416 yards through the air, two touchdowns and a pick and even added 85 yards rushing, but couldn't push the Eagles over the top. Frank Gore also stood out in this game, as he answered all the skeptics coming into the week saying he was finished or hurt, by going for a season high 127 yards and a score on just 15 carries. Michael Crabtree also contributed for the first time all season, hauling in 5 passes for 68 yards while Vernon Davis and Josh Morgan each had TD receptions. The offense was very well rounded, and effecient, while the defense did just enough to hold on for the 24-23 victory. The 49ers took the lead with only 3 minutes left in the game, but their defense held strong and kept Philly's high-powered attach off the board in those final minutes to seal the victory.

The win has put the 49ers into a position they haven't been in nearly 10 years. Through 4 weeks, this team looks like it's getting better and better, and in a weak NFC West, the 49ers may very well be the most well-rounded team. The Rams were the favorite coming into the year, but injuries have killed them early on, and Sam Bradford has looked very mediocre. The Cardinals have a potent offense, but Kevin Kolb hasn't been the 2nd coming of Kurt Warner like AZ hoped, and their defense is one of the worst in the league. Seattle, who won the division last year despite a 7-9 record, could be in worst shape of all. Their offesne showed some life last week vs. the Falcons, but like many NFL insiders have reported, Seattle is basically a glorified expansion team with all the turnover they had on their roster this summer. Tavaris Jackson hasn't really panned out, the O-line has been a mess, and Marshawn Lynch barely has 100 rushing yards on the season. Right now, things are looking very positive for San Francisco, and they're taking full advantage of their divisional foes' early season struggles. That's the one things I'm seeing that's been very different with this team under Harbough. They're still finding their offensive identity, but Harbough's team takes advantage of what teams give them. You take away jsut one Tony Romo-Miles Austin TD connection from week 2, and this team is 4-0. Opportunistic football is a perfect way to describe the 49ers play through the quarter point.

Big Weekend for Bay Area Football

2011-10-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

The 2011 football season has started off very well for 3 of the Bay Area's, and for the first time in about 10 years, the Bay Area is looking set to produce at least one NFL playoff team, and quite possibly NCAA's top football program in the Stanford Cardinal.

We'll start off with the Cardinal, who we haven't talked a lot about this season, mostly because the Raiders and 49ers have started off so well and have been getting most of our attention. The Cardinal, however, have placed themselves squarely on the map as one of the nations best teams (ranked 6 heading into play Saturday) and could very well find themselves playing for a national championship in January if things go their way. Their prized arm and leader, Andrew Luck, has done everything that was expected of him coming into the year, and some, as he's looking like a lock to be the first player taken in next April's NFL Draft. Through 3 games so far, Luck has thrown for 786 yards with 8 TD's compared to just 1 pick and a rushing score, leading the Cardinal to a 3-0 record. Helping Luck on the offensive side of things for Stanford has been their star Junior tailback Stefan Taylor (281 rush yards, 2 TD), as well as Sophomore Tight End, Zach Ertz (3 rec. TD's) and Senior wideout Chris Owusu (227 rec. yards). Behind these talented offensive weapons and a stubborn, underrated defense, the Cardinal have cruised to a 3-0 record, and they really haven't started clicking on all cylinders quite yet. Just goes to show you how dominant this team can be, and I will be watching closely tonight as they take on UCLA down on the farm. UCLA is a mess, so I expect Stanford to put up W by a wide margin; Prediction: Cardinal 48, Bruins 19

Back to the NFL, where the Raiders and 49ers each shoot for the 3rd victory Sunday. The Raiders will have their work cut out for them, as they host the New England Patriots, but after the way they've started the season, I wouldn't count them out of this game at all. What does really hurt is they'll be without starting corner Chris Johnson, who's been the best corner for the Raiders early on in 2011 in my opinion. Oakland will just need to gear up for Tom Brady and hope to contain him. They don't really need to worry about New England's rushing attack, as they've yet to really get that going this year, so if the Raiders can keep them a one dimensional offense and get to Brady a few times like Buffalo did last week, then they'll be very much alive in this game. They're getting their offense going themselves, so they'll be a handful for New England, who have been exposed badly through the air early on. I expect them to have trouble with Darren McFadden as well, so I don't see the Raiders having trouble putting up points in this one. It's going to come down to which team can reduce turnovers and control the game clock, and the Raiders are very good in both areas, but they're facing Tom Brady, who can throw for 400 yards in his sleep these days. Prediction: Patriots 38 - Raiders 27

The 49ers will have their hands full against a hungry, yet banged up Eagles squad. The 49ers looked as if they were sitting pretty early in the week, as Michael Vick's availability for the game after breaking his non-throwing hand was very much in the air. However, Vick improved throughout the week, and appears fully ready to go Sunday, and if he does, look out 49ers secondary, because I think this guy will be determined. The 49ers barely squeaked by the Bengals last week, despite getting an exceptional defensive performance. Like their baseball brethren the Giants, the 49ers have had a wretched offensive showing so far in 2011, yet they've managed to get off to a 2-1 start. This week though, they won't have a chance to win if they score just 14 points. They'll likely need to put up at least 2.5 times that output against a hungry Vick, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. They have so much speed on offense that I just can't see the 49ers keeping up with all of them. I do think they'll hold McCoy in check in the run game, but I just can't help but think of the Dallas game when a broken Tony Romo came in and picked this offense apart. Unfortunately, I see Vick doing very much of the same thing. Also, the 49ers have yet to get Frank Gore going this year, and probably won't have a chance to open up the passing game against this secondary, so offensively, they'll have their hands full as well. Prediction: Eagles 31 - 49ers 16

Raiders/49ers Move to 2-1

2011-09-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

Although they're each doing it in completely different styles, Jim Harbough and Hue Jackson have to be pleased with the way the season has started for their two football teams as each the 49ers and Raiders moved to 2-1 over the weekend.

The 49ers are doing it behind some inspired defensive play, and the occasional clutch throw from Alex Smith, but they've gone 2-1 and have yet to get Frank Gore going, which only bodes well for when he does. Gore has been battling a bum ankle for a couple weeks know and it's showing in his running as he's lacking burst and explosiveness that normally are the staple of his running style. It was hard to watch him on Sunday vs. the Bengals, then see Kendal Hunter come in and provide a noticeable difference. A lot of football people, especially fantasy football, believe Frank Gore is on the downhill side of his career already, but I don't believe that to be the case. Number 21 is still a top-10 back when he's healthy, but he's obviously not, and the 49ers O-line has struggled a bit in run blocking. Luckily though, the 49ers do have a guy like Hunter who showed his value with a big TD run vs. the Bengals Sunday, and should be given at least 30-40% of Gore's workload until his health improves. Hopefully he'll be ready for a bit match-up next week vs. Philly, but even if he is, I think Alex Smith is going to have to win this game for San Fran as they're most certainly going to have to at least double their 13-point output to even have a shot vs. Vick and LeSean McCoy.

While the Niners have been conservative in their offensive approach so far, the Raiders have been dynamic. The reason why they've been so dynamic is because of a very real, early season MVP candidate in Darren McFadden. Run DMC has built upon his solid 2010 campaign and is doing to opposing defenses what Arian Foster did last year, tearing them up on both the ground and through the air. In a game against an AFC favorite in the New York Jets, all the Raiders did was put up 34 points vs. the daunted defense and win the game by a convincing 10-points. Jason Campbell has been strong so far through 3 weeks, but it really wasn't about him on Sunday as D Mac went for 179 yards and 2 scores on just 19 carries, making a super bowl caliber defense look desperately over-matched in the process. This win really opened my eyes to the Raiders, and now have me believing this team has a more than legit shot at winning a declining AFC West. The Broncos and Chiefs are essential non-factors, but the Raiders will have a tough challenge in getting by the San Diego Cheifs, a team that's been a thorn in their side for the better part of this century. I do think that the Raiders finally have a dynamic enough offense, with McFadden established and Denarius Moore looking like one of the better rookie receivers in football, and their run defense is playing at a very high level. Between Moore and McFadden, the Raiders have themselves an explosive, young 1-2 punch offensively. They're still giving up too many big passing plays, but that's about the only area in which this team hasn't shined early in 2011.

We'll have much more on the upcoming games this Sunday inlcluding the Raiders and 49ers Previews, and a little Stanford/Cal football as well.

NFL Sunday Preview: Week 3

2011-09-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of the NFL season have flown right by and here we are, just 24 short hours away from kickoff in week three. Like we do each weekend here at the BASJ, we'll preview a little bit of the 49ers and Raiders games as well as check out a few other top games this weekend.

First off, as always, we start with the 49ers, who are coming off an embarrassing home performance a week ago in which they were torched by a punctured and wounded Tony Romo in a game they were really controlling up until the 4th quarter. The big decision that the media was focused on all week was Harbough's decision to keep the 3 points on David Akers 50 yard field goal, rather than the 1st-and-10 in Dallas territory. That move right there showed you how little faith Harbough has in his offense, and that was in a game in which Alex Smith was throwing the ball pretty well. Smith had 2 TD's through the air and finished with a QB rating of 99 despite throwing for just 179 yards. The problem for the 49ers vs. Dallas was their lack of pass defense, and their inability to get a running game established. Surprisingly, that's now 2 weeks in a row now that Frank Gore has yet to get going, as he hasn't even hit 100 yards for the season after two weeks. The 49ers face a much less daunting task the Tony Romo-led Cowboy's offense, but Andy Dalton and A.J. Green showed you last week that they too are a competent passing duo and will likely look to expose the 49ers pass defense again. So, the two big keys to the game for the 49ers in order to win this contest, which is very doable even with it being in Cinci, are to stop Dalton and the passing attack, and keep their own offense on the field by getting Frank Gore going and over the 100-yard mark for the 1st time in 2011. I see this one coming down to the final minutes of regulation. Prediction: Bengals 21, 49ers 17

The Raiders are coming off a week that saw their offense break out in all facets, but also saw their defense break down when the game was on the line. The Raiders were in line to start the year 2-0 with a late lead in Buffalo last week, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson showed why they are two of the most underrated skill players in all the NFL with their late comeback victory. The Raiders offense actually looks like it's going to be a pretty good one, and probably the best this team has had since the days of Rich Gannon, but they need to get that defense right. They looked good against Denver in week one, but were shredded by Buffalo in week 2, in both the passing game and rushing attack. This week, they get another tough test in the New York Jets, who, believe it or not, probably don't have quite as good an offense as the Bills, but their defense is one of the best in the NFL. Darren McFadden has looked like a top-3 back in the first two weeks, but this week will be the real measuring stick for him and the Raider offense. With it being a home game, that should help the Silver and Black a bit. I want to see them pressure Sanchez and rattle him early. Make New York try and run the football, which they've failed to do so far. If the Raiders execute on D like they did in week 1 with last weeks offense, they'll be tough to beat, but that's a tough assumption to make. Prediction: Jets 27, Raiders 23.

Other Game To Watch: Houston vs. New Orleans- The Saints have been bitten a little by the injury bug, and have yet to get their running game really going, but that hasn't stopped Drew Brees from continuing his brilliance. Houston also has been dealing with a key injury to their starting tailback and 2010 rushing champ, Arian Foster, who once again will likely be sidelined or limited by his hamstring problem. Still, these two teams are amongst the top in their respective leagues, and there's an outside chance we're getting a Super Bowl preview here. I'll go with the home team, because I think these teams are very evenly matched, but I'm really liking the way Houston's defense is taking shape, and they appear to be a much better unit than NO's bunch. This game has premium match-up written all over it and I'm surprised it wasn't scheduled as one of Week 3's night affairs. Prediction: Saints 31, Texans 27.

NFL Sunday Preview

2011-09-17T16:31:00.001-07:00

Well, both teams in the bay area had a good week 1, and each will try and build off that and get win number 2 this week. Again, the Raiders will be on the road, but they'll have a much easier task at hand than what the 49ers will have in their host at Candlestick.

The Raiders ran wild vs. the Broncos on Monday night, and although the Bills look like a much stronger defense than Denver's, I think the game plan for Hue Jackson's squad will be much of the same. A lot of Darren McFadden, and some Jason Campbell basic passes when they need them. They're pretty evenly matched with Buffalo, so it should be a very good game to watch and if they can execute a little more through the air offensively this week, they should be in pretty good shape. That is, or course, if their defense is up for the task again. The D-line got tremendous pressure on Kyle Orton in week one and will have to do so again in week 2 because Ryan Fitzpatrick has the ability to pick them apart if they don't. The Raiders have to keep their eye on bay area native and play-making wideout Stevie Johnson (pictured making that tremendous TD grab in week 1), but can't lose track of tight-end Scott Chandler like the Chiefs did or else they'll get burned. I don't think the Bills are quite as good as their 41-7 opening win over KC, but they are a lot better than people realize and have an underrated, all-around back in Fred Jackson that will take up a lot of the defense's attention as well. With Buffalo being at home, and coming of the huge win and Oakland coming off a short week and a little banged up, I still give the edge slightly to Buffalo, but again, if Run DMC gets going early and opens up the passing game a bit, then the Raiders should be able to make it a tight ballgame.

Prediction: Bills 27, Raiders 23

For most of the 49ers/Cowboys preview, we did a whole post here, but still have some points to make and reinforce. Like, stop, at least contain Tony Romo. That's going to really be the whole key to the game for San Francisco. They have a real brand new secondary and will really be put to the test this week in going up against Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Whitten, who the 49ers should stick Donte Whitner(pictured) on and hopefully he holds him in check like he did Zach Miller last weekend. Felix Jones is also a play-maker out of the backfield in the passing game. The 49ers should really keep an extra DB on the field at all times and force the Cowboys to try and run the football. If the Niners can do that, then they'll have a shot. They're also going to need to cause a turnover or two, and again, they will have to hold onto the ball on offense, cause if they lose the turnover battle, or even if they match-up in turnovers with Dallas, it won't be good news. They have to win that area, and that's something they can actually do. They need to press Tony Romo like New York did late in Monday Night's game. Romo was picking the Jets' highly-praised secondary apart for 3 quarters, but then they got some pressure on him and he made some bad decisions, playing on the road. The 49ers crowd has to be loud and help this defense, and of course, offensively, give them a lot of Gore and a little bit of Alex, but come out shooting early to keep the Cowboys honest and from piling 8 in the box. Still see the 49ers losing by at least 7.

Prediction: Cowboys 24, 49ers 17

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Other games to watch: Besides the Niners and Raiders games, a few other games I'll be watching pretty closely will be the Vicks 2nd trip back to Atlanta, but first since becoming a starter in Philly and one of the best QB's in football, better than his days in Atlanta even. That should be an interesting one that I see going Philly's way, unless Atlanta rattles up Vick and rams Michael Turner right through Philly's undersized defensive front: Eagles 24, Falcons 21.

Also, I think the real game of the week will be the San Diego/New England projected shootout. I had San Diego picked as my pre-season favorite in the AFC. I just think it's Phil Rivers' time and with Vincent Jackson back, Gates in his prime, Ryan Mathews ready to break out and Mike Tolbert there in case he doesn't, they really have it all offensively. Their big question coming in is defense, and they're D won't get a tougher task this year than what they're about to face Sunday in Foxboro. Tom Brady took the commanding early season MVP-lead with a 517 yard performance vs. the Dolphins and looks primed for another big season. The Patriots have some questions on defense though, and if they gave up 412 yards to Chad Henne, they could give up 500+ to Rivers unless they tighten up. Still don't know why they cut Brandon Meriweather, one of the leaders of that defense and a young player still in his mid-20's. This game should see 60+ points scored, and I'll stick by my pre-season favorites, even though they're on the road and weren't as impressive as the Pats in their win over the Vikings: Chargers 38, Patriots, 31

49ers Need To Open Up Offense Vs. Dallas

2011-09-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

The 49ers were able to win last Sunday with a very conservative offensive approach. They totaled under 300 yards of offense and failed to get either their passing game nor their running game in good rhythm.

Take away those returns by Ted Ginn and you have yourself a completely different ballgame. Now, some people are saying the 49ers didn't really open up the playbook Sunday cause they didn't need to and didn't want to expose any packages they may use in this upcoming match-up vs. Dallas. I think a wise move for them would be to come out gunning at Dallas early. I remember way beck when Jerry Rice and Steve Young were playing together and on the first play from scrimmage in a huge game in Dallas (believe regular season in mid-90's) when Young hit Rice on that quick slant and Rice took it to the house right down the middle of the field. It set the tone for the afternoon and the 49ers rolled into big D and whooped 'em all around their own house. That's the kind of strike I'd like to see them make early on in this game to show Dallas they can keep up with them offensively. I know Smith is a far cry from Young, and he has no Jerry Rice on this roster, but I'd really like to see them take some shots down field early in the game to Braylon or Vernon and back the defense off Alex Smith a little. I think Dallas will be totally preparing for Frank Gore and will make Alex Smith beat them, and Smith will be relied on much more heavily in week 2.

This 49er defense can make some stops and should do OK vs. Dallas, though their secondary could get picked apart a bit if Tony Romo is on his game. I expect them to give up the yards and probably a few touchdowns, so the 49ers offense has to enter this game with the mindset that they need to score 21-28 points to even have a shot in this one, and they can't rely on 14 of those coming from Ted Ginn kick returns. They'll need the defense to rush Romo into some bad decisions, which is when he can be exposed and throw picks. If you put the heat on him, and get into his head, he seems to come apart, especially late in games. Now this is a tough week for me because I have Romo on one of my fantasy teams and he's going up against the 49ers, so it's going to be a tough one to watch. If the 49ers want to have any hope of containing this offense though, they need to game plan for 4 players in particular besides Romo: DE DeMarcus Ware and WR's Dez Bryant and Miles Austin and TE Jason Whitten could all pose problems for the 49ers in their weakest spots of their team. They're offensive line is still growing, and had trouble opening up holes for Frank Gore against a sub-par Seattle D-Line, so they'll have their hands full with a hawk like Ware on the other side. He alone could change the pace of a game and I can definitely see 3-4 sacks by him alone if the 49ers are not prepared. As far as Bryant and Austin go, they're just two of the best receivers in the game period and Whitten is like the Cowboys version of Vernon Davis, do they have an aerial attack.

We'll have a little more on this game and a Raiders preview when we do our previews this weekend, but however you slice it, this is a huge game for the 49ers, and it's a huge game for Dallas. The 49ers get a real test, kind of like their first "real" game of the year, and an excellent measuring stick in Dallas. And the Cowboys are desperate to keep from falling to 0-2 and head towards another disappointing year. The one positive the 49ers have going for them is it's a home game, cause in Dallas, they'd really little chance! To betting tips on this or any other game this weekend, check out 11th hour review and results!

Raiders Take Down Broncos in Denver, Again

2011-09-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, let's just say the Raiders have the Broncos number in the mile-high city, cause they just can't seem to lose there lately, and Darren McFaden may think about joining the Broncos if he ever becomes a FA, because he absolutely tears it up in the high altitude setting!

The Raiders offense was Conservative, and the way they played really reminded me of the way the 49ers played their game against the Seahawks on Sunday. They tried some trickery early with Jacoby Ford, and it cost them, then Hue Jackson went into complete conservative mode. Jason Campbell wasn't explosive, but effective, going 13-22 for 105 yards and a score. He didn't turn the ball over and played just as good as he had to to get the job done, much like Alex Smith did the day before. Really, the only difference between the 49ers and the Raiders games was that the 49ers got their big plays on special teams, and the Raiders made most of theirs on defense. That Chris Johnson had one heckuva a game keeping up with Brandon Loyd, and keeping Kyle Orton's favorite target in check. He came up with some big tackles and a big deflection on 3rd down late in the game that helped seal it up for the Silver and Black. Add in a couple Janikowski field goals, and you have yourself a victory. The 63-yarder by Janikowski was just ridiculous, and he's by far the only kicker in the NFL I look forward to watching kick (also sailed all kickoffs into the stands kicking from the 35)!

Offensively, it was all about Run DMC, as he once again ended up with another huge game in Denver. DMac ran the ball 22 times for 150 yards and also caught a pass, as he and Michael Bush were able to run down Denver's throat's to work the clock and seal the game. Defensively, it was all about the pressure the Raiders kept on Orton all night, as they sacked him over 5 times and hurried him into bad throws many more times than that. Next week, the Raiders have a little tougher challenge, but not much, by way of the Buffalo Bills, but they certainly have a more explosive offense than Denver, and the Raiders are going to have to keep up with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson and the rest of the underrated Buffalo offense. And if you want to wager on that particular game, check out 11th hour SMS sports picks.

49ers Define A Conservitive Win Sunday

2011-09-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly wasn't a big blowout, or offensive showing either on the ground or through the air, but the 49ers offene did do something it had trouble doing in 2010, and that's holding on to the football.

The 49ers didn't turn the ball over a single time as they used a consevitive approach in week one vs. a much lesser Seattle Seahawk team. The 49ers showed us a few things this weekend, but there are still many question marks surrounding the team, even after the 31-17 win at Candlestick on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Smith threw for just 124 yards and had a few nice rushes, including a touchdown on a QB-keeper sweep in the first half, but it really was all about the special teams and the defense, mainly Teddy Ginn and Carlos Rogers. Ginn returned 2 kicks (one punt, one kickoff) for TD's and kept the 49ers in good field position on every return he had. He was a force, and showed that he should probably have some sort of role in this offense as well, something we here at the Journal have been asking for since he signed with San Francisco. Nobody in their recieving corps has that kind of speed to stretch a field so why not use him more a wideout? He certainly made a case for a bigger role in week one. Rogers made a few nice deflections, including a TD-saver, swatting the ball out of Ben Obamanu's hands at the last second on a third-and-goal for Seattle. He showed already he's 2 times the cover-man Clements was for SF.

As far as the running game, which Harbough promosied a heavy dose of, he did deliver, but the 49ers, for some reason, couldn't open up many holes for their star running back. Frank Gore finished with under 50 yards rushing on 24 carries and never really got into a rythem. He had a few nice runs, but was stuffed a few times, including on the goal line where he's normally a beast. Still though, the 49ers were effecient on offense, getting key first downs when they needed. Harbough had them playing fundamental football. They didn't look like the reckless Niners of old making stupid penalties or turnovers, so even though they weren't explosive on offense, they put up 31 points. It's like they just wanted to get the lead and keep it, it didn't matter if they were scoring or not, as long as they had the lead and Seattle wasn't moving the ball, they were happy with not putting up big offnsive numbers. But next week in Dallas, it's going to be a whole new ballgame, cause this offense will need to open up a bit in order to keep up with the Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Whitten, Miles Austin and that Cowboy offense.

Player of the Week: Ted Ginn Jr.- 2 kick ret. for TD's

NFL Playoff and Super Bowl Prediction

2011-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Just in time for kickoff on Sunday, here are BASJ's NFL Picks for this 2011 NFL season. With the akward, strike shortened training camp, teams who gelled well at the end of last year and stayed in-tact should be ahead of the curve. A few teams like that who I don't have on this list but would be next on my playoff tree are the Lions, Bears, Bucs, Giants Chiefs and of course, the Manning-less Colts (If he comes back for 2nd half and plays well, they'll be OK). But here's who I have as my picks at this point:

NFC Playoffs

Bye: Green Bay, Philadelphia

Wild Card Round:

Atlanta 27 - St. Louis 20

Dallas 37 - New Orleans 29

NFC Divisional Round

Philadelphia Eagles 31 - Dallas Cowboys 17

Green Bay Packers 24 - Atlanta Falcons 20

NFC Championship

Philadelphia Eagles 26 - Green Bay Packers 21

I love the Eagles as long as they stay healthy this year. It's a given Vick will probably miss a few games just because of the style he plays, but if he plays 14+ games and McCoy and those recievers stay healthy, they're tough to stop. Then on defense, they're stacked all around. Green Bay should give them a nice run but I don't think Rogers will pass as freely vs. them as Green Bay would like and they don't have that dependent running game yet. It's a close call though. I also like Dallas this year too... They're my wild-card to take the NFC Championship!

AFC Playoffs

Bye: Pittsuburgh, New England

Wild Card Round:

San Diego Chargers 28 - Baltimore Ravens 16

Houston Texans 27 - New York Jets 24

Divisional Round:

Pittsburgh Steelers 31 - Houston Texans 20

San Diego Chargers 38- New England Patriots 35

AFC Championship:

San Diego Chargers 21 - Pittsburgh Steelers 17

I really like San Deigo this year with a hungry Vince Jackson and Ryan Mathews. Their defense holds the key though, they need to improve in order to hold off elite teams like the Steelers and Patriots and I think they can, plus everyone is picking Pittsburgh and I want to go a different route. For the Super Bowl though, I have to go with the team I think will just be too tough to stop this year:

SUPER BOWL PREDICTION:

Philadelpia Eagles 27 - San Diego Chargers 17

Again, as long as that core stays healthy, with Asomugha covering guys with the rest of that secondary and pass rush, they'll be virtually impossible to pass against. So teams will have to beat them on the ground first and they're pretty good there too. If Vick or McCoy go down though, so do the Eagles chances. And if you feel like you know who's going to win the big game this year, put your money where your mouth is at 2nd half betting picks!

2011 NFL Awards Predictions

2011-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Micahel Vick, QB Eagles- The guy got his feet wet in this offense last season and look what happened. Now they're even better and Vick could easily throw for 25 TDs and rush for 10+ and that would certainly be something from the QB position. His weapons don't end and he's got two solid backs that can catch out of the backfield, so he's going to be at his best! Runners Up: Ray Rice, Tony Romo, Drew Brees

Offensive POY: Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore- This dude can do it all and is just getting better. I'm one of the ones that are hoping for 2,000 yards from him (#1 fantasy pick), and he should tack on 10+ total TD's. Some are worried Ricky Williams will steal some thunder inside the 5, but Rice, to me, is turning into the 2nd coming of Marshal Faulk. Runner Up: Calvin Johnson, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson

Defensive POY: DeMarcus Ware, LB, Dallas- A lot of experts are sleeping on Dallas after '10, but they have a healthy Romo and the nastiest pass rusher in he game right no in Ware. With improved unit around him, 20 sacks and 80 tackles with a pick or 2 is a possibility. The dude can do it all! Runners up: Ed Reed, LaMarr Woodly, Patrick Willis

Offensive ROY: Mark Ingram, RB, Saints- Ingram is starting off splitting carries with Pierre Thomas, but Ingram should carry the heavy load and be a main target in the best offense in football. If he doesn't amass 1,200 total yards and 8+ TD's I'd be surprised. He'll have to earn both his carries and this award though, cause he faces some tough competition. Runnners Up: Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Cam Newton

Defensive ROY: Von Miller, LB, Broncos- Not only is this guy the best rookie linebacker, he's probably going to be in the top-15 in the league before the years done. 2nd coming of Patrick Willis a lot of people believe, and many think he's the premiere MLB in football. Runners Up: Patrick Peterson, Aldon Smith, J.J. Watt

Comeback POY: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers- There are a lot of people you could go with here, but I give Williams the edge over V-Jax because Jackson decided not to play most of last year. He played very well when he did return too. Williams should again be 1,000+ rush yards and 6-8 TD's while being relied on heavily by rookie Cam Newton! Runners Up: Vincent Jackson, Reggie Bush

Coach of the Year: Jason Garrett, Cowboys- I hate to pick the Cowboys for anything being a 49ers guy, but I foresee big things for the Cowboys this year for some reason, and I think Garrett will get a ton of credit for the huge turnaround if that's indeed the case. Runner Up: Steve Spagnuolo-Rams, Jim Shwartz-Lions

We also encourage you to check out Docs sports 411 Betting System!

2011 NFC West Preview

2011-09-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, we've ended up in the NFC West, arguably the worst division in the NFL heading into the season, but they do have a few teams who could surprise.
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St. Louis Rams, 1st Place

Offense:

QB: Sam Bradford
RB: Steven Jackson
WR: Danny Amendola, Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Gibson
TE: Lance Kendricks
OL: Roger Saffold, Jason Brown, Jacob Bell

Defense:

DL: DE Chris Long, DT Fred Robbins, DE James Hall
LB: James Laurinatis, Ben Leber
CB: Bradly Fletcher, Ron Bartell
S: Quintin Mikkel, Craig Dahl

As long as St. Louis' defense holds up and their offense keeps growing, it's going to be tough for any NFC West team to handle them. They have an underrated receiving group and a hungry Steven Jackson running behind an improved line. Their success will ultimately rely on Bradford's growth. If he becomes the Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco type, like I think he can, the Rams have themselves a QB for the next decade, and a good one. Defense is a little thin, but everyone else in this division has major holes bigger than the Rams' defense.
Record: 10-6

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San Francisco 49ers, 2nd Place

Offense:
QB: Alex Smith
RB: Frank Gore
WR: Michael Crabtree, Braylon Edwards, Josh Morgan
TE: Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker
OL: Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, Joe Staley

Defense:
DL: Justin Smith, Issac Sopogoa
LB: Patrick Willis, LB Ahmad Brooks, LB Aldon Smith
CB: Carlos Rogers, Shawtae Spencer
S: Donte Whittner, Dashon Goldson, Madeiu Williams

The 49ers would be such a better team if they had a full training camp to work with, and a chance to evaluate outside quarterbacks. I still think you put Donovan McNabb or even Vinny Young behind center with this team, and you have the division favorite. Smith has looked horrid this preseason, but I expect better in-season, and I expect Gore to turn it on and the Wideouts to perform. Their defense is a top-5 NFL defense but doesn't get noticed because their offense isn't up to par. If Smith shows up on fire though, this could be their division for the taking! They'd help themselves out by grabbing either David Garrard or Trent Edwards (both just cut) as Smith's backup, or replacement if he proves this preseason hasn't been another "learning period". (More in-depth Niners Preview to come Saturday)
Record: 8-8
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Arizona Cardinals, 3rd Place

Offense:
QB: Kevin Kolb
RB: Beanie Wells
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts, Early Doucet
TE: Todd Heap
OL: Levi Brown, Rex Handlot

Defense:
DL: Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell,
LB: Parris Lennon, Joey Porter
CB: Patrick Peterson (R)
S: Adrian Wilson

The only thing keeping the Cardinals out of the cellar is the excellent connection I'm expecting out of Fitz and Kolb. It should be like another Warner back there in AZ, but their running back depth is thin after losing rookie Ryan Williams, that was a huge hit for this offense. Defensively, they're one of the weaker teams in the league and will ultimately keep them from competing or even being .500. I'm also not at all sold on Beanie Wells as a featured back!
Record: 7-9
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Seattle Seahawks, 4th Place

Offense:
QB: Tavaris Jackson
RB: Marshawn Lynch
WR: Sidney Rice, Mike Williams
TE: Zach Miller
OL: Russell Okung, Robert Gallary

Defense:
DL: Chris Clemons, Brandon Mebane, Alan Branch
LB: Aaron Curry, David Hawthorne
CB: Marcus Trufant
S: Earl Thomas

The Seahawks have the makings of a ridiculously dynamic offensive attach. They have a power/agile back in Lynch, a nifty 3rd down guy in Forsett, and a bunch of big, fast receiving targets, including newcomers Rice and Miller. It's just too bad they didn't pick a better quarterback. You would have put Kevin Kolb or Orton or even kept Hasselbeck here, this team would be playoff contenders, immediately. Look what they did last season. This division is that sorry!
Record: 5-11
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New QB on Market? The 49ers could have another option for their lack of quarterback depth, as the Jaguars released their starter David Garrard (career 86 QB rate; 90.2 in '10). Now, Garrard has his limitation, but there isn't an NFL person around that would say he'd rather have Alex Smith leading his team than Garrard. If I were Baalke, I would thank my lucky stars someone of this quality became available and swoop him up before anyone else does. If Alex stinks it up to start the year, boom, you have your answer without having to rush Kaepernick into the mix. Again, I haven never been a huge Garrard fan, but his 2010 numbers show he certainly still has something left in those legs and arm. He or Trent Edwards, who played well despite being surrounded by a horrible team in Buffalo, then never really has gotten another opportunity, in my mind, would be superior to Alex Smith. I have a hard time understanding why the 49ers' brass doesn't see it that way.

Expert Steve Janus agrees with how we see the NFC West playing out. If you want to beat the NFL spreads each week take a look at what he has to offer.

2011 NFC South Preview

2011-09-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

We've been burning through our NFL previews the last few days, doing about 2 per day, trying to cram everything in before kickoff on Thursday. After the NFC South here, we'll do an extended preview for the NFC West, then do our Awards/Playoff Predictions on Wednesday, so still plenty of football prep here at BASJ!

Atlanta Falcons, 1st Place

Offense: QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, WR Julio Jones, TE Tony Gonzalez, RT Tyson Clabo

Defense: DE John Abraham, DE Ray Edwards, DT Jonathan Babineaux, LB Curtis Lofton, CB Brent Grimes, SS William Moore, CB Dunta Robinson

Call me crazy, but I just see Atlanta as a more well rouded squad than New Orleans. Don't get me wrong, NO can pass with anyone in the league, but their running situation is still un-proven and their defense is nothing special. Atlanta, on the other hand, has a rock solid defense, and an offensive unit you dream about if your a football coach. Smart, good quarterback, power/quick running back, multiple recieving threats including a premium pro-bowler and Tony Gonzalez (who should be better in year 2 with Ryan). I just like that team on that turf in ATL as long as they keep their key guys healthy.
Record: 11-5

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New Orleans Saints, 2nd Place *Wild Card*

Offense: QB Drew Brees, RB Mark Ingram, RB Pierre Thomas, WR Marques Colston, WR Lance Moore, TE Jimmy Graham, LT Jermon Bushrod, C Olin Kruetz

Defense: DT Sedrick Ellis, DE Will Smith, LB Jonathan Vilma, CB Jabari Greer, SS Roman Harper

There's no disputing the Saint passing game. They're dominant and 2nd to none in all the NFL. It's when they need to run the football and stop teams on defense is what I'm worried about with them. I think Ingram will be a fine back, but it won't happen overnight. There have been just a few rookie backs over the last 5 years to standout offensively. Both their backs also have injury histories and both are battling nagging issues already in September! I Saints will be in the playoffs, and will be a dangerous team because of their scoring power, but they are flawed.
Record: 10-6

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Josh Freeman, RB LeGarrette Blount, WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow, RT Jeremy Trueblood

Defense: DT Gerald McCoy, DE Da'Quan Bowers (R), LB Geno Hayes, CB Aqib Talib, CB Ronde Barber

The Bucs are another up and coming team in the NFC, it's just too bad their in the South with Atlanta and the Saints. Still though, with the young stud QB Josh Freeman behind center and throwing to the impressive Mike Williams and Kellen Winslow and pounding Blount down defenses throats (no pun intended), this offense will be good. Defensively, they're still in rebuild mode but are just a few years away. They're starting 3 rooks on d, but all 3 should have bright futures and it should payoff down the line. As is though, their still good enough to flirt with a playoff spot and keep things interesting into December.
Record: 8-8

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Carolina Panthers, 4th Place

Offense: QB Cam Newton, RB DeAngelo Williams, WR Steve Smith, LT Jordan Gross, C Ryan Kalil

Defense: DE Charles Johnson, LB Jon Beason, LB James Anderson, SS Charles Goodfrey, CB Chris Gamble

The Panthers could challenge to be one of the worst teams in the league. They seemed married to the idea of using Newton no matter what, and I'm not so sure that's the best idea, then again, they have little options. Maybe let Newton watch for a few weeks from the sideline and let Derek Anderson start things off or something, cause I'd hate to see Newton get roughed up early on and never recover. I've seen it way too often. Their running game and O-Line should be a strength, but teams will put 8 in the box until the Panthers prove they can pass the ball.
Record: 2-14

2011 NFC North Preview

2011-09-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is another division that is very tightly knit. The reigning Super Bowl champs stand supreme, but they have a young, up-and-coming team on their heals and some solid, veteran led squads also hungry for playoff football:

Green Bay Packers, 1st Place

Offense: QB Aaron Rogers, RB Ryan Grant, RB James Starks, WR Gregg Jennings, TE Jermichael Finely, RT Bryan Balugam

Defense: NT B.J. Raji, LB Clay Mathews, LB A.J. Hawk, LB Desmond Bishop, CB Charles Woodson, FS Nick Collins, CB Tramon Williams

The reigning champs are another one of those balanced teams that can beat you in a number of ways. The number one way though is with Aaron Rogers and his weapons, Jennings, Driver and Finley, among others. Then we get to their defense, that's just as strong as it was for last years super bowl run, though another huge year out of Charles Woodsen may not be in the cards. Still, they have enough talent on both sides to make the playoffs and should win this division so long as Rogers is healthy.
Record: 12-4

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Detroit Lions, 2nd Place

Offense: QB Matthew Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, TE Brandon Pettigrew, WR Nate Burleson, LT Jeff Backus

Defense: DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Cliff Avril, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, LB Stephen Tuloch, CB Eric Wright

The Lions have an offense built to keep up with anyone. As long as Stafford stays healthy, he'll utilize the heck out of his excellent targets like Johnson, Best, Burleson and Pettigrew. The one area they need to solidify and figure out is their running game. Best is a game-breaker and they want him carrying at least 12-15 times per week, but he's not an everydown guy and will break down. They drafted a big back to compliment him, then he got hurt, so I wouldn't put it past the Lions to be searching for a bigger-sized power-back (Chester Taylor just got swooped up but Larry Johnson may not be a bad option).
Record: 10-6

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Minnesotta Vikings, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Donovan McNabb, RB Adrian Peterson, WR Percy Harvin, TE Kyle Rudolph, TE Visanthe Shiancoe, LG Steve Hutchinson

Defense: DT Kevin Williams, DE Jared Allen, LB E.J. Henderson, LB Chad Greenway, CB Antoine Winfield

A lot of people are counting the Vikes out this year because of all the turnover, but I'll tell you this; Donovan McNabb is hungry, and he has more than a few weapons at his disposal. He's got two very good tight-ends and a couple solid wideouts, but the focus on the offense run through Peterson and AP is the ultimate back who could go for 1,300 yards/12 TD's in his sleep and should have his most prolific receiving year with McNabb behind center. Their defense is solid, not great, but strong enough to win if their offense puts up points.
Record: 8-8

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Chicago Bears, 4th Place

Offense: QB Jay Cutler, RB Matt Forte, WR Roy Williams, WR Johnny Knox, T Gabe Carimi (R)

Defense: DE Julius Peppers, LB Lance Briggs, LB Brian Urlacher, FS Chris Harris, CB Charles Tillman

Plenty of people like the Bears as high as 2 in this division behind Green Bay, but I think they have too many holes, and I just don't think Jay Cutler is a winner. I like Matt Forte, and maybe with Chester Taylor gone, they'll let him run the ball 275+ times and get 1,200 yards. He's a beast in the passing game too. Their recieving corps is a mess though. They demoted Knox, who was their top guy last season, for the Williams, who they're hoping regains his 2007 form when he dominated under Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz's offense. Unless their receiving steps up in a big way and Cutler finds some clutch bone in his body, this team again is all about their defense.
Record: 7-9

Handicapper Steve Janus also thinks the North goes Packers then Lions with his NFC North predictions. If you want to beat the NFL odds this fall check out the picks that he offers.

2011 NFC East Preview

2011-09-04T21:25:00.001-07:00

Finally onto the NFC. No offense Raider fans, but we all know this blog caters to the 49ers and isn't a 49ers only blog because I want the freedom to talk about other happenings in the sports world. But, on with the show, as pound through our NFC Previews and finish off with the award and playoff predictions.

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Philladelphia Eagles, 1st Place

Offense: QB Michael Vick, RB LeShawn McCoy, RB Ronnie Brown, WR DeSean Jackson, WR Jeremy Maclin, LT Jason Peters

Defense: DE Trent Cole, LB Casey Mathews (R), CB Asante Samuel, CB Nhamdi Asomugha, SS Nate Allen, DE Juqua Parker

The Eagles do have some chinks in their armor and are a very fragile bunch, but if all stay realitively healthy, they could have a tremendous season and should be Super Bowl contenders. It's a tough NFC East though this year, and they need Vick to keep it up and McCoy to step it up in order for that offense to be elite. You know your good when you have a guy like Brown as a backup/goal line guy! Defensively, you'll have to beat them with the run, cause their ends will pressure you and they have the best secondary in the NFC (maybe NFL), after adding the big guy this summer, then Rogers-Cromartie through the Kolb deal with Arizona. You just won't be able to pass on them and they'll be too tough to stop offensively.
Record: 13-3

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2nd Place, Dallas Cowboys *Wild Card*

Offense: QB Tony Romo, RB Felix Jones, WR Miles Austin, WR Dez Bryant, TE Jason Whitten, LT Doug Free

Defense: LB Anthony Spencer, LB Bradie James, LB Keith Brooking, LB DeMarcus Ware, CB Terrence Newman, FS Gerald Sensabaugh

If it weren't for the Cowboys young and un-polished O-line, they'd be an elite team, but if that line gels, lookout. They have talented youngsters, but some journerman as well, but as long as Tony Romo does his thing and Felix Jones takes off, the Cowboys offense will be at full strength. The defense, especially the front-7, is as good as it's been in a while, as they sport the 2nd best LB crew in all the NFL to only Pittsburgh. They also have a healthy Newman at CB, but other than that, their secondary is hit or miss.
Record: 10-6

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3rd Place, New York Giants

Offense: QB Eli Manning, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Mario Manningham, RT Kareem McKenzie, LT Will Beaty

Defense: DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, LB Mathias Kiwanuka, CB Corey Webster, FS Antrel Rolle

The Giants have a power-built rushing attach, but for some reason want Manning to throw the ball 50 times a week, and he makes too many mistakes to do that. He's a very good QB when he can work off the run, but to ask him to throw 75% of the time is too much. They say they'll mix Jacobs in a lot more this year and he looks good, plus that line is as tough as ever. I think the Giants are in for a nice year on offense, defensively is another story though. They need some guys to step up and play well and rebound from off-years.
Record: 9-7

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Washington Redskins, 4th Place
Offense: QB Jon Beck, RB Tim Hightower, WR Santana Moss, TE Chris Cooley, RT Jamall Brown

Defense: LB Ryan Kerrigan (R), LB London Fletcher, LB Rocky Mcintosh, LB Brian Orakpo, CB DeAngelo Hall, SS LaWan LaRon Landry, CB Josh Wilson (R)

The 'Skins D is defnitely on the up-and-up. They too are stocked with their 3-4 set with top linebackers built for the scheme and have some play-makers in their secondary, although they also give up the big play too often. Overall, you put their D with a good offense and I think you'd have something. I know Hall gets the wrap for his antics, but he makes plays and I expect huge things out of rookie Josh Wilson. Still a ways away though with their overturn at QB and RB.
Record: 4-12

Steve Janus likes the Cowboys more than we do with his NFC East predictions. If you want winning NFL picks this fall check out what he has to offer

Six QB's the 49ers Should Look At

2011-09-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

With the 49ers in dire need of a QB, the time is now for them to strike if they are going to add anyone before the start of the regular season, being that teams just simplified their rosters to 53 today.

Now, don't get me wrong, the list of potential names of guys who got axed certainly aren't exciting and some aren't even proven NFL QB's, but given the 49ers situation, I think any of the following guys would not only be worth a shot, but could succeed with Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards.

Of course, everyone has heard the Josh Johnson rumor, so there's no need to mention his name, and we've also mentioned the Raiders backups, Trent Edwards and Kyle Boller, who each would likely pose better options than Alex Smith right now. Guess what, Edwards was the odd man out after the Raiders took Pryor, and he should be atop the 49ers list after Josh McCown failed miserably to do anything. They also still need their O-Line to take shape, but I'm not nearly as worried about that as I am the am the QB situation. The NFC West is pretty thin and the 49ers really are just one decent QB away from really becoming a player in the race. Here are some other team's back-ups that could be out of a roster spot in a week or so, or may be plucked away with a late round draft choice and provide a starter, a challenger, or insurance for Alex Smith and actually give this team a chance to win:

Trent Edwards, FA - He has to become the 49ers immediate #1 target. He's an ideal fit for the west coast offense, plus he's a Stanford guy and knows Harbough. I just see this as too good a fit. If Smith doesn't cut it after 1/4 of the season, you go to Edwards and see what he can do with the 49ers offensive talent. He's a smart guy, and doesn't make too many bad decisions back there like Alex does, but he doesn't quite have the athletic ability and mobility Alex does. Looked to be getting better as starter in Buffalo before they tore the team out from around him and the line went to garbage. I honestly think the 49ers would be a better team with Edwards and knows the WC offense.

Brodie Croyle, FA - He's nowhere near as exciting or as good as Edwards, but he posses a plausible backup and one that would give the team someone better than Colin Kaepernick after Smith. Croyle's never really gotten a shot, but has played well in spurts, and could be one opportunity away from making it big.

Seneca Wallace, Cleveland - Onto possible trade targets, Wallce would be #1. He's always been frowned upon because his sub-6 foot height, but he more than makes up for that with athleticism and play-making ability. All respect to Matt Hasselbeck, I though Wallace was their better QB the last few years he was in Seattle. He's a career backup with an 64 rating and 29/16 TD/INT ratio, who can throw on the move. I'd love to see him be a starter somewhere, but it's doubtful Cleveland lets him go as he's their insurance for McCoy.

Brady Quinn, Denver - Quinn's another guy who's never had any talent around him. He got thrown into the fire in Cleveland with a horrid team and was bad, then never got another look since. He's looked good in training camps and preseason games, but didn't throw a pass last season. With Orton and Tebow in Denver, he could be expendable, but likely has a ceiling as a backup QB.

Josh Johnson, Tampa Bay - OK, everyone has heard his name mentioned this summer, problem is, the Bucs won't get rid of him. Even though Josh Freeman is a potential pro-bowl talent about to enter his prime, the Bucs want Johnson as insurance. Know, if the 49ers saw Johnson as a potential QB of the future and don't believe in Kap, which I do not, they may be willing to give up a 3rd rounder and a young player to get the young QB.

Drew Stanton, Det - Stanton is the wild card, possessing all the talent in the world, a lot like Smith, just never putting it all together. Unlike Smith though, he hasn't had chance after chance fall onto his lap. I was hoping he'd get chopped at the deadline, but even with Shaun Hill entrenched as the #2, Detroit cannot trust Matt Stafford to stay on the field so Stanton wouldn't be cheap.

2011 AFC West Preview

2011-09-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

San Diego Chargers, 1st Place

Offense: QB Phil Rivers, RB Ryan Mathews, RB Mitch Tolbert, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, G Kris Dielman

Defense: NT Antonio Garay, LB Shaun Phillips, LB Takeo Spikes, CB Quentin Jammer, SS Bob Sanders, FS Eric Weddle

The Chargers once again have the most well-rounded team in the AFC West, and it would be a huge dissapointment if they failed to win the division. Rivers is an elite QB, and has both of his favorite targets, Jackson and Gates, back full-time this year. A big key to their success rests on the shoulders of running back Ryan Mathews, who could make the Chargers Super Bowl contenders if he ascends like everyone expects and becomes that 1,100 yard, 8-10 TD back. With Mike Tolbert though too, they can spread the load and keep Mathews fresh. Defensively, the Chargers have a top-notch secondary, but I'm a little worried about their young front-7.
Record: 12-4

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Kansas City Chiefs, 2nd Place

Offense: QB Matt Cassell, RB Jamal Charles, RB Thomas Jones, WR Dwayne Bowe, G Jon Asamoah

Defense: LB Derek Johnson, LB Tamba Hali, NT Kelly Gregg, CB Brandon Flowers, FS Eric Berry

I liked the Chiefs at the start of camp, but Cassell has had a less than stellar preseason as he's failed to synch up with WR's Steve Breaston and Jonthan Baldwin, and the O-Line has underperformed. They have the talent on both sides of the ball to actually overtake the Chargers, but they need their guys to mature into the players they can be. If their young, highly talented ends, Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, can get to the QB, their defense could be a force with those 'backers and DB's.
Record: 9-7

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Oakland Raiders, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Jason Campbell, RB Darren McFadden, RB Michael Bush, WR Jacoby Ford, C Stefen Wisniewski (R)

Defense: DT Richard Seymour, DT Tommy Kelly, LB Kamerion Wimbley, SS Tyvon Branch, FS Michael Huff, CB Stanford Routt

I really expect the Raiders and Broncos to finish with near identical records, they're that alike. Now that Campbell has had a year in Oakland to get acclimated, I expect better results, as long as he can stay on the field that is. I expect him to use Jacoby Ford like he did Santana Moss in Washington and Ford to be Oakland's #1 WR. Denarious Moore has also gained headlines this summer, and I expect him to take the #2 spot with Heyward-Bey in the slot in 3-WR sets. This is likely it for Bey (probably cut if Chaz and Murphy were healthy), who could be axed in-season if he doesn't show results. McFadden and Bush are the best two-man combo in the NFL in my opinion, so hopefully the improved aerial game opens up some more holes for them. Also, this defense is improving, despite the loss of Asomugha. Routt and Branch are Pro-Bowl caliber players in the secondary still and Huff is still a ball-hawk. Their D-Line pressures the QB well, and they have the sack machine in Wimbley at OLB. The Raiders are still a ways away; they need an offensive line that will hold up all season, and a wideout or two to really step up this year without Zach Miller gone. If those two things happen, this squad could be right on KC's heels.
Record: 7-9

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Denver Broncos, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Kyle Orton, RB Knowshon Moreno, RB Willis McGahee, WR Brandon Loyd, LT Ryan Clady

Defense: DE Elvis Dumervil, LB D.J. Williams, LB Von Miller (R), CB Champ Baily, FS Brian Dawkins

The Broncos do have a lot of talent themselves, though they've got some issues going on inside their organization and are likely longing for the days of Mike Shanahon right about now. They picked the right guy as their starting QB, and should stick with him. Tebow is a nice wildcat option, but I don't see him as an NFL starter, and I think Denver is just now realizing it. Moreno is an average NFL running back, and Brandon Loyd will have a very hard time repeating last seasons breakout and needs Eddie Royal to help take some coverage off him. Where the Broncos are looking better and moving forward is on the defensive side. They have sack master Dumervil back and have teamed D.J. Williams with #2 overall pick Von Miller at linebacker. They also still have Champ Baily shutting down wideouts, though he has lost a step. If the defense grows together and the offensive line plays well and gets Moreno going, they could overtake the Raiders easy.
Record: 6-10
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And that concludes the AFC Preview portion. Wild Card teams are marked, and (R) stands for rookie if you didn't notice. We'll jump right into the NFC next, but we also have a 49ers post to mix in before we do so check out for that Sunday!

AFC South Preview

2011-09-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans, 1st Place

Offense: QB Matt Schaub, RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson, TE Owen Daniels, RT Eric Winston

Defense: LB/DE Mario Williams, LB Brian Cushing, NT Shaun Cody, DE J.J. Watt (R), CB Jonathan Joseph, FS Daniel Manning

The 3rd ranked offense from a year ago remains in-tact and even more cohesive. Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub are becoming a pair for the ages and Arian Foster has emerged as a top-3 NFL rusher. Their offense shouldn't have any problems so long as their O-Line holds up. Defensively, they added a few pieces to help them contain the Colts. Jon Joseph is a premiere cornerback and Watt and Williams could combine for 20 sacks. Again though, this team has a terrific 1st team on both sides, but depth is very much an issue. I also would like to see the explosive Jacoby Jones overtake the #2 WR spot from Kevin Walter.
Record: 11-5

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Indianapolis Colts, 2nd Place

Offense: QB Peyton Manning*, RB Joseph Addai, WR Reggie Wayne, WR Austin Collie, TE Dallas Clark, C Jeff Saturday

Defense: DE Robert Mathis, DE Dwight Freeney, DT Tommie Harris, FS Antoine Bethea, LB Gary Brackett

The Colts are a team heading in the opposite direction as the Texans right now. They're getting older and breaking down a bit. Manning could miss up to 2-3 games, and probably won't be 100% for quite sometime. I've never been a big fan of their running game, and Dallas Clark, Mannings #2 target is having injury issues of his own after missing the majority of '10. The defense will get after the passer, but will struggle again against the run and in pass coverage.
*Manning will miss at least the first half of the year.
Record: 9-7

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Tennessee Titans, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Chris Johnson, WR Kenny Britt, TE Jared Cook, RG Jake Scott

Defense: LB Will Witherspoon, LB Barrett Rudd, LB Akeem Ayers (R), SS Chris Hope, CB Cortland Finnegan

I like Tennessee a lot more than many football experts. I think Hasselbeck will be a fine veteran leader there to hold them over until Jake Locker's ready (and Locker looks like the real deal). He's got some decent weapons in Britt and Cook and a QB's best friend in a horse like Chris Johnson. So long as their O-Line doesn't crumble in front of them, they should have an average to above average offense. Their defense could also go either way. They have a star linebacking crew and nice secondary, but their front four are a little weak.
Record: 7-9

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Jacksonville Jaguars, 4th Place

Offense: QB David Garrard, RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WR Mike Thomas, TE Mercedes Lewis

Defense: DE Aaron Kampman, LB Paul Posluszny, FS Dawan Landry, CB Derek Cox

The Jags really should just let Blaine Gabbart take over QB for them cause they're just prolonging the inevitable by trotting Garrard back there. They aren't winning anything with David Garrard and Could be building a nice little offensive unit if they could find a QB and a tall receiver. Of all the teams that could use one of the free agent diva WR's Moss or Owens, it would be Jacksonville.
Record: 5-11

AFC North Preview

2011-09-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh Steelers, 1st Place

Offensive Players: QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Mike Wallace, WR Heinz Ward, C Maurkice Pouncey, T Jonathan Scott

Defensive Players: LB LaMarr Woodley, LB James Farrior, LB Lawrence Timmons, LB James Harrison, CB Bryant McFadden, S Troy Polamalu

The Steelers are becoming like the Yankees of the NFL, there going to be there every year, it's just a matter of will they win the whole thing or not. This year, they have as good a shot as anyone I think, with a hungry, healthy Big Ben ready to go off for 4500 yards with his never ending weapons (now Antonio Brown is standing out too). They have as good a workhourse RB as there is in the game, even though he won't catch passes, Mendenhall will hold onto the ball and pound forward for consistent yardage. They have a great defense, solid lines on both sides and a healthy secondary. Look out AFC!
Record: 14-2

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Baltimore Ravens, 2nd Place *(Wild Card)*

Offense: QB Joe Flacco, RB Ray Rice, WR Anquan Boldin, T Michael Oher
Defense: NT Haloti Ngata, LB Ray Lewis, LB Terrell Suggs, CB Dominque Foxworth, CB Jimmy Smith (R), S Ed Reed

The Ravens again have a stout defense, but like the Steelers, they're starting to age a bit on that side of the ball. Ngata is a brilliant DT and Lewis and Suggs can still move around well and hit you hard. I expect a huge year out of Suggs. Offensively, this team is driven by Rice and Flacco, and Rice is primed for a huge year. A 2000 total yard season is just about what's in store for Rice if all things go well (I'm hoping they are for my fantasy teams' sake). The problem with the offense right now is that Flacco's having a hard time learning the new look receiving corps minus two of his favorite targets in Todd Heap and Derrick Mason.
Record: 10-6

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Cincinatti Bengals, 3rd Place

Offense: QB Andy Dalton, RB Cedric Benson, WR A.J. Green, TE Jermaine Gresham, T Andre Smith

Defense: DE Carlos Dunlap, LB Manny Lawson, LB Ray Maualuga, CB Nate Clements, CB Leon Hall

This is were a lot of people have the Browns finishing, but even with rookie Andy Dalton and a sketch O-Line, I really like Green and Gresham and think Benson will be running for a big contract. Defensively, they have some very nice pieces, though they're still a work in progress. Dunlap is coming off a 10-sack season and Lawson and Clements are each hoping on improving on below-par years with San Francisco. I think this team could surprise a bit though for sure.
Record: 5-11

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Cleveland Browns, 4th Place

Offense: QB Colt McCoy, RB Peyton Hillis, TE Kellen Winslow, LT Joe Thomas

Defense: LB D'Qwell Jackson, DT Ahtyba Rubin, S T.J. Ward, CB Joe Haden (R), CB Sheldon Brown

I like the Browns young secondary, and there's no questioning their running game led by the bulldozing Peyton Hillis. My questions with this team lie squarely on their passing attach, which I don't believe they have. I've yet to be impressed by Colt McCoy, granted he's still got a year or 2 before I consider him a bust. He'll be OK and won't really lose a game for you, but he's not a guy who's going to lead a team deep into the playoffs. He doesn't have many receiving options either, outside of Winslow. Masaquoi is labeled the #1 wideout, but has been ridiculously inconsistent, and Brian Robiskie has never lived up to his hype coming out of Ohio State. If McCoy does catch fire, and one of their wideouts steps up to support Winslow and Hillis, they'll be looking a lot better.
Record: 4-12

NFL Previews: AFC East Preview

2011-09-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

With the calendar turning September, and the 2011 NFL season getting set to kick-off, I figured now would be a good time to start our NFL Divisional Previews/Predictions. Since we don't have time to go through and list off each starting position player and what not, we'll just name order in which we think the teams will finish, why they'll do so, as well as the key players on each respective team.

We'll be starting in the AFC East and finishing in the NFC West, so here we go:

AFC East

New England Patriots - 1st Place

Key Starters: QB Tom Brady, RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis, WR Chad Ochocinco, WR Wes Welker, TE Aaron Hernandez, G Logan Mankins, WR/RB Danny Woodard

Defensive: DE Shaun Ellis, NT Vince Wilfork, DE Albert Haynesworth, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Devin McCourty, SS Brandon Merriweather, CB Leigh Bodden

Offensively, I actually am expecting more out of the Pats than a lot of people. I think #85 will find his niche like Randy Moss did and just make guys like Welker and Deon Branch that much better. If they gave Hernandez starter's minutes, the guy would be a top-5 tight end, not doubt. The running game is a little questionable, but bowling ball Ellis and utility man Woodward are nice compliments to each other. The Pas have put together a very nice defense (I'm hoping so for my fantasy team's sake as well), as they have a tough front with Ellis, Wilfork and Haynesworth and interception machines McCourty and Bodden at corner. The big question for their secondary will be the health of Bodden who had 5 picks and 60 tackles in '09, but missed last season.
Prediction: 13-3

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New York Jets - 2nd Place *Wild Card*

Key Starters: QB Mark Sanchez, RB Shonn Green, RB LaDanian Tomlinson, LT D'Brickshaw Ferguson, C Nick Mangold, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Plaxico Burress.

Defense: Darrelle Revis CB, Antonion Cromartie CB, Calvin Pace LB, David Harris LB, Bart Scott

The Jets lost a big part of their defensive front when they let Shaun Ellis slip into the hands of the Patriots, but Rex Ryan believes in rookie Muhhamed Wilkerson. Still though, this team revolves around that defense and it hurts them to loose a key cog like Ellis. What they have done, however, is improve the passing game by bringing in the mercurial, talented Plaxico Burress to give Sanchez a nice big red-zone target. They also still have LT sharing the load with Green running behind a brick wall of an offensive line, so they'll be just fine, even if they are just an ordinary passing team again.
Prediction: 11-5.

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Miami Dolphins - 3rd Place

Key Offensive Players: QB Chad Henne, RB Reggie Bush, RB Daniel Thomas, WR Brandon Marshall, WR Davone Bess, C Mike Pouncey (R)

Defense: LB Kevin Barnett, LB Karlos Dansby, LB Cameron Wake, CB Vontae Davis, SS Yeremiah Bell, S Chris Clemmons

Miami really will rise or fall with the play of quarterback Chad Henne. They tried to get Kolb, they shot for Kyle Orton, a few different times, and missed, and figured they'd be better off with Henne again for a year. They've surrounded him with the same cast of characters from a year ago, but the running game should be more dynamic. Reggie Bush will give the young QB an outlet when he's under pressure and both Bush and rookie Thomas should be upgrades to their predecessors. The real question for Miami lies up front on both sides of the line, where they really could go either way. They should be a fun team to watch with all their different sorts of weapons though. On defense, Cameron Wake is a force and should carry the front 7.
Prediction: 7-9

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Buffalo Bills - 4th Place

Key Offensive Players: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, WR Stevie Johnson, RB Fred Jackson, RB C.J. Spiller, WR Roscoe Parish

Defensive Players: DE Marcell Dareus (R), NT Kyle Williams, LB Shawn Merriman, CB Terrence McGee, FS Jarius Byrd

A lot of football insiders like the Dolphins to improve in this division and finish 3rd, but I really like the direction Buffalo is headed. If they could move to LA and get some fan support and actually attract some talent, but for now, they have to stick with who they draft and they're making out great. Stevie Johnson developed into one of the top receivers in the game last year, and Spiller looks just itching to bust out himself. Fitzpatrick isn't the prototypical QB, but is effeceint, accurate and has a big strong arm. Defensively, Byrd fell off a bit after his 9 interception season in '09, but I expect him to be a big-time playmaker. I also think Merriman is ready for a career re-juvenation in Buffalo. He's only 27 and certianly isn't washed up. Look for a monster year from the dude. Weeks of
Prediction: 5-11

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NEWS: FRANK GORE SIGNS NEW DEAL W/49ERS- details below!

Gore Gets 3 Years/$21 Million, Finally!

2011-09-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Weeks of contract negotiation and figure trading between Trent Baalke and the agent for Frank Gore finally closed session Wednesday. The 49ers inked their star back to a very reasonable 3-year, $21 million deal with $13.5 guaranteed, finally paying the lead back top dollar.

The deal is roughly half (total wise) of what DeAngelo Willams got from Carolina, which was said to be Gore's sticking point, but gives Gore a little more annually though lacks the years. After looking at Williams' deal and now Chris Johnson's $53.5 Million deal for 4 years and Frank Gore is starting to look like a steal. I'm a bit surprised he settled for what he did, luckily for Baalke, it came the day before Johnson's $13M/Season deal was announced. This is such a win for the 49ers and also for Gore as he can now focus on football. Players always say their contract situation doesn't effect their play, but that's hardly the case, especially in Gore's position where he was being grossly underpaid by league standards for his production at running back. After the huge deal the media was making of it, I was sure Gore was seeking $40-50 million, so again, what a huge win for SF. Even though both DeAngelo and Johnson are probably worth every penny they'll get (though Williams was overpaid, flat out), and are star players, the difference between them, and Gore is very slim.With Frank's new deal, the 49ers get him for his prime years right through the time he turns 30 which is supposedly the dreaded age for highly used rushers like Gore. This also is the final cog in locking up the 49ers core offensive skill players as now Vernon Davis Michael Crabtree and Gore are all locked up until 2014. Now if only they can find that quarterback!

Speaking of which, in their preseason finale, which I normally chalk up to just a scrimmage of 3rd teamers with, Alex Smith got some time in there to start the game and did well, granted he was going up against mostly 2nd team Texan defenders. Smith was a conservative 8-10 with 45 yards but led the 49ers on a scoring drive in which Anthony Dixon punched it in from a yard out. After Smith departed though, Colin Kaepernick has looked as bad as he has since he's arrived in San Francisco. He went 3 of 7 with 2 interceptions and a sack and just looked flat out dreadful out there. Still not sure what exactly Jim Harbough and Co. saw in this kid but he was coming out of a funky system, has a funky delivery, and looks way too rushed out there. I've heard many of football people and insiders say they see something in this kid, but from my point of view, the kid doesn't even look like he belongs on the depth chart. I haven't seen him practice a lick, but I've seen him in games vs. other teams back ups and 3rd teamers and he's yet to impress me the slightest. I would give you the "he's young and he's still going up against NFL guys for the first time" speal, but again, he's facing rookies and guys in the same boat as him tonight and he's stinking the place up! Josh McCown has immediately stepped in and had success, completing his first 3 throws for 55 yards.

Next: Speaking of the 49ers Quarterback situation, we'll have a 49ers QB special along with final preseason thoughts mixed in with our upcoming AFC/NFC divisional previews, so stay tuned here at BASJ as we get you prepped and ready for Kickoff '11 which takes place just 1 week from today as we should have at least one or 2 posts up per day!

Crabtree Back; 49ers Must Utilize WR's

2011-08-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

The 49ers #1 pick from 2009's draft looks like he'll be making his training camp/preseason practice debut Tuesday, after the 49ers activated star wideout Michael Crabtree from the PUP list.

Now things should get really interesting as Jim Harbough deciphers out which 2 he'll trot out there on September 11th vs. the Seahawks. They have the new-arriving big name and possibly biggest talent on the team in Braylon Edwards. Then there's Crabtree, who is still trying to live up to those lofty expectations he obtained while at Texas Tech and has been improving each year, but never has seemed to get in tune with Alex Smith. It seems like all Crabtree's big games came when Troy Smith or Shaun Hill were behind center for the 49ers, and just a few above average games coming with Alex. That said, I don't think there's a problem there, and it's more likely coincidence than lack of chemistry, but I'm really hoping these two can start out on the same page this season cause I still have very, very high hopes for Michael Crabtree. I've heard the diva talk and that he's too fragile, but he's quietly put up some decent numbers in a horrific 49ers passing attach the last 2 years, with or without being Alex Smith's go-to guy. This year, the work Smith has done with Braylon Edwards has been talked about a lot, so I expect to see Edwards no only starting, but being targeted 8-10 times per week by Smith as his #1.

Because of all the practice missed, I think that relegates Crabtree into WR2 duties behind Braylon, and that's only if he can show he's healthy and ready between now and the opener in 12 days. Josh Morgan has been the guy lost in the shuffle a bit so far this training camp, but I expect him to still be a prominent part of this teams passing attach, backing up both Crabtree and Edwards on the ends. I really would like to see Harbough start using Ted Ginn more often out of the slot, because I think he could be a decent one if given a fair shot. Ginn was asked to be the #1 in Miami right out the shoot and he's just not built for that, but you put him in a situation where he has the whole field to work with and run rather than working on a sideline, and you just may have something. So I expect Morgan to be the #3 wideout on the depth chart, I want Ginn to be the slot machine. I also wouldn't mind seeing Delanie Walker split out into the slot too. He's got WR speed and TE size so he'll be a mis-match to whoever they put on him. Harbough has a chance to be very creative with this offense with the weapons they have and I certainly hope he doesn't relegate to a conservative approach like the Nolan and Singletarry regime's were. I know Frank Gore is this team's star and horse, and he needs 20 carries a week, but this team's line is a work in progress right now and they man not end up being the running team they were expecting.

49ers Crumble Vs. Texans

2011-08-28T17:20:00.001-07:00

The optimism that surrounded the 49ers as recently as 4 weeks ago that had fans hoping for a shot at the NFC West took a huge hit of reality Saturday. The 49ers lost to the Texans 30-7, and looked dreadful offensively.

There was outscored by their quickly rising defense, as their only points came on an Ahmad Brooks interception return off Drew Brees in the first quarter. After that though, it was dismal for the 49ers in what's supposed to be most important preseason game of all. Alex Smith, of course, started behind center but completed just 2 of 6 passes for a whopping 17 yards and a pick while alternating with Colin Kaepernick throughout the first half. Smith looked flat out bad and it was hard to watch and there really isn't much else I can say. You can look at his numbers and they don't lie. Kaepernick looked like a raw rookie who's about 2 good years away from being able to compete in the NFL. He completed just 6 of 16 passes for 52 yards and another pick. Newly acquired Josh McCown did not get into the game, but after watching the way each quarterback played, it's hard to imagine McCown not winning the starting job, just by default. He's never really been a great QB at the NFL level, but has had his moments, and has never started for a team with the talent on offense like the 49ers have. McCown could be a better decision maker than Smith, though he likely doesn't posses the athletic ability or arm strength. Still, in the West Coast Offense like Harbough will run, all you really need is a reliable arm and good decision maker back there, neither of which Alex Smith has shown.

The 49ers are likely still hoping somebody they like hits waivers between now and the end of the month when rosters drop. I have no idea of who may be available or cut, but across the bay in Oakland, I think the Raiders have 3 guys who would become immediate starters in San Francisco, so it's not like they're going to get a top-level guy. I still don't understand why they weren't more active during free agency in looking for a QB. I know he's not a free agent, but Brady Quinn, I think, could succeed with this team, or maybe even a guy like Rex Grossman if he losses out in Washington. Somebody who's won in the NFL and can run this offense. The only positive they got to take out of Saturday's game, besides another solid defensive output, was the running game. The offensive line has been very spotty, but Kendal Hunter has easily been the breakout player of preseason and really looks like the real deal to me. He dashed for 40 yards on just 8 carries, while Anthony Dixon notched 15 yards in his 8 runs. In his 3 preseason games now, Hunter has racked up 169 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown. He's the clear-cut #2 behind Frank Gore and has shown enough to get himself a consistent role in the regular season too.

Trade Demands?! Apparently, Frank Gore, the 49ers and his agent have brought up the topic of a possible trade demand if the pro-bowl running back's contract demands aren't met. Sound like a familiar situation? The Titans are having the same problem with Chris Johnson, who is also know supposedly supporting a trade ideal. If that's the case, I'm a big fan of Frank Gore and all, but if the 49ers could somehow send Gore packing to Tennessee and bring back Johnson and give him the money he's asking for, I'd be all for it, and some. Hell, I'd even give the Titans a draft pick too. For my money Chris Johnson is the best back in the league and on a good team, and as good as Frankie is, Johnson is better... Not likely going to happen, but something to thin about as both running backs pout for a new deal!

Gore's Contract Situation Turns Fiery

2011-08-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

Most 49er fans knew Frank Gore was expecting a new deal this summer before camp started, and his brief holdout to start camp was a statement made by him that he's certainly not happy with his current deal.

Gore returned to camp after just a couple of days though, and it looked as if all things were headed in the right direction. 3 weeks later though, still no new deal for the 49ers top offensive force, and apparently he's starting to take his frustration out on 49ers coaches. This can't be good for an offense that's still trying to get it's feet under them and survive another year with Alex Smith behind center. The 49ers made a big addition to their offensive unit by bringing in Braylon Edwards, and Michael Crabtree is healing up quickly and should be ready by week one. All signs are pointing towards an improvement offensively for San Francisco, but in order for them to go, they need Gore to revert to his 2006 form (2,180 total yards, 9 TD's). Supposedly, Gore's agent is using DeAngelo Williams' deal as a comparison to what Gore should get, and the 49ers are hesitating giving a back who's played a full 16-game season just once and missed 5 games last season. Still, Gore is 27 years-old and one of the better backs in the NFL, certainly better than Williams. The 49ers need to lock this guy up sooner rather than later and ease the tension that's brewing. They've been saying they'd like to make Gore a 49er for life, so it's time for the York's to fork out for their franchise player.

Even if Gore does get his deal and has a big season, the 49ers will only go as far as Alex Smith can take them. Colin Kaepernick is not NFL ready yet, and won't likely be for some time, and Josh McCown is the epitome of a back-up QB as you don't really want him playing for more than maybe a game or 2 the whole season. That leaves the duties squarely on Alex Smith, and I'm going to be watching him like a hawk in Saturday's regular season "dress rehearsal". With most of the regulars likely sitting out all of next weeks preseason finale, this will be their final tune-up and they get a very formidable opponent in the Houston Texans, who will also be playing their regulars well into the 3rd quarter. Not only will it be key for Alex Smith and the offense to get on the same page and all clicking together, the Texans, with Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson, pose a perfect challenge for the new-look 49ers defense. I believe Carlos Rogers will be the only starting defensive player who won't play, giving young corner's Tarrel Brown and Tramaine Brock plenty of reps as they battle it out for the #3 corner spot behind Rogers and Spencer. I've always liked Tarrel Brown and he just keeps getting better and better each year it seems. He's got 5 picks in the last 3 seasons, despite being a 3rd and 4th corner. Jim Harbough has been raving about Brock all preseason too and he looked good vs. Oakland. I'd say Brown wins this battle though.

That's about the only really battle to focus on this weekend, otherwise it's all about getting the first team extended game time to get acclimated. I'm really looking forward to watching Kendal Hunter get some reps vs. the Texans first team defense. In my opinion, the rookie Hunter has had as good of camp or better than any other 49ers player. His impressive practices have translated into big-time production in the first two preseason games as he's breezed by Anthony Dixon to become Frank Gore's caddy. Hunter had the skill-set to be a 1st round pick, but his 5'7", 197 pound frame and the fact he doesn't translate into a prototypical every-down back knocked him down a few rounds, but I think he could end up being one of the steals. Remember another undersized speed back who came out of Oklahoma State about 20 years ago (Barry Sanders)? Hunter is cut from a very similar cloth.

Follow The SF Giants and the NL West Pennant Race @ The Giants Baseball Blog!

Raiders Draft Terrelle Pryor

2011-08-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the Raiders and Al Davis never shy away from a mercurial talent, especially at the quarterback position, and proved so again Monday by drafting former Ohio State star, Terrelle Pryor.

This pick didn't surprise me in the least possible way. After striking out on JaMarcus Russel a few years back, the Raiders have been in search of their quarterback of the future, and will apparently give Pryor a shot to be that guy. They must have saw something they really liked in him during his workout this past week, cause they gave up their 3rd rounder in the 2012 draft in order to bring him in, and we all know how deep next years draft will be with QB's. Don't get me wrong, Pryor was an explosive talent at Ohio State and a very good collegiate QB, but I don't really see him panning out in the NFL. If he makes it, he's going to have to do it in that Michael Vick/Vince Young mode where he can be a duel threat with the run and pass, but he doesn't posses the arm strength or the speed that Vick has, and isn't near the passer that Young is. That said, his arm isn't weak, he's got a quick release, can throw on the run and is obviously extremely athletic and mobile. He's got a lot to do to become an NFL caliber QB though, a lot of work on his delivery and throwing into tight windows (he has trouble throwing tight spirals often) and he's never ran anything close to a pro-style offense in Columbus. It should be very interesting to see exactly how the Raiders use him (after his 5 game suspension) and whether or not they'll give him a look this preseason? The unique thing about him is that if he doesn't pan out at QB, he could end up being a decent wideout with his size and speed. Here's some highlight video to get a better handle on Pryor's game.

Terrelle Pryor isn't the only new quarterback coming to town. Across the bay, in need for a QB as bad as any other team in the league, the 49ers finally added the veteran backup they've been looking for, but I'm not sure it's the guy that Niner fans necessarily wanted. Instead of trading for a good young backup like Josh Johnson or waiting out the waiver process for a potential gem, the 49ers picked former Raider Josh McCown instead of Daunte Cullpepper. McCown immediately will assume the #3 role on the QB depth chart, but if Alex Smith doesn't step it up in these last few preseason games, McCown could enter the starting picture. Although he looked better against the Raiders, I don't think they'd feel comfortable using Colin Kaepernick in a regular season game just yet, and after Alex Smith, they had nobody. I would have liked to see them be more active in free agency at the QB position, which according to Trent Baalke, they were but just couldn't get anything done. Vince Young or Matt Hasselbeck would have looked a lot better battling it out with Smith than Josh McCown. The 32 year-old has thrown a total of 6 passes in the NFL since 2007 and carried a QB rating of 69.7 that season as the part-time starter in Oakland. Something tells me they may still have their eye on potential quarterbacks.

49ers vs. Raiders In-Game Notes

2011-08-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

With the annual Battle of the Bay preseason match-up of the 49ers vs. the Raiders here, and so much to talk about with each team, I wanted to do a little something unique here. We'll bring you in-game notes from the game as they happen as a semi in-game post type deal. We'll have periodic notes pertaining to key plays, players and happenings as well as a recap of the game at the end.

As far as pregame notes, real briefly, the 49ers offense will be largely under the microscope. Especially the quarterbacks and offensive line, which both looked bad in the preseason opener last week. I would expect to see Alex Smith play at least the whole 1st quarter and much of the 2nd before giving way to Colin Kaepernick, and it's going to be key for Smith to play well in order to secure his spot atop the depth chart and fend off any potential free agent/trade acquisition... On the Raiders side, things are looking a little better. They're set at QB and just need to get their new guys in synch (McFadden won't play though). They lost their best receiving option and best cover man this summer but have the young guys to step up and fill their shoes. I'm interested in seeing how touted rookie wideout Denarious More does... 5 minutes till kickoff!

First Half

*49ers first drive went very well until they got inside the 10. I would have liked to see Harbough go to the air a bit more, instead he ran all 3 downs inside the 10 and the 49ers were kept out of the endzone. The fumble on the field goal attempt was a fluke, mishandle by Lee, but still not happy they couldn't put points on the board. Braylon Edwards made a nice catch after dropping one and Alex Smith and Frank Gore each excelled as the 49ers held the ball for 9 minutes.

*After the Raiders went 3 and out, the 49ers started off another drive strong, but it ended with Smith making a bad decision. It reminds me why Harbough chose to run 3 consecutive times inside the 10 last possession. Since the Raiders have gotten the ball back, they marched right down the field behind the arm of Jason Campbell and hands of Denarious Moore, but Parys Haralson got to Campbell on a 4th and Goal to keep the Raiders scoreless. We're looking at a couple of offenses why are having trouble getting in the end zone here!

*Another strong 49ers drive, highlighted by a nice toss and catch from Smith to Edwards for 35 yards, and a nice run by Kendal Hunter, ends in a field goal attempt inside the 10 yard line. The 49ers again fail to put it in the end zone, though they were able to put some points on the board. They're outplaying Oakland right now in this first half, on pure time of possession alone. The clock is winding down and it looks like it will be 3-0 heading into the half. Decent half for Alex Smith, good half for Braylon Edwards and the 49ers Defense and O-Line.

2nd Half

*Colin Kaepernick starts the 2nd half behind center as most 2nd-teamers have made their way into the game for both sides. The star of the day continues to be rookie running back Kendal Hunter, who broke off a big 53-yard touchdown run early in the 3rd quarter. The Raiders just haven't responded well offensively, as the 49ers have shut them down in every facet of the game.

*Just like that the game comes to a close. Kaepernick was very pedestrian, finishing 5-8 with 54 yards with no picks or TD's. He got sacked 2 more times as he's still not making quick enough decisions in the pocket, but that will come. The 49ers really played well defensively. Tarrell Brown, who's having a fine preseason, came up with a big interception, as did new safety Madeiu Williams. 49ers complete the victory 17-3 without doing very much at all offensively.

Struggling 49ers Hasten Their Search for QB

2011-08-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

After the 49ers were spanked in the preseason opener while getting less than stellar play from the quarterback position, it's prompted management to looking into acquiring a veteran as insurance, or quite possibly to compete for the starting job.

Last Friday in the Big Easy, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick went a combined 11-26 for 127 yards, 2 ints. and 6 sacks. A near 60-yard field goal before half was the only scoring the 49ers would do all game. Smith played just a few series and it was Kaepernick's first taste of NFL action, and they both left a ton to be desired. Kaepernick looked alright on a few plays and showed his athleticism and ability to run with that 28-yard scramble down the middle of the field when the pocket collapsed on him. All in all though, he rushed too many balls and made too many bad decisions for the 49ers to even consider him as an option to start in 2011, at least early in the year. Not saying he won't eventually improve and become a legit starting quarterback, but I am saying it's going to take him a while, possibly a full season or more. His footwork needs attention as does his decision making but his accuracy and arm strength is there. So we now know that Alex Smith, who looked like the same old Alex Smith Friday night, is really the only NFL caliber quarterback currently in the mix. The 49ers are getting so desperate they even called Daunte Culpepper this weekend to get him in town for a tryout. At this point in the free agency period, there really isn't anybody of value at the QB position waiting for work. They had a chance early to bolster the position with someone like Vince Young or Matt Hasselbach, but decided against it. I'm sure they're probably kicking themselves right now for not being more proactive a few weeks ago in regards to the QB position.

As far as Culpepper is concerned, I don't know exactly how his audition went, but the 49ers have not offered him a contract yet, which tells me they probably weren't overly impressed. Another option they could look into could be a guy like Marc Bulger, who retired earlier this summer, but could reconsider with a shot at playing. I think at this point though, the 49ers best option would be to trade for some other teams backup. I really wish they would have made a play for Vince Young when he was free, cause for some reason, I could see him coming here and clicking with guys like Davis, Gore and Crabtree on offense. Another guy who's been talked about a lot this summer is Oakland born Josh Johnson, who's currently backing up Josh Freeman in Tampa Bay. The only issue with trading for a quarterback is that it will cost a draft pick, and the 49ers have not dealt draft picks for players at all in recent years. Since they're so far under the cap though, I think they may just wait it out over the next couple weeks and cross their fingers that someone who interests them ends up getting cut when rosters shrink. As far as the names still out there right now, just about the only guy who intrigues me is former Alabama star and Chiefs 3rd round pick Brodie Croyle. He's had injury issues and really fell out of KC's plan after they acquired Matt Cassell, but I really believe Croyle could do something if given a shot. He's certainly better than the 3rd string candidates the 49ers currently have and could push Alex for the starters spot. Some will shy away because he's never won when starting a game, but the 10 games he started was when KC was a laughing stock. I think he's ready for a 2nd chance.

Raider Watch: The Raiders played much better than their cross-bay rivals in their preseason opener. Oakland got exceptional quarterback play from all 3 of their QB's, and I bet Jim Harbough watched that game and wished he could have just one of the Raiders' gun-slingers. Trent Edwards, who I thought the 49ers would go after, led Raider QB's, going 10-19 for 139 yards and a TD. The Raiders did lose the game to the Cardinals, 24-18, but played without Darren McFadden and a few other starters and I think Hugh Jackson has to be pretty pleased overall with how the Silver and Black played. It already looks like the receivers are going to be an issue and I really think the Raiders need to pull out all the stops in order to get one of the few remaining decent wide receivers. I still think Terrell Owens would be a nice fit in Oakland, where it seems like star wideouts on the downswing of their career (Tim Brown, Jerry Rice) find a second wind. The need someone who could be a #1 and take pressure of the other guys while giving Jason Campbell a reliable target. As long as he gets his leg in shape, I think TO can still do just that.

Return of Goldson Solidifies Secondary

2011-08-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the 49ers got a touch of bad news Monday, but responded in a big way. Upon being informed that their projected starting free safety, Reggie Smith, will miss 2-4 weeks with a injured knee, Trent Baalke went out and brought back a guy who was at the top of his list when free agency began.

Dashon Goldson, who's elevated himself into becoming one of the better safeties in the NFL over the last 2 seasons, signed a 1 year deal worth nearly $2.5 million to return to San Francisco. With Goldson's return, it certainly shakes up the 49ers secondary, that's for sure, but in a good way. While Smith has looked great in camp before the injury and was widely expected to start alongside new strong safety Donte Whitner, Goldson's return probably knocks him out of the starting lineup. With Goldson and Whitner now slated in as your projected starting safeties, the 49ers sure have a dynamic duo in the center of the field. They both are aggressive and like to move up against the run, but one of them needs to take on the more traditional free safety role and I'd expect that to be Goldson, who was a former cornerback at Washington. Goldson had 4 picks in 2009 when he was playing more of a free safety, but his picks went down and tackles went up last season as a strong safety. I would expect Smith to become the 3rd safety and still get plenty of reps, but he has to first focus on getting himself healthy. With Goldson and Whitner starting and newly signed Madeiu Williams backing up with Reggie Smith, the 49ers have 4 above average safeties and have indeed revamped their secondary.

I was a little surprised to hear of the Goldson signing, even with news of Smith's injury, as I believe the 49ers were confident with the group of safeties they now had, but it just goes to show you that they are expecting big things from themselves this season. All these one year deals they're giving away aren't moves to make them better 2-3 years down the line, that's for this season, and it's management telling their players they want to win and will do what they can to better the team. As we said in our last post, there are still plenty of suitable free agents and the 49ers still have cap space and a roster needs, so I don't think they're don yet either. They definitely need another quarterback, and there's speculation they may end up going after bay area native Josh Johnson from Tampa Bay (who's gone public with his desire to play in San Francisco). He'd not only solidify the QB spot, but would give Smith a run for the starting spot. Besides QB, I think another spot where they desperately need depth is their defensive line. We'll sort everything out and have our projected 49ers starting lineup next post when we start prepping for Friday's preseason opener.

What's Next for 49ers?

2011-08-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, after the 49ers blitzed the free agent market earlier in the week, they've been very quiet this weekend, and are likely assessing what will be their final moves before the preseason kicks off Friday night.

With their big free agent signings, mainly WR Braylon Edwards, S Donte Whitner, S Madeiu Williams, CB Carlos Rogers and C Jonathan Goodwin, the 49ers have filled out what looks to be their starting units on both sides of the ball. They are however, still very thin in certain spots on the depth chart, and do still have some cap space left to fill those holes. Right now, I would say the 49ers are still actively searching for a back-up QB, help at fullback, the defensive line, linebacker and possibly even another corner or wideout. The position I'm seeing the most need at right now is the D-line, where the team is extremely flexible, but paper thin. They have 5 players that look like locks to make the team, but outside their projected starters, Ray McDonald (LE), Issac Sopoaga (NT), and Justin Smith (RE), they don't really have anyone with ample NFL experience to fall back on. They have undrafted rookie Ian Williams, Ricky Jean Francois and Will Turkafu all slated as backups right now, and outside of Ian Williams, I don't particularly care for this group and definitely see upgrades available. At DT, I think either Pat Williams, Jimmy Kennedy or Travis Johnson, all of which are big tackles who've had success in the 3-4 scheme. There really aren't many ends out there that are intriguing, but the one guy I'd definitely look into is former Bengal, Antwan Odom (19 sacks in last 38 games).

Besides the D-Line, the 49ers have a pressing need for depth at quarterback. After Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick, they don't really have anything, and if they keep waiting to address that situation, there won't be any options left to sign. Right now, there's still a few guys out there who could fill that void, with Brodie Croyle and Jake Delhomme topping the list. At corner, the list is also dwindling by the day, but there are still a few guys that could upgrade that unit for San Francisco. I like former Colt Kelvin Hayden as well as Andre Dyson and Lito Sheppard, who would each improve the teams nickel and dime defensive packages and provide a stable veteran presence behind starters Carlos Rogers and Shawntae Spencer. Hayden is so good when healthy, he could actually challenge for a starting spot, so he'd be my top choice at corner amongst those available....

Jumping over to the offense, the 49ers look set as far as their starters go, all across the board. With the addition of Goodwin, their O-line is set, and with Edwards in tow, they now have 3 very good receivers, but with Michael Crabtree out and possibly forced into starting slowly this season due to his injured foot, the 49ers could still be looking to add another wideout. There are a ton of veteran options still out there too, as WR is probably the deepest position left on the market. As much as I'd love to see him return, I don't think the 49ers would take on Terrel Owens again, especially after adding Braylon Edwards. Even though T.O. in the slot with Edwards and Crabtree split out and Vernon Davis on the line would give the 49ers an extremely potent offense, there may not be enough passes to go around for everyone. The 49ers still plan on being a run-heavy team behind Frank Gore, and will use 2-tight end sets quite often with one of the best non-starting tight ends in all of football in Delanie Walker. Still though, the big reason the 49ers haven't been winners since the early 2000's is because they haven't been able to beat teams through the air. It's why I wanted Edwards to join this team so badly. Outside of T.O., other, more likely targets for the 49ers could be Jerricho Cotchery or Mark Clayton, each of whom would be upgrades over anything the 49ers have after Edwards, Crabtree and Morgan. Clayton is maybe the most intriguing because of the year he was putting up last season in St. Louis before getting hurt (23 catches, 300 yds, 2 TD in 4 1/2 games).

Kevin Boss to Replace Miller in Oakland

2011-08-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Within 72 hours of losing pro-bowl tight end Zach Miller to Seattle, the Raiders made their counter move, adding highly regarded blocking tight end Kevin Boss, formally of the Giants.

Now, Boss won't fill the large void left by Miller, who was the teams top receiver and a leader on and off the field. However, Boss was the 2nd best tight end on the free agent market, and Raiders fans have to feel better about things now then they did upon hearing the news of Miller signing with Seattle. Boss has had some nice seasons in New York playing with Eli Manning, but was never a highly targeted receiver in that offense because their passing game revolved around the wideouts. Boss was typically a 4th or 5th option on most passing plays in that offense. That said, he's been a rock of consistency, putting up mirror seasons the last 2 years, with 567 and 531 yards receiving in '09-'10 along with 5 TD catches in each season. So, while he's not going to put up Miller numbers as far as yards and catches go, he's solid in the red zone and could flourish in a west coast offense like the Raiders run, in which the TE is much more utilized than in the spread-type offense like they run in New York. Boss easily becomes the Raiders highest profile free agent they've added this summer (which tells you how in-active they've been), in what's been a very trying stretch for Oakland to get under the cap for new coach Hugh Jackson. The two other notable free agents they've brought in are guard Justin Smiley, to compete for a starting spot on the O-line, and former Stanford QB Trent Edwards to compete with Kyle Boller to backup Jason Campbell at QB.

Also coming out of Raider camp was the news that star running back Darren McFadden will miss 2 weeks after breaking an orbital bone in his face. It's kind of an odd injury for a football player to get, as they usually have a helmet to cover they face, but it will cost DMac some time none the less. This could hasten the Raiders efforts to re-sign powerback Michael Bush, who is widely expected to eventually return to Oakland. The Raiders haven't been very aggressive in free agency, simply because they don't have the cap space or the appeal to outside free agents, but they did manage to keep nearly all of their own key free agents. Obviously the two big fish that got away were Asomugha and Miller, but with the Raiders cap situation, neither player was expecting to return to Oakland. Miller was the more realistic of the two and Oakland wanted him back badly, so I still am surprised the Raiders didn't pull out all stops to keep him. They did keep Michael Huff, which is a good thing cause they probably wouldn't have replaced him with anyone else if he left, and also re-upped Richard Seymour, Kamerion Wimbley and new #1 corner, Stanford Routt. Right now though, Raiders fans are looking at a near identical team from last year, minus their leading receiver and top defender so they'll need some of their returning players to step up and develop. Even with the popular Jackson at the helm, it's gotta be tough for Raider fans to get optimistic about 2011.

49ers Notes: Well, for the first day in about a week, the 49ers took a day off on signing free agents, but that hasn't stopped the rumors. After the 49ers added star receiver Braylon Edwards, re-made 3/4 of their secondary and added themselves a pro-bowl center, they're still looking to make at least one trade and possibly more signings before next weeks preseason opener. 2nd year safety Taylor Mays (placed on trade block) looks like he's on his way out of town after the 49ers added all those DB's this week, but I certainly hope he's not just given away, cause they just used a 2nd round pick on him last year. They could use him to get themselves an experienced backup QB, because after Alex Smith, they don't have anyone who's ever thrown a pass in the NFL. They could also look to add depth at linebacker and the D-line. As far as free agents go, I don't really see anyone of note out there left that the 49ers will pursue. Former Raiders' LB Kirk Morrison is free and could provide a Takeo Spikes-like presence and stability behind Navarro Bowman. I think he could definitely help this defense.

49ers Land Braylon Edwards

2011-08-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

The 49ers were one of the slowest teams to get going in free agency in all the NFL, but they kept saying they had a plan. Now we're seeing that plan come to fruition, and all the sudden the team that didn't make any moves the first few days, can't seem to put the phone down!

The 49ers made possibly their two biggest signings of the shortened offseason Thursday (likely their last prominent signings this summer), inking themselves a new starting wide receiver and a starting strong safety coming off a 140-tackle season. After weeks of lobbying for the mercurial wideout here at BASJ, the 49ers finally made it official Thursday, signing Braylon Edwards to a 1 year, $3.5 million deal to come in and start opposite of Michael Crabtree. It drastically impacts the 49ers receiving corps and gives them a true home run threat on the outside to relieve some pressure off Davis in the middle. Edwards has 39 TD catches in 6 seasons and is a former pro-bowler who's just entering his prime at 28. This gives the 49ers arguably their most explosive unit offensively since Alex Smith arrived, and should put he and Colin Kaepernick in great positions to succeed. The 49ers got Frank Gore back in practice this week, now have added Edwards to join Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Josh Morgan and Crabtree to anchor the 49ers offense. As long as their O-Line, led by newly signed pro-bowl center Jonathon Goodwin, plays up to par and handles their end of the bargain, I think the 49ers offense will be singing a much different tune this season. Not only will Edwards help SF, but by signing him, the Niners kept him away from division rival Arizona, where he would have lined up with Larry Fitzgerald. The one slight downside Edwards brings is some off-field issues, but he's under a 1 year deal with nothing guaranteed and should be on his best behavior and working his tail off to earn himself a multi-year deal next summer. It's also good to see the 49ers finally attract a skilled offensive player through free agency, which I can't remember them doing in the last 10 years. He showed he's excited to be here too, emerging for practice (wearing #81 not #17) immediately after the deal was announced.

It was a win-win day for the Niners, on both sides of the ball. Joining Edwards in the Red and Gold will be former Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner. I thought they were through at safety after signing Madeiu Williams the previous day, unless it was Dashon Goldson re-signing, but they added a guy who many believe to be better than Goldson. Whitner was one of the lone bright spots and helped anchor down a horrid Buffalo defense last season, so he should benefit greatly from the improved talent around him. He had 140 tackles last season, which tells you he's a ball-hawk and an aggressive tackler, two key traits in a good strong safety. This should pretty much spell the end of Goldson's run with San Francisco too. I did find it a little interesting that the 49ers want to axe Taylor Mays? I get the fact they like Reggie Smith and now have Williams and Whitner in the mix, but Mays was a 2nd rounder last season and certainly shouldn't be given away. I'd only deal him if it brought the 49ers some help on the D-line or another solid cornerback. They could also be targeting a back-up QB with Mays as well. As far as free agency though, I don't expect the 49ers to be too more active after the frenzy they put up over the last 72 hours.

Braylon Edwards 2010 w/ Jets: 53 catches, 904 yards, 7 TD's, 17.1 YPC
Donte Whitner 2010 w/Bills: 140 tackles (97 solo), 1 sack, 1 int, 1 FFum, 7 PD's

49ers' Roster Starting to Take Shape

2011-08-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

The 49ers made some very big signings Wednesday that have shored up a few of their needs. They added the top corner and center on the free agent market, and signed a safety as insurance for Dashon Goldson if they don't re-sign him, which appears to be the case.

The 49ers got their replacement for Nate Clements in the form of Carlos Rogers, who I was pining for once Asomugha, Cromartie and Joseph were swooped up. Rogers was the #9 pick in the 2005 draft by Washington, and although he didn't quite live up to top-10 status with the 'Skins, he's been one of the better cover-man in the league since he's come into the league. I also think a change of scenery is going to work greatly in his favor. He's a much better cover corner than Clements is, and is a better athlete than Nate. Clements played more like a strong safety for the 49ers than the star cornerback he was supposed to be. He made some big tackles and played OK, but was torched way too often and never lived up to the big deal he received. Rogers will undoubtedly supply much better man-coverage, and will be just fine in the run game too which is why I was hoping they'd sign him, and the 49ers made it happen. In addition to Rogers, the 49ers also added former Viking safety Madieu Williams. I don't think Williams is quite as much of a big-play guy like Goldson, but shouldn't be too much of a drop off overall in production. He had a solid 75 tackles with a sack and a pick last season in Minnesota. With Reggie Smith and Taylor Mays both itching for more PT at safety and Williams now in the mix, I doubt the 49ers would bring back Goldson.

The 49ers also sewed up a key part of offensive line Wednesday, signing 2-time pro-bowl center Jonathan Goodwin. I liked David Bass last year at center, but again, I think the 49ers upgraded with this move like they did with Rogers over Clements at corner. Goodwin was a staple for the best offense in the NFC the last few years protecting Drew Brees and helped in making whatever Saints back was carrying the ball, suitable. There was also a lot of buzz Wednesday pertaining to a guy the 49ers could sign who was actually at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara for a visit. That is pro bowl wideout Braylon Edwards. He's the guy I've been hoping for the 49ers to add on offense who could really make it go. Put Braylon Edwards alongside Michael Crabtree, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis and Alex Smith would have all the weapons he needed. Supposedly Edwards is also at the top of Arizona's radar, so the 49ers could deliver a double-blow to their division mates if they could sign him. I like Josh Morgan, but on a really good team, he's a #3 wideout, and right now with Crabtree shelved, he's the interim #1. The 49ers need a wide receiver, they know it, and their interest in Plaxico Burress, Malcom Floyd and now Braylon Edwards shows us they're serious about adding another target for Alex Smith. Now let's see if they can actually make it happen.

Across the bay, things got real tough for the Raiders Wednesday upon getting news that their top receiver and pro-bowl tight end Zach Miller will play in Seattle this year. Miller signed with the Seahawks and re-united with former coach Tom Cable to really help Seattle's passing game, and dismantle the Raiders'. Now the Raiders really need to up their efforts in order to get Kevin Boss in here, and even he is just a shadow of what Zach Miller is. Again, the Raiders are in a lot tougher position than the 49ers because of their salary cap situation, so it's not as surprising to see them quiet in free agency like it is San Francisco. On a positive note, they did re-sign OLB Kamerion Wimbley, who was a stud for them in his first year with the team last season, to a 5 year deal.

Options Dwindling for 49ers

2011-08-02T20:42:00.001-07:00

Well, at the start of free agency, the 49ers stood in a very promising position. They were nearly 20 million under the cap and had specific targets who were thought to be attainable. However, as we inch towards the preseason opener at the end of next week, the 49ers have yet to add a prominent outside free-agent.

They did ink a linebacker over the weekend, grabbing former Charger Antwan Applewhite, who figures to come in and back up at the outside linebacker spot. He also could find himself in the starters role if the 49ers aren't able to replace Manny Lawson and don't feel Aldon Smith is ready for the full-time load. One guy who is available and has had success in the 3-4 defense is former Brown, Matt Roth. I think Roth is by far the best fit at OLB for the 49ers, as that is a position that is very thin in free agency. After Roth, the other options are guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Ben Leber. At inside linebacker, the 49ers are looking more and more likely to role with 2nd year man Navarro Bowman, but they could look for a veteran as their are some decent options. I would like Lofa Tatupu, but he's seeking a long-term deal and the 49ers eventually want Bowman teaming with Willis inside. Two other guys who would fit nicely as upgrades in the short-term are Akin Ayodele, Channing Crowder and former Raider Kirk Morrison.

Perhaps San Francisco's biggest need yet to addressed though is their cornerback situation. They won't be bringing back Nate Clements either, who landed in Cinci after the 49ers cut him to make a run at Asomugha and Joseph. Now the one guy I'm looking at and the guy the 49ers are probably pining their hopes on is former first round pick Carlos Rogers. Washington is expected to make a large push to keep Rogers in DC, but you'd think he would have signed already if he wanted to be there. The 49ers may need to overpay a bit as he's the best available FA corner that won't cost a draft pick to sign and would be a fine consolation to Nnamdi Asomugha. One of the biggest names on the trade market at the CB position is the Eagles' Asante Samuel. He became expendable after Philly added Rogers-Crowmartie in the Kevin Kolb trade, but Philly would likely want the 49ers 1st or 2nd rounder in 2012. The 49ers could also look to upgrade at defensive tackle, depending on how Issac Sopogoa adapts. One big name, in all every since of the word, is Pat Williams, who could be a nice clog in the middle of the 3-4 scheme for a year.

Offensively, the 49ers are still looking at wide receivers and centers. They have apparently been in talks with Braylon Edwards' agent, but may shy off after all the off-field drama he's been involved in this summer. I still think he'd be a great add and is one of the top free agents still out there, and if the Niners are indeed going to make a splash this year, it looks like Edwards could be that signing. Even though most of the top options have signed elsewhere, I think the 49ers could still be successful in free agency if they were to bring in Olin Kruetz, Edwards (or Malcom Floyd if they can't agree with Edwards), Carlos Rogers at corner, Matt Roth at OLB and give a 1-2 year deal for Ayodele or Morrison to take over Takeo Spikes' former role. Oh yeah, and bring back Dashon already!

49ers Left In Dust, Asomugha to Philly

2011-07-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, just about every team across the NFL has made some proactive moves. Two of the few teams that haven't reside here in the Bay Area.

The 49ers bowed out of the Nnamdi-sweepstakes, which was a bit surprising to hear after they just released their top corner, Nate Clements. Nate hasn't been an all-pro with San Francisco, but he's better than anything else they currently have on their roster and now they could be relegated into trying to convince him to comeback. No matter what, the 49ers need to add at least one corner through free agency and preferably someone who's started in this league and has a track record. With Joseph and Asomugha both inked elsewhere, the top two corners are now off the market, leaving the 49ers with the choice of Antonio Cromartie, Carlos Rogers or Chris Carr. If they fail to land one of those 3, Clements starts looking very plausible again, but who even knows if he'd consider returning after the 49ers gave him the axe Thursday? The 49ers also need to find a safety if they can't re-up with Dashon Goldson and must find a replacement for Takeo Spikes who went to San Diego. There are plenty of linebackers out there and it's actually the one spot where the 49ers do have some depth, so I'm not nearly as worried about that as I am their secondary at this point. What's worse is that defense is just part of the 49ers worries with 2 weeks to go before their first exhibition game.

Star running back Frank Gore has decided to hold out of camp in attempt to get a new deal from the 49ers that gives him near what DeAngelo Williams just signed for with Carolina, and I can't say I blame him. Not only is Gore out of camp, but the teams number one receiver, Michael Crabtree, will miss his 3rd consecutive preseason and again start the season behind the 8-ball after arriving to camp with a bum foot. The injury is expected to keep Crabtree shelved for over a month, which could threaten his chances to start the opener. It's also added another thing to the to-do list for Trent Balkee and he's apparently inquired about Chargers free agent wideout Malcom Floyd. I mentioned the other day I'd like to see the 49ers make a move for Braylon Edwards, who I think is the best WR on the market with Rice and Holmes now off. He'd give the team a legit deep threat (17.6 YPC last year) and another reliable red zone target for Alex Smith. If not Edwards, Floyd wouldn't be a bad fallback as he too is a big deep threat who excels in the red zone, but Edwards is the superior player, younger and more explosive. That said, Edwards does have some off-field issues to take care of but I don't think he'd be a problem for the 49ers and I think he's ready to get his head on straight after barley avoiding jail time on a DUI this summer.

Also in 49ers news, the one player they've brought in from outside the organization is all-pro kicker David Akers. I really like the add. Joe Nedney was solid during his tenure here, but he was losing leg strength with each passing season, and Akers is one of the most powerful, accurate kickers in all of football.... Across the Bay, there still hasn't been much on the Raiders front. They've spoken with free agent tackle Jared Gaither, but nothing appears imminent. I still don't understand why they haven't re-signed Zach Miller and are just allowing him to sit on the free agent market as not only the top TE, but one of the best free agents on the market. They too should be looking into receivers like Mike Sims-Walker and Braylon Edwards and need a replacement for Asomugha like the 49ers do for Clements.

Player Movement Galore Hits Bay Area

2011-07-28T13:24:00.001-07:00

Well, we all knew it was going to be an active few days here as July winds down. The NFL lockout just ended 72 hours ago and the MLB trade deadline sits just 72 hours away, and things are jumping on both sides.

Locally, the San Francisco Giants have made one of the most noteworthy moves of all sports franchises Thursday by acquiring all-star outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets for top prospect Zach Wheeler. For all the rants and thoughts on that deal, check out our Giants Baseball Blog. In this post, I want to stick with the NFL and the 49ers especially. Niner fans are well aware by now that Alex Smith has agreed to a deal to be the 49ers starting quarterback again in 2011 which we all were anticipating, I'm just surprised the Niners had to fork over $5 million in guaranteed money in order to keep Smith. I don't think there was much of a market for him and they probably could have gotten him for half that. Regardless, the Niners made a big move to put themselves over $16 million under the salary cap Thursday by releasing former pro-bowl corner Nate Clements. The corner's situation was growing cloudier by the day as the 49ers have made no secret that their pursuing other top free agent cornerbacks, namely Nnamdi Asomugha and Jonathan Joseph. Asomugha is the top player on the free agent market, and the 49ers are going to have to outbid more than a few teams for his services, but by clearing out Clements salary, they're in position to do just that. I expect one them to join San Fran otherwise they wouldn't have confidently let Clements go like they did.

Another guy apparently high on the 49ers radar is former Bears all-pro center Olin Kruetz. Last years starter David Bass quickly signed with the Giants, leaving the 49ers out of a starting center. If they can't woo Kruetz, they could rely on an in house candidate like Adam Snyder or rookie David Kilgore. I would love to see the Niners bring in a smart, useful veteran like Kruetz to help anchor the line and bring along some of the teams bright young lineman so I definitely see logic in that move. Another move I'd like to see the 49ers pursue is possibly bringing in former Cal defensive tackle Brandon Mebene who's spent the last few seasons in Seattle. The 49ers are thin at defensive tackle and could use a guy like Mebane who's had success rushing the passer from the inside. I like Issac Sopogoa, but now that Aubrayo Franklin's out of the picture, the 49ers need more depth there, and I actually think Mebane is a better option than Ike. He's younger, bigger and more explosive and probably wouldn't cost the 49ers an arm and a leg to acquire. Right now I'm just not at all excited about their D-Line outside of Justin Smith. They're handing Ray McDonald the starting left end spot and he collected 0.0 sacks in 16 games last season. They just don't generate much pass rush up front and Mebene or a guy like Cullen Jenkins could certainly help.

These are just a few things going on in the crazy NFL free agent frenzy and we'll keep you up date as often as possible here in the next couple days as free agents settle in. As far as the Raiders are concerned, I've heard or read absolutely nothing of substance that tells me they're going to be players in free agency. They're over the cap and need to clear space which they need to focus on before they can look for a replacement for Asomugha, re-signing Zach Miller and trying to upgrade their wideout spot in a deep WR market.

They're Back! NFL Lockout Ends

2011-07-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

It took roughly 5 long months and came close to threatening the preseason, but the Players Union and NFL owners finally agreed on a new 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement which will put the NFL back in business Tuesday.

So just like that, the NFL is back, and there is a lot to get done between now and kickoff 2011 in September, less than a month and a half away. Yahoo Sports came out with the top-100 NFL Free Agents who will be looking for new contracts between now and then, and there are quite a few big named players out there, and a few key players from last years 49ers team as well. Not only is expected starting QB Alex Smith free, but the 49ers starting nose tackle (Aubreyo Franklin), 2 of their key linebackers (Takeo Spikes and Manny Lawson), and starting safety (Dashon Goldson) are all free to sign with whatever team they please. The 49ers will bring back Alex Smith as coach Jim Harbough has made public his endorsement of Smith on more than one occasion and there just aren't many better options out there. We talked a bit in our last post how the Niners may look to bring in a veteran stop-gap like Matt Hasselbeck, but it would be wiser on their part to focus on their defensive free agents and roll with Smith again. I would definitely like to see Lawson and Spikes return. Spikes is a leader and still valuable on the field and although Lawson didn't quite reach his potential in San Francisco the first go round, but I would hate to see him leave and become another Julian Peterson (25 sacks over 3 seasons in Seattle after he left the 49ers).

As far as other potential free agents who could interest the 49ers, I don't see a whole lot out there that the Niners will likely consider. There are a couple of other safeties out there that could provide an upgrade to Niners secondary, but their focus is likely going to be on Goldson who's had two strong seasons in the 49er secondary and is really coming into his own. I really like Charger safety Eric Waddle, who many believed was the backbone of that defense for the last couple of seasons. He's only 25 and is already a pro-bowl caliber player and would look pretty good lining up next to Dashon in "center field" for the 49ers. Other than that, I don't really see the 49ers doing a whole lot as far as player movement between now and the start of the season besides inking their rookies and retaining Franklin, Smith, Spikes, Lawson and Goldson. I don't see them letting Lawson go because of the lack of depth at outside linebacker, even though they have Ahmad Brooks, Parys Haralson and #1 draft pick Aldon Smith figuring to get tons of playing time.

The two areas I'd like to see 49ers upgrade is their wideout and cornerback position. Wideout isn't a need, but it's an area where they can upgrade the squad big time, and we all know offense was an issue for this team last year. Michael Crabtree is locked into one starting spot, but I've never been overly impressed by Josh Morgan, and he's had plenty of time to prove his worth. He is coming off his best season, but neither him or Crabtree are considered deep ball threats and I think it would drastically open up the 49ers offense if they added someone who could stretch the field. The guy I'm looking at after reviewing the full free agent list is Braylon Edwards. He's had some off field issues and some inconsistency in his play, but had a nice finish to last season, is still just 27 years old and I think his best days are still ahead of him. Cornerback is a different story. The 49ers were highly considering grabbing a corner with their top pick in the draft which tells me they are indeed interested in upgrading there, and they have the money to do so. Perhaps the reason they decided against drafting one is because the FA market is so stocked with above average cornerbacks that they're bound to wind up with one if they so choose. The top dog is Nhamdi Asomghua, but he's out of 49er price range unless they cut loose Nate Clements. Jonathan Joseph, Antonio Cromartie and Ike Taylor would also provide nice options if the 49ers want a top-notch CB and cannot land Nhamdi.

BASJ Notes: With the NFL back in full swing, there's likely going to be tons and tons of things to talk about between now and Kickoff '11, so we'll be shifting back into football mode here at The BASJ. We'll still also mix in A's, Giants, Cal and Stanford sports coverage as well as other breaking news around the Bay Area and in the Sports World, but for most of the NBA Lockout talk, check out our Warriors Rundown, and for complete Giants daily coverage, check out The Giants Baseball Blog.

Players Hold Key to End NFL Lockout

2011-07-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

We're inching closer and closer to August, and the NFL lockout is starting to cut into teams projected training camps. However, the Owners have agreed to a deal that is supposed to take the NFL off of hiatus and are just waiting for the players union to sign off.

The players supposedly needed some time to look over the deal and finalize things and have yet to sign and agree to the new CBA, but most people close to those involved in talks believe this will be a done deal in due time. It's kind of weird how the tides have turned, at first, it was the players who wanted to end this thing and it was the owners who were tentative, but know it appears the have shifted the other way. Either way, this lockout is really starting to cost NFL on both sides, and I think we're just days away from the NFL opening for business and when that does happen, there should be a flurry of activity. There will probably be a 2-3 week period where teams sign free agents and make their offseason moves, rather than the 3-4 month period they're used to. There are some pretty big names out there still looking for homes, including wideouts Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress and Sidney Rice, halfback DeAngelo Williams as well as star cover man Nhamdi Asomgua and many, many more reigning and potential pro-bowlers. I don't really expect the local teams to get involved in any of the big name free agent sweepstakes, but both the Raiders and Niners have needs to address before kickoff 2011.

One of the thin areas of the free agent/trade market when it does open up will be at the quarterback position where both the Raiders and 49ers have a need. One of the few guys who will be available and could interest both teams is veteran slinger Matt Hasselbeck. The 35 year-old QB is coming off a rough couple of years in Seattle, but in fairness to him, he's had limited protection and nobody to throw to in the last couple of years. He's also said to be as healthy now as he's been since '06-'07 and I know the 49ers have at least considered the idea of signing him. It's likely going to come down to a guy like Hasselbeck or another round of Alex Smith. I guess the 49ers could realistically bring both guys in and use rookie Colin Kaepernick as the 3rd stringer, but I don't foresee that happening. I personally think Hasselbech would be alright in San Francisco, where he'd have a better O-line and running game than he did in Seattle, and some legit targets to throw to in Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. I really don't have a preference of one over the other between Smith and Hasselbeck. Smith knows the offense and is familiar with the personnel, but Hasselbeck probably would give the team a more consistent performer and better decision maker behind center. I liked the possibility of adding Kevin Kolb before the draft, but since they got Kaepernick, it likely takes Kolb off the table. The 49ers want Kapernick to be their QB of the future and probably envision him starting as early as next fall.

The Raiders will probably decide to roll with Jason Campbell again, as he finished off the years solidly. Campbell had a 95 QB-rating with 6 TD's and an average of 230 passing yards per game over the Raiders final 5 games, leading the Raiders to a 3-2 record in the process. There's been some chatter that they may pursue Donovan McNabb, but unless they can get a young up and comer like Kolb, I'd just assume give Campbell another shot than rolling the dice on another veteran on the downside of their career's. Besides, the Raiders should focus on adding guys around Campbell, especially up front on the line and at the wide receiver spot. I don't think T.O.'s attitude would be a good fit in Oakland, but he's the type of guy Al Davis likes to go after and would actually fit nicely into their plans on the field. They're set at running back with D-Mac and Michael Bush, but that's about the only are of their team that couldn't use some extra help.

A's Lose Anderson to Tommy John Surgery

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well, 2011 hasn't been too kind to the Athletics, especially on the injury front. After playing much of the first half without closer Andrew Baily and starter Brandon McCarthy, the A's have now suffered their first injury loss of the 2nd half, and it's one that's going to carry over into next year as well.

The A's were thought to have a good shot at winning the AL West this year particularly because of their strong starting pitching, led by the two-headed monster or Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill, so Anderson's loss is a huge blow to this starting rotation. It would be the equivalent of taking Matt Cain out of the Giants starting rotation, and not only is Anderson going to miss the remainder of the 2011 season, it's highly doubtful to expect anything sufficient out of him in 2012 as well. The Tommy John recovery time for a starting pitcher tends to fall between 12-18 months, which in best case would put Anderson at the start of his rehab at this point next year. Maybe he comes along and can contribute in the final month in 2012, but that would be absolute best case scenario. Now moving up into the 2 spot in the rotation and likely staying there through next year will be newest A's all-star Gio Gonzalez. With Rich Harden and Brandon McCarthy's healthy return, the A's still have a strong and deep rotation, but losing Anderson is going to have an effect on everyone on that team. It's really too bad too cause the A's were just starting to get healthy. Even star relief pitcher Joey Devine, who hasn't pitched since 2008 when he sported a 0.59 era out of the bullpen for Oakland, made his 2011 debut this week and Josh Willingham came off the DL in strong fashion with a 3-hit night and a home run.

Now, as we approach the trade-deadline, I think it's pretty clear what position the A's will take, and will likely be looking for teams they can unload veterans like Hideki Matsui, David Dejesus, Willingham and Kevin Kouzmanoff onto. Out of the bunch, I think the A's would be wise to hang onto Willingham. They don't have a lot of power on their roster at all, and Willingham is the one guy who's shown that he can hit the ball out of the ballpark on a consistent basis for this team. Matsui and DeJesus have been huge disappointments after coming over with big expectation in the offseason.