I am heading out on vacation and will be back next week.  In the meantime the 49ers will be broadcasting live the State of the Franchise on Tuesday, July 27.  You can watch it at 49ers.com. Training camp also starts this week for the 49ers.  I will have comments on everything when I get back.

Don’t forgot to vote at Fansided.com in the Divisional Smackdown tournament.

Yes and no.  Yes, because we have been here before with Michael Crabtree’s holdout last season.  I thought it was a matter of time before Crabtree would sign and that didn’t happen until week five of the season.  No, because none of the 2010 draft picks selected in the first-round are signed either.  When signing draft picks the NFL uses a slotting process with wherever a player is picked he gets so much money and the next guy get a little less and so-on.  A dumb practice yes but the NFL might have a new rookie salary cap that would take away the slotting process.  This is much needed however the new collective bargaining agreement that is in negotiations that could include a rookie salary cap is also a reason why no picks have been signed.  What I have found to be the biggest obstacle for teams is the option bonus.

Option Bonus: Signing bonuses and option bonuses are almost the same thing. A signing bonus is paid to the player when the contract is signed. An option bonus is similar to a signing bonus, but paid at a later date. They do not directly count against the cap in that season. Instead the full amount is divided evenly over the remaining length of the contract or 5 years, whichever is less. This is called the amortized bonus. When a player is cut, the amount of this amortized bonus remaining to be applied to the cap is immediately due to the cap. If a player is cut before June 1, it counts toward the current season. After June 1, it counts toward the next season. This is called the “dead cap hit.” There is something called the “Deion rule” to prevent spreading too much into uncapped seasons, it really hasn’t been relevant until recently, but it is going to severely limit signing and option bonuses to new contracts in the near future because of the owner opt out.

Most option bonuses are paid out in the second year of the deal.  With no collective bargaining agreement for the 2011 season NFL teams are acting as if no season will be played at all in the second year of the contracts signed in 2010.  If there is a lockout teams do not want to pay big payroll costs so they are looking at new ways to pay out the bonuses over longer periods of time and the players/agents want it sooner in the contract like in the second year.  When first overall pick Sam Bradford signs with the Rams the rest of the rookies should fall in-line and sign.

Back to the 49ers draft picks.  The most important upgrade the 49ers did this past off-season was the offensive line.  With picks at 11 and 17 in the first-round the 49ers selected tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati. The 49ers success on offense this season will somewhat depend on Davis and Iupati.  How quickly they learn Jimmy Raye’s offense and adapt to playing in the NFL has to do with them being in training camp from the start.  Holdouts will not help Davis, Iupati or the 49ers.  Hopefully before long the top-ten draft picks will sign with Davis and Iupati right behind them.  Niner rookies report to training camp on July 30.

In the last two weeks we had polls to vote on the NFC West all-star team.  Along with voting at raisingzona.com, ramblinfan.com and 12thmanrising.com our NFC West team is now assembled and is facing off against the NFC East in the first round.  Go check it out at Fansided.com

Team owner John York was recently in London promoting this season’s overseas match-up between the 49ers and Broncos on Oct. 31.  While talking before English fans York said,

“There is easily enough of a fan base over here to stage two games a season. I think eventually there will be a Super Bowl outside the U.S. I couldn’t tell you when that would be. I can see it both ways. I’m not sure what will be first, a Super Bowl over here or an NFL team, but they both seem likely to happen.”

York was not just rambling off his thoughts as he has insight as the chair of the NFL International Committee, so there is some substance in what he said.  I think if either one were to happen it would be a Super Bowl in London rather than an NFL team.  The NFL needs a team in Los Angeles first before it even thinks of not only having a team overseas but any new team in a U.S. city.  If a team were to play in London it would make sense for it to be an expansion team as I cannot see any current NFL teams relocating to England.  Plus if you are going to have your first NFL team based outside of the U.S. it would probably only work as an expansion team so the fans can develop a loyalty and die-hard relationship with the team that is their own.  But would an NFL team really work in London?  The now defunct NFL Europe only had teams based in the United Kingdom from 1995-2004, even though the league was in operation from 1991-2007.  It would make more sense to have a team in Canada where the Canadian Football League has been in existence since 1958, the league is still intact and is the second most popular sport in Canada behind hockey.  I wonder where the American football ranks in England’s most popular sports. Certainly not first as soccer is number one but is American football bigger than sports like cricket, rugby, tennis or golf?

Having a Super Bowl in London is more plausible but to even think of America’s biggest sport and single biggest sports game of the year to be in another country is hard to swallow.  This is our game.  How would English fans react if an owner of a club in the English Premier League said that the EPL championship game would one day be played in New York?

The 49ers defense is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming D’s in the NFL this season.  One of the reasons for this and how successful the defense was last season is because of starting nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin. Franklin had career highs in tackles for a loss (8.5), sacks (2) and interceptions (1) and was a huge reason why the 49ers ranked third in the NFL against the rush giving up only 3.6 yards per carry.  The 49ers placed the franchise tag on Franklin early in the off-season in hopes of signing him to a long-term contract.  The deadline for the team and Franklin to reach a deal was on Thursday and now with no agreement reached Franklin will have a one-year contract for $7.003 million.  Now it is up to Franklin as to whether or not he will accept the one-year deal or holdout for the year.  I doubt Franklin will holdout the whole year however he has missed all of the 49ers off-season workouts.   The 49ers might be trying to make Franklin show that last season’s production was not because he was in the final year of his contract and his age, he will be 30 by the start of the season, might be a concern too.  I am sure money and the length of contract Franklin wanted was beyond what the 49ers were willing to offer.  Not only because of what I mentioned already but also the NFL might have new player salary rule in 2011.  On top of that after this season the 49ers will be looking to extend the contracts of Vernon Davis, Dashon Goldson, Josh Morgan and Alex Smith.  If Franklin was signed to a long-term, over paid contract some of the players listed might not get the contracts they are looking for and become free agents.  All four of those players will be instrumental in the 49ers success for years to come.

Replacement?

If Franklin decides to holdout there are not many options for the 49ers to make up for his production.  On the current 49ers roster Franklin is the only listed player at nose tackle.  The team has plenty of defensive tackles however moving one of them to fill his spot will not guarantee success at the position and the way the 49ers D stopped the run last season.  There were two games last season that stand out in mind when it comes to Franklin’s value to the 49ers.  One was in week 5 against the Falcons when he recorded 10 tackles and in week 10 when he picked off QB Jay Cutler as the Bears were threatening to score on the goal-line.  I wanted Franklin to sign a long-term deal but if he does not sit out the season this will be a smart move by the 49ers.

49ers State of the Franchise

On July 27 at 7:00 pm the 49ers will hold their 2010 State of the Franchise.  The event is only open to season ticket holders and there will be a live broadcast on 49ers.com.

In attendance will be Team President Jed York, Head Coach Mike Singletary and Vice President of Player Personnel Trent Baalke. The State of the Franchise will allow fans “an opportunity to hear directly from the organization about the direction of the franchise this season and beyond.”  It does not seem that any of the three will be taking questions from the audience which is a shame.  If that is the case there are three questions I would like York to address:  1.) Why San Francisco was not a feasible stadium site with the 49ers having to give up Monday and Thursday Night games at the Santa Clara site because of traffic and parking issues.  2.) York’s reasons for why San Francisco is not a second option for a new stadium if the Santa Clara site does not work out.  3.)  Why all the secrecy surrounding the firing of Scot McCloughan and when he thinks a new general manager will be hired.

49ers file to cut rent at Candlestick

The 49er Faithful and other fans that visit Candlestick Park will all agree the stadium is in bad shape and the 49ers need a new stadium.  The 49ers filed a claim with the City of San Francisco because how bad the stadium issues have become and will try to get the rent lowered.  I think this is why the City of San Francisco and the 49ers Front Office relationship soured.  The City does not think it is responsible for all the maintenance which the 49ers says it is and the team has lost revenue because of the problems.  The York family has never had a good relationship with the City since it took over the team in 1999 which explains why they seem to be doing everything they can to move out of San Francisco.

Rookie Signs Contract

Sixth-round draft pick Nate Byham signed a four-year contract with the 49ers on Monday.  Byham is a tight end out of the University of Pittsburgh and is expected to be the blocking tight end for the 49ers.  Former Niner Billy Bajema, who is now a Ram, filled that role last season.  Byham is not a lock to win a roster spot.  The 49ers selected Bear Pascoe in the same round in 2009 and he was expected to the blocking tight end however he did not survive training camp and was released.

Byham, running back Anthony Dixon, wider receiver Kyle Williams and cornerback Phillip Adams are the only draft picks the 49ers have signed to a contract.  All four were either selected in the sixth or seventh rounds of the draft.  Offensive tackle Anthony Davis, offensive guard Mike Iupati, safety Taylor Mays and linebacker Navorro Bowman are the remaining unsigned draft picks.

Preseason Power Rankings

With the draft and OTA’s in the past and the start of training camp beginning for teams over the next month I did some searching to see how different web sites are ranking the NFC West teams:

ESPN ranks the 49ers 15th overall with the Arizona Cardinals 12th, Seahawks 26th and the Rams ranked last at 32nd.

Sports Illustrated ranks the 49ers 19th overall with the Seahawks 11th, Cardinals 22nd and the Rams 32nd.

USA Today ranks the 49ers 15th overall with the Cardinals 17th, Seahawks 24th and the Rams 32nd.

NFL.com ranks the 49ers 13th overall with the Cardinals 18th, Seahawks 20th and the Rams 31st.

Also see our previous posts of NFC West quarterbacks and running backs.

Niner Noise along with raisingzona.com, ramblinfan.com and 12thmanrising.com are currently working to come up with the best NFC West players, an “NFC West All-Star Team” if you will.

Today we look at the wide receivers:

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald

You can look at the loss of Kurt Warner (retirement) and Anquan Boldin (traded to the Ravens) one of two ways: 1. Fitzgerald will get more targets with the loss of Boldin and with the emerging running dual of Beanie Wells/Tim Hightower will open up the secondary. or 2. Fitzgerald’s production will drop because the secondary will only need to focus on him and with Matt Leinart’s suspect accuracy it will be hard to get Fitz the football.  While success this season will be harder for Fitzgerald there is no denying the phenomenal player he has become.  Fitzgerald will still get at least ten touchdowns and hit the mark of 90 receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards but it will harder than previous seasons with Warner and Boldin gone.

Arizona Cardinals: Steve Breaston

Breaston had a breakout year in 2008 with 77 receptions, 1,006 receiving yards and three touchdowns.  Most of his stats came as he filled in for injured starter Anquan Boldin.  Although still impressive Breaston last season regressed in his numbers (55 receptions, 712 receiving yards and three touchdowns) but progressed as a wide receiver all while being number three on the depth chart.  If anything Cardinal fans can look to 2008 to get a glimpse of how he will play starting at wide receiver.  However like Fitzgerald his success all comes down to how effective the running game will be and how Matt Leinart develops into his role as a full time starter.

San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree

The focal point of training camp for Michael Crabtree last season was pay me.  With Crabtree under contract the focal point of this seasons training camp will be his development in reading defenses and developing a relationship with quarterback Alex Smith in which both know what each other are thinking on any given play.  In the 11 games he did play in last season he put up some good numbers: 48 receptions, 625 receiving yards and two touchdowns.  Crabtree should have good numbers this season but in order for him to become an All-Pro a lot rests in the hands of Alex Smith, Vernon Davis, Josh Morgan, Frank Gore and the offensive line.

Seattle Seahawks: T.J. Houshmandzadeh

When you look at Houshmandzadeh’s numbers last season they are notable.  However when you compare his numbers to his previous three seasons with the Bengals and the big contract he signed with the Seahawks in 2009 is when his numbers look like he regressed.  Housh is still a great wide receiver and his lack of production last season had to do with injuries to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the lack of other weapons on offense like he had in Cincinnati.  But this is when great players step up and show they can lead a team regardless of who is around them.

Seattle Seahawks: Deion Branch

Branch can be relied on as a second receiver but with his recent knee injuries and declining production he is best suited as a third string receiver. He can still catch the football as he has averaged around 44 receptions since he joined the Seahawks in 2006 but he is not a target in the end-zone.

St. Louis Rams: Donnie Avery

With Avery’s speed he is always a threat to score.  He had a breakout rookie season in 2008 with 53 receptions for 674 yards and three touchdowns.  Other than the touchdown category he did not eclipse those numbers last season.  The Rams have struggled at quarterback in the last two seasons especially last year so his production in on par with the talent he had around him. It will be interesting to see if Sam Bradford and Avery develop the QB/WR combination ala Kurt Warner/Torry Holt.

Vote Now! Pick three wide receivers:

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Niner Noise along with raisingzona.com, ramblinfan.com and 12thmanrising.com are currently working to come up with the best NFC West players, an “NFC West All-Star Team” if you will.

Today we look at the running backs.

Arizona Cardinals: Beanie Wells

In the post-Kurt Warner era the Cardinals will most likely not be the passing team they have been in recent years which means more carries for Beanie Wells.  He showed great potential in his rookie season (176 carries for 793 rushing yards with seven touchdowns) especially in the final eight games when he scored six of his seven touchdowns.  Wells played better as he received more carries and he will only improve on last season.

Arizona Cardinals: Tim Hightower

Hightower has played well in each of the two years in the NFL however he has taken a back seat to Wells as the featured running back.  This had to do with him fumbling five times last season however he is still a great value to the Cardinals on the goal line scoring eight times inside the 5-yard line.  He is also of value on third downs to get the short yardage for a first down and as a receiver out of the backfield.  Hightower had 63 receptions for 428 yards with no touchdowns last season.

San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore

Last season Gore scored ten touchdowns for the first time in his career and finished 11th in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,120 his second best mark in his career.  Head coach Mike Singletary had envisioned a smash mouth style of running game last season which works so long as you have the offensive line to plow ahead.  That was not the case for the 49ers last season which led to Gore’s injury early in the season in which he missed two games.  The offensive line has improved and with Alex Smith as the quarterback with receiving threats like Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis the defense will have to account for the passing game this season.  This should give Gore more open running lanes and lessen the hits he takes.  Gore is a great option out of the backfield catching 52 passes for 406 yards with three touchdowns last season.

Seattle Seahawks: Justin Forsett

On only 114 carries last season Forsett managed to rush for 619 yards and four touchdowns.  In the four games he received ten or more carries he averaged 5 yards per rush.  Forsett does not have much competition outside of Julius Jones to be the featured running back for the Seahawks so he should land the starting job.  Jones has not done too well since joining the Seahawks two years ago.  Forsett will most likely lose goal line and third down carries to Leon Washington but will still be the featured back.

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson

Jackson only managed four rushing touchdowns last season but piled up his second best rushing season with 1,416 yards.  Jackson was one of the few offense weapons the Rams had last season as they endured a 1-15 record, worst in the NFL.  The Rams have not had a winning record since Jackson joined the team in 2004 however this has not slowed down his production.  With new quarterback Sam Bradford and an upgraded offensive line Jackson will only build on his numbers from last season.

My Take: Steven Jackson

Not only is Jackson the best running back in the NFC West but I consider him to be in the top five of most talented RB’s in the NFL.  Regardless of the Rams record, what the score is or who is under center and on the offensive line Jackson continues to be productive.  Could you imagine him on a winning team and the offensive stats he would put out?

Vote now!

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Niner Noise along with raisingzona.com, ramblinfan.com and 12thmanrising.com are currently working to come up with the best NFC West players, an “NFC West All-Star Team” if you will.

Today we look at the quarterback position.

Arizona Cardinals: Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart has championship experience, albeit in college and by learning from former QB Kurt Warner ever since he entered the league Leinart has the potential to be a successful quarterback for the Cardinals.  Leinart takes over the team with just 17 NFL starts.

Seattle Seahawks:  Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck has more career starts than all the other NFC West QB’s combined.  Although injuries have hampered his production the last few seasons his experience also extends to the playoffs and a Super Bowl appearance.

St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford

Sam Bradford will be the starter for the Rams which is in part due to his talent but also because he is the default QB when you look at the rest of the options on the roster.  Bradford will turn the Rams into contenders again but that may take a few seasons.

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith

Alex Smith ended last season with a 5-5 record throwing 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  Smith has more confidence now than he has ever had in his career and will be looking to silence his detractors this season as a draft bust.

My Take:

Looking at the NFC West quarterbacks there is really not much competition as to who is the best QB in the division.  The only one who has playoff experience, won the division and appeared in a Super Bowl is Matt Hasselbeck.

Your input will help determine who should represent the NFC West.  Vote now!

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Strong Safety: Michael Lewis vs. rookie Taylor Mays

The match-up between Lewis and Mays has many factors.  Most importantly is Lewis’ health.  He suffered three concussions last year, two in the preseason and the last one in week 5.  Even though Lewis only missed one game his health will be a concern as the next concussion he suffers could be the end of his career.

Taylor Mays is a hard hitting physical stud but needs to better develop his coverage and footwork.  The 49ers brought in Ronnie Lott in the off-season to help Mays with his development.  Lewis just needs to stay healthy through training camp and the preseason and he will win the starting job.  If Mays is not the starter he will contribute on defense as the blitzing safety and on running downs when the D stacks the box to prevent the run.

Free Safety: Dashon Goldson vs. Reggie Smith/Curtis Taylor

The 49ers were known for giving up big pass plays last season.  This however had more to do with a lack of getting a pass rush without using the blitz which left the secondary exposed.  Dashon Goldson had a break out year last season recoding 94 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks.  Unless Goldson has a horrible training camp he is a lock for the starting job.  I hope Reggie Smith and Curtis Taylor have a great training camp because it will bring depth to the secondary that was beat deep often last season.  Goldson is in a contract year so we should see another good year out of him as NFL players bring out everything they have to get awarded with a new hefty contract.  Smith and Taylor know that if they have a solid training camp the 49ers can look to them in the future as starters if Goldson does not sign a contract.  Smith can come in and make an impact right away if Goldson goes down to injury.

Cornerback: Nate Clements vs. Tarell Brown

Age might be finally catching up with Nate Clements.  Clements can still get the job done as a reliable cornerback but the 49ers signed him to be a play-making defensive back.  Even as a dependable corner the 49ers had better talent on the bench last season.  Clements was benched against the Colts in week 8 last season and was replaced by Tarell Brown.  Clements did not start in another game the rest of the season.  Despite Clements big contract the 49ers seem willing to let Brown into the starting lineup if he proves to be the better of the two corners.  Brown did well finishing with 38 tackles and two interceptions after taking over for Clements.  Clements is the better open field tackler which helps with the run but he knows that Mike Singletary and Greg Manusky are willing to replace him in the starting lineup if he does not have a good training camp.  This will be motivation for Clements as he does not want to become the highest paid cornerback that is not a starter.  Regardless of who wins the starting job both will be a factor in the Nickel defensive set.

Running Back: Glen Coffee vs. rookie Anthony Dixon

Frank Gore has the starting job locked up.  The battle at running back in training camp will be who backs up Gore.  After Gore went down to injury against the Vikings in week 3 Glen Coffee had a great opportunity to show his talent but only averaged 57 rushing yards a game, 3.0 yards a rush, with one touchdown in the three games.  Coffee was still developing but not being able to take advantage of playing time last season does not make him the clear favorite to be the number two running back.  Each season the 49ers try to keep Gore’s legs fresh to avoid injury.  One way to do this is not bringing Gore in on third-and-short and goal line situations.  Coffee was not reliable last season on those plays and with the physical and blowing ball style of running Anthony Dixon showed in college he should transition well into this role.  But Dixon is a rookie and learning the offense.  Coffee has the advantage of a year of knowledge of the offense under his belt.

Quarterback: Alex Smith vs. David Carr

The training camp battle at quarterback is not one many people expect to pay attention to however the 49er Faithful showed keep an eye on this one.  Alex Smith has been named the starter, will have the same offense in constructive years for the first time in his career and is coming off last season with the most confidence in his career.  After going 5-5 as a starter Smith finished the season with 2350 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, completed 60.5 percent of his passes and had an 81.5 QB rating.  The 49ers have upgraded their offensive line with draft picks that can start right away so this will make Smith more comfortable in the pocket.  The 49ers passed up on drafting quarterbacks and trading for some of the available ones like Donovan McNabb to show their faith in Smith. They did however sign former number one draft pick David Carr.  I expect Carr to have a great training camp and give Smith good competition for the starting job.  Unless Smith has a bad showing in camp and in the preseason or if he goes down to injury, which is prone to doing, Smith will be under center at the start of the season.  Carr brings stability as a back up and will be a great mentor to Smith as he has been a back up for two Super Bowl quarterbacks.  Both Smith and Carr have a lot to prove as they have been written off by many as quarterbacks who cannot start in the NFL and lead their teams to winning records.