My apologies for the lack of posting over the last couple days.  My birthday was Tuesday and while the good times lasted all day, the physical consequences carried well into yesterday.  However, I'm fully recovered and ready to get back to the dawning of the J.T. O'Sullivan era.

There are obviously a million and one things to discuss related to the quarterback situation.  It sounds like we'll hear later today who will get the starting nod on Saturday so that will get the troops chattering.  In the meantime, I want to open discussion on the 49ers defense.

Last month I threw out a prediction that the 49ers defense would finish the season in the top half of the league.  Since then, the defense was shredded by the Raiders running backs and they added Takeo Spikes.  This post was inspired in part by sfgfan's comments in the Culpepper FanPost:

So there you have it, a pass rush that’s dependent on two players who haven’t proven they’re pass rushers, a guy who is learning a new position, and a guy who the team hasn’t used as a pass-rusher.

The pass rush was clearly a major problem last season.  The team added Justin Smith in the offseason and gets Manny Lawson back healthy, but as sfgfan pointed out, neither is really a traditional pass rusher.  Maiocco pointed out that TBC is having a strong training camp, but I think most of us are in agreement that he is not an every-down type of player.

So the question becomes, how good can your defense be without a good pass rush?  The 49ers finished last season 21st in sacks with 31.  Unfortunately I can't find the stats on quarterback hurries or how many times the QB was knocked down.  Anybody have any idea where those stats might be?

It's a shame that the pass rush has been missing because I think the other pieces are in place for this defense to be really good.  The addition of Takeo Spikes adds necessary depth to the linebacking corp, which was already very solid.  The secondary is in good shape and with the continued emergence of Dashon Goldson the depth is good there as well.

So an argument could exist similar to the whole chicken or the egg argument.  If you've got a great pass rush giving the QB less time to throw it's conceivable the secondary would look better.  Of course, if you've got a very good secondary, can the quality coverage create enough time for the linemen and linebackers to make sacks?

While I do think that coverage sacks are an important part of the game, the secondary would get too worn down without a legitimate pass rush.  It's got to be a little less tiring to run from the line of scrimmage to the QB than to have to run 30 or 40+ yards covering a speedy receiver.

I'm not here offering solutions to the problem of the pass rush, mainly because I don't know what those solutions might be.  There has been talk of Parys Haralson turning into that guy, or maybe Ray McDonald.  You want a great pass rushing unit, but usually there is one guy who is considered the big threat.  It would be a shame to waste all this defensive talent.  It'll be something worth keeping an eye on the remaining three games of the preseason.

There's under 30 hours until kickoff (34+ thanks to the blackout) and we're getting a better idea of who we'll see tomorrow and who will be in street clothes.  I thought I'd take a look at the injured players and the impact it will have tomorrow and going forward.

Michael Robinson - This is definitely not surprising at all.  Robinson is not expected back until the regular season, maaaaaybe the last preseason game.  He's looking at more of a special teams role with the addition of DeShaun Foster but will still get time in some offensive formations.  His absence likely means more carries for 2007 preseason MVP Thomas Clayton.  Of course preseason MVP has absolutely no value, other than an apparent ticket to the practice squad.

David Baas - Another non-surprise.  Tony Wragge appears to taken control of the position ahead of Chilo Rachal.  If Wragge looks good in the preseason, I'm curious what happens when Baas is healthy.  We'll also see the likes of Jeb Terry and former Cal guard Brian De La Puente getting some reps in the second half.

Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie - Johnson tweaked his hamstring in the morning practice against the Raiders.  It sounds like he was performing pretty well up to that point so let's hope it's a short term issue.  As for Lelie, well we've discussed his issues at length.  In addition, Isaac Bruce is a game-time decision.  If he does play I would imagine it would only be for a series or two.  The absence of these receivers means more reps for the likes of Josh Morgan, Jason Hill and Dominique Zeigler, which could help all of their chances at more playing time.

Mark Roman - Apparently Roman was scheduled to wear the defensive radio receiver, but with his injury, Michael Lewis will be the guy.  Roman's absence means more time for Dashon Goldson.  He's been a ballhawk in practice, so let's see if he can transfer that over to game situations.

Lewis Baker - Baker is a long shot to make the roster and this thigh bruise is certainly not helping his chances.  He'd apparently been playing pretty well, so it's a shame to see this happen.  This means more playing time for DJ Parker and probably extra time for Keith Lewis as the 49ers are a bit low at safety for this game.

The 49ers got through their second day of padded practice with a few bumps and bruises but some interesting developments as well.

1. Mr. Goldson, please answer the white courtesy phone.  Mark Roman had to sit out today's practice with a hamstring strain, meaning Dashon Goldson practiced with the first team defense.  As long as Roman gets back to healthy I'd imagine he'll hang on to the starting free safety job for at least the beginning of the season.  However, if Goldson continues to make plays, as he's done in practice so far, he could snatch the job away.  Of course, if both are playing well, I'd imagine the team would find ways to get both in the lineup.  Goldson played a good bit of cornerback in college so he has the necessary flexibility.

2. Now if only Jennings could stay healthy and keep his head on straight, for crying out loud. Both MM (see the comments at the bottom) and Barrows have pointed out that Jonas Jennings has been the best offensive lineman in camp, with MM also giving a plug to Eric Heitmann.  Heitmann struggled last season after coming back from a busted up leg.  Jennings has had off the field issues and injury issues crop up ever since he signed his 7-year deal with the 49ers.  If these two guys can stay healthy and have bounce back years, I think this offensive line goes from weakness to strength.  Staley still has to prove himself at left tackle and Baas/Wragge/Rachal have their work cut out for them.  However, the talent is there for the 49ers to have a very good offensive line this season.  That would be HUGE for whomever is leading the team at QB.

3. QB numbers. Maiocco has been so kind as to provide his unofficial pass statistics for the 11-on-11 dills: Alex Smith is 65 of 99 (65.7%) with 1 TD and 3 INTs.  Shaun Hill is 60 of 94 (63.8%) with 1 TD and 4 INTs.  A couple things to keep in mind on those statistics: 1) The 49ers have worked inside the redzone in only one practice, 2) It's not a TD if it's not caught in the TD or there is no defender between the receiver and the end zone when he catches the ball.  So those numbers certainly have to be taken with a grain of salt.

4. Thank the lord he didn't pull a Jay Moore. Kentwan Balmer injured his ankle when a teammate fell on it during a running drill.  There were worries it was a high ankle sprain, but it appears to only be a mild sprain.  Moore suffered a high ankle sprain last year and missed the whole season.

5. Some other injury news.  Arnaz Battle was held out of practice but it appears to be a simple precautionary measure.  He has had knee injuries and other bumps and bruises in the past.  Battle has reached that point where he's turning into an established veteran where you know what you're gonna get from him.  You never want a guy losing reps in practice, but if it keeps him healthy I suppose it works.

I wanted to wrap up with an interesting quote from Mike Nolan after practice:

"Yesterday we had three turnovers and a couple of incomplete passes that when we get our timing and all down will be big gains. They turn into interceptions because they bounce off a guy’s pads or something happened that we might have gone to an inside guy instead of the outside with the ball. Just little things that when we get it down is an opportunity for a big play. We have to understand that. Guys come out and say, ‘Well I saw this with turnovers.’ But when you analyze it, it’s the right decision and makes us a big play that we didn’t have before. So there’s excitement. The guys see it, but you have to point it out so they’re not wondering, ‘Did I really see that, or did I not?’ When the coach talks about it, it’s a little bit more real than them looking at each other and saying, ‘Did you almost make a big play?’ ‘Yes, I did.’ Players are always going to say, ‘Well I almost hit it out of the park.’ And they popped out. It’s not really the same thing.”

This is one thing we all have to keep in mind as we roll through training camp.  With the new offense, it will definitely take some time for the offense to come together.  Mike Martz mentioned he had never been in a situation like this with an even split of snaps between the top 2 QBs.  I certainly hope that isn't detrimental to the development of some sort of cohesiveness in the offense.

This continued development of the offense will be something to keep an eye on through each othe preseason games.  I definitely want to try and do some charting of plays and see what kind of success Smith and Hill have early on.  It's only preseason, but for a small stretch Smith/Hill will still see #1 defenses so there should be some valuable analysis available.

[EDITOR'S NOTE 7/29 11:40PM: I've noticed many people googling "49ers training camp" are coming across this post.  If you end up here and have not been to Niners Nation before, feel free to explore the proverbial studio space.  If you want to leave comments here, scroll to the bottom and you'll see an option for registering.  Registration is free and it gives you the power of commenting and writing your own Fan Posts, which are like blogs within the blog.  Anyways, hope you enjoy your time here, as we've got a great little community that is growing every day.  We'd love to hear from you.]

The long "winter" that is the NFL offseason is finally at an end.  While games do not kick for another couple weeks, practice is officially underway today.  Thursday saw the 49ers report for duty and take care of phsyicals and whatnot.  Thankfully all the rookies are under contract and in camp.  To throw some cliches your way, in July everybody's a contender.  Some more than others, but every team has some reason or another for hope.  The 49ers hope comes in the form of Mike Martz and Justin Smith among many others.

We've broken down different training camp battles (twice).  We've looked at the new 49ers on the field and amongst the coaching staff.  We've even looked at possible best and worst case scenarios.  Consider this post then a quick overview for those who may have been away from Niners Nation awhile, as well as general info on training camp in Santa Clara.

Practice Facilities
Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Center
Santa Clara, CA
8 practices open to the public: July 25, 26, 27, 28, 30; August 1, 2,3

John Clayton with quick thoughts on the 49ers training camp and things to do away from camp:

• What John Clayton says: What's better than 49er camp? First, it's located on the outside of Great America amusement park, which could make for a great doubleheader for the entire family. Catch a morning or afternoon practice with one of the up-and-coming teams in football and slide over to the theme park. The 49ers train at their headquarters and have a nice setup for fans, with stands and refreshments.
• What to do besides training camp: Santa Clara is 45 minutes from downtown San Francisco; visit 49ers' camp in the morning and shop in Union Square in the afternoon. Other must-see places in San Francisco include Alcatraz, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park and the Ferry Building. Back at team headquarters, the Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club is located but a few feet away, should campgoers wish to take some swings while in town. For a true taste of Silicon Valley history, the Intel Museum also is just down the street. And nearby Triton Museum of Art offers free admission.

Veteran Additions
Isaac Bruce, WR
DeShaun Foster, RB
Bryant Johnson, WR
J.T. O'Sullivan, QB
LaJuan Ramsey, DT
Alan Reuber, OT
Allen Rossum, KR/PR
Barry Sims, OT
Justin Smith, DE
Dontarrious Thomas, LB

2008 Draft Class
Kentwan Balmer, DT/DE
Chilo Rachal, G/T
Reggie Smith, CB/S
Cody Wallace, C
Josh Morgan, WR
Larry Grant, LB

Training Camp Battles to watch
QB1: Alex Smith vs. Shaun Hill vs. J.T. O'Sullivan (no snickering please)
Ted Linebacker: Jeff Ulbrich vs. Larry Grant vs. Brandon Moore
RG (winner does battle with Baas): Chilo Rachal vs. Tony Wragge
CB #2/3: Walt Harris vs. Shawntae Spencer vs. Tarell Brown vs. Reggie Smith
WR #2/#3/#4: Bryant Johnson vs. Arnaz Battle vs. Ashley Lelie vs. Jason Hill vs. Josh Morgan
FS: Mark Roman vs. Dashon Goldson
ROLB: Tully Banta-Cain vs. Jay Moore vs. Parys Haralson
World Wide Supremacy: Patrick Willis and Andy Lee vs. God (trick question, Lee and Willis ARE God)

We'll have wall to wall coverage of training camp.  I'm going to attend one of the eight practices, although that may expand to more if I have time.  In the meantime, if ANYBODY here attends training camp, we'd love to hear your thoughts in a Fan Post.  In the meantime I'll be scouring the Internet for information as things happen.  I hope everyone is as excited as I am for the return of football!

And of course, if you haven't yet signed up, the random drawing for spots in the first Niners Nation Fantasy Football League will be held July 31.  For those not selected, additional leagues will be created to fill all demand and there will be equal prizes to all winners.

Since training camp starts later this week, I put together a short list of position battles heading into training camp.  I could wait until the day before, but since nothing is likely to change in the next few days, now is as good a time as any.  We previously went over quarterback, right guard and the third/nickel back.  At each position I've posted who I think is the early leader in the battle.

Right Outside Linebacker
Leader at the first turn: Tully Banta-Cain
When TBC was brought in last season, there was hope that he would help generate the pass rush that has been missing for some time.  Unfortunately it did not work out quite like that.  While he pounced on Kurt Warner's end zone fumble in overtime, that was probably the only highlight of significance from 2007.  While with the Patriots, TBC was a veritable super-sub and it's possible he ends up back in that role with the 49ers.  I list him as the leader simply because he's the incumbent.  He'll see competition from my boy Jay Moore and Parys Haralson and will lose playing time to Justin Smith if the 49ers continue mixing him into the linebacker corp.  Moore missed all of last season with a high ankle sprain but certainly had an opportunity to learn the system.  I'm quite curious to see how he looks once the games get going.

Haralson got a big bump in playing time and while he wasn't spectacular, he certainly showed some skills.  I would expect even more playing time for him this season.  Considering the competition for playing time, I could definitely see the right OLB being a rotation between TBC, Haralson, Moore and Smith.  While it'd be nice to see a single guy step into the role, each competitor brings something different to the table.  Would you expect a platoon situation?

#2/#3 Wide Receiver
Leader at the first turn: Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle
It seems pretty clear that Bruce and Johnson are the guys we'll see starting every week.  While the team isn't rolling out the likes of Boldin and Fitzgerald or Holt and Bruce (back in the day), the depth at wide receiver is intriguing nonetheless.  Arnaz Battle is the guy who comes into training camp behind some new toy and is expected to take a step backwards.  And then every year he steps up once again and is the 49ers most consistent receiver.  Barring Isaac Bruce losing all his skills, Battle will primarily be battling Bryant Johnson for playing time.  As much as I enjoy Battle on the field, I also know that if Johnson steps up and takes the #2 (or even #1) position, the 49ers will be better for it.  Johnson brings more athleticism to the position and I think long term, Battle is better suited as the #3 guy.

I certainly would like to see Ashley Lelie step up and make a name for himself, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Jason Hill or even Josh Morgan leap him on the depth chart.  He has supposedly climbed out the doghouse, but until he produces, I'm not holding my breath.  Hill is an interesting option as he spent much of last year injured.  This training camp, particularly the exhibition games, will be very important if he wants to not get relegated to the scrap heap.

Free Safety
Leader at the first turn: Mark Roman
We've heard plenty of reports about Dashon Goldson looking sharp in practice.  Roman had to get his shoulder cleaned out and that gave Goldson more first team time during OTAs.  Roman isn't getting any younger and as is the case so often in professional sports, it's always nice to improve the team while getting younger.  This may actually be the training camp battle I'm most excited about.  Assuming Roman is healthy, I'd imagine he'll have the edge.  They say the challenger has to truly beat the champ to take the title and Goldson will really have to step up.  Roman is a solid free safety, but it would certainly be nice to get the position locked up with a young talent like Goldson.

Aside from the positions mentioned above and previously, the remaining positional battles are more playing time than starting or not starting.  Nose tackle will be interesting because there are so many bodies to mix in that I don't see a single full-time guy there.  Aubrayo Franklin is the nose tackle, but Balmer will get some time and I'm curious to see how they move around Sopoaga.  And, of course, if they mix in some 4-3 schemes the nose tackle disappears.

So, if there's a position battle you think I missed, feel free to let us know about it.

There is a lot of quality writing here at SB Nation, but I miss much of it because of the sheer volume of sites.  So I added the RSS feed for the football sites and have been able to check out the latest and greatest headlines.  I mention this because I came across an interesting post that has inspired a post of my own.  Over at Buc Em, our Bucaneers blog, new author NoahChestnut had an ingenius post about a six-on-six flag football contest among the Bucs. 

Flag and touch football are always a ton of fun and traditions for many on July 4th before the BBQ.  That got me thinking, what current 49ers would make up a solid touch football squad for a game on the beach.  To make it a little more interesting, I thought I'd come up with two 4-man squads to face off against each other.  And of course, feel free to throw out comments on who you think you would make for solid touch football players.  Buc Em put together a whole 6-round draft, but I'm just thinking we'll come up with a pair of teams more or less randomly.

From what I've seen most players can throw a spiral, so we don't necessarily need to have a true quarterback at the QB position.  And considering some of the people with whom I've played touch football, it's definitely not a must.  Also, this is competitive enough where I don't think you'd see many of the bigger offensive and defensive linemen on the field.  Although, I suppose they would be the guy designated to run the short routes when you're looking to move the chains.  So I guess, consider yourself the honorary captain and pick sides. 

We'll have the red team and the white team and let's hear why you think a player is suited for a certain position.  Since they'll be playing both way let us know where on defense a given guy will play as well.  One rule I will implement is that you have to select 2 offensive 49ers and 2 defensive 49ers.  No real reason, but I think it would keep things interesting.  You can substitute max one special teamer (Lee, Nedney, or Rossum) on either side.  The offense will consist of a quarterback and three wide receivers and those guys will then need to play deep safety, corner #1, corner #2 and pass rusher.  Remember, the pass rusher has to count to 5 Mississippi (or is alligator?) before he can rush the quarterback.

RED TEAM
QB/Deep Safety - Arnaz Battle - I couldn't resist the former quarterback here.  He can throw the ball but you know he'll be there to mix in some trickeration.  When I've played in the past, I'm a big fan of the QB lateral throw to the wide receiver who then throws deep.

WR #1/Corner #1 - Ashley Lelie - He may not do jack for the 49ers, but with his blazing speed I can definitely see him as an impressive touch football player.  One of the most successful plays is just a fly pattern by your fastest guy.  I could see Battle sending Lelie to the house and just chucking it up.  In touch football, who cares if you can't run correct routes.

WR #2/Corner #2 - Nate Clements - Lockdown is a guy who likes getting the ball in his hands whether it be interceptions or punt returns.  While he seems like a quiet guy on the field, he seems like he would talk a lot of smack after a big play in a touch football game.  His ESPN scouting report indicates he can "flip his hips and change directions effectively in the open field" and I think that is key for a game on the beach.  Playing football on the beach can be a pain when you're trying to juke the guy covering you in the sand.

WR #3/Pass Rusher - Patrick Willis - While he has speed, I don't think he has what it takes to cover a wide receiver.  Instead, imagine you're the opposing QB and Bamm Bamm is coming after you.  You know it won't be a simple "touch."  On the offensive end I could see him filling that quick in or out role to pick up a few yards at a time (I fill that role admirably thanks to my complete lack of speed).

GOLD TEAM
QB/Pass Rusher - Joe Nedney - I can definitely see Nedney standing tall in the pocket delivering passes.  I went with him as the pass rusher because I just don't see him covering the necessary space in the secondary to protect the deep pass.

WR #1/Deep Safety - Dashon Goldson - His scouting report indicates a weakness in man to man coverage, so I think defensively he's suited for that deep safety position.  I'm a little worried about the overall speed, but I think he can make some plays for the Gold Team.

WR #2/Corner #1 - Vernon Davis - Every touch game has the trash talker who won't shut up about how great he is.  Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you Vernon Davis.  The Disease would definitely be "that guy" on the beach.  I have a feeling though that his defensive game would not be nearly as good as he thinks it is.

WR #3/Corner #2 - Alex Smith - The 49ers have run trick plays where Battle and Robinson line up in the backfield and Smith splits out wide.  Considering his ability to run the spread option at Utah, Smith brings serious athleticism to the table.  I'm curious about his coverage skills, but I could see him taking a deep pass from Nedney to the house.

And there you have it, two teams ready to battle on Baker Beach in the Outer Richmond of San Francisco.  So who wins?  Well, the gold team's success rides on the arm of Joe Nedney.  I think they've got more talent on offense, although I would love to see Nate Clements guarding Alex Smith straight up.  I think the Red Team takes it, but if Nedney comes to play, who knows.

So who do you have out there and why?  There were several players I would have loved to include but there is only so much space.  Who deserves a spot on the Battle at the Beach?

As we pass through free agency, the draft and offseason training activities and approach training camp, another benchmark of the offseason approaches.  Oh yes, that's right, Madden hits stores on my birthday, August 12.  Happy birthday to me indeed!  With that in mind, I came across the 49ers ratings in the newest addition of Madden.  One problem with seeing the ratings now is that somewhat significant roster and depth chart moves won't be reflected.  The good news is that with the online offerings of Madden you can update rosters accordingly.  Definitely one of the better advances in video game technology.

Offense

The highest rated offensive player is Frank Gore, who is a 93, and a 99 when used as a 3rd down back.  Alex Smith and Shaun Hill rate out at 79, with JT O'Sullivan in at 77.  To give you some comparisons one site has the rating of every starting QB.  They list Smith at 80 so it's a little off their.  Some comparable guys include Rex Grossman and Trent Edwards.  Among all the starters, 24 QBs rate ahead of Smith.  So take that for what it's worth.  The starting offensive line averages 85 across the board.  Not great, but that doesn't seem as awful as it could be.  Chilo Rachal is a 78, which makes me think he could turn into a very solid option in the franchise mode.

Defense

Patrick Willis is the highest rated defender and highest rated 49er at 96.  As with the wide receivers, some of the defensive positions are not completely filled out.  The middle/inside linebackers are missing the likes of Brandon Moore and Larry Grant, primarily due to the size of the depth chart.  If I was playing right now, I'd be very tempted to just trade Mark Roman and move Dashon Goldson into the starting lineup.  Even if I didn't deal Roman, I'd want to bump up Goldson.  When I go with dynasty mode I like getting the youngsters some quality playing time.

So what do you think about the 49ers rankings?  Any of them seem particularly out of whack or are they pretty spot on?

Monday marks the beginning of 12 days of the 49ers organized team activities (OTAs).  As we head into the weekend, now seems as good a time as any to get a handle on what the June OTAs will bring to the forefront of discussion.  While this is not training camp, the rookies and other new 49ers have had a chance to absorb the playbook.  One would imagine this would create some separation in the eyes of the coaching staff.  We had a brief discussion about training camp battles in discussion the Ted linebacker position.  We will only briefly re-hash that, but for the most part this will deal with some of the other areas of clarity we can hope for over the coming weeks.

"Ted" Linebacker: The only change is that Ezra Butler will no longer be competing for this spot.  Speaking of which, Butler cleared waivers and was claimed by no other teams.  We'll see if he pops up later this year or takes some time in a smaller league to develop another chance.

ACL crew back in the house: Melvin Oliver, Joe Cohen and Manny Lawson all missed time last year due to torn ACLs.  While ACL injuries do take time from which to recover, these are all guys who could make some sort of impact in 2008.  Lawson is a guy who can hopefully help re-generate the pass rush that was missing, as well as bring a higher level of talent to the linebacking corp once again.  Oliver has been talked up for some time and with the most recovery time since his injury, will hopefully get a better chance to prove his worth finally.  Cohen will be battling for time at nose tackle and while he's behind Aubrayo Franklin and Ronnie Fields at the moment, count me as one vote for him doing some leap-frogging on the depth chart.

Chilo Rachal: Rachal has officially been moved to right tackle for the three weeks of OTAs.  It seems that part of this is the belief that he can man the tackle position, but also the fact that there is a big-time depth problem at tackle.  If Rachal can prove his versatility, that would be huge considering the potential for injury issues on the line.  It certainly helps that he's not being asked to take over the blind side at left tackle.  I'm curious what everybody here thinks.  Assuming Rachal ends up playing 7-10 years in the league (just for argument's sake), does he spend most of that time at guard or tackle?  Obviously it depends on the team he's with and the need that develops.  Injuries throw a monkey wrench into anybody's plans, and for now I see this as simply an insurance move.

Free Safety: So Mark Roman had a "minor" shoulder surgery and will be held back for the first week of the OTAs.  It's being reported that Dashon Goldson will get the first team snaps in his place.  While the post-draft minicamp doesn't tell us a whole lot, Goldson supposedly looked solid.  Roman is 31 and still can make an impact, but it certainly wouldn't hurt for Goldson to continue improving.  Considering the wide receiver talent in the league, you can never have too much secondary depth.

Quarterback: There will obviously be plenty of opportunities to discuss the QB position for the 49ers.  It is the position that has created the most drama and will continue to do so until somebody steps up and grabs the proverbial bull by the horns.  I mention it in this section simply because McNolan has indicated they want to have an idea of their #1 guy by the end of OTAs, so that guy can get the majority of the #1 team snaps in training camp.  Rather than go into detail on my thoughts here, I'm just going to leave it at that.  Between now and training camp I'll be throwing out a solid sized post to bring in all the quarterback arguments.  There is just too much to be said to bring it up at this point.

And so the 49ers first mini-camp is in the books.  Seeing as that's a sizable chunk of the offseason, now seemed like as good a time as any to check back in with Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.  Matt covers the 49ers for the Bee, including an fun blog at the Bee's website, and he's been very willing to provide his insight when Niners Nation has questions.  We still have the team's training activities in June, followed by training camp, but now seemed like a good time get a lay of the land.  Thanks again to Matt for taking the time to answer my questions.

NN: One of the reasons I wanted to talk with you is there has been a lot of questions at Niners Nation about Manny Lawson and the timetable for his return.  You mentioned in your post Sunday that Lawson feels ready but the team trainers wanted him to wait another month.  Does that mean he'll be full go at the beginning of the organized team activities in June?

MB: Lawson certainly feels like he’s at, or at least very close to, 100 percent. But it’s up to the training staff and they’re obviously taking a cautious approach. If Lawson does take part in the OTAs, I expect him to be eased in – not full bore from the beginning. In the meantime, Tully Banta-Cain and Parys Haralson have been manning both outside linebacker positions. That’s good. Haralson improves with every repetition he gets…

NN: It sounds like Dashon Goldson made a nice little impact over the weekend.  Obviously it's a small sample size and still way too early to infer anything, but what kind of role do you see Goldson fitting into in 2008?

MB: Well, he’s part of the team’s dime coverage package. But the fact that Mark Roman got the lion’s share of the work with the radio receiver (green dot on the helmet) over the weekend appears to be a signal that he’s set as the starting free safety.

NN: Since draft day there have been discussions about where Kentwan Balmer would be playing.  He was listed as a nose tackle by ESPN, they've said he'll play some end, and now I've read he'd start at end but transition to nose tackle.  Any ideas or is it going to be a process that will develop as Balmer shows the team what he can do?

MB: Balmer practiced exclusively at left defensive end over the minicamp. Nolan said they didn’t want to throw too much at him too early so they kept him at one spot. Nolan also said the techniques at all three d-line positions are essentially the same and that once Balmer picks up LDE he should be able to learn NT fairly quickly. This is just my reading of the situation, but the fact that Nolan talked so much on draft day about Balmer playing NT may have been a message to Aubrayo Franklin. Franklin hadn’t been part of the offseason conditioning program, and that obviously didn’t please Nolan.

NN: Speaking of the draft, some people were surprised at the decision to not take an outside linebacker prior to the 7th round.  That raised some questions about how much 4-3 we might see mixed in with the 3-4 currently in place.  You had discussed on Friday that Justin Smith lined up a little bit at outside linebacker, but that he didn't know how often that would be happening.  Any word from the coaching staff on that?

MB: Well, the 49ers actually didn’t draft an outside linebacker at all. The seventh rounder, Larry Grant, will play inside for the 49ers. To me, that was surprising. A 3-4 defense depends on its outside linebackers to pressure the quarterback and the 49ers didn’t upgrade that position at all – neither in free agency nor the draft. The hope is that better play along the line will allow the OLBs more room to make plays. … As far as Smith playing linebacker, the coaches did not say how much that would happen. I think the minicamp was designed to see if Smith could do it. To my admittedly untrained eye, he looked kind of slow, or, exactly how you would expect  a 282 pounder to play when asked to stand up.

NN: Along the same lines, it seems like the team will be throwing a lot of different looks at opponents.  Justin Smith is certainly-cut starter.  After that the team has Franklin, Sopoaga, McDonald and Balmer as guys that would seem to have a shot at a lot of playing time.  Then factor in guys like Melvin Oliver and Joe Cohen, among others, who could cut into that.  On the one hand the team will have plenty of opportunities to keep guys fresh, but there's also the question of guys not getting into sync and developing in-game chemistry.  Any ideas on how the team might address that in training camp?

MB: The 49ers will be very chameleon-like this year and they will throw all sorts of fronts at the offense. One of them is a four-man front with Ray McDonald as the right defensive end and Justin Smith next to him at defensive tackle. What I’m saying is that there will be lots of combinations of defensive linemen. I think Oliver and Cohen, however, are going to have a hard time making the final roster. Once they return to action, they will be at the very bottom of the depth chart and would have to play brilliantly to climb it. One of the advantages of a 3-4 defense is that a team doesn’t need to keep as many linemen. I figure the top six right now are Smith, McDonald, Franklin, Fields, Balmer and Sopoaga.

NN: One last question unrelated to the team.  I noticed during the draft and since some shoutouts from Maiocco to you and vice versa.  I can certainly imagine a competition element to your relationship and covering the 49ers for different newspapers.  While you might be competing for readers, with all the time I'd guess you spend around each other is it more of a friendly rivalry?

MB: There’s definitely a competitive element to press trailer, but never to a degree where it’s uncomfortable. I hear stories every once in a while about how ultra competitive the beat used to be in the Walsh-Seifert era and how reporters (who shall remain nameless) would seethe and lash out when they got beat on a story. It’s nothing like that now. In fact, Maiocco has been incredibly generous in sharing a lot of the tricks of the trade with me. All the beat-Maiocco-at-all-costs stuff I write is done with tongue firmly in cheek.

Thanks again to Matt.  Considering the amount of time he spends covering the 49ers, he's certainly a good source for information.  Make sure and check out his 49ers blog.

One of the more amusing stories to come out of the 49ers 2008 NFL Draft (aside from pepper sprayed draft picks, because who doesn't enjoy pepper spray stories) would be the fact that Reggie Smith was woken up by 49ers scout Todd Brunner on Sunday as the 49ers 3rd round draft pick.  I think it's refreshing that the young man was busy getting sleep, rather than on the edge of his seat hoping to be drafted early on Day 2.

While discussions have centered on the Day 1 picks, Reggie Smith is an interesting pick for a variety of reasons.  While it's true that Walt Harris is growing a little long in the tooth, I think the Smith pick was clearly a best available player pick.  There were some quality talents that could fill holes in the 49ers, but the 49ers stuck to their best available draft board.  The biggest question mark about Smith is whether he'll settle in as a cornerback or a safety in the NFL.  Mark Roman is the current starting free safety and Dashon Goldson seems to be a guy who could be groomed into the future at that position.  The addition of Smith should afford the 49ers some youthful depth.  Since Smith will require some time to adjust to the NFL in terms of defense, it's probably a good fit.  He can learn from Harris and Nate Clements, two very solid corners.

I'm hoping to get a more specific scouting report from an Oklahoma blogger, but for now I've done some poking around.  He seems like a hard-hitter.  The boys at New Era Scouting refer to him as more agile than fast and in regards to his instincts and recognition:

Shaky at times in man coverage, but is very good in zone. Reads and reacts well. Comes up to the ball and makes plays. Sees the run well and doesn't bite on play action. Has a natural feel for situations and the game. Very instinctive.

he has been referred to as a better option in the Cover 2, but considering he's fresh out of school and so malleable, I'm sure we can do good things with him.  One question that requires greater football knowledge than I have is whether a guy who would make a good cover 2 corner would fit in better as a safety, or does one have no bearing on the other?

For the purposes of now though, I'm a little more interested in his special teams abilities.  He's not a blazing speedster but according to New Era Scouting, "Is a long strider. Uses his body and strength to make up for lack of elite speed."  That would remind me of more of a distance runner type guy, meaning if he could hit a hole on a kick or punt return, he could be off to the races.  Obviously Allen Rossum is going to get the first crack at returning.  However, considering he's turning 33 this season, I can't imagine he's long for this world as a return man.  I'd fully expect Smith to get a crack at returning in the preseason.  While Maurice Hicks was solid in the return game, I'd love to see a young guy like Reggie Smith step up and take control of that job.