Word came out yesterday that Vernon Davis got in another fight in camp, this time with Larry Grant.  Apparently Davis was doing some blocking on a DeShaun Foster run and Grant took exception.  Maiocco is reporting that after Jonas Jennings came over to calm them down, some swings resulted and Grant may have been punched in the stomach.  After things calmed down, Nolan took the Duke aside and had a man-to-man talk with him.

This is not the first time this training camp Davis has gotten in a fight, and I'm wondering if a troubling pattern is emerging.  I figure there's good and bad in the fights.  On the one hand it seems like it comes as a result of him sticking up for teammates, which is certainly admirable.  On the other hand, he's always been a bit of a smack-talker and we certainly don't want his head out of the game because he wants to beat up an opponent.

I've seen Davis talk smack during games but I don't think he's ever come to blows with an opponent.  Of course if he had been the one Romanowski spit on several years back (instead of Stokes), he probably would have tried to take his head off.

We certainly want emotion and energy in practice, so if it takes some punches to fire the team up, so be it.  However, considering how much talent Davis brings to the table, we don't want him alienating the rest of the team.  I don't see this as a TO situation in the slightest.  If TO had just gotten in some fights in practice that would have been one thing.  When he started using the press in his war with Garcia and others that was a little more of a problem. 

So what do people think with Vernon Davis?

EDITOR'S UPDATE 12:10PM - Not sure if anybody has seen it, but the 49ers have a somewhat new "official" blog run by Chrissy Mauck (more on that later today either on the front page or in a FanPost).  Apparently there have been some attacks on Vernon Davis in the sf49ers.com message boards (which I hoped to avoid in this post).  So Chrissy had some interesting comments about Davis:

I’d like to make a quick comment in defense of the attacks on tight end Vernon Davis over on our message boards. Yes, Davis tends to mix it up in practice, but Vernon truly is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  He gets under the skin of a lot of the guys on defense, particularly in the run blocking game, because he’s so physical. He doesn’t take it easy, or let up just because it’s practice. He’s not the jerk that some people think he is over on the boards. Granted, I did tell him yesterday that if he breaks his hand getting in a stupid fight in practice that I’d kick his butt, but he had an answer even for that. “I will yell and shove, but I’m not going to ever swing first. I’ll swing back, but watch me, I never make a fist. I keep my hand open like a slap.” See, he is using his head.

Take it for what it's worth, but something to factor in I'd imagine.

Now that training camp, all sorts of information is popping up.  I thought I'd use this edition of Golden Nuggets to cover some of them, as well as give a little wrap up of the first day of training camp.

We're a day down in training camp and thankfully no injuries to report.  Matt Maiocco had some day 1 QB stats: Alex Smith was 19-30 with 1 interception and Shaun Hill was 20-27 with 3 interceptions.

Matt Barrows said that in the afternoon practice, Delanie Walker was very solid after an early drop.  I'd say I'm excited to see what Walker does in the preseason, but last year he was 10th in the league in receiving yards in the preseason and that certainly didn't get him anywhere.  We know Martz likes him and we know he'll make the team, so we're really going to have to wait for the regular season before knowing what his role really will be.  The exhibition games might give us an idea but I'd expect the team to hold back a lot of offensive options so as not to give too much away too early.

Barrows had a comment at the end of the above post that stuck in my mind:

One of the biggest dogfights in camp could be for the final defensive backs spot. The two contenders - early on, at least - are Keith Lewis and Marcus Hudson. Both are special teams aces (we'll give the nod to Lewis) but the team might feel that Hudson has more potential as a DB. It's something to keep an eye on this summer.

In our 53-man projection, we slotted in Keith Lewis initially without Marcus Hudson.  There was discussion initiated by sfgfan that he has shown an ability to contribute.  It certainly has me wondering what might possibly happen with that particular roster spot.  Would they conceivably keep both Lewis and Hudson, or are they battling for a single spot?

49ers Webzone posted a couple pages of training camp photos in photobucket.

In the quotations I posted earlier, Nolan discussed Patrick Willis's expanding role.  The Contra Costa Times went a little more into that in discussing the void created by Bryant Young's retirement.

As they did last year, sf49ers.com is putting together camp spotlights on players.  They don't give a ton of information, but rather quick-hitting stories about players.  Today's is about Walt Harris.  One of the funnier parts:

All-time Best Prank: In Chicago, guys would set this huge thing of water so that it would lean up against the door of the rookies.  The older guys would start banging on their doors and when they came to open it, a bucket full [of water] would spring into their room.  It was always amusing.

The 49ers MVN site takes an in depth look at the question marks surrounding the team's 3-4 defense.

For those who hadn't noticed, ESPN has created a sort of blogosphere within their network.  For the NFL they've got a blogger for each of the divisions.  Mike Sando is covering the NFC West.  He previously covered the Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune.  His latest post discusses the 49ers position battles.  His post looks at the QB and Ted positions, although we see no mention of Larry Grant.  I'd imagine most people probably consider him a long shot due to his 7th round status.

A couple days ago, USA Today had the generic Nolan and the 49ers expect to move beyond last year's turmoil.

Unrelated to training camp but interesting nonetheless: Jim Tressel is apparently friends with Ohio native Eddie Debartolo.  So, after his Ohio State Buckeyes were picked to win their 4th straight Big Ten Title, Tressel had Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott come talk to his team about not letting up.

[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.

The 49ers open training camp at the end of this week and we'll finally start to get some answers to the numerous burning questions facing the 49ers.  If you ask the mainstream media, the 49ers training camp questions boil down to learning Mike Martz's offense, the QB battle and, oh yea, the QB battle.

We all realize that there are a variety of battles to consider.  Some of them are pretty obvious, while others are a little more subtle.  Post-draft minicamp and the OTAs are done and while not a lot has been answered, the picture is starting to clear up.  I had considered titling this something to do with coming down the stretch, but there is too much training camp for us to already be coming down the stretch.  So here are my thoughts on the various battles and who the leader is after the first turn.

QB
Leader at the first turn: Alex Smith
We'll just get this out of the way.  Alex Smith is the more mechanically and fundamentally sound QB so it's natural that he would be the leader going into training camp.  Throw in the biggest contract and it makes the answer even easier.  Once we get into games, we'll see how things play out.

Ted Linebacker
Leader at the first turn: Jeff Ulbrich
Until recently this seemed like a 3-horse race between Jeff Ulbrich, Dontarrious Thomas and my boy Larry Grant.  Well, Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan had a conference call with reporters yesterday and some interesting news came out.  According to them, Ulbrich has a clear handle on the position, but it is in competition with Larry Grant and Brandon Moore.  Apparently Thomas has been moved to the backup Mike position behind Patrick Willis.  It sounds to me like Thomas will end up in a super-sub kind of role.  It's also possible he's struggling picking up the defense and they figure he could do less damage backing up Willis.  Thoughts?

Right Guard
Leader at the first turn: David Baas (if you ask Nolan)
In the conference call, Nolan said the 49ers fully expected Baas to be ready in time for the regular season and step into the starting role.  Training camp however will see a battle between Tony Wragge and Chilo Rachal.  This leaves a lot of questions on the table, if Wragge or Rachal clicks with the rest of the offensive line.  Matt Barrows made mention of this last week and it is certainly something to consider.  On the plus side, having multiple guys playing well is certainly good for depth.  On the minus side, the offensive line is built on chemistry and cohesion.  You don't want to be bumping guys around throughout the game.  Looking at the 3 guys, Baas is only 26, Rachal 22 and Wragge 28.  So age really isn't an issue.  Of course, while it's all just rumor-mongering, throw in the highly speculative but still potential return of Larry Allen and it creates all sorts of confusion.  Larry Allen aside, the injury to Baas leaves things in limbo.  We'll have an answer as to who is ahead on the depth chart between Wragge and Rachal.  However, unless Baas has a setback or has a miraculous recovery in the next week or two, right guard will remain a question mark.

3rd/Nickel Cornerback
Leader at the first turn: Shawntae Spencer
Surprisingly there has been very little talk about this position battle.  Obviously the national media could care less, but even among local media things are quiet.  Barrows briefly mentioned the position in relation to Walt Harris's eventual successor.  The battle comes down to Spencer, Tarell Brown and Reggie Smith.  Brown got a little playing time last season but clearly he's still got a lot to learn.  Back during the draft, Scouts Inc felt Reggie Smith could step right into the 49ers sub packages.  He can play corner and safety so he certainly brings some versatility.  Of all the positional battles, this one could yield the most for team depth.  I'd expect Spencer to be the guy coming out of camp (if he's healthy), but I think Brown will see a lot more playing time from last year and Smith will get a nice chunk of time.  The 49ers play some receiver heavy teams this year so cornerback depth will be huge.  Furthermore, if the pass rush is weak and the corners are crazy-busy, the more quality guys they can rotate in the better.

Stick with these for conversation for now.  I'll have another post late this afternoon later tonight discussing the likes of right outside linebacker, wide receiver and free safety.

As the 49ers signed Josh Morgan and Larry Grant, they have continually stated that they expect no problems getting their remaining draft picks into camp.  To date, Kentwan Balmer, Chilo Rachal, Reggie Smith and Cody Wallace remain unsigned 9 days before training camp.

Well, we may have somewhat of an explanation, at least in regards to first and second round picks.  Tip of the cap to Bleeding Green Nation, for posting a link to John Clayton's blog post about the issue.  With only 3 first round picks and 1 second round pick under contract, it is definitely an important issue for the entire league:

On Tuesday, the NFLPA filed a brief seeking a decision of a Special Master. Without getting too complicated, the dispute revolves around the interpretation guaranteed one-time bonuses and the way those guarantees are interpreted within the rookie pool.

Under the rookie pool, base salaries can only increase 25 percent per year, but agents found a loophole in which a draft choice can receive a one-time bonus and guarantee it in the final year of the contract. This particularly affects second-round choices because they sign four-year deals. The problem in this summer's negotiations is that there is no collective bargaining agreement in 2011 so the fourth year of the contract can't be involved in any kind of guarantees.

While it is possible to use the second year as a guarantee, agents don't consider that an option because few teams cut a first- or a second-rounder before that. The NFLPA and the Management Council will present their interpretations and await a decision by the Special Master next week.

The 49ers don't report to camp until the end of next week, so an early week decision should give them time to wrap things up.  Clayton specifically mentions the problems would apply mostly to teams like the Redskins who report Sunday the 20th.  I'd hope the 49ers have multiple deals in place to be signed that could work in the event of any outcome.  I'll definitely keep an eye on this going into next week.

EDITOR'S UPDATE 12:30PM - The 49ers announced the signing of 7th round draft choice Larry Grant.  That leaves Balmer, Rachal, Wallace and Smith unsigned, although the team does not expect any trouble in getting them into camp on time.

EDITOR'S NOTE 10:05AM - Don't forget to submit your NFC Power Rankings.

Many of Niners Nation's readers make the daily trek over to Athletics Nation to get their daily dose of A's news.  One of the running features at AN is the Daily Link Dump, a collection of interesting links for a given day.  Usually they're related to the team, but just as often they can be about anything.  It's more or less an open thread for whatever.  We've introduced the link dump here in the past, but I thought it was time to brand it as something of our own.  There are not a ton of links in the offseason but there is enough to start posting this every so often. 

The name I've used, Golden Nuggets, is certainly not a definite long term answer.  I figure that since we're talking about the 49ers something to do with nuggets of gold might be appropriate.  And since I'm originally from Las Vegas, why not mix in a casino as well, right?  Any suggestions for a name for our link dump are certainly welcome.

• This first one has absolutely nothing to do with the 49ers, but they've got my favorite graphic from the recent past.  The post is at our very own The Falcoholic and is about why the Falcons won't go after Jeremy Shockey.  It's listed as #3.
• So there has been some discussion about new uniforms for the 49ers in the not too distant future.  Over at the 49ers Most Valuable Network site, they have had in depth posts about the potential pants and helmets.
• Over at the 49ers home page, they've posted previews of the QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs and a general team preview.
• It sounds like the early exhibition games could be more interesting this season.  Nolan has said that he'll have Smith and Hill playing further into the games than in the past to get a starter determined by Week 3 of the preseason.
• Matt Jones was busted in Arkansas for possession of 6 grams of cocaine and now faces felony charges.  After being converted to WR, Jones had a couple good seasons but never emerged as the #1 threat the Jaguars were looking for.
• Ed "Guns" Hochuli and Mike Carey both received the most positive votes in a survey of head coaches.
• While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were flagged for the most personal fouls, your San Francisco 49ers finished 22nd.  Stupid penalties kill teams, but once in a while it can get the team riled up.  I think Football Outsiders should do a study on that.
• Brett Favre should take notes from Trent Dilfer.
• Sounds like the Raiders and 49ers are considering a joint practice prior to their August 8 exhibition game.
• One site currently has the 49ers as +625 to win the NFC West.  For those who don't know, that means if you bet $100 on them and they come through you'd win $625.  Or for the more financially strapped $10 will get you $62.50.  Good times.

So feel free to throw out any and all links, 49ers or otherwise.  If you can think of a better name for our link dump, go ahead and let me know.

Last season I signed up for text message updates from the 49ers and I have to say, some of the time I'm receiving them before seeing anything online.  Being in the slow days of June, not a whole lot is going on so not too many messages.  However, early yesterday afternoon I learned that the 49ers had successfully claimed QB Kyle Wright off waivers from the Vikings and waived QB Drew Olson.

Considering the quarterbacks already in camp, I'd be shocked if Wright was on the roster at the end of August.  At the same time, Wright could be a prime candidate for the practice squad.  Drew Olson actually spent a small part of the season on the practice squad.  In the meantime, the claim of Wright has inspired me.  The 49ers currently have 81 players on their roster, including unsigned draft picks.  Just for sh$#s and giggles I thought I'd put together the "worst starting lineup possible."  All of these players are certainly world class athletes, but many of them are not starter quality.

OFFENSE
QB: Kyle Wright - He was ok for the U last season but definitely the worst option.
RB: Michael Robinson - Robinson brings a lot to the table, but I'm convinced Thomas Clayton is a better pure running back.  We're not factoring in potential special teams contributions either.
WR: Dominque Ziegler & Jerard Rabb - I actually like most of the 49ers less wide receivers, especially Robert Jordan.  Ziegler has struggled with injuries problems and Rabb was the 1A banana at Boise State in 2006 (he was the guy who caught the lateral and tied the game).
TE: Cooper Wallace - At least JJ Finley is a rookie and put up better college numbers.  Wallace has been in the NFL a couple years and hasn't made a big impact yet.  I'd imagine he's coming to the end of the road pretty soon.
OT: Damane Duckett & Alan Reuber - Duckett is a pet project of Nolan and considering he's never actually played in a game as a tackle.  Reuber has been around since 2004 and has seen scattered action during that time.
C: Cody Wallace - Not exactly an inspired pick.  I'm tempted to just see Wallace starting over Heitmann, but this is more a default pick since the 49ers only have a pair of centers.
OG: Brian De La Puente & Jeb Terry - Terry has been around the league for a few years and seen some action mostly on special teams.  De La Puente is a rookie out of Cal and I wouldn't mind seeing him on the practice squad.

DEFENSE
DE: Atiyyah Ellison & Louis Holmes - Ellison joins the running theme of practice squad bodies on this squad.  Louis Holmes is an undrafted free agent, so it's certainly too early to tell what he brings to the table.
DT: Walter Curry - LaJuan Ramsey was battling for this spot, but Ramsey has actually registered real NFL statistics.  Curry was an undrafted free agent in 2005 and has bounced from practice squads to NFL Europe and back.
OLB: Roderick Green & Parys Haralson - The linebacker positions show you the deth the 49ers have.  Green and Haralson are probably not starting caliber (at least for the 49ers), but they provide quality depth
ILB: Dennis Haley & Larry Grant - As seen in the outside linebackers, inside linebacker would also be a strength of this particular team.  Grant is a favorite of mine, so we'll see how he looks in training camp.
CB: Markus Curry & Marcus Hudson - Curry has bounced around practice squads since 2005 and I'd imagine he'd be an early cut in training camp.  The second CB spot was tough.  Tarell Brown brings way too much upside and Strickland gets a pass thanks to his huge defensive play against the Cardinals.  Reggie Smith is too green to be considered here so that leaves "veteran" Marcus Hudson.
FS: Lewis Baker - He's an undrafted free agent with some potential, but I certainly don't see sticking Mark Roman or Dashon Goldson in this spot.
SS: DJ Parker - Similar to Baker above, I don't see sticking Michael Lewis or Keith Lewis in this spot.

There's a back-up punter but that would just be ridiculous to talk about.  Of course considering I just did an analysis of the bottom end of the roster pool, maybe I should have included Ricky Schmitt.  I'd imagine this team would probably go 0-16.  Although, I definitely think this would make for an impressive college team.  So, would this team be able to win at the NFL level?  Considering we're playing Miami this year, it's entirely possible 1-15 is a better bet.

One of the 49ers battling for a roster spot is linebacker Larry Grant.  In looking at the 53-man roster and the practice squad, there are ways he could fit into the roster and there are potential squeezes that could lead to the practice squad.  After today, I have to admit that I'm officially rooting strongly for Larry Grant to make the 53-man roster.  Thanks to Nate Haber of PlayersRep Sports Management I was fortunate enough to get some time to interview Larry over the phone.  Haber represents Grant and had this to say about the young linebacker from THE Ohio State University:

"Larry has overcome a great deal of adversity in his life.  The journey that he’s taken, from his early teenage years until now, has been a remarkable one.  The 49ers fans are going to be very pleased with LG, both on and off the field."

Earlier this month Larry did an interview with sf49ers.com in which he discussed moving all around the country and keeping his family close by, even when he transferred out to Ohio State.  I spent our interview discussing more of his time since the draft and his transition to the pro game.  If I had to use one word to describe Larry, it's happy.  He seems to love life and really enjoys living it to the fullest.  From my short time chatting with him, he's definitely a guy for whom you want to root.  More importantly, he's a Bay Area guy.  Larry was born in Santa Rosa and spent his first two years of college at City College of San Francisco.  I actually interviewed him shortly after he had finished working out with his old CCSF team.

One quick note: Aside from email interviews with Matt Barrows, this was my first interview for Niners Nation (and really for anything).  Needless to say I was a little nervous and it may come through in the Q&A.  I missed out on a few questions I'd been planning on asking but I'm hoping to follow up with Larry after we get through training camp.

Niners Nation: Obviously the best part is that you're a life long 49ers fan from what I've read
Larry Grant: Of course, you gotta be.  Everybody should be!

NN: As a Bay Area guy, how excited were you to be drafted by the 49ers?
LG: It was a great feeling.  it was actually a feeling I've been waiting to feel all my life.  Just growing up a 49ers fan and actually diehard.  Not only me, but my whole family, it was a true blessing.  The feeling was great.

NN: Being a fan, is it difficult switching from following the team to being a teammate of guys you've been watching on tv the last few years?
LG: It's not really too difficult.  I went to Ohio State and there were guys there I watched on tv and had seen them play.  Before I even got to junior college there were guys when I came to games I'd watched them play.  Once I got there, you gain this different kind of comraderie and family with all these players that you watched and you see the real side of them.  They're bringing me in right and everybody's cool with everybody.  And it seems like I'm getting along with everybody and they're basically helping me and taking my hand and bringing me right along.

NN: What was draft weekend like for you?
LG: The first day I watched it b/c one of my fellow teammates at OSU, Vernon Gholston was a first round pick.  I watched the first couple picks to see where he'd go because I was pretty excited for him.  I wanted him to go a little higher than what he did but it was in God's plan for him to go to the Jets.  We just sat around basically after he got picked; we just turned the Wii video game on the big screen at my grandma's house.  Everybody was playing: running track and playing golf and having little tournaments.  Basically having a whole bunch of family time and just conversing with everybody and the old folks kickin it with the old folks and the youngins, the kids with the kids and everybody in the middle with everybody in the middle.  We were basically relaxing and having a lot of good times with my family.

NN: I understand that you're a new father?
LG: Yes sir, I"m a new father...4 months on the 17th.

NN: I wanted to switch gears to some more defensive-oriented questions.  Your senior year you started as more of an outside linebacker in a 4-3 defense last year.  How has the transition been to the inside linebacker in the 3-4?
LG: The transition's been ok.  I actually had plenty of opportunities and chances to play in the inside at Ohio State.  I came in actually as an OLB and they switched it up and moved me inside b/c you know playing on Ohio State's defense when I was there, and I'm sure they're still doing the same thing, they teach every linebacker each position so everybody gets a chance to play all three positions so they'll be able to know and understand the defense fully.  So playing inside at Ohio State and junior college, the transition hasn't been as bad as I thought it was gonna be.  I'm pretty comfortable playing inside.  It's the playbook that's taking a little longer for me to get down.  But, you know, with the extra study time that I'm putting in I should be able to be fine with it pretty soon.

NN: There have been stories about the intensity of Mike Singletary's workouts with the linebackers.  How has it been for you so far both in your learning experience, and getting to work with such a legendary linebacker?
LG: Mike Singletary is a great coach and he was a great player also.  Just playing with him and learning stuff from him has been a great thing for me.  I wouldn't want to learn from anybody else.  Why not if you've got a chance to learn from one of the greatest, I take it one day at a time and soak in as much as I can from him because you know you can't really go wrong with Mike teaching you.

NN: I can imagine he's forgotten more football than most of us even know.
LG:  He hasn't forgotten too much.  I'm pretty sure Coach Sing could come in and step in like he's never lost nothing, like he was just playing last week.  Coach Sing is doing a great job with the linebackers he's got now, especially helping the young guys learn and making sure the vets are on their A-game also.  He shows us how to be intense.  We're all happy to be coached by Coach Sing.

NN: When you were selected, a lot of the analysis focused on your potential to contribute on special teams.  Considering your blocked punts and kicks in college, do you take a little extra pride in what you bring to the table on special teams?
LG: Yea, I always take pride in special teams.  Special teams is one of the most crucial parts to the game.  Parts are the most crucial because there are a lot of things that can happen in special teams.  Especially being in the 49ers organization, they focus so hard on special teams because without special teams you can't win championships.  And you know that's what our goal is as a family over there, to get to Tampa.  Take it one day at a time, one game at a time.  So right now special teams is a big part of my game.

NN: Has the rookie hazing started yet, or do you get to look forward to that later on in training camp?
LG: I guess I get to wait till training camp because I haven't got anything yet.  I don't have any problem with it.  They can do whatever they want.  It's all fun and games to me because the more they do to me, you know I just feel sorry for next year's rookie class.

NN: With OTAs coming to a close, do you have any plans for between now and training camp?
LG: My plan is to spend as much time as I can with my son and my family and my girlfriend.  Spend as much time as I can with those two.

NN: Any final thoughts for 49ers fans who are just getting to know you?
LG: I'm a happy guy.  I'm a very happy guy.  You know I just appreciate the fans that I do have out there.  I appreciate all the support that you give to this 49ers family and we're all truly blessed to have y'all.  And we need you out here every game this year.  I just want to thank you for everything and god bless.

NN:  Thanks Larry.  I really appreciate you taking the time.  It's definitely something the readers appreciate.
LG: Thank you for taking your time...

******************************************************

Big thanks to Larry for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions.  Also, thanks to Nate Haber for getting this set up.  He's been very good to the SB Nation family.  Good luck to Larry and let's hope we see him making plays this coming season.

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?

One of my favorite web sites is Football Outsiders.  The sister-site of Baseball Prospectus has taken football analysis to a whole new level.  However, I realized today I hadn't visited the site in some time this offseason.  I get email updates from them and nothing of note seemed to be coming along.  Well, I did a little combing of their recent articles and found some interesting stuff I had overlooked.  So consider this a Football Outsiders link dump of sorts.

Draft Review
Shortly after the draft, FO did a review of the NFC West's drafts.  They did a nice little review of the events that ended with the 49ers picking where they were picking in the first round.  Leading up to the draft, most websites emphasized how the 49ers shot themselves in the foot in losing out on a top 10 pick.  In discussing the 2007 selection of Staley they said:

Staley started every game at right tackle for the 49ers last season, and runs to right tackle improved from 23rd in 2006 to ninth in 2007. Considering the damage that Staley’s predecessor Kwame Harris was doing to the psyche of the 49ers’ fanbase, the trade seems like at least a wash for San Francisco.

Then looking at what the 49ers did with the acquired Colts pick:

That pick, the 29th overall, and the 49ers’ own second-rounder, the 39th overall, were used to solidify the interior of the line on both sides of the ball. This is the same strategy the Kansas City Chiefs used to set everyone’s hearts aflutter, but the 49ers received much less fanfare.

We all know plenty about the early 49ers picks, so I'll throw out what FO said about some of the later guys.

Cody Wallace: "Wallace cleaned up at the Combine, leading all offensive linemen in vertical jump and broad jump. Jokes about the rarity of centers bouncing around a football field aside, that shows great explosive power in the legs; if he can launch his own body through the air, he should have no problem popping defenders backwards at the snap."

Josh Morgan: "NFL.com’s bio of Morgan is awfully frank, saying he has 'a rare combination of size and speed,' but 'he’s also plagued by rounded-off routes, weak effort as a blocker and ugly drops.'"

Larry Grant: "Grant is somewhat undersized at 235 pounds, but has great agility, placing third in the 3-cone drill and fourth in the 20-yard shuttle at the Combine. That athleticism should come in handy on passing downs and on special teams."

They wrapped up the piece with an interesting tidbit on the undrafted free agents the 49ers signed:

[Robert] Jordan is noted for his physical and mental toughness, but the durability of this thin frame must be questioned; he broke his ankle in high school, and his collarbone in college. Another interesting prospect is Louis Holmes out of Arizona, a monster of a man at 6-6, 270 pounds, who would play an enormous outside linebacker in the 49ers’ 3-4. He has also had “brushes with the law,” so he may be terrorizing on and off the field.

Special Teams and the draft
Mike Tanier used to write a column called "Too Deep Zone" for FO, as well as several other pieces every year.  Just prior to the 2008 draft, he made a change and now has a bi-weekly column titled "Walkthrough," which appears to be a random assortment of this, that and the other thing related to football and analysis.  His first Walkthrough had an interesting discussion about college players' willingness to play special teams their rookie season (and beyond in some cases).

Most teams ask midrange prospects about their special-teams willingness during pre-draft interviews. According to Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout, coaches and execs can’t always take the answers at face value.

“Some prospects say they’re willing to play special teams or ‘do whatever it takes get onto field,’ but are then shocked when they are actually expected to do so.” Wright agrees. “Many of these guys need to swallow their pride and put their egos on the backburner. But some have a real difficult time doing that.”

Assuming they make the 53-man roster, I could see Larry Grant and Josh Morgan seeing plenty of time on special teams.  When Grant was selected in the 7th round, that was one of the primary pieces of analysis about him.  Obviously we won't have a better idea about this until training camp and preseason games.  If a guy can prove he can contribute to special teams, you never know when he might then get a shot at regular play.  It should make for an interesting camp.