Golden Nuggets: Take that pay cut, Alex Smith.

by James Brady on Jan 22, 2009 2:57 AM PST in 49ers Links

Hey everyone, James here with today's Golden Nuggets. Most notably for today is quarterback Alex Smith, and the fact that the team is "optimistic" that he'll return for 2009. This surprises me, but that doesn't mean I see it as a bad move, in fact I think its a good one. Also to note today is that any and all OC search related news will be directed to the new official fanpost as supplied by Fooch and linked below. So without further... adieu? Ado? Whatever the word may be, without anymore of it, here's your links (in English, as opposed to.. whatever adieu is.)

Here's a link to the official OC search fanpost where I've updated with a few links in the comments. (NinersNation.com)

So apparently the 49ers are optimistic that QB Alex Smith will return in 2009, I personally think this is good. He's young enough to turn his career around and one more shot cant hurt. (PressDemocrat.com)

Former 49er Roger Craig will participate in the coin toss for Super Bowl XLIII. (That's this one!) (PressDemocrat.com)

Of course, these articles will continue to pop up--another questioning whether or not we should have hired Mike Singletary because Gruden and Shanahan are available. (MercuryNews.com)

Barrows reports from the Wednesday practices at the Senior Bowl. (SacBee.com)

This year's draft might be deepest where the 49ers need it. (MercuryNews.com)

It appears former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo would be interested in buying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if they were for sale. Huh. (ProFootballTalk.com)

This article talks about hiring a family member to your staff, in regards to the head coach doing so. How do you feel about this? I think Singletary is the man who'd have it in him to fire his family member if he didn't produce, but then again Vantz doesn't look like he has a huge role anyway. (ProFootballTalk.com)

Tweet Comment 19 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Please, Killion

All these coaches available, she says: Shanahan, Gruden, Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren.

Dungy retired, so we can just presume she stuck his name in there to make a weak point stronger. Holmgren says he is taking the year off. Cowher has told everyone else he isn’t interested. So that leaves Shanahan, who’s making millions and can take his time and choose, and late-arriver Gruden, who, for that matter, can take his time and choose.

So Ann’s piece is just fool’s gold, or something that was churned out to occupy newspaper space between now and Super Bowl week.

Singletary’s done a fine job so far. How the offense comes together and how the front office loads up on new talent will tell the tale next year.

by Bob In Beaverton on Jan 22, 2009 6:26 AM PST reply actions

It's not...

… hard for the pieces to be fool’s gold when the person producing them is a fool. The difference in “talent” between guys like Barrows, Maiocco, Lynch and the rest of the “writers” that cover the 49ers regularly is ridiculous. It amazes me that these people get paid to do what they do.

by sfgfan on Jan 22, 2009 11:24 AM PST up reply actions

How many Head Coaches...

have the Yorks gone through since they fired Mooch, right after the playoffs?

I think it’s more Fool’s Gold in believing the Yorks can do something right.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 8:52 PM PST up reply actions

head coaches

So do you think they should have waited to see if something better came along before they signed Singletary? Since none of these options was on the table is it worth the risk of losing Singletary and being stuck with a 4th or 5th option at head coach?

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 8:54 PM PST up reply actions

Scwantz, McDaniels, and Garrett...

Are 3 coaches the 49ers could have at least granted an interview to. I mean, they are being more thorough in interviewing OC’s than HC’s, and we all know how succesful they have been with both of those positions. Besides, both Shanahan and Gruden had rumors of being on the proverbial Hot Seat way before this season ended. The 49ers Ownership lack guts, that’s all. Especially when it comes to little Jed taking over, since Daddy got burned with Donahue, and hated Mooch. They just want a fuzzy, warm desk for Jed to play in, and the “yes” men as play dates.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 9:12 PM PST up reply actions

Were there rumors about either of those guys? I remember being under the impression that Shanahan was untouchable and that Gruden had just gotten the “contract extension” vote of confidence.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 22, 2009 9:16 PM PST up reply actions

If you listened close enough...

You heard the rumblings, at least I did during this past season, especially about Gruden. But aside from that, it still doesn’t mean the 49ers could have been more thorough and patient.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 9:24 PM PST up reply actions

yes men?

You might feel like arguing McCloughan is a yes man (although i disagree) but I really don’t see Singletary as a yes man.

As far as guts, there have certainly been issues with coaches, but they’ve stepped up when it comes to spending. Given that they could easily pocket some of that money, I give them credit for that.

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 9:22 PM PST up reply actions

Every team has to spend money...

Bidwill just held up a George Halas trophy for crying out loud. But I’m not just talking about ScotM/Sing. I’m also talking about all of those VP’s they have in the FO. The 49ers have had Sing for 3 years. They know him. They don’t know any of the other candidates out there. They promoted ScotM as GM, even though they only knew him via Nolan. This is still a Nolan regime, sans Nolan. It’s pure Status Quo, which are your SF 49ers, York era.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 9:30 PM PST up reply actions

To add...

Just like they bringing back Alex Smith, for example.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 9:30 PM PST up reply actions

McCloughan

McCloughan made his bones with the Packers and Seahawks before he ever worked with Nolan and happened to then be brought in during the Nolan regime.

Salary-wise, they have to spend money but not as much as the 49ers have doled out in recent years.

Player-wise, yes they want to bring back Alex Smith, but they’ve gone out for top of the line players (Nate Clements, Justin Smith). Nolan had the big hand in these decisions but I’d have to disagree that McCloughanis infected with some kind of Nolan disease.

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 9:35 PM PST up reply actions

You sound like...

You’re giving credit to the Yorks for knowing who ScotM was, even though they didn’t bring him in as GM in the first place. Nolan brought him in.

The 49ers spend as much as any other team out there. But those Big $$ FA’s are only part of a team that still lacks real depth of talent, especially at QB. Whose fault is that? The Nolan regime?

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 9:42 PM PST up reply actions

Nolan

Nolan’s a hard one to figure out in my opinion. What I mean by that is he had no problem delegating the offense to Martz. However, at times it seems like he’s got a problem giving up his power in player personnel or on the defensive side of the ball.

It’s hard to lay blame on specific people due to the confusion that exists at times in FO. Nolan did bring in McCloughan but I think McCloughan deserves a shot at righting this ship without Nolan hanging around trying to get in on everything. I could be entirely wrong and McCloughan bombs out completely, but I think it’s hard blame him specifically over the last few years given the structure. I don’t know how much time he should get, but I think he deserves some kind of chance completely separate from Nolan.

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 9:50 PM PST up reply actions

No one deserves a pass for this team...

With the exception of Sing, and even Jed. Being that those 2 are joined at the hip, with around the same amount of time experience wise, everything deserves skepticism. Why? Because everybody, including Jed, have been involved with this team during the Nolan era. Which sucked BTW.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 10:01 PM PST up reply actions

Nolan era

Would you at least agree that it was better than the Erickson era? I think that’s one thing we can agree on.

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 10:03 PM PST up reply actions

Well, of course we can agree on that..

But York fired Mooch because he wasn’t a York ‘Yes Man’, and gave TD an extension because he was. Just how did that work out?

York should have given Erickson an apology.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Jan 22, 2009 10:20 PM PST up reply actions

True

Although since then it seems like York (the elder) has realized he should keep his nose out of things, let Jed and the football people handle things and just open his checkbook. We’ll see how that works out.

by David Fucillo on Jan 22, 2009 10:21 PM PST up reply actions

Singletary

The way the team performed under Singletary kind of forced ownership’s hand. You can’t let a coach who finally made something out of your nothing go and not expect repercussions.

Think about it this way: had the 49ers let Singletary walk or at least wait in limbo, it would send a signal to the rest of the league’s coaches (and potential hires) that the 49ers don’t reward their coaching staff for a job well done. Who would want to work for that?

by sfgfan on Jan 23, 2009 9:13 AM PST up reply actions