Nate Clements.

The fact that Pashos was released by the Jags was a surprise to say the least. The team had signed him merely 2 offseasons ago to a lucrative (5 yr/$24M) free agent contract. He was a full-time starter for them and hasn’t missed a game with injury the last 3 seasons.

When I looked through the Jags Blog cutdown day thread, the general reaction seemed to be surprise, but somewhat less disappointment than I maybe would’ve hoped/expected. At the same time, I’m taking the fact that the team drafted 2 OT’s in the 1st 2 rounds this year (Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton) as an indication that their team wanted to get younger on the O-Line. Pashos will turn 30 next summer. The Jags bloggers also suggested that this has just as much to do with the Jags GM (Gene Smith) wanting a) to make of Pashos an example—when they demand you take a pay cut and you refuse, they’d rather cut you than back down (sound familiar?) and b) that they want to put the players they draft into the starting lineup ASAP. Nearly all of the players Gene Smith drafted this year made the team. Many of us can’t help but think as fans, and will talk ourselves into the moves our Front Offices make, for better or for worse. The fact that the Jags drafted the two high-round tackles would’ve made Pashos expendable in the minds of many fans—so I think that also may have been influencing the lack of disappointment I saw. What I didn’t see was the kind of jubilation there was among Niner fans when Kwame Harris left town, was signed by the Raiders fleeced Al Davis out of MILLIONS of dollars.

What does this signing mean for the 49ers? Here are some bullet points:
1) They’ve got a good young-ish Tackle for the next year. If he plays well (remember Spikes’ situation last year?) they’re first in line to resign him.
2) They can release Sims if they want (thank the Lord).
OR
3) They’ve got some depth at Tackle
4) Pashos can slide inside to Guard (where he was starting this year for the Jags) if need be.
5) That the Marvel Smith signing/retirement was a disaster, but not crippling in the end.

and made amends for the Marvel Smith loss. Thank you! Many options for cuts; depends on what else may happen. With Arizona coming up, don’t see a DB or other defensive player being cut. My guess is Sims or something else on offensive side, perhaps receiver .

Very happy about that. He’s a much better age and has a much better fitness record than Marvel Smith, so assuming we don’t owe Smith any money and can just spend that money that would have gone to him on somebody younger, fitter, maybe not as decorated, but possibly bigger (I think?) then that has to be good business.

Two questions though:

1. Can we assume that the one place they WON’T cut the roster is O-Line? Presumably even if folks on here think Sims and company are not up to much, you don’t add one, subtract one, on the O-Line because then we’re weak on numbers again? TE can’t be cut because they went with two, there’s no back-up FB, they decided not to go with four QB and RB isn’t that plentiful with Sheets on the PS, so WR corps? Or defense?

2. Is it odd that he was signed just for a year? Young-ish, no recent track record of serious injuries? Wouldn’t a two-year deal have demonstrated more faith in your new guy?

Another stop gap until they use a draft pick to really address the need. Let’s just hope this guy doesnt get hurt.

good!

There’s a reason we only have 7 on the practice squad.
The 49ers aren’t going to cut a player that isn’t practice squad eligible.

Curtis seems expendable to me…

O-Line depth and competition for Snyder. My guess is we’ll now find out who the last man on the roster was when that player is cut, likely a young guy (Taylor?) who will be on the PS and is even less likely to be claimed now by another team than had he been cut in the full wash two days ago. I like that the better between he and Snyder will play. I like that we now have Tackle depth and this is a guy who has played on two run focused teams and for the current OL Coach. Let’s not forget that Snyder was beating out Smith so perhaps the guys has improved as he promised if he could just focus on one position.

Also, with no second blocking TE, Snyder can play LT and Pashos the extra TE in short yardage. One question: might the coaches consider flipping them between series/quarters depending on if we’re ahead and want to call more runs (Pashos) or are trailing and need to pass more (Snyder)?

Just announced by club … as predicted by MontanaPass, above!

… But the waiving of Briggs means we now do not have any undrafted free agents on the roster (well, none from this year’s draft anyway … obviously our starting QB is one from years gone by!) That’s a good sign, right? That we’re not reliant on picking up waifs and strays but are actually plotting a roster going forward with intelligent draft picks (OK, Pascoe didn’t work out but Coffee, RJF, Taylor, and the future starter Nate Davis) and astute FA signings (Jones, when he’s fit), Harris, Pashos, etc).

I predict a better season than 2008 – ie we become a winning team for the first time in years – and if that does not prove to be enough for the play-offs this year, Sing will be taking the team in the right direction. We have a first-round pick from thi year’s draft still to join, as and when he stops being Rod Tidwell, and we have two first-round picks next year, one of which is from a team with the toughest schedule in the NFL this year. We have our top cornerback to return from long-term injury too. And most of all, we have a group of players united behind a motivational, inspirational head coach.

Go Niners.

Which makes at least three undrafted FAs on there. Four if Briggs drops on to the PS after waivers. But I guess that’s the perfect place for those type of guys, right? At least we don’t need them on the roster, which cannot be a good thing, to be needing guys that every other team passed up seven times. I recall Maiocco saying that Miller was the type of guy practice squads were invented for. Great that we’ve got a better squad than last year as you say WC-Ninerhead – in this division, that can take us a long way, right?!

I am thinking that we may see a move at DE or NT. There has been much discussion on RJF or Balmer not up to par.. What say you at NN?

Pashos is an above average run blocker but horrible in the passing game. He will get beat by even an average pass rusher at tackle.

He will be more reliable then either Jennings or Smith, isn’t injury prone. And was good enough to start for both the Ravens and Jaguars. Last time i checked those two teams had a pretty good running game. 49ers have done a good job of picking up solid veterans this off-season bringing in Pashos, Bly, Norris and Harris.

Is a good all around linebacker. But the niners drafted him to be a legit pass rush threat and he has yet to provide that. If you switch up Haralson and Lawson then you are mitigating Haralson’s pass rush ability unless of course you think he could excel with either Sopoaga or Balmer clogging up paths on the outside. Either way i am sure Singletary and company considered it.

 Regarding Balmer. All the coaches have praised his off-season and training camp performances but other then one hit on Volek did anyone see anything from him in games?