I realize this is probably insanely early to start looking at training camp battles, but it ties in well with the recent announcement that 49ers training camp starts July 24.  The 49ers will have ten practices open to the public so let's start prepping for those who make it to any practices (Hopefully I can get down there for another couple practices like last year).  The plan is to pull these out every so often over the next 2+ months.  I'll even create a section on the sidebar that keeps tabs of these posts and has them right at your fingertips.

"Ted" Linebacker
The Ted linebacker lines up on the tight end side of the field and takes up bodies, opening up the field for the Mike linebacker (Patrick Willis for the 49ers) to make many of the tackles.  Derek Smith fit the role perfectly as he was able to handle the grunt-work and didn't complain.  The question is who will take over the starting Ted role in 2008.  There were rumors the team was interested in Takeo Spikes, but we'll ignore that for now.  If Spikes were too sign before training camp, that would certainly be address.

Dontarrious Thomas
One of the newer 49ers in the mix, the folks at Daily Norseman provided some insight and the general idea is that Thomas is a great athlete but may not be an impact every-down guy right away.  Both Daily Norseman and Scouts Inc seem to think the mental part of the game is what has limited Thomas so far.  Clearly the mental side of the game applies to every position.  However, some positions allow for greater reliance on physical talent, while others require more processing of information.  Any ideas on how the "Ted" fits into this?  That would certainly have an impact on Thomas's ability to fill the role.

Jeff Ulbrich
Consider me not all that surprised to see Ulbrich in the battle for the Ted position.  Ulbrich has always been considered insufficient in the size and athleticism department and yet he continues to make contributions.  It seemed like this past year he made his name in special teams but was really all over the field.  Is Jeff Ulbrich the second coming of Derek Smith?  A guy who lacks the natural talent of many linebackers but still gets the job done?  I think of all these guys, Ulbrich is the safest bet to get a lot of playing time, even though he may not be as talented as Thomas.  I think Ulbrich has the inherent edge, but we'll see if he backs it up with production.

Larry Grant
Grant is a mere seventh round draft pick and is expected to make more of an impact on special teams this year.  However, the NFL has its fair share of players who have been after thoughts in the draft and end up as impact players in the league.  His scouting report indicates he's not a major playmaker, but that is not exactly a necessary trait for the Ted.  If he can stick around I could see him transitioning to getting time at the Ted in the future, particularly when Ulbrich is finished as a 49er.  We'll have to pay close attention to his special teams performances in 2008.

Others
Brandon Moore: Nolan has said Moore will spend his time as Patrick Willis' backup.  Moore has so much talent and yet he doesn't seem to have what it takes to get off blocks in the role of the Ted.  Maybe that is what makes him more suitable backing up Willis.  We all see great athletic talent, but he just isn't quite putting it together completely.

Dennis Haley: Another Ravens castoff joining the 49ers.  He's going to compete at the inside linebacker position in training camp, but barring injuries, I don't see him making the team.  Anybody out there know anything about Haley?

Ezra Butler: I completely forgot about undrafted rookie free agent Ezra Butler out of Nevada.  The team seems to be high on him and Barrows says Butler actually picked the 49ers over a couple teams who offered more money because he was psyched about the opportunity of playing for Mike Singletary.  The ultimate recruiter for linebackers.  If you want to vote for Butler, vote for the Other option.  Feel free to mention him in the comments if you'd like.

Editor's Update 8:27am: Indeed Gary Guyton has officially signed with the Patriots, so I changed the poll and crossed out his info.

First off, big thanks to Saint from Silver and Black Pride for the FanPost with the undrafted free agents signed by the 49ers.  Who says 49ers fans and Raiders fans can't get along?  Well I suppose in the offseason it's easier.  But big thanks nonetheless.

And maybe calling it miracles is a bit overdone.  Plenty of undrafted free agents have made a name for themselves in the NFL and I'm certainly rooting for these guys.  We all want to see the 49ers sign the next Tony Romo, Kurt Warner or Priest Holmes.  While the odds are quite slim, it's still worth checking out who we signed and what kind of impact they might make.  Additionally, I know people have mentioned how they have heard stuff about certain guys, so I want this to be considered a sort of open thread/link dump for info on the undrafted free agents the 49ers appear to have signed.

Robert Jordan, WR, California - Obviously many folks around here are fans of the Golden Bears.  Jordan was wildly overshadowed by Desean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins.  If Jackson was the sizzle and Hawkins was the steak of the Cal receiving corp, Jordan would be the mashed potatoes (not sure how that analogy works, but whatever).  He had a consistent but quiet regular before exploding for 6 catches, 148 yards and a touchdown in Cal's Armed Forces Bowl victory.  He had a better senior season and career than Josh Morgan AND he hasn't been taken down with pepper spray.  Morgan is a bigger guy, but I'm gonna go on record as saying Jordan makes the team and Morgan does not.

Gary Guyton, OLB, Georgia Tech - Guyton's intriguing because he was projected to actually get drafted somewhere between Round 4-6.   I've checked out some mock drafts and reviews and the general consensus is that he looks to be a super special teams guy, with the upside of being a contributing every down linebacker.   Scout's Inc ranked him 14th among outside linebackers and says:

While he wowed front offices with his impressive combine, it's clear on film that Guyton needs to develop a mean streak and work on his man-to-man cover skills. That said, numbers don't like and there's no question he's got a great deal of upside because of his blend of size, speed and athletic ability. At the very least Guyton projects as an excellent special teams' player and at best he emerges as a productive every-down outside linebacker.

He sounds like Larry Grant but with more every down upside.  Assuming Guyton and Grant both make it to training camp and the preseason, we could see a very interesting battle between them.

Ezra Butler, OLB, Nevada - Like Guyton, Butler was projected to be drafted as well, but for some reason or another, teams passed on him.  Any info would certainly be appreciated by everyone.  Apparently he was suspended for the Wolfpack season opener for "rules violations."  Scout's Inc ranked him 18th among outside linebackers and said:

Butler doesn't have great cover skills and he needs to work on his technique but he has the size, burst and toughness to develop into an effective reserve or adequate starter in a 3-4 scheme so he projects as a mid-to-late round pick.

Throw him in with Guyton and Grant and we might have some decent competition for OLB depth.  I don't see why 2 of the 3 can't make the team.

This is going a little longer than I thought, so the remaining guys are going to be discussed after the jump.

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