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.

For long time readers (or at least anybody who were around last season), you probably noticed a lack of detailed preview posts about today's game.  Once we get to the regular season we'll have injury updates for both teams.  We'll have in depth breakdowns of unit versus unit.  We'll have some individual matchups to preview.  However, as described earlier today, preseason games are not so simple to preview.  In the regular season we can compare the 49ers first team offense and defense to the opponents' without worrying about how good the second stringers are (barring injuries of course).

However, I still wanted to take a look at some of the unit matchups going into tonight's game.  The matchups will be essential in assessing who is stepping up and earning a spot on the 53-man roster.

Our Raiders blog, Silver and Black Pride, had a preview of the matchups a couple days ago.  Needless to say, I found some amusement in their predictions.

49ers run offense vs. Raiders run defense
They gave the edge to the Raiders.  If Gore only plays a series or two I can understand why the Raiders might have the edge.  However, for the 49ers, this is an opportunity for the offensive line to make some plays and open up some running lanes.  I'd expect some DeShaun Foster followed by a heavy dose of Thomas Clayton.  The Raiders were pretty awful against the run last season, so we'll see what kind of improvements they can manage.

49ers pass offense vs. Raiders pass defense
They called this one even in large part due to the players who will not play, or at least play very little.  I'd love to see Asomugha and Hall on the corners but I'm not expecting much of that.  The Raiders had a very solid pass defense last season, although part of that can be attributed to the fact that teams were running out the clock much of the time against their #32 rush defense.  Still, this will be the biggest test of the day.

Raiders run offense vs. 49ers run defense
They gave the edge to the Raiders and dared to blaspheme: "McFadden matched up well against pro bowl linebacker Pat Willis."  I'm sorry, but NOBODY matches up well with Patrick Willis (I'd imagine Bamm Bamm doesn't like being called Pat either).  I do think the Raiders bring a very solid rushing attack behind McFadden, Bush and Fargas.  The 49ers will have more athleticism with the addition of Justin Smith and the return of Manny Lawson.  I actually think this battle will be the most fun to watch.

Raiders pass offense vs. 49ers pass defense
They gave the 49ers the edge here, and that will depend in part on the pass rush.  The 49ers have a very solid secondary, and have some solid depth in said secondary.  However, an equally (if not more) important part of the pass defense is the pass rush.  We pissed and moaned last season about the lack of a pass rush.  Now we get our first crack at that rush.  Like the QB results mentioned last post, it might be a little difficult to judge the performance of the pass rush.  The Raiders offensive line is less than stellar and they have some young running backs being asked to block as well.

Overall
Any prediction would be pretty useless.  When you are dealing with an entire 80-man roster playing, you add too many variables to the equation.  I'll say 49ers pull out the win behind a big game from Thomas Clayton and a very solid defensive effort.  In the end, I just wanna see some passing game fireworks.

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.

In a less than stellar piece of news, it was announced that Michael Robinson underwent arthroscopic surgery today.  The procedure was designed to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.  The injury happened when he ran into the back of Chilo Rachal and went down.  He thought he was fine, but clearly that was not that case.  No timetable was given, but Barrows mentioned that it might be a week or two before he gets back on the field.  [EDITOR'S NOTE: MM is now stating Robinson could miss upwards of 3-5 weeks.  That would bring him back right before the start of the regular season.  We'll see what Thomas Clayton does with more preseason carries.  Maybe he squeezes onto the Week 1 roster.  We'll see.]

I tried doing my own research on this type of injury but most everything I found dealt with normal recovery times, and not times for professional athletes.  One interesting tidbit I came across mentioned that LenDale White supposedly played all of 2007 with a torn meniscus.  Although he struggled at times, the Titans back finished with 1,110 yards on the season and claims to be 100% healthy now.  Robinson is not an every down back but as a special teams standout we certainly want him at 100%.  He was not going to pass DeShaun Foster on the depth chart, but you never want a guy missing reps on the field.

In other 49ers injury news, Aubrayo Franklin passed his physical today and was taken off the PUP list.  Also, according to MM, the 49ers are hoping for Ashley Lelie to return later this week and apparently Joe Staley is making his way back tomorrow after missing time with his infected foot.

[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.

I was trying to come up with a clever title and just decided, screw it, and went with the generic title.  While poking around the Internet this morning, I came across another 49ers blog called 49ers Locker.  They're providing "projected grades" for the 2008 season position by position, and over the weekend they addressed fullback.  They projected a C for the season in large part due to the position's lack of use in the Mike Martz offense.

So the question becomes what will happen with the fullback position and how many guys will be kept?  In the initial 53-man projection we did, Moran Norris was the only fullback we kept.  However, the OTAs have me wondering what will end up happening at that position.  I looked back over Matt Maiocco's OTA reports and he had some interesting comments.  During the practices open to the media, Zak Keasey received most of the first-team snaps.  At the same time, when discussing the role of the fullback in Martz's offense, it's clear that some of the FB responsibilities are filled by the tight ends and H-backs.  After OTAs were completed, MM went through the roster and when addressing fullback said:

Fullback: Moran Norris has been the starter. But how much will Martz utilize the fullback? Probably not much. Might the 49ers go with Zak Keasey ahead of Norris? We already know the 49ers plan to use Frank Gore and Michael Robinson together in the backfield some of the time. Other times, they can use tight ends Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker and Billy Bajema out of the backfield. Does that make Norris expendable?

Looking at the 49ers roster as it currently stands, there are plenty of guys to fill the necessary roles.  Vernon Davis lined up in the backfield quite a bit last season and the coaches have stated they'll use Michael Robinson in the same backfield as Frank Gore at times.  While any of those options reduces the power running idea a little bit, it gives the offense more flexibility.  If you've got a non-fullback in the backfield with Frank Gore or DeShaun Foster you're going to have play the team a little more straight up.

Of all the position battles heading into training camp, this will definitely be one that requires some exhibition games to fully flesh out.  I'd be pretty surprised if the team didn't keep a fullback, but I'd also be a little surprised to see them keep more than one.

Often times when various positional unit rankings are published, the predictors fail to consider the potential and just look at the previous year's production.  Considering how bad the 49ers offense was last year and particularly the offensive line, it's easy to see how potential disrespect for the skills of Frank Gore can be overlooked.  Thankfully, that is not the case for the moment.

Over at the world wide leader, Bill Williamson posted the ten best rushing attacks in the NFL and YOUR San Francisco 49ers slid in at #10.  It's Insider protected, so here's the gist:

Even though the 49ers were awful on offense in 2007, it's hard to deny the talent of RB Frank Gore. With better play at quarterback, better play up front and better play calling, he can be an elite back. Gore's lack of production last season was not due to a lack of commitment to running the football. The effort was there, but the 49ers often fell behind and Gore became more useful in the passing game. With new offensive coordinator Mike Martz running the show, Gore will be the featured player on offense. Martz is known more for the pass than for the run, so look for Gore to build on his 53 receptions from last season. The 49ers' lack of depth at running back has been an issue in the past, but it will be better in 2008 with the addition of veteran DeShaun Foster.

While it's always nice to get respect, I'm surprised there is not more discussion about DeShaun Foster.  His addition is one that really has me excited.  I was a big fan of his coming out of UCLA and it's nice to finally have legitimate depth for the first time since 2003 when Barlow and Hearst combined for almost 1,800 rushing yards and 500+ receiving yards.  Unlike the recent past, when Frank Gore comes off the field, defenses will still have to honor the rushing attack (no offense Maurice Hicks and Michael Robinson).

Aside from OTAs and a short minicamp, May, June and much of July are pretty quiet on the football front.  I'm guessing that's why the various publications put out their annual NFL Preview issues.  A lot will change in training camp, but for now, football fans demand information.  My first memories of this revolved around Street & Smith's.  Others have come along, including Athlon Sports and Lindy's Pro Football Preview, but for me, it all goes back to Street & Smith's.

We'll look at those magazines later, but for now I thought we'd start with CBSSports.com's Pro Football Weekly.  PFW gives letter grades to eight offensive and defensive units, a projected record and odds on winning the Super Bowl.  I've put all the pertinent information about all 4 NFC West teams in this handy-dandy chart:

As you can see, PFW seems rather bullish on the Cardinals and incredibly down on the 49ers.  I have no problem with the long Super Bowl odds, but does anybody honestly see this team going 3-13?  I suppose anything's possible and I'm probably more optimistic than an objective football analyst.  However, I honestly see both the offensive and defensive units improving in 2008.  I'm not predicting 13-3, but I think a 7-9 or 8-8 prediction is completely reasonable and safe guess.  Furthermore, even though the grades aren't all that good, there is no one unit that is so awful as to warrant 3-13.

Right off the bat, let's look at the running back position.  Steven Jackson is arguably the better running back in the NFC West.  Even conceding that point, would you rather have DeShaun Foster as your #2 back or the combination of Travis MInor and youngsters Brian Leonard and Antonio Pittman.  Sure there is upside in those last two, but Foster brings more to the table this season.

Looking at the offensive line grades, it's fair based on last year's performance.  However, I definitely think the offensive line will perform above a C- if they can stay healthy.  The addition of Barry Sims gives them a very capable backup to Jonas Jennings, meaning they won't be sliding guards to tackle and tackles to guard.

As far as the defensive backs are concerned, I think this a clear sign of not doing enough research.  It seems like they saw the 49ers final numbers and assumed the DBs were just as bad as everybody else.  They did acknowledge that Clements played well under his "$80 million contract" (that we all know is NOT $80M).  While Walt Harris certainly regressed from 2006, the depth behind him has grown.  Shawntae Spencer remains a talented back up and the youth movement of Tarell Brown and Reggie Smith brings a lot to the table.

They wrapped up the preview stating that:

At the very least, the Niners should be a lot more interesting with Mike Martz in charge of the offense.  But with so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball, a sixth straight losing season seems more than a little likely.

Considering they predicted 3-13, it seems like they think it's more like a lock.

Other Stuff
As with every preview magazine, PFW has several feature articles on everything ranging from the 10 players to keep an eye on throughout the year to the top rated players overall and at each position.  I'm disappointed to say that Patrick Willis didn't make the top 10 players to watch each week, or even the honorable mentions.  Of course the top 10 were all the usual suspects on offense.  The honorable mentions did include Ed Reed and Antonio Cromartie.  Personally, I think you're gonna see something special every week when Bamm-Bamm takes the field.

As far as the player ratings, 4.0-5.0 goes Pro Bowl, blue chip guys who "consistently make big plays."  3.0-3.9 goes to impact players who fall short in at least one area.  2.4-2.9 goes to starters who get the job done or a "still-developing player who has the potential to get it done."

Coming in at #50 and the highest rated 49er is Bamm-Bamm himself, Patrick Willis with a 4.0 (for new readers wondering about the Bamm-Bamm, Chad Johnson gave Willis that nickname just prior to playing against him last season.  Suffice to say, it has stuck here at Niners Nation). 

Next to many players they included little initials, such as u (upside), uu (huge upside), c (player is at a crossroads) and d (begun to decline or will soon).  Willis is notched with a uu meaning huge upside.  Only Brian Urlacher ranks higher than Willis, while Lofa Tatupu and DeMeco Ryans are also given 4.0.  Since Willis has uu, and those two don't, he gets the tiebreaker.  An interesting point is made in his little bio:

Willis had one of the all-time great seasons for a rookie linebacker, leading the NFL in tackles by a wide margin...Such a high tackle total is usually an indicator of a weak defense, but make no mistake: Willis had an outstanding first season.  A fast, tough inside linebacker who makes tackles sideline-to-sideline, Willis could be an All-Pro for the next 10 years if he stays healthy and hungry.

Aside from Willis, the 49ers get high marks for Frank Gore (3.75, although I think there should be a u next to Gore considering the impact Martz could have on the offense).  Vernon Davis comes in at 3.4 with uu and in the team preview they think he could blow up in the Martz offense (shocker there).  Joe Staley checks in at 3.3 with a uu, Justin Smith is a 3.4, Nate Clements is a 3.7 and MIchael Lewis is a 3.4.

And just to cap it off, the man, the myth, the legend, Andy Lee comes in at 3.8 with a u.  You have to love a punter with upside!

In the Delanie Walker signing post, MM threw out the players who will be free agents after 2009.  Obviously a million things will change between now and then and there is little to no way we can predict what will happen at that point.  However, it's much more fun randomly speculating about things over which we have absolutely no control.  Some are restricted free agents, although I'm not 100% sure about the restricted/unrestricted status of some of them.  The entire list is at the bottom, but I thought I'd hit some of the more interesting ones.  The 49ers have done a good job lately in signing the young talent to longer deals.  On this list, aside from Bryant Johnson, I'm not sure if any of them warrant long term deals for now.

Billy Bajema: Bajema is a blocking tight end who is not exactly what you'd call a pass catcher.  Delanie Walker has been impressing Mike Martz, but Bajema brings the blocking element Walker lacks.  I don't see Bajema returning when you can probably find a replacement in the draft.

Damane Duckett: While he seems to be a "coach's project," Duckett is an interesting case.  It's entirely possible the signing of Barry Sims means Duckett doesn't make the roster this year.  Even if he does it will be as a backup and barring injury, I don't know how much of an opportunity he'll get to play behind Joe Staley.  Of course I also don't know who else would be interested in a converted defensive lineman who hasn't gotten all that much playing time.

DeShaun Foster: I could definitely see this as a one and done year for Foster.  If he can put together a solid year behind a really good running back like Gore, he would definitely get some quality offers.  He just needs to show he can stay healthy and be relatively productive.  A solid yards per carry could help him cash in.

Bryant Johnson: According to MM, "There is no question Johnson is hungry to prove he's an elite wideout.  Johnson said he wants to put together a good season and sign a long-term extension with the 49ers."  If Johnson does take a step up and prove himself to be a quality receiver, we'll see how quick he is to sign an extension when teams are throwing piles of money at him.

Eric Heitmann: I'd imagine the 49ers will let him walk.  They have some options for the future, which makes Heitmann potentially expendable.  Tony Wragge is a restricted free agent and unless somebody was willing to give up picks and a big contract for him, I'd imagine the 49ers could retain him pretty easily.  Cody Wallace would seem to be the center of the future, so it's a matter of working him in to the position.  Or maybe Heitmann signs a short deal to groom Wallace?  No matter what he won't be getting a ton of money from the 49ers.

Ronald Fields: If the 49ers stick with the 3-4, Fields has his work cut out for him if he plans on sticking around.  He's a defensive tackle who either needs to improve his game in the middle, or gain some ability and become a defensive end.  He hasn't done a whole lot up to this point and the 49ers have brought in some additional young bodies so we'll see how this year plays out.

Ashley Lelie: After spending most of last season in just about everybody's doghouse, Lelie thinks he's learned enough to be able to make some solid contributions in 2008.  The 49ers and Mike Martz will need every wide receiver to step up and make things happen.  However, unless Lelie blows people away, the 49ers have enough young potential to take their chances with another cheap veteran in free agency who might have a little more upside.

Signed through 2008: TE Billy Bajema, T Damane Duckett, DL Atiyyah Ellison, DL Ronald Fields, RB DeShaun Foster, OLB Roderick Green, C Eric Heitmann, WR Bryant Johnson, FB Zak Keasey, WR Ashley Lelie, QB J.T. O'Sullivan, RS Allen Rossum, CB Donald Strickland, G Tony Wragge.

Week 3 will see the 49ers hosting the fighting Matt Millens, also known as the Detroit Lions.  The Lions are represented here at SB Nation by Pride of Detroit, a blog written by Sean Yuille.  The Lions are an interesting team to analyze, in part because of the talent on the field and in part because of the ineptitude that seems to follow Matt Millen.  This is, after all, a general manager that selected a wide receiver with their first round pick in 4 out of 5 drafts.  Will the Lions draft another receiver is a joke that will not get old anytime soon.

Overview
A 6-2 start last season had many Lions fans thinking the team was finally turning the corner to respectability.  A subsequent 6-game losing streak brought the Lions crashing back to earth, resulting in a 7-9 finish.  While the offense was stocked with some solid playmakers, the defense was abysmal, giving up the most points in the league.  While Calvin Johnson flashed amazing skills, he also struggled as rookie receivers are prone to do.  Kitna continued his resurgence finishing with 4,068 passing yards.  However, the lack of any consistent rushing attacked (Kevin Jones led the team with 581 yards) definitely hurt the team.  A more consistent rushing attack might have kept the defense off the field a little more, but the Lions offensive line struggled making that a no-go.

Additions
The man who could conceivably make the biggest impact is 3rd round draft pick, Kevin Smith.  Smith was an absolute beast at Central Florida, finishing with 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns for the season.  We'll see how he handles top notch competition, but it seems like people expect Smith to be starting pretty quickly.  Gosder Cherilus, a guy projected to the 49ers in many mocks, looks to be their starting right tackle, while 2nd round pick Jordan Dizon is projected at middle linebacker.

Free agency brought in three potential starters on defense: Dwight Smith, Brian Kelly and Chuck Darby.  All three are seasoned veterans which could certainly help a Lions team in need of some defensive leadership.

Subtractions
The biggest lost is Boss Bailey, although that's certainly not the end of the world.  They lost TJ Duckett, but considering the hype coming out of Michigan State, Duckett hasn't done much with his career and Kevin Smith has plenty more upside anyways.  And of course J.T. O'Sullivan split town for the greener pastures of the Bay Area, so I'm sure he'll have revenge on his mind when he's carrying a clipboard (if even that).

2008 Questions & Answers
The Lions offensive line was rather woeful last season, so I'd imagine they're expecting big things from Gosder Cherilus.  If the Lions are too develop a legitimate rushing attack, the offensive line is going to have take control of the trenches.  If not, defenses will be able to tee off on Jon Kitna all game long.

The Lions passing attack should continue to improve with Calvin Johnson having a full year under his belt.  Of course, two questions arise here.  One revolves around the fact that Jon Kitna will turn 36 the day of this game.  At some point he'll run into the wall and the stats will come back to earth.  The other question is how Roy Williams' contract situation will play out.  He apparently has been saying all the right things, which has to make Lions fans happy.  Maybe he figures if he just keeps his mouth shut and performs the money will come.

vs. San Francisco
Over at Pride of Detroit, Sean did a preview of the schedule, month-by-month.  My favorite prediction is his prediction of a victory over the 49ers culminating the Lions 3-0 start (although to be fair, he does predict a 6-10 season overall):

I don't know if this is the Kool-Aid talking or what, but believe it or not, I have the Lions starting off the season 3-0.  Out of the first three games this one worries me the most as being a possible letdown, but the 49ers aren't very good.  Look for a low-scoring affair hopefully resulting in a Lions victory.  This is one of those games where Jason Hanson will be a busy man, and in a battle of kickers he will lead Detroit to victory.

He feels the new Martz offense might still have some kinks to work out and I think he would like the revenge win over Martz, who's been talking a bit of smack about his former team.  Coming off divisional games versus Arizona and at Seattle, I think the 49ers will be looking to get to 2-1.  Considering the weapons they have, I think the Lions can be just as explosive without Martz running the offense.  This will be a big test for the relatively new look defense.  On offense, I think we'll have a pretty good idea of what the season has in store for us at this point. 

I actually think this is one of the hardest games to predict on the schedule.  The Lions can be god-awful at times and they can look like the most amazing world-beaters at times.  They're the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team.  I'm going to predict a win though.  If the 49ers are going to make some noise this year, games like this are absolutely must-win.  2007 record-wise, the Lions are the "worst" team the 49ers face through the first 11 weeks, as everybody else was at least 8-8 in 2007. 

I'm thinking the offense connects as Martz wants to get a little obnoxious against his former employer.  Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster will be keys to this game as the 49ers must do everything they can to keep the high octane Lions offense off the field.  Pre-training camp, I'll predict a 26-24 49ers victory, thanks in large part to the leg of Joe Nedney.