Earlier today, the director of pro scouting for Scouts Inc., Jeremy Green, addressed the 49ers rush of activity this weekend. His columns are Insider protected, which is a shame because he makes some excellent points. While I can't simply cut and paste the entire column due to copyright laws, there is nothing wrong with posting chunks of the article.
On the necessity of greater cornerback depth
The 49ers have been in desperate need of help at the corner position since Nolan took over. Just look at the NFC West and all the star-studded receiver units...If the 49ers learned one thing on defense in 2006, it is that you can't compete in the NFC West without a topflight corner and as much depth as you can find...made a great move over the weekend in redoing the contract of veteran corner Walt Harris...all of a sudden the San Francisco 49ers have three corners to match up with the receiver trios in the NFC West.
What I really like...is that they did not take time to bask in the Clements addition...That aggressive approach landed them former Philadelphia safety Michael Lewis...The 49ers added two players with solid character who know how to lead and that is something San Francisco needs in the back end of its defense.
On Aubrayo Franklin
...the 49ers also added one of the most underrated free agents in defensive lineman Aubrayo Franklin...his versatility is what makes him a great find. Franklin can play any spot along the defensive line and will be a huge help to the 49ers' rotation on game day.
On Ashley Lelie
Lelie has definitely not lived up to expectations...The 49ers, however, might be just what the young and talented receiver has been looking for. In Denver and Atlanta Lelie played in West Coast offenses that didn't suit him...He is not a physical receiver...What he is, however, is a guy who can get vertical and the 49ers showed last season that going deep is something they would like to do more frequently.
On future plans
I had the pleasure of speaking with Nolan on my radio show "The Huddle" this past Saturday and he told me they weren't done...the 49ers still need help at the OLB and ILB spots and could use more depth on the offensive line.
On Joey Porter
One name to keep an eye on this week is former Pittsburgh OLB Joey Porter. Porter can still play and what better player for second-year OLB Manny Lawson to learn from. Sure, Porter talks a little more than you would like, but when he steps between the lines you aren't going to find many guys who play with more passion, fire and attitude.
A lot of what Green said has been discussed in the last few days here. It's always nice to get a little reinforcement from the supposed professionals.
In the meantime, I came across an interesting article about Ashley Lelie. When he held out in Denver and was eventually traded, Lelie actually ended up PAYING to play. In order to get the trade to Atlanta done, Lelie paid all his holdout fines, as well as a portion of his original signing bonus. The total bill was $982,000. He received a $600,000 salary from Atlanta and even with a reimbursement of $220,000 he finished in the red that year. Of course I'm sure the originally bonus allowed him to live in some sort of comfort. Still, an interesting point nonetheless.
