For those who missed it from earlier, the 49ers won the every exciting and popular Barry Sims sweepstakes, outlasting the Rams, Patriots and Ravens. Sims signed a two year deal, although financial terms were not revealed. In deciding on the 49ers, it sounds like it was a combination of locale, $$$ and playing time:
"What maybe tips it a little bit is the money is a little bit better and you don't have to move to play here," said Vierra, who declined to reveal terms of the deal. "All I can tell you is he had a good feel in San Francisco."
Sims previously played for the Raiders and had a home in San Ramon I believe, so not having to relocate probably helped. He'll compete with Jonas Jennings at right tackle, but he has the flexibility to play both tackle positions, making him an extremely valuable asset off the bench.
53-man roster
The question now is how this affects everybody else. While it's probably not a 100% lock, I'd imagine Sims is a pretty likely candidate for the 53-man roster. I had indicated in the 53-man projection post that if the 49ers signed Sims, Damane Duckett would be the likely candidate to get axed. Of course Duckett seems to be a pet project of the coaching staff, which might work out in his favor. If they went with Sims OR Duckett, the team would carry 9 offensive lineman into the regular season. One reason to go with just Sims is his availability as a right and left tackle. Any thoughts on who is out of luck with the Sims signing?
Chilo Rachal
After being drafted as a guard, word was that the coaching staff was going to move Rachal to right tackle in large part due to lack of depth. Now that there is a bit more depth, I'm curious if they still try and get Rachal some time at tackle. It'd be nice if he could get a little time at both tackle and guard. A versatile offensive lineman is a valuable commodity and considering how young he is, Rachal has time to develop both guard and tackle skills.
Jonas Jennings
Jennings is immensely talented, but unfortunately quite injury-prone. If Sims has a good camp, this could very well be the end of Jonas Jennings as a 49er. He has never been guaranteed a spot in 2008 and this gives the 49ers some more options. Cutting Jennings could open up a spot for one of the other young options in camp, whether it be Joe Toledo, Alan Reuber, or Damane Duckett. Of course, if Jennings is solid in camp and can stay healthy, that's kind of a moot point.