The 49ers and Panthers released their final injury reports for Sunday's matchup and there's nothing particularly unexpected about either of the reports. Coach Mike Singletary spoke with the media after practice (transcript after the jump) and did confirm that Will James would likely get the start at corner if Nate Clements couldn't play.
This decision is intriguing (at least to me) given the team's attempts in the past to turn Tarell Brown into a starting cornerback. Is the window closing for Brown at this point? I ask in part because there were times I thought Shawntae Spencer would never be more than a #2 or #3 corner at best and he's turned into the team's #1 corner. Maybe he's not a Champ Bailey type of cornerback but he's really the best the 49ers have right now. Do people think Tarell Brown could be a guy who ends up a late bloomer?
49ers
Out
C Eric Heitmann (neck)
Questionable
CB Nate Clements (ankle)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)
Probable
TE Vernon Davis (knee)
LB Parys Haralson (calf)
LB Manny Lawson (rib)
WR Josh Morgan (thigh)
DT Justin Smith (hand)
Panthers
Out
OT Jeff Otah (knee)
LB Jamar Williams (neck)
Probable
TE Dante Rosario (knee)
WR Steve Smith (ankle)
G Travelle Wharton (knee)
Coach Singletary's transcript after the jump...
Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - October 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers
Listen to Audio I Media Center
On the status of CB Nate Clements:
"Right now, questionable."
On whether CB Will James would play if Clements isn't able to:
"Yes, that's probably the situation.
On whether it is an ankle injury for Clements:
"Yes and no, it's around that area."
On whether he got clarification on the intentional grounding ruling from last game:
"No, I mean, we looked at it, but it's gone, it's behind us. I don't know if they can ever really give me an explanation for that one. I let that go."
On whether he expects WR Ted Ginn to handle kickoffs and punt returns:
"As of right now, it looks like that's what the situation will be, but that could change."
On whether traveling to London as a player was a big deal:
"You know, it wasn't a big deal. It was an opportunity to travel across the world and get a chance to see how other fans would respond to American Football. So, it was a great opportunity and a trip that, yes, I do remember."
On whether he has been back since then:
"Yes."
On whether he scouted out locations for holding practices in London:
"Actually, before I ever went there, our people here did a great job. [Team logistics manager] Steve Risser and [executive vice president of football administration] Lal Heneghan. Everybody really pitched in and did a great job of locating a place and getting that all situated way ahead of time."
On whether anything stands out from his first trip to London as a player and whether he got to act as a tourist while he was there:
"I did not. No, we went in and basically just kind of paid attention to the practices and really trying to recover from the jetlag the first few days we were there, and so that was pretty much the situation."
On whether he is doing sight-seeing on this trip:
"Not that I know of."
On the injuries heading into this game:
"[TE] Vernon [Davis] with the knee, but he was full (practice). [TE Delanie] Walker is questionable, he was limited. [WR Josh] Morgan had the thigh, he was full today. [C Eric] Heitmann is out. [LB Parys] Haralson, calf, but he was full and he is probable. [DE] Justin Smith has the hand, he is probable, he was full today. [LB Manny] Lawson, rib, probable, full today. And then Clements with the ankle, he's questionable but he was limited today, he did practice."
On whether Heitmann's injury reoccurred during practice last week:
"I think last week, it's just been an old reoccurrence."
On whether he is getting that checked out:
"Yes, just kind of got to keep our eyes on it, a week-to-week situation."