Good morning, blogslaves. Ninjames back for another edition of the Nuggets. Not feeling very "intro-ey" today so I'm going to make this quick before getting to the links. Some of them may be repeats as I'm kind of behind, but all of 'em will be relevant. Enjoy, chil'ren.
This piece is a bit old, but either way, I'd like to answer the question posed in its headline: absolutely nothing. Darius Fleming is somewhat unremarkable on tape and my initial excitement about him on draft day was probably because of, oh I dunno, his name or something like that. | What will the 49ers do with the OLB spot with Darius Fleming out for the season? (Gin)
If you missed it yesterday, I posted my first 53-man roster projection, though it is definitely early. The only players I'm really unsure of at this point are running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Chris Owusu. I feel like the latter will find a way onto the roster, but I couldn't necessarily see where. | 49ers Roster 2012: Early 53-Man Projection (Brady)
Leave it to Ben Roethlisberger of all people to speak to the exploitation of vulnerability. What a tool. | Aldon Smith says 49ers never targeted Roethlisberger's ankle (PFT)
I expect big things out of Aldon Smith, given how good he was doing a single thing in 2012 with no offseason to speak of. Ultimate outside linebacker? He's not too far away with that pass-rushing skillset. If he pans out the 49ers group of linebackers is just going to be unfair. Get NaVorro Bowman a new contract as soon as possible. | Aldon Smith: I want to be the ultimate outside linebacker (Barrows)
Hey that's some good information to know - the fact that, before Jason Slowey, the last player the 49ers drafted from Division II was Delanie Walker, one of my favorite 49ers. That's pretty great. | Slowey's path differs from small-school peers (Branch)
As previously noted, I don't feel comfortable calling Jim Harbaugh one of the top five coaches in the NFL. Not after one season, I just don't see it. I also don't see Tom Coughlin as No.2, and see him outside of the top three and perhaps even the top five. But it's not my list! | Top-5 head coaches in the NFL (Cohn)
Very glad that the 49ers re-signed Ted Ginn Jr. Had a bit of a discussion about this on Twitter the other day, but I think losing Ginn would have been a huge blow to the 49ers. They won football games on ball control and dominance in field position. Ginn remains one of the best in the league at what he does. Plus he actually blocked some people and was physical on offense. Neat! | Ginn is 49ers' only proven return man (Maiocco)
I don't expect Delanie Walker's role to change much in 2012. More than that, I don't actually know what I'm expecting from a stats standpoint. San Francisco's tight ends were very disappointing in 2012, with Vernon Davis in particular lapsing pretty hard. | The 2012 49ers: how Delanie Walker's role might change (BA Sports Guy)
Bay Area Fantasy Report: 49ers and Raiders with Value in 2012 (DeSimone)
Harbaugh: Crabtree has 'best hands I've ever seen' (Maiocco)
49ers working on Hall of Fame next to new stadium (Branch)
PFT Planet talks Moss, McNabb and more (PFT)
Joe Looney Keeps Working (49ers.com)
Being a Sheep
Be sure to follow @NinersNation on Twitter as well as on Facebook. You can follow SB Nation Bay Area on Twitter @sbnbayarea and also on Facebook.
If you're new here, you can register for a free account to participate in the discussion and create your own fanposts here at Niners Nation and across our entire network of 300+ sports blogs.