This Week in Niners Nation: Extended Edition (Get it?)

Well, I was away last week, if you didn't notice. It was my wife's thirtieth birthday, so no writing. We got out of the city, had a great time and got to relax for the weekend, exactly what she wanted to do. She's lucky her birthday isn't during football season, right?

Am I going to do an extra long edition this week to make up for it as the title might imply? No, that's simply a play on words. There's really not much going on right now. It seems like there's more drama from our divisional opponents than any news of real value. But when you're on top, people will aim for you. Some try to earn respect through hard work (see all of the recent Super Bowl winning teams) and accomplishments and others do it through talking (see Rex Ryan, Cortland Finnegan, Seattle Seahawks). On to the real fun.

Extensions

Justin Smith and the team agreed to a contract extension. There had been questions about whether or not he'd continue playing past this year. It's been answered. He's now signed through 2015. The extension also freed up over $4 million in cap space for this season. What could we do with $4 million dollars? I could by a house for my impending baby. Chris Long could eat over a million small meals. The 49ers could sign a receiver. | Justin Smith makes everything pretty clear in his post-contract extension media conference (Fooch)

What does the Smith extension mean for the future of the 49ers at defensive line? Some thought Smith wouldn't be around as long as he's now slated to be. Cornelius Carradine, aka Tank, may be one of those. Fooch has some words on the topic. | Justin Smith contract extension: What does it mean for Tank Carradine? (Fooch)

And, in regards to the Greg Roman extension, I think he got picked on a bit excessively last season. There were times when the play calling was stale and there were game plans that should have been adjusted at the half. But the run through the playoffs seemed to prove those two issues from the regular season were fixed. One could argue he was limited by Alex Smith's limitations and then limited again by the midseason quarterback switch. What he's done with the offense warrants a benefit of the doubt approach and he'll have the whole offseason to work with Colin Kaepernick as the No. 1. | 49ers, Greg Roman agree to two-year extension, according to Ian Rapoport (Fooch)

90-in-90

B.J. Daniels has been an intriguing thought since the 49ers drafted him in the 7th round. Most felt we could have waited and signed him as a UDFA, but Harbaalke must have felt otherwise. He's battling Scott Tolzien for the No. 3 quarterback spot. Tolzien, by most accounts, did not have a great minicamp. This should be a battle worth keeping an eye on. | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: B.J. Daniels (Fooch)

Will Tukuafu is the next player up for scrutiny. He's got versatility on his side, but with all the recent defensive line additions, through both draft and free agency, it's highly possible that he and Demarcus Dobbs are battling for the same, final spot. What do you think? | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Will Tukuafu (Fooch)

Kenny Wiggins is one of those guys who's possibly as far away from a roster spot as one could get. He'll be battling for Adam Snyder's spot. Without having Snyder's versatility or experience, it's hard to see how this plays out in his favor. He's a massive dude with one more year of practice squad eligibility. He might be required to use it. | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Kenny Wiggins (Fooch)

Vance McDonald is a lock to make the roster. What is up for discussion is his impact. He's tabbed to replace Delanie Walker as the second tight end and I'd expect him to surpass DW's totals if he can hang on to the ball a bit. Out of the rookies, he probably has the second highest pressure after Eric Reid. Tank Carradine will be given some leeway as we knew he was recovering from injury. But with McDonald going higher than some thought we'd go for a tight end, he's got some expectations. | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Vance McDonald (Fooch)

This piece is just as much about Bruce Miller as it is about the revival of the fullback position. Miller and Harbaugh are teaming up to make the position once on the endangered species list a relevant profession again. Miller is a lock to make the team, and with his consistent play, a season that wasn't more of the exact same thing would be a surprise. | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Bruce Miller (liberty_JAC)

And the one breakdown everyone's been waiting for...Lawrence Okoye. He's got all the physical tools in the world. He's the most inexperienced player on any 90-man roster. What do we do with him? Fooch runs down some of the options for the British Olypmian. | 49ers Roster, 90-in-90 breakdowns: Lawrence Okoye (Fooch)

Other News

Anthony Ly is taking a look at our 2013 schedule on a week by week basis. He looks at the suddenly fiery 49ers-Seahawks rivalry and their impending showdown in Seattle in Week 2. We got our butts handed to us in Week 16 last year and this is a date fans of both teams are looking forward to. Will Brandon Browner choke Coach Harbaugh? Will Seattle be able to field 53 men? It almost makes Green Bay at home in Week 1 look like a chicken nuggets entree for a main of rack of lamb. The comments are as heated as the rivalry itself. | 49ers Schedule Preview 2013: Seattle Seahawks (Week 2) (Ly)

Liberty_JAC gives an in depth review and preview of the maturation of the Harbaugh-Roman offense. With a full offseason of preparation for a Colin Kaepernick led super attack, there's no telling what we might see. He does a great job breaking it all down and covering all angles. A good read. | Thoughts on Colin Kaepernick and the Jim Harbaugh Offense (Liberty_JAC)

Wes gives us his take on Brandon Browner's comments about Coach Harbaugh. They're really going for that bad boy attitude. Like Brian Bosworth... or Todd Marinovich... or... How many bad boys succeed in professional sports? 1989 Detroit Pistons and the greatest bad boy of all time, Dennis Rodman. Anyone else? | Brandon Browner Harbaugh comments: More inane chatter from a Seattle Seahawks cornerback! (Hanson)

You have to love having a young, forward thinking CEO and front office. While the Raiders consistently tried to keep football in the stone age, we got impressively modern. This article on how the 49ers will look to integrate technology, coupled with their relationship and proximity to Silicon Valley leads to some intriguing possibilities. | Jed York, Gideon Yu discuss 49ers technology usage (Fooch)

With myself away for the weekend, poor Trevor Woods had to go solo on the #Channel49 mailbag post. Tre helped out during the chat session. More questions and answers about the receiver position, a theme that probably won't go away until the position group proves itself. | Niners Nation #Channel49 Twitter Q&A Mailbag, Vol. 14: NFC West battles, Austin Collie, A.J. Jenkins, and more (Woods)

One of our biggest tasks this offseason was to upgrade the special teams play. We had a mighty drop off from the glorious ST campaign of 2011. Phil Dawson being able to make a field goal will help. There are still questions about the kick returners and the coverage team. Is it Andy Lee and a bunch of jokers, recently graduated from clown college, or will this unit return to past glory? That's my attempt at a pep talk. | 49ers position battles: Handicapping special teams following OTAs (Fooch)

FanPosts

A big debate is brewing and has been for sometime. There are all sorts of reasons why the Washington Redskins should and could change their name. Redgolddynasty takes on the topic, explaining exactly why they should go forward with a name change. If anti-racism doesn't convince them, you'd think marketing would. But, no, Dan Snyder wants to prove that he is unwavering. | What's in a name? My thoughts on why Washington needs a makeover (redgolddynasty)

9er4life22 is taking on the task of examining each and every new 49er. Are you trying to steal Fooch's job, or what? Glenn Dorsey, Eric Reid and Anquan Boldin make an appearance, among others. This will be completed in instalments. | Breaking Down all of our Offseason Additions, One by One (9er4life22)

Karl Cuba chimes in with their take on Matt Ryan's recent comments about the NFC Championship Game. It was a great game, with Ryan coming up on the short end. He seems to take the responsibility on his shoulders. | Matt Ryan's (possibly slightly delusional) take on the NFC Championship Game (Karl Cuba)

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