*Projected* Niners Depth Chart (Updated 9/5/09)

Be prepared, I'm going wild (well, not too wild) with a couple of surprise cuts. This will be edited after the 3rd Pre-season game and left after that point.


3 Quarterbacks: Hill, Smith, Huard

5 Runningbacks: Gore, Coffee, Robinson, Sheets, Norris

6 Receivers: Bruce, Morgan, Crabtree, Battle, B.Jones, M.Spurlock

3 Tight Ends: Davis, D.Walker, Pascoe

9 Offensive Line: Heitmann, C.Wallace, Staley, M.Smith, Snyder(T/G), Boone, Baas, Rachal, Wragge

6 Defensive Line: J.Smith, Balmer, D.Evans, Sopoaga, Franklin, Jean-Francois

4 Outside Linebackers: Lawson, Haralson, M.Harris, J.Moore

4 Inside Linebackers: Willis, McKillop, Spikes, Ulbrich

5 Corners: Clements, Spencer, Brown, Bly, Rossum

5 Safeties: Goldson, R.Smith, M.Lewis, M.Roman, M.Hudson (S/CB)

3 Special Teamers: Nedney, Andy Lee, Brian Jennings


IR - R.McDonald, W.Harris

--------------------------------------------

Unless Nate Davis shines at some point in the rest of the pre-season, I just don't see there being enough room for him. Huard is an experience vet who can win. I really don't want to cut Nate though.. I think he has potential.

While I like Jason Hill, I get the feeling that (at this point, at least) the team likes Spurlock much more. Spurlock seems to be not only faster on the field, but he's also more versatile.

It might be tough cutting Brit Miller. If we think another team with take him, we may not do it. Norris might only have a year or two left, and if the first pre-season is any indication of what Brit could do at FB.. he needs to be kept. I wouldn't be that surprised if we pulled a shocker and went younger, keeping Miller and ousting Norris or Robinson.

I think Moore beats out Brooks. Moore was the only person I saw getting any pressure on Friday. Brooks was stone-walled.

I doubt we will keep only 9 OL's and 5 CB's since Rossum doesn't really play CB all that much. Meanwhile, you keep 6 WR's when tradionally we only keep 5. Other than that, you are pretty spot on.

Your projection seems very likely to me.

It saddens me that the coaching staff appears to like Spurlock more than Jason Hill. I thought Hill looked really good in the 2nd half of the season last year.

I cant see them giving up on Jason Hill. By the end of last season he was making plays for us consistently.

I love what Battle has done for us but I hate to see us give up on Zeigler. I would prefer to go younger and since neither is projected to start I am willing to roll the dice on this one.

Is there a threat that N. Davis would get picked-up if we put him on the PS because then I would say we ditch Huard and bank on Davis' potential.
With Smith and Hill being so close, i think we can also gamble on keeping Davis as our 3rdQB.
If it comes down to our #3 QB starting a game this season, I will have already killed myself so it wont matter anyway

Barring a major injury, I believe that you are very accurate.

The only remaining Final 53 competition, as I see it, is:
OLB - Brooks vs J. Moore (Singletary seems to talk-up Brooks, not Moore).
OT - Boone vs Bender (the 4th OT will never be active on Game Day anyway).
WR - Battle vs Hill or Zeigler (Spurlock has Battle's ST skills, and Battle is fragile)
DL - Jean-Francois vs a final cut veteran pick-up from another team.
DB - Hudson vs more of a pure CB, maybe not yet on the roster.

All of the above could go as you suggest. Or not.

Originally posted by The_Distort:
Your projection seems very likely to me.

It saddens me that the coaching staff appears to like Spurlock more than Jason Hill. I thought Hill looked really good in the 2nd half of the season last year.

I feel the same way. This is just early speculation until I see more, but for some reason, it seemed like they made a point to get Spurlock on the field much more often, both on special teams and on offense.

To the other poster. technically, we're keeping 6 CB's, I just listed Hudson as a safety-tweener.

I also think Snyder's versatility allows us to keep one less OL. If we do encounter too many injuries at tackle, I'm sure we could pull someone up from the practice squad. (Which I'd prefer over them re-upping Sims, assuming he's cut).

Basically we've got:

C - Heitmann, Wallace
G - Baas, Rachal, Wragge, SNYDER
T - Staley, SNYDER, Smith, Boone

Even if two guards go down -- Snyder can swing over, and Marvel Smith can start in his place at Tackle. I think we've got some good flexibility.

Mostly I agree with your roster choices. Couple of changes to consider:

Based on his performance Fri night, I think Brit Miller makes it, maybe at the expense of MRob?Or maybe at the expense of C.Wallace, who plays behind the best Niner OL in Heitmann, and isn't likely to suit up anytime soon.

Battle vs. Hill or Zeigler? Tough, tough call, IMHO, though Zeigler appears a distant third in this competition. Hill's got speed, and played well on ST last year. If youth prevails, he stays and Battle goes. Hill's got to step it up in practice, though.

J. Moore over Brooks? Not likely. I could see them both making it, though, given the lack of experience and depth at the position. Which might mean someone else goes. Sheets to PS maybe?

If K. Mitchell keeps showing up like he did Fri night, he's another tough decision. Maybe RJF to PS? K. Mitchell certainly stays around as the NT of the future, maybe on the PS, since A. Franklin is in the last year of his contract. But, given the scarcity of guys who can legitimately play NT, I'd keep him on the 53 man roster, even over RJF, rather than risk losing him to another team looking for a NT. Just my opinion.

Seems to me that Singletary's got to start looking to turn the roster over, somewhat, and start "retiring" some guys that are on the bubble. Ulbrich, for example, looked a little slow Fri night. MRob hasn't even practiced in TC, and has long been a 'tweener with no real role in the offense. M.Roman seems even more expendable with R.Smith's emergence as a safety--and Denver was very clearly targeting him, throwing to whichever WR he was trying to cover on Fri night.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Be prepared, I'm going wild (well, not too wild) with a couple of surprise cuts. This will be edited after the 3rd Pre-season game and left after that point.


3 Quarterbacks: Hill, Smith, Huard

5 Runningbacks: Gore, Coffee, Robinson, Sheets, Norris

6 Receivers: Bruce, Morgan, Crabtree, Battle, B.Jones, M.Spurlock

3 Tight Ends: Davis, D.Walker, Pascoe

9 Offensive Line: Heitmann, C.Wallace, Staley, M.Smith, Snyder(T/G), Boone, Baas, Rachal, Wragge

6 Defensive Line: J.Smith, Balmer, D.Evans, Sopoaga, Franklin, Jean-Francois

4 Outside Linebackers: Lawson, Haralson, M.Harris, J.Moore

4 Inside Linebackers: Willis, McKillop, Spikes, Ulbrich

5 Corners: Clements, Spencer, Brown, Bly, Rossum

5 Safeties: Goldson, R.Smith, M.Lewis, M.Roman, M.Hudson (S/CB)

3 Special Teamers: Nedney, Andy Lee, Brian Jennings


IR - R.McDonald, W.Harris

--------------------------------------------

Unless Nate Davis shines at some point in the rest of the pre-season, I just don't see there being enough room for him. Huard is an experience vet who can win. I really don't want to cut Nate though.. I think he has potential.

While I like Jason Hill, I get the feeling that (at this point, at least) the team likes Spurlock much more. Spurlock seems to be not only faster on the field, but he's also more versatile.

It might be tough cutting Brit Miller. If we think another team with take him, we may not do it. Norris might only have a year or two left, and if the first pre-season is any indication of what Brit could do at FB.. he needs to be kept. I wouldn't be that surprised if we pulled a shocker and went younger, keeping Miller and ousting Norris or Robinson.

I think Moore beats out Brooks. Moore was the only person I saw getting any pressure on Friday. Brooks was stone-walled.

My take:

Remove Battle and insert Hill
J Moore to the PS and insert Brooks
Miller is safe on the PS
I have a feeling Roman gets cut and Curtis Taylor makes the 53

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Be prepared, I'm going wild (well, not too wild) with a couple of surprise cuts. This will be edited after the 3rd Pre-season game and left after that point.


3 Quarterbacks: Hill, Smith, Huard

5 Runningbacks: Gore, Coffee, Robinson, Sheets, Norris

6 Receivers: Bruce, Morgan, Crabtree, Battle, B.Jones, M.Spurlock

3 Tight Ends: Davis, D.Walker, Pascoe

9 Offensive Line: Heitmann, C.Wallace, Staley, M.Smith, Snyder(T/G), Boone, Baas, Rachal, Wragge

6 Defensive Line: J.Smith, Balmer, D.Evans, Sopoaga, Franklin, Jean-Francois

4 Outside Linebackers: Lawson, Haralson, M.Harris, J.Moore

4 Inside Linebackers: Willis, McKillop, Spikes, Ulbrich

5 Corners: Clements, Spencer, Brown, Bly, Rossum

5 Safeties: Goldson, R.Smith, M.Lewis, M.Roman, M.Hudson (S/CB)

3 Special Teamers: Nedney, Andy Lee, Brian Jennings


IR - R.McDonald, W.Harris

--------------------------------------------

Unless Nate Davis shines at some point in the rest of the pre-season, I just don't see there being enough room for him. Huard is an experience vet who can win. I really don't want to cut Nate though.. I think he has potential.

While I like Jason Hill, I get the feeling that (at this point, at least) the team likes Spurlock much more. Spurlock seems to be not only faster on the field, but he's also more versatile.

It might be tough cutting Brit Miller. If we think another team with take him, we may not do it. Norris might only have a year or two left, and if the first pre-season is any indication of what Brit could do at FB.. he needs to be kept. I wouldn't be that surprised if we pulled a shocker and went younger, keeping Miller and ousting Norris or Robinson.

I think Moore beats out Brooks. Moore was the only person I saw getting any pressure on Friday. Brooks was stone-walled.

I watched the Denver game tape again... and you know what, you are correct Jay Moore if anybody, was the 9er player who came close to a sack on a couple of occassions that I saw.

I don't think Wallace makes it to the 53 man roster. Hopefully J. Moore and Brooks both make it. Another one is Roman may get cut to get younger and faster.

Red Alert to the Board: Battle isn't going anywhere. Nice prognostication, OTC.

MB on Twitter: Shaun hill calls arnaz battle the 'rock' of the wr corps.
MM on Twitter: Vet 49ers WR Arnaz Battle, the forgotten man during the offseason, has put together "a great camp," says QB Shaun Hill.

Oh, you doubters. Listen to the Big Dog.

Woof!!!!!

AB83 will live another day.

P.S. Cockroach in a nuclear holocaust. You cannot kill off Battle.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Red Alert to the Board: Battle isn't going anywhere. Nice prognostication, OTC.

MB on Twitter: Shaun hill calls arnaz battle the 'rock' of the wr corps.
MM on Twitter: Vet 49ers WR Arnaz Battle, the forgotten man during the offseason, has put together "a great camp," says QB Shaun Hill.

Oh, you doubters. Listen to the Big Dog.

Woof!!!!!

AB83 will live another day.

P.S. Cockroach in a nuclear holocaust. You cannot kill off Battle.

I thought you didn't listen to Matt anymore? I do recall a prediction of Crab signing by now? I think he gets traded or cut.

Your magic 8 ball is broken MD

OTC, I pretty much agree with the 53 man.

Here are some ones I see a bit differently:
* I think Sims will prevail over Boone and Bender. Boone is strictly a RT at this point, and the Niners have two players slotted at RT (I don't think M. Smith can transition to LT). So, a LT is needed. I'd bet Sims beats out Bender, and of course the end of Western Civilization will shortly commence.

* The WR battle is going to be brutal. Hill, Spurlock, Zeigler. I think only one makes it (unless the Niners carry two until they pick up Jones along the way). I can understand your perspective. The 5th WR on the team has to be a big special teamer. Hill provides good kickoff return coverage, but Spurlock seems to be playing some Wildcat. Zeigler seems like the one without a major role on ST, and that is bad news for him. I'm on the fence on this one, but you could be right with Spurlock. I just don't see Hill's role on this team anymore.

Summer review: MD stated that Hill was no lock to make this team in the Battle vs. Zeigler thread, much to the horror of the masses on the board. MD might be right. MD a very smart cookie.

Cheers.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Red Alert to the Board: Battle isn't going anywhere. Nice prognostication, OTC.

MB on Twitter: Shaun hill calls arnaz battle the 'rock' of the wr corps.
MM on Twitter: Vet 49ers WR Arnaz Battle, the forgotten man during the offseason, has put together "a great camp," says QB Shaun Hill.

Oh, you doubters. Listen to the Big Dog.

Woof!!!!!

AB83 will live another day.

P.S. Cockroach in a nuclear holocaust. You cannot kill off Battle.

LOL. True, Battle may battle his way onto the roster, but let's not turn this into another one of "those" threads. Please.

Seems we cannot ignore, or kill off, your "cockroach in a nuclear holocaust" analogy, either, much as some of us would like to at this point. (I'm just sayin . . . .)