Recap of Thursday’s moves by the 49ers
Feb 28, 2008 at 11:57 PM
•
So much for nothing happening until Friday. The San Francisco 49ers were very active during the start of free agency. While they have not signed any big name free agents yet, there have been some changes to the team's roster for 2008.
Signed
RB DeShaun Foster (cut by the Panthers - 2-yr / $1.8 mil)
QB J.T. O'Sullivan (Lions - 1-yr / NFL min w/ $40,000 signing bonus)
LB Dontarrious Thomas (Vikings - 2-yr)
CB Allen Rossum (Steelers - 1-yr, $870,000)
Foster will help shoulder the load behind running back
Frank Gore. O'Sullivan will serve as the 49ers' third quarterback as Alex Smith and Shaun Hill compete for the starting job. Thomas is an interesting signing. Some believe that he will replace Derek Smith, who was released by the team, while others believe that he was signed for depth. Rossum will serve as the team's kick-returner.
Confirmed Interest
DE Justin Smith (Bengals - visiting 49ers on Friday)
WR Isaac Bruce (cut by the Rams)
DE Marques Douglas (49ers)
It has been reported that Smith will visit both the 49ers and Vikings on Friday. However, John Clayton of ESPN reports that Smith has informed the 49ers that he will visit with them first. It is unlikely that the 49ers will want him to leave without a contract. After being unable to come to an agreement on a new contract in St. Louis, Bruce was cut by the Rams. 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz is very familiar with Bruce and likely influenced the decision to go after him. Bruce is 35 years old. The 49ers are interested in bringing back Douglas, but are willing to risk letting him test free agency.
Rumored Interest
G Alan Faneca (Steelers)
LB Lance Briggs (Bears)
News of the 49ers' interest in Faneca came up late Thursday night. Rumors have been back and forth regarding Briggs. The NFL is currently investigating rumors that the 49ers tampered with Briggs last offseason.
Out of the Running
WR Muhsin Muhammad (Bears - signed by Panthers)
WR Bernard Berrian (Bears)
LB Calvin Pace (Cardinals)
Internal Moves
QB Alex Smith (exercised a multimillion-dollar buyback clause)
RB Michael Robinson (3-yr contract extension)
Lost
T Kwame Harris (Raiders)
G Justin Smiley (Dolphins)
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Podcast: 49ers OTAs Day 1 recap
By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Jessie Naylor break down Day 1 of the San Francisco 49ers OTAs that was available to media.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our dedicated podcast page, on
Kyle Shanahan feels "really fortunate" with 49ers' QB room
Kyle Shanahan praises his quarterback room every year. Last season, the San Francisco 49ers went through three starting quarterbacks and still made it to the NFC Championship Game. Trey Lance was the Week 1 starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his second game. Eleven weeks later, Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a broken foot.
That opened the door for rookie Brock Purdy to show his coaches and the NFL world that he belonged, despite being the last overall pick in the draft. Purdy guided the 49ers to eight consecutive wins before suffering a severe injury in that NFC title game matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Two of the quarterbacks from last season—Lance and Purdy—remain. Both are just 23 years old. They are joined by Sam
5 position battles to watch for during 49ers OTAs
By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24
The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason with several questions after key figures, such as Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Samson Ebukam, and Charles Omenihu, departed in free agency, creating the possibility for position battles in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
While several of the starting spots are solidified, there are still a few position battles to watch, as well as depth questions that could allow younger players to compete and take 53-man roster spots at the end of the offseason.
Let's break down some of those battles to watch and how they could play out for the 49ers, outside of the obvious competition at
Podcast: Questions that need to be answered during 49ers OTAs
By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Suneil discuss the quarterback competition and position battles to watch during the San Francisco 49ers' OTAs.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
?feature=share
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our