First three hours of free agency are very quiet for 49ers
Mar 4, 2010 at 11:55 PM
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While the rest of the league spent their first three hours in this uncapped offseason scrambling to schedule visits for top free agents, not even a whisper came out of San Francisco's offices.
General manager Scot McCloughan continued to stress that the 49ers would focus on the draft and not free agency stating that the 2010 market is not a good one. "The people that jump out of the chute quick want to get a big-name guy. If you jump right in, you set the market. If you wait, the market comes back to you," said McCloughan.
The 49ers made nose-tackle Aubrayo Franklin their franchise player, guaranteeing him a one-year, $7 million contract.
On Monday, they tendered contracts to linebacker Ahmad Brooks and offensive lineman David Baas. If a team offers Brooks a contract, the 49ers have the right to match the offer or they would receive a second-round selection as compensation. The same goes for Baas.
The 49ers have a number of players from their 2009 squad that are ready to test the waters in free agency. These include wide receiver Arnaz Battle, cornerbacks Dre' Bly and Walt Harris, tackle Tony Pashos, safety Mark Roman, and tackle Barry Sims.
The 49ers have expressed interest in retaining Pashos and Sims.
Moves around the NFL ... so far
The Chargers placed the first and third-round tender on running back Darren Sproles on Thursday.
The Atlanta Falcons are close to landing cornerback Dunta Robinson.
Cornerback Antrel Rolle is scheduled to visit with the New York Giants on Friday. The Dolphins and Cardinals are also interested.
Defensive End Julius Peppers and running back Chester Taylor will visit with the Bears on Friday. The Redskins have also expressed interest in Peppers.
The Chargers have traded cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets for a 2011 third-round pick.
The Jets released cornerback Lito Sheppard while giving second-round tenders to running back Leon Washington and wide receiver Brad Smith.
The Detroit Lions have agreed to a five-year contract with former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson ... good news for San Francisco fans.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
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