Tag: Mike Singletary (Page 4 of 8)

      NFL News: 49ers trade AWOL Kentwan Balmer to Seahawks

      August 16, 2010 /

      The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the 49ers have traded defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer to the Seahawks, although the details are unavailable as of this moment.

      Balmer quickly fell out of favor in San Francisco after he failed to show up for practice last week. Head coach Mike Singletary had granted Balmer a couple of days off to deal with “personal issues,” although nobody knows what those issues were. He was expected to show up on Wednesday, but he didn’t and also decided to skip Thursday and Friday as well. He also ripped the organization by saying, “People are making a big deal about nothing,” and “I feel like ht 49ers could do a better job of saying that, but it’s not my place to say.”

      The 2008 first round pick was on the bubble to make the 49ers’ roster heading into his third season. After barely playing as a rookie, he didn’t show much improvement in his second season before tearing his labrum. He would have had to outplay Demetric Evans to keep his job as a backup at the defensive end position.

      In Seattle, Balmer provides the Seahawks with depth and is versatile enough to fill in as a backup at either the end of tackle position. Of course, he has to show up first.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      2010 NFL Question Marks: San Francisco 49ers

      August 10, 2010 /
      GLENDALE - NOVEMBER 25: Joe Staley #74 and Adam Snyder #68 of the San Francisco 49ers walk on the field during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 25, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

      Merry training camp season, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the 49ers and their growing concerns along the offensive line.

      The NFC West has emerged as the weakest division in football. The Rams are atrocious, the Cardinals are in transition mode and nobody quite knows what to make of the new-look Seahawks.

      That’s why the 49ers are so intriguing. People have fallen in love with Mike Singletary’s coaching style and are encouraged about the development of former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. They also have a great talent at running back in Frank Gore, a suddenly decent receiving corps thanks to Michael Crabtree, a stud tight end in Vernon Davis, and a young, energetic defense that has taken on Singletary’s ferocity and swagger.

      But Smith and the rest of the offense will only go as far as the offensive line takes them and as of this moment, things don’t look good for the Niners’ front five.

      Singletary has already named rookies Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati the starters at right tackle and left guard, respectively. Both first-rounders certainly have the talent to succeed, but as with any young player in the NFL, Davis and Iupati will likely struggle in their first years. It’s only inevitable.

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      External Sports, NFL

      On surface, 49ers’ power structure is sound

      May 21, 2010 /

      The 49ers have announced that interim general manager Trent Baalke, who oversaw the team’s draft last month, has been named vice president of player personnel. Joel Patten, who was with the Rams and worked with Baalke in the Redskins’ organization, is now the new director of college scouting.

      Team president and CEO Jed York has made it clear that Baalke won’t have as much control over budget matters as former GM Scot McCloughan did, but that might be a good thing in the end.

      On paper, this is a structure that should work. Patten will have the opportunity to concentrate on the scouting, while Baalke can focus on draft day decisions and Singletary can control the roster. With notable exceptions like the Cowboys, Redskins and Bengals, most teams’ front offices are set up this way and it’s a system that seems to have success.

      That said, Baalke and Singletary have to constantly be on the same page in terms of personnel decisions or else the entire structure will fall apart. Everyone saw what happened in Oakland when Lane Kiffin couldn’t get along with Al Davis (or more specially, the decisions Al made on draft day) and while the 49ers aren’t the circus that the Raiders are, they could be if the marriage between Baalke and Singletary doesn’t pan out. Hopefully San Fran never has to worry about that though.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Blount spurns Niners for Titans after talking with Fisher

      April 26, 2010 /

      Rookie free agent LeGarrette Blount has agreed to a contract terms with the Titans after initially telling the 49ers that they had won his services. Apparently Blount changed his mind after talking with Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher.

      The Titans were in need of a big back to replace LenDale White, whom the team traded to Seattle during the third day of the draft on Saturday. Blount will pair with Chris Johnson to form a solid 1-2 punch in Tennessee’s backfield, although 2009 draft pick Javon Ringer might be in the mix for carries, too.

      Blount is coming off a tumultuous final year at Oregon. What I mean by “tumultuous” is that he punched a Boise State player following a loss on the opening night of the season and also tried to go after fans that were heckling him as he walked out of the stadium. He eventually had to be escorted off the field by coaches and security, then was suspended for the better part of the season.

      Blount was eventually reinstated late in the year after meeting a number of conditions set by Ducks head coach Chip Kelly. He finished the year with just 82 yards on 22 carries, which is largely why he went undrafted despite his immense talent. (Well that, and the fact that he has proven to be a nut case.)

      Either Tennessee or San Francisco would have been good fits for the troubled running back, considering Fisher and Singletary are hard-nosed, no nonsense coaches. But seeing as how Blount spurned Singletary by signing with the Titans, chances are he won’t be welcomed back to San Francisco anytime soon.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      49ers might be the perfect fit for Mays

      April 23, 2010 /

      The book is already out on Taylor Mays and it reads: Can’t cover, terrible ball skills, isn’t a reliable tackler.

      But if there’s one coach that can turn a great athlete into a football player (there’s a fundamental difference between the too), it might be the 49ers’ Mike Singletary.

      San Francisco took Mays with the 49th overall pick in the second round on Friday night, which is roughly 15 spots lower then where the safety was projected to go. Many pundits had Mays falling to the bottom of the first round or even the early second, but the 49th overall pick is pretty low for a player that runs a sub-4.4 40 and terrific size (6’3”, 230 pounds). (Not to mention one that was also considered a top 10 pick in 2009.)

      All of Mays’ weaknesses aren’t correctable. He’ll probably never be good in man-to-man coverage because he has a tough time keeping up with backs and tight ends in open space. But his inconsistent tackling technique is something Singletary can correct and one day, maybe he’ll mold Mays into a solid strong safety that can mask his weaknesses with excellent athleticism and a good football IQ.

      Two years ago, people were ready to give up on former top 5 pick Vernon Davis. Highly regarded as a phenomenal athlete, Davis struggled to learn the nuances of the game and what it meant to challenge himself when preparing for Sundays. Then Singletary came along and made Davis not only realize his potential, but fulfill it. Now he’s considered one of the better playmaking tight ends in the league and he only appears to be getting better.

      It’s not surprising that Mays slipped as far as he did, but he could wind up being one of the steals of the draft. He’s going to a good situation in San Francisco and will be able to learn from a coach in Singletary that has a knack for molding young men.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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