Freddie Solomon, better known to his fellow players and fans as “Fabulous Freddie” passed away on Monday at the age of 59. Freddie enjoyed an 11 year career with the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.

Solomon played during a time when the 49ers won four Super Bowl championships in the 1980s. According to the club he had been battling cancer for the last year.

On his Twitter account  San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York  tweeted:

“The 49ers lost a member of our family today. We’ll miss you, Freddie Solomon.”

Spending his first three seasons with the Miami Dolphins Fabulous Freddie eventually ended up in San Francisco and at the end of his career he had managed to rack up 371 receptions for 5,846 yards and 48 touchdowns during 371 NFL games.

In a statement regarding Fabulous Freddie’s death Dolphins vice president Nat Moore said:

“Besides his accomplishments as a player, Freddie truly cared about his community, whether it was here in South Florida or in the Tampa Bay area where he had his roots. He was a kind and generous person, as exemplified by all of his charitable and civic deeds. It’s a shame he passed away so young, and the Miami Dolphin organization extends its condolences to his family.”

After leaving football Solomon spent two decades working in community relations with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida where he spent his time mentoring youth.

Freddy will be missed by his family, friends and fans, his funeral service is scheduled for Friday at Saint Lawrence Church in Tampa, Fla.

“Fabulous Freddie” Solomon Dead At 59 is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s a tough time to be San Francisco 49ers player Kyle Williams. After fumbling two punts that led his team to a loss in the NFC Championship game Williams is now receiving various threats via Twitter.

Among fans reactions have included “go kill yourself” and “burn in hell” In what might be the worst tweet from user @javpasquel he tweeted:

“@KyleWilliams_10. I hope you, youre(sic) wife, kids and family die, you deserve it.”

As a football fan I understand the emotional investment that many NFL fans place in their teams and as a Chicago Bears fan I know the “venting” feelings that come after a losing season but honestly the 2011-2012 NFL seasons has went a bit far. Remember the Green Bay Packers mom who tried to strangle her own child to death after their perfect season went out the window?

Thankfully not all NFL fans feel the way @Javpasquel does and other Twitter users have railed against him which eventually left the Twitter user posting the following message:

“Account got hacked” while adding “would never say or think anything like that.”

The users personal email account was also eventually discovered and broadcast around the internet to fans so they could act in retaliation to the Kyle Wiliams twitter message.

Do you believe that some fans become a little too invested in their teams successes and failures?

Kyle Williams Receives Twitter Threats After Two Punt Fumbles, Playoff Loss is a post from: The Inquisitr

Coming off last Sunday’s huge playoff upset against the once-unstoppable Green Bay Packers, you’d think the New York Giants’ Eli Manning would be on cloud 9, sharpening his team’s skills alongside their superbowl dreams. Instead, the star quarterback is out with the flu.

Eli Manning missed part of Wednesday’s practice session due to what coach Tom Coughlin calls, “a stomach bug, hopefully a 24-hour deal.”

For the first time this season, Manning finds himself on the team’s injury report as a limited participant, despite the fact that he missed a majority of the day’s practice. Hopefully he kicks back soon, since the Giants go head to head with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday for the NFC Championship.

Despite being out, the team doesn’t seem phased by their best pro season QB. Guard Chris Snee had this to say:

“If there is one guy who can miss a practice Wednesday mentally, it’s No. 10. He was probably in here on Monday and Tuesday looking at film.”

Tight end Jake Ballard joined Manning in recuperation, where the two did just that: watched film:

“He’s probably going to spend the rest of the day doing that,” Ballard said.

Ballard continued, saying that the team could tell early in the morning that Manning was feeling under the weather:

“You could tell he was hurting bad,” Ballard said. “He usually toughs things out like that. You could tell he was dragging, and you don’t like to see your Pro Bowl quarterback throwing up or feeling like that. Hopefully he’s better tomorrow.”

Snee is going to make darn sure that Manning bounces back strong, saying:

“I’m actually going to bring him some soup tomorrow,” Snee said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he is at full strength.”

Snee’s secret recipe to help Manning on the road to recovery?

“Southern gumbo,” Snee joked. “Or whatever they have in the cafeteria.”

NY v. SF this Sunday. I don’t have to tell you this game is going to be big.

Who do you think is going head to head in this year’s superbowl?

Eli Manning Down But Not Out From Stomach Bug is a post from: The Inquisitr

The front office of the St. Louis Rams will shake things up a bit in the coming days by firing both head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney according to a source close to the club.

Insiders are predicting that the announcement will come either Monday or Tuesday after Spagnuolo’s three seasons with the Rams produced a horrendous 10-38 record.

The St. Louis Rams lost their final game of the season 34-27 against rivals the San Francisco 49ers, ending their season in a tie with  the Indianapolis Colts who were also 2-14. The Colts however received the No. 1 NFL draft pick in return for their lack of wins.

The St. Louis Rams looked to have been improving last year with a six-win improvement however by the end of the 2011 season Edward Jones Dome sat with 55,990 in attendance, 9,000 shy of capacity.

Even with those attendance numbers reported the stadium appeared less than half full with most fans leaving before the second half had time to really get underway.

After Sunday’s loss there appeared to be no talk from Spagnuolo of a possible exit as he led on in a positive manner about next season and the hopes he had for the St. Louis Rams. In response to questions about whether this Sunday was his final game he said:

“I don’t go there. I think you know me well enough … In the middle of that game, in the fourth quarter as exciting as it was? Nah.”

Do you think the Rams front office needs to fire Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney in order to shake things up inside their organization?

[Image via R. Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com]

St. Louis Rams Will Fire Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney [Insider Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco would have loved to see a New Orleans loss last week so they could clinch up the number 2 seed (and a bye with home field advantage), but alas the amazing Drew Brees and the Who Dat crew killed Atlanta during week 16 keeping their hopes of a number 2 seed alive.  San Francisco will now have to show up to play this week, because without a win over the Chargers they could still finish number three.

As far as their NFL Playoff Picture goes, conventional wisdom says hat defenses can’t win championships anymore, and this may just  be the one team who proves that wrong. The 49ers hadn’t given up a rushing touchdown or allow a 100-yard rush all season until last week, which says a whole lot.  Stop the rush and you force all who oppose you to play their game in the air, which is a lot riskier.

The Green Bay Packers

There is a reason why Green Bay is holding at 14-1 this season…. they are a fantastic football team.  Having already secured the number 1 seed in the NFL, they can rest some of their starters this week heading into a first game bye in the playoffs.

Green Bay’s NFL Playoff Picture is looking really good for the defending champions.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unstoppable when at his best and just really fantastic when he’s not.  This season he has thrown for 45 touchdowns and only six interceptions while posting a122.5 quarterback rating.

The New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees has been looking like a king lately.  He broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing record with 5,087 yards in 15 games. He has also recorded a 108.4 quarterback rating while completing 70.7 percent of his passes for 41 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions. The defense hasn’t been the best in the NFL but with this offense firing on all cylinders who needs them to be?

The Saints NFL Playoff Picture looks amazing, because with Drew Brees the whole country may again be saying Who Dat!

The New York Giants/Dallas Cowboys

These two teams are the only ones left with it all on the line.  Both posses similar mediocre records going into week 17, and one of them will finish atop the NFC East and roll into the playoffs.  The only issue for both teams is they are just not very good.  While anything can happen, don’t count on these two teams NFL Playoff Picture being very good.

Any ideas how the NFL Playoff Picture is going to shape up?

NFL Playoff Pictue as Final Week Begins is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gore, who entered the contest just 149 yards shy of Joe Perry for #1 on the teams all-time career rushing list, was mainly ineffective – he managed 0 yards on six carries – due to an existing ankle injury that limited his play in the previous week’s practice. In Gore’s absence, Kendall Hunter came in to take over the run-game workload, providing more effective ground-offense in the second half.

Following the game, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh was emphatic that the knee injury that kept Gore out of the majority of the second half is not serious and that his star player would suit up for next week’s match against the Arizona Cardinals.

In addition, Gore indicated in a post-game interview that his position coach Tom Rathman had been primarily holding him back to avoid further aggravation.

“Someone twisted me up,” Gore said. “I felt like I could have played.”

Before the game, Gore was on pace to surpass his 2006 career high of 312 carries. For up-to-date information on Frank Gore’s injury status, head over to Niners Nation.

via SB Nation

Frank Gore Injury Update: Knee Injury Minor, Expected to Play vs Arizona is a post from: The Inquisitr

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Braylon Edwards is going to be “out for a little bit” according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. Edwards was forced to undergo surgery on his right knee which he injured during his teams week two game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The move couldn’t come at a worst time for the 49ers who picked up Edwards as a crucial part of their strategy during the offseason. Edwards was suppose to bring a vertical element to the passing game of Alex Smith who was in need of a veteran WR.

The loss does come with a silver lining, just as Edwards exits the lineup for an undisclosed period of time, wide receiver Michael Crabtree is expected to return, while Smith will also have Vernon David and Josh Morgan in the fold.

Before his injury Edwards had four receptions for 48 yards in less than two full games of play.

Do you believe the 49ers are in trouble without Braylon Edwards out of commission?

Braylon Edwards Out With Knee Injury After Surgery is a post from: The Inquisitr

It looks like Daunte Culpeper may be working his way back to a NFL job. It is being reported that the San Francisco 49ers will take a look at Daunte to see if he can be the veteran presence to settle their very shaky QB situation. We last saw Daunte in the NFL with the Detroit Lions throwing a fit on the sidelines during their annual Thanksgiving game when he found out he would not be starting. In 2010 he had a pretty impressive year with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League, but I seriously doubt any of you actually saw those games.

I do not know if Culpepper is the answer for the Niners, but he would certainly be an upgrade over what they currently have. On top of that in name recognition alone he is probably worth a veteran minimum contract with performance bonuses worked in. What they actually means, if this gets done, is yet to be determined. However, I do think it is time Daunte got another change at a NFL job.

He was the 11th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1999 draft, and was pretty successful with them until some injuries took their toll on him. He had a hard go of it with he Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Riders before taking a backup job with the Detroit Lions. Again those of us who watched the UFL in 2010 can attest to the fact that this guy still has something left in the tank.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Daunte Culpepper and the San Francisco 49ers is a post from: The Inquisitr

I knew that the San Francisco 49ers were making a mistake when they decided to both resign Alex Smith as a QB and use a second round pick on QB Colin Kaepernick. Granted the loss of the entire off season has put this team behind again. The real issue I have is Smith has proven time and time again that he cannot handle the starting job, and I do not see the value in keeping him around. Both of these guys played pretty terrible in the first pre-season game, and I don’t want to make too much of a big deal about that, but this team is going nowhere until their QB situation gets settled.

The 49er offense did not score a touch down in their pre-season debut. Smith went 2 for 7 for 10 yards. That is not good enough even in pre-season game number one. Kaepernick was 9 for 19 for 117 but with two picks. That is ugly, and the loss of pre-season activities has really hurt these guys and their development. Let us not forget there is a new offense at work for San Francisco and it does not look like either of these guys are grasping it all that well. That of course could change.

In fantasy football terms these numbers, added to the loss of off season workouts should make all fantasy football owners avoid these guys like the plague. Neither of these guys are going to be consistent enough to be valuable in fantasy football terms, and picking either of them as your backup may get you a good game on your main QB’s bye week or leave you hurting come Tuesday morning.

For savvy fantasy football owners this is not news, but for you causal guys out there, picking either of these guys in your draft is likely to be a huge mistake. Furthermore without a solid QB in place, Fantasy football owners should also avoid the 49ers receivers as they will likely all suffer in the stats category.

Fantasy Football Alert: Stay away from both San Francsico 49ers QB’s is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lately is has felt like we have become the Braylon Edwards news outlet, but hey there are worse ways to make a living. After getting into some trouble, getting cut by the New York Jets, and getting involved in a bar fight, which his people are denying (of course he did hire a PR firm to help work on his image and that tells us a lot about this guy),  he has signed with the San Francisco 49ers for a one year 3.5 million dollar contract. At first glance this move doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense, but in the end it actually kind of does.

The Niners have Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn, Josh Morgan, and Kyle Williams as their starting four receivers. None of them have exactly set the world on fire, but they are ok pieces to have. Edwards adds another dimension to this team and he can help stretch the field. We have to remember that the Niners have Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick as their QB’s and surrounding younger players with loads of talent is a strategy I really am in favor for. However, Edwards needs to cool down his act before I would trust him with my young QB’s.

If he can cool down his off the field issues, he will instantly become the Niners number one receiver, and maybe that will allow him to have a year like he did in 2001 where he caught 53 passes for 904 yards. Let us also not forget that they allowed Center David Baas to sign with the New York Giants, so the O line may still need some work to allow these young QB’s to get Braylon the ball deep.

Braylon Edwards signs with the San Francisco 49ers is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday agreed to a five-year contract with defensive lineman Ray McDonald according to an insider close to the teams player negotiations.

The contract is just a rumor at this time as contract announcements for free agents are not suppose to be released until Friday.

The 26-year-old has only started in nine games during his four year career, all starts came in 2008, however McDonald was said to be high on general manager Trend Baalke’s list of players to sign.

The  Sacremento Bee McDonald is coming back as a starter:

The contract is considered “starter’s money,” which likely means that McDonald’s days of a backup are over. McDonald started nine games for the 49ers in 2008, but did not start any games the past two seasons.

Last season Ray had 19 tackles with San Francisco and scored his first career touchdown on a 31 yard interception.

The team is also expected to announced a one-year contract deal with quarterback Alex Smith who was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2005 and started “Camp Alex” during the lockout to ensure his teams players would be ready for the new season.

On Wednesday the team also announced signings for rookie draft pick Bruce Miller and guard Daniel Kilgore, both of whom received four-year deals.

Also rumored to be in signing mode is Barry Sims who showed up early at the teams headquarters, a good sign that he’ll re-sign.

Other signings released by the San Francisco 49ers include the following undrafted free agents:

C Chase Beeler, WR Tyler Beiler, WR Dontavia Bogan, DE Brian Bulcke, DE Demarcus Dobbs, OL Donovan Edwards, T Derek Hall, WR Joe Hastings, WR Chris Hogan, CB Corey Nelms, TE Konrad Reuland, LB Kenny Rowe, NT Sealver Siliga, RB Seth Smith, DB Anthony West, T Kenny Williams and NT Ian Williams. [list from: TSN.CA]

Do you think McDonald deserves the starting position for the 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers, Ray McDonald Agree To Five-Year Contract is a post from: The Inquisitr

This news makes some much sense that I know in the end Al Davis will think it is a terrible idea. However, it looks like theSan Francisco49ers and Oakland Raiders could wind up sharing a newSan Franciscobay area NFL stadium. The Raiders play in one of the oldest NFL stadiums, and one of the only multi use building still used in the NFL or MLB. The 49ers play in a stadium originally meant for baseball and could use some modern enmities as well.

This is where this story starts to make sense. The people who live in the Bay Area and the citizens ofCaliforniaare not going to build one, and definitely not two stadiums for these teams. The 49ers have a plan in place for a new stadium. The City ofSanta Claraapproved a deal, where they would supply 114 million dollars new stadium construction, but the plan has rested on the vine since additional financing could not be found. The Raiders may be the source of those additional funds.

Two NFL teams sharing one building sounds a little crazy on the surface. Since only the New York Giants and New York Jets currently share a building, but that has been a successful partnership since 1984, and the two teams combined helped to get a new building constructed recently. It is a model the 49ers and Raiders could employ successfully and help each other open up new revenues streams from a new building. It also helps to keep cost down, as the teams would likely share those kind of expenses.

Related Links:

• San Francisco49ers news and notes
• Oakland Raiders news and notes

The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers discussing sharing a stadium is a post from: The Inquisitr

The most important thing the San Francisco 49ers to do item has to be getting on the field and teaching QB Colin Kaepernick the offense. There is some talk that new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh wants Alex Smith to return, but I think that is a bad idea. It has never worked with Smith and the 49ers, and even though Harbaugh is a QB guru I don’t think those issues can be fixed. He may need a fresh start to try to get his career on track.

That is pretty much it on the offensive side of the ball. There are a few free agents here and there, but for the most part the 2010 offense returns with a new QB at the helm. There heavier concerned come along the D line. They did draft two D linemen, and Aldon Smith should step in and start at one the DE spots, but questions remain about the rest of the line. They may also need a new, or an upgraded Nose Tackle.

The rest of the defense has a few free agency concerns, but let us not forget this team did make ten draft picks in the 2011 NFL draft, so an influx of new players is already underway. They may need some time to evaluate what those 10 players bring to the table, and that is all the more this team need this lockout to end.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• Joshua Lobdell.com

San Francisco 49ers to do list is a post from: The Inquisitr

We have heard time and time again that new San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh would like to bring QB Alex Smith back. The conventional wisdom here was once Smith was not resigned before the NFL lockout that his time in San Francisco was done. In fact it may be better for him to move on, but now he is saying publicly that he would not mind returning. Right now it seems likely Smith will return even though this team drafted QB Colin Kaepernick in the second round of this year’s draft.

Smith was the first overall pick by this team in the 2005 NFL draft, and he simply has never worked out as their starter. He has had numerous chances, even a big commitment by the former regime in San Francisco to protect him and keep him on his feet in last year’s NFL draft. Granted the situation for the 49ers has never been ideal, and we could argue that he is not gotten a real good shot, but Smith has never exactly got it done either.

His career QB rating is just 72.1. He has thrown 51 career touch downs and 53 career picks. His completion percentage is over 57% so he has talent, but for whatever reason his tenure in San Fran has been disastrous. He has only started 16 games in a season once, and this team has given up on him several times.

In my mind that means he needs a fresh start on a new team, or that he is simply not going to pan out as a NFL caliber talent. I like the idea of having two young guys competing for the starting spot, but this team is not going to win with Smith. I think we know that already.

Will Alex Smith return to San Francisco? is a post from: The Inquisitr

When I think about what has gone on within the San Francisco 49ers front office over the last year all I can say is what a hot mess. The Coaching staff has been reworked, the front office went though a serious shake up and it all has us wondering who has the final say on draft day and over personnel decisions. That man looks to be Trent Baalke who now holds the title of General Manger after spending the last several seasons heading up the player personnel department.

Baalke has been with the 49ers organization since 2005 when he was hired as their western scout. He came to them after being a National scout and College scouting coordinator for the Washington Redskins, and a scout for the New York Jets. He has a lot of scouting experience, but since coming to the 49ers that team has struggled on draft day.

In 2005 the 49ers took Alex Smith in the first round, a year later they landed Vernon Davis and Manny Lawson in the first round. In 2007 Patrick Willis and Joe Staley were taken in round one, in 2008 DE Kentwan Balmer, then in 2009 WR Michael Crabtree, and last year T Anthony Davis and G Mike Iupati. 

All of that shows us a team that can trade around to get multiple first round picks and hit a few home runs and have a few misses. Since 2005 the 49ers have made 30 draft picks, and only 18 of them are still with the team. The good news there is 11 of them are starters, but the 49ers draft classes recently feel a little weak. They have big upside, but have done little to help them consistently win.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers War Room
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Draft day decison makers: San Francisco 49ers is a post from: The Inquisitr

I think the biggest mistake the San Francisco 49ers made in last year’s draft was thinking that Alex Smith could be their starting QB. They added pieces to make him successful and some problems with their offensive coordinator early on and head coach later really sealed the fate of the 2010 49er season. In terms of the draft this team really got a mixed bag of results, some good, and some that need improvement.

Here is a quick look at the 2010 49ers draft class:

• Round One- RT Anthony Davis
• Round One- LG Mike Iupati
• Round Two- SS Taylor Mays
• Round Three- LB Navorro Bowman
• Round Six- RB Anthony Dixon
• Round Six- TE Nate Byham
• Round Six- WR Kyle Williams
• Round Seven- DB Phillip Adams

There seems to be little question that the Niners hit with Iupati. However there is growing concern about Davis. He did start every game last year, but he was called for 11 penalties. There are also concerns about how he will adjust to the new system being installed by Jim Harbaugh. Mays was in and out of the starting lineup and wound up with 38 tackles and a forced fumble. We will likely see him play a lot more starting in 2011.

Navarro Bowman played a lot on special teams and could end up taking Takeo Spikes spot. Dixon had 70 caries for 237 yards and two TD’s. Byham was primarily used as a blocking TE, and Williams had just one carry for 8 yards. Adams ended up with 13 tackles from his reserve role. All in all this draft still looks pretty good. The pieces they added a year ago along the O line should help whoever winds up being the Niners QB in 2011. Right now this grade gets bumped down a little to a B.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers War Room
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2010 NFL Draft one year later: San Francisco 49ers is a post from: The Inquisitr

To be perfectly honest each and every day this draft looks worse and worse. Considering the fact that they picked 10th in the first round two years ago, and will pick seventh in 2011 that seems to indicate this is a team heading in the wrong direction. There has been a regime change and that usually squashes past draft classes, but this one looks pretty bad.

Before we go any farther a quick look at the relevant 49ers picks from 2009:

1.Round One (10)- Michael Crabtree WR
2.Round Three (74)- Glen Coffee RB
3.Round Five (146)- Scott McKillop
4.Round Five (171)- Nate Davis (QB)
5.Round Six (184)- Bear Pascoe TE
6.Round Seven (219)- Curtis Taylor DB
7.Round Seven (244)- Ricky Jean-Francois DT

Simply put only Michael Crabtree living up to be the 10th overall pick was going to save this class, and just two years later he is the only 2009 49ers draft pick still on the active roster. On top of that he has not yet lived up to being the 10th player selected two years ago. Sure the bad QB play on this team might have something to do with that but as of right now this team used seven picks two years ago and got little in return.

That is not a way to improve any organization. Believe me, I live in Detroit and watched a decade’s worth of draft picks be wasted by the Detroit Lions organization and saw the results on the field of so many failed draft classes. Right now the 2009 49ers draft class has them headed down a similar road.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers war room
• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2009 NFL Draft two years out: San Francisco 49ers is a post from: The Inquisitr

At 6-10 the San Francisco 49ers had a very disappointing year, especially given all the expectations that we had for them heading into 2010. Without a doubt this is the most disappointing 6-10 team, and they seem miles away from much more positive 6-10 teams like the Detroit Lions. They seemed to have a good plan; they drafted two offensive linemen and planned to make Alex Smith the man. That did not work, and Mike Singletary showed he was over matched as a NFL head coach. The season was a disaster and now this team must look to fix the things that went wrong.

Without a doubt the QB of the future is not presently on the roster. The Niners scored 305 points or 19.1 a game. That was good enough for 24th of the 32 NFL teams. Smith did complete nearly 60% of his passes, but had 10 INT’s to go along with his 14 TD’s. The running game behind him was able to average over 100 yards rushing, and yet no success came. Even with big additions along the O line the Niners gave up 44 sacks. That is part of the problem, but QB indecision also seems to be a factor.

The Defense was pretty average. They gave up 346 points or 21.6 points per game. That was good enough for 16th among the 32 NFL teams. Their take away differential was just -1, even with 15 picks thrown by the offense. They racked up 36 sacks and had 13 forced fumbles. OF course all of that means the real problems lay on the offense and with the seventh pick in the coming NFL draft they may be able to address just that.

I firmly believe that new head coach Jim Harbaugh is one QB away from a very good offense. He and the new Niners GM will have to decide if the draft it the best way to address that need, or if they should go after a veteran in free agency.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

2010 San Francisco 49ers season in review is a post from: The Inquisitr

The decision has been made Jim Harbaugh will be the next Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He gets a five year, 25 million dollar contract to help fix the woes of the 49er team. Things could be worse; this is a talent rich team that has a few major issues to resolve. The first being is who will be this team’s QB? Harbaugh may just be the flavor of the month, and the hottest name in coaching circles this year. However he does not have a proven track record in the pros and that should scare some people.

Of course he does have an excellent track record coaching at the collegiate level, and he was a fine player in his day. 49er fans have to hope he has a hunger to win the ring that he never earned as a player. Sometimes guys with a little chip of their shoulder do very well. Tom Brady never got over being a sixth round draft pick, and Randy Moss wanted to prove to a lot of teams they were wrong for passing on him. If Harbaugh has that chip he may be a very good NFL head coach.

Now the Niners have the 7th pick in the coming NFL draft and Harbaugh likely will want a fresh, young QB to lead his new team. Ryan Mallet may be that guy. In fact I think we can go ahead and pencil Mallet’s name in this slot for now. He is a very good QB that still has some growing to do. Harbaugh has done a magnificent job helping Andrew Luck mature as a QB, and I think he could do the same for Mallet.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Jim Harbaugh lands in San Francisco is a post from: The Inquisitr

It seems to me that the San Francisco 49ers are about to make a very bad mistake. They have not interviewed one A list candidate for their open General Manger position and that is leading to a lot of speculation that they have already made a choice, and no for apperance sake are interviewing a few people. It looks like current Vice President of Player Personnel Trent Baalke will get the job. The problem with that is personnel are part of what is wrong with the 49ers, and it has been Baalke who has been making those decisions.

Baalke effectively ahs been the San Francisco GM since they lost their in the weeks leading up to the 2010 NFL draft. I would argue that the decision to trade away backup QB Shaun Hill and draft offensive lineman to help protect Alex Smith was a horrible mistake and should have sealed Baalke’s fate with the team. He should be fired and the Niners should start over fresh.

Now, they may not have interviewed many A listers, but have interviewed a number of folks capable of doing a fine job. The latest was Ted Sundquist who ran the Omaha Nighthawks in 2010 and was the former GM of the Denver Broncos. Ted did a pretty good job in Denver, even though Mike Shanahan tried to scape goat him for several personnel blunders in their final years there.

Sometimes change for change’s sake is good. The Niners may have been thought of very highly prior to the 2010 season, but they look to be a team and an organization with several deep flaws. Remember the next Niners GM will hire the next Niners Coach and likely draft the next Niners starting QB.

Related Links:

• San Francisco 49ers news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

Who will the San Francisco 49ers hire as their new GM? is a post from: The Inquisitr