Mike Singletary and Scot McCloughan were just paced through the media gauntlet here at the combine.
I’ll have a lot more on these two men later, including transcripts, but I wanted to quickly hit on some of their key points:
–McCloughan said he believes it is 50-50 whether Isaac Bruce will opt to play again in 2009. Singletary said Bruce already brought a lot to the 49ers in his one year, so he told him go ahead and take his time. But, Singletary said, he would like to hear an answer sooner than later.
–The 49ers are looking to go to more of a two-back system with a young, big back sharing time with Frank Gore. McCloughan said there are a lot of those kinds of backs – in the 215-plus-pound range – who will be available in the mid-rounds of the draft.
–The 49ers will also be looking to add a fullback, possibly during free agency. They want to get back to the offense of 2006, in which they have a strong lead-blocker. Moran Norris filled that roll. (Coincidentally, he is scheduled to become a free agent.)
–Jimmy Williams, the former second-round draft pick of the Falcons, is not a cornerback, McCloughan said. The team signed him this offseason and he will be competing for a job at safety.
–McCloughan said there a “really good” chance that the 49ers’ starting free safety in 2009 is already on the team. Check out Mike Sando’s NFC West blog for the humorous exchange on that subject matter.
–The 49ers are flexible whether Joe Staley plays left or right tackle. Singletary and McCloughan both said that if the club signs or drafts a better left tackle, then they’ll have no hesitation about moving Staley back to right tackle.
–The 49ers remain in contact with linebacker Takeo Spikes and wish to bring him back. Talks are going in a positive direction.
–As for two other free-agents-to-be, receiver Bryant Johnson and running back DeShaun Foster, the 49ers are in no hurry to get anything done. The 49ers like both guys, but they’re trying to get younger there. If they linger on the market and the 49ers do not fill those needs, it’s conceivable the 49ers could show interest in re-signing them.
–Alex Smith did not invite Singletary to his wedding, which is scheduled for tomorrow. Singletary said, “That’s good. It shows me he’s being fair.” There is no timetable on getting a new contract with Smith because the 49ers have plenty of cap room. He is under contract, so the team can wait to get something done.
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