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I was expecting more a little more action on the day after NFL teams were required to trim their rosters from 75 to a maximum of 53 players for the regular season.

The 49ers ended up with DE/OLB Roderick Green.

Frankly, I'd never heard of him. Niners coach Mike Nolan coached him for a year in Baltimore. That's probably the only reason, I'm suspecting, that Green will be joining the 49ers on Monday.

When I asked Nolan why the 49ers weren't more active on the waiver wire, he said just because they only claimed one player does not mean they weren't active. He said they studied all the players who were released.

He added that he expects the team to bring in three players from outside the organization for the practice squad tomorrow. "I'm really anxious to see two of those players - the two defensive guys," he said.

Generally, what this means is that the 49ers have agreed to terms with these players but the club is reluctant to announce their identities for fear that another team will read this blog and swoop in with a better offer.

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The 49ers were approached by several teams looking to find a trade partner, but Nolan said he was unwilling to part with players from the team's deepest positions: OL and TE.

"In order for us to deal somebody, the two areas of strength on our team are tight end and line," Nolan said. "And just like the (salary) cap, you don't want to go back into cap hell. Well, I don't want to back into offensive line hell or tight end hell, either.

"So right now I kind of like what we have. There were a lot of teams that have inquired about our tight ends, as well as our line - our backup guys. But to me they're all young and I don't know how far some of these young guys can go. I'm not willing to give somebody up."

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One player I think everybody had to be rooting for was OT Harvey Dahl, who was cut from the team a year ago and ended up on the practice squad. Dahl's father was seriously injured in a plane crash a few weeks back, forcing Dahl to miss the exhibition game against the Raiders. (By the way, when you click on the link, keep in mind that I did not write the headline. So, please, no lectures today.)

Dahl found out about his father's crash the day before the game against the Raiders. He went to coach Mike Nolan who agreed that he should go to Reno, where his father was in the hospital. Director of football operations Terry Tumey arranged for Dahl to be on the next flight to Reno.

Joe Dahl, Harvey's 62-year-old father, is still intensive care unit of Washoe Medical Center in Reno. After he is released, he is expected to be a wheelchair for several months. He has a long recovery ahead of him, Harvey said.

After his father came out of a five-hour surgery, he scribbled a request to Harvey on a piece of paper. He wrote, 'Sorry for messing up everybody's schedule,'" Dahl said. "And he told me to go back."

The field has been a sanctuary for Dahl. He visited his father again on an off day after the 49ers' game in Dallas. He said the only time his father's condition does not consume his thoughts are when he's preoccupied with football.

"When I'm here or in the game I'm focused so much on the task at hand, but it's always in your thoughts when you're not actually on the field," Dahl said.

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Word in the 49ers locker room was that P Tom Rouen, released Saturday when the team decided to go with Andy Lee, might soon be hooking on with the Falcons.

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A television reporter asked Nolan if there were any surprises among the 49ers' final cuts on Saturday.

"Well, since I made the cuts, nothing really was going to surprise me," he said. Then, acting as he might have had an out-of-body experience, he said to himself, "Oh, no! What did you do?"

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Those of you who saw my roster predictions will notice that I was surprised by five of the cuts. In retrospect, I'm kicking myself over not detecting the clues.

I do believe CB Derrick Johnson would have made the team if he weren't injured. I think his pulled groin, which was expected to keep him out of action for up to a month, was the deciding factor in his release. I had him listed in the "looking good" category. If Johnson goes unclaimed, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back with the 49ers in a few weeks.

The dumbest pick I had was LB Corey Smith. I had him listed as a "lock," which was not very perceptive on my part. Any time I asked Nolan about Smith in the past couple weeks, he gave off body language and said some things that should've tipped me off that his spot was in serious jeopardy. I was blinded because I've seen Smith's pass-rush skills - something this team is lacking. But Smith has really only excelled late in exhibition games, against third-stringers.

I also missed the boat on RB Terry Jackson, DL Scott Scharff and LB Jim Maxwell. I should've known that FB Chris Hetherington, LB T.J. Slaughter and CB Sammy Davis would make the team. OL Patrick Estes also made the team, but that one was not so obvious.

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Around the league, here are some other fellas who've passed through 49erland that were released on the final cutdown day: FB Fred Beasley (Dolphins), TE Mark Anelli (Bucs), DE Andrew Williams (Bucs), WR Jimmy Farris (Redskins), RB Jamal Robertson (Panthers), C Brock Gutierrez (Lions), DT Cleveland Pinkney (Lions), WR Fred Stamps (Jaguars), DT Josh Shaw (Dolphins), LB Richard Seigler (Steelers), DL Cedric Killings (Redskins), OT Ben Archibald (Saints) and C Dwayne Ledford (Saints). CB Daven Holly (Browns) was placed on the reserve/suspended list by the commissioner.

Of course, I've already written about QB Cody Pickett getting released by the Texans. The 49ers lose the seventh-round draft pick they would've gotten from Houston if he had made the 53-man roster. The 49ers dealt Pickett on the eve of training camp.

Also, the 49ers were hoping Beasley would make the Dolphins' team and be their starter because they were in line to receive a compensatory pick because he left the team as a free agent.

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TE Delanie Walker, who sustained a separated shoulder in the exhibition finale, is not likely to be available for action next Sunday at Arizona in the season opener.

CB Shawntae Spencer returned to practice after missing the final three exhibition games with a right hamstring pull. He made a guarantee that he would play in the opener, no matter how he feels. He said it's his obligation.

LB Parys Haralson is steadily seeing more action in practice after missing three weeks with a foot strain. It still might be too early for him to play on Sunday.

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Although Nolan has not confirmed his decision to the media, FS Mike Adams said he would be shocked if he's not in the starting lineup this week.

"I've been running with the first team ever since we came to training camp," Adams said. "So I'm assuming I am (starting). Any other notification or confirmation that I'm not (starting) hasn't come, so I'm assuming I am."

Fair enough.

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