Posted By: 16280 (31/05/2008 10:35:16 AM)
Comment: Forget about hybrid or specialist tags. Let's just hope we got good football players that have the instinct, athleticism, and toughness to play well wherever the coach puts them. Good players show up and contribute. I'm sure Willis would be the best LB on the team regardless of which position he played. He's a pure baller. The coaches must see something in Rachel or they wouldn't be messing around experimenting with him. A good example would be Urlacher, he was a safety in college and seems to have adapted pretty well to the LB position as a pro. Like PW he's a helluva football player.

Posted By: Weary9er (30/05/2008 9:27:38 AM)
Comment: Interesting news about SFSU. I graduated in '90...it only took me 18 years and 4 schools! I must give Peter casey a wave for Frazier, the only show that makes me laugh out loud, no matter how many times i see it.

Posted By: shuppa (30/05/2008 7:01:23 AM)
Comment: Johnny Mathis went to USF not SFState.

Response: Trust me on this one. He even ran track for the Gators. SF State has a track and field meet named after him. Look it up. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/san-francisco-state-university/famous-alumni.html. --Matt M.

Posted By: mt (29/05/2008 11:44:55 PM)
Comment: If the 49ers were as good at playing football as Super Rica is with food they'd be in the Super Bowl every year. The "Lomo de Suiza", the veggie tamal with cream sauce and home-made horchata. Mmmm. Let's go - I'm buying!

Posted By: Medford (29/05/2008 11:35:40 PM)
Comment: Matt about the TED positon isnt it more than just taking on blocks? I remember Derek Smith always had to cover halfbacks and fullbacks out of the backfield and he had zero speed. What im saying is shouldnt we use someone in that positon that has speed? Ulbrich is a hard nose player but his speed is a distant memory so I think Thomas should really be the front runner for that spot.

Posted By: carl (29/05/2008 10:38:04 PM)
Comment: Larry Allen still MIA?

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (29/05/2008 6:34:48 PM)
Comment: Matt would know the best, but according to all the sources we fans can get too, Spikes still has not signed with anyone. ESPN, NFL, sfgate, Sacbee and others have not reported a Spikes signing

Posted By: Bud San Jose (29/05/2008 5:57:37 PM)
Comment: Ok can anyone give more info about Spikes or is this a bunch of BULLS#*T !!!

Posted By: Pat (29/05/2008 5:40:34 PM)
Comment: The Niners really wanted LB Curtis Lofton but he went two picks earlier

Posted By: Bud San Jose (29/05/2008 5:33:17 PM)
Comment: Where did you here that about Spikes?

Posted By: http:// (29/05/2008 5:06:46 PM)
Comment: TAKEO SPIKES SIGNS WITH 49ers

Posted By: HawaiianNinerFan (29/05/2008 4:38:46 PM)
Comment: Matt, who the heck is Peter Casey? Maybe he can help us with the offense??

Posted By: http:// (29/05/2008 3:44:34 PM)
Comment: he was recruited as a tackle and moved to gaurd. hes a tackle NOT a gaurd.

Posted By: SFJay (29/05/2008 3:14:35 PM)
Comment: Rachal is not an OT he is an OG who might be able to play OT. Smith is not a CB he is FS who might be able to play CB and Balmer is not a 3-4 NT he is a 3-4 DE that might be able to play 3-4 NT. I hope all these mights work out for us. I like the idea of "versatile" players, I just feel like we have an awful lot of them we are counting on to start in spots they were not projected to play at as a "first" choice. Don't get me wrong me wrong I love all 3 of these guys I just feel I would like them a lot more at OG, FS DE.

Posted By: oneniner (29/05/2008 3:04:12 PM)
Comment: Interesting quote from J.Morgan.....about V.Davis....I basically grew up with him. We have been playing against each other since the 9th grade. We went to rival schools and competed against each other every year."......I always felt V. Davis needed a close friend on the team especially on offense...

Posted By: FattyMatty (29/05/2008 2:23:00 PM)
Comment: Matt, great blog. Just wanted to say I used to live in Santa Barbara, right next to Super Rica...that place is great! Fresh tortillas are the best.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (29/05/2008 2:18:25 PM)
Comment: Razoreater: Imagine him with blue eyeblack on half his face getting ready to maul someone...FREEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Posted By: Chewy (29/05/2008 2:01:09 PM)
Comment: If the 49ers fail to reach the playoffs, Alex Smith ends up a Buccaneer and Mike Nolan coordinates defense in the NCAA.

Posted By: Razoreater (29/05/2008 1:54:09 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt, is Cody Wallace related to William? I hope so cuz we need him to take over the center spot with a nasty streak! Heitman could go back to his natural position of RG. Is Staley the kind of dude who will take Rachel under his wing & help him with what he'll need to do to play the position & start in the NFL?

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (29/05/2008 1:35:40 PM)
Comment: Matt, not to give you a big head, but I think it is really wonderful how you mention your family in your blogs. In todays chaotic world, family often time gets put on the "backburner". The football stuff is pretty darn good as well. QUESTION: When you said "The word from USC is that they were reluctant to play Rachal at right tackle...", does that indicate they played him there in practice and know he is good, or is it just speculation based on athletic ability? Thanks

Posted By: Merton Hanks (29/05/2008 1:00:29 PM)
Comment: Whoa....Peter Casey reads this?? DUDE, Frasier is one of the greatest shows of all time. I think I'd put it in my Top 5 with The Wire, The Sopranos, Arrested Development, and Cheers. Wow, that is really awesome, Matt.

Posted By: alburns (29/05/2008 12:45:24 PM)
Comment: I like Bajio, but super rica is way better. The stuffed passilla pepper are sooo good. I lived in SB for 10 years and its not true that everyone lives there thinks Bajio better. I think the split is more like 50/50. you are right the asada torta is really tasty.

Posted By: It's true (29/05/2008 12:28:20 PM)
Comment: Super Rica is a tourist trap. Ask anybody who lives in Santa Barbara, and they'll tell you that El Bajio (right down the street from Super Rica) is the best Mexican food they've ever had. I used to live half a block from Rica and would walk by it every day to go down to Bajio, as did everybody else in our neighborhood. The carne asada torta might be the best meal I've ever had, and definitely worth checking out if you're ever in town again. Great blog!

Posted By: Zed Rational (29/05/2008 12:16:07 PM)
Comment: After finding out that Shane Olivea was unavailable, and not seeing any other qualified candidates anywhere, the 49ers are going to see if Rachal, who hasn't played tackle in a game since he was in high school, can play right tackle. Sounds like desperation to me. Rachal describes himself as a mauler, which is a fine description for a guard, but not the first thing you want to hear about someone blocking speedy defensive ends. Is he athletic? Can he move his feet? Can he pass-block any better than, say, Kwame Harris? Nothing I saw from him in the USC games I watched last year suggests that he can, but who knows, we might get lucky.

Posted By: Bud San Jose (29/05/2008 11:51:13 AM)
Comment: The 9ers need to try to get another OL via trade or free agency! What we have right now isnt going to cut it.On a good note Ive seen Justin Smith at my work (Costco) twice in two weeks. The guy is freaking HUGE & I cant imagine being hit by him!!!

Posted By: oneniner (29/05/2008 11:43:57 AM)
Comment: Matt --Because the owners opted out of the CBA last week, the college draft is now set to expire in 2011 -----how would teams select players from college, do all eligible college players become Free Agents?

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (29/05/2008 11:05:12 AM)
Comment: Patrick in Mission Viejo- Firefox + Adblock Plus will take care of those ads ;-) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865

Posted By: Football Coach (29/05/2008 11:01:44 AM)
Comment: DMC and PDX: Agree with you. I was using the term "hybrid" more in the sense of "tweener". Choose whichever term you prefer. Either way I agree with both of you. The players you describe are crucial to success on a football team at any level. All we need to do is look at the Patriots personnel on defense over the past 6 years.

Posted By: Matt (29/05/2008 11:00:22 AM)
Comment: Hey Matt, How bout some famous SJSU alumns, just with the 9ers: Garcia, DeBerg, Harry Edwards, Nendey, and of course, the Great Bill Walsh.

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (29/05/2008 10:58:53 AM)
Comment: Hopefully, Rachal can beat out Jennings at RT. Rachal & Staley should be a great young combo for us, especially against speed rushers. Rollin'.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (29/05/2008 10:58:34 AM)
Comment: I don't mind hybrid choices, but what drove me nuts was Nolan trying to get players to switch positions into the NFL. I would like to see production at a position to invest a draft choice, unless the guy is a freak. If a guy can play CB/S or OG/OT in college well, that's great. Some of those guys get switched because their team needs them at that position. They are team players and great athletes, so they can play at that level. What p****s me off even more though, is that Nolan tries to play off knowing anything about the picks (maybe trying to set McCloughin up if they don't pan out). "Somebody said he could play tackle"? Come on, you're still the head coach

Posted By: DMC (29/05/2008 10:54:38 AM)
Comment: I agree PDX Mike. Being a hybrid player means that you are athletic enough to handle multiple positions, not to mention the mental aspect. I think some people get tweeners ( 3-4 ) outside backers , and hybrid players confused. I think Rachal wins the RT job as Staley did a year ago. Everyone should also watch out for Snyder to have a great year at left guard. He is by far the most physically imposing starter we have on the o line.

Posted By: Football Coach (29/05/2008 10:46:32 AM)
Comment: Ciro - If it turns out a player chosen in the first 3 rounds ends up being a "jack of all trades and master of none" I think your concern about hybrid players is legitimate. But, that would be a case of bad drafting. However, with certain positions all teams need flexibility. This is necessary in case of injury, particularly with a 45 man dress roster. The flexibility also allows you to get your best players on the field in the right situations. O-Line needs players who can play both Guard and Tackle or Guard and Center. On defense, with multiple fronts and coverage packages, it's even more necessary. In the cases of Balmer, Rachal and Smith I guarantee all concerned, in spite of what they may say publicly, prior to the draft, watched miles of film, talked to their college coaches and assessed whether they could be a good to very good starter at more than one position. Hope that helps and let's hope they are right. BTW, they hope they are right also or they'll be coaching somewhere else next year.

Posted By: oneniner (29/05/2008 10:39:10 AM)
Comment: Larry Allen played tackle is news to me.......It is really nice to know we have starters in almost every position now, except for the TED position I think we are pretty much set for the next 4 yrs......not to whine with excuses but I can understand why we have been a losing franchise for a while....its obvious you need talent and chemistry to win ball games.

Posted By: oneniner (29/05/2008 10:34:00 AM)
Comment: I was and still am a madden junkie, i did ban myself from playing madden until the core (or main starters) of the team is built. Its been 3 yrs now since I played the game......I can't wait to get back into it now since we do have a complete team now...........the funny thing is as a niner i hated the rams and martz so much, but in madden I could only win with the Martz playbook or I should say Martz playbook was the easiest for me to use in terms of beating opponents senseless,....I guess i should have seen it coming.

Posted By: PDX Mike (29/05/2008 10:24:39 AM)
Comment: For those that don't like the idea of hybrid type players; keep in mind that many of the top players throughout history have been hybrids. Larry Allen, for instance, played tackle and both guard positions for Dallas in his Pro Bowl days--that seemed like a pretty good pick up. BY played both DR and DE for SF and several top cornerback's have moved to safety in the latter part of their careers. A good player is a good player and should be able to play at several positions. It also gives the team greater flexibility with the roster.

Posted By: http:// (29/05/2008 10:10:51 AM)
Comment: I don't know how many Madden fans read this blog but I was just watching the demo on madden09.com for the new tackling engine in the game. They're are two hits with Patrick Willis in the demo that are just silly. just got me so pumped for the new season. I love our team and our nasty defense.

Posted By: Joe (29/05/2008 10:03:51 AM)
Comment: Matt, any idea who were the main players in the Rachal vs Sweed debate? e.g. Did Nolan want Sweed and Scottie want Rachal? Thanks.

Posted By: Vince the Enforcer (29/05/2008 9:55:04 AM)
Comment: To SC Rick: Larry Allen's an unrestricted free agent, I believe. He's up for grabs and hasn't told the Niners if he intends to retire or whatnot.

Posted By: Berger (29/05/2008 9:53:24 AM)
Comment: Rachal was an all-american prospect at tackle comming out of high school. Matt says that USC would probably have played him there next year. He has long arms and legs. This is usually a physical attribute conducive to tackles. He sounds like a tackle to me. I read he is very athletic which means he could probably be a good pulling guard so he could be productive there, but with his athleticism and length I would rather see him tried first at tackle. And since the experts are saying if he stayed in school one more year he would be a mid first round draft pick next year, we might've just lucked out with this pick!

Posted By: SC Rick (29/05/2008 9:35:28 AM)
Comment: maybe I missed it. Did Allen retire? I didn't see his name mentioned.

Posted By: Patrick in Mission Viejo (29/05/2008 9:12:03 AM)
Comment: Hi Matt, two comments on the new format. First the ads above and to the right of your blog never load up on my PC using FireFox or IE. It would actually be less annoying to see the adds than the error messages! Second, the hyper links in your blogs are really hard to see now. The old format they really stood out, but now I really need to be paying attention to notice them. This makes it tough to read any associated articles you link too and to find good mexican food in SB! Otherwise, keep up the good work!

Posted By: Nevyn (29/05/2008 9:02:36 AM)
Comment: Well, I'm glad that they are giving him a look at tackle, but I'm not sure I'd rank it as a positive where they are very happy what they see. To me "lets find out now if he can do it" means one or both of two things. Either they really don't want to carry one of the other guys slated as backups on their roster and need another guy who can do it (or to go shopping), and/or they have decided that for '08, they like Wragge better as an interior backup, so they're trying Rachal out at tackle to see if there's somewhere they can get him more work. Im also still a little miffed that Scot M would be so dismissive of the Rachal at tackle idea post draft when obviously it was on someone's mind .......

Posted By: http:// (29/05/2008 8:57:44 AM)
Comment: Thats why you're a fan and not a scout or a GM, Ciro.

Posted By: DMC (29/05/2008 8:56:48 AM)
Comment: Thanks Matt ! Congrats to your niece.

Posted By: Ciro (29/05/2008 8:37:55 AM)
Comment: First! I don't like they select hybrid players: Blamer is a NT, but plays DE, Rachal is a G but plays T, the third round guy is a CB or a S? Not good in my opinion