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Wideout corps in much better hands this season

Ever since Terrell Owens' awkward departure from the 49ers after the 2003 season, the organization has not found a No. 1 receiver. Heck, some might say they never found a No. 2 receiver, either.

This year could be different. On the surface - and this is still five weeks before the opening of training camp, mind you - the 49ers look to be in much better shape at that position than at any point in the past five seasons.

Brandon Lloyd and Cedrick Wilson were the top wideouts in '04 and '05, and neither went on to starting gigs elsewhere. Antonio Bryant teased the 49ers with a few good games before he imploded. The most consistent 49ers receiver since Owens' departure has been Arnaz Battle.

Battle is a solid receiver. He runs good routes; he's got good speed; he's bright; he has good hands; he blocks well. And, now, it appears he's the team's No. 3 receiver. That might not be great news for Battle, but it's good for the offense if the 49ers have found a couple other receivers who are better.

The most-intriguing newcomer is Bryant Johnson, who played in the shadow of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald with the Cardinals. Johnson is an impressive-looking fellow. He's 6-3, 215 pounds and runs well. In '06, he averaged 18.5 yards a reception.

When Johnson became a free agent, there was not the market for the former first-round pick that some - most notably, Johnson - had expected. So the 49ers were able to sign Johnson to a one-year deal. There is no question Johnson is hungry to prove he's an elite wideout.

Johnson said he wants to put together a good season and sign a long-term extension with the 49ers. Ordinarily, a receiver from the NFC West looking to pad his stats and prove himself would not come to the 49ers. (In case you haven't noticed the 49ers' passing game has ranked 32nd, 29th and 32nd the past three seasons).

But Johnson said he is confident that will turn around this season. Why was he attracted to the 49ers?

"Coach (Jerry) Sullivan. He was my coach my rookie year in Arizona. That was an attraction," Johnson said. "Coach (Mike) Martz coming here. That was an attraction. And knowing they needed some help at the receiver position, that was an attraction. It was easy for me to make that decision. And I was a childhood fan of the 49ers. That also helped."

Johnson should eclipse his previous best of 49 receptions in a season. My guess is that he'll end up being the team's top receiver. But the other guys aren't slouches, either.

--Isaac Bruce. He is not the explosive force he was with the Rams, but he still has a few games left in him. There's no question he can get open, now it's up to the quarterback to get the ball in his hands.

--Battle. He can play. He has a chance to do some good things as the No. 3 man and slot receiver.

--Ashley Lelie and Jason Hill. Both of these guys were lost in the shuffle last season. Both had a difficult time adjusting to Sullivan's strict coaching. They were asked to run routes a certain way, and that made for a difficult transition. Already, both Lelie and Hill are getting more chances on the practice field than they got last year. (Remember, Lelie missed most of the offseason program with a quad strain, and Hill nursed a hamstring pull during the season.) Both Lelie and Hill are far more confident as they enter their second seasons with the 49ers.

--Josh Morgan. The sixth-round draft pick also has shown flashes during the OTAs. But in this crowded group, it's going to be a challenge for him to make an impact.

The bottom line is this: The 49ers are going to be just fine at the wide-receiver positions this season. And that's not even taking into consideration the impact of tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, and running back Frank Gore in the passing game.

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Free-agent offensive tackle Barry Sims is getting close to arriving at a decision on a team. The 49ers are very much in the mix with perhaps a 50-50 shot of landing the nine-year veteran. It might be decided tomorrow. The Ravens, Rams and Patriots were also vying for his services. (I know the math. If four teams are interested, the 49ers would technically have a 25-percent chance. But I'm sticking with the 50-50 odds.)

* * *

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Posted June 19, 2008 12:16:31 PM
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Comments | Add Comment

Posted By: Chris (20/06/2008 12:42:46 PM)
Comment: Matt - Is it a typo that Melvin Oliver is mentioned as a linebacker in the "Notes" section at the end of the article here? Was he moved from DE? http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4278§ion=PR%20News

Posted By: Rich, San Ramon (20/06/2008 8:00:14 AM)
Comment: It will be most interesting to see Alex Smith perform in preseason. Everyone in that locker room and coaching staff must be holding their breath.

Posted By: StonerLab (20/06/2008 7:26:45 AM)
Comment: Matt, Your boy over at the SacBee evidently has "out-scooped" you. He reported late yesterday that the 49ers had signed 6th round pick Josh Morgan. The 1st of hopefully all the 49ers draft picks before training camp begins. He also stated what I thought was great point, I don't know if it was an exclusive but he had a chance to speak with Martz & after going thru the mini-camps & OTA's he was very excited about the multiple possiblities he had in store for Delanie Walker. In fact he said that he will be putting together a "special package" just for him before TC starts. Martz said in a word about Walker..."Explosive!"

Posted By: Joseph in San Jose (20/06/2008 12:00:14 AM)
Comment: Don't wanna be annoying, but I'm pretty sure Cedric Wilson was winning a superbowl with the Steelers in '05. Lloyd, Battle, and Johnnie Morton were the top receivers. Man...how far we have come since then...

Posted By: Frank (19/06/2008 10:40:20 PM)
Comment: BJ will emerge as our stud WR...but the most important thing is, the overall corps is so much better now. Martz has it all now...big receivers, fast receivers, multiple-position receivers. When he first came on board, he immediately said there was a lot of under-utilized talent here. I can't wait to see how well he exploits it all.

Posted By: lou in va (19/06/2008 9:59:14 PM)
Comment: this post leaves me rooting for johnson pretty hard. hopefully he has a breakout season and we sign him long term. it sure would be nice to have a legitimate #1 receiver again.

Posted By: http:// (19/06/2008 5:40:53 PM)
Comment: All of this means NOTHING....Smith looked great during all of OTA's & TC last year along w/Davis also looking impressive. Yeah the news is encouraging but until it shows during the games that's when we'll really have something to talk about. Still good news though...hope it keeps up w/the pads on in TC & carries through to preseason up to the REAL GAMES. Bring it on Martz!

Posted By: PD (19/06/2008 4:58:06 PM)
Comment: Matt! I certainly hope you're right about the improved WR corp! I'm soo excited to see them in action. I'm bummed about that fact that they've limited media access to their OTAs and it seems like things might be even more quiet over the next month as OTAs shut down. After OTAs, are players still training/conditioning at the facility weekly or do they leave? (e.g. I read Joe Staley is heading out of town to Michigan)

Posted By: MROB FOR TE (19/06/2008 4:44:18 PM)
Comment: Move Davis to WR and MROB to TE. Instant success. Johnson, Battle, VD and MROB with Gore and Foster in the backfield. Smith better step up.

Posted By: chris (19/06/2008 4:44:09 PM)
Comment: I'm cautiously optimistic now about our chances this year but what about next? If things do go well, it seems like we have quite a few 1-2 year free agent signings. Does someone have a list of whose contracts are going to be up next year? If we do well, will we be able to afford to bring the same group back?

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (19/06/2008 4:42:41 PM)
Comment: Your blog is getting me pumped. The season can't come soon enough! The offense should do fine under Martz. The only problem will be that Martz does so well here, he'll be hired as a HC somewhere else next year =(

Posted By: Vermonator (19/06/2008 4:39:05 PM)
Comment: Great News Matt, I heard that Martz wanted to use Walker more as a receiver. How do you think that will work into the mix?

Posted By: Graham (19/06/2008 4:21:36 PM)
Comment: Matt, this is a very encouraging post, but I'm still wary of getting excited. Have the OTAs (and comparisons with past offseason observation) reinforced your sense that this is a better group?

Posted By: Pat In Colorado (19/06/2008 4:16:24 PM)
Comment: Matt, What about Vernon Davis lining up as a wideout more often? He's probably the fastest receiver they have and KC Joyner at espn.com said Davis had some very impressive stats when the Niners split him wide. Keep up the great work with the #1 blog in the NFL.

Posted By: ShaneO (19/06/2008 4:13:37 PM)
Comment: Great Job Matt- i like the signing of Bruce because he knows the offense and should help the transition, but i dont want to see Hill get lost in the mix. this might be Bruce's last year then maybe hill can step in. what do u see in the future for hill?

Posted By: Jim in Walnut Creek (19/06/2008 4:11:13 PM)
Comment: If he's a smart man, Barry will let Mrs Sims make the decision. I'd say SF has a better than 25% chance, when matched vs living in "Balmer", Boston or St Louis.

Posted By: Dave Daveofferson (19/06/2008 3:47:11 PM)
Comment: I'm rooting big time for Jason Hill. I hope he can make an impact like some other third rounders, namely T.O. and John Taylor...

Matt has MOVED! Check out the NEW 49ers blog at pressdemocrat.com/49ers

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