Shaun Hill: The exit interview

Shaun Hill was an undrafted quarterback whose four-year career with the Vikings consisted of two kneel-downs at the conclusion of a blowout in the 2005 season finale.   He went another full season with the 49ers without taking a snap. But toward the end of the 2007 season, he made the most of his chances.   Despite playing with a badly mangled index finger on his throwing hand, Hill set…

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Carr leaves comfortable gig behind Eli to prove himself

David Carr said he was sitting in Scot McCloughan’s office on Saturday, March 6, when his cell phone rang. McCloughan told Carr it was OK to take the call. Patrick Willis was ringing.   Carr took offense, obviously, when Willis questioned why the 49ers would pursue Carr. Willis wrote on Twitter that Carr was not as good as the three quarterbacks who were on the team at that point: Alex…

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Carr got right answer when asked if actions will matter

When David Carr signed a couple years ago with the New York Giants to serve as Eli Manning’s backup, he knew there wasn’t much opportunity for advancement.   The first question he asked of 49ers coach Mike Singletary when 10 days ago he took a free-agent trip to meet with club coaches and officials was whether his actions on the field – in practice and in the exhibition season –…

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Ranking potential landing spots for Shaun Hill

We don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, but it is likely to happen soon: 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill will become ex-49ers quarterback Shaun Hill.   As reported here in the wee hours, the 49ers have given Hill permission to seek a trade. The club is apparently waiting on the arrival of the official, signed David Carr contract before making its next move.

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Closer look at ‘restricted’ market

Some of the best free agents on the market are considered untouchable because of the level of compensation that a new team would have to provide. Draft picks are valuable currency in the non-salary cap NFL, as teams that draft well have a better chance of creating a winning nucleus while adhering to their budgets.

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Regardless what’s said, there will be 49ers QB competition

When I asked 49ers coach Mike Singletary (several times) at the NFL Scouting Combine whether Alex Smith would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2010, he finally said yes.   “The thing for me is I’m always going to use words like ‘probably’ and all those other things because I like competition,” Singletary said. “I like guys knowing that they’re always going to compete. But I feel very comfortable in…

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Opening the mailbag

There were plenty of questions today about tight ends and the 49ers’ speculated interest in Leon Washington and Jared Gaither. I tried to diffuse some of those questions with an earlier post on why it does not make sense for the 49ers to pursue restricted free agents.

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RFAs are bad strategy for 49ers

There have been some names thrown out there of players – such as Jared Gaither and Leon Washington – that the 49ers might be pursuing in free agency. But if the player is a restricted free agent, it just doesn’t make sense for the 49ers to go strong after a player.

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