Free-agent wide receiver Arnaz Battle has agreed to a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a league source said.
Carr signed to take over as 49ers’ No. 2
No player on the 49ers’ roster was more responsible for the team’s second-half 2008 surge that resulted in the “interim” title removed from Mike Singletary’s job description. Shaun Hill helped steady the 49ers after Singletary would not tolerate J.T. O’Sullivan’s stream of turnovers. Hill rode that momentum to the starting job at the beginning of last season. But the 49ers always thought they could do better than Hill….
49ers are not Carr’s only option
Free-agent quarterback David Carr had dinner last night with 49ers coach Mike Singletary and is spending time again this morning with coaches and club officials in Santa Clara, a league source. The 49ers have the first opportunity to sign Carr, but three other teams remain interested in his services, according to the source.
Twitter posts seem out of character for Willis
When the 49ers drafted Patrick Willis in 2007, he was a shy rookie who kept his mouth shut and did everything asked of him. Three years later, he’s a soft-spoken three-time Pro Bowl player with a blue-collar work ethic. He does his talking with his performance on the field. He has never said anything controversial to generate a headline. That’s why this is difficult to believe.
Battle scheduled to visit Pittsburgh; Seattle trip on hold
Free-agent wide receiver Arnaz Battle does not figure to be back with the 49ers next season, but he is getting some play on the free-agent market.
Baas faces uncertainty as RFA
If things go as many envision, left guard David Baas is in for a tumultous offseason with no assurances he’ll be back in the 49ers’ starting lineup.
David Carr: ‘It’s 49ers’ to lose’
The David Carr-to-the-49ers sentiment is gaining a lot of momentum as free-agency hits the 12-hour mark. A league source says, “It’s the 49ers’ to lose.”
49ers interested in Carr? What it might mean
The 49ers already have the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 draft. They are reportedly now looking at the No. 1 overall pick of the 2002 draft to also occupy a seat the team’s quarterback meeting room.
New era of NFL free agency kicks off
There are 531 professional football players looking for work this evening, as a new era in the NFL kicked off. It’s official. The 2010 season will not have a salary cap.
49ers re-sign Wilhelm
One of the 49ers’ scheduled unrestricted free agents will not be hitting the open market tonight. The club has re-signed veteran linebacker Matt Wilhelm to a one-year contract.
Not expecting free-agent flurry from 49ers
Teams that enter the unrestricted free-agent market at the opening bell know they’re going to have to overspend. That opening bell sounds at 9 p.m. (PT). The 49ers have done so on several occasions, beginning in 2005, as they took dramatic measures to attempt to upgrade a roster left depleted by some poor drafts and a salary-cap purge. I’m not editorializing that the 49ers overspent, they’ll freely admit…
Checking in with 49ers EFAs
Teams can retain the rights to players with fewer than three years of NFL experience (and whose contracts have expired) through the simple process of extending a qualifying offer to these exclusive-rights free agents.
Spiller to 49ers? Sounds like an ‘exception’ to me
The 49ers went out and filled a couple needs at running back a year ago. They got an every-down style back in the third round of the draft. And they got their explosive, change-of-pace man in free agency (undrafted free agency, that is).
Three combine standouts who’ll be 1st-round picks
Maryland tackle Bruce Campbell, USC safety Taylor Mays and South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul were among the most talked-about prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine, an event that is all about physical talent.
DB drills conclude combine
The NFL Scouting Combine concluded today with the defensive backs taking over the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Brooks, Baas tendered as RFAs; Hudson free to leave
The 49ers tendered scheduled restricted free agents guard David Baas and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, while deciding to allow cornerback Marcus Hudson to test the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Setting the market for Franklin
The 49ers last week placed the franchise tag on nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin. It wasn’t exactly a novel concept around the NFL, as three other teams had the same idea.
49ers can’t ignore impact rush linebackers
I made it home late last night from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Now that I’m on the couch, I can watch some of what’s going on inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The workouts this morning were of considerable interest to the 49ers. By my count, 29 of the 66 defensive linemen invited to the combine were paced through outside linebacker drills so scouts could gauge their prospects of…
Costly stay in airport to complete work
Have you ever gone to an airport and demanded a later flight? Yeah, me neither.
Future neurosurgeon pursues NFL dream
Oxford‘s Myron Rolle, a future neurosurgeon who served an apprenticeship as a safety at Florida State, is pursuing a football career this weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine. The highlight of my weekend might have been when I asked a question to Rolle that made him pause for a moment before saying, “Good question.” (That career moment comes two minutes into the below podcast.)
