This is my Friday column on the Raiders. 49ers fans — feel free to skip this. I wrote off the Raiders 15 minutes after free agency began, wrote them off as soon as general manager Reggie McKenzie let franchise left tackle, Jared Veldheer, sign with the Cardinals. The Raiders will be lucky to win five games next season, I wrote. Since then, the Raiders have signed 11 new starters. All…
The 49ers don’t play the Packers until September 8, but we’re killing time over here, so here’s a question for you: Do the 49ers still match up well against the Packers? The Packers did not match up well against the 49ers in two games last season, but this offseason Green Bay drafted two running backs – Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin – and a defensive lineman – Datone Jones –…
Aaron Rodgers spoke on a conference call with Bay Area reporters Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: How does this 49ers team look different from Week 1 when you saw them at Lambeau? RODGERS: Defensively it’s the same guys. One of the top defenses in the league, if not the best. They have playmakers all over the field, at every level – D-line, linebackers, secondary. The secondary can make…
Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy spoke on a conference call with Bay Area reporters on Tuesday. Here’s what he said. Q: How different are both of these teams from the teams that faced each other in Week 1? McCARTHY: I think every team in the National Football League is different from Week 1 to when they get in the playoffs. I think that holds true for both the 49ers and…
The 49ers play the Green Bay Packers in three days. In the meantime, I’ll break down a few key matchups a day. CB Tarell Brown: 5-foot-10, 193 pounds, 27 years old, 4.42 40-yard dash vs. WR Jordy Nelson: 6-3, 217 pounds, 27 years old, 4.45 40-yard dash The Packers love to match up Nelson against the smallest cornerback in the secondary. The 49ers’ smallest corner is Tarell Brown. Nelson is…
Now that the lockout is over, let’s look ahead to free agency, which starts this week. Who will the 49ers sign? Alex Smith, for starters. Smith stated in a text message this morning he won’t hesitate to sign with 49ers. So we can count on him. Who else? The 49ers first have to decide which of their own players to resign. The big names are: MLB Takeo Spikes, S Dashon…
