What was that THUD sound?

That was the 49ers 2009 off season.

Sure, everything started out ok – Singletary was named the head coach, the team had rebounded from a horrific start to get to 7-9, and there was a general positive vibe surrounding 4949 Centennial blvd.

Then the front office started making decisions. Like hiring a guy who, in two years from now, will officially be less qualified than me to run the franchise (I’ll see your MBA and raise you a teaspoon of football knowledge, Jed!)

First was the OC disaster – its almost as if they were determined to find someone another team would NEVER in a million years hire away, unless the 49ers were #1 in offense for 4 straight years. Jimmy Raye, come on down.

Then the free agency period hit. The past few years this has been a great day for 9ers fans, reeling in Nate Clements and Justin Smith, among others.

This year? Not so much…

Let’s look at my idea off season vs. the one they’ve had thus far:

Needs: Pass rusher, FS, QB, back up RB, RT, FB

Now it sure seems like the team headed my advice as to the current roster. Mark Roman was told to bounce, as was Jonas Jennings, Bryant Johnson, J.T. O'Sullivan, and DeShaun Foster. Alex Smith and Takeo Spikes were brought back.

But their new teammates? A lot left to be desired: Damon Huard, Moran Norris, Micheal Spurlock, Demetric Evans, and Brandon Jones. And they are in fierce negotiations with an oft injured Marvel Smith. Aren’t they cutting Jennings because of injury issues?

http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers/2009/03/49ers-talks-with-marvel-smith-heat-up.html

Excuse me if I’m not running out to buy season tickets.

The 49ers went into the off season correctly identifying team needs, but I think they really failed when it came to addressing them.

Granted, my off season was impossible – the two biggest players I wanted were franchised, the right tackle I suggested signed to a large contract a few days before the start of free agency.

They lost Ronald Fields and replace him with Evans – was there something wrong with bay area native Igor Olshansky, who is 26, a six year veteran in a successful 3-4 defense, with ties to coordinator Greg Manusky. A leak has come out that some of the assistant coaches are upset they weren’t consulted about these players, because they feel the front office put an emphasis on the wrong players.

Don’t even get me started on them being short on defensive backs, yet we felt the need to cut Keith Lewis, who has been the team’s best special teams player and one of the better safeties on the roster. I still contend he bring just as much to the table, if not more, than Michael Lewis, at a fraction of the price.

Nancy Gay had a nice break down of the team’s current situation:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/25/SPG916M2R1.DTL

I like that Singletary seems to be conditioning the players. There are a lot of times it seems other teams forced their will on the 49ers – I think Singletary is taking necessary steps to make sure that doesn’t happen in any more 4th quarters.

Luckily, if the team signs Smith to play RT, they have set themselves up to stay away from drafting for need, and will be able to take the best player available at ten. Much like when the team drafted Patrick Willis, they have one of those draft picks where a potential impact player should drop to them. Sexy players I could MAYBE see falling to the team at ten I’d be more than happy to look at: Michael Crabtree, B.J. Raji, Jeremy Maclin, Everette Brown, Michael Oher, Malcolm Jenkins, Rey Maualuga – we shall see which direction the team goes. I think Raji and Crabtree are no brainers if they fall, the rest all have small kinks in the armor but would be interesting to take at ten.

Let’s just hope the team drafts a little better than it attacked this off season – or else Singletary might just end up another Mike Nolan – all talk, no walk.

P.S. Matt Barrows still is having a torrid bro-mance with Percy Harvin, and I can’t blame him – I think the Wildcat is the offense the Flacons needed to run with Mike Vick, and it will just become more popular – is it the new West Coast offense? I doubt I’d go that far, but I don’t think this is just a fad that will be disappearing soon – teams are looking for Wildcat players, ala Pat White.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/020970.html