49ERS FANTASY NEWS

March 8, 2006 4:00 AM ET

Baby steps. Those are probably the best words to summarize the progress the 49ers made under head coach Mike Nolan last season. While most NFL scribes predicted the Niners would finish with the league's worst record and earn the first overall pick in the draft for a second consecutive season, Nolan's club managed to finish higher in the standings than five other teams. Again, that's far from a miraculous turnaround, but the team did show some signs of life that did not exist under previous head coach Dennis Erickson.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the 49ers season was the struggles of rookie signal caller Alex Smith. It took the first overall pick in the 2005 three starts to top the 100-yard passing mark in a single game, and he was held to just one touchdown pass over seven starts. He was outplayed by veteran Tim Rattay, who was traded to Tampa, and by backup Ken Dorsey. Smith would have benefited from spending the season watching and learning at the hand of an experienced veteran quarterback, but team management, desperate to please the disgruntled fan base, opted to throw the rookie to the wolves.

Although Smith should improve this season (it's not like he could be any worse than he was last year), fantasy owners shouldn't expect him to make a giant leap in terms of production. Granted, he has a pair of talented young wide receivers to work with, but the Cerebral Signal Caller appears to be at least another season away from warranting serious fantasy consideration.

Needs
Where should we begin? Let's start with a problem area that Nolan doesn't think his team needs to address. Despite the fact that running back Kevan Barlow has rushed for 3.4 and 3.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons, Nolan seems to believe he earned another shot as the starting tailback. For Nolan's sake, let's hope this is nothing more than gamesmanship, as Barlow has been a bust ever since the team handed him the starting job in 2004.

Granted, Barlow's struggles, as well as some of Smith's, are attributable to a shaky offensive line. The Niners attempted to address this area of need last year by signing mammoth offensive tackle Jonas Jennings to a seven-year contract. Unfortunately, Jennings only suited up for three games last season due to a shoulder injury.

Likewise, former Pro Bowl center Jeremy Newberry experienced knee problems that prevented him from playing at a high level. He had additional offseason surgery, but his right knee has no remaining cartilage, which forces us to question whether he'll be able to stay healthy.

Without their two best linemen, the 49ers were forced to patch together an offensive line that played like, well, a line that was patched together. Second-round pick David Baas appeared in five games at guard, and Eric Heitman was forced to move from his familiar guard position into the starting center role. Meanwhile, unheralded rookie Adam Snyder filled in for Jennings at left tackle.

If Jennings makes a full recovery, he should solidify the left tackle position. Baas appears to be the long-term answer at guard, and Heitman is solid at the other guard position. That leaves center and right tackle as major areas of concern that the team needs to address via free agency and/or the draft.

Whatever happened to Eric Johnson? Back in 2004, Johnson surprised fantasy owners by hauling in 82 receptions for 825 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He spent last season on the injured list, just as he did in 2003. The Niners appear to have given up on Johnson due to his durability issues and there are rumblings that they could be in the hunt for a replacement on draft day or via free agency.

The 49ers tendered a contract to restricted free agent Brandon Lloyd. He and fellow wideout Arnaz Battle both have upside, but the Niners need to get Smith more weapons to work with. The thought of playing another season with ancient wideout Johnnie Morton serving as the No. 3 receiver is just plain frightening. However, the 49ers have so many needs that they might be forced to go with Morton or give one of their young understudies more playing time.

It must be noted that the team has apparently taken care of their kicking situation by agreeing to terms with Joe Nedney. Team officials deny that such an agreement has been made, but that's probably attributable to the fact that reports of the new deal leaked before league rules permitted the team to negotiate with the 32 year-old kicker. Although no official announcement has been made, several media outlets have reported that the two sides have struck a multi-year deal.

The 49ers made defensive strides last season after Nolan converted the unit to his 3-4 defense. However, the unit could take a step backwards this season if linebacker Julian Peterson departs via free agency. Peterson struggled at times last year while returning from a torn Achilles' tendon. It usually takes players a full year to recover from such an injury, so there's a good chance that Peterson could revert to Pro Bowl form this season. Although Peterson's status with the club is in question, the Niners re-signed fellow linebacker and leading tackler Derrick Smith on Monday.

With the exception of left end Bryant Young, the front three is expendable. Worse yet, the secondary is an absolute train wreck. Youngsters Shawntae Spencer and Derrick Johnson received valuable playing time last year, but neither player stepped up and proved themselves as a definitive starter. Restricted free agent safety Mike Adams showed enough promise that he was offered a contract tender, but the strong safety position is an eyesore.

Salary Cap Situation
The 49ers are between $11 million and $17 million under the salary cap, the San Jose Mercury News reported on March 3.

Unrestricted Free Agents
K Joe Nedney, FB/TE Steve Bush, WR Jason McAddley, FB Fred Beasley, T Anthony Clement, LB Julian Peterson, LB Brandon Moore, DE Travis Hall, CB Willie Middlebrooks

Restricted Free Agents
WR Brandon Lloyd, QB Ken Dorsey, TE Trent Smith

Free Agent Signings
The 49ers re-signed linebacker Derrick Smith on Monday. They also re-signed fullback Chris Hetherington and quarterback Jesse Palmer, who were scheduled to become free agents.

The Draft
Given the abundance of holes the Niners have, they could be a wild card on draft day. Seriously, the only three positions we feel safe in ruling out with their first-round pick are quarterback, punter, and kicker. If the Niners don't re-sign Peterson, they could select a linebacker with their first pick. Among the top linebackers are A.J. Hawk (Ohio State) and Chad Greenway (Iowa).

There have been rumblings that the Niners are interested in tight end Vernon Davis (Maryland), who stole the show at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. If they do go that route, it would likely mean that the oft-injured Johnson's days with the team are numbered.

If the 49ers opt to give Spencer some help in the secondary, Michael Huff (Texas) could be their man. An alternate move could also be to trade down in the draft and acquire a cornerback such as Jimmy Williams (Virginia Tech), Ashton Youboty (Ohio State), Jonathan Joseph (South Carolina) or Tye Hill (Clemson) later in the first round.

Injury Watch
Remember, Newberry has no knee cartilage remaining in his oft-injured right knee. He has a ton of heart and will undoubtedly attempt to comeback this summer, but it's hard to imagine him holding up for an entire season. After all, he missed the 2004 campaign with an injury to the same knee.

Here's hoping the 49ers give up on Ahmed Plummer, who has appeared in nine games over the last two seasons. Nolan wasn't bashful when it came to vocalizing his frustrations with the delicate defensive back last year, and there are rumors that Plummer will be a salary cap casualty, so his injuries shouldn't be an issue for the Niners.

Jennings underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder back in November. He should be good to go long before training camp opens.

The good news for Nedney is that his squad is not scheduled to play the Titans this season. Keep in mind that injuries prevented him from appearing in all but one game during his last two seasons with the Titans. Although he played in 15 games for the 49ers last season, he missed the game against his former teammates due to a groin injury that bothered him throughout the season. Given his history of injuries, fantasy owners should keep a close eye on Nedney this summer.

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