49ers News

" Ever since he entered the world at a whopping 12 pounds, 14 ounces, Chilo Rachal has been his mother's darling. They are, Veronica Pickett says, "closer than peanut butter and jelly." To make sure he was safe, she would drive behind the school bus to school to make sure he got off, unharmed. Though money was tight, if Chilo wanted a Nintendo, Veronica and her husband would find a way to get it: better to have their son indoors playing video games than roaming the rough, often fatal streets of Compton. For 22 years, Veronica Pickett watched over her son. "She did a real good job of keeping me safe," Rachal, who's now a whopping 319 pounds, said at the 49ers' recent mini-camp. It's time for her son to return the favor."

"They are behind the home runs, stolen bases and strikeouts. Behind the touchdowns, dunks, assists, goals and medals. They are at the root of each display of sportsmanship, each act of charity, every gracious signing of an autograph. Mothers and their surrogates did the carrying, the holding and the supporting. Still do. Always will. They are all over the sports landscape, sometimes invisible but always present. We see them through their children. "

"Is baseball almost over? Good, because I can't wait for football. This is going to be the most exciting NFL season in the Bay Area in many years. Actually, the real season might be ugly, but the training camps and preseason will be one thrill after another for both teams. The Raiders and 49ers will be more fun to watch in minicamps than most teams will be in the NFL "playoffs," whatever those are. Take the quarterback situations. Please. For both teams, this will be the fifth consecutive season of starting out with a quarterback who is not a proven, reliable, NFL-caliber ball-chucker. The 49ers opened the '03 season with Jeff Garcia and the Raiders opened with Rich Gannon, and since then it's been "Star Search." So this season will make a combined 10 years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses' record no longer seems untouchable."

"The 49ers' training staff limited Manny Lawson to the sideline during the team's minicamp last week. But the outside linebacker couldn't help peeking at new teammates while he rehabilitated his injured knee... What caught his eye more than anything were perhaps the team's two biggest offseason additions, Justin Smith and rookie Kentwan Balmer. Both defensive linemen could be playing in front of Lawson this season, Smith on the right side, Balmer on the left."

" Ronnie Lott is about to follow in the footsteps of Mister Rogers, Dr. Seuss and the puppeteer behind Big Bird. To put that in terms the Sesame Street crowd might understand: One of those things is not like the other. As a Hall of Fame football player, Lott wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy. He was arguably the hardest-hitting defensive back in NFL history. A Dr. Seuss book about his 49ers career might be called "Slam I Am." But, tonight, the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose will bestow upon Lott its highest honor, the Legacy for Children Award."

" Three days of mini-camp did nothing to resolve the 49ers' quarterback question. To the contrary, the practices that wrapped up Sunday served only to strengthen the case of another legitimate contender for the job. J.T. O'Sullivan made such a strong impression that Coach Mike Nolan said he would get the former UC-Davis standout some action with the first-team offense when practice resumes next month."

"Two weeks of banging against each other should be more than enough for the 49ers by the time they get around to their first exhibition game against the Raiders on Aug. 8 at the Coliseum. Kickoff is 7 p.m. The 49ers open training camp in Santa Clara on July 24, a week earlier than a year ago."

" The times and dates of most exhibition games were announced by the league Tuesday, with the Raiders game against the 49ers set for Friday, Aug. 8 in Oakland at 7 p.m. Also, the Raiders game against the Tennessee Titans pushed up one day to Aug. 15. In addition, the Raiders learned that their home game against the Arizona Cardinals will be played Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. and their road game against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m."

"Steve Young figures he was part of the true odd couple. "Here am I this Mormon kid," Young reminded, and "I'm running around with this Jewish kid." The Jewish kid in this instance was John Frank, once Young's teammate and target on the 49ers and on Sunday night an inductee in the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California. On an evening less sectarian than fascinating — Carmen Policy was the master of ceremonies, Joe Kapp and John Ralston were part of the program — Al Rosen, Benny Lom, Wendy Paskin-Jordan and Tad Taube also were installed. "

"The 49ers' only minicamp ended Sunday with quarterbacks Alex Smith and Shaun Hill having received the lion's share of work with the first-team offense. That, however, will change when the team assembles next month for organized team activities (OTAs). Coach Mike Nolan said the one thing that was clear from the minicamp was that J.T. O'Sullivan deserves a shot at starting. "

" Three days of mini-camp did nothing to resolve the 49ers' quarterback question. To the contrary, the practices that wrapped up Sunday served only to strengthen the case of another legitimate contender for the job. J.T. O'Sullivan made such a strong impression that Coach Mike Nolan said he would get the former UC-Davis standout some action with the first-team offense when practice resumes next month. "It's a three-man race, not just two," Nolan said."

"J.T. O'Sullivan, starting quarterback for the 49ers? It could happen. The most newsworthy development to emerge from the 49ers' just-concluded minicamp is that O'Sullivan, a 28-year-old journeyman from UC Davis, is in the mix with Alex Smith and Shaun Hill for the starting job in 2008. Coach Mike Nolan indicated as much on Sunday by saying, "I think J.T. O'Sullivan is going to get in the thick. I'm excited. I've been impressed with J.T. He's probably more like Shaun than he is Alex. His familiarity with the offense is better. I like his demeanor, his ability to get things done.""

"When Larry Grant left Sacramento as a high school sophomore to live with his older brother in Georgia, he thought he would have it easy. There would be no more parents and grandparents nagging him about grades and schoolwork. He would have all the television he could watch. Grant, however, quickly discovered that LeSean Woods, 12 years Grant's senior and with two sons of his own, had other plans for his little brother. "I thought I was going to paradise. I thought I had it easy," Grant said."

" Along with the rest of his physical conditioning, Mark Roman's ears are getting a workout during 49ers mini-camp. Starting this season, one defensive player from each team will be allowed to wear a special helmet that enables him to get radio communication from the sideline. Roman and fellow safeties Michael Lewis, Dashon Goldson and Keith Lewis were among the players giving a try this weekend. So far, so good, Roman said Saturday."

" If running back Frank Gore ever needs assistance with Mike Martz's system, he has the ultimate hotline number. Marshall Faulk told Gore during the off-season to call any time. Faulk is such a willing teacher that he volunteered to fly to Gore's home in Miami for a workout, Gore said Saturday. Chances are it won't come to that. Based on the first two days of 49ers mini-camp, Gore is catching on fast - with an emphasis on "catching" and "fast.""

"The toughest tests are best taken in a comfortable place, where the floor is firm, the walls are solid and the voices consistent. Even better if it's the place you know best. Alex Smith has spent three years searching for that place and has not found it. The floor keeps moving. The walls bend and start closing in. The voices keep changing pitch, tone, cadence and even language. "

"The 49ers are going green at this minicamp - green dots, that is. After the league approved wireless communication for defenses, with one designated player wearing an equipped helmet indicated by a green dot on the back, the 49ers experimented by having four players try out the system in practices Friday and Saturday. While inside linebacker Patrick Willis calls defensive signals in the huddle, coach Mike Nolan had four safeties wear the green dot helmets to receive information from secondary coach Vance Joseph to relay to Willis. All this happens in an allotted 15 seconds."

"After two days of practice, it's obvious Alex Smith and Shaun Hill are already in quarterback shape - for early May. At the 49ers' full-squad minicamp, one of Smith's passes raised dust at the foot of his intended receiver while Hill threw one pass that looked like a wobbly duck in the throes of death. Coaches would be concerned if these were September passes but as it is early May and the 49ers are learning a new offense under coordinator Mike Martz, the quarterbacks have a free pass to work things out."

"When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled the 49ers had tampered with Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, he decided to punish the 49ers and reward the Bears. He did so by taking away the 49ers' fifth-round draft pick and forcing the 49ers to switch third-round picks with the Bears. So the Bears subsequently moved up five spots in the round, going from the 12th pick in the round to the seventh. As it turned out, the "reward" wasn't a reward at all, because if the Bears had been picking 12th instead of seventh, they would have ended up with the same player they chose with the seventh pick—Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett."

"Tight end Vernon Davis, who had several practice-field scrapes with teammates a year ago, was back at it Friday when things grew a bit heated between him and linebacker Parys Haralson. One moment, Davis was blocking Haralson on a running play. The next, the two were holding onto each other's face masks while swinging away with their free hands. When the combatants were pulled apart, Davis had Haralson's helmet, which he threw onto an adjoining practice field."

"Smith participated in his first practice since undergoing surgery in December to repair his separated throwing shoulder. It also was his first practice under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Smith's fourth coordinator in as many years. Also, it was the first time since his rookie season that Smith entered a minicamp competing for the role of starting quarterback. He lined up with the first-team offense during the morning practice. Shaun Hill, who was undefeated in his two starts last year, was the first-string quarterback in the afternoon practice."

" At the 49ers' intrasquad drill Friday, a hockey game broke out. Tight end Vernon Davis and linebacker Parys Haralson brawled in spectacular, if brief, fashion, in a spat that ended with Davis ripping off his opponent's helmet and hurling it into an adjacent practice field. That's when Coach Mike Nolan intervened to calm things down, but it took some doing. Davis, 253 pounds of muscle, remained steamed long after the exchange of blows. He was ordered out a few plays to let things simmer down. "

" For an idea of just how wide open the 49ers' quarterback competition is, consider the first day of mini-camp on Friday: Alex Smith practiced with the first string at the morning practice. Shaun Hill practiced with the first string at the afternoon practice. Had time allowed for a third practice, J.T. O'Sullivan might have started that one; the coaching staff has declared him even with the others. This is a pecking order written in pencil - a very faint pencil."

"Although it was just the first practice of minicamp for the 49ers, tight end Vernon Davis looked to be in midseason form Friday as he fought with Parys Haralson on a scrimmage play and ended up throwing the 260-pound linebacker to the ground and tossing his helmet into the air for good measure. In a morning practice without pads otherwise devoted to getting to know new teammates and becoming familiar with the offensive system of new coordinator Mike Martz, the emotional Davis provided the only real excitement as he was blocking Haralson on a running play."

"The 49ers emerged from the weekend's draft with several players who can line up at multiple positions. And while that gives the 49ers' roster better flexibility, it has an added benefit: It makes more veterans nervous about keeping their starting jobs. Kentwan Balmer, the team's first-round draft pick, is a good example. The 49ers insist the big defensive lineman can play two positions, nose tackle and left defensive end, and they will test him at both spots when the team assembles today for its first minicamp. That puts pressure on veterans Isaac Sopoaga and Aubrayo Franklin. "

" He's the upgrade, all by himself, no need for fleet new receivers or perfect offensive linemen. Mike Martz is the singular 49ers all-caps headline OFFENSIVE UPGRADE - Mike Nolan said so himself a few days ago. And after speaking with Martz on Thursday, I can tell you there's a tangible Entertainment Upgrade for sure. He's definitely not Jim Hostler, by the way. The 49ers start the first mini-camp of the Martz Era today, and he is already so much more than what they just had."

"On the eve of their mandatory full-squad minicamp, the 49ers signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents, including four players with local ties. They are guard John Booker of San Jose State, guard Brian De La Puente of Cal, wide receiver Robert Jordan of Cal and Oregon wide receiver Cam Colvin, who attended De La Salle High School."

"As San Francisco's new offensive coordinator, the stakes will be much higher for Martz in the coming NFL season than they were for him on that lark of a day at the Senior Bowl. This weekend, Martz, 56, gets his first look at what he will have to work with in a three-day minicamp that begins today with two of five scheduled practices sans pads. If that winning play in the Senior Bowl is any indication, the 49ers on the offensive side of the ball will at least fog the mirror a little this season in contrast to last year's flat-line bunch."

"It's fair to say Kentwan Balmer was born, not made, to be a defensive football player. While his 49ers-fan father was watching San Francisco rack up 49 points against the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, it was a defensive sequence that the 8-year-old Balmer remembered from that game 13 years ago. "I remember seeing you guys play the Chargers and that goal-line stand against Natrone Means," the 49ers' top draft choice said Monday in a conference call. "My dad has been loving this team before I could remember.""

" Balmer, thrilled about joining his father's favorite team, sought out autographs from cornerback Nate Clements and Coach Mike Nolan. The reality of being an NFL player himself, however, had yet to sink in. Balmer spurned an autograph request from a fan outside Hotel Valencia in San Jose because he didn't feel worthy yet of adulation. "I did sign it, but it took me awhile. I put, 'Go Niners' on there," said Balmer, who remained worried that his penmanship wasn't quite neat enough. "It was my first one and he was still grateful that I did it. I told him I was a little embarrassed.""

"Two more former Cal players joined NFL rosters Monday, after the school had six players drafted in the two-day weekend event. Receiver Robert Jordan and offensive lineman Brian De La Puente both signed free-agent contracts with the 49ers."

"After a missed flight in North Carolina and some plane delays in Texas, Kentwan Balmer finally touched down in his new NFL home Sunday night. Waiting for him at the airport was someone Balmer will get to know very well in the coming months: 49ers defensive-line coach Jim Tomsula. "We meshed pretty well, and we got a good understanding of what he kind of wants and what the franchise wants from me," said Balmer, the 49ers' first-round pick in the draft Saturday. "Everything was smooth sailing." "

"Now that the next class of instant multimillionaires has been determined, we rediscover that the NFL is, for the privileged few, the most generous Sugar Daddy in sports. Thanks to the endless cash flow of the world's most profitable league, first-round draft picks gain entrance into the highest levels of wealth, receiving access to the kind of luxury that defies our foundering economy. Now that this has been tossed at their feet, courtesy of the current draft system, they get to decide whether they deserve it. "

"The Raiders got the guy Greg Papa wanted. The 49ers didn't do the same for Joe Starkey. Is it a coincidence then that the play-by-play voices of the rival franchises walked away from the NFL draft with differing opinions on the television coverage provided by ESPN and the NFL Network? In a word: Yes, they insisted Monday. "I watched both," Papa claimed. "It's a tough event to cover because of the timing of it. When do you look ahead to the next pick? When do you look back? "

"If ever a team had an un-sexy NFL draft, it's the 49ers. A mere six picks overall, starting way down at 29 in the first round, led to this: A versatile defensive lineman who probably will become a starter. An offensive guard who eventually could be a starter. A cornerback who might not be good enough to play corner. A backup center. A wide receiver with an arrest on his record and an indelible memory of being pepper sprayed. A linebacker chosen for his value on special teams and his ability to block kicks. Legions of people rely on far less to put them to sleep every night."

"The two brothers were both big, but in many ways, that's where the similarities ended. Cody Wallace stayed on a path toward athletic and academic excellence. Marcus Wallace strayed far from it. Cody became an All-Big 12 center at Texas A&M and was drafted by the 49ers on Sunday in the fourth round, the 107th overall pick and the second center taken in the draft. Marcus spent four years in prison on drug charges; he was released in January and has another few months to go in a halfway house."

" It took until the sixth round Sunday, but the 49ers found a receiver to their liking. They selected Josh Morgan from Virginia Tech.Morgan is well built, with a powerful stride and a knack for breaking tackles. He also has a brush with the law in his file, with officers once needing to subdue him with a blast of pepper spray, according to a 2006 police report. Police say Morgan punched at the driver's-side window of a truck and then opened the door as if preparing for an assault. "

"Remember the good ol' days, when the 49ers and Raiders would draft wide receivers, develop them and ride them to victory? Well, in this era of losing seasons, our plucky little teams have been opening NFL drafts by taking quarterbacks No. 1 overall, and then failing to find those franchise arms a true No. 1 wide receiver to grow old with. This past weekend's draft was, again, an exercise in futility and frustration when it came to finding the 49ers' and Raiders' next great pass catcher."

"Entering the NFL draft, the 49ers hoped they could grab at least one player at what they considered the draft's deepest positions: offensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver. They found their cornerback right away Sunday, selecting Oklahoma's Reggie Smith in the third round with the 75th overall pick. Mike Nolan said the team always needs cornerbacks in the pass-heavy NFC West and that he was uneasy about injury issues at the position. Backups Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson and Tarell Brown all were injured at various points last season."

"With their final pick in the draft Sunday, the 49ers chose linebacker Larry Grant, who played two years at Foothill High School, where he lettered as a running back and a safety. Grant played two seasons at City College of San Francisco where he was the California junior college player of the year in 2005. He then transferred to Ohio State, where he played outside linebacker. The 49ers selected Grant in the seventh round, 214th overall, to compete at inside linebacker with Jeff Ulbrich and Dontarrious Thomas. "

"With their first pick in the draft, 29th overall, the 49ers tabbed Kentwan Balmer, a versatile 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman from North Carolina who can play either nose tackle or end. The club seems more inclined to play Balmer at nose tackle but he could also end up replacing the retired Bryant Young at left end."

" There are two schools of thought regarding the work ethic of Kentwan Balmer, the North Carolina defensive lineman taken by the 49ers with their first-round draft choice Saturday: Some who watch Balmer wonder if he has enough desire to make it in the NFL."

"The first round of Saturday's draft at times seemed like a free-for-all for offensive linemen, a position of need for the 49ers. Eight were plucked off the board in the opening round, including six between picks 12 and 21."

" In a perfect world, Chilo Rachal would be enjoying spring on the USC campus and getting ready for his senior year. But the world isn't perfect. Rachal has learned that the hard way in his 22 years."

"Chilo Rachal, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive guard from USC, had a good answer: His mother was diagnosed with a large, non-cancerous abdominal tumor and had no medical insurance. The family needed the money for her medical bills."

"Permit me to be the first to douse the business conducted by the Raiders and the 49ers with a spray of cold water. Kindly lay off the comments about a need for Prozac."

"This kid sounds exactly like what the 49ers need, great talent, great confidence. And rare in these modern times, a sense of history, of knowing what football used to be in San Francisco and what it should be again. Kentwan Balmer's dad relished the old Niners. Back in North Carolina. Imagine that? Or maybe that isn't so surprising? "

" As expected, there were plenty of highly-rated receivers available when the yardage-starved 49ers made their draft picks Saturday. Also as expected, they passed on all of them."

"Started 23 of 42 career games with the Tar Heels, collecting 93 career tackles (55 solo) with seven sacks and 17 stops for losses. Demonstrated a willingness to play anywhere, starting three games at right defensive end, eight a left tackle and 12 at right tackle. Earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a senior."

"In the spirit of throwing a plate of food against the wall to see what sticks, the 49ers could go in several directions with their first-round pick in today's NFL draft, No. 29 overall."