San Francisco 49ers

OLB Darius Fleming suffered a torn ACL and is out indefinitely. The fifth-round draft pick just signed a four-year contract one day before the injury happened. Fleming is expected to start on the PUP list once training camp opens. Depending on his recovery and the plan the 49ers have with Fleming he could then be placed on injured reserve as the season progresses.

Darius Fleming was drafted to provide depth at the outside linebacker position. The 49ers were hoping he could make an impact on special teams after LB Blake Costanzo's departure to the Chicago Bears.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had a busy day signing some of their draft-picks. OT Bobby Massie, G Senio Kelemete, CB Justin Bethel and QB Ryan Lindley agreed to terms on four-year contracts.

Bobby Massie could wind up starting at right tackle if he wins the position battle against RT Jeremy Bridges. Senio Kelemete will spend his rookie campaign as a backup because the Cardinals are set at both guard positions with LG Daryn Colledge and RG Adam Snyder. Justin Bethel won't see much playing time in Arizona's secondary but he is expected to become a special teams standout. Ryan Lindley has a lot of work ahead in order to become NFL-ready but he is competing with QB Richard Bartel for the number-three role.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran OT Alex Barron. Barron was a former first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams where he started 74 games in five seasons. Two short stints with the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints followed. The Saints released Barron with an injury settlement last October and he has been out of football since. He can play both tackle positions and will compete for a roster spot. It should be noted that Barron has a history of drawing a lot of penalties. Alex Barron's acquisition may indicate that OT James Carpenter won't be ready to play in 2012.

San Francisco 49ers

Of all the teams in the NFC West the San Francisco 49ers had the busiest start to the new league-year, as free agency officially kicked off yesterday. The Niners secured the services of three players and lost two to other NFC teams.

The 49ers signed CB Perrish Cox to a two-year contract and give him another opportunity to play in the NFL. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010 and had 57 solo tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles and 14 passes defensed in his rookie season. Cox played 15 games and started nine of them. The 25-year old did not play last season after the Denver Broncos released him at the end of training camp. Cox played for current 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatelli when both were with the Broncos. Perrish Cox may not end up as a starter but he can be used as a return guy on special teams.

Shortly afterwards the 49ers re-signed CB Carlos Rogers to a four-year deal worth $29.3m. The 30-year old was a top priority to be re-signed in the offseason but it still comes as a bit of a surprise, considering San Francisco's aggressive push for CB Brandon Carr (KC) and Eric Wright (TB). Rogers had 41 solo tackles, a team-leading six interceptions and 18 passes defensed last season. This signing means that all of San Francisco's defensive starters return for another season.

LB Tavares Gooden was re-signed to a one-year contract. Gooden had the third most tackles on San Francisco's special team last season.

WR Josh Morgan left the 49ers for the Washington Redskins. The contract is worth $12m over the first two years, with $7.5m guaranteed. The contract runs for five years but can be voided after two. Morgan caught 15 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown in five games last season before a broken leg ended his season prematurely.

The 49ers also lost special teams standout LB Blake Costanzo to the Chicago Bears. The linebackers signed a two-year contract for $2m.

Arizona Cardinals

It didn't come as a surprise but the Arizona Cardinals released LT Levi Brown moments before the start of the new league year. The move was motivated by salary cap reasons. The first-round pick of 2007 was due a staggering $17m in 2012. Brown hasn't missed a game for the Cardinals since 2008.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks re-signed DE Red Bryant to a five-year deal worth $35m, with $14.5m guaranteed. The 27-year old had 20 solo tackles and one sack last season. He also caught two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. His specialty is blocking kicks though. Last season he blocked three field goals and one PAT.

The Seahawks also re-signed LB Heath Farwell, who led the NFL in special teams tackles last season.

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams signed CB Cortland Finnegan to a five-year contract worth $50m, with $26.5m in guaranteed money. The 28-year old played five seasons under head coach Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. Last season Finnegan had 58 solo tackles, one interception, 11 passes defensed and one sack.

The Rams also released CB Ron Bartell, who missed most of last season after he sustained a neck injury in the season opener. Bartell was a second-round pick in 2005 and spent his entire NFL career with the St. Louis Rams.

San Francisco’s return to the postseason could not have been more dramatic and exciting, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints 36-32 to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1997.

On New Orleans’ first drive of the game it seemed business as usual for the Saints. The offense marched 78 yards downfield, helped by a 23-yard pass interference call on SS Donte Whitner, and had a 3^rd and 6 at San Francisco’s 7-yard line. QB Drew Brees passed to RB Pierre Thomas, when Donte Whitner administered a hard hit to cause a fumble, which was recovered by RILB Patrick Willis. The Niners could not capitalize on this turnover and had to punt eventually.

San Francisco was more successful on their next drive. Starting at their own 46-yard line, it took the Niners two plays and a 49-yard pass to TE Vernon Davis to score the first touchdown of the game.

FS Dashon Goldson intercepted Drew Brees on New Orleans’ following drive and carried the ball to their 4-yard line. After two incompletions QB Alex Smith found WR Michael Crabtree for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

S Madieu Williams tackled WR Courtney Roby on the ensuing kick-off and LB Blake Costanzo recovered the fumble at New Orleans’ 13-yard line. The Saints’ red zone defense made a successful stand and the 49ers had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from David Akers at the start of the second quarter.

New Orleans needed to respond and they needed to do it fast. The Saints were in 49ers territory after a 20-yard catch from WR Marques Colston. 6 plays later Drew Brees found TE Jimmy Graham for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10.

The Saints got the ball back after a 49ers three-and-out and scored again. Starting at their own 39-yard line, it took Drew Brees 7 plays to find Marques Colston for a 25-yard touchdown and a score of 17-14.

The Saints couldn’t make it three scores in a row. Instead, CB Tarell Brown intercepted Drew Brees for the MVP-candidate’s second pick of the game.

The final two minutes of the first half saw three changes of possession but no more scores. Alex Smith lost a fumble after a sack from LB Martez Wilson but it didn’t leave the Saints with enough time to score before half time.

Although the Niners had to punt on the opening possession of the second half they basically kept the drive alive. Punter Andy Lee kicked the ball 57 yards and Blake Costanzo forced a fumble, with S Colin Jones recovering the loose ball at New Orleans’ 27-yard line. The Niners could only gain 3 yards and had to settle for a 41-yard field goal from David Akers to extend the lead to 20-14.

It was the only score in the third quarter but the final quarter of the game may have produced one of the greatest shows on grass ever.

The Saints started their drive at their own 34-yard line but it came to a halt at San Francisco’s 29-yard line. John Kasey made the field goal from 48 yards to cut the lead to 20-17.

The 49ers got the ball back after an exchange of threes-and out. The Niners were at New Orleans’ 22-yard line after a magnificent 42-yard run from RB Frank Gore. San Francisco entered the red zone on the next play but this was as far as they got. David Akers' 37-yard field goal made it 23-17 for the Niners.

The New Orleans Saints earned their first lead of the game on the next drive, when Drew Brees connected on a touchdown pass of 44 yards with RB Darren Sproles.

The Niners had a little over 4 minutes left to strike back. Vernon Davis caught a pass for 37 yards to New Orleans’ 30-yard line. San Francisco gained two more yards before Alex Smith took matters in his own hand and rushed for a 28-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed but the 49ers were back on top 29-24.

Drew Brees had 2:07 minutes left, but only needed 30 seconds to find Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown. The Saints successfully went for two points and took a 32-29 lead.

There were 1:32 minutes on the clock when San Francisco’s offense re-entered the field. Vernon Davis made another big play for 47 yards to get the Niners into field goal position. Moments later San Francisco had a 3^rd and 4 on New Orleans’ 14-yard line. Do you remember “The Catch” between Joe Montana and Dwight Clark from 30 years ago? If you watched yesterday’s game you witnessed “The Grab”. With 14 seconds to go Alex Smith found Vernon Davis who caught the pass on the edge of the end zone and fell backwards for the game-winning touchdown. The 49ers secured a 36-32 win over the favored New Orleans Saints.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 24 of 42 passes for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and a passer rating of 103.2.

Vernon Davis caught 7 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 180 yards are an NFL record for a tight end in a single postseason game.

San Francisco converted only 27% of third downs.

The 49ers were outsacked 4-3.

The Niners allowed Drew Brees to pass for 462 yards.

San Francisco allowed Marques Colston (136), Darren Sproles 116) and Jimmy Graham (103) 100+ receiving yards.

The 49ers held the Saints to 37 yards on the ground.

The Niners won the turnover battle 5-1.

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final three minutes of the 4^th quarter in a postseason game.

The San Francisco 49ers will be represented by eight players in the Pro Bowl, which will be played in Hawaii on 29 January 2012, one week before the Super Bowl.

Starters

RILB Patrick Willis has been selected for the 5^th consecutive time. He has 71 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception and 4 forced fumbles in 12 games.

For RE Justin Smith it’s the 3^rd consecutive selection. The veteran recorded 42 solo tackles, 7 sacks and 3 forced fumbles this season.

LT Joe Staley and LCB Carlos Rogers both received their first invitation to Hawaii. Rogers has 36 solo tackles, a joint team-leading 6 interceptions and defensed 18 passes.

K David Akers will go to his 6^th Pro Bowl and 3^rd in a row. The 37-year old left footed placekicker made 42 of 49 field goals, including an impressive 7-of-9 from 50+ yards, and 30 PATs. He broke Jerry Rice’s franchise record for most points in a season and scored more field goals than any other kicker in an NFL season.

P Andy Lee was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 3^rd time. He averages 50.5 yards per punt this season.

Reserves

RB Frank Gore became the franchise rushing leader earlier this season and won his 3^rd trip to Hawaii. He is rushing for 1,202 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2011.

FS Dahon Goldson has won his first Pro Bowl nomination thanks to 52 solo tackles, 6 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Alternates

LILB NaVorro Bowman has 102 solo tackles and 1 sack this season. It will be his first Pro Bowl if any of the starting or backup inside linebackers isn’t available.

The same applies to LOLB Ahmad Brooks, who has 32 solo tackles, 6 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

LB Blake Costanzo is an alternate due to his outstanding play on special teams, where he recorded 10 solo tackles in 2011.

TE Vernon Davis leads the team with 6 receiving touchdowns and caught 59 passes for 674 yards. It would be his 2^nd Pro Bowl.

WR Ted Ginn Jr. could be another player to represent San Francisco’s strong special teams unit. He averages 27.6 yards per kick return and scored 1 touchdown. He also returned 1 punt for a touchdown and averages 12.3 yards per punt return.

C Jonathan Goodwin and LG Mike Iupati could possibly be representatives of San Francisco’s offensive line.

LE Ray McDonald is another player from San Francisco’s pool of talent, who could see his first trip to the Pro Bowl. This season he recorded 28 solo tackles, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

FB Bruce Miller could see his rookie campaign end with a Pro Bowl selection. He helped Frank Gore to another good season and caught 10 passes for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.

SS Donte Whitner concludes the nominations of potential 49ers for the Pro Bowl roster. The safety has 47 solo tackles, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble this season and, like many of his teammates, has never been to the Pro Bowl before.

Free agency will be an extremely important part of this offseason. The brief lockout prior to the 2011 season affected each team and had an impact on roster decisions. As a consequence, teams signed a lot of players to one-year contracts. With more time available during this offseason teams have to make decisions on whether to re-sign these players to a long-term contract or if they prefer to browse the free agent market for positional improvements. This is an early attempt to look at San Francisco’s 21 free agents and evaluate their status.

OT Alex Boone (24)

Boone is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) at the end of the season, which means the 49ers can make him an offer at the three-year veteran minimum salary and he either takes it or leaves the NFL. This would increase his salary from $ 405,000 to $ 656,000 per season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh often mentioned that the offensive line consists of seven interchangeable players. Alex Boone is the number seven and should expect to receive an offer.

CB Tramaine Brock (23)

Like Alex Boone, Tramaine Brock is an ERFA at the end of this season. He missed three games with a hand injury this season and recorded 4 tackles and 2 interceptions as Carlos Rogers’ backup. He’s also part of special teams. There is little risk in offering him another year.

LOLB Ahmad Brooks (27)

Brooks is a starter and plays nearly every snap. This is his best season by far and he is on pace for 34 solo tackles and 8 sacks. He is part of one of the best linebacker corps in the league and has mentioned his desire to stay in San Francisco. Mario Williams (HOU) and Anthony Spencer (DAL) are the only players who could potentially be an upgrade at this position but Williams will break the bank in the offseason and Brooks is currently better than Spencer. The 49ers and Ahmad Brooks should agree to a contract extension in the offseason.

LB Blake Costanzo (27)

The linebacker is an important part of one of the best special team units the NFL has to offer. If the Niners and Costanzo are happy with this arrangement then they should definitely re-sign him.

WR Braylon Edwards (28)

The wide receiver came to the 49ers to resurrect his career but hasn’t impressed so far. In fact, he is still waiting for his first touchdown in a 49ers uniform. Granted, Edwards missed four games with a knee injury and suffers from an ailing shoulder now but maybe therein lies the problem. Even when he’s healthy he just doesn’t seem to click with QB Alex Smith the way the other receivers do. He won’t come cheap either, considering that his one-year contract is heavily incentive-laden. The 49ers could look into DeSean Jackson (PHI) if they are willing to spend big money, however, Michael Crabtree is finally emerging as a true number one receiver. My personal favorite is Dwayne Bowe (KC) who has all the skills a receiver needs. Other potential targets among the top free agents are Brandon Lloyd (STL) and Robert Meachem (NO), though I suspect the 49ers would have to open up the passing game to make the latter a good fit. If the 49ers have faith in Crabtree as their number one then they could turn their attention to FS Dashon Goldson’s sparring partner Early Doucet (ARZ), Andre Caldwell (CIN), Pierre Garcon (IND) or Deion Branch (NE), provided QB Tom Brady would allow him go.

WR Ted Ginn Jr. (26)

Ted Ginn Jr.’s main job is to return kick-offs and punts but he has also seen extended playing time due to Braylon Edward’s and Josh Morgan’s injuries. Ginn Jr. averages 28.6 yards per kick return, which ranks him 3^rd among kick returners, 11.4 yards per punt return (7^th) and caught 12 passes for 136 yards. Ted Ginn Jr. is one of the best returners in the league and part of a young and talented receiver corps. Both sides should agree to a contract extension.

FS Dashon Goldson (27)

The hard-hitting safety has 40 solo tackles and 3 interceptions on the season. His play is inspirational but he has to become a lot more disciplined. He got ejected after throwing punches at Arizona Cardinals’ Early Doucet and cost the team several 15-yard penalties throughout the season. There aren’t going to be any better free safeties available in free agency, i.e. Goldson should be kept unless his demands are unrealistic.

To be continued ...

The San Francisco 49ers trimmed their roster to the required 53 men. Most moves were expected but some were surprising. In a conference call with the media head coach Jim Harbaugh gives his view on it.

Harbaugh on quarterback situation

By releasing Josh McCown and McLeod Bethel-Thompson the 49ers currently have two quarterbacks on their roster. “We feel confident in Colin [Kaepernick],” Harbaugh said, but it doesn’t preclude the franchise from doing anything that helps the football team, including going after a young quarterback. Asked whether there will be a third quarterback before the regular season starts, Harbaugh replied that he anticipates that there will be one in the building, practice squad or other. The head coach didn’t explain why he cut Josh McCown, but said it’s possible that he’s available if the 49ers need a third quarterback.

Harbaugh on backup running back situation

“I think that’s an ongoing decision, who’s playing better. And there will be a rotation. All three of those backs will play. Right now, Kendall Hunter is ahead on the depth chart.”

Harbaugh on tight ends

It is a possibility to add a third tight end but Jim Harbaugh also acknowledged that Bruce Miller can do some of the things a third tight end can do. “Yes, he can, as well as play on special teams. He’s definitely going to be a swing guy in that regard.”

Harbaugh on keeping seven defensive linemen

“Demarcus Dobbs and Ian Williams, we felt, earned a spot. We feel they have a good upside. That’s a tough position to find in the National Football League, those big bodies. We were pleased.”

Harbaugh on special teams

Jim Harbaugh expects C.J. Spillman, Blake Costanzo and Colin Jones to be on all special teams units. “In the National Football League, you have to win two of three phases to win a game. We want to be strong on special teams. And that’s a sign that we want to be strong on special team.”