Donte Whitner enjoyed his finest NFL season in 2011. The veteran safety earned his first Pro Bowl nod and finally reached the playoffs with the NFC West champion 49ers after toiling in Buffalo for the first five years of his career. Yet he's obviously still disappointed after the Niners were slayed in overtime of the NFC Championship Game by the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants. Asked on NFL Network's NFL Total Access on Tuesday night if he watched Super Bowl XLVI, Whitner responded: "Bits and pieces of it. I... [Read More]
Groundbreaking on the 49ers stadium has been pushed up from January 2013 to late spring, raising prospects that the billion-dollar building will be completed in time for the 2014 season, not 2015 as originally planned according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Stadium dollars have been falling into place since the lockout ended in the summer, in early December, the team secured $850 million in loans from Goldman Sachs, U.S. Bank and Bank of America. Earlier this month, NFL owners agreed to give the 49ers $200... [Read More]
The San Francisco 49ers have signed free agent long-snapper Ryan Pontbriand, a league source confirmed on Tuesday. A fifth-round pick out of Rice University by the Cleveland Browns in 2003, Pontbriand handled the snapping duties in 134 games for the Browns from 2003 through his release last November after a couple of poor snaps in critical moments of a 13-12 loss to the St. Louis Rams and a 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Pontbriand, 32, was a Pro Bowler in 2007 and 2008 and will be reunited with 49ers special... [Read More]
With the Niners considering free agents QB Alex Smith, CB Carlos Rogers and S Dashon Goldson, among others, as bigger priorities, Pro Football Weekly hears the team could have a hard time hanging on to unrestricted free-agent LB Ahmad Brooks, who has off-the-charts ability but hasn't always toed the line the way the team would like. The prospect of dynamic first-round OLB Aldon Smith moving into the starting lineup in Brooks' place is hardly a stretch.
The 49ers named Tracy Smith as special-teams assistant coach on Friday. They also gave new titles to Ejiro Evero, who is now offensive assistant and Michael Christianson is offensive assistant and coordinator of football technology. Smith was a coaching assistant with the Seahawks in 2011. He was a special-teams assistant with the Browns prior to that, working with current 49ers assistant head coach/special-teams coordinator Brad Seely.
The 49ers are in the process of granting veteran cornerback Shawntae Spencer permission to seek a trade, sources told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Spencer, 30, an eight-year veteran, does not appear to fit into the 49ers' plans after he ended the season as the No. 5 cornerback. Spencer did not suit up for either of the 49ers' two playoff games as one of the team's active 46 players. Spencer is scheduled to make $3.3 million, including a $100,000 workout bonus, a sum of money the 49ers do not appear likely to commit... [Read More]
Santa Clara leaders Tuesday night approved plans for a new 49ers stadium by the 2014 season, finalizing the team's exit from San Francisco sooner than expected. The City Council voted 5-1 to support an $878.6 million contract that calls for kicking off construction on the 68,500-seat stadium in July, about six months earlier than anticipated, and finishing it by August 2014, in time for the exhibition season. The 49ers, who have called San Francisco their home since their founding in 1946, could play just two more... [Read More]
Former 49ers wide receiver Freddie Solomon died Monday afternoon after a nine-month battle with colon and liver cancer, according to family friend George Levy per the Tampa Tribune. He was 59. Solomon's health recently took a turn for the worse and he was hospitalized on Feb. 4. "Freddie Solomon was a treasure for us in San Francisco,'' said former 49ers safety Ronnie Lott, a Pro Football Hall of Famer. "What a humanitarian he has been for the city of Tampa.'' Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, the former 49ers... [Read More]
Now that Randy Moss has expressed a desire to return to playing in the NFL, the question is where will he land? Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports reports that according to a source close to Moss, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets are at least curious and the San Francisco 49ers could look to fill a hole if they let go of Josh Morgan in free agency. A source with one of those teams conveyed via text it would be “intriguing” to see what Moss has left in the tank after a year away from the game.
An under the radar player who is expected to be a very hot free agent is 49ers receiver Josh Morgan. Teams are buzzing about the possibility of acquiring Morgan, who is considered a very good talent who should be available at a lesser price than the receivers on the top rung. The 49ers have been enthralled with Morgan for four years, but he never really had a breakout because of health issues and offensive ineptitude in previous seasons. A broken leg limited him to five games in 2011. But front office men see Morgan as... [Read More]
Santa Clara officials are expected to approve a construction contract for the San Francisco 49ers' new stadium that calls on the facility to open in 2014, a year earlier than originally projected. City officials are scheduled to vote on the $878 million building contract Tuesday, the San Jose Mercury News reported. It requires construction to begin by July 1 and the stadium to be completed in time to open at the end of August 2014. The contractor, Turner-Devcon, would be fined $6 million for each 49ers game missed... [Read More]
The San Francisco 49ers have denied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' request to interview secondary coach Ed Donatell for their defensive coordinator opening, Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network reports. Donatell, 53, joined the 49ers last off-season after coaching the Denver Broncos secondary under Josh McDaniels from 2009-10. Donatell has defensive coordinator experience with the University of Washington (2008) and with the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and Green Bay Packers (2000-03).
Gideon Yu, who previously served as chief financial officer of both YouTube and Facebook, was officially named the team’s president and co-owner Thursday, according to CBSSports.com Rapid Reporter Kyle Bonagura. “My whole career has led to this point," Yu said in a statement released by the 49ers. "My job here is the perfect mix of my passions for football, entrepreneurship, business management and technology. Being at my favorite team in my favorite sport is a dream come true.” Forty-niners CEO Jed York... [Read More]
The 49ers have extended the contract of general manager Trent Baalke through 2016. The news was announced Friday by team CEO Jed York. Baalke was given the title of general manager in January 2011 and found immediate success with head coach Jim Harbaugh. The team went 13-3 and reached the NFC championship game in their first season at the helm, and Baalke was named the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America Executive of the Year. Previously, Baalke had served other roles in the San Francisco front... [Read More]
San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson is scheduled to become a free agent in March, but it doesn't sound like he's going anywhere. Goldson told radio station KGMZ in the Bay Area on Friday that he wants to return to the 49ers and the feeling is mutual, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "I think those guys are excited about me being there and I'm sure they want me back," Goldson said. "They've expressed how much they want me back. I want to be back there. Like I said, if I'm not... [Read More]
