2009 San Francisco 49ers season

2009 San Francisco 49ers season
Head coach Mike Singletary
Home field Candlestick Park
Results
Record 8–8
Division Place 2nd NFC West
Playoff finish did not qualify
Pro Bowlers 5
AP All-Pros Patrick Willis (1st team)
Andy Lee (2nd team)
Uniform
Timeline
Previous season Next season
2008 2010

The 2009 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 64th season, and the first full year with Mike Singletary as head coach after being named interim head coach in 2008.[1] It is the seventh year in which the 49ers have their seventh offensive coordinator.[2] They were looking to improve upon their 7–9 record from 2008 with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft,[3]

The 49ers started the 2009 season hot by winning three of the first four games. Their only loss in that span was against the Minnesota Vikings on a last-second, 32-yard touchdown from QB Brett Favre to WR Greg Lewis. With that, and a week-5 blowout loss against the Atlanta Falcons, the team got a bad omen for the remainder of the year. The 49ers' defense, led by linebacker Patrick Willis, kept the 49ers in games, while their offense was inconsistent. Most of the blame was due to their weak offensive line, namely, the injury of left tackle Joe Staley in a week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The 49ers won a week 12 home game over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20–3. The win helped keep the 49ers' season alive. Going into week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers were heavily favored to win the game; however, critical mistakes in the game cost them the win and gave the team a huge blow of any chances of making the playoffs. The following week on Monday Night Football, the 49ers played the Arizona Cardinals, who were trying to clinch the NFC West. The 49ers' defense came out and exploded on the Cardinals top-ranked offense, causing them to turn over the ball 7 times. This was the first time San Francisco caused 7 or more turnovers in a game since forcing eight against the New Orleans Saints on September 14, 1997. The 49ers won the game 24–9, keeping their very slim playoff hopes alive. The next week they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles. The loss officially wiped out the 49ers from playoff contention.

Despite being benched for 5 and a half games, Alex Smith came in and threw for a career-best 2,350 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Frank Gore rushed for 1,120 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was awarded his second Pro Bowl appearance. Tight end Vernon Davis turned his career around by leading the team with 965 yards and 13 touchdowns – which tied the single-season record for most touchdowns by a tight end. Rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who held out the first four games of the season, was able to put up solid numbers, with 625 receiving yards, 48 receptions, and 2 touchdowns. On defense, Patrick Willis, for the second time in his first three seasons in the league, led the NFL with 152 tackles and helped the 49ers become one of the best defensive units in the NFL. He was awarded his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.

Contents

Offseason

Coaching changes

The 49ers released Mike Martz on December 30, 2008. One day following the firing of Martz, the 49ers released quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner and running backs coach Tony Nathan. "To get where we needed to go, I felt those decisions needed to be made at this time," said Mike Singletary.[4] Tony Nathan's replacement came on January 7, 2009 when former 49ers' fullback Tom Rathman agreed to become the new running backs coach.[5]

Before the 49ers found a new quarterbacks coach, they introduced two new coaching positions on January 12, 2009. Mike Singletary's nephew Vantz Singletary became the 49ers' inside linebackers coach, while Al Harris was signed as the 49ers' pass rush specialist coach.[6]

One month after the firing of Martz, Jimmy Raye was finally hired as offensive coordinator, making him the seventh offensive coordinator in seven years for the 49ers. Along with the hiring of Raye, Ted Tollner's replacement Mike Johnson was signed as the 49ers' quarterback coach.[7]

The 49ers' next coaching addition would be Jason Michael as an offensive assistant on March 6, 2009.[8]

Offensive coordinator search

[Mike Singletary and I] had a shared vision of how you play the game and what we would like to see when the game is played ... His passion for football is kind of contagious. That started the mutual understanding between the two of us.

– Jimmy Raye after being hired as San Francisco's offensive coordinator.[9]

Two days after Mike Singletary was hired as San Francisco's head coach, Singletary fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz. "I am not what he is looking for offensively. I understand that," said Martz in a statement released by the club.[2] With the firing of Martz, the 49ers guaranteed themselves their seventh offensive coordinator in seven years. Possible replacement candidates included Colts wide receivers coach Clyde Christensen,[10] former Rams head coach Scott Linehan,[10] Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.[10] After a second interview with the 49ers, Linehan was offered the position; however, he declined the position stating that it was not right for his family.[11] Soon after, Linehan accepted the offensive coordinator position for the Detroit Lions.[12] Following, the 49ers interviews Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison,[13] former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski,[14] and Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson.[15] In the same day as the interview with Jackson, the 49ers flew in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Reeves for an interview for the position.[15] Following the Reeves interview, the 49ers interviewed Hue Jackson a second time.[16]

One day after Jackson was interviewed, former New York Jets' running back coach Jimmy Raye II was interviewed, making him the eighth offensive coordinator candidate to be interviewed by the 49ers.[17] After interviewing with the 49ers, Raye was named the new offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers; coincidentally, Raye’s first NFL job was the wide receivers coach for the 49ers under Ken Meyer in 1977.[7] Raye stated that he and Mike Singletary shared a belief on how football should be played, that being a ground-based, physical football team. Raye has had successful years as a run-based offensive coordinator, namely with the 1984 Los Angeles Rams, when Eric Dickerson rushed for a league-record 2,105 yards.[9] However, his recent success has been questionable. While being the Oakland Raiders' offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2005, the Raiders were 32nd and 29th in rushing offense, respectively.[18] Nonetheless, while Raye was running backs coach for the New York Jets over the past two years, Jets' running back Thomas Jones has finished each season with over 1,000 yards rushing. In the 2008 season, Jones finished the season with the 5th most rushing yards, behind only Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, and Clinton Portis.[19][20]

Uniform change

In 1996 the 49ers changed their uniforms to a darker cardinal red, with the most recent change being updating their pants back to gold in 1998. Eleven years later, the 49ers decided to once again modify their uniform.[21] The uniform change rumors were confirmed by Andy Dolich at the 49ers' State of the Franchise. When asked when they were going to change their uniforms "back to normal", Dolich replied, stating, "Stay tuned. Don’t be surprised if you see championship colors back". The uniforms were revealed on April 25, 2009 during the first day of the draft. 49ers players Patrick Willis, Josh Morgan, Dashon Goldson, Joe Staley, and Moran Norris displayed the new jerseys and pants at the 49ers draft party. The new jerseys are very similar to the classic design, with minor changes to the sleeve stripes, the moving of secondary numerals to the top of the shoulders, and the inclusion of a "49ers" ligature below the neck.[21] The shade of red is also arguably slightly darker than the scarlet of classic jerseys, but significantly lighter than the cardinal red used in the 1996–2008 designs.

Roster changes

Additions

The following are players signed by the 49ers in the 2009 off-season:

Date Signed Position Player 2008 Team Contract
01-22 DB Jimmy Williams[22] Did not play Released
01-23 WR Micheal Spurlock[23] Tampa Bay Buccaneers TBA
01-29 WR Maurice Price[24] New England Patriots TBA
02-28 WR Brandon Jones[25] Tennessee Titans 5 yrs / $16.5 mil
03-02 FB Moran Norris[26] Detroit Lions 3 yrs / $5 mil
03-04 QB Damon Huard[27] Kansas City Chiefs TBA
03-10 DE Demetric Evans[28] Washington Redskins 2 yrs / $3.8 mil
03-16 S Lewis Baker[29] Did not play Released
03-16 LB Mark Washington[29] Did not play TBA
03-27 OT Marvel Smith[30] Pittsburgh Steelers TBA
04-30 OT Alex Boone[31] Ohio State Buckeyes TBA
04-30 LB Diyral Biggs[31] Bowling Green Falcons TBA
04-30 WR Dobson Collins[31] Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs TBA
04-30 DE Pannel Egboh[31] Stanford Cardinal TBA
04-30 QB Kirby Freeman[31] Baylor Bears Released
04-30 G Kyle Howard[31] Wyoming Cowboys TBA
04-30 G/C Matthew Huners[31] South Florida Bulls Released
04-30 CB Terrail Lambert[31] Notre Dame Fighting Irish TBA
04-30 DE Khalif Mitchell[31] East Carolina Pirates TBA
04-30 RB Kory Sheets[31] Purdue Boilermakers Released
04-30 CB Carlos Thomas[31] South Carolina Gamecocks TBA
04-30 CB Jahi Word-Daniels[31] Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets TBA
04-30 LB Marques Harris[32] San Diego Chargers 1yr
05-01 K Alex Romero[33] New Orleans VooDoo TBA
05-21 CB Dré Bly[34] Denver Broncos 1 yr
07-07 FB Brit Miller[35] Illinois Fighting Illini TBA
07-30 DL Babatunde Oshinowo[36] Philadelphia Eagles Released
07-31 G/C Matt Spanos[37] Miami Dolphins 1 yr
08-07 WR Chris Francies[38] New Orleans Saints TBA
08-16 FB Bill Rentmeester[39] Wisconsin Badgers
08-19 CB Eric Green[40] Arizona Cardinals 1 yr

† College football team
Arena Football League team

Departures

The following are players who were released by the 49ers in the 2009 off-season:[41]

Date Released Position Player Contract left 2009 Team
02-10 LB Tully Banta-Cain 1yr / $1.275 mil New England Patriots[42]
02-10 S Keith Lewis 1yr / $0.85 mil Arizona Cardinals[43]
03-27 OT Jonas Jennings[44] 3yrs
05-13 QB Kirby Freeman[45]
05-18 S Jimmy Williams
07-24 S Lewis Baker[46]
07-31 C/G Matthew Huners[47]
08-07 DL Babatunde Oshinowo[38]
08-16 RB Thomas Clayton[39]

Free agents

The following are players whose contracts expired at the end of the 2008 season:[48]

Position Player Free agency
tag*
2009 Team Date Signed Contract
TE Billy Bajema UFA St. Louis Rams[49] March 30, 2009 TBA
T Damane Duckett UFA New England Patriots[50] March 24, 2009 TBA
DL Ronald Fields UFA Denver Broncos[51] March 3, 2009 2yrs / $5 mil
RB DeShaun Foster UFA TBA
LB Roderick Green UFA TBA
WR Bryant Johnson UFA Detroit Lions[52] February 28, 2009 3yrs / $9 mil
QB Jamie Martin UFA TBA
QB JT O'Sullivan UFA Cincinnati Bengals[53] March 6, 2009 2yrs
RS Allen Rossum UFA San Francisco 49ers[28] March 10, 2009 TBA
TE Sean Ryan UFA Kansas City Chiefs[54] April 21, 2009 TBA
LB Takeo Spikes UFA San Francisco 49ers[27] March 4, 2009 2 yrs
CB Donald Strickland UFA New York Jets[55] March 25, 2009 3yrs
FB Zak Keasey ERFA TBA

*RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent

2009 NFL Draft

After finishing the 2008 season with a 7–9 record, the 49ers held the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.[3]

San Francisco 49ers' 2009 NFL Draft selections[56]
Draft order Player name Position Height Weight College Contract Notes
Round Choice Overall
1 10 10 Michael Crabtree WR 6 ft 2 in 214 lb Texas Tech 6 yrs
2 11 43 Traded Traded to the Carolina Panthers
3 10 74 Glen Coffee RB 6 ft 0 in 209 lb Alabama 4 yrs
4 11 111 Traded Traded to the Carolina Panthers
5 10 146 Scott McKillop ILB 6 ft 1 in 244 lb Pitt 4 yrs
35 171 Nate Davis QB 6 ft 1 in 226 lb Ball State 4 yrs Compensatory Pick
6 11 184 Bear Pascoe TE 6 ft 5 in 261 lb Fresno State 4 yrs
7 10 219 Curtis Taylor S 6 ft 3 in 204 lb LSU 4 yrs / $1.8 mil
35 244 Ricky Jean-Francois DT 6 ft 3 in 281 lb LSU 4 yrs Compensatory Pick

Surprisingly, the Oakland Raiders opted to choose WR Darrius Heyward-Bey at the 7th pick instead of WR Michael Crabtree, who was considered the top wide receiver in the draft. Because of this, the 49ers were able to pick Crabtree at the 10th selection. "Once we got to 10 and Crabtree was there, it was over," said general manager Scot McCloughan, "... this is great, this is outstanding." Additionally, the 49ers traded their 2009 2nd- and 4th-round picks to the Carolina Panthers for their 2010 1st-round pick.[57]

Starting quarterback search

At the start of the 2008 season, JT O'Sullivan was named the starting quarterback of the 49ers, beating out the injured Alex Smith and third-string Shaun Hill. However, after a performing poorly for the fist half of the season, O'Sullivan was benched and Hill became the starting quarterback.[58] By the season's end, Hill's numbers were solid; however, even with a career passer rating of 91.6 going into 2009, Mike Singletary has stated that Hill will not be named the starting quarterback for the 49ers.[59] "There’s going to be competition for that spot," said Singletary the 49ers' State of the Franchise Meeting, "If Alex is back, there will be competition for that spot."[60]

Just hours after Kurt Warner decided to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers signed a one-year deal with quarterback Damon Huard. The signing of Huard brings veteran experience to the 49ers' quarterback corp. On March 10, Smith accepted a pay cut to stay with the 49ers. On top of the release of JT O'Sullivan, last year's starting quarterback, to the Cincinnati Bengals, Hill, Smith, Huard, and draft pick Nate Davis will be competing for the starting quarterback position.

Chasing Kurt Warner

Heading into the 2005 season, Arizona Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner became a free agent. After being offered a two-year, $20 million contract by the Cardinals, Warner declined. Following, Warner decided to take a visit to the 49ers on March 2, 2009.[61] The 49ers sent a private jet for Warner and his wife Brenda; a limousine brought the couple to Silicon Valley, where the 49ers' training complex is located.[62] However, on March 4, Warner resigned to the Cardinals for a two-year, $23 million deal. Many believe that the visit to California was a way to gain leverage on the Cardinals in order to raise the contract deal; although Warner and his agent insists that was not the case.[63]

Restructuring Smith's contract

"There's definitely a different feeling around the facility with coach (Mike) Singletary here, with some of the new people he's brought in ... It's kind of a fresh attitude. I feel like I get a chance to start fresh and try to become the player I know I can be." – Alex Smith[64]

Alex Smith, the number one overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft by the 49ers, was scheduled to make $9.625 million going into the 2009 season. However, with one-and-a-half seasons on the Injured reserve list, the 49ers asked Smith to renegotiate his contract.[64] After returning from his honeymoon in the Maldives, Smith agreed to a pay cut at an undisclosed amount. With the cut, Smith says that he is ready to compete for the starting quarterback spot, primarily against Shaun Hill. "I’m glad it’s against Shaun," Smith said, "He’s a great guy. I can’t think of a better guy to compete against."[65]

Captains

On September 11, 2009, head coach Mike Singletary announced the 2009 season captains for the 49ers. They were center Eric Heitmann and tight end Vernon Davis for the offense; linebacker Patrick Willis, linebacker Takeo Spikes and defensive end Justin Smith for the defense, and running back Michael Robinson for special teams. The captains were chosen by Singletary himself.[66]

Davis' selection as captain represented a turnaround after he was benched during Singletary's first game as head coach in 2008.

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game Site TV NFL Recap
Final score Team record
1 Friday, Aug. 14 7 p.m. PDT Denver Broncos W 17–16 1–0 Candlestick Park KPIX Recap
2 Saturday, Aug. 22 5:15 pm PDT Oakland Raiders W 21–20 2–0 Candlestick Park KPIX Recap
3 Saturday, Aug. 29 5 p.m. PDT at Dallas Cowboys W 20–13 3–0 Cowboys Stadium KPIX Recap
4 Friday, Sept. 4 7 p.m. PDT at San Diego Chargers L 7–26 3–1 Qualcomm Stadium KPIX Recap

Regular season

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game Site TV NFL Recap
Final score Team record
1 September 13 1:15 pm PDT at Arizona Cardinals W 20–16 1–0 University of Phoenix Stadium Fox Recap
2 September 20 1:05 pm PDT Seattle Seahawks W 23–10 2–0 Candlestick Park Fox Recap
3 September 27 10 a.m. PDT at Minnesota Vikings L 24–27 2–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Fox Recap
4 October 4 1:15 pm PDT St. Louis Rams W 35–0 3–1 Candlestick Park Fox Recap
5 October 11 1:05 pm PDT Atlanta Falcons L 10–45 3–2 Candlestick Park Fox Recap
6 Bye Week
7 October 25 10 a.m. PDT at Houston Texans L 21–24 3–3 Reliant Stadium Fox Recap
8 November 1 10 a.m. PST at Indianapolis Colts L 14–18 3–4 Lucas Oil Stadium Fox Recap
9 November 8 1:15 pm PST Tennessee Titans L 27–34 3–5 Candlestick Park CBS Recap
10 Nov. 12 (Thursday) 5:20 pm PST Chicago Bears W 10–6 4–5 Candlestick Park NFLN Recap
11 November 22 10 a.m. PST at Green Bay Packers L 24–30 4–6 Lambeau Field Fox Recap
12 November 29 1:05 pm PST Jacksonville Jaguars W 20–3 5–6 Candlestick Park CBS Recap
13 December 6 1:15 pm PST at Seattle Seahawks L 17–20 5–7 Qwest Field Fox Recap
14 Dec. 14 (Monday) 5:30 pm PST Arizona Cardinals W 24–9 6–7 Candlestick Park ESPN Recap
15 December 20 1:15 pm PST at Philadelphia Eagles L 13–27 6–8 Lincoln Financial Field Fox Recap
16 December 27 1:05 pm PST Detroit Lions W 20–6 7–8 Candlestick Park Fox Recap
17 January 3, 2010 10 a.m. PST at St. Louis Rams W 28–6 8–8 Edward Jones Dome Fox Recap
NOTE: Division games are in bold text.

Standings

NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
y (4) Arizona Cardinals 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 375 325 L1
San Francisco 49ers 8 8 0 .500 5–1 7–5 330 281 W2
Seattle Seahawks 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 280 390 L4
St. Louis Rams 1 15 0 .063 0–6 1–11 175 436 L8

Final roster

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists

Practice Squad

53 Active, 7 Inactive, 8 PS

References

  1. ^ "49ers make Singletary coach heading into 2009". ESPN.com. December 29, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3796761. Retrieved January 26, 2009. 
  2. ^ a b Crumpacker, John (December 31, 2008). "49ers fire Martz". SFGate. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/30/SPI91519E8.DTL. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  3. ^ a b "49ers to Draft at 10th Overall". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5069&section=PR%20News. Retrieved 2009-01-07. 
  4. ^ "49ers Dismiss Tollner, Nathan". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5071&section=PR%20News. Retrieved 2009-01-08. 
  5. ^ "Rathman to coach Niners running backs". ESPN. 2009-01-07. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3817663. Retrieved 2009-01-08. 
  6. ^ "49ers Add New Coaching Positions". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5091. Retrieved 2009-12-09. 
  7. ^ a b "Raye is new offensive coordinator". The Press Democrat. January 28, 2009. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090128/SPORTS/901280138/1021/SPORTS05?Title=Raye_is_49ers__new_offensive_coordinator. Retrieved January 29, 2009. 
  8. ^ Crumpacker, John (March 7, 2009). "Singletary hires offensive assistant". The San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/SPVL16AOBJ.DTL. Retrieved March 7, 2009. 
  9. ^ a b "Niners tap Raye to run offense". ESPN.com. January 30, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3872751. Retrieved January 30, 2009. 
  10. ^ a b c "Interview Rundown". 49ers.com. January 14, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5094. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  11. ^ Crumpacker, John (January 19, 2009). "Linehan says no to 49ers' offer". SFGate. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/18/SPS515CR63.DTL. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  12. ^ "Linehan to coach Lions' offense". ESPN.com. January 23, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3855314. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  13. ^ "49ers interview Broncos' Dennison for offensive coordinator post". NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e13e2d&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  14. ^ "49ers to interview Jagodzinski for offensive coordinator job". NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e3fe18&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  15. ^ a b "49ers might land an old hand". The Sacramento Bee. January 24, 2009. http://www.sacbee.com/360/story/1569991.html. Retrieved January 25, 2009. 
  16. ^ "49ers, Jackson will talk again". ESPN.com. January 27, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3865028. Retrieved January 27, 2009. 
  17. ^ "Raye is eighth to interview with 49ers". ESPN.com. January 28, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3867652. Retrieved January 29, 2009. 
  18. ^ "Jimmy Raye is in the building". The Sacramento Bee. January 28, 2009. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/019012.html. Retrieved January 30, 2009. 
  19. ^ Cimini, Rich (December 1, 2008). "Thomas Jones tops 1,000 yards again". NY Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2008/11/30/2008-11-30_thomas_jones_tops_1000_yards_again.html. Retrieved February 21, 2009. 
  20. ^ "NFL 2008 Player Statistics". NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/stats/player?seasonId=2008&seasonType=REG&Submit=Go. Retrieved February 21, 2009. 
  21. ^ a b Leahy, Sean (February 18, 2009). "49ers plan a uniform change". USA Today. http://blogs.usatoday.com/thehuddle/2009/02/49ers-plan-a-un.html. Retrieved February 18, 2009. 
  22. ^ "49ers Sign DB Jimmy Wiliams". 49ers.com. 2009-01-22. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5103. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
  23. ^ "49ers Sign WR Michael Spurlock". 49ers.com. 2009-01-23. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5107. Retrieved 2009-01-24. 
  24. ^ "49ers Sign WR Maurice Price". 49ers.com. January 29, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5118. Retrieved January 30, 2009. 
  25. ^ Marvez, Alex (February 28, 2009). "WR Jones leaves Titans, signs deal with 49ers". Fox Sports. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9277262/WR-Jones-leaves-Titans,-signs-deal-with-49ers. Retrieved February 28, 2009. 
  26. ^ Maiocco, Matt (March 2, 2009). "49ers wooing Kurt Warner". Press Democrat. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090302/SPORTS/903020909?Title=49ers-wooing-Kurt-Warner. Retrieved March 3, 2009. 
  27. ^ a b "49ers Sign LB Spikes and QB Huard". 49ers.com. March 4, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5180&section=PR%20News. Retrieved March 4, 2009. 
  28. ^ a b "49ers Sign KR/PR Rossum and DE Evans". 49ers.com. March 10, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5189. Retrieved March 11, 2009. 
  29. ^ a b "49ers Sign Baker and Washington". 49ers.com. March 16, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5196. Retrieved March 16, 2009. 
  30. ^ Crumpacker, John (March 27, 2009). "For 49ers, it's the changing of the tackle". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/28/SP0A16OCLU.DTL&type=49ers. Retrieved March 28, 2009. 
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "49ers Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents". 49ers.com. April 30, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5278. Retrieved May 1, 2009. 
  32. ^ "49ers Sign LB Marques Harris". 49ers.com. April 30, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5277. Retrieved May 1, 2009. 
  33. ^ "49ers Sign K Alex Romero". 49ers.com. May 1, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5279. Retrieved May 1, 2009. 
  34. ^ "49ers Sign CB Dré Bly". 49ers.com. May 21, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5314. Retrieved May 22, 2009. 
  35. ^ "49ers Claim FB Brit Miller". 49ers.com. July 7, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5380. Retrieved July 8, 2009. 
  36. ^ "49ers Sign DL Babatunde Oshinowo". 49ers.com. July 30, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-sign-dl-babatunde-oshinowo/a72073ad-a44c-4450-8b0b-93d27d129f8b. Retrieved August 1, 2009. 
  37. ^ "49ers Sign G/C Matt Spanos". 49ers.com. July 31, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-sign-gc-matt-spanos/0a87242a-69cc-4ce0-bb44-4fbfdf3546b0. Retrieved August 2, 2009. 
  38. ^ a b "49ers Sign WR Francies; Release DL Oshinowo". 49ers.com. August 7, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-sign-wr-francies-release-dl-oshinowo/f402d1ae-5ad1-436a-8ad1-bc933d4492d0. Retrieved August 7, 2009. 
  39. ^ a b "49ers Waive/Injured RB Clayton; Sign FB Rentmeester". 49ers.com. August 16, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-waiveinjured-rb-clayton-sign-fb-rentmeester/9ef7ac39-8cac-4e79-bd95-39b08c264f71. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
  40. ^ "49ers sign CB Eric Green". Mercury News. August 19, 2009. http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2009/08/19/49ers-sign-cb-eric-green/. Retrieved August 20, 2009. 
  41. ^ "Banta-Cain & Lewis: Why they're gone". San Francisco Illustrated. February 10, 2009. http://sfo.scout.com/2/838382.html. Retrieved February 11, 2009. 
  42. ^ Reiss, Mike (February 24, 2009). "Patriot return thrills Banta-Cain". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2009/02/24/patriot_return_thrills_banta_cain/. Retrieved March 4, 2009. 
  43. ^ "Cardinals sign safety Lewis, re-sign 2 others". KSWT. March 2, 2009. http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=9933100&nav=menu613_2_6. Retrieved March 2, 2009. 
  44. ^ Massei, Craig (March 27, 2009). "The tackle two-step: Jennings out, Smith in". Scout. http://sfo.scout.com/2/851334.html. Retrieved March 30, 2009. 
  45. ^ "49ers Waive QB Freeman". 49er.com. May 12, 2009. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5299. Retrieved May 13, 2009. 
  46. ^ "49ers Sign QB Davis to 4-Year Deal". 49ers.com. July 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-sign-qb-davis-to-4-year-deal/158f7518-6fa8-4c8a-932c-2f5128a9710c. Retrieved July 27, 2009. 
  47. ^ "49ers Assign McDonald to PUP List, Release Huners". 49ers.com. July 31, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/49ers-assign-mcdonald-to-pup-list-release-huners/f0dc1041-444d-4116-ab4c-0d2851e5530b. Retrieved August 2, 2009. 
  48. ^ "49ers Free Agent List". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5078. Retrieved 2009-01-07. 
  49. ^ Pasquarelli, Len (March 30, 2009). "Bajema brings blocking skills to Rams". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4028355. Retrieved March 30, 2009. 
  50. ^ Gasper, Christopher (March 24, 2009). "Patriots to open on a Monday night". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2009/03/24/patriots_to_open_on_a_monday_night/. Retrieved March 27, 2009. 
  51. ^ "Broncos sign DT Ronald Fields". The Associated Press. March 3, 2009. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8GwTqSq4yzJGN9jnfsx-Vxgll_wD96MU7E80. Retrieved March 4, 2009. 
  52. ^ Niyo, John (February 28, 2009). "Lions to sign WR Bryant Johnson from 49ers". The Detroit News. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090228/SPORTS0101/902280421/1265. Retrieved February 28, 2009. 
  53. ^ "NFL: Bengals sign QB O'Sullivan". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 7, 2009. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20090307_NFL___Bengals_sign_QB_O_Sullivan.html. Retrieved March 7, 2009. 
  54. ^ "Chiefs sign TE Ryan". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.seattlepi.com/scorecard/nflnews.asp?articleID=258389. Retrieved April 27, 2009. 
  55. ^ Hutchinson, Dave (March 25, 2009). "New York Jets sign veteran cornerback Donald Strickland". NJ.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2009/03/jets_sign_veteran_cornerback_d.html. Retrieved March 26, 2009. 
  56. ^ "49ers Draft Central". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/draft2009.php. Retrieved April 28, 2009. 
  57. ^ Crumpacker, John (April 26, 2009). "49ers catch Crabtree". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/26/SPVU1796RR.DTL. Retrieved April 28, 2009. 
  58. ^ Liotta, Tim (March 1, 2009). "Alex Smith comeback story would draw attention". San Francisco Examiner. http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/Liotta-An-Alex-Smith-comeback-story-would-draw-plenty-of-attention-40408402.html. Retrieved March 3, 2009. 
  59. ^ Crumpacker, John (March 10, 2009). "Smith, 49ers agree to new deal". San Francisco Gate. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/10/SPKT16CJ56.DTL. Retrieved March 10, 2009. 
  60. ^ Price, Taylor (February 16, 2009). "State of the Franchise a Hit with Fans". 49ers.com. http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5148. Retrieved February 18, 2009. 
  61. ^ Brodsky, Will (March 2, 2009). "Warner Set to Talk to the Niners; What Does it All Mean?". Cardinals Gab. http://www.cardinalsgab.com/2009/03/02/warner-set-to-talk-to-the-niners-what-does-it-all-mean/. Retrieved March 5, 2009. 
  62. ^ "49ers Roll Out Red Carpet for Warner". NBC Bay Area. March 2, 2009. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/sports/football/49ers-Roll-Out-Red-Carpet-for-Warner.html. Retrieved March 5, 2009. 
  63. ^ Bordow, Scott (March 5, 2009). "Kurt Warner and Cardinals play let’s make a deal". Boston Herald. http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/football/other_nfl/view/2009_03_05_Kurt_Warner_and_Cardinals_play_let_s_make_a_deal/srvc=home&position=recent. Retrieved March 5, 2009. 
  64. ^ a b Crumpacker, John (March 11, 2009). "A fresh start for 49ers' Smith". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/11/SPKT16CJ56.DTL. Retrieved March 11, 2009. 
  65. ^ Killion, Ann (March 10, 2009). "A new beginning for Alex Smith with 49ers". Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_11883849. Retrieved March 11, 2009. 
  66. ^ "www.csncalifornia.com/pages/landing?&Mike-Singletary-names-49ers-Captains-img=1&blockID=74600&feedID=2539". http://www.csncalifornia.com/pages/landing?&Mike-Singletary-names-49ers-Captains-img=1&blockID=74600&feedID=2539. 

External links

AFC East North South West East North South West NFC
Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona
Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina St. Louis
New England Cleveland Jacksonville Oakland Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco
NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee San Diego Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle
2009 NFL DraftNFL playoffsPro BowlSuper Bowl XLIV