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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

49ers Player Released on Cutdown Pos. Current Team Capacity Brit Miller RB 49ers Practice Squad Kory Sheets RB 49ers Practice Squad Alex Boone OL 49ers Practice Squad J.J. Finley TE 49ers Practice Squad Dobson Collins WR 49ers Practice Squad Dominique Zeigler WR 49ers Practice Squad Terrail Lambert DB -- -- Matt Spanos OL -- -- Pannel Egboh DL -- -- Khalif Mitchell DL -- -- Bill Rentmeester RB -- -- Jacob Bender OL -- -- Kyle Howard OL -- -- Jay Moore LB -- -- Justin Roland LB -- -- Mark Washington LB -- -- Joe Toledo OL -- -- Bear Pascoe TE -- -- Maurice Price WR -- -- Eric Green DB -- --

The tough decisions teams face in reducing their rosters to 53 players sometimes aren't so tough.

"The 49ers released Kory Sheets!" loses some of its drama when Sheets quietly re-signs to the 49ers' practice squad after none of the other 31 NFL teams submit a waiver claim for him.

I've gone through the initial NFC West cut lists -- those players released at the 53-man deadline -- to see which ones have returned to their teams or caught on elsewhere.

The chart shows results for San Francisco.

The 49ers' initial cut list featured only one vested veteran, cornerback Eric Green. The other 19 players had practice-squad eligibility and the 49ers brought back six of them in that capacity.

The remaining 14 players are unsigned.

Offensive lineman Jacob Bender had a tryout with the Seahawks. The Jets showed interest in tight end Bear Pascoe, only to receive another tight end via waivers.

Sheets impressed during the preseason, but the 49ers were stacked at running back with Frank Gore and Glen Coffee. They valued the versatile Michael Robinson far too much to carry a rookie runner on their 53-man roster in his place.

Ex-49ers eligible for practice squad Pos. Jacob Bender OL Alex Boone OL Dobson Collins WR Pannel Egboh DL J.J. Finley TE Kyle Howard OL Terrail Lambert DB Brit Miller FB Khalif Mitchell DL Jay Moore LB Bear Pascoe TE Maurice Price WR Bill Rentmeester FB Justin Roland LB Kory Sheets RB Matt Spanos OL Joe Toledo OL Mark Washington LB Dominique Zeigler WR

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL teams can begin forming eight-man practice squads once released players clear waivers this afternoon.

Every player the 49ers released on the reduction to 53 players -- minus cornerback Eric Green -- possesses eligibility for the practice squad. Tackle Alex Boone, guard Matt Spanos, fullback Brit Miller, defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell and running back Kory Sheets could make sense as options. The team will presumably keep one of the tight ends it released, Bear Pascoe or J.J. Finley. Cornerback Terrail Lambert could provide another option.

Some 49ers fans have expressed to me surprise over Sheets' release in particular. The depth San Francisco enjoys at that position made Sheets' release likely.

We likewise should not be surprised if backup running back Glen Coffee plays sparingly as a rookie. Like Sheets, Coffee showed promise during the exhibition games. But with offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye having already committed to Frank Gore as the workhorse back, there won't be many carries left over.

As long as Gore is healthy and his usually productive self, I think Coffee would have to break long runs when given opportunities to siphon significant carries in the No. 2 role.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Biggest surprise: The 49ers kept only four running backs, two tight ends and eight offensive linemen on the initial cutdown to 53 players, suggesting the team will consider adding players at those positions. This is a power running team, after all. The decision to release both Bear Pascoe and J.J. Finley was a bit of surprise. One of them was expected to serve as the third tight end. Undrafted free agent Diyral Briggs earned a spot at linebacker, edging out Jay Moore. Fullback Brit Miller, running back Kory Sheets and receiver Dominique Zeigler had made positive impressions with fans, but none enjoyed strong roster security. Their releases were not surprising in that context. Coach Mike Singletary had said the 49ers faced few significant roster decisions heading into the final exhibition game. The team did not cut any big-name players.

No-brainers: The 49ers' cut list ran 20 deep and also featured tackle Jacob Bender, tackle Alex Boone, receiver Dobson Collins, defensive end Pannel Egboh, cornerback Eric Green, guard Kyle Howard, cornerback Terrail Lambert, defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell, receiver Maurice Price, fullback Bill Rentmeester, linebacker Justin Roland, offensive lineman Matt Spanos, tackle Joe Toledo and linebacker Mark Washington.

What's next: The 49ers could use a veteran offensive tackle after Marvel Smith retired. They will presumably scan the waiver wire for a fullback. The team will also likely want to add a third tight end.

49ers eligible for practice squad Pos. Perceived Status Terrail Lambert DB Likely cut Reggie Smith DB Keeper Curtis Taylor DB Likely cut Carlos Thomas DB Likely cut Jahi Word-Daniels DB Likely cut Pannel Egboh DL Likely cut Ricky Jean-Francois DL Bubble Khalif Mitchell DL Bubble Diyral Briggs LB Likely cut Scott McKillop LB Keeper Jay Moore LB Bubble Justin Roland LB Likely cut Mark Washington LB Likely cut Brit Miller FB Bubble Matt Spanos OL Likely cut Cody Wallace OL Keeper Jacob Bender OL Likely cut Kyle Howard OL Likely cut Alex Boone OL Bubble Joe Toledo OL Likely cut Nate Davis QB Bubble Glen Coffee RB Keeper Bill Rentmeester RB Bubble Kory Sheets RB Likely cut Alex Romero ST Likely cut J.J. Finley TE Likely cut Bear Pascoe TE Keeper Mark Bradford WR Likely cut Dobson Collins WR Likely cut Maurice Price WR Likely cut Dominique Zeigler WR Bubble

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The quarterback race between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith commands much 49ers-related attention.

The race for the No. 3 job behind them deserves some attention. Veteran Damon Huard has a 15-12 record as an NFL starter. He provides value as an experienced backup. The team also wants to develop fifth-round rookie quarterback Nate Davis.

What to do?

Davis is a project. He will not help the 49ers this season. The question becomes whether another team would sign him to its 53-man roster if the 49ers waived Davis and tried to sign him to their practice squad.

As noted, NFL teams selected 19 quarterbacks in the fifth round from the 2000 through 2008 drafts. Eighteen earned opening-day spots on 53-man rosters as rookies. The Steelers' Omar Jacobs was an exception in 2006, the year Ben Roethlisberger opened on the bench following a motorcycle accident.

The factors that pushed down Davis in the draft -- notably a learning disability that the 49ers see as overstated -- still exist. If teams fear Davis might struggle to learn their system -- and for the sake of this discussion, it doesn't matter if such fears are justified -- the 49ers might have an easier time getting
Davis onto their practice squad.

What would you do?

The chart shows all 31 current 49ers players with eligibility, arranged by position. I left first-round choice Michael Crabtree off the chart because he has not signed with the team.

NFL teams must reduce rosters from 80 to 75 players Sept. 1. They must reduce to 53 players Sept. 5. They can begin forming eight-man practice squads Sept. 6 at noon ET.

As the NFL puts it:

After 12 noon, New York time, clubs may establish a practice squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free-agency credit or who were on the 45-player active list for less than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s). A player cannot participate on the practice squad for more than three seasons.

The 49ers also face dilemmas at other positions, including what to do at receiver while Crabtree and Brandon Jones are not available, but that third quarterback race stands out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers' roster appears most interesting at running back and receiver.

The more I think about how much the 49ers want to pound the ball on offense, the more I see them keeping two fullbacks on the Week 1 roster.

Zak Keasey's broken forearm prevents him from becoming part of the equation early, and it's tough to see a team waiting two months for a backup fullback to get healthy. Enter Bill Rentmeester. Formerly of the Chargers, Rentmeester offers what preseason touchdown machine Brit Miller does not: experience at fullback. For the sake of this roster exercise, I'll pencil in Rentmeester for Week 1.

The numbers at receiver figure to swell while the team waits for Brandon Jones to heal and Michael Crabtree to sign and get ready to contribute.

San Francisco 49ers Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 3 4 5 2 8 5 6 7 2 Most 4 7 7 4 10 9 8 11 4 Average 3.2 5.2 5.8 3.2 8.8 7.2 7.3 9.3 3.0 Currently on roster 4 8 12 4 14 9 12 14 4

The chart provides a framework for how many players the 49ers might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Cardinals.

Here's a quick look at which 49ers players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players (I made one change, moving Cody Wallace into the group of offensive linemen at Joe Toledo's expense):

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams players aren't complaining about physical morning practices in pads. Also, rookie first-round choice Jason Smith worked at left tackle for the first time since camp opened, albeit with the second and third teams.

Also from Thomas: a chat transcript in which he defends Chris Draft as a "good, solid performer" among Rams linebackers. Also, former 49ers linebacker Larry Grant is enjoying a strong camp in St. Louis. If rookie James Laurinaitis supplants Draft at middle linebacker, Grant could challenge Draft for the starting job on the strong side, Thomas suggests.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams 2006 first-round choice Tye Hill is healthy and making a run at realizing his potential as a cornerback. Hill was the first of four cornerbacks drafted in 2006. Seattle's Kelly Jennings was fourth.

Lindsey Willhite of the Daily Herald says former Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is learning the Bears' defense. Defensive coordinator Bob Babich: "He's a playmaker. He's just a playmaker. It's great to have him around. He has a great personality and he's brought a lot to the [linebackers] room."

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers cornerback Dre Bly hardly enjoyed his final season with the Broncos. Bly: "It was miserable. It wasn't good at all. Defensively, we were awful. The d-coordinator [Bob Slowik], not to blame anything on him, but we didn't really have the personnel for what he was trying to run. We were too soft in coverage. And when you have two corners like me and Champ [Bailey], you can't be soft in coverage."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers tight end Bear Pascoe welcomes feedback, even the harsh variety, from tight ends coach Pete Hoener. Unfortunately, Hoener was not allowed to provide feedback about Pascoe for this story, per club policy.

Also from Maiocco: Linebacker Ahmad Brooks is getting a chance to make an impact. Coach Mike Singletary: "We feel he is a guy who is going to continue to grow and make plays. He is out there all over the place making plays. So it is very exciting."

More from Maiocco: Veteran receiver Isaac Bruce pays close attention to position coach Jerry Sullivan.

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky isn't worried about the offense's ability to complete passes in practice.

Also from Price: checking in with 49ers cornerback Terrail Lambert.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle sizes up the 49ers' receivers minus Michael Crabtree. Crumpacker: "Unrestricted free agent Brandon Jones has excelled in the early days of camp, Josh Morgan is looking more and more like a No. 1 receiver, old man Isaac Bruce still has gas left in the tank, Dominique Zeigler and Jason Hill have both had their moments and Arnaz Battle has a talent for sticking around. That's six capable receivers right there. Crabtree makes seven. When the roster of 53 is set Sept. 5, one or two good receivers will be out of work." The most likely scenario, in my view: Keep six receivers, with Zeigler as the odd man out.

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the 49ers should pay Crabtree the same money seventh overall choice Darrius Heyward-Bey received, just to get Crabtree into camp. Would that work within the rookie pool? I haven't seen the contract to know.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Seahawks backup safety C.J. Wallace keeps popping people in practice. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Craig Terrill confirms that he wasn't stuck in a block of ice.

Also from O'Neil: Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane is happy to have slimmed down, though he misses the Triple Stack burger from Wendy's. I once ate three Big Macs in about five minutes. Would not recommend it.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' defense appears to be grasping coordinator Gus Bradley's scheme against the run. Also, left guard Rob Sims continued his strong play, while defensive lineman Cory Redding stepped up.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald praises Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu for holding an extended autograph session after practice.

Doug Farrar of Scout.com checks in with Tom Marino for a scouting report on new Seahawks cornerback Travis Fisher. The review is generally favorable. 

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals tight end Ben Patrick appreciates his teammates' support after incurring a four-game NFL suspension. Patrick: "It was huge, because that was one of my main concerns, that my teammates would look at me differently. It took a long time for me to even come back around the guys. During a team meeting I had a talk with all the guys, and they told me they had my back."

Also from Somers: Calais Campbell's development is critical as the Cardinals replace former defensive end Antonio Smith. Somers:
"Successful NFL franchises, such as the Steelers, have allowed good players to leave via free agency, counting upon younger, cheaper players to replace them. Campbell's performance this year is a small test of the Cardinals' acumen in personnel decisions."

Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind sizes up the Cardinals' candidates in the return game. Becoming more prominent as a receiver seemed to negatively affect Steve Breaston in the return game last season. 

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Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has not cut back on two-a-day practices despite an apparent league-wide trend in that direction. We'll see if the heat and humidity at Rams Park leads to any concessions. Spagnuolo wants to toughen up the Rams without wearing them out.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says the Rams will open 32 practices at training camp. Wagoner: "Two a days for the entire team will begin on Aug. 1 with the first practice from 8:15-10:30 a.m. and the second from 2:45-4:25. For most of the rest of camp, the team will follow that format for the majority practices."

David Fucillo of Niners Nation considers the best quarterbacks in 49ers history. Joe Montana and Steve Young weren't the only ones. John Brodie and Y.A. Tittle weren't bad, either.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Michael Crabtree could receive roughly $15 million in guaranteed money as part of his rookie contract.

Scott Kegley of 49ers.com passes along a few jersey number updates. Reggie Smith gets No. 30, Terrail Lambert gets No. 41 and Dre Bly gets No. 31.

John Morgan of Field Gulls revisits Jordan Babineaux's 2008 season for the Seahawks. Morgan: "Babineaux has carved out a nice little career for himself despite few tangible skills. He's fiery, versatile, a playmaker and I once referred to him as a 'gamer.' As a dime defender, Babineaux finally punched his weight as a cornerback, but Seattle doesn't need to spend $1 million annually to shut down Dexter Jackson, Dane Looker, James Thrash and Brad Smith."

Also from Morgan: A look at the injury situation at defensive tackle for Seattle. Red Bryant and Cory Redding are coming off injuries.

More from Morgan: Which Seahawks player will create the most buzz during preseason? The next Justin Forsett, in other words.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times cedes the floor to Doug Farrar for analysis on the injuries the Seahawks suffered last season. The key issue is to what degree some of those injuries might linger or recur.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune thinks the Seahawks should find ways to use Seneca Wallace even if Matt Hasselbeck is healthy. That seems very likely given the apparently flexibility of the new staff.

Brian Baldinger of NFL Network checks in with the Seahawks' receivers for a video spot on the "art" of playing the position.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks have expanded their partnership with the Washington State Lottery by developing a scratch game. Williams: "The Seahawks already had a business partnership with the state lottery in place, allowing the state agency to advertise at venues like Qwest Field, so the deal is seen as the next step in the partnership between the two sides, said league spokesperson Brian McCarthy."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic quotes Levi Jones' agent as saying the former Bengals tackle wants more money from Arizona than the Cardinals have offered. Somers: "The Cardinals are one of about a dozen teams to express interest in Jones, [agent Kenny] Zuckerman said. But Jones likely won't sign with a club until after the start of camp. If tackles are lost to injury, Zuckerman is convinced Jones' value will increase."

Also from Somers: Arizona has not signed its top two draft choices, and it's not a big deal.

Azcardinals.com has the Cardinals' media guide online and available for download.