Sacramento Bee -- 49ers Blog and Q&A

49ers Blog and Q&A

News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

• Ask Matt a 49ers question

October 13, 2006

Question: Battle got open for two touchdowns last week, but given his injury history, what are his long-term prospects in the NFL. Should the 49ers be looking at a wideout in the draft?
-- Nick, Sacramento

Answer: It might be hard to pass up Calvin Johnson or Ted Ginn in the draft, but the 49ers have got to be thinking defense this spring. It doesn't matter how many Pro Bowl wideouts you have if your opponent scores 30 points each week. As for Battle, he claims to have put his knee problems behind him and looked quite fit Sunday. But you're right -- given his injury history, you wonder how long his health will last.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I hear talk about how Nolan likes linbacker Derek Smith, but I don't really see him or Ulbrich as being top-flight impact guys. They make tackles, but most often it's three yards downfield. How many sacks do either have? Should middle linebackers also be on the 49ers wish list?
-- Ed, Sacramento

Answer: Hard to answer that one. Are those guys Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis? No. But you also could make the argument that they'd look better if the defensive line did a better job of occupying blockers up front. And as far as the 49ers' wish list goes, they should be looking for anyone who can upgrade their front seven.
-- Matt Barrows

About Comments

Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com

Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)

Here are some rules of the road:

• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.

• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.

• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.

• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.

• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.

• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.

• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.

• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.

blog comments powered by Disqus

FOLLOW US | Get more from sacbee.com | Follow us on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook | Get news in your inbox | View our mobile versions | e-edition: Print edition online | What our bloggers are saying

Please use the form below to submit your question. Because there is a 100-word limit for questions, a word counter is located directly beneath the box where you enter the your question.