Man, that Mike Singletary doesn't waste time. Singletary and the 49ers will hold one of the earliest OTAs I've ever heard about when they take to the field Monday and Tuesday. This is expected to be the only time the 49ers will practice as a team until their first rookie minicamp following the April 22-24 draft.
When you look at it, an early start makes sense. First, this is vintage Singletary. The guy has been champing at the bit since the end of the season, traveling around the country for college pro days and taking on a much larger role as far as draft evaluation than any other coach in the league. He also has two new assistants in fairly prominent positions. One of them, Mike Solari, likely wants to see what he has on the offensive line before the draft. As I've been writing, Solari will have a lot of ways to mix and match his line, especially if the team lands free-agent guard Chester Pitts. The 49ers also are expected to draft an offensive tackle early in the draft.
The same goes for special teams coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer. The 49ers also are expected to find a return man in the draft. Schottenheimer might want to see the options - safety Reggie Smith, receiver Brandon Jones, etc. - he currently has on the roster. Teams are allowed to hold 14 OTA sessions as part of their offseason program. Most of them choose to have those sessions after the draft and most are conducted in May and June. Last year, two teams had April OTAs; none had any in March. OTA stands for organized team activity, and they are essentially abbreviated, non-contact practices.
It's unknown whether restricted free agents G David Baas and LB Ahmad Brooks will attend. Neither has signed his one-year tender, although I'm told that Baas has signed a waiver that allows him to work out at the team facility as part of the 49ers' offseason program. Baas hasn't signed his tender presumably to keep his options open as far as being offered a deal from another team.
-- Matt Barrows
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