Eric Heitman - Considering his options

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Eric Heitmann is an outstanding human being. He's the type of guy you root for and you are concerned about when he sustains a neck injury. Heitmann was poised to start his sixth straight season as the team's starting center when he got stepped on late in training camp.

The injury broke his fibula and knocked Heitmann out for the first six games of the season. However, a neck injury he sustained two days before that is now what's most concerning. While the leg healed, the neck has not, and Heitmann is hoping that more rest and treatment will "calm down" the nerve that's apparently impinged.

The other option is surgery, Heitmann said. With one year left on his deal, his future with the team is a question, which is too bad. Heitmann has probably been the 49ers' best linemen since his first start at center in 2005.

Heitmann continues to be a resource for the line and he's a daily presence at the team facility and on the sideline during games. "I still help the team any way I can," he said. That will never change.

McDaniels Mc-staken:

Was Josh McDaniels thinking, "This is the perfect place for a caper" when he surreptitiously filmed a six-minute segment of the 49ers practice at Wembley Stadium the day before the 49ers defeated Denver 24-16 on Halloween? Maybe. The fog, the trench coats, the cloak-and-dagger history of British espionage; he couldn't help himself.

The Broncos apparently turned themselves in after the filming the 49ers defensive walk-through. San Francisco only practiced a few defensive plays that day. Nevertheless, McDaniels was fined $50,000 by the NFL for his exploit. The story is much ado about nothing to quote a famous English writer.

However, it does thin the ice McDaniels was already skating on in Denver and it probably alerts coaches, already a paranoid lot, to potential peeping by the opposition.

Troy Smith has got to get to the edge.

Troy Smith has got to get to the edge.

The 49ers want to do with the situation. Here's the statement they released: "The San Francisco 49ers organization is aware of the results of the league's investigation involving the Denver Broncos. The situation has been addressed by the NFL, therefore, the team will not be commenting any further."

SMITH ON THE EDGE: I did some more checking around about the challenges of Troy Smith's ventures outside the pocket. He just seems so much better when he's out on the edge on bootleg passes and rollouts. First, it cuts the field in half for him, so he doesn't have to make as many reads. Secondly, without offensive linemen in front of him, it allows him to see the field. Thirdly, it takes advantage of his movement skills.

The Saints do the same thing with Drew Brees and they do it every other pass it seems. So why can't the 49ers?

"I think when you look at the New Orleans Saints, I think they've been in that offense for three years now," offensive coordinator Mike Johnson. So, I think they have every package to complement everything that they do. And I think the quarterback has been in that system for three or four years. So that also helps. So there are certain things that you can do to get a quarterback on the edge and complement certain things that you do, but all of that takes time."

Linebacker Manny Lawson said if a defense wants to take away the edges from the quarterback they can, by widening out and by having the edge rushers go straight up the field. However, if the quarterback is faster than your ends, the quarterback wins, and that's where the 49ers are at a disadvantage.

Smith is elusive, but not fast as his 4.72 40-yard dash at the combine will attest.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | November 27 2010 at 11:46 AM

Listed Under: O-line