2010 NFL Roster Cuts: 49ers Waive Three Players

The San Francisco 49ers took care of some housekeeping matters by cutting down their roster to the NFL’s 75-man limit. The league requires teams cut down to 75 players by Tuesday afternoon, with a second cut down to 53 players by Saturday.

The 49ers reached the 75-man limit by waiving CB Patrick Stoudamire and WR Bakari Grant, and utilizing the waived/injured transaction for LB Brandon Long. By using waived/injured, the 49ers can place Long on their injured reserve list (if they so choose) if he clears waivers.

49ers Recap: Niners Get Temporary 'Battle Of The Bay' Crown

Alex Smith completed 9-of-15 passes and looked like a clear-cut starting quarterback for the 49ers on Saturday, all without his number one receiving options in wide receiver Michael Crabtree and pro bowl tight end Vernon Davis. He showed good poise and only made one or two bad passes throughout the game. It was more of the same from the Vikings game, in which he stepped up in the pocket and delivered good passes even with pressure from either side.

Frank Gore played a little while and in two runs amassed 58 yards and the 49ers saw everything they needed to see from the veteran pro bowler before pulling him in favor of rookie Anthony Dixon, who himself went for 69 yards including a touchdown, with three receptions for 15 yards as well.

Receiver Dominique Zeigler continued to make his case for the final 53-man roster with five catches and good durability after some big hits. The offensive line played well, but there were some mistakes and penalties.

Defensively, Patrick Willis confirmed that yes, football fans, he is the best linebacker in the league with some fantastic play. Bubble linebacker Travis LaBoy had the sack that ended Jason Campbell's night and showed good hustle throughout his playing time. It wasn't all perfect though, as in-between fantastic defensive stops, the 49ers gave up a pair of 70 yard touchdowns.

A couple 49ers defensive starters didn't play, including nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin and cornerback Shawntae Spencer, and this is definitely a factor, but you don't like to see those things - unless you're a Raiders fan. Free agent signing Brian Westbrook had two runs for 17 yards and left the game with a minor injury.

There were an awful lot of penalties in this sloppy game, and one of the main complaints among 49ers fans was Jimmy Raye's playcalling - but one has to wonder if it's more due to the fact that it's preseason.

49ers-Raiders: Key Positional Battles In Tonight's Game

Sam Lam takes a look at some of the key positional battles the 49ers will be observing during tonight’s 49ers-Raiders game. The 49ers have most of their roster figured out, but there are still some important areas to be assessed.

Among others, Sam looks at the fullback/third tight end battle, the fourth and fifth wide receiver spots, the backups on the offensive and defensive line, some of their backup linebackers (inside and outside), and the secondary and punt return options on the roster.

49ers-Raiders: Expect More From Alex Smith Tonight

The third preseason game is always a big deal in the NFL because it’s the time when teams send out their starters well into the third quarter. It’s basically the dress rehearsal for week 1.

For the 49ers, that means opening things up with Alex Smith:

If you look around the NFL, you see coaches allowing the top quarterbacks in the league to play more than 30 snaps and attempting more than 20 passes in the next-to-last exhibition games.

In the first two tuneups, Alex Smith attempted a total of 22 passes. He should double that tonight. The 49ers need him, more than any player on the team’s roster, to get ready for the regular season.

With Michael Crabtree and Brian Westbrook in the lineup tonight, expect the 49ers passing attack to be a bit more wide-open.

NFL Preseason, 49ers At Raiders: San Francisco Slowly Recovers From Injuries

Alex Smith had quite the game against the Vikings. In the opening drive he was clutch, he was in command - and he made the throws he needed to make. On Saturday against the Raiders, he'll likely get even more playing time and will look to show what he did on that first drive, but over the course of the first half.

He'll have his hands full against Oakland's defensive line, who are looking to make their name off of the 49ers offensive line. 49ers rookie Mike Iupati has thus far been stellar with the occasional mistake, while the other first round rookie for the Niners, Anthony Davis has been holding down the fort well enough to keep his starting job at right tackle.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is back to full practices with the team, and the big question right now will be how long he'll be playing, if at all, on Saturday. He'll probably play only a series or two, giving backups Dominique Zeigler and Jason Hill more time with which to battle for that roster spot. Tight end Vernon Davis is also coming off an injury, and is only just getting back into team practices, and the word is that he probably won't be playing. Rookie sixth round pick Nate Byham will get a lot more time if he's not hurt, after seeing a lot of playing time against the Vikings last Sunday.

On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers starting defense will look to spoil the return for Raiders running back Darren McFadden, who is coming off an injury and is expected to play. Ricky Jean Francois will try and make one last impression against starters at the nose tackle position before Aubrayo Franklin makes his return, and against the Raiders' untested and unproven offensive line, he has to feel good about his chances to do so.

It's looking like it will be a battle of defenses as the two teams look to be fielding improved units in comparison to last year. The 49ers defense will likely have to contend with the screen passes, while the Raiders defense will see if they can stop the Niners and their newfound offense weapons.