49ers QB Smith eager for fresh start

Shoulder healing; Smith, Nolan eager for a fresh start
San Jose Mercury News

Alex Smith said his surgically repaired throwing shoulder is easing its way toward a full recovery.
As for his standing with Coach Mike Nolan, the 49ers quarterback said that fractured relationship has 100 percent healed.
"I think we both understand each other," Smith said. "There are definitely things I look back at and wish I could do over again."
The 49ers, perhaps welcoming a respite from stories about their tampering penalty, put Smith on a conference call with Bay Area reporters Thursday. The quarterback sounded rejuvenated in spirit - and nothing like the player whose sour 2007 included a separated right shoulder and public feud with his coach.
The latter issue came to a boil in December, when Smith told the Mercury News that Nolan had tried to "spin" his teammates against him by indicating Smith's injury wasn't that severe.
Thursday, however, the quarterback declared the air cleared.
"(Nolan) and I are both looking forward to putting last year behind us," Smith said. "I've talked with him several times and I think we're both excited about it. I know I definitely am. (Last year) is not a reflection of either of us.
"We're both better than that and I think we're looking forward to obviously erasing that and proving not only to the people in this building, but everywhere, that we're going to move on and we're going to do better than that and we expect better."
Smith, at the 49ers' urging, held off on surgery until
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December. He is now working his way back into playing shape with an eye on re-establishing his claim to the starting quarterback job.
He said he throws every few days, with a schedule similar to a baseball pitcher. At this point, Smith is playing catch at a distance of up to 40 yards.
"I'm definitely not out here gunning these things," he said. "But to throw the ball 40 yards, you've got to be throwing it decent."
He is more encouraged by his progress in the weight room where, he said, "I've been lifting pretty much full go."
Smith's health will be crucial if he is to fend off Shaun Hill for the No. 1 role. Nolan, as well as new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, has declared the job wide open.
Smith said he is already working with Martz and quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner to get a feel for the system. He is excited by Martz's success rate with previous passers, even previously unheralded players such as Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger.
"No question," Smith said. "You just look at the track record he had with all those quarterbacks and the numbers they've put up.
"I'm just excited for the chance to reach my potential. I feel like I haven't even been there yet. With Coach Martz's help, and all the guys around here, I hope to get there."
Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, has 19 career touchdown passes, 31 interceptions and a meager 63.9 passer rating.
He acknowledged that he took inspiration when Eli Manning - another former No. 1 pick who had a rocky career start - blossomed into the Super Bowl MVP last season.
Smith and Manning share the same agent, Tom Condon, and have spoken several times since the Super Bowl.
"If you look at Eli two years ago and what was being said in New York, and if you look at it now, a lot has changed in that time," Smith said. "That's the exciting thing about this game - you have a chance to do that and erase last year."

NFL Draft Order Round-By-Round - As Of Feb 29

This is the NFL Draft selection order, which could change as we get closer to the draft itself and with trades.


Tentative 2008 Round-By-Round NFL Draft Order (As of February 29, 2008)
03/03/2008
ROUND ONE


1- 1- 1 Miami

1- 2- 2 St. Louis

1- 3- 3 Atlanta
1- 4- 4 Oakland
1- 5- 5 Kansas City
1- 6- 6 New York Jets

1- 7- 7 New England from San Francisco
1- 8- 8 Baltimore

1- 9- 9 Cincinnati
1-10-10 New Orleans
1-11-11 Buffalo
1-12-12 Denver
1-13-13 Carolina
1-14-14 Chicago
1-15-15 Detroit

1-16-16 Arizona
1-17-17 Minnesota
1-18-18 Houston
1-19-19 Philadelphia

1-20-20 Tampa Bay
1-21-21 Washington

1-22-22 Dallas from Cleveland
1-23-23 Pittsburgh
1-24-24 Tennessee
1-25-25 Seattle

1-26-26 Jacksonville
1-27-27 San Diego

1-28-28 Dallas
1-29-29 San Francisco from Indianapolis
1-30-30 Green Bay

1-31- New England Forfeited

1-32-31 New York Giants



ROUND TWO

2- 1-32 Miami

2- 2-33 St. Louis

2- 3-34 Oakland
2- 4-35 Kansas City
2- 5-36 New York Jets
2- 6-37 Atlanta

2- 7-38 Baltimore
2- 8-39 San Francisco

2- 9-40 New Orleans
2-10-41 Buffalo
2-11-42 Denver
2-12-43 Carolina
2-13-44 Chicago
2-14-45 Detroit
2-15-46 Cincinnati

2-16-47 Minnesota
2-17-48 Atlanta from Houston
2-18-49 Philadelphia
2-19-50 Arizona

2-20-51 Washington
2-21-52 Tampa Bay

2-22-53 Pittsburgh
2-23-54 Tennessee
2-24-55 Seattle
2-25-56 Cleveland

2-26-57 Miami from San Diego
2-27-58 Jacksonville

2-28-59 Indianapolis
2-29-60 Green Bay
2-30-61 Dallas


2-31-62 New England

2-32-63 New York Giants

ROUND THREE


3- 1-64 Miami

3- 2-65 St. Louis

3- 3-66 Kansas City
3- 4-67 New York Jets
3- 5-68 Atlanta
3- 6-69 New England from Oakland

3- 7-70 San Francisco
3- 8-71 Buffalo from Baltimore

3- 9-72 Buffalo
3-10-73 Minnesota from Denver
3-11-74 Carolina
3-12-75 Chicago
3-13-76 Detroit
3-14-77 Cincinnati
3-15-78 New Orleans

3-16-79 Houston
3-17-80 Philadelphia
3-18-81 Arizona
3-19-82 Minnesota

3-20-83 Tampa Bay
3-21-84 Washington

3-22-85 Tennessee
3-23-86 Seattle
3-24-87 Cleveland
3-25-88 Pittsburgh

3-26-89 Jacksonville
3-27-90 Chicago from San Diego

3-28-91 Green Bay
3-29-92 Dallas
3-30-93 Indianapolis

3-31-94 New England

3-32-95 New York Giants




ROUND FOUR


4- 1- Miami

4- 2- St. Louis

4- 3- New York Jets
4- 4- Atlanta
4- 5- Oakland
4- 6- Kansas City

4- 7- Baltimore
4- 8- San Francisco

4- 9- Denver
4-10- Carolina
4-11- Chicago
4-12- Detroit
4-13- Cincinnati
4-14- New Orleans
4-15- Buffalo

4-16- Philadelphia
4-17- Arizona
4-18- Minnesota
4-19- Houston

4-20- Denver from Washington
4-21- Tampa Bay

4-22- Seattle
4-23- Cleveland
4-24- Pittsburgh
4-25- Tennessee

4-26- San Diego Exercised in Supplemental Draft
4-27- Jacksonville

4-28- Dallas
4-29- Indianapolis
4-30- Green Bay

4-31- New England

4-32- New York Giants





ROUND FIVE

5- 1- Kansas City from Miami

5- 2- St. Louis

5- 3- Atlanta
5- 4- Denver from Oakland
5- 5- Kansas City
5- 6- New York Jets

5- 7- San Francisco
5- 8- Baltimore Exercised in Supplemental Draft

5- 9- Chicago from Carolina
5-10- Buffalo from Chicago
5-11- Detroit
5-12- Cincinnati
5-13- New Orleans
5-14- Buffalo
5-15- Denver

5-16- Arizona
5-17- Minnesota
5-18- Houston
5-19- Philadelphia

5-20- Tampa Bay
5-21- Washington

5-22- Cleveland
5-23- Pittsburgh
5-24- Tennessee
5-25- Jacksonville from Seattle

5-26- Jacksonville
5-27- San Diego

5-28- Indianapolis
5-29- Green Bay
5-30- Dallas

5-31- New England

5-32- New York Giants



ROUND SIX

6- 1- Miami

6- 2- St. Louis

6- 3- Oakland
6- 4- Kansas City
6- 5- New York Jets
6- 6- Atlanta

6- 7- Baltimore
6- 8- San Francisco

6- 9- Chicago
6-10- Detroit
6-11- Cincinnati
6-12- New Orleans
6-13- Buffalo
6-14- St. Louis from Denver
6-15- Carolina

6-16- Minnesota
6-17- Houston
6-18- Philadelphia
6-19- Arizona

6-20- Washington
6-21- Kansas City from Tampa Bay

6-22- Pittsburgh
6-23- Seattle from Tennessee
6-24- Cleveland from Seattle
6-25- Philadelphia from Cleveland

6-26- San Diego
6-27- Jacksonville

6-28- New York Giants from Green Bay
6-29- Dallas
6-30- Indianapolis

6-31- New England

6-32- New York Giants





ROUND SEVEN

7- 1- Miami

7- 2- Minnesota from St. Louis

7- 3- Kansas City
7- 4- New York Jets
7- 5- Atlanta
7- 6- Oakland

7- 7- San Francisco
7- 8- Baltimore

7- 9- Detroit
7-10- St. Louis from Cincinnati
7-11- New Orleans
7-12- Buffalo
7-13- Denver
7-14- Carolina
7-15- Chicago

7-16- Houston
7-17- Buffalo from Philadelphia
7-18- Arizona
7-19- Oakland from Minnesota through New York Jets

7-20- Denver from Tampa Bay
7-21- Washington

7-22- Tennessee
7-23- Philadelphia from Seattle
7-24- Cleveland
7-25- Atlanta from Pittsburgh

7-26- Seattle from Jacksonville
7-27- San Diego

7-28- Dallas
7-29- Indianapolis
7-30- Green Bay

7-31- New England

7-32- Kansas City from New York Giants

Arkansas Running Back Darren McFadden is suffering from Pac-Man Jones disease. Because of Jones' off the field problems, and McFadden's similar night club battles, some observers think Jones isnt' even a Top-20 pick.

Why?

According to his Wikipedia listing, McFadden.." is the most decorated player in school history, and holds virtually all of the universities rushing records, and is also in a number of the SEC's all-time top 10 rushing spots. After Arkansas lost 38-7 to Missouri (and fellow 2007 Heisman finalist QB Chase Daniel) in the January 1, 2008 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, "

But...

According to a police report, McFadden was involved in a disturbance at 4:20 a.m. Saturday at Palace the Club, a private club in Little Rock. When officers arrived, a fight was taking place in the parking lot while a crowd watched. McFadden told officers he didn't know the person he was fighting with, the report said.

Roy Millsap, the club's manager, wasn't there Friday night, but he talked with security guards who were. Millsap told The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that McFadden was never inside the club before the incident.

Millsap said McFadden was arguing with people outside, and security guards "tried and tried to get (McFadden) to leave and he wouldn't do it. And he ended up getting into a fight with these people."

Security guards said another man tried to steal a car belonging to either McFadden or a relative, but McFadden caught him.

"Darren was kicking and kicking at him and his shoe came off and his foot hit the pavement," Millsap said.

The other man in the fight fled when police arrived, according to a security guard.

Sgt. James Lesher of the Little Rock Police Department said that while the fight was going on, someone stole the car McFadden's stepbrother was driving.

"Apparently it was a mess," Lesher told the Associated Press. "It looks like they had a crowd control problem as well during all of this. And of course during the fight, they had left the car running with the keys in it, and somebody jumped in and took off."

Lesher said the car was found later in the morning. He said nobody was arrested, and although the investigation of the stolen car continues, he doesn't expect McFadden to be charged in connection with the fight.

"There probably will not be anything else with that," Lesher said.

This incident is causing McFadden's stock to fall, but it's not just the matter itself, it's also the perception that McFadden's not giving answers that make people comfortable. Also, there's the looming spectre of the Pacman Jones case and perceived character problems with the NFL's great defensive back who also has a record of nightclub issues to his discredit.

Stay tuned here.