FanHouse BarrySims

This is how you know it's the dregs of the NFL offseason. Teams still have glaring needs to fill, and as the demand for talent far outweighs the supply, inevitably people look at the best of what's left and allow themselves to get overly zealous about a mediocre player. "Savior" talk ensues.

Ex-Raider tackle Barry Sims isn't a bad player. And with offensive line depth at a premium, it makes sense that multiple teams would be interested. But good enough to call his own shots? With the choice of going to the 49ers, Rams, Ravens, or Patriots, Sims has agreed to a two-year deal with San Francisco.

The decision came down to playing time, and he concluded that the 49ers' offensive line situation is more unsettled than St. Louis' (a damning statement, to say the least). He's currently be backing up Jonas Jennings at right tackle, but Jennings has missed 27 games in the last three seasons and is recovering from ankle surgery. Besides, Sims has faced challenges before, besting three top prospects (Mo Collins, Matt Stinchcomb, and Robert Gallery) for the starting job at left tackle in Oakland after going undrafted. There's a very real chance he'll start.

Which most likely means the team is giving up on Chico Rachal as a bookend. It also means that Sims, a casualty of a 4-12 team and a member of some of the worst offensive lines in recent history, will bear the brunt of expectation in San Francisco. Gotta love the offseason.

Suddenly, nine-year Raiders offensive lineman Barry Sims is very, very popular. Sims has started 119 games in his career, but after Oakland released him in February, he's taking his time plotting his next move. According to the Press Democrat's Matt Maiocco, there are a number of factors that will decide where Sims lands:

1) Chance to earn a starting job; 2) chance to make the postseason; 3) overall organization; 4) offensive line coach; 5) offensive coordinator; and, of course, 6) money.

In random order, of course. The loosely defined list of demands has Hashmarks' Mike Sando speculatin' on which team might have the best shot of signing Sims:

[No. 6, money,] sometimes trumps all others, but let's assume for the sake of discussion that any offers would be comparable. The Patriots would offer the best shot at the postseason, the best organization and arguably the best coaches. Sims' chances at starting could depend upon Nick Kaczur's future with the team, and where Oliver Ross fits. But it's tough to say right now how those situations might shake out.

Ah, yes, good ol' Nick Kaczur. The Patriots haven't hinted one way or the other what the future holds for Kaczur, but given the lack of depth on the right side of the line, there's no reason to think they'll make any moves, at least not until they have a backup plan in place (hi, Barry Sims!).

There is the chance the NFL suspends Kaczur for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, which could give Sims leverage with No. 6 on his wish list.

Virtual high-fives for capitalism.

I don't know Chilo Rachal. He might be a very nice man. Everything I've heard about him as a football player has been positive. But through no fault of his own, he represents everything that's gone wrong with the 49ers over the last few years.

Rachal was a guard in college, and the 49ers made him their second pick despite having a more urgent need at tackle. The thinking was that Rachal would be converted there, but there's one problem -- the 49ers' various decision-makers are at odds over the switch.

Now, this is a pretty big decision for the current state of the team -- a lot of jobs are riding on this season, and as last year proved a lot of the team's success will be riding on the offensive line. You'd have thought that the position would have been a priority this offseason. You'd have also thought that with the ramifications involved in getting this ship righted, the people responsible would at least be able to agree on a course of action. But no. Communication (or mis-, as the case may be), poor planning, and a lack of competent leadership have been the team's downfall since Steve Mariucci left.

And though, yes, Jonas Jennings is penciled in as the starter on the right line (making this all seemingly moot), there's no doubt that the guy who has missed 27 games in the last three seasons will need to be replaced at some point this season, if not from Week 1. The team's interest in Barry Sims indicates that the Rachal experiment isn't going well, making the dissension even more ludicrous and leaving the 49ers yet again holding their ... you know.