FanHouse Marvel Smith

The 49ers offensive line surrendered an NFL-most 55 sacks in 2008, and the team's ability to protect newly named starting quarterback Shaun Hill this season was compromised further with Saturday's confirmation that right tackle Marvel Smith has retired.

More and more, the 49ers' decision to draft recalcitrant (and unsigned) wide receiver Michael Crabtree rather than offensive tackle Michael Oher with the 10th overall pick in April's NFL Draft is looking like a personnel blunder.

Chronic back problems ended Smith's football career – and dashed the 49ers' hopes that they had found a starting right tackle to take over for standout Joe Staley, who is taking over at left tackle.

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When the San Francisco 49ers signed veteran right tackle Marvel Smith in the offseason, they knew they were taking a gamble. If Smith could stay healthy, the 49ers would get a solid former Pro Bowler that would solidify a position that was a disaster for the 49ers in 2008.

But they were signing a player who had been knocked out of each of the past two seasons by back problems. Smith apparently has not been able to make it out of the preseson, as the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Smith is expected to retire on Sunday or Monday. He did not make the trip to Dallas for the 49ers preseason game this weekend for what coach Mike Singletary called personal reasons.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

Like their neighbors across the bay, the San Francisco 49ers are mired in a string of futility, failing to make the playoffs since the 2002 season. Thanks to a strong finish in 2008 and what is, perhaps, the weakest division in the NFL, there should be some optimism in San Francisco heading into 2009. What do the 49ers need to return to glory?

The San Francisco 49ers made a pair of moves on Friday afternoon in regards to their offensive tackle position. After releasing veteran Jonas Jennings, the team agreed to a two-year deal with free agent Marvel Smith, in what amounts to the swapping of one injured tackle for another.

According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Smith's deal is filled with incentives in the event his season is cut short by injuries, which has been the case in each of the past two years.

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The Steelers decision to franchise Max Starks may seem puzzling, but for a team that just won the Super Bowl, it's a pretty logical move.

By tagging Starks, Pittsburgh ensures that it doesn't head into free agency with a gaping hole. With Starks locked up, Pittsburgh could start the season with Starks, Kendall Simmons, Justin Hartwig, Darnell Stapleton and Willie Colon. It's not a good line; in fact, it's a pretty poor one, but it's not really any worse than the one that won the Super Bowl.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

For the second time in four years, the Steelers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, which means no matter what happens this offseason, Steelers fans have plenty of reasons to be happy. But with an easier 2009 schedule on the horizon and few big names hitting free agency, Steelers fans are ready to start thinking repeat, even if Mike Tomlin won't use that word.

Last offseason, the Steelers slapped Max Starks with the transition tag, and at the time, most people didn't know what to make of the move. Starks, the team's starting right tackle during the 2005 Super Bowl season, had lost his job to Willie Colon, and paying a backup more than $6 million to ride the pine didn't make much sense.

It turned out to be a great move, however, because left tackle Marvel Smith missed most of the season with a back injury, and Starks, who will never be mistaken for Jonathan Ogden, played well in his absence. So well, in fact, that Pittsburgh franchised him Thursday afternoon.

As they create room in the trophy case for a sixth Lombardi Trophy, the Steelers also have some decisions to make. Four of the team's top five offensive tackles are free agents (although Willie Colon is only a restricted free agent), as are starting cornerback Bryant McFadden and No. 3 receiver Nate Washington.

But according to Sports Illustrated's Don Banks, the Steelers have already decided on their top free agent priority. Banks says the Steelers plan to try to re-up McFadden before free agency begins on Feb. 27. With $19 million in cap room, Pittsburgh has some room to get McFadden under contract while also either re-upping Max Starks or trying to bring in free agent offensive line help.

The Steelers have managed to survive multiple injuries this year, but they have reached the end of the line: if one more offensive lineman gets hurt, the already awful unit will likely fall apart.

When Darnell Stapleton went down with a knee injury in the second half of the Chargers game, Trai Essex, an okay pass blocker and pretty poor run-blocking left tackle, came in to replace him. Stapleton was already playing as the replacement for the injured Kendall Simmons, while Max Starks is playing left tackle in place of the injured Marvel Smith.

Thankfully, Stapleton was able to return to the game, but when he was out, it pointed out just how thin the Steelers now are along the line. Essex is now the primary backup at all five offensive line positions -- if Justin Hartwig goes down, Stapleton would slide to center and Essex would replace him. If Willie Colon went down, Max Starks would slide to right tackle and Essex would play left tackle, and Essex would come in and play either guard spot.

Despite going in to the week optimistic that he'd play, turns out that Steelers' running back Willie Parker will miss Sunday's showdown with the Giants.

Parker, who has missed the past three games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, went through an entire practice Wednesday with the intention of returning against the Giants. But, when his knee began bothering him again, he was limited in practice Thursday and stood on the sideline yesterday in the final full workout of the week.

Parker is among four starters that won't play on Sunday. The Steelers benched wide receiver Santonio Holmes after police found some hippie lettuce on him earlier in the week. Left tackle Marvel Smith (back) and defensive end Aaron Smith (personal reasons) are also expected to miss the Giants game.

Parker's and Holmes' replacements have held their own over the past couple of weeks. Running back Mewelde Moore has rushed for 219 yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks. Nate Washington caught a 50-yard TD pass just a week after netting a 48-yard touchdown.