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By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports
NEW YORK (April 22) - Aaron Rodgers thinks he has figured out the San Francisco 49ers' approach to using the first pick in the draft.
Rodgers, Alex Smith and Braylon Edwards are the three players the 49ers are considering when they open proceedings Saturday. The Cal quarterback, who grew up a Niners fan and even wore a T-shirt with Joe Montana's picture on it under his jersey as a kid, is surprised the 49ers haven't agreed to a contract with one of them.
"The leverage of the first pick for a team is in signing your pick before the draft," Rodgers said Friday. "If the 49ers want to do good business, I believe they need to sign their pick.
"Being they are not doing it, it seems to me they are trying hard to get out of that spot. Why else would they be doing it this way?"
Good question, although not every top overall pick is signed, sealed and delivered before the draft. Last year, Eli Manning didn't get a contract done until the summer - and with the Giants, not the Chargers, who drafted him, then dealt him to New York an hour later.
But the previous two top picks, quarterbacks Carson Palmer (Cincinnati) and David Carr (Houston) had deals before the draft.
"I definitely think we could get something done," Rodgers said.
Utah quarterback Smith seems to have moved past Rodgers in many evaluations. But the only decision that counts is the one by new 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff.
Rodgers appears more NFL-ready today than Smith, who is only 20 and took his snaps in the shotgun throughout his superb stay at Utah. But Smith, who is taller and more creative, probably has more upside.
Like Rodgers, Smith has had frequent contact with the Niners. Like Rodgers, he's uncertain where things stand - a common feeling throughout this draft
"Hopefully it didn't come down to the dollars," Smith said. "Coach Nolan has reiterated it wouldn't. But there absolutely is the fear that in this process it can be done because of leverage with Aaron and I and there is the fear they could be basing this off the negotiations.
"Is that the makings of a winning organization? If they are doing that, they should go take the other guy. If that's not the case, then take me. I'm your guy and let's go."
For their part, the 49ers claim they simply aren't certain which quarterback - or Michigan wide receiver Edwards - is the right building block.
"We're looking at every single possibility we can think of," Nolan said. "We're not drafting to fit one particular scheme, or to get one particular type of guy. We're open to everything in the kitchen sink. We have a lot of picks, and we have opportunities for a lot of players."
Edwards, whose father Stan played in the NFL and who counts Steelers star Jerome Bettis as a mentor, laughs when asked about evaluations calling him the best player in the draft. He knows that his position isn't necessarily a high priority for some teams, particularly those in need of a quarterback.
"If they say I am the best player, that is paying me a high compliment," Edwards said. "But I don't pay any attention to it, because there are a lot of good guys in the draft. One guy may say you're the best and the next may say you're seventh-best."
Prevailing opinion is there are eight to 10 "best" prospects: Smith, Rodgers and Edwards, plus Auburn running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown; Texas RB Cedric Benson and LB Derrick Johnson; Miami cornerback Antrel Rolle; West Virginia CB Adam Jones; and Southern California WR Mike Williams.
04/22/05 15:34 EDT
NEW YORK (April 22) - Aaron Rodgers thinks he has figured out the San Francisco 49ers' approach to using the first pick in the draft.
Rodgers, Alex Smith and Braylon Edwards are the three players the 49ers are considering when they open proceedings Saturday. The Cal quarterback, who grew up a Niners fan and even wore a T-shirt with Joe Montana's picture on it under his jersey as a kid, is surprised the 49ers haven't agreed to a contract with one of them.
"The leverage of the first pick for a team is in signing your pick before the draft," Rodgers said Friday. "If the 49ers want to do good business, I believe they need to sign their pick.
"Being they are not doing it, it seems to me they are trying hard to get out of that spot. Why else would they be doing it this way?"
Good question, although not every top overall pick is signed, sealed and delivered before the draft. Last year, Eli Manning didn't get a contract done until the summer - and with the Giants, not the Chargers, who drafted him, then dealt him to New York an hour later.
But the previous two top picks, quarterbacks Carson Palmer (Cincinnati) and David Carr (Houston) had deals before the draft.
"I definitely think we could get something done," Rodgers said.
Utah quarterback Smith seems to have moved past Rodgers in many evaluations. But the only decision that counts is the one by new 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff.
Rodgers appears more NFL-ready today than Smith, who is only 20 and took his snaps in the shotgun throughout his superb stay at Utah. But Smith, who is taller and more creative, probably has more upside.
Like Rodgers, Smith has had frequent contact with the Niners. Like Rodgers, he's uncertain where things stand - a common feeling throughout this draft
"Hopefully it didn't come down to the dollars," Smith said. "Coach Nolan has reiterated it wouldn't. But there absolutely is the fear that in this process it can be done because of leverage with Aaron and I and there is the fear they could be basing this off the negotiations.
"Is that the makings of a winning organization? If they are doing that, they should go take the other guy. If that's not the case, then take me. I'm your guy and let's go."
For their part, the 49ers claim they simply aren't certain which quarterback - or Michigan wide receiver Edwards - is the right building block.
"We're looking at every single possibility we can think of," Nolan said. "We're not drafting to fit one particular scheme, or to get one particular type of guy. We're open to everything in the kitchen sink. We have a lot of picks, and we have opportunities for a lot of players."
Edwards, whose father Stan played in the NFL and who counts Steelers star Jerome Bettis as a mentor, laughs when asked about evaluations calling him the best player in the draft. He knows that his position isn't necessarily a high priority for some teams, particularly those in need of a quarterback.
"If they say I am the best player, that is paying me a high compliment," Edwards said. "But I don't pay any attention to it, because there are a lot of good guys in the draft. One guy may say you're the best and the next may say you're seventh-best."
Prevailing opinion is there are eight to 10 "best" prospects: Smith, Rodgers and Edwards, plus Auburn running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown; Texas RB Cedric Benson and LB Derrick Johnson; Miami cornerback Antrel Rolle; West Virginia CB Adam Jones; and Southern California WR Mike Williams.
04/22/05 15:34 EDT