49ers sign Barry Sims

[peepinmofo]

http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp...16043&mode=

 

Sims decides to go with 49ers

Veteran offensive tackle Barry Sims has decided to sign a two-year deal with the 49ers, agent Ken Vierra said just moments ago. Sims picked the 49ers over the Rams. Sims also visited the Ravens and Patriots recently.

 

"What maybe tips it a little bit is the money is a little bit better and you don't have to move to play here," said Vierra, who declined to reveal terms of the deal. "All I can tell you is he had a good feel in San Francisco."

 

The 49ers made no promises to Sims, 33, other than he will be allowed to compete for playing time at right tackle against Jonas Jennings. Sims can play both tackle spots for the 49ers. This is Joe Staley's first season at left tackle after playing right tackle as a rookie. And Jennings has missed all or parts of 32 games since joining the 49ers three seasons ago.

 

The Raiders released Sims at the start of free agency. He was scheduled to earn $4.5 million in base salary this season. Coincidentally, the Raiders replaced him with Kwame Harris, who played just a handful of snaps last season for the 49ers but still wrangled $14 million for three years out of Al Davis.

 

In nine seasons with the Raiders, Sims played in 136 games, starting 119 times. He played mostly left tackle. Sims was an undrafted player out of Utah in 1999. While with the Raiders, he beat out three first-round picks for the left-tackle job: Mo Collins, Matt Stinchcomb and Robert Gallery.

 

With Sims' arrival with the 49ers, the club is likely to move rookie Chilo Rachal back to guard. The 49ers tried Rachal at right tackle the past three weeks during organized team activities because they were desperate for depth.

 

Sims gives the 49ers another experienced offensive tackle. After all, the other top tackles on the roster are:

 

--Damane Duckett, a coverted defensive tackle, who has never played offensive line in an NFL game.

 

--Joe Toledo, a newly acquired player, who was seeing action at left tackle. Toledo was a Dophins draft pick in 2006, but has been plagued by injuries and has never played in an NFL game.

 

--Alan Reuber, who was also freshly signed during OTAs. Reuber has seen action in three NFL games, but none as a starter. He's 27, and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2004.

[peepinmofo]

Does this help Gore any?

[badboy]

Acquiring Sims doesn't really help Gore much, if at all---I'm not moving Gore up or down my rankings because of Sims--although I think he's better than Kwame Harris-who signed with the Raiders.

[Man who'd fire the Yorks]

Doesn't help Gore but I'm sure it helps whoevers gonna be under center this year. The 49ers have given up 138 sacks over the last 3 years. Kinda hard to expect any QB being real successful taking that many sacks. What Sims does is gives them a starter with experience and helps the depth. I'm sure the QB's are happy about the signing.