Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Detailed view of a game program and officially licensed products for sale prior to Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has announced that San Francisco will host Super Bowl L. This is considered to be an even more important Super Bowl than the others because it is the 50th Super Bowl.

The San Francisco/Bay Area bid for the Super Bowl and were considered the early favorites. They’re getting a new facility in Santa Clara, Levi Stadium, and leaving Candlestick Park.

It’ll be a very technologically advanced stadium, including Wi-Fi for everyone in attendance. The stadium is very green, solar panels will produce all the electricity needed for the stadium, they use recycled water for irrigation and the technology will include ticketless access and you won’t even need cash to buy concessions. They’re also donating 25% of the revenue to the area, mainly children in need.

They also have a great and catchy tag line is: “the Golden Super Bowl, in the Golden State, by the Golden State Bridge.”

South Florida, mainly Miami, also bid for the Super Bowl. South Florida has hosted 10 Super Bowls and is definitely steeped in Super Bowl history. New Orleans has also hosted 10. Knocks against South Florida’s bid are numerous though: lack of luxury suites, a 27 year old facility that provides no coverage to fans. Remember rainy Super Bowl XLI? They like to host Super Bowls in fair weather cities, or domes, where game play and more importantly prestigious fans aren’t disturbed.

Houston bid for the Super Bowl as well. Houston has experienced a great rebirth of sorts as the cultural centers grow. Forbes named it the coolest city in America. The Houston bid stressed their ‘southern hospitality.’ Reliant Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII and they’ve upgraded their video display and it will be bigger than Dallas’s.

The Super Bowl, and the decision to let a city host one has always been a special process. Cities that want to host a city put together bids and presentations in hopes they will be granted the big game. The Super Bowl brings an economic boost to the area that hosts it. With the Super Bowl comes thousands of fans and media from all over the world, there are week long festivities. And the money that funnels in mainly through restaurants and hotels is desirable for any city.

5. Quinton Patton, San Francisco 49ers

College/Conference: Louisiana Tech/WAC

Highest People Thought:  Late First Round

Lowest People Thought: Round 2

He Went: Round 4, Pick 31

Nov 24, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wide receiver Quinton Patton (04) on the bench during the second half against the San Jose Spartans at Spartan Stadium. The San Jose Spartans won 52-43. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Quinton Patton is a 2^nd team All-American who led the mid major Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on a near Cinderella like season.  They finishing 9-3 and he led the conference with 1392 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.  Against Texas A&M, their toughest opponent he led his team very close to an upset bringing in 21 passes for 233 yards and 4 touchdowns only to come short by 2 points.  Patton is the playmaking receiver the 49ers have been looking to add and will make up for the 1^st round pick of AJ Jenkins in last year’s draft.

4. Bacarri Rambo, S, Washington Redskins

College/Conference: Georgia/SEC

Highest People Thought: Round 2

Lowest People Thought: Early Round 4 (after character issues)

He Went: Round 6, Pick 23

Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl north squad wide receiver Marquise Goodwin of Texas (1) is pursued by Senior Bowl south squad defensive back Bacarri Rambo of Georgia (18) during the second half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The South squad defeated the North squad 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Bacarri Rambo is an immensely talented safety who started on one of the best defenses in the SEC since his sophomore year.  His junior year, he was named an AP 1^st team all American and was a consensus 1^st team all SEC.  He got into some trouble failing drug tests which suspended him 4 games his senior season but despite that he still made 73 tackles and caused 6 turnovers (3 INTs, 3 FFs).  He’s a true football player with an NFL skillset.  As long as he can focus on football and stay out of trouble, he’s a long-term solution for a full time safety on the Redskins.  That’s quite a haul for a 6^th round pick.

3. Geno Smith, QB, New York Jets

College/Conference: West Virginia/Big 12

Highest People Thought: Top Pick

Lowest People Thought: Top 5 of Round 2

He Went: Round 2, Pick 7

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Geno Smith (West Virginia) is introduced as the number thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Geno Smith is a great pickup who has been vastly underrated by his critics who compare him to the top QBs of last year, Luck and RG3.  Last year’s quarterbacks are rarer talent than your annual top QBs.  A good recently drafted QB to compare Geno Smith to is Ryan Tannehill, who went 8^th overall last year.  Geno’s West Virginia team basically took the spot of Tannehill’s Aggies.  Geno played all the same defense and finished with the same record as Tannehill.  Geno’s stats however, blow Tannehill’s out of the water.  Tannehill finished 2011 with 3744 yards, 29 tds and 15 ints, which is good in it’s own regard.  Geno Smith finished his season playing against the same style and caliber defenses with 4198 yards, 42 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.  Geno also wowed at pro day and had a good combine like Tannehill.  Geno Smith as a prospect is probably a little bit better of an NFL prospect than last year’s #8 overall pick was and the Jets got him with their 2^nd round pick after adding two dynamic defensive playmakers in the first.  Jets fans have a reason to get excited next season.

2. Larry Warford, G, Detroit Lions

College/Conference: Kentucky/SEC

Highest People Thought: Mid/Late Round 1

Lowest People Thought: Pre-teens of Round 2

He Went: Round 3, Pick 3

July 18, 2012; Hoover, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Larry Warford talks with reporters at the 2012 SEC media days event at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Warford is a 3 time All-SEC guard who consistently dominates at the line of scrimmage.  Many thought he would rise from early 2^nd to the late 1^st round on draft day because of all the teams looking to build their offensive line.  The consensus was that Warford would be the 3^rd Offensive Guard off the board.  He’s a lucky grab for the Lions in round 3 who needed some depth on their offensive line and grabbed someone in the 3^rd that would’ve been 1^st round talent in last year’s draft.

1. Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals

College/Conference: Clemson/ACC

Highest People Thought: Late Round 1

Lowest People Thought: Round 2

He Went: Round 6, Pick 19

Nov 10, 2012; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Andre Ellington (23) during warmups prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Ellington is a 2 time All-ACC running back and has led the conference’s emerging power in Clemson to the ACC championship game his junior season.  In his senior season, he helped Clemson to its first 11 win season since 1981.  This guy is a quick, agile runner capable of making an immediate impact on an NFL team in need of a rusher.  Some people, including hall of fame San Diego Chargers running back, Ladainian Tomlinson had Ellington as their favorite running back in the draft this year.  For him to fall from the 2^nd round all the way to the 6^th is great news for the running back hungry Cardinals who add a pair of promising rookies to their backfield this season.

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view of a San Francisco 49ers helmet prior to the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

With the #18 pick in the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have traded their pick to the  San Francisco 49ers who have selected Eric Reid out of LSU.

They lost Dashon Goldson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so this is a good pick up by the San Francisco 49ers as it looks like Eric Reid will be the starter at Free Safety this season. A team looking to get back to the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl, has made a few impressive moves to this roster to help make them better than last seasons NFC Championship/Super Bowl team.

New York Giants are on the clock.

Feb 23, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; University of Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers have few holes on their roster. But despite that they are looking to be players in the NFL Draft. Jason Cole of Yahoo tweeted that the 49ers are interested in moving up in the draft via trade to go after a defensive lineman, preferably Sheldon Richardson of Missouri.

It increasingly sounds like SF wants a DL via trade up with Sheldon Richardson as the likely target.

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeYahoo) April 25, 2013

The St. Louis Rams are shopping around their No. 22 pick in the first round. They could be a potential trade partner for the 49ers. The 49ers certainly have a slew of draft picks (13 total) to package together in order to move up in the draft.

Unfortunately the 49ers could have some competition from teams that desperately need a quarterback. While many don’t see a quarterback worthy of a top 10 pick, teams could try to trade back into the first round to get a quarterback like Geno Smith, who could still be around, or E.J. Manuel.

The 49ers variety of draft picks give them the ammo, the problem is if the price is driven up, does it still become worth it for the 49ers.

But Adam Schefter says the 49ers could be aiming higher than the #22 pick.

Increasing chatter of SF coming up into top 15. 49ers looking to strengthen an already tough defense.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2013

The 49ers could also be looking at safety Kenny Vaccaro.

October 30, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; A detail view of a San Francisco 49ers helmet lays on the sidelines before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Browns 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers finally reached the Super Bowl after falling short against the New York Giants a season ago. It just didn’t happen with Alex Smith under center, nope, a guy out of Nevada and former Chicago Cubs draft pick Colin Paepernick.

They won the NFC West division championship, finishing the season 11-4-1 (St. Louis Rams tie) and went on winning the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons, lead by both strong offensive and defensive performances.

This was definitely another team who turned heads after Colin Kaepernick took over, besides their very own fans and wowed us with how well they continued to play throughout the season. They gave Kaepernick another weapon, in Anquan Boldin, who played against the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the Baltimore Ravens.

Boldin who had a big game in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers, is excited about joining the San Francisco 49ers and playing with a quarterback like Kaepernick. Also brought on board is former 1st round draft pick out of the University of Texas, quarterback Colt McCoy who will more than likely be a 3rd string, but could compete for the #2 spot during camp/preseason. Along with McCoy, former fellow University of Texas Longhorn alumni and Cleveland Brown teammate, Phil Dawson was brought in to replace David Akers as their place kicker.

Taking a look at the schedule for the defending NFC West division and NFC Champions, their first 5 games of the season will definitely be a challenge. Their main 2 games of the season though, should be the Seattle Seahawks, who will be battling for that division championship and one of these 2 teams will definitely be in line for a wild card berth.

• Sep. 8 Green Bay Packers 1:25p
• Sep. 15 at Seattle Seahawks 5:30p
• Sep. 22 Indianapolis Colts 1:25p
• Sep. 26 at St. Louis Rams (Thurs) 5:25p
• Oct. 6 Houston Texans 5:30p
• Oct. 13 Arizona Cardinals 1:25p
• Oct. 20 at Tennessee Titans 1:05p
• Oct. 27 at Jacksonville Jaguars (London) 10:00a
• Nov. 3 BYE 
• Nov. 10 Carolina Panthers 1:05p
• Nov. 17  at New Orleans Saints 1:25p
• Nov. 25 at Washington Redskins (Mon) 5:40p
• Dec. 1 St. Louis Rams 1:05p
• Dec. 8 Seattle Seahawks 1:25p
• Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10:00a
• Dec. 23 Atlanta Falcons (Mon) 5:40p
• Dec. 29 at Arizona Cardinals 1:25p

Oct 13, 2012; Shreveport, LA, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wide receiver Quinton Patton (4) catches a touchdown over Texas A

26. Green Bay Packers – Quinton Patton, WR, LA Tech – The Packers are pretty stacked at Wide receiver with Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb.  But with Aaron Rodgers’ huge contract they decide to add a true outside receiver.  Carrying LA Tech to a 9-3 season and putting up major numbers against the newest SEC powerhouse, Texas A&M; Patton has the potential to be one of the most underrated WRs in the draft. 

27. Houston Texans – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson – The perfect fit for Houston at this point.  In college Hopkins orginally was Clemson’s #2.  When he got his opportunity with Watkins’ suspension, he proved that he could step it up and be the #1 threat.  This is the type of youngster the Texans should put next to Johnson to give this offense a much needed boost.

28. Denver Broncos – Kawann Short, DT, Purdue – Broncos build depth on their defensive line by taking Purdue’s Kawann Short.  In college Kawann was a team captain at Purdue and started for them since his freshman year, he’s shown great versatility in taking on different roles on the Boilermaker’s interior defensive line.  This makes for a great defensive player for a team who has the need like Denver to invest in for the long term.

29. New England Patriots – Terrence Williams, WR, Baylor – A great and very underrated WR in the draft this year, Williams proved to be productive even after Nick Florence came in to replace Griffin earning first team all american honors and leading the nation in receiving yards.  Also a great kick returner, Williams helps the Pats in multiple ways and impacts New England immediately.

30. Atlanta Falcons – Datone Jones, DE, UCLA - The Falcons take a defensive lineman with great potential to learn the pro game and eventually become a star with guidance from free agent signee Osi Umenyiora.  Datone has had his bumps in the road with injury but posted a spectacular senior season at UCLA making 19 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.  If you add his prototypical NFL size and versatility, he proves to be a very high ceiling project who has the chance to start and make an impact his rookie year in Atlanta.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Eric Reid, FS, LSU - The 49ers get their guy to replace Dashon Goldson in this super stout safety class.  Eric Reid is a former all-SEC free safety who since his freshmen year was a great contributor to the Bayou Bengals’ defense.  A player like this is the perfect guy for a coach like Harbaugh to take in and mold into a great pro.  Eric Reid goes from being a playmaker on one of the best college defenses to one on one of the best pro defenses.

32. Baltimore Ravens – Matt Elam, S, Florida – The Ravens are looking to replace either Lewis or Reed here and have a way better value at the safety position.  Matt Elam was a playmaker in the Gator defensive backfield making 76 tackles (11 TFLs), 1 forced fumble and 4 interceptions.  He is definitely a potential franchise defensive player who can help Baltimore renew their intimidation factor on defense and fill in for Ed Reed in the defensive backfield right away.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Per a source close to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the San Francisco 49ers and Anthony Davis have agreed to  a five-year extension that will keep the 23-year-old Rutgers alumn in San Francisco until the 2019 season. The extension is one that is well-deserve, and both sides were able to come to an agreement after much discussion.

It seems crazy to think that the Niners were once considering moving Anthony Davis inside to guard due to his struggles in pass protection, but Jim Harbaugh decided to stick with Davis at RT for another season. That paid off big time for the 49ers last season, so give credit to Harbaugh and the Niners organization for trusting Davis to play at tackle for another season.

The 49ers had $4 million in cap space before making this deal, so it will be very interesting to see the financial implications of this deal for the 49ers. We do know that Anthony Davis will be a member of the San Francisco 49ers organization for a very long time, and this was a great move for the Niners without the financial terms in mind. The 49ers, of course, will be hoping that the young talent responds well to this huge deal.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.

Dec 23 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) attempts a two point conversion on a run in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Browns 34-12. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colt McCoy was traded by the Cleveland Browns to San Francisco 49ers to back up Colin Kaepernick. During a introductory conference call after the trade, McCoy was asked if he was given a fair shot in Cleveland or whether Brandon Weeden was set to start the moment the Browns drafted him.

McCoy, in an act of professionalism avoided the topic.

“I’d really rather stay away from that topic,” McCoy said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “There were some very positive, high moments there and there were also some low times. It was unfortunate kind of the way it all went down and ended, but I have no hard feelings toward those guys. I wish them nothing but the best.”

The Browns might as well be the Hatfields in this feud with the McCoys. While Colt fell to the usual scrutinty for his on field performance, the McCoys were upset with the Browns for the way they handled Colt’s concussion.

Colt however is looking to move past that and didn’t want to talk about that hit he received from James Harrison.

“Obviously it was a long time ago. I’d rather not bring it up again,” McCoy said. “The most important thing is health-wise, I feel great.”

Dec 4, 2011; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t heard, quarterback Colt McCoy, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns out of the University of Texas (Longhorns) in 2010, was traded to the San Francisco 49ers yesterday. Sending McCoy and their 6th pick to the San Francisco 49ers for their 5th and 7th round picks.

Now, Phil Dawson, also a former Cleveland Brown, was recently picked up by the San Francisco 49ers to kick for them, replacing David Akers. Both Colt McCoy and Phil Dawson attended and played for the University of Texas Longhorns so when Colt was drafted, Dawson took him under his wing.

The two former Cleveland Browns are team mates once again, but this time on a contender who nearly took home the Lombardi Trophy last season. Phil Dawson, as we know will be the starting kicker, but McCoy will once again get the back up role, behind 25 year old break out star from last season, Colin Kaepernick.

I support all my Texas Longhorns who get picked up by any team in the league, no matter if it’s the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, whichever. When McCoy was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, I was pretty excited, but worried at the same time.

The way McCoy ended his college career shocked not only myself, but people of the Texas Longhorns nation. After taking a hit in the National Championship Game against Alabama early on in the game, hurting his shoulder and pretty much his father pulling him, to make sure he wouldn’t do any more damage and was ready for his NFL career. Which is understandable, the kid has done a lot for that team and continued to give us Texas Longhorns fans something to cheer about.

Now the situation he is in, is really a win-lose situation. No, he will not start or take the starting position away from Colin Kaepernick, but the system McCoy will be apart of, should mold him into a quarterback he has the potential to be in the National Football League. I’m not knocking the Cleveland Browns, I actually think, Yes, I actually think the Cleveland Browns have something going for them and could possibly be a solid contender in the future as long as they keep making the right moves. But McCoy didn’t really have the weapons he has now, plus bringing in former Chicago Bear, Jason Campbell, who got his first regular season start against the San Francisco 49ers last season, was brought in to back up Brandon Weeden.

Being behind a guy like Colin Kaepernick and possibly Scott Tolzien (see how things go during camp/preseason), should balance the young talent they have on this team. Determined to reach the NFC Championship and Super Bowl again, McCoy, in my opinion will benefit from this trade, not only for a chance to be a part of a Super Bowl caliber team, but a possible starter again for another team in the league. His numbers aren’t as bad, but at the same time, I don’t think they were as good as anybody expected. I am still and always will be a believer in Colt McCoy and I am happy that he is now in a system that could help him develop more.

The numbers on McCoy as of today are the following: 409-702 (completions-attempts) 58.3 percentage, 21-20 (touchdowns-interceptions), 4,388 passing yards and a 74.8 career passer rating. He also went 6-15 as a starter for the Cleveland Browns, playing 8 games his rookie season and starting 13 in 2011 before he was nearly destroyed by James Harrison.

This could possibly be the best move of Colt McCoy’s career, until he gets brought in by another team in need of a starting quarterback. But the question is, does anybody believe Colt McCoy has what it takes to be a starter in this league? Call me crazy, but I do.

Nov 1, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey (72) gestures during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Glenn Dorsey signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the only franchise he knows, the Kansas City Chiefs. And he had a welcome party, or interview, on 95.7 The Game in San Frnacisco.

“I think everybody can see that the 49ers have a good situation going on and they had some guys leave,” Dorsey said, via Sports Radio Interviews. “Just watching them on film, I think I can help contribute. I’m excited about the opportunity.”

But playing for the 49ers puts every player’s dream within reach, and that is too much for Dorsey to pass up.

“It’s a big chance. I am not taking anything away from Kansas City. That’s a great organization over there, too. A lot of respect for those guys,” Dorsey said. “They gave me an opportunity, but like you said, the 49ers just came from a Super Bowl and there’s a lot going on — a lot of positive stuff and action going on here. I’m just thankful and glad I have the opportunity to help contribute and I am ready to get in there and start working.”

“I had a few teams, but to be honest with you man, it’s the 49ers. They just come from the Super Bowl. They have a winning formula. Even getting here and just getting off the plane and coming to the facility and just saying hi to guys who are interacting with each other, with the players and the personnel and the coaches. Man it’s something special. It’s something special here. I’m excited to be a part of it.”