Oh, well. In a move that has been a long time coming, the Niners lost Teg Ginn to the Carolina Panthers. The guy was both infuriating, breathtaking, ridiculous, and more than likely the missing piece in the 2011 season, as shown by the KW disaster in the NFCC playoff game. Ginn came into the NFL with Miami as the 9th pick in the 2007 draft amid high hopes and blazing speed.

Unfortunately for him, the expectations were never met. He dropped way too many passes, and lost his job as a WR midway through the 2009 season with Miami. After that season, he was traded to the Niners. Even though the Niners never had much at WR, he was usually buried on the depth chart as the 3rd WR. He was however, effective as a KR/PR. Most notably, opening day 2011, where he put away the Seattle Seahawks singlehandedly by returning a kickoff 102 yards, and a punt for 59 yards (within a minute of each other) to seal the win. And we don;t need to re-hash the 2011 NFCCG.

Other than that, he became more Allan Rossum-like last year as he avoided contact, and never quite clicked as a WR.  If anyone didn’t see this one coming, they are legally blind. With LMJ looking to be the KR now, and the injury to KW still a big question mark, the Niners don’t really have anyone to fill the PR spot, but certainly Ginn’s time was done in SF. I’ll be real curious to see how he does in Carolina.

Other than that, the Niners signed Richard (Match Game) Dawson to a one-year deal as the New Old kicker for the Niners. Props go to AK for calling this moments before it actually happened. They shored up their special teams some by getting local kid (Natomas High, Sacto) Marlon Moore, a speedy gunner and hard hitter, who is also a WR. Again, these aren’t earthshaking moves, but they should hopefully shore up the special teams unit, which regressed a lot last year.

Still waiting for another safety to get signed. You have to wonder, now that the cream of the free agents are gone, if the go after Sensabaugh or Kerry Rhodes. Both are 30, and could likely be had for pretty cheap 2-3 year deals. It’s either that, or we’re left with Nate the Late Clements, or Michael (I like to) Huff. . .