With Jeff Garcia gone to Detroit, the quarterback position on the 49ers is suspect.
Tim Rattay played well last year when Garcia was hurt, but he's still basically a rookie albeit with a bright future.
Rattay has to wait a little bit longer to take over the No. 1 job after tearing a groin throwing his first pass at a recent minicamp recently. Rattay is expected to miss three or four months, not something you want to hear when you consider backups Ken Dorsey and Brandon Dorman have yet to take snaps in a regular-season game.
The 49ers need a veteran, and Kerry Collins is out there for the signing. The only problem is that the 49ers want to pay minimum salary, and undoubtedly Collins will get some better offers.
If I'm Collins, I take whatever the 49ers have to offer. First it would give him a chance to show everybody that he has a lot left, and secondly, if he has success, the Niners might open the job up when Rattay does come back.
When I talked to Niners' offensive coordinator Ted Tollner at Squaw Valley recently, he was high on Dorsey. He liked his competitiveness, his work ethic and leadership skills. Even Tollner would have to admit, however, that Dorsey probably isn't ready to assume the No. 1 spot.
That's nice to hear, but the 49ers can't afford another sub-500 season. It won't sit well with their fans, who have been spoiled by the numerous playoff appearances and winning records.
Come on Terry Donahue, roll the dice and get Collins for the year. There isn't anybody better out there - now.
n Carson baseball coach Ron McNutt has been approached by Bob Williams, one of the founders of the prestigious Area Code Games, to coach a 14-and-under team in Australia.
McNutt, who is interested in the opportunity, has taken a team to China before. He said there are five teams from the United States -- three baseball and two softball - making the trip.
The only issue is it would mean that Ron and his wife, Terri, would miss Christmas with Terri's family, which has become a family tradition.
I'm all for tradition, but it's not everyday you get a chance to spend two weeks in Australia with airfare and hotel paid for, and it would be a nice way to end your coaching career.
n The NCAA recently abolished the 8-5 rule, which means that the University of Nevada will be able to use Kirk Snyder's scholarship next season.
The 8-5 rule meant that you couldn't bring in any more than eight players over two years or more than five in one year. It was started because coaches across the country would force players out or take away scholarships. It was a bad rule because it didn't protect a school which lost players to the professional ranks.
Mark Fox, Nevada associate head coach, was out of town on the recruiting trail last week.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Wolf Pack decide to go, and Fox, because of NCAA rules, isn't allowed to talk about prospective recruits.
Nevada could go for a quick fix and get another junior college player. With the exception of forward Mo Charlo from Diablo Valley College, all of Nevada's recruits are freshmen.
I know a lot of people are hoping that ex-Reno and Kansas player David Padgett ends up at Nevada, and the Wolf Pack now have a scholarship to offer, but I don't see that happening. I see Padgett staying on the West Coast however, possibly either Arizona or Stanford, which were two of his finalists originally.
Nobody will ever know, at least for now, the real reason that Padgett left Kansas, because the Padgetts aren't talking. I believe it was his father's (Pete) decision. He may have felt that David wasn't used correctly last year, and probably wasn't too happy when the Jayhawks went out and recruited two inside players.
If the elder Padgett was unhappy about the latter situation, he needs to chill out. The good teams in the NCAA are good because they don't let the cupboard get bare before they recruit help. You need to keep good players coming in every year so you won't be in a rebuilding mode.
n With fewer teams going to state now, the NIAA needs to seriously overhaul its 4A regional playoff program.
The NIAA needs to seriously look at chopping the zone tournaments to either six or four teams. There is no way fourth-place teams should be making the playoffs.
I look at baseball, and I see that two teams from the High Desert League, Galena and McQueen, made the zone playoffs with losing records. Heck if you can't go .500 or better you shouldn't be in the playoffs.
Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281.
