Sims Signs, Smith the Spokesman

Barry Sims signed a one-year contract with the 49ers yesterday, returning to a reserve role. The 11 year veteran provides consistency and experience for an emerging young offense.

The Carolina Panthers are revamping their offense and getting younger on both sides of the ball. Steve Smith has always been outspoken, but now his role as team spokesman is official: he is the union rep for the Panthers. Smith's comments about the Panthers' personnel moves are somewhat more calculated and less candid than we're used to hearing from the vocal wide out. Is Steve Smith going corporate on us?

Dark Horse

This week a dark horse candidate emerged to win the ProUte of the Final Week of the regular season: Barry Sims. The veteran offensive lineman, seen here blocking for fellow ProUte Alex Smith in an earlier contest, started 7 games for the 49ers this year. Against St. Louis the Niners scored 3 rushing TDs in the second half. Frank Gore got the stats, with over 100 yards and 2 TDs, but Barry Sims and the O-Line get the credit. Alex Smith's success in the spread offense coincides with the debut of rookie receiver Michael Crabtree, the dependable running of Gore, and the development of tight end Vernon Davis, who tied the record for most TDs by a TE in a season with his long score (also in the second half). But what hampered Smith when he came into the league as the #1 pick in 2005 was the lack of protection from his line. This year his line played better and so did he. Sims just concluded his 11th season in the NFL and at the age of 35 he isn't going to start every game, but he contributed to the win that gave the 49ers their first non-losing season since 2001. For that Barry Sims is our ProUte of Week 17!