It begins

We're officially on the rise in the NFL:

The San Francisco 49ers signed cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis on Friday, making two bold moves in the opening hours of free agency.

Clements, the star cornerback from the Buffalo Bills, agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract. The six-year veteran was considered one of the top prizes in free agency, and the up-and-coming 49ers rewarded him accordingly with what's believed to be one of the richest contracts for a defensive back in NFL history.

My cousin Matt put it best: "If we get both Clements and Thomas my head is going to explode."

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(Update 3/3)
Here's SFGate's story on the signings.

And in other news, it looks like we missed out on A.T. I can't blame him wanting to play for the Pats.

I guess there's always Aubrayo Franklin and Donnie Spragan. I know, I know...relative no-names, but I trust the Nolan regime's player evaluation skills. You've got to hand it to them - they know what types of players will fit best for their system.

Franklin is a prototypical Nose Tackle for the 3-4 at 6-1, 320 while Spragan is the ideal 'big' LB in the 3-4 scheme at 6-3, 242.

The bright side from these initial FA signings is that the 9ers might take a decidedly different approach in the draft. Numerous reports and draftniks have previously held that they would emphasize defense. Maybe now they will think twice when a legit offensive threat is on the board when they pick.

Lord knows we need WR help in a baaaaad way w/ the release of Antonio Bryant. While solid all-around, hardnosed Arnaz Battle is definitely not a #1 receiver.