_2.gif "Time.com 50 Best Websites 2008")
Arnaz Battle, San Francisco’s leading wide receiver in 2007, is skipping this week’s workouts and staying at home in Dallas.
Battle had participated in previous Niner OTAs and was expected to be at this one as well. “I’m not sure what his issue is,” coach Mike Nolan told the San Jose Mercury News and Battle’s agent declined to comment.
A logical guess would be the altered role Battle figures to play in the offense this season. His contract runs through 2009 and, awful quarterbacking or no, hasn’t outperformed it in a meaningful way. Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce were signed over the offseason. Johnson is expected to start at one receiver and Battle was battling Bruce for the other spot during previous practices.
It’s a logical guess from our standpoint but not so much for Battle. It’s hard to beat out the competition from Dallas, especially when the competition is familiar with the Mike Martz playbook. Adding to the shortsightedness is the fact that the Niners figure to feature a lot of three receiver sets with Battle still seeing plenty of throws in his direction.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 am
Uh oh . . . the Niners are now doomed.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Battle has been the only consistent, reliable, sure handed guy in the 49ers receiving corps since TO’s departure. This guy isn’t glamorous, but he does all the the little things. Catches over the middle, YAC ability, special teams, and never opens his mouth.
Him missing these OTAs is confusing. I can’t see it being an issue with his contract, has to be a personal issue.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
This may spell the difference between the Niners going 3-13 and the Niners gong 4-12!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:45 am
This might seem outlandish but Arnaz Battle actually has the best hands in the NFL. If he had a decent quarterback throwing to him he has pro bowl potential.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Two years ago, I would have given you the comment about how well Arnaz Battle did catching the ball (I don’t think he had a single drop, and was well above everyone else with the same amount of catches).
Last season was a down one for him, as he still had his problems hanging onto the ball like the rest of the 49ers’ receivers.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Arnaz Battle has the best hands in the NFL?
That’s not only outlandish, but an unprovable claim to make, assuming that you were being literal and not figurative.
The last I checked, Steve Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, and Reggie Wayne were still playing in this league. All of them could be a legitimate contender for that statement.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
i don’t know what the hell you are talkin about vox, the 49ers will win more than 3 or 4 games…must have us confused with those other guys across the bay
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
KG - Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
WTF has Dallas got to do with it????
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
KG - it *IS* outlandish. He was a 6th rounder with all but 11 TD catches in FIVE seasons… Whoopdifreakindo!
Does that sound like the best hands in the NFL? He can’t even carry Bruce’s jock strap.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I certainly hope that Arnaz is sick or something. I hope this is not a ridiculous attempt to “punish” the Niners for showing him as the 3rd wide receiver.
He is a good #3, no more. He will never be great and a #3 can easily be replaced. This is a non-issue except that it will be sad to see a good guy do something dumb. He has worked hard to be the most dependable receiver for the Niners the last few years. He was the best they had . . . not saying much but he was the best.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
It’s like this, downsouth49er. Your coach is a joke. He’s preoccupied with his game-day dress and he’s not smart enough to not get into a public pissing match with his starting QB. Alex Smith is an unqualified bust, Vernon Davis is well on his way. NONE of these guys knows where they’ll be playing in a few years. Could be Santa Clara, could be LA, who knows. Bottom line is the 49ers can’t draft, can’t exercise any logic whatsoever to spot and sign free agent talent (really, do you think that Nate Clements is the best defensive player in NFL history? He’s getting paid like it) and the players may not trust the GQ-conscious head coach that has shown a willingness to throw his players under a bus in order to keep from taking his share of blame. Yeah, they may win a few more than 3 or 4 games (maybe not though), but their destiny is that of a bottom-half team in one of the very worst divisions of the NFL, and they very well may be the worst team in the NFL again.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Maybe he wants to stay home in Dallas so he can make it rain with Pacman.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
He had 0 drops two years ago and only about 1 or 2 last year. Yes Reggie Wayne and Larry Fitzgerald are in the league and yes they are much better than him, but look at the dropped balls category to assess their hands.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Also look at their passing splits. Almost 90% of 49er passing attempts were to points 20 yards or less downfield last year. Shorter passes = easier to catch. Battle had 12.0 YPC and 2.9 of that was average YAC, so the average catch by Arnaz Battle was made about 9.1 yards downfield. That number is 12.3 for TO and 12.2 for Moss. For example.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 4th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Ok cuz that 3 yards makes such a big difference. TO has bad hands even in short yardage plays.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
June 4th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
“Ok cuz that 3 yards makes such a big difference.”
It does when you’re talking about every time you catch the ball.
“TO has bad hands even in short yardage plays.”
Fantastic. Nobody’s ever going to confuse Terrell Owens with Arnaz Battle. TO caught more TD passes last year than Battle has in his entire 5 year career and hasn’t fumbled the ball since the ‘04 season. Battle had two fumbles last season alone. Remember THAT the next time you want to talk about a scrub like Battle’s hands.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated