49ers Tell Winborn "Go Home" -- Trying To Trade Him

[PhillyPhreak54]

LB Winborn leaves Niners amid trade talks   

NFL.com wire reports 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2005) -- Linebacker Jamie Winborn cleaned out his locker and left the San Francisco 49ers as the club abruptly announced plans to trade the former starter.

Winborn lost his job to converted defensive end Andre Carter last week, and coach Mike Nolan suggested the fifth-year pro should stay away while the 49ers find him a new home.

"He sees himself as a starter, and I would tend to agree with that," Nolan said. "It just won't be here."

Winborn's departure is the biggest move yet in a promised shakeup by Nolan, who hasn't been pleased with the 49ers (1-2) after consecutive losses. Nolan said he already received several inquiries from teams seeking the speedy linebacker, who has showed flashes of brilliance since the 49ers drafted him out of Vanderbilt in 2001.

Winborn's teammates were surprised by the swiftness of his departure from San Francisco, where he never played a full season because of injuries. He was among the 49ers' fastest players, earning the nickname "Speed Limit" because of his No. 55 jersey.

But Winborn developed a reputation for sometimes playing without discipline and relying on his athleticism to cover it. Nolan hasn't specifically criticized Winborn, but after the 34-31 loss to Dallas, he was furious about unnamed players who refused to trust the coaching staff's schemes and decisions.

"I guess it's a good situation," said linebacker Julian Peterson, who praised Winborn's leadership and locker-room levity. "It's all part of the business. He just wanted to go in his own direction right now. It's hard to keep rotating two good, talented guys like (Winborn and Carter)."

Winborn had 104 tackles and a career-high 4½ sacks last season while starting 10 games. but for the third straight year, he was injured at the end of the season, missing the final two games with a shoulder problem.

Carter, who also joined the 49ers in 2001 as the seventh overall pick, spent his first four NFL seasons as an average defensive end before Nolan moved him to linebacker in the coach's new 3-4 defensive scheme. Finally pain free after a series of back problems, Carter has adapted quickly to his new responsibilities.

"It's weird for this to happen with Jamie, but he's moving on to do bigger and better things, hopefully, and I'll do bigger and better things," Carter said. "Me and Jamie were just talking about the draft class of 2001, how there were only four of us left. Now there's only three."

Carter and backup Corey Smith both said they learned important aspects of the job by watching Winborn and Peterson. Derek Smith and Jeff Ulbrich are the other two starters in the 49ers' impressive corps of linebackers, which was among the main reasons Nolan converted the defense to a 3-4 scheme this season.

But Nolan, the former defensive coordinator for Baltimore, Washington and both New York clubs, is making several adjustments after his club gave up a league-high 101 points in the first three games. He switched positions for two defensive backs, moving Mike Adams to safety and putting Mike Rumph back at cornerback.

But Rumph hurt his foot in practice and was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam. Ahmed Plummer, the 49ers' starting cornerback opposite Shawntae Spencer, will have arthroscopic surgery Sept. 29 on his ankle, keeping him out at least three weeks.

If anyone doesn't remember Mr. Winborn...

He was the farging idiot whose helmet got knocked off and he tackled Westbrook for a 5 yard loss in the redzone. He then got up and started talking shtein to the Eagles and the Eagles bench because he made a tackle when the score was 28-0. Good job, dickhead.

[MDS]

He and AJ Burnett can have a pow-wow.

[Larry]

Isn't he the one that got his block knocked off by Runyan while standing around a pile?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Isn't he the one that got his block knocked off by Runyan while standing around a pile?

Runyan does that like 4-5 times a game minimum.

[methdeez]

Isn't he the one that got his block knocked off by Runyan while standing around a pile?

Runyan does that like 4-5 times a game minimum.

Seriously. You could say that for about half of the roster on the NFC east teams.

[WEST is GOD]

Looks like he'll be a Jag

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2183191&name=FPT-2183191-100703&srvc=sz