Niners' Lelie out of sight, out of mind

[dragondawg]

The 49ers made several additions in the offseason to improve the team, one of which being the signing of wide receiver Ashley Lelie to a two year, $4.3 million contract. San Francisco made the decision in an effort to add speed and big-play capability on the outside.

Lelie's brief stint in San Francisco has been clouded by injury, however. He strained his right quadriceps muscle on the first day of May minicamp in a non-contact drill. When the 49ers' OTAs began on June 4, the 2002 first-round pick returned to the field only to immediately aggravate the injury.

Lelie's inability to stay on the field without hurting himself has left head coach Mike Nolan skeptical and indifferent about his free-agent acquisition's prospects for the season.

"I really haven't thought about him that much," said Nolan. "The guys that have been practicing, even the guys that are new and may be a long shot, at least you think about them a little bit. But when the guy hasn't set foot on the field, it's out of sight, out of mind, from my standpoint."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement from your new head coach.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Lelie expects to be ready when the team opens training camp on July 29. He has downplayed his current situation, explaining that he rushed his return to OTAs.

"I think I might have come back a little too early. I don't want to make that same mistake. I want to make sure I can go full speed," said the California native and former University of Hawaii star.

Speed is critical to Lelie's performance. As a member of the Denver Broncos , he led the league in yards per catch in 2004 and 2005. However, the 27-year-old's fragility should be a cause for concern for the both the 49ers' organization and fans alike.

It would not come as a shock if he sustains another injury before the month of August, and one thing is clear: Until Lelie steps on the field and stays there, he is nothing more than an afterthought in the eyes of his head coach.

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2007/06/49ers-ashleylelie-outofsiteoutofmind180607.html

[Kaylore]

Seems like this or something like it was posted before.

:notsurprised: <------ this smilie is broken

[Jesterhole]

Man, if only we had drafted Walker in the first place, instead of this POS.

Makes me almost feel sorry for Griese.

[Los Broncos]

I cant wait till the day when we never hear anything about him again. If he would of just shut up and played his role, we would of been ****ting in tall cotton right now.

[BigPlayShay]

http://lp.imageg.net/prod?set=key[name],value[OCHO+STINKO]&set=key[number],value[85]&set=key[displaysize],value[220]&load=url[http://chains.imageg.net/graphics/dynamic/chains/p1368909_customback.chain]

[CBF1]

Why people here still mention him is beyond me. Who really cares any longer, He is NOT a Bronco.

[dragondawg]

yah denver should of selected walker at 19 instead of lelie

[CBF1]

No Denver SHOULD have drafted Ed Reed at 19

[wabbit]

I suppose I should just keep my mouth shut, because Lelie embarrassed himself here with his pretentious attitude and nonsensical demands, but that was at the end of his tenure here and in-between, he flashed some promise of a game changer the team thought they were getting when they drafted him #1. (quite a sentence, eh??)

I had an opportunity to meet this kid any number of times in different settings since 2002…locker room, training room, practice field, interview, even once in a Barnes & Noble book store, and I can tell you honestly no-one wanted ‘it’ more than him.

I grant you the fact that, in the end, he may not have ever had the durability or the versatility needed for the NFL, but he worked his ass off trying to get where the NFL-level receivers have to be…see Rod Smith.

He listened to his coaches & did what he was asked…even more, hooking up with whomever the QB of the day (year) might’ve been at the time for one-on-one off-season workouts whenever he could.

Lelie was genuine in every aspect, save his ability to perform what the Broncos really needed; a versatile speed receiver who, well, could play like Javon Walker.

He may very well wash out of San Francisco as he did in Denver & Atlanta.

He is what he is…speed, hands & little else as a player, but he is a very decent guy who wanted so badly to be a headliner and settled for the side-show he has now become.

[Natedogg]

I suppose I should just keep my mouth shut, because Lelie embarrassed himself here with his pretentious attitude and nonsensical demands, but that was at the end of his tenure here and in-between, he flashed some promise of a game changer the team thought they were getting when they drafted him #1. (quite a sentence, eh??)

I had an opportunity to meet this kid any number of times in different settings since 2002…locker room, training room, practice field, interview, even once in a Barnes & Noble book store, and I can tell you honestly no-one wanted ‘it’ more than him.

I grant you the fact that, in the end, he may not have ever had the durability or the versatility needed for the NFL, but he worked his ass off trying to get where the NFL-level receivers have to be…see Rod Smith.

He listened to his coaches & did what he was asked…even more, hooking up with whomever the QB of the day (year) might’ve been at the time for one-on-one off-season workouts whenever he could.

Lelie was genuine in every aspect, save his ability to perform what the Broncos really needed; a versatile speed receiver who, well, could play like Javon Walker.

He may very well wash out of San Francisco as he did in Denver & Atlanta.

He is what he is…speed, hands & little else as a player, but he is a very decent guy who wanted so badly to be a headliner and settled for the side-show he has now become.


And Wabbit is.... Aslie Lelie!

;) JK. Thanks for the insight.

[Cito Pelon]

I suppose I should just keep my mouth shut, because Lelie embarrassed himself here with his pretentious attitude and nonsensical demands, but that was at the end of his tenure here and in-between, he flashed some promise of a game changer the team thought they were getting when they drafted him #1. (quite a sentence, eh??)

I had an opportunity to meet this kid any number of times in different settings since 2002…locker room, training room, practice field, interview, even once in a Barnes & Noble book store, and I can tell you honestly no-one wanted ‘it’ more than him.

I grant you the fact that, in the end, he may not have ever had the durability or the versatility needed for the NFL, but he worked his ass off trying to get where the NFL-level receivers have to be…see Rod Smith.

He listened to his coaches & did what he was asked…even more, hooking up with whomever the QB of the day (year) might’ve been at the time for one-on-one off-season workouts whenever he could.

Lelie was genuine in every aspect, save his ability to perform what the Broncos really needed; a versatile speed receiver who, well, could play like Javon Walker.

He may very well wash out of San Francisco as he did in Denver & Atlanta.

He is what he is…speed, hands & little else as a player, but he is a very decent guy who wanted so badly to be a headliner and settled for the side-show he has now become.

Well, I don't know what that idiot was thinking. I haven't been one to ridicule hiim, but I think he was an idiot to force a departure at that time. I believe you are correct that he did whatever was asked of him - he went over the middle, blocked - except for when he was asked to talk to Shanahan from Vegas or wherever he was, he didn't comply with that. Too bad, because he might have changed his mind.

He may very well wash out of San Francisco as he did in Denver & Atlanta.
He is what he is…speed, hands & little else as a player

He didn't wash out of Denver, he walked out, the dope. Shanahan wanted him back on the team. We may have seen Cutler play earlier last year when Shanny and Dinger saw again how badly Jake could underthrow a wide open Lelie streaking down the sideline. I think he was a little bit more than speed, hands. He willingly blocked, went across the middle. And really, what is a receiver anyway, basically? Speed and hands. I wish the guy was still on the team, myself. What a receiver lineup the team would have.