The San Francisco 49ers will not sign defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin

Opinions about Football Outsiders are incredibly diverse with some swearing by them and some practically despising what they do. It always makes for spirited debate. I lean towards the former group, but I also recognize they are fallible. Their 2009 mean projection for the 49ers  was 5.7 wins, which the team obviously exceeded. Of course, FO also gave them a 22% chance to get 7-8 wins, so we can't say they were completely wrong. They provide a broad range of information and we can slice Alex Smith  and dice it as we see fit.

If you have any interest in purchasing this Almanac, it's available to download for $12 over at FO's store. This year's almanac includes the team and player projections, as well as fantasy football projections from their KUBIAK forecasting system, breakdowns of 75 college teams and win-loss projections for all 120 D-1A teams and research on projecting college pass rushers into the NFL, the historical impact of college conference realignment, and whether or not certain running backs truly are better at the goal line. So, head over to their store to purchase it if you're interested.

For the purposes of Niners Nation, I'll be providing glimpses into Vernon Davis some of the 49ers-specific information over the course of the next month and a half as we make our way to the 2010 regular season. I'll get a few posts on it over the next week or so, and then get back to it after the bar exam in a couple weeks. After that bar I'll have nothing but free time, which means I'll be back in the saddle full-time here in a couple weeks!

Final Disclaimer: After the jump I'll be looking at some of the FO projections for the 49ers, so if you want to read the Almanac first, turn away now. We'll have plenty of posts on this material going forward.

The San Francisco 49ers jerseys will not sign defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin to a long-term deal by Thursday's deadline, according to a team official. Therefore, Franklin will play next season on a one-year, $7.003 million salary as a franchise-tagged player.

The 49ers hoped to lock up Franklin to a long-term contract before the deadline, and there has been dialogue between both sides. However, a 49ers official said there is "no chance" an extension could be completed before Thursday.

The Cardinals could have the best offensive and defensive lines in the division. Quarterback is still the most important Patrick Willis position, but it's not as though the rest of the division is stacked at the position. The 49ers are the only team in the division with a defensive line close to as strong as the one Arizona will field this season. One question, though, is whether the Cardinals' defense can take full advantage of the strength Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell and rookie first-round choice Dan Williams can provide. On offense, the 49ers loaded up with two offensive linemen in the first round, but the Cardinals' veteran group should be better in the short term after adding Alan Faneca and Rex Hadnot.