The team has been looking everywhere to find some help in its pass rush, someone who can rotate with the starting defensive tackles. McGrew is trying to prove to them, that they have to look no farther. After being placed on the expansion draft list, McGrew apparently woke up and realized that he would have to fight for a roster spot this season.

So complete with a large contract in hand, McGrew has taken steps to improve his play. He’s been training hard all off-season, and has looked better in practice. But he still has a long way to go. The 49ers want the former first round pick to succeed, but depending on how some other players pan out on the roster, McGrew may not be able to beat out the competition.

The 49esr are quite sure they have something in Josh Shaw, who was drafted late this off-season due to injury. Shaw will take a while to rehabilitate, but if all goes as planned, he won’t be placed on the injured reserve, and he will contribute to the team. That would mean one less spot for Reggie McGrew. The team also likes what they’ve seen from John Schlect, this off-season. Schlect was pretty good in his first season with the club last year. Additionally free agent Sean Moran who plays end and tackle will be competition for McGrew. As if that wasn’t enough, the team is considering signing another free agent, Jim Flanigan to its roster.