Disgruntled receiver Hill happy to make team

<p>When third-year wide receiver Jason Hill left the 49ers' locker room in San Diego late Friday night, he thought his days with the organization were numbered.</p><p>Hill played well as the 49ers' No. 3 receiver in the second half of last season, but he saw a dramatic reduction in his practice and playing time this summer. And he was not happy about it.</p><p>“Maybe the coaches don't like me or something,” said Hill, who caught a 21-yard touchdown pass in the 49ers' final exhibition game.</p><p>“I don't know. I just haven't been getting enough reps. When I get reps, I make plays. I showed it last year when I get reps. When I get in a game, I make plays. I'm proving it on the field every time.”</p><p>It seems as if coach Mike Singletary agrees with him. Hill was one of 53 players to survive the mandatory league-wide cuts.</p><p>“When you look at Jason Hill, every chance that he's had is a situation in which he's been able to make plays,” Singletary said. “I know he can be frustrated about the amount of time he had or the amount of catches that he had or whatever. ”</p><p>The 49ers released 20 players on Saturday, including rookie tight end Bear Pascoe, a sixth-round draft pick. The 49ers also cut tight end J.J. Finley, leaving them with only Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker at that position.</p><p>Running back Kory Sheets was also a notable roster deletion. Sheets, an undrafted rookie speedster from Purdue, was second on the team in rushing during the exhibition season with 177 yards on 39 carries. He was responsible for all three of the 49ers' rushing touchdowns.</p><p>“I think certainly he did some nice things, but what we wanted to do and keep focus of is we wanted to have the 53 guys who really gave us the best opportunity to win,” Singletary said.</p><p>Sheets and Pascoe are candidates for the 49ers' eight-man practice squad if they go unclaimed in the NFL's waiver procedure.</p><p>The only 49ers player with significant NFL experience to get released was cornerback Eric Green, a four-year veteran who played the final two exhibition games after he joined the team after the Miami Dolphins cut him.</p><p>Other players the 49ers released were fullbacks Brit Miller and Bill Rentmeeser; receivers Dominique Zeigler, Maurice Price and Dobson Collins; offensive linemen Jacob Bender, Alex Boone, Matt Spanos, Joe Toledo and Kyle Howard; defensive linemen Khalif Mitchell and Pannel Egboh; linebackers Jay Moore, Justin Roland and Mark Washington, and cornerback Terrail Lambert.</p><p>Both of the team's seventh-round draft picks — defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois and safety Curtis Taylor — made the team, as did undrafted rookie linebacker Diyral Briggs.</p><p>However, the 49ers might need to make additional cuts if they are active in adding players who got released around the league. The 49ers are likely to be in the market for backups at fullback, tight end and offensive tackle.</p><p>“It depends on what happens throughout the next few days, but right now we're content with the team we have,” Singletary said.</p><h3>CRABTREE TAMPERING?</h3> <p>The NFL does not plan to investigate whether teams have tampered with unsigned 49ers draft pick Michael Crabtree, an NFL spokesman said.</p><p>Deion Sanders, speaking on the NFL Network on Friday, intimated two NFL teams have gotten word to Crabtree that they're willing to pay him more than the five-year, $20 million contract the 49ers are offering.</p><p>“Two teams have contacted the San Francisco 49ers desiring a trade and will pay this kid. And he knows that,” Sanders said of Crabtree. He did not name the two teams, and the 49ers denied Friday that any teams contacted them about acquiring Crabtree in a trade. The deadline passed three weeks ago for unsigned draft picks to be traded.</p><p>When asked if the league intends to follow up on Sanders' statements, the league said it would not. “This is an issue to be worked out by the 49ers and Michael Crabtree, not our office,” said NFL senior vice president of public relations Greg Aiello.</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco via e-mail at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.</p>