Thursday, May 9 Will the peace between Terrell Owens and Steve Mariucci last? Certainly both men took a giant step toward a rapprochement when they met in Atlanta last month for a clearing of the air. That said, this is likely an uneasy truce. Owens' flirtation with springtime basketball doesn't help his situation, not just with his head coach, but with the San Francisco organization in general. In a sport that's all about the common good, Owens is an individualist. Still, his agent has talked about a possible extension that would keep Owens with the 49ers beyond the 2003 season, so we'll see how that develops. A bigger problem Mariucci might face is reconciling within the locker room and the front office his interest in the Tampa Bay coaching vacancy. Mariucci's long-term viability in the Bay Area is as questionable as Owens' future.

The 49ers emerged as one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams last season, and expect nothing less than the same success in 2002. The 49ers had a very successful offseason, leaving expectations high in San Francisco.

One area the 49ers appear to have upgraded is the offensive line. Two-time Pro Bowl guard Ron Stone was signed away from the Giants to a four-year, $9 million deal. He will replace Ray Brown, who is expected to be released after June 1. Age was a serious concern on the offensive line and while Stone, 30, isn't young, he's a kid compared to Brown, 39. Another big move on the offensive line was the re-signing of center Jeremy Newberry. Newberry, 25, was considered one of the top free agents on the market.

The 49ers were active on the defensive side of the ball, too. The loss of safety Lance Schulters to the Titans was offset by the signing of Tony Parrish from the Bears. Parrish, 26, was a four-year starter in Chicago. He might not be as big a name as Schulters, but the 49ers' defense shouldn't slip at all. San Francisco was also able to hold on to free safety Zack Bronson, who will start alongside Parrish.

The biggest news of the offseason wasn't generated by a player, but by head coach Steve Mariucci, who almost left San Francisco for Tampa Bay. The Bucs were reportedly willing to offer Mariucci upwards of $6 million per season to be their head coach and general manager. However, when it became clear Mariucci would stay in San Francisco, Tampa Bay ended up luring Jon Gruden from Oakland. The most interesting aspect of the situation is that the 49ers appeared more than willing to let Mariucci bolt to Tampa Bay for the right compensation package. That doesn't bode well for Mariucci's long-term future in San Francisco and should make for a lot of whispers and rumors heading into the 2002 season.

	49ERS AT A GLANCE
	Terrell Owens scored 16 TDs      last season.
	2001 record: 12-4 Team rank: Defense (13th); Offense (4th) 49ers team news

Another issue that remains center stage during the offseason is Terrell Owens' tenuous relationship with the 49ers. A one-on-one between Mariucci and Owens in Atlanta appeared to have paved the way for a mending of the fences between the coach and his star receiver. However, Owens' subsequent announcement that he would play basketball this spring and summer in the USBL could throw a wrench in that peace. As of now, 49ers officials have decided to downplay Owens' decision and not make a big deal out of it. However, it shows that Owens and the 49ers still aren't on the same page and might never be.