The San Francisco 49ers lose CB Will James (high ankle sprain) and rookie PR/KR/WR Kyle Williams (sprained big toe) for a while.  James is likely to miss the next 4-6 weeks while Williams is likely out six weeks.  James had 1 tackle and 1 interception against the Colts this weekend and he is expected to have a big role for the Niners this year.  Williams returned 1 punt for 36 yards, 2 kickoff for 42 yards and he caught 1 pass for 8 yards in the pre-season opener.  He was going to have to fight for his roster spot so this injury might have cost him a job with the Niners.

The 49ers have lost 30-year old starting center Eric Heitmann for the next 6-8 weeks after fracturing his left fibula in practice.  This is a big blow to the Niners.  Heitmann started all 16 games for the 49ers last season and he has played in 119 games (114 starts) in his 8 years in the NFL.  Luckily the Niners have some depth on the O-Line as David Baas will battle Tony Wragge for the starting center job until Heitmann is ready to return to action.  Baas started all 16 games at guard for the Niners last season.  He has played in 76 games (38 starts) in his 5 years in the NFL.  Tony Wragge played in 15 games (0 starts) for the 49ers last season.  He has played in 52 games (15 starts) in his six years in the NFL.  My money is on Baas to be the starting center until Heitmann is ready to return to action.

The 49ers have lost 24-year old linebacker Scott McKillop for the season due to a torn ACL.  McKillop played in all 16 games last season as a rookie for the Niners and he had 19 tackles and a fumble recovery on which he scored a TD.  This is a blow to the Niners’ depth at linebacker and more importantly the special teams where McKillop excelled.

The 49ers have signed 24-year old kicker Ricky Schmitt out of tiny Shepherd College and he might have to start this weekend against the Lions if Joe Nedney is not ready to play due to a groin injury.  Nedney has played in all 14 games for the Niners this season and he has made 17 of 21 field goals (81%) and all 33 of his extra points good for 84 points this season.  It will be interesting to see how Schmitt handles his first NFL game if he has to play because the Niners can’t afford to leave points on the football field.

UPDATE:  Nedney is out for the season so Schmitt will continue to kick.  He was 2 for 3 on field goals in his NFL debut last week and he also made both of his extra points as he finished up with 8 points.

The 49ers have lost starting DE Kentwan Balmer for the year due to a torn right labrum.  Balmer played in 11 games last season for the Niners and he made 12 tackles.  He has now played in 27 games in his two years with the Niners and he has made 19 tackles and defensed 1 pass.  The 49ers have signed DE Baraka Atkins to replace Balmer on the roster.  Atkins played in 9 games for the Seahawks last season and he made 18 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and he had 2 sacks.  He has now played two years in the NFL and he has 29 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 2 sacks.