Read More: 49ers roster cuts, 49ers 53-man roster, Nate Lawrie (TE – SFX), Frank Gore (RB – SFX), Moran Norris (FB – SFX), Nick Howell (G – SFX), Kevin Jurovich (WR – SFX), Tyler Beiler (WR – SFX), Brian Bulcke (DE – SFX), Donovan Edwards (C – SFX), Derek Hall (OT – SFX), Joe Hastings (WR – SFX), Chris Hogan (WR – SFX), Seth Smith (RB – SFX), Anthony West (DB – SFX), Kenny Wiggins (OT – SFX), San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFL have a Tuesday deadline to make their first official roster cuts of 2011. Originally the rules required teams to cut down to 75 players, but the rule was changed to 80 for this season. Teams will make final roster cuts down to the regular season 53-man roster this weekend following the conclusion of the preseason schedule.

As the 49ers make their initial roster cuts, undrafted free agents and some first and second year street free agents are unlikely to last through Tuesday. Some of the undrafted free agents that could get cut include:

DL Brian Bulcke
OL Donovan Edwards
WR Chris Hogan
WR Joe Hastings
DB Anthony West
OT Derek Hall
OT Kenny Wiggins
RB Seth Smith
WR Tyler Beiler

Among the fairly “green” veterans on the roster, some potential cuts include:

OG Nick Howell
TE Nate Lawrie
WR Kevin Jurovich

The ten cuts on Tuesday will include many of these players. However, it is also possible the cuts could include more veteran players. One player who pops to mind is fullback Moran Norris. He is a Frank Gore favorite and has a good chance of making the roster. At the same time, the coaching staff likely knows as much as they’ll ever know about Norris. If they wanted to give some additional playing time this Thursday to a younger, less known player, it would make sense to cut Norris and provide that additional time. Additionally, cutting Norris now gives him a couple extra days to latch on with another team.

This is not to say Norris or other established veterans will get a pink slip Thursday. In fact, I would argue if Norris survives Tuesday’s cut, he is likely to survive this weekend’s cut. If the team still wants to keep him around after Tuesday, I’m not sure how much can change before the final cuts this weekend.

During a fan forum Tuesday night, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh took note that one of his questioners liked quarterback Alex Smith.

“I agree,” Harbaugh said. “I like him very much, too.”

It marked the latest indication that the 49ers will consider bringing back their incumbent quarterback for a seventh season. Smith is eligible for free agency once the NFL labor situation is resolved, and Harbaugh on several occasions has declined to close the door on Smith’s return.

When asked Tuesday whether the former No. 1 pick was still in the picture for 2011, the coach replied: “Yes, Alex Smith is definitely in it.”

General manager Trent Baalke was more circumspect during the fan event, talking mostly in general terms about the team’s quarterback situation. He said Tuesday that the 49ers would “pursue all avenues” including the draft, trades and free agency “to improve the position.”

The answers came during Fan Forum, a conference call in which about 4,000 fans dialed in hoping to address a question to Harbaugh or Baalke.

Some highlights:

• Baalke dismissed the opening question about whether the 49ers would consider trading their first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall) for Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. Baalke noted that tampering rules prevent him from talking about a player under contract.
• Harbaugh said the 49ers planned on playing what he called “a multiple 3-4″ defense and pointed to the Super Bowl

  representatives — the Packers and the Steelers — as examples of what the 49ers are looking for defensively. “Aggressive, physical, smart,” Harbaugh said.

• On offense, Harbaugh said the current roster is capable of providing a more versatile running game. “It’s a group that can be creative,” he said. “That’s on us as coaches.”
• Baalke said he was optimistic that the offensive line could take a leap forward as the current group grows up. “We feel extremely fortunate with where we’re at,” the GM said. “We’ve got young linemen who are under contract for a long time. We’re certainly encouraged by the personnel that we have at those positions.”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was meeting Wednesday with the San Francisco 49ers about their head coach vacancy, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the interview wasn’t made public. Harbaugh returned Tuesday night to the Bay Area from a 40-12 Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech in Miami that gave the Cardinal a program-best 12-1 record. He now must weigh his options, which appear to be many.

The 49ers formally picked Trent Baalke as their new general manager Tuesday night and he is now looking for the coach to replace Mike Singletary, fired following a 25-17 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 26 that eliminated San Francisco from the playoffs for an eighth straight season. Baalke had been the team’s vice president of player personnel since March.

Team President and CEO Jed York said after Singletary was fired that he would leave the choice of head coach up to the new GM—so apparently this is Baalke’s show to try to land Harbaugh. Though it might take a tag-team effort by the front office considering Harbaugh’s numerous suitors.

The 47-year-old Harbaugh is 58-27 overall as a college coach and 29-21 in four seasons at Stanford. He took over a 1-11 team when he was hired in December 2006 and quickly turned the program back into a winner and bowl contender.

The Cardinal went 4-8 in his first season, 5-7 the next, then improved to 8-5 and earned a Sun Bowl berth in 2009—the school’s first bowl appearance since 2001.

Many believe Harbaugh is ready to make the leap to the next level, eager for a new challenge. He was the Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacks coach from 2002-03 before spending three seasons as head coach at the University of San Diego.

When Stanford arrived back on campus Tuesday, one man hollered “Stay in the Bay Area!” when Harbaugh hopped off the bus holding his toddler daughter, Addison.

Harbaugh, a college star at Michigan where there also is a coaching vacancy, played 15 seasons in the NFL for the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers and Panthers. A first-round draft pick taken 26th overall by Chicago in 1987, Harbaugh completed 2,305 of 3,918 passes for 26,288 career yards and 129 touchdowns in the NFL. He also ran for 18 TDs.

Aside from his alma mater, the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are teams believed to have interest in Harbaugh. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, CEO Mike Dee and general manager Jeff Ireland were on the Stanford sideline before Monday’s Orange Bowl game.

Messages left for Harbaugh’s agent, Jack Bechta, weren’t immediately returned Wednesday.

The 49ers—who were picked to win the NFC West this year but haven’t had a winning season since their last playoff season in 2002—also were given permission Tuesday to talk to Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson about the coaching job. The Newark Star-Ledger also reported that San Francisco requested permission to interview Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. If Fewell or Jackson interview, the team will have fulfilled the requirement under the Rooney Rule to talk to a minority candidate.

Jackson also could be a candidate for the head coaching job in Oakland after owner Al Davis decided not to exercise the team’s option to retain Tom Cable. The Raiders informed Cable of their decision Tuesday.

The San Francisco 49ers were set to meet with Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday at an undisclosed location away from the team’s training facility, league sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Harbaugh returned Tuesday night to the Bay Area from a 40-12 Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech in Miami that gave the Cardinal a program-best 12-1 record. He now must weigh his options, which appear to be many.

The 49ers formally picked Trent Baalke as their new general manager Tuesday night and he is now looking for the coach to replace Mike Singletary, fired following a 25-17 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 26 that eliminated San Francisco from the playoffs for an eighth straight season. Baalke had been the team’s vice president of player personnel since March.

Team President and CEO Jed York said after Singletary was fired that he would leave the choice of head coach up to the new GM — so apparently this is Baalke’s show to try to land Harbaugh. Though it might take a tag-team effort by the front office considering Harbaugh’s numerous suitors.

The 47-year-old Harbaugh is 58-27 overall as a college coach and 29-21 in four seasons at Stanford. He took over a 1-11 team when he was hired in December 2006 and quickly turned the program back into a winner and bowl contender.

The Cardinal went 4-8 in his first season, 5-7 the next, then improved to 8-5 and earned a Sun Bowl berth in 2009 — the school’s first bowl appearance since 2001.

Many believe Harbaugh is ready to make the leap to the next level, eager for a new challenge. He was the Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacks coach from 2002-03 before spending three seasons as head coach at the University of San Diego.

When Stanford arrived back on campus Tuesday, one man hollered “Stay in the Bay Area!” when Harbaugh hopped off the bus holding his toddler daughter, Addison.

Harbaugh, a college star at Michigan where there also is a coaching vacancy, played 15 seasons in the NFL for the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers and Panthers. A first-round draft pick taken 26th overall by Chicago in 1987, Harbaugh completed 2,305 of 3,918 passes for 26,288 career yards and 129 touchdowns in the NFL. He also ran for 18 TDs.

Aside from his alma mater, the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are reportedly interested in Harbaugh. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, CEO Mike Dee and general manager Jeff Ireland were on the Stanford sideline before Monday’s Orange Bowl game.

Messages left for Harbaugh’s agent, Jack Bechta, weren’t immediately returned Wednesday.

The 49ers — who were picked to win the NFC West this year but haven’t had a winning season since their last playoff season in 2002 — also were given permission Tuesday to talk to Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson about the coaching job. A league source told Schefter that they two parties met earlier Wednesday.

A league source told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk that San Francisco requested permission to interview Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Either Fewell or Jackson will fulfill the requirement under the Rooney Rule to talk to a minority candidate.

Jackson also could be a candidate for the head coaching job in Oakland after owner Al Davis decided not to exercise the team’s option to retain Tom Cable. The Raiders informed Cable of their decision Tuesday.

Information from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press is included in this report.