San Francisco coach Mike Nolan knows what he likes, and we should be clearly reminded of that once again, starting on Thursday night, when the NFL free agency floodgates open.

That's what NFL alpha dogs do during free agency: They remind us that they're the ones in charge and that the team will be built in their image.

If Nolan's still calling the shots for the 49ers (and there is every reason to believe that he is), they'll be chasing pug-minded, large-hearted defensive players once again. And the 49ers will not be so interested in the foofier species who do things like get first downs, break tackles, score touchdowns and entertain the audience.

As has been heavily rumored, and possibly with the help of a bit of pre-deadline tampering (no big deal, everybody does it), the 49ers look like the favorites to land either Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs or Cincinnati defensive end Justin Smith.

Both are quality players, and admittedly, this free-agent crop is not spangled with top offensive players. But Briggs would address not a single 49ers need; they have Patrick Willis — how many prime, high-paid inside linebackers does a losing team need? And Smith might be asked to fill a pass-rush void a few years after his best pass-rushing days have gone. Also, defensive players, last I checked, won't provide much help to the 49ers' soul-sucking offense, precisely when Nolan has sworn that he will fix the offense no matter what.

Oh well. Nolan doesn't pay much attention to offense, and when he does add a wide receiver (such as Ashley Lelie last season), he sometimes forgets to play him. That just about explains Nolan's whole head-throbbing tenure, doesn't it?

Interestingly, there are minor hints that new General Manager Scot McCloughan is Justin Smith's No.1 champion in the organization and that McCloughan might not be leading the Briggs money wagon.

But those are minor points. Though McCloughan supposedly has been promoted above the coach, the G.M. sure doesn't sound ready to overrule Nolan, who remains the alpha dog and determined to remind us that he's the alpha dog.

Meanwhile, we know for sure that Al Davis will always call the shots for the Raiders, until death doth he part the Silver & Black, or perhaps longer. So we know the Raiders will be shopping for big names and big speed and preferably big names with big speed.

Banged-up pass rusher Jevon Kearse, maybe? (Because he's a big name down on his luck.) Interesting wide receiver Donte' Stallworth? (Because he's fast and the Raiders need to fill Jerry Porter's spot, assuming he leaves.)

As always, it's hard to tell with the Raiders and Davis. Though we always know the types of players Davis likes, his specific targets usually remain cloaked in mystery because Davis likes to keep his secrets and because it's not clear that Davis speaks to anyone anymore.

All of that is true no matter what Davis' coach says or wants; quite often, all of it is true, most especially if it is wildly opposite of what his coach says or wants.

We would ask Lane Kiffin about his free-agent desires — but unfortunately, he's a little busy. These days, the Raiders' coach is figuring out whether he wants to remain employed by Davis, how to get the maximum buyout if he walks and how to barricade his office should Davis' cronies try to eject him involuntarily.

Kiffin took some time out to give my colleague Ann Killion a call Wednesday, but that was expressly to deny a report that he had been "cutting the rug" at a nightclub in Indianapolis during last week's scouting combine.

Ann asked if Kiffin would like to clear up any other lingering issues; Kiffin pleasantly declined. Just the dancing needed to be addressed, not the widely reported idea that Davis has stripped Kiffin of everything except his title in Al's effort to get Kiffin to quit.

So the free agency period has arrived, and Raiders fans really don't know if their coach is sticking around or if he has any powers left — but they do know he wasn't out clubbing last week.

That's just what you'd expect with the Raiders. Mysterious, bizarre and predictable, all at once. That's just the way the Raiders' alpha dog likes it.