10 questions before 49ers minicamp

San Francisco 49ers’ Joe Staley, left, and Darrell Williams Jr. perform a drill during the team’s organized team activity at its NFL football training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Here are 10 questions I want you to answer before 49ers minicamp starts on Tuesday. Explain all of your answers.

1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?

2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?

3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?

4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters?

5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters?

6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?

7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?

8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?

9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp? UPDATE: Maclin just signed with the Ravens.

10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp?

BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?

DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment in the history of movie trilogies? If not, what is?

This article has 279 Comments

  1. 1. Joe Williams
    2. Jimmy Ward’s progress at safety
    3. Robert Saleh
    4. Eventually
    5. Eventually
    6. Buckner, Armstrad, Mitchell, Thomas
    7. Zane
    8. Hyde
    9. No shot
    10. No
    11. Godfather II
    12. Toy Story I

    1. Re: the double bonus question. I wasn’t asking if Toy Story 3 was the best installment of the Toy Story trilogy. I was asking if Toy Story 3 was the best third installment in this history of movie trilogies. I should have made that clearer.

      1. Def have to say without a doubt Karate Kid 3 is the best of any trilogy ever made

    2. Mitchell will not play nickel. His a two- down run NT. Nickel D-line will be Carradine or Lynch, Buckner, Armstead and Dumervil.

    3. 1. Joe Williams
      2. Rueben Foster
      3. Shanahan
      4. Yes
      5. Yes
      6. I don’t know
      7. Kilgore
      8. Garçon
      9. No LOL
      10. No

    4. 1. Kyle Jusyck??? FB
      2. Adrian Colbert
      3. Bobby Turner RB coach
      4. Mid-Season
      5. Mid-Season
      6. Buckner, Mitchell, Thomas, Armstead…. (Subs) Dumervil, Buckner, Armstead, Foster
      7. Kilgore
      8. Carlos Hyde
      9. N/A
      10. Hell Naw!
      Bonus: Godfather
      Dbl Bonus: N/A

      1. Had to go back and Re-read Dbl Bonus…. Underworld, Home Alone, Rocky, and Back to the Future

  2. This is embarrassing.

    You spend 10 minutes writing up a high school mid-term report and then attempt to pass it off as actual work? you call this a blog? This is baloney. F-

    1. Right-o. What story are you itching to hear that will actually be meaningful at this point. He’s polling people to see what they want. Not the worst thing in the world.

  3. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?
    -George Kittle…based on his combine numbers and college scheme, I’m excited to see how quickly he can become a difference maker.

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?
    -Ahkello Witherspoon…on paper, he is exactly what you want out of a #1 CB in the 4-3 Under. Hoping to read he is developing his tackling skills and hopefully grab the #2 spot opposite Robinson.

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?
    -Shanny…his biggest knock before he was hired seemed to be he wasn’t much of a people person. Would love to see the the team is loving his personality and fully buying into his system.

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters?
    -Yes…#3 overall pick better. I think he’s a better LEO than Armstead. Performed at about 90% of what Myles Garret did in all combine drills and he is a “generational talent” so Thomas should be starting.

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters?
    -Hope not just cuz that means Armstead, Thomas, Pita, Lynch all suck. Think he will get plenty of snaps though and could easily hit 8 sacks.

    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?
    -Dumervil, Armstead, Mitchell, Buckner

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?
    -Bold answer: Zuttah starts at center, Kilgore takes guard spot from Garnett/Beadles

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?
    -Hyde…seems he is the most skilled player struggling the most right now. Can only improve right?

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp?
    -No

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp?
    -That’d be a pretty tough thing to do.

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?
    -Godfather 3. Said no one ever.

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third part of a movie trilogy? If not, what is?
    -Which one made you cry? That’s your answer.

    1. Re-answering DOUBLE BONUS correctly.

      Definitely not. Others that beat it are D3: The Mighty Ducks, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, The Dark Knight Rises and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

      1. Here’s my unpopular opinion of the day: Bad Boys 2 was the best sequel of the past 15 years.

        1. BB2 was a great movie. Poor Reggie. But if we’re going with an unpopular opinion of best sequel in the last 15 years…2 Fast 2 Furious (these movies will also be my choice for best 4th, 5th, 6th, etc installment), Pitch Perfect 2 or Kick-Ass 2.

  4. 1. George Kittle
    2. Solomon Thomas
    3. Saleah (or however you spell it)
    4. Does a bear **** in the woods (or any other place he chooses)?
    5. Pass rush specialist.
    6. Thomas, Buckner, Armstead, Dumervil. Carradine does intrigue me and that could force Thomas inside and make the interior a 3-man rotation between Thomas, Buckner & Armstead.
    7. Yes, Kilgore.
    8. No idea, nobody is really reporting it all that well. If I had to guess, it’d be a receiver or TE.
    9. No, but I can’t help hoping as Goodwin isn’t all that and a bag of chips.
    10. He’ll lose it, like last year. But I still don’t trust him or want him as he’s proven to be unreliable in college and the pros.

    Now, for the important questions:

    Will the XCOM2 expansion pack War of the Chosen be as good as the original game?
    Will Total War:Warhammer live up to the hype or will CA face-plant like they did with Rome 2?
    Will Mount & Blade: Bannerlord be released in 2017?
    Will Star Citizen launch this year?
    Why is Privateer (released in 1993!) still one of the Top-25 PC space games? Is it really that hard for everyone (besides BioWare for whom it’s become clear that it is…)?

  5. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?
    Besides the QB’s, namely Hoyer, I’ll take Trent Brown. If he can make a jump to a Pro-Bowl level OT, it would be huge for our offense. It’ll be interesting to see if he becomes fluid enough for this scheme. He seems athletic enough but I’d imagine bigger than a typical Shanahan O-linemen.

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?
    Arik Armstead. His fit and potential will be very interesting to hear about. Honerable mentions are Ward, Robinson, Redmond and the rookies.

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?
    Robert Saleh. He is a huge unknown on our coaching staff and he’ll have a huge impact on the season. I’m interested in what you think about him so far.

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters?
    Yes, eventually as the strong side DE. Probably not out of the gates although I’d imagine he took over for Carradine quickly.

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters?
    I’d imagine he’ll be the starter in nickel.

    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?
    Elvis, Buckner, Thomas, Armstead

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?
    Kilgore at least will be replaced by Zuttah.

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?
    Trent Brown

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp?
    Nope although I wouldn’t mind

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp?
    No, hopefully he steps in 15 pounds lighter and in great shape.

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?
    Godfather 1. I watched them as a double feature which made for a bit of a long day.

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third part of a movie trilogy? If not, what is?
    No, it’s very close but the first one started the whole trilogy!

    1. I just saw what you meant for the double bonus question. No, I’d say Lord of the Ring: Return of the King with Dark Knight Rises being close. :)

      1. Dark Knight Rises suffers from Christian Bale and Tom Hardy’s weird voice effects.

  6. 1. Carlos Hyde. I want to hear how he adjusts/doesn’t adjust to the blocking scheme

    2. Reuben Foster. Will he actually play or is the shoulder worse than expected?

    3. Bobby Turner. He’s been the constant presence throughout the Shanahan history and the key to their running game.

    4. Not initially but will obviously be a starter when the season begins.

    5. Dumervil will be a 3rd down/Nickel pass rusher so hard to say if that means he’s a starter, but he’ll see a lot of snaps.

    6. Dumervil, Buckner, Thomas, Armstead. I think Lynch will get a number of snaps here too.

    7. Zuttah will eventually be the starting C.

    8. Hyde. I think he’ll be much better when the pads go on.

    9. I doubt it. Doesn’t seem like they have any interest which is puzzling to me.

    10. No.

    11. There is no answer to this question. It’s like asking which of your children you prefer.

    12. It was good, but Return of the Jedi was the best 3rd installment of a movie franchise, followed closely by The Return of the King from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

        1. Whoa whoa WHOA! :) I acknowledge Empire Strikes Back is a great movie. But Return of the Jedi? Come on, man!

          1. It was the final installment of one of the greatest movie franchises in history. I concede Empire was better, but Return of the Jedi was a good ending to the trilogy. Nobody was talking badly about any of the originals before the prequels were made.

            1. I thought Return of the Jedi was pretty anticlimactic. The ewoks make me cringe.

              1. There’s always the kid angles in George Lucas movies but the ewoks didn’t take away from the overall movie which was a good ending imo.

              2. @Rocket

                I agree that at the time “Return of the Jedi” was considered a successful/good movie….even taking into consideration the Ewoks (which were derided by critics and older fans even back then).

                But Lucas didn’t always put the kid stuff in his movies. Remember “Star Wars” (I refuse to call it “A New Hope”) wasn’t really a little kid friendly movie (remember that scene with Luke’s aunt and uncle and their farm being burned by storm troopers? ). The Ewok scene in “Jedi” was originally supposed to by on the Wookie’s home planet but the technology wasn’t ready yet to make it work (Lucas would later include some wookie home planet fight scenes in “Revenge of the Sith”).

              3. @Grant

                Anticlimatic??? Luke finally going up against Darth Vader and defeating him? We get to see how bad #$$ the Emperor is and Vader having to save (and redeem himself) Luke?

                yeah..okay the Ewok fight scene was kind of lame for the grand finale of a grand galactic civil war (and the empire building another death star with another weakness to exploit….and don’t get me started on that starkiller base….the true heroes of the rebel alliance/resistance are the engineers the empire/first order hired to build their super weapons).

                “Return of the Jedi” wasn’t a cinematic masterpiece or even as good as “The Empire Strikes Back” but I’d hardly call it anticlimactic and to many it stands as good popcorn/action movie on it’s own that is simply overshadowed by the greatness of it’s predecessors. In fact come to think of it, as bad as the prequels are; “Revenge of the Sith” is the best of them IMO.

              4. @Grant

                “Return of the Jedi” and “Godfather III” on the same level???

                other than the Ewok scene and maybe more detail on your “anticlimactic” comment can you give some specific reasons why you think so poorly of “Jedi”?

                I find that most people overly criticize “Jedi” simply because it wasn’t as good as “Empire” or even “Star Wars”. But just because it’s not as good as it’s predecessors doesn’t make it a bad movie.

                Now Godfather III was barely a watchable and enjoyable movie. I enjoyed aspects of it. It was good to see how some of the characters from the first two movies had turned out over time. Sophia Coppola gets the brunt of the bad acting hate from fans. But IMO, Al Pacino had become a caricature of himself and his character by “Godfather III” and Andy Garcia was just a simple punk type character….who I think they should have really written more about his connection (and lack of connection) to his infamous father Sonny Corleone to make his character more interesting.

              5. GF3 gets a bad rap. No it’s not in the same ball park as the other two but it’s not the dumpster fire it’s commonly made out to be. If Coppola made GF3 in 1977 telling the same story it would have been received completely differently. 16 years of expectations killed the third movie.

              6. Affp,

                Good point. He just seemed to have kid friendly characters in all of them at some point. It was the Droids in Star Wars.

              7. Grant Cohn says:
                June 12, 2017 at 11:04 am
                I thought Return of the Jedi was pretty anticlimactic. The ewoks make me cringe.
                —————–
                That’s because you watched it on a tv for the first time likely already knowing the outcome of the movie before even watching.

                Grant, Jedi was epic. It was a major event. I was 9 and I got to watch the premiere on opening night, it was a Wednesday night and my folks let me stay up late on a school night because it was so special. I saw it at a theater in Hayward although we lived in Alameda because all the other local theaters were sold out. Everybody talked about it. At school it was about how many times you had seen it. There are so many bad sequels and trilogies these days that nobody really makes that big of a deal about them anymore but in 1983 that wasn’t the case. This was the sequel to end all sequels. Nobody knew before hand that Yoda dies, but I bet you knew that long before ever watching. It cant give the same experience. That’s a shame.

  7. 1. Marquise Goodwin
    2. Arik Armstead
    3. Kyle Shanahan
    4. Yes
    5. Yes (he’s part of the starting Nickel Package so that is a starter)
    6. Buckner, Armstead, Thomas, Dumervil
    7. Beadles
    8. Hyde
    9. 10% chance, but hoping
    10. Ha, if he does he won’t be at Day 2
    11. II
    12. Haven’t seen it.

  8. This is over the top. Is this what(or should I say All) this blog is, Toy Story polling? Now we get to read the small handful of regulars arguing and insulting each other on movie choices. Wonderful.
    I believe Grant has a lot more insight potential. Get a 1-on-1 with Lynch, report to us about that…you can read him not just report him, I for one am interested (that and other things like that, higher level journalistic stuff like that). Your camp observations are great too.

    But a questionairre it took 3 seconds to list, plus movie questions? Seriously. Fer F’s sake man.

  9. 1. Kitten
    2. Rashard Robinson
    3. Shanahan
    4. Eventually
    5. Eventually
    6. Armstead, Buckner, Thomas and Dumervil
    7. Zuttah for Kilgore
    8.Joe williams
    9. No
    10. He better not
    Bonus GF2
    Double bonus. NO WAY

          1. Point being? Yes, DeNiro is unforgettable, but GF1 had James Caan and Al Lettieri (whose untimely death was one of the great losses in the acting profession).

              1. Godfather II was great, but I liked Brando’s portrayal of Vito better than Deniro’s. Deniro’s Vito is an imitation of Brando’s baby.

  10. 1. Kaep. Will the Niners be bold and decisive?
    2. King Solomon.
    3. KS. What will he do if the QBs struggle?
    4. Yes.
    5. Yes.
    6. Buckner, Armstead, King Solomon, Elvis.
    7. Yes, Beadles.
    8. Garnett. Wonder if they will move him to LG, his natural position.
    9. No. He will want to go to a playoff team.
    10. No. Wife will put him on a strict diet.
    Godfather I
    No. LOTR 3

      1. Prime, you are trying too hard. Quit looking so desperate.
        .
        ‘Who is the offensive player I am most interested to read about?’ If I had answered any other player, you would have called me a liar.

  11. 1…Hoyer
    2…Bowman
    3…. shanahan
    4…..I think he will work into the starting rotation by the end of training camp.
    5….Depends on the situations on 1st and 2nd downs
    6…idk yet
    7…Nope
    8…. Kerley
    9… No.. not a big receiver. We have enough 6 foot recovers.
    10… Lynch will keep the weight off and will be injured by game 4.
    Bonus…1…..Both movies sucked and can’t hold a candle to Goodfellas.
    Bonus 2…Toy story is for kids, so enjoy your Trix with them. :-)

        1. I wouldn’t go that far. But the Academy does need to understand that best pictures don’t always need to be the darkest dramas, that comedic performances are just as worthy (its harder to make someone laugh than cry) and that animation needs to be viewed on the same level as live action.

            1. I stopped paying attention to who won the AA after Kim Basinger won best actress for her 13 minutes in LA Confidential and Jim Carey was passed over for Truman Show.

              1. Yeah the awards shows rarely get it right in terms of what the best movies of the year actually were. It’s because a majority of the judges probably don’t watch enough movies to form a credible opinion and are often swayed by formulaic content along with who produced and directed them.

        2. Ratatouille should have been Best Picture. Moulin Rouge should have won Best Picture.

  12. Godfather 1 trumps Godfather 2 hands down, its only the Deniro flashback that makes Godfather 2 enjoyable.

    Best 3rd movie in a trilogy is The Good, the Bad and The Ugly. As much as I enjoy TS 3, GBU is by far a much better film.

    Anyone who says Return of the King started watching movies in the year 2000 and has no appreciation for film history (and I love me some LOTR movies).

    1. In terms of mainstream cinema, not a whole lotta trilogies to work with up through the 60s…

    2. Wrong! Been watching movies for far longer than you have (I bet) and the LOTR is a true trilogy. BTW, Godfather II far superior story to Godfather I but whatever. Good the bad and the Ugly is a great film and probably among the greatest westerns (best Spaghetti western in my opinion) but it really isn’t a trilogy either. Has a loosely similar character. One could make a case for Once Upon a Time in the West though…
      Also agree with Grant that the third installment of the Star Wars films was a huge let down which I saw in the theater as a teenager. The ESB was the best in the series hands down while Jedi only was a comercial appeal and a bit of a tearjerker for those who wanted reconciliation but really it was kind of silly.

          1. Well of course, but it’s a cartoon! Star Wars was supposed to be a bit more serious.

            1. Yes, but it was still meant to appeal to everyone including silly children. This is another reason why we can’t rank films. In addition to everything being subjective, we have different genres and target audiences. Also, the lines are blurred with humor in serious movies. And dark tones in “silly” movies.

              TS3 was a kids movie with serious moments. Jedi was a older kid/teen and adult movie with cheesy Ewoks.

              This scene in GF1 started off “silly” and ended dramatically.

              http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02181/Godfather_2181451k.jpg

              1. The Ewoks had a big victory. They won in part because they were underestimated based on their silly look and nature. The enemy might have took them more seriously if they weren’t silly.

                Conversely, Chewie looked like a warrior, but he had a heart of gold.
                In the cases of Chewie and the Ewoks, there could be a deeper meaning. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

              2. The lighting is a giveaway. High key lighting in the cartoon means light and funny for the most part while the lighting in the Star Wars films is dark more subdued, to say nothing of The Godfather movies. The Shakespeare plays also have light moments but that does not make them dramas and the comedies have dramatic moments too.

              3. “The Shakespeare plays also have light moments but that does not make them dramas and the comedies have dramatic moments too.”

                So why is it OK for a dramatic Shakespeare play to have comedic or silly parts but not Jedi?

              4. Well, we should actually be judging Jedi as a kids movie.

                https://moviepilot.com/posts/2452716

                “Yup, that’s right – if you had asked Lucas his thoughts on Return of the Jedi back in 1983 – and Rolling stone very much did – he’d have told you:”

                “Jedi is almost incomprehensible in certain areas. It’s designed more for kids…The plot runs along for a five-year-old who doesn’t understand any of the machinations of the thing. But you can go back and look at it again and still find it interesting.”

              5. And yet it was rated PG. I think that tells you something in terms of its thematic elements. Not arguing that it wasn’t geared for younger audiences but that the themes where different is all.

      1. Well you’re asking what is better, watching a Formula 1 race or Watching 24 hr of LeMan. They’re both great but they give you different experiences respectively , some like a slow burn and others want more action. Better is subjective to your preference in style.

        With that said I’ll try and answer.

  13. 1. Joe Williams
    2. Malcolm Smith
    3. Shanahan
    4. In time, determined by down and distance early.
    5. Yes
    6. Armstead, Buckner, Thomas, Dumervil
    7. Yes, Trent Brown
    8. Barclay
    9. No, goes elsewhere
    10. Yes
    11. Both very, very strong for different reasons. Will go with GF I but II extremely close.
    12. Yes, but with Lord of the Rings III right there too.

  14. 1.WR–Trent Taylor
    2. Def. player—Solomon Thomas,
    3. Shanahan
    4. yes
    5. yes
    6. Thomas, DJ Jones, Mitchell, Buckner, Pita Taumoepena
    7. Kilgore replaced by Zuttah
    8. RB, Matt Breida
    9. If they want to win, now
    10. No. Not after that slacker at WR was cut and Dumervile was signed.
    11.

  15. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about? Joe Williams, because he’s Grant’s next phenom.

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about? King Solomon, because he’s wise and powerful.

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about? Shanny

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters? Immediately? Doubt it. They’ll want him to earn it, which he will in training camp rather quickly.

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters? Pass rush specialist.

    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line? King Solomon*Uncle Buck*Elvis*Armstead

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one? Kilgore

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme? Mr. Hyde

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp? Hell no.

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp? Wouldn’t surprise me.

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2? Godfather 2

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment in the history of movie trilogies? If not, what is? It’s close, but I have to go with Return Of The King. I’d also put The Prisoner Of Azkaban in my top 5, my favorite of the series.

    1. I’ve always preferred Godfather 1, but I watched both again this weekend and I think I prefer Godfather 2 now.

      1. Yea, I lived up in Lake Tahoe when they were filming that movie. I was staying with my buddy I’d met in the Marines underneath his parents house, which was an apartment basically, over looking Heavenly Valley and Lake Tahoe. I believe they’d purchased the home from John Frank….

      2. Godfather 1 and 2 are my top two. 3rd favorite movie (although no sequel), Goodfellas. Great script, actors, and not one dull moment.
        1. Hoyer
        2. a. Foster (if healthy), b. Solomon
        3. Shanahan
        4. By mid-season
        5. Occasional 3rd down pass-rusher
        6. Buckner
        7. Kilgore
        8. Kettle
        9. ———–
        10. Will pay at 270lbs.

  16. 1. CJ Beathard & Trenton Brown: Does this kid justify his 3rd round price or did they reach? Will we see anything this Summer to help us answer that one way or the other? Would like to know if the team needs to draft one or two starting tackles next year.

    2. Robinson/Reid/Ward: A large part of the success of this defense will hinge on how well these 3 players do.

    3. n/a

    4. Yes, he better be for being the #3 overall pick.

    5. If they start the game in nickel.

    6. Buckner / Thomas / Blair / Dumervil

    7. Kilgore will be replaced by Zuttah(if that hasn’t already happened)

    8. Trent Taylor

    9. Nope, they already have an overpriced aging #2 receiver.

    10. No but there is a good chance they trade or cut him.

    Bonus: Neither, they are both fantastic in their own right. One isn’t better then the other any more then Cary Grant was “better” then Jimmie Stewart. They both were and brought very different things to what they did but one wasn’t lesser or greater then the other, they were both special.

    I think TS3 gets put high on this list because of the incredibly emotional ending and that’s pretty much the only reason why. It was a very enjoyable movie that as a third installment did very well in holding its own compared to it’s siblings and was a strong way to finish off the series(although they have TS4 coming apprently) However take away that tug on the old childhood heartstrings at the end and it’s just a good movie, nothing special.

    I think in scope of story, in terms of a movie that the masses were dying to see it’s pretty hard to top Return of the Jedi. I know, it’s no longer the 3rd sequel but it was for 16 years and a lot of people separate the 3 original movies from the newer ones. I don’t but I think that because it stood alone as the “final” bookmark for as long as it did that I’m still going to count it.

    Personally I’d go with either TGTB&W or Army of Darkness as my personal 3rd sequel.

    1. Gun to my head I think I enjoy watching GF1 more then 2 but I’d never call one a better movie then the other.,

      1. Grant Cohn says:
        June 12, 2017 at 11:25 am
        I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never seen any of the Evil Dead movies
        ——————————————
        They aren’t for everyone.

  17. Offense:
    How is Hoyer playing? Is Barkley even close to Hoyer in running the Offense?
    Is Goodwin a 1 trick pony or can he run the entire route tree effectively.

    Defense:
    Who is playing where on the d-line? Everyone seems to be set except Armstead.

    Bonus:
    Both are great movies but The Godfather 1 is the better movie. The Fredo in the boat scene in GF 2 shocked me and is one of the most memorable movie scenes of all time. But GF1 broke the mold and was totally original in the way the story was told and how it looked.

    I like Mission Impossible 3 as one of the best #3s of all time. MI2 was horrendous so MI3 was a spectacular rebound that allowed that franchise to continue.

      1. There are scenes and characters that were created in the original that are globally recognized. The impact that that movie made/had on the industry is almost immeasurable. GF2 is an amazing movie but GF1 is a legend.,

        1. GF2 has globally recognized scenes, too. The kiss of death. Vito’s revenge. The boat scene.

          1. Sure but not nearly to the same extent as the original. The original practically created the genre. Is there a Sopranos without GF?

      2. True. Godfather 2 was a masterpiece. So was Godfather 1. I liked the first one a bit better from the entertainment value perspective. Plus Godfather 2’s greatness was predicated on the greatness of Godfather 1 so I always give the edge to the original. BUT, This is a bit like arguing if Chunky Monkey is better than Cherry Garcia. Both are great. But if Satan were running DirectTV and played Godfather 1 and Godfather 2 at exactly the same time then I would:

        flip back and forth to catch the parts in both movies that are insanely good.

        1. That was my point above. You can’t pick one great movie over another. They are both great in their own way. There was a rerelease of the two movies a couple of years back where they actually spliced them together and went with a chronological time line. It was an interesting way to watch them because you actually got to compare both films in real time.

          1. Interesting. I didn’t see the rerelease in the chronological timeline. Don’t think I would like that. I think the viewer loses the true spirit and greatness of the movies with a change like that. Like Grant said, the way the stories were weaved together is part of the greatness. You totally lose that aspect of it when you try to make things so linear.

            1. It’s called the Godfather Epic and while I agree that watching the two films individually is the better way to go, it was interesting to see this version and also featured some previously unreleased footage. If you’ve watched the movies as often as I have, it’s just another way to enjoy them and see something a little different.

        2. AMC played Godfather 1 Saturday night and didn’t play Godfather 2 afterward. I was so upset.

          1. I can’t watch great movies that are cut up and feature commercials. A Godfather viewing has to be uncut.

              1. BluRay players are ultra cheap Grant and it’s definitely worth watching them in that way. Otherwise dub your DVD copies into digital so you can continue to enjoy them and don’t have to endure the edited versions on TV. I’ve got every movie and piece of music I own on a server. Best way to watch and access what you want.

          2. As tech has advanced I’ve had to replace my copies of GF1 and GF2 (even GF3, which I think gets a worse rap than deserved):

            VHS
            Video disk
            dvd
            Blu-raY

            But nothing beats seeing 70mm restored versions in a movie palace like I did in NYC’s Ziegfeld Theatre

  18. If you exclude GF and Star Wars then I’ll take the Pepsi challenge and say that Aliens is the greatest movie sequel ever made.

    1. Good call great movie. I liked Terminator 2 better than the first as well. James Cameron seems to be able to outdo originals.

      1. I’m seriously the only person I know that doesn’t go all apey over T2. Liked it, thought it was fun movie but I don’t think it’s better then the original, or even close.

        1. The original was good don’t get me wrong, but it was low budget and lacked the story line T2 did. Nothing wrong with liking it better. Everyone has their own opinion.

          1. For me the first one was actually kinda scary. People were afraid of the Terminator. The second was just a special effects orgy. Don’t mind when done well like it was in T2 but the visceral feeling of the first gives it the nod for me.

    2. Love Aliens. Smart directing. Good way to follow up a great movie is to take it in different direction – Alien was all about suspense, but couldn’t pull off the suspense angle twice. So Aliens went action.

      The Dark Knight is way up there for sequels for me. Heath Ledger’s Joker was awesome. The Bourne Supremacy as well.

  19. Taumoepenu was a combine top performer in the 3-cone drill with a time of 6.91 seconds. The drill assesses the lateral agility and change-of-direction skills, a crucial aspect for any player rushing the passer. New defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will have to identify a legitimate edge rusher and Taumoepenu is worth watching in competition.

  20. 1. Brian Hoyer: it all starts with the quarterback on offense, and whether he will be able to begin implementing Shanahan’s vision on at least a caretaker basis.
    2. Jimmie Ward: This type of defense relies upon the free safety as the last line when it comes to deep coverage, but also preventing any big run plays that get by the linebackers. Need to know if Ward’s transition is smooth, especially given the issue of depth behind him.
    3. Shanahan: This team starts and ends with what Shanahan wants to implement, how he leads, and his vision for the team in conjunction with Lynch.
    4. Thomas: He will rotate in during OTAs to get a look, with the hope that he becomes the starter by preseason.
    5. Dumervil: No, Elvis will be a situational pass rusher on 3rd down and obvious passing downs to “save” his 33 year old self.
    6. Nickel defensive line: Lynch, Buckner, Thomas, and Dumervil. I think Saleh will slide two outside linebackers down to rush, and saves Armstead from potential injury concerns given he keeps getting hurt.
    7. Kilgore will be replaced by Zuttah by the start of the season.
    8. Jeremy Kerley will improve the most; he will be used as the “dependable” receiver who converts our third downs (a la Boldin).
    9. No, Maclin is deciding between the Bills and the Ravens.
    10. No, Lynch will lose weight, but still play at about 270.
    Godfather 1 is the best movie ever made. Godfather 2 is top 5 ever made.
    I am okay with the vocal inflictions in Dark Knight, so I have to go with the Batman movie.

  21. Donald Trump just held the weirdest Cabinet meeting ever

    Leave it to Donald Trump to reinvent the Cabinet meeting.
    president’s top advisers are usually staid affairs. The public portion of thes gatherings, so photographers are let in to take pictures…

    Donald Trump did something very different in his Cabinet meeting Monday.

    First, he reviewed the various alleged successes of his first 143 days and made this remarkable claim: “Never has there been a president….with few exceptions…who’s passed more legislation, who’s done more things than I have.”

    Um, ok. While Trump has signed a number of executive orders and actions — the most high profile of which, the so-called “travel ban” was, again, blocked by a court on Monday — what he hasn’t really done is pass actual legislation through Congress. The health care bill is tied up in Senate machinations. Tax reform hasn’t moved an inch. Funding for the border wall hasn’t happened. And so on.

    1. Do not be ignorant and follow the media version of Trump. Trump has done some very good things and some dumb things.Kinda like Obama giving Russia 25 % of our uranium or giving Iran 1.5 billion dollars but then saved us from a Depression. But the Dems are stuck on stupid right now. Once the SCOTUS responds we will see. Once they make there ruling we understand if he is right or wronge. Me personally any one who thinks he is this bad is just stuck by the media. I am not a Trump fan but I see he is doing an okay job. Can not wait until a real leader rises out of the ashes.

      1. Don’t believe the evil Media…..but take your word for it on anything?
        OK, I get it.
        Or…..leave politics (and religion) off a football blog.

  22. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?
    Joe Williams / Matt Breida

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?
    Buckner

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?
    Robert Saleh

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters?
    Yes, but not at first

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters?
    Yes

    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?
    Dumerville, Armstead, Buckner, Thomas

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?
    Zane

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?
    Pierre Garcon

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp?
    No

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp?
    No

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?
    Please!!!! Godfather 2
    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment of a movie trilogy ever made? If not, what is?
    No
    Kings of the Road

  23. 1. Trent Brown. If you score on a late round OT its huge. Like Brown.
    Runners up – Garnett, Hyde, Smelter. My Smelter obsession makes no sense. I think I become too invested in long term developmental players.

    2. Arik Armstead. This is the guy many said was > Buckner a year ago. If 2016 training camp reports are true (and his shoulder’s OK), he’s a star inside pass rusher in the making. By no mans he arrived as a total player, but PFF graded his pressure percentage very high.
    Its a gamble to move him outside and slim him down. I’m afraid could hamper his development.

    3. Salah. He seems sinister in all the right places.
    Runner up – Turner

    4. Yes. Will be moved around like Michael Bennett. He’ll stuff runs at DE in base. Kill QBs at 3-tech on pass downs.

    5. I don’t know. But it won’t matter. He’ll get his pass rush snaps one way or another. Lots of teams say they will rotate defensive linemen, but I think Saleh means it.

    6. Great question. I really don’t know. Thomas, Buckner with Armstead rotating inside. But a variety of edge guys. Dumervil, Lynch, maybe Armstead, Blair, Pita T, Brooks, Harold.

    7. Kilgore
    Runners up – Beadles, Garnett

    8. Hyde

    9. I don’t think so

    10. No. If he did he’s off the team

    Extra Bonus Question – A jail is essentially a big cage. If you jail served inmates cage free chicken, does it still count as “cage free?”

    1. Grant, for some reason the GIF prevents my browser from replying to it. WTF should be time magazine’s word of the year. Ha!

      But which answer was the GIF referring to? 1? 7? The extra bonus question I sneaked in?

        1. That’s a relief. I’d much rather people think I’m half bubble out of plumb than an uninformed 49er fan.

            1. Its from my construction days. And of course, the egg question was an attempt at humor. I used to get big laughs out if the riddle.

  24. 1. Brian Hoyer/Matt Barkley. I want to know if they are just more than place holders for C.J. Bethard. Is it possible that the qb of the future is already on the rooster.

    2. Tank Carridine. I am picking up hints that our 2013 second round pick may finally be finding a home in Selah’s 4-3 defense. If it is true and not just more smoke being blown up our asses, the front 7 may be very imposing. We might even be able to stop the run!

    3. Shanahan. It is all about the Head Coach. I want to know how he works with the other coaches and what changes he will make when the wheels come off, and they will come off at some point. Bill Walsh used to talk about the importance of the staff working together and supporting the vision. Shanahan is obviously a smart coordinator and has assembled a, at first glance, a strong staff. BUT, what kind of leader is he? I’m curious.

    4.Solomon Thomas will not play with the starters. Perhaps he might toward the end of the season. I do predict that we will see much substitution and he will be playing a lot

    5. Elvis Dumervil will not play with the starters. If he does he will not last the season, if he does last he will be slow and broken down at the end. He will see spot duty with much rest in between. I am confident that the coaching staff is smart enough not to overuse him.

    6. Caradine, Buckner, Thomas, Armstead (with a healthy, but judicious us of Duvervil)

    7. No. The Offensive line is set. The only possibility I see is Zuttah replacing Killgore, but it ain’t gonna happen.

    8. Carlos Hyde. He really is a good back and should flourish in this scheme if he can stay healthy. Second choice: Matt Barkely, I think there may be more to him than he has shown in his short career. I think he will surprise as he masters this scheme.

    9. No, the niners will not sign Maclin. The current regime is bringing in good players and the one thing they all have in common is that they are ballers. They love to play and they are good teammates. Maclin has a rep as a sulker and me first player. This early in the rebuilding they will stay away from that type of player. You can add some questionable character players after the team has established an identity.

    10. No Aaron Lynch will not gain weight. However, he will struggle to maintain his current weight. He will play this year and possibly do well, but this is his last year as a niner.

    11. Godfather I. This is not a real question. Read the book.

    12. The entire Toy Story Trilogy was a waste of time and money

  25. 1/ whoever is playing Offensive Center because it’s so crucial.
    2/ hard to choose, but Ward if I have to
    3/ no preference. Saleh, just to play along
    4/ don’t care in Minies, but prob not often
    5/ don’t care in Minies, but yeah, at least some
    6/ TBD. That’s more a spectator sport than a speculative, as it’s meritorious
    7/ again, too early, but maybe Kilgore in a guess
    8/ Idk
    9/ <50%
    10/ not playing
    Bonus/ 2
    DoubleBonusJackWithChees / Fast&Furious3 (NOT!)

  26. 1 Taylor, not much known about the rookies. Is he lining up only in the slot? How does he look on punt returns?
    2 Thomas, another rookie. Will he get reps at LEO? Does he understand the playbook yet and is he in shape?
    3 Saleh, the great unknown. The best coach to ask about the Ds depth chart.
    4 Yes, they dtafted him to start and they will be getting him ready ASAP.
    5 Not this week, but he will in TC.
    6 Thomas
    Buckner
    Dumervile
    Armstead
    7 Zuttah will replace Kilgore
    8 Hyde, sorry Grant.
    9 I wish, but no.
    10 No.

    Bonus – Godfather I. It had Sonny and a great performance by Brando. “You can act like a man!”
    Double Bonus – Return of the Jedi?

  27. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?

    Treant Brown – How does are young Tackle transition into a different blocking scheme once the pads come on?

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?

    All are recent first round picks and Bowman. I know thats cheating but deal with it.

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?

    Shanahan obviously.

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters?

    Not at first. He missed the “off season” stuff and he will have to “work” his way into the line up. If he is worth the pick he will be rotating in with the starters in a short time.

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters?

    No
    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?

    Good question. Thats why I revert back to the first question. D Line is going to be a very interesting position to watch having 3 first rounders there.

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?

    I think center and left guard are most likely to be replaced with one of the newer additions.

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?

    Hoyer. He has familiarity with the scheme all ready and will adapt much quicker than anyone else.

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp?

    Obviously not.

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp?

    He will stay the same.

    1. Seb properly psychoanalyzed by Prime and Amber Lee:

      1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?

      sebnynah says:
      June 12, 2017 at 10:37 am
      1. Kaep. Will the Niners be bold and decisive?

      Prime Time says:
      June 12, 2017 at 10:43 am
      Starting to resemble Robert deNiro in the Fan. Seek help you poor ba$tard!

      TomD’s Take: The 21 Most Annoying Types of Sports Fans. By Amber Lee

      12. The Guy in Love with a Bench Warmer

      The loving of bench warmers usually starts at the collegiate level, where it’s not really annoying. Usually it’s a coping mechanism that helps fans get through the bad years: “Things may look bleak now, but just wait until our blue-chip quarterback prospect is starting in a couple of years!”

      Truth or delusion, it makes people feel better. But, much like that resurrected cat from Pet Sematary, there’s something not quite right about it.
      For example: My boyfriend was once convinced that Gary Russell was the next great Steelers running back and was intent on convincing everyone else. He saw Russell play in college and went on to explain that he was notoriously overweight as a player at Minnesota, before flunking out of school entirely and…

      Who knows where it went from there. All I do remember was that it lasted for three full seasons—exactly the length of Russell’s NFL career.

  28. After reading through the comments, I’m changing my double bonus answer to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. A classic. How did I forget that one?

  29. What’s the strength of their (Giants) minor league system right now?

    You’ll never believe it, but it’s the outfield. Between Bryan Reynolds, Gio Brusa, Heath Quinn, Chris Shaw, Steven Duggar, Ryder Jones, and Austin Slater, the Giants actually have a shot to develop their first outfield All-Star since Chili Davis, who was drafted a couple months after Star Wars came out.

    http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2017/6/6/15748786/sf-giants-2017-mlb-draft-mock-faq

    1. * The last Giants outfield draft pick who became a full-time starter for more than one season was Marvin Benard, a 50th round pick. That’s right, 50th, way back in 1992.

  30. Who cares about the first 10 questions – the real answers are:

    – GF2. As good as GF1 is, GF2 is even better.
    – Best third movie in a trilogy is Army of Darkness, hands down. Hail to the king, baby.

      1. GF2 was, at its simplest, a better told story. Its darker and really shows the ruthlessness better.

        1. This is definitely a GF thread. GF1 was pretty dark too. GF1 had one of the most iconic performances in movie history. And the performances by Pacino and Caan may have been better than Brando’s.

            1. “GF2 is darker.” Yes, but GF1 isn’t devoid of darkness. Happy ending for who? Michael didn’t want to be “the guy” and his wife was certainly unhappy.

              1. The audience is pulling for the Corleone family to triumph over the rest of the five families.

              2. Ah, the audience. The Vito flashback storyline was great, but the real time storyline in GF1 was superior to the real time storyline of GF2. In my opinion of course.

              3. Grant Cohn says:
                June 12, 2017 at 3:24 pm
                GF1 has a happy ending

                Grant Cohn says:
                June 12, 2017 at 3:43 pm
                The audience is pulling for the Corleone family to triumph over the rest of the five families.
                ————————–

                It’s possible that the modern movie goer watching the movie for the first time might have that experience but originally that was not how audiences reacted to the ending of GF. People left in silence, it was a shocking ending. I don’t remember anyone talking about how they were glad that the Corleones “won” at the end. It wasn’t perceived like that at all.

            2. Again, darker. These subjective terms make it hard to compare movies. The body count in 1 far exceeds 2, shouldn’t that make it darker? Watching Luca Brazi’s eyes bugging out of his skull while he’s garotted is pretty dark. A severed bloody horse head in your bed, is pretty dark. Watching Sonny get perforated over and over, was pretty dark. The darkest part of GF2 other then Pacino’s sinister portrayal is Michael having his brother killed and it happens off camera in the last 5 minutes of the movie.

            3. It’s the darkness and the fall of Micheal in Godfather II where he betrays all the aspirations and dreams of his father and for himself and eventually is willing to sacrifice his own family to save his empire that make this a far more complex and ultimately, better film. DeNiro’s portrayal is one of the best of his career.

              1. The fall of Michael is what GF1 is about. He’s already fallen into the man that he is in 2. In the beginning of one he’s the innocent army boy bringing his girl home for the wedding and by the end he’s the head of the NY crime syndicate. That’s the fall. Two is about the kind of Godfather that he’s become compared to the man his father was.

              2. It ends with the fall but you do not see his complete descent into hell until the second episode. He loses his innocence in the first. The second is far darker, as Micheal becomes everything he despises and far worse than his father or even his brothers. He has no control and his marginalization of the consigliere and growing isolation is a key theme.

              3. I don’t know, setting the calculated murders of the heads of the other families in motion while you attend the christening of your God son is pretty dark imo. GFII was just the continuation of his fall and the comparison to his Father. Again both great movies and I don’t know how you say one is better than the other when both were master pieces.

              4. The second has a more nuanced feel. Granted the murder of the heads of the families was very sinister but it was an existential threat to the family. In the second, you see the hopes of the father through the son but they fall very short of the mark. Corleone wanted something better for his sons and realized the impetuous nature of his elder son and the intelllectual limitations of his other son, but Michael was different. Yet he took the hardest fall. The flashbacks, the dark lighting, interweaving of the story of the family falling apart tells this story brilliantly. Both are tour de forces but the second is a mature work of a director who has honed the craft while the first is still one of a director who is ascending.

        2. This is where I chide at the use of the word “better” to differentiate the two movies. They’re different movies. You like one for different reasons then you like the other.

          1. Yeah… but I like one more than the other. That is basically my definition of better.

            1. That’s funny. I think Empire Strikes Back is a better movie but I still prefer to watch Star Wars. Maybe I just like originals.

              1. Is Mad Max better than the Road Warrior though? Not always. Is the original better. I would agree that Alien is superior to Aliens and they are two different movies but sometimes one is greater than the other.

    1. Waiting for the mod to release my video but I’ll repeat it until then.

      Gimme some sugar baby!

  31. Question 11… Will the 9ers pay what they reportedly owe the City of Santa Clara?

  32. I’m not going to answer all of those questions but here are the ones I care about.

    note: I don’t really see to much value in over analysis between OTAs, Mini-Camp and Training Camp. I mean I understand why a guy that covers the team is talking about it; it’ just for me it doesn’t warrant much thought.

    I’m interested in Saleh as the DC. He’s a first year DC. We’ve heard many good things about him. But the true test will be not only how well he crafts the defensive scheme to his players but also how well he and his staff can teach it the players. The defense won’t likely be dominant because the talent level isn’t there yet (still no known dominant pass rusher(s). Still unknown if the line backing corp will be adequate. And the Secondary is one big question mark. But solid coaching should be able to eliminate all the indecision, hesitation and flat out mistakes that led to so many big plays against the defense last year. I expect the defensive guys to be beaten but I expect them not to leave big gaping holes for the runner due to mental mistakes by the defense or blown coverages because of mistakes and/or hesitation by the defensive backs. In other words, know your job and do your job. If you’re beaten and you’re doing your job the defense as a whole shouldn’t be beaten by a lot.

    the #2 overall pick will play with the “starters” in the base defense as the Open Side End….possibly at “LEO” and as an interior rusher and even as a possible outside rusher in the nickel package.

    Dumerville will likely play as a situational pass rusher. I could also see him playing in the base defense as a “LEO” if they play a team that passes a lot out of “Pro” personnel (21) or runs and passes a lot out of a 3WR (10) personnel.

    Both Godfather movies are great. But in terms of streamlined movie watching, I found “Godfather I” to be easier to watch as opposed to the back and forth flashbacks with Robert DeNiro in Godfather II. Plus, I just like the climatic ending to “Godfather I” with the assassination of the other heads of the crime families and their associates by Michael which cements his place as the new big bad crime boss.

    Yeah, I’m going to have to go with “Return of the King” even though I wasn’t blown away by the “Lord of the Rings” movies because I had read the books many times so there wasn’t much surprise in the movies for me…..wait, I just thought of another great 3rd movie…not a trilogy but a great 3rd movie…”Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” which was the only Potter movie directed by Alfonso Cuaron . It was the first Potter movie where the characters were no longer little kids but had become young teenagers which allowed for a much darker type of movie. It’s widely considered to be the best or second best Potter movie. “Army of Darkness” was a great third movie to the Evil Dead trilogy. I haven’t seen “Logan” yet, but I hear it’s pretty good. The first Wolverine movie stunk. The second one was better but not great…from the reviews I’ve read “Logan” is the best of the three? And what about “Captain America: Civil War”? many would say that was the best of the Captain American trilogy (though I liked “Winter Soldier” better).

    1. Every year I promise to under-react to OTA practice reports. And every year I break my own promise. In fact, I’m looking forward to the Wed-Thur open practices and press conferences. Can’t wait.

      So I think they do have value. A fan can garner clues to what the team will be like. But its best to under-react.

      I’m not going to answer all of those questions but here are the ones I care about. You could have a fabulous career as a press secretary if you so choose to do so.

      1. You could have a fabulous career as a press secretary if you so choose to do so.

        only if I get a motorized podium for myself and if Melissa McCarthy plays me on SNL.

  33. http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Weight-and-see-49ers-RT-Brown-racing-to-get-11214403.php

    “The good news is Brown appears to be on track to drop the necessary weight. The bad news? This same story is unfolding again.”

    “He slipped to the seventh round in 2015 amid pre-draft chatter that his poor conditioning didn’t allow him to play entire games. He started just 11 of 23 games in two seasons at Florida and rotated with Tyler Moore, who never played a regular-season snap in the NFL.”

  34. Good news for us non-locals.

    http://www.ninersnation.com/2017/6/12/15787296/49ers-preseason-games-tv-schedule-nfl-network-2017

    “The San Francisco 49ers may be coming off a 2-14 season, but we’ll get a chance to see most of their preseason games live on national TV! NFL Network announced their live broadcast schedule for the preseason, and it includes the 49ers Week 1 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and their Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos. Their Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings is a nationally televised preseason game on NBC.”

    “The 49ers face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium at 6 p.m. PT on Friday, August 11. The game will air in the Bay Area on CBS, and NFL Network will join the game in progress. NFL Network is airing Steelers-Giants at 4 p.m. PT, and will join the 49ers game about an hour in.”

  35. 1. Hoyer. I just want to know if we’re going to have a competent offense this year.

    2. DeForest Buckner. Is he getting to the backfield often? We need more all-pro talent on this team.

    3. Saleh

    4. Yes. 5-technique, IMO.

    5. Yes, he’s probably the best outside pass rusher on the team probably.

    6. Dumervil, Buckner, Armstead , Thomas

    7. Beadles is my suspicion. Maybe Garnett if he doesn’t show improvement in year 2.

    8. I’d like to hope its Carlos Hyde. Ideally like to have two good RBs to carry the load.

    9. No shot. And they’re not going to get Eric Decker either. Kyle seems like he’s content with this group.

    10. I have no expectations for Lynch at this point. He outperformed as a 5th round pick, but there is a reason he was drafted where he was.

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?

    Godfather 1

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment in the history of movie trilogies? If not, what is?

    I did not like Toy Story 3 as much as the 1st or 2nd one. My pick is Return of the Jedi.

  36. 1. I want to hear about about OG Joshua Garnett due to the possibility he could be the starting LG which would in turn open up the RG position.
    2. I want to hear about Eric Reid so the fans can find out how his transition to SS is going and if he can hold onto the starting position.
    3. I want to know how well Kyle Shanahan is doing in his first (and hopefully only on the 49ers) stint as a head coach.
    4. Yes because of the needed rotation.
    5. See Answer #4.
    6. Lynch, Buckner, Jones, Dumervil (guessing and in no particular order)
    7. Yes. Kilgore will bow out and Zuttah shall take his place. Beatles is also likely to lose his starting role.
    8. I am going to go against my better judgment and say Carlos Hyde because of how Bobby Turner has been able to get the most out of his RBs.
    9. A pointless question regardless of whether Maclin had signed with the Ravens or was still available.
    10. Bad question.
    Bonus Answer: I don’t know and quite frankly don’t care.
    Double Bonus Answer:
    Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
    Captain America: Civil War
    Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
    The Bourne Sumpremacy

    1. 8. I am going to go against my better judgment and say Carlos Hyde because of how Bobby Turner has been able to get the most out of his RBs.

      My thoughts exactly….

      1. If its Bourne, its good. Even the last two movies, which haven’t been as good as the first three, were still pretty good.

        1. The Bourne Redundancy?
          : -)
          They worked for me better than the MI series. Bond was fun, but then so were the Marx Brothers!
          Someone mentioned the spaghetti westerns and “Good the bad and the ugly”
          Strong candidates for mine.

          * The jazz bassist, Rob Wasserman, did a trilogy of cd’s that are a quite marvelous life work:
          “Solos”
          “Duets”
          “Trios”

          1. The last two Bourne’s were definitely just cash grabs, even though I still enjoyed them.

            The first one is still my favourite. But all of the first three are very good. Good stories, though the fight sequences are the highlight for me. Brutal.

            1. Bourne were fun but just roller coaster rides. Not much to the movies and the last one stunk.

              1. I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab or the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?

        1. Same, not my thing. James Bond is about as much of the ‘superman without a cape’ as I can stand. If I wanna watch a spy with amnesia I’ll watch Long Kiss Goodnight. It’s the right kind of bad.

          1. James Bond is about as much of the ‘superman without a cape’ as I can stand.

            That isn’t even close to what the Bourne series is like.

            1. Uh huh. Ok. It isn’t one guy that’s super smart, talented, fast, strong etc.. compared to everyone else that even though he can be hurt he can’t seemingly be stopped? Sounds like a superhero to me.

    2. The Bourne Supremecy was my favorite of all his books. Close second is the Legacy. Not the movie version which had nothing to do with the books.

  37. http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-Solomon-Thomas-likely-to-stay-sidelined-11214763.php

    “It appears rookie defensive lineman Solomon Thomas won’t make his on-field debut with the 49ers veterans until late July.”

    “Thomas, the No. 3 overall pick from Stanford, was expected to participate during their mandatory minicamp Wednesday, which will include the final practice before training camp. However, the NFL rule that prevents players who attend colleges on the quarter system from participating in most of the offseason program should keep Thomas off the field Wednesday.”

      1. Which ones? Wetern Vigilantes or Charles Bronson style? Or are you talking about the new fangled Taken series with Liam Neesom?

      2. I love Clint Eastwood and his career was full of them. The Death Wish series got a little ridiculous but fun none the less.

          1. Amen on OUATITW. You ever seen Once Upon a Time in America. Great Movie with a wonderful soundtrack. Love Sergio Leone who made the Spaghetti Westerns too and Ennio Morriocone a wonderful composer.

        1. I’m with you on the Eastwood and maybe Deathwish I and II but no more. Eastwood always was the uber vigilante.

      1. As many as possible when you don’t draft a #1 or have a legit QB.
        You don’t think Decker can help? Can’t have enough experience on a young team.

        1. Star Wars play put on by coaching staff for players:

          Robert Turner Jr. as Yoda
          Shanny as Luke Skywalker
          Robert Saleh as Mace Windu
          Rich Scangarello as Hans Solo
          Ray Wright as Anakin Skywalker
          Jeff Zgonina as Chewbacca
          John Benton as Obi-Wan Kenobi
          Jason Tarver as Boba Fett
          Jon Embree as Lando Calrissian
          Mike LeFleur as C3-P0
          Richard Hightower as Darth Maul
          Demeco Ryans as R2-D2

          Special guest star Katie Sowers as Princess Leia Organa

  38. Former Chiefs and Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin on Monday agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

  39. Maclin signed with the Ravens. Pretty sure I called that one last week against all the nay sayers. Ravens are going to be a contender in the AFC now.

  40. GF I…. Original always superior to sequels… Fresher, innovative…

    Bourne Ultimatum best 3rd instalment… Bourne Trilogy fantastic

  41. Where is our resident barrister? I’d enjoy reading his take on the two movies.

    1. The GF trilogy was good. The third was not satisfying, but it had a deeper message to me that was worthy. The futility of vendetta was laid bare.
      “If we live by ‘An eye for an eye’ , pretty soon everybody’s blind”

  42. I think we know the answer to this but did you just come up with the first 10 things to get it past the editor and then add on at the end what you really wanted to blog about?

    Go watch the 3 seasons of The Leftovers and let’s talk.

  43. 1. Which offensive player are you most interested to read about?
    I’m most interested in learning about Hoyer because the the offense goes through his hands and how he goes the offense goes. But I also want to know about Hyde and the rookies.

    2. Which defensive player are you most interested to read about?

    Bowman because his injuries are what will determine his and I think to a large degree the defensive success. Additionally, would like to see how Dumervil is integrating and moving and of course how Lynch and Thomas do.

    3. Which coach are you most interested to read about?

    Shanahan mostly but I’d like to get to know the other players too.

    4. Will Solomon Thomas play with the starters? Not initially. He may as the season progresses if he is what everyone says he is.

    5. Will Elvis Dumervil play with the starters? Yes. I the he is a true rusher.

    6. Who will play on the starting Nickel defensive line?
    Dumervil, Armstead, Buckner and Lynch

    7. Will one of the offensive linemen get replaced in the starting lineup? If so, which one?
    Not sure what you are asking here. From last year? Yes but that has already happened.

    8. Which offensive player will improve most between OTAs and minicamp as he picks up the new scheme?
    Trent Brown seems to be the one with the most to improve.

    9. Will the 49ers sign Jeremy Maclin between minicamp and training camp? UPDATE: Maclin just signed with the Ravens.
    No. They never were going to sign Maclin.

    10. Will Aaron Lynch gain weight between minicamp and training camp? No. He will get to his playing weight.

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?

    Godfather 2 is a more mature movie about the fall of the Corleone family, not simply the loss of innocence. Far deeper themes.

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment in the history of movie trilogies? If not, what is?

    I’d have to say The Return of the King as this is really a true trilogy and not a sequel. While I like Toy Story 3 a lot. It is a sequel and not really a trilogy.

  44. “Which offensive player….?”
    Well, Richard Sherman is the most offensive player I can think of off-hand…
    Kidding; kinda sorta…..

  45. Not related to a movie discussed on here in years.
    Can anybody get this off-the-wall movie line?
    “He fishes poorly”

    Clue:
    Set in Colorado

    1. I believe that is from Jeremiah Johnson if I’m not mistaken. What made you think of it?

      1. We have a winner!
        Pretty obscure, but heavy in a movie light on dialogue.
        Rocket- For a few years I worked with 3 guys and the four of us could go back and forth with one-liners to lighten up our day. Today’s movie talk reminded me. One day we were working along and chuckling over something and the boss came by and said “Not everything’s funny you know.” We giggled the rest of the shift.

        1. A movie about isolation light on dialogue, go figure ;)

          I have a few friends like that too. My wife just shakes her head whenever we get together. We immediately transform into kids trying to crack each other up. It’s one of the highlights of my year when we meet up.

  46. 1) Offense-Brown- Time to establish himself as a ten year starter
    2)Defense-Reaser- hoping for a surprise
    3)Shanny is most important coach this year and in the last 3 years and for the next 6 years
    4)Thomas will start
    5)Dumerville-will start and spirits – like Ricky Jackson did when we had him
    6)Nickled line-Buckner, Blair, Tank, Noble
    7)Just hope Garnett & Brown are in there & start a 10 year run. Staley will be in for 2 years & who knows about the other 2 spots
    8)Most improved Offensive player since ota-All the qbs & Garcone
    9)Macklin-no-already signed -maybe Decker-better player & fit
    10) Lynch -he’ll loose about 10 lbs-hope he doesn’t get busted for his loose weight drug of choice

  47. 1) Garcon – we haven’t had a legitimate WR corp, since TO.
    2) Ward – the FS position is incredibly important in that D and he is a 1st round pick that needs to shine
    3) Shanahan – Is he the yota of play calling?
    4) Yes, he has the talent, smarts, and effort to be ready
    5) Depends on your definition of starters. Is the nickel corner a starter? He won’t be a base defense starter but he’ll see a lot of snaps
    6) Dumervil, Buckner, Solomon, Tank
    7) Yes, Kilgore
    8) Hyde – He’ll adjust and have his best season yet
    9) No
    10) Nope, and he’ll make the team because a guy who can get sacks gets a lot of leeway in today’s NFL. Bowman will make the team too. Vance won’t, nor will Smelter

  48. 1. DeAndre Smelter

    2. Jimmie Ward

    3. Coach Zgonina

    4. No. He will start with the third, maybe the second string

    5. He will take snaps with both the 1st and 2nd string

    6. Buckner, Armstead, Brook and Elvis

    7. Tricky question. I think the starting Center will be Zuttah (if healthy), the starting Guards will be Garnett and Fusco and the startin Tackles will be Staley and Brown.

    8. I think Joe Williams or CJ Beathard

    10. I don’t know. I don’t think so. However, I think he won’t be at 260-265lbs for TC.

    BONUS: I didn’t saw the 2nd movie, so I asked a friend. And her answer is Godfather 1

    DOUBLE BONUS: I would say the 3rd Indiana Jones movie is a better 3rd movie than the 3rd Toy Story

  49. So it looks like Solomon Thomas won’t make an appearance until Training Camp. Do you think this will hurt his development. If so, how much? I know he has been working with Ware but it isn’t the same as working within the framework of the team. This will certainly make it hard for him to be a day 1 starter (looks like both #1s aren’t going to be day 1 starters), and may impede his progress.

  50. 1. Brian Hoyer

    2. Jimmie Ward

    3. LaFleur

    4. Not yet

    5. Yes

    6. Dumervil, Buckner, Armstead, Lynch

    7. Yes, Beadles

    8. Trent Taylor

    9. No

    10. No

    BONUS: What’s a better movie, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?

    Godfather 1

    DOUBLE BONUS: Is Toy Story 3 the best third installment in the history of movie trilogies? If not, what is?

    It’s up there. But I got to go with Return of the King. It has flaws but so does Toy Story 3. I would also rank Army of Darkness, Rocky 3, Dark Knight Rises, and Captain America: Civil War pretty high up there too.

  51. offensive player I want to know about Barkley.
    Def. player Tank.
    movie trilogy Rocky III.
    better movie gf1 or gf2 neither scareface was better.

  52. Most movies are not trilogies. I think only LOTR fits the bill. Star Wars, Star Trek and Harry Potter are series. Toy Story III should not be considered as a classic, but more as a kids film. The Hobbit should never have been a 3 part saga.
    .
    Most movies are not as good as the book, LOTR included.
    .
    Most sequels are not as good as the original movies. Most sequels just try to recapture the magic, but fail miserably, and are done because the movie industry just wants to ride the coat tails of success, and there is a dearth of original thought.
    .
    The Seven Samurai, High Noon, Sabrina, The longest Yard and many many more, should never have been remade.

  53. Gratz to the Warriors. They are elite, and are poised to win more championships. Hope Lynch and KS can emulate Meyer and Kerr. I thought it would go 5 games, and thought the league would try to prolong it as much as possible. The 22 fouls called in the first quarter of game 4 was proof of that assertion.

    1. Never hatch golden eggs before they are laid. I remember the Niners Threepeat and the Giants!! Still makes me mad.

  54. “Shanahan said that the team is having everybody’s families in for a BBQ following meetings and workouts. He also said they’d bring in a bouncy castle for the kids. All in all, it should be a fun time to close out the offseason workout program.”

    http://www.ninersnation.com/2017/6/13/15794634/kyle-shanahan-49ers-offseason-workout-program-bbq-bouncy-castle-families

    Awesome. Shanny is treating the team like family, as did Walsh and Debartolo. Another important step in our return to greatness.

      1. Yes, but for a much different reason. That’s where the players took their urine tests…

  55. Shanahan takes a page from the Bill Walsh playbook by not stressing out overaged vets in camp.

    San Francisco 49ers News
    49ers offseason workouts, OTAs, minicamp

    Elvis Dumervil will not do full team drills in 49ers minicamp

    Kyle Shanahan explained the plan with new 49ers pass rusher Elvis Dumervil.

  56. San Francisco 49ers News

    49ers Rookies

    49ers offseason workouts, OTAs, minicamp

    Solomon Thomas to join team Thursday, had dinner with 49ers defensive line last week

    12 comments

    Solomon Thomas has kept busy, but the real work gets going on Thursday.

    by David Fucillo@davidfucillo Jun 13, 2017, 1:11pm PDT

  57. San Francisco 49ers: If 2012 was Trent Baalke’s worst NFL Draft, 2013 was almost as bad
    by Peter Panacy 1 day agoFollow @peterpanacy

    TomD’s Take: Hmmm, Taking Kaep as Capt’n of the ship in 2011, then doubling down on Jarryd Hayne was just as bad.

    1. I left this, though I did edit it a bit for here:

      Yet relative to 2013’s incredibly bad draft class, it was actually above average. I mean, 2013 was a disaster and Reid at least made a probowl. I mean to get some perspective on the ****-show that was the 2013 NFL draft, look at this Top-10:

      1 1 Kansas City Chiefs Eric Fisher OT Bust
      1 2 Jacksonville Jaguars Luke Joeckel Bust
      1 3 Miami Dolphins Dion Jordan DE Bust (3 career sacks in four years!)
      1 4 Philadelphia Eagles Lane Johnson OT 10-game PED suspension. Ok, not great.
      1 5 Detroit Lions Ezekiel Ansah † DE First actual good player drafted.
      1 6 Cleveland Browns Barkevious Mingo DE Bust
      1 7 Arizona Cardinals Jonathan Cooper G Bust
      1 8 St. Louis Rams Tavon Austin WR Completely mediocre
      1 9 New York Jets Dee Milliner CB Bust
      1 10 Tennessee Titans Chance Warmack G Mediocre. On a one-year ‘prove it’ deal with Eagles.

      Seriously, 2012 sucked because it was a good draft year and we came up pretty much empty. But 2013 was one of the worst draft years in NFL history and the 49ers actually did well compared to the rest of the NFL.

      Reid is solid, but not spectacular. Carradine has been played wrong from Day 1 and we still honestly don’t know. McDonald has been a poor pick because of his drops. Lemonier was a poor pick, but his slot had a 50-50 but rate on it.

      Patton out performed to his draft slot, but since 90% of 4th round WRs are busts, that’s not saying that much. Lattimore was a total flyer. Dial has been solid and way out-played his 5th round draft slot..

      And after that, you got a bunch of guys that nobody in their right mind would think they’d make in the NFL because 6th and 7th rounders rarely do… So who cares? They’re their chaff you sort in the outside chance you get lucky once every decade.

      It wasn’t a great draft. But 2013 is considered the second worst draft class in the past 25-years. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000495614/article/five-worst-nfl-draft-classes-of-last-25-years

      Which says this about it:

      » Complete draft class
      » Pro Football Hall of Famers: None
      » On the road to Canton: None
      » Other notable stars: Sheldon Richardson, Eric Reid, Kyle Long, Le’Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy
      » Number of players who made at least one Pro Bowl: 7
      » First-rounders who made at least one Pro Bowl: 5

      The 2013 draft is on the fast track toward becoming recognized as one of the worst in NFL history. The only reason it is not in the top spot here is because it happened just two years ago. The 1992 draft listed above produced no talent worthy of Canton; there is still time for the 2013 draft to redeem itself. The small pocket of talent that came out of the 2013 draft can still rise to excellence.

      The top two selections in the 2013 draft — Eric Fisher to the Kansas City Chiefs and Luke Joeckel to the Jacksonville Jaguars — have yet to establish themselves as reliable NFL starting offensive tackles. The third overall selection, Dion Jordan (picked by the Miami Dolphins), has been suspended for the 2015 season for another violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy.

      The quarterback draft class in 2013 has the potential to make no real impact on the game. In the first round, the Buffalo Bills selected EJ Manuel, who is embroiled in a three-headed quarterback competition. In the second round, the New York Jets selected Geno Smith, who must impress a new coaching staff this summer.

      Seriously, that class was so bad that Reid is considered one of it’s stars. And yet people want to replace him.

  58. Sounds like the OL continues to be overwhelmed by the D. Lots of would be sacks. Lynch with two, apparently, according to Joe Fann.

    1. It’s still not clear to me what these “would be” sacks mean in a supposedly “no contact” practice.

      1. It means they got to the QB before the ball was thrown but are only allowed to place a hand on them, not hit them.

        1. Yes. It was a rhetorical question. What I really meant was how does it translate to live contact football. I maintain hardly at all.

  59. It has limited projection to full tilt boogie, but in these drills it’s about footwork. If a DL gets foot position on an OL, then he effectively beat him to a spot. Doing that in live action will often result in a sack or knock down hurry. Within the practice perameters it’s still a competition.
    An awful lot of sports are fundamentally about footwork-
    Football, futbol, basketball, wrestling, boxing, tennis, rock climbing, etc

  60. Nobody here gives Goldfinger a mention as possible best 3rd installment? Tsk Tsk. If only for the theme song.

    1. It is not a Trilogy, but part of a series. Maybe you also like the Die Hard, Bourne, Mad Max and Rocky third installments.

      1. Sequel and installment of a series. Nowadays that line is crossed as to be meaningless.

        Btw, those movies you mention do nothing for me.

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