A few days ago I wrote a blog listing the free agent wide receivers who could fit into the 49ers’ budget this offseason.
I put Pierre Garçon was on that list, and then he turned down a five-year contract from the Colts. He may not have belonged on that list, after all. He’s going to get a lot of money in free agency, more than the Niners are willing to pay, most likely.
The Niners can probably draft a better receiver than Garçon in the first round with the 30th pick, anyway, and for cheaper.
The top three receivers, Justin Blackmon (6-1, 207), Kendall Wright (5-10, 196) and Michael Floyd (6-3, 220), won’t be available. They’re top-20 picks.
The Niners can choose from the second tier of wide receivers: Rueben Randle (6-3, 210), Alshon Jeffery (6-3, 216), Mohamed Sanu (6-2, 211), and Stephen Hill (6-4, 215).
Receivers run 40-yard dashes tomorrow at the Combine. Of the four who are in the second tier, the one who runs the fastest could conceivably be the guy the Niners end up drafting. They need a fast receiver that badly.
Alshon Jeffery is probably the slowest, but if he runs at 4.5, that’s not slow. He’s got giant hands, long arms, and he can jump high. He’s the best red-zone target of these four receivers. He caught 23 TDs in his three-year college career at the University of South Carolina.
Stephen Hill is the tallest and he might be the fastest, too. But he’s only produced big numbers in four games of his three-year college career at Georgia Tech.
Mohamed Sanu is the quickest, but he’s not especially fast. He didn’t catch a pass for longer than 35 yards his final two seasons at Rutgers. He seems like more of a possession receiver than a big-play receiver. The Niners need a big-play receiver. Sanu needs to run well on Suday.
Rueben Randle is a big-play receiver – he mostly just ran deep for LSU. He was the No. 2 ranked prospect coming out of high school in 2009 according to Rivals.com, who described Randle as “a cross between A.J. Green and Julio Jones.” Randle will have to run a 4.4 on Sunday to warrant such a comparison.
Pay extra close attention to these four receivers Sunday at the combine. One of them could be a future 49er.
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Grant, excellent read. My feeling is that the 9ers sign a very good RMeachem in FA for an affordable amount and the go with defense in the 1st round. Just a gut feeling!
BTW, the receiver in the draft will be in the 3rd round – I’m thinking Streeter or Fuller.
Streeter is just oozing with athleticism….6’5 and can supposedly run a 4.3, but he also is supposed to be very very raw. How about Marvin Jones in the mid rounds???? I love that guy, and I’ve seen enough Cal football to know he’s worth it. Just my opinion.
Crayons, Marvin Jones is a guy I have been talking about on here for about a week.
Grant mentioned him a while back so I started following him. Agree he would be a nice mid-round pick. Something tells me they won’t go WR as early as everyone thinks.
I’ve been high on Streeter for a while. He just ran a 4.34 in the 40. This guy’s big, fast, and had a solid year at Miami last year. His pre-combine projection was 4th-5th round, but now his stock is going up. We’ll see where he ends up.
Nick, you have been high on Streeter. His 40 time was off the charts – he was thought to be a 4.5 guy and at 4.34 may raise his value up a round from 3 to 2 possibly.
I think the 9ers have position value for various rounds and don’t want to reach in the 1st round so they go with a cb or de/olb. Interesting to see the final/final at the end of April.
Hofer, If they do go CB in round 1 Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska might be the guy. Strong, physical corner who made Prince (Giants #1 last year) look good.
**Amakumara**
Jack, good point – if ADennard is there, the 9ers may pull the trigger. They want to keep that D elite.
Best prospect and/or free agent is Josh Morgan.
Morgan already said he’s gonna sign with the 9ers if they offer him a contract. So essentially he’s not even a Free Agent. He’s made up his mind already.
So he’s no longer the best bang for the buck Receiver on the list. And probably wasn’t to begin with due to the nature of his injury. ;)
draft somone on defense when our offense has been the one thing holdin our team back year after year. get a clue
I agree %100
You bet ya grant Grant ! However,one of the” 3rd “tier WR’s this reader will keep an eye as we move toward the draft is Brian Quick!
I agree with you there. Quick has some nasty route running abilities. I just want to see the guy compete at the NFL level to see how he checks out.
I think the quality receivers will be there in the second and even third rounds. The option to trade down in the first is a possibility. Harbaugh likes to pound the rock, if the value is there it wouldn’t be a shocker to see a guard taken.
If Decastro is available, SF will not hesistate to get him. I doubt he will be available. Don’t be surprised if SF goes after a OLB with some speed.
If Decastro lasts till the high teens or low twenties the 49ers should move up and get him.
Andrew, Baalke and Co. don’t strike me as the tpes to give up future picks which they would need to do if they were to move up.
My guess is they will either stay where they are if they feel like the guy they want is there, or they will trade back to get more picks if they feel that guy will hang around a few more.
I would love to see DeCastro as a 49er but there is no way he gets past the Bengals at #17. They are desperate for inside OL help.
Konz might drop to the 49ers though. A lot of folks had him going to the Ravens but with Birk coming back that might not happen. That could be interesting.
I agree Jack but let’s see if Baalke adds the unpredictable to his resume.
msc, Birk is getting long in the tooth, so the Ravens will still probably go with Konz if he is still around. He sure is a big dude.
I agree Ninerminer81,
It wouldn’t suprise me at all if they go with DeCastro if he’s available. If they can’t move up to get Wright or Floyd, they could conceivably take DeCastro.
Some 2t wr’s may still be available with their 2nd pick as well. Dwight Jones, and Streeter are still big type wr’s who might do well tomorrow at the combine. The F/A movement will also play a significant factor in who and how they will draft.
C’mon March and April!
arent Baalke and Harbaugh the same guys who traded up just last year, to get a backup QB?
WR is such a screaming need on this team, i think anything is possible. anyone ruling anything out is underestimating the intellectual creativity and flexibility of two guys who appear to rate pretty highly in the category (football IQ).
Baalke just might be a good poker player. we’ll see.
Alshon Jeffrey = Mike Williams 2.0 I mean the fat Mike Williams that Matt Millen drafted.
Sanu reminds me too much of JJ Stokes. A big, slow receiver that did well against bad DBs but did nothing against good DBs.
If Randle falls to the 49ers that would be great but otherwise there is a ton of depth at WR for the 49ers to grab in rounds 2-5. Hopefully the 49ers will go BPA at #30 rather than reach for a WR. There should be some good OLB or OL options available at that spot.
Stephen Hill is the tallest and fastest; runs good after catch. Needs some work to be another Colston.
If I have learned anything over the years it is to listen to what they are saying about the draft and to expect the opposite to actually occur.
I have a gut feeling that the Niner’s will trade to get in the top 20 if they think their is a big difference bertween the 3 that you mentioned and the second tier of receivers.
No WR is worthy of a trade to move up. SF needs to trade out of the 1st round and get 2 1st rounds in 2013. We need to start thinking about Gore’s replacement.
Perhaps and another O linemen.
Neal, they may have that O-lineman already. They have Kilgore and Person at C and RG. If they go there early it will tell a lot about their feelings towards those guys.
@jack,
I hope you are right, they did that 2 years ago with the O linemen, and we need the obvious along a power running back that goes North to South.
Neal, maybe Chris Polk from Washington, but after that I don’t see a power back that is better than what we have in Dixon.
Maybe we can get a surprise in later rounds. It would be great if we can find a Garrison Hearst or Roger Craig type of player that can run, block and run a good screen.
Chris Polk is too slow. Look for Doug Martin to be picked up in round 5.
I will admit I just don’t know the college game, I just watched the Stanfords game’s , so I will have to take your word for it.
If it came down to those three WR’s on the board and Coby Fleener was still available, I’d prefer to go with Fleener. I think he would be the more effective weapon regardless of position.
No way we go with Fleener in round 1. I can guarantee you that much!
I tend to agree, but Harbaugh will have the last say on that move.
Fleener would be my choice also. I doubt he is going to make it to the 30th pick.
Fleener can’t block! No way will he be a 1st rounder. No TE’s will be selected in the first round!
@ninerminer
When VD was drafted, his blocking skill was supposedly behind his pass receiving skills.
That did a 180 until the playoffs.
And wasn’t that NO TE Graham new to football? All he could do was catch/run. He didn’t do a lot of blocking playing college basketball.
Most good pass catching TE’s come into the NFL as being behind the curve in their blocking skills. We do have the NFL HC of the year, so that should be kept in the back of your mind.
@DS94everXev
First off, VD was an awesome in-line blocker. If you ever went to see him in TC during his rookie year, you would know. You can also tweet Brandon Moore to see if VD can run and pass block.
J.Graham was a project pick that worked out. Was Graham a 1st round pick? I didn’t think so. Hind sight is 20/20. Lots of supposed pass catching TE are never heard of after they get drafted. It’s too risky to draft a TE in the 1st round that is pass-catcher.
Besides, Fleener is a tall TE with very lean frame. He will get jacked up in blocking.
We don’t need another pass-catching TE anyways. We have VD and DW. We need a very good blocking TE and we already have that in Byham, Reuland, Peele, etc. With all the needs that SF has at WR, CB, OLB, DT, G and you want a TE with a round 1. You must be joking me right?
Ninerminer81, be careful trying to talk football with DS. You will soon realize that unless it was said in a press conference somewhere it isn’t true.
@ Jackhammer
I know DS knows his stuff. This is not the first time we’ve clashed heads, but it’s out of respect. I can appreciate a fan that knows his stuff. Obviously we have opposing opinions. Nothing I say is made up.
@ninerminer
Scouts and reporters at the time said that VD needed more work.
Please stop thinking that you attending TC makes you more of an expert than reporters and most definitely scouts.
VD had to work hard to become the blocker he is today. He did, he is.
Why don’t you ask VD yourself when you are at TC to compare his blocking skills the day he was drafted to his blocking skills today. If he tells you they are the same, then you are right. If he said he has really improved over the years then I am right.
Discussion over.
And how do we have holes in those positions? If we resign most of our big FA’s, then we don’t have holes at OLB, CB, S.
Where is the DL hole from again? JS, IS, RMc are all on contract. Those 3 are all starters.
We don’t have a hole at WR. We just need better players (a lot better), or our current players need to get a ton better fast.
@ DS
Obviously VD got better throughout the years as a blocker, but he is still 5x a better blocker than Fleener, which is how this conversation got started to begin with. Are you trying to say that Fleener is as good a blocker as VD when VD was a rookie? Why don’t we ask grant to tweet Mayock this question?
Besides, it doesn’t take the word of scouts to confirm anything. You can just open your eyes and see when someone is a good or bad blocker. Fleener is not a round 1 TE. Mayock said it himself that no TE was worthy of a round 1 pick and that the talent at TE this year was “atrocious”.
Who are you going to have play G? Rachal? Snyder? We struggled with consistent blocking at RG this past season. We need better depth at WR and a big physical wr at that. None of which we currently have on our roster.
Let me educate you on our DL. I’m fine with DE even though JS is turning 33 in September, commands 6.4M in salary cap and his contract expires in 2 years. DT Sopoaga is 31 in September, commands 5M in salary cap and his contract expires in 1 year.
And we won’t be able to resign all of our FAs because we wont have enough money. Tell me, which of our 19 unsigned FA are you planning to resign and for how much. Which holes will still be left over? And do you still want to draft a pass catching TE with our round 1 pick. You’re not the only person on here that knows something.
I know zilch about college football players and less than zilch on who/which traits are transferable to the NFL. I will just cheer whoever we get with each pick. So, I won’t argue if This player or That player is good for us or not.
About our DL, I can do business with you.
IS is 31. But he was never the full time starter like he was this year, or if he was, he stank. So his body has not taken the punishment other 31 DL bodies have. In addition, I don’t think he has had any major injury, has he?
JS, he’s my guy. Don’t go there.
You keep bringing up how we won’t be able to resign everybody. About that:
1. No team does. If they did, there would be no FA, right?
2. Of those 19 (18 now), I would say less than half of them are “critical players” CJ Spillman was 1, and they got him. AS will sign. Then there is CR, AB. I think these are the next critical guys. After that, DG. I think most of the rest are relatively cheap.
2. We have no idea how much each FA wants, or if they want to try to keep this team together, and collectively sign for money that allows other FA teammates to sign as well. This may seem like fantasy, but JH’s biggest success this year was not AS. It was his ability to get this team to play as a team more so than any other team. If he can do that, don’t discount this notion so easily.
3. Those contracts you brought up can always be re-negotiated. I am betting that JS would re-negotiate to keep AB for instance.
And I am all for Grant tweeting about Fleener. This blog spends a lot of time on the guy, so why not get one persons perspective of Fleener on this team.
By the way, my mantra is that I don’t know a lot. Lots of people hate me for saying I don’t know a lot. Maybe because it forces them to have to deal with the idea that if I am ever right and they were wrong it would force them to evaluate their own skills as experts. And their fragile ego can’t take it.
Fleener is interesting because he seems like a tweener between TE an WR. He could be a matchup nightmare due to his size, especially down in the Red Zone and on 3rd down. He should still be around at 30 too.
A lot of the questions regarding which receiver to pick in the draft will probably be much clearer between the start of FA and the draft.
Fleener is expected to run well at the combine……..
2 first for 2013? Someone must have forgotten we’re #30. I highly doubt anyone would give up a first next year to move to 30.
The saints did it with the Pats to pick up Ingram. Also, if there is someone available that another team wants, they’ll be willing to move up. SF moved up to pick Joe Staley with the 25th and Manny Lawson with the 28th.
Ummm.. look at the last 5 years of the draft. End of the 1st round picks consistently get a #1 from the following year.
That’s what i meant! Trading out our 2012 round pick for a 2013 round pick to get 2 2013 1st round picks.
@ninerminer
Just asking:
Are those GM’s who made those trades (both sides) still around anymore?
I seriously don’t know. You seem like a guy who would know about this. And most certainly a guy who knows more than I do about this part of football.
@DS
Bill Belicheck is still around. He’s a pretty good coach. Sean Payton is still around he’s also not a bad coach either. Scott McCloughin was not that bad either, after all he was responsible for drafting VD, Gore, Staley, T. Brown, etc. Basically built the foundation for the 13-3 niners. Wait….what was your point?
@Ninerminer
I guess those guys are really in the upper tier of the football universe. They can do anything they want.
I was wondering more about the GM’s who traded up though. So BB traded away a 1st round pick to somebody. What happened to that GM who traded up? Was it a good move or a bad move?
@ Grant
What were the details of the 5 year contract offer to Garcon?
What about nick toon in 2nd or 3rd round?
I like toon in round 3.
Grant, with no details of the dollar amount being reported by Schefter, don’t you think it might be more about going to a place where he could win again and not just money?
Sure we all like Luck and think he will do great, but it may take some time there because that team is in need of far more than just a QB, their defense was horrible last year and was poor even 2 years ago.
Not only about influx of Luck, no? Probably also about how Irsay is handling the situation…
PBL, BINGO!
Anybody jump out at you today that might fit the Niners Grant?
Arkansas Razotbacks have 3 wr’s in this draft that are that are every bit as good as any of the other top ones that have been listed. Joe Adams & Jarius Wright also are great return men. Greg Childs is a 6-4 220 & he was very highly rated before his knee injury as a junior. Niners need to look at these fellows to help improve a weak wr corps.
Stan, Who won the slam dunk contest?
if lamar miller is around at 30 than he should be the pick,gore wont be around after next year so they need to draft his replacement now!!! miller can be the work horse the niners offense needs and that gore cant provide consisitently enough with his injury situations.
Goldson Tagged!!!
Just found it on Adam Schefter’s twitter account. I guess that means that Rogers will be signed to a contract. Logical move, the price worked out right for the franchise tag.
Update: Adam Schefter said the 49ers “plan” to franchise Goldson.
Seems kind of early for the team to use the tag. Free agency is still two weeks away and the NFL doesn’t do anything before a deadline.
I’m thinking that Baalke is sending a message to Goldson and whoever the heck is his agent now.
I agree MSC way to early for a tag, they are just plotting and negotiating, it is all a game.
Grant, one advise from me my friend.Sstop being so sure about things. Like saying Floyd and Wright will be gone in the top 20s .As a matter of fact, both can be there, I even expect Floyd for sure. It’s like your predicament on the niners beating the Ravens 30-3, what a shame… You still can’t escape the rookie writer syndrome or the fairwheater fan, do your job better!!!
i dont like the idea of trading out of round 1 for a 2013 1st—the niners were 1 fumbloe from being a super bowl team and need to take their best shot for next season
Cordy Glenn would be a nice fit for our offensive line cuz he can probably play RT and RG and he’s in our reach,Fleener makes also sense it would make our opponents crazy with matching up against him VD and DW he is a good vertical threat something that we need he has excellent height 6-6 catches very well in traffic and natural route running and rarely gets jammed off the line.
Glenn is a beast, but i don’t think he’s nimble enough to pull effectively (though his straight line 40 speed was pretty good)… that said, we’d get push at every spot on the line. Even Gore could get yards behind that line
Wide array of players some of you are championing for. What we should’ve all learned last year is Harbaugh/Baalke will take the player(s) they feel will help the team the most. When Aldon Smith was picked at #7, I remember all the whining…that it was a horrible pick, yada yada yada. Well, the BL is it doesn’t matter what any of us think…the Niner braintrust will pick the guys they’ve scouted, and based off last year’s draft, I trust they’ll have another bumper crop. If Randle’s not there at #30, I’d just as soon see them take Fleener. He’s a WR in a TE’s body and at 6-6 would create some real mismatch problems bookending Vernon.
Stephen Hill just ran a 4.30 40. His stock is sure to rise.
Ahh yes. It’s that time of year where everyone is in the draft room. Betting this guaranteeing that. Can’t wait to hear the complaints of who they drafted this year when most were wrong. Then that player “like” Alson Smith becomes a stud. Keep it going Baalke’s!
Baalke may target Stephen hill in the 2nd. That combo of size and speed and use to blocking running plays. I hope we trade the 30th pick and pick up another 2nd and 4th or 5th rounder. We can address WR early in the second and OLB with the second one. Go Baalke.
Running 4.3 just made targeting Mr. Hill in the 2nd Round problematic.
I say we go Stephen Hill. 6’4″ 215 lbs, clocked in at a 4.30 40. Thats blazing fast.
Looks like Mr. Mayock has Mr. Hill as a 4th round prospect. I stand corrected. Very questionable hands. A big red flag for a wide receiver. Someone will reach for him in the 3rd round.
With his frame and speed a team will reach for him.
I don’t want to see the 49ers waste a first round pick on a wide receiver. Tried with my e.s.p. (ha) not to take Crabtree, waste of a pick that high. Niners should pick the best athlete available and it should not be a wide receiver.
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012-nfl-combine-results-wide-receivers/
Davier Posey looks like an interesting prospect that might be around in the 3rd round.
agreed. similar to Morgan, maybe even a touch faster. other analysts have said it first, but there’s a lot of talent in the 2-4 rounds. don’t sleep on the local WRs
I know were talking late rounds but i love Devon Wylie from Fresno State….fast, quick, would be a Welker type slot guy but faster, that could return punts as well
I say take Hill, he is 6-4″ and runs a 4.31 40
Hill would be an intriguing prospect, but only in the second round. For our offense great hands are a must. I don’t believe we become a deep pass offense over night just because we have speed. The speed wr will be our x factor that will keep defenses from loading the box. Yes, the long will be there but only occasionally at first.
AES, agree – the 9ers already have a speed guy that that drops a few (TG) although last year he was much better. For any offense hands are a must or it “Not For Long” in this league.
Hofer, hill is not like Gin. He is big and tough as well as fast. He was known for straight arming guys to the ground. There is nothing similar between the two.
Sims, just talking about speed and catching the ball not size or demeanor.
that 40 time he ran yesterday may propel him into the 1st round. He won’t be available at the bottom of the 2nd round, so taking him at the bottom of the first should not be out of the question.
Sanu looks really good at the combine right now. He has a big muscular frame and looks pretty fast running routes. If we go WR first round Sanu. Devon Wylie might be interesting late round pick. We still need to address the o-line and get some depth at OLB.
True Hofe, about having good hands in any offense. But our scheme of passing includes more square up type catches then over the shoulder. Hence my statement about the importance of good hands being a must.
From our old friend Eric Branch, he wrote an article in today’s Sporting Green:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/25/SPU31NCIC8.DTL
In which he states the following about WR and MC:
“With questions still surrounding Michael Crabtree, the No. 10 pick in the 2009 draft, the thought of finally securing an unquestioned No. 1 wideout is no doubt appealing to fans of a team that hasn’t had a 1,000-yard pass-catcher since 2003.”
“Included among that mostly forgettable group is Crabtree, 24, one of just three 49ers wide receivers under contract (along with Kyle Williams and Joe Hastings). Crabtree finished his third season with 72 catches for 874 yards, the highest totals for a San Francisco wideout since Owens in 2003.
In two playoff games, however, he had nearly as many drops (three) as catches (four), raising more questions about his ability to develop into a No. 1 wideout. At the combine, Baalke said it remains to be seen whether Crabtree will fill that role.”
And from JH: “You get better at football by practicing football,” Harbaugh said. “Much like you don’t get to Carnegie Hall without a lot of practice. So for him to have the benefit of an offseason and OTAs and training camp, much like he’s never had. He’s got an opportunity to have that offseason this year which he has not had, not of his own doing.”
So, it would seem that MC is on the ropes with TB, and is getting a clear message from JH about him attending OTA’s, and training camp.
What if the Niners do draft a WR who is expected to start? Where does that put MC’s mindset? Will he want to rise up to the challenge, or will he run away from it?
What if MC again gets injured in TC and can’t participate? What are the chances then that the Niners keep him around if they draft a guy who is participating and looking good? What if this new drafted WR looks to be like one of the 7 of 17 WR’s who had over 1000 yards last year and were not among the top 118 picks of the draft (this guy would be a lot cheaper than MC)?
Every year every team makes surprise cuts. If MC does not participate in TC due to injury, when do we start calling this foot injury a “chronic condition” meaning it will never really go away? IF MC does not participate, I would not be surprised if MC is one of those “surprise cuts” especially if one of the newly drafted guys is looking good.
ha! how bout dat hill!?!?!?
I started that rumor last year and was blasted by most people on this blog. I still think we would have one with him. He had 5-6 weeks to learn plays after BE was cut. Plenty of time to learn some plays and make NY think more. He would have been good for at least a plus 50 yards for the offense, whether it was a catch, run block or taking coverage away from his teamates.