I say the Niners will not take a running back in the upcoming NFL Draft, and here’s why.
This season, Frank Gore will be the starter and Kendall Hunter will be the backup. Any running back the Niners could draft would be a third-stringer this season (with the exception of Alabama’s Trent Richardson. He’d be the Niners’ best RB right now, but they’re not getting him – he’s a top-five pick.)
It makes no sense for the Niners to spend a first, a second, or a third round pick on a third-stringer when they could draft other players who could contribute quicker. As long as Justin Smith is a dominant player, the Niners will be serious Super Bowl contenders. Smith will be 33 years old this season, so the Niners need to seize their opportunity to win right now. Drafting a running back in the early rounds does not help that cause.
Drafting a running back in the later rounds doesn’t make sense either. That player would have to beat out Rock Cartwright and Anthony Dixon for a roster spot. Cartwright took Blake Costanzo’s roster spot as a Special Teams Ace. He’s going to make the team.
Anthony Dixon is young, cheap, big, hard working and, most importantly, a former Baalke-pick. It’s not in Trent Baalke’s interest to give up on Dixon just yet, especially for another late-round project.
The time for Baalke and the Niners to draft a running back is next offseason. Gore probably has one more good season left. The Niners should milk it, then draft his replacement in the first round next year – Marcus Lattimore, Michael Dyer or Montee Ball.
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I dont think it is that easy. If there is good value, I can easily see the niners pick up a RB in the 3rd or even 2nd round.
The FO does see things differently than us non-football people.
Remember we only have one pick per round this year so they have to make sure they can contribute like said.
Understand the logic, but I think there is real concern that Gore could wear down quicker than anticipated. The reality is that Gore only ran well last year when the 49ers overloaded the blocking schemes with extra OL, oversized FB, etc. That problem doesn’t land solely on Gore, it lands on the OL ability as well. But the 49ers need to do everything they can — in the interests of winning now — to insure against a Gore drop-off or injury and enable the running game to be effective out of a traditional pro-blocking set — 5OL and 1TE. That is key to improving the passing game as well.
All that said, the 49ers are disciplined, and if they see great value in the 3rd and beyond in a RB, I expect they have no hesitation to take one.
Yeah I don’t think its outta the question to draft one.
Number 1: Gore is 29 and only getting more and more beat up. Kendall looked good last year but has been labeled a change of pace back. We need someone that can be groomed to take Gore’s spot.
Number 2 : A good rookie RB could definately contribute right away. And the good thing about RBs is that you can always find those late round gems.
Number 3: Dixon is awful
Harbaugh’s offense is built around the run game. If the value is there it makes complete sense that he will draft a RB
“And the Winner is” – Chris Polk
This whole discussion is moot, since the Niners signed Brandon Jacobs.
Depends on if the TB thinks a later round running back this year would have the potential to be a better player than an early round running back next year. It does seem that we have 4 RBs already with the likelihood of only having 3 on the active roster come season opener, so drafting a 5th RB would create a crowded backfield. But then again if they think one of the later round RBs (cough cough lamichael) could be a superstar, why not?
Gore’s replacement will be close to 220 lbs.
wow you are like a prophet or something, its not like the average NFL RB is 215 or anything.
Everybody’s a smart a** ! Me included : )
kendall hunter and lamichael james are the same player except hunter is bigger and less susceptible to injury. i would love to see what he can do but i think harbaugh and company want more of a bruiser like ganaway from baylor. he is close to 245lbs and he ran a 4.45 at his pro day.
Probably so… LJ was just a random suggestion
LaMichael James was very durable at Oregon. A real misconception that you have. He was a workhorse. In three years he had 771 carries for 5082 yards vs four years for Hunter 708 carries and 4181 yards. Tore up his elbow in 2011, should have missed the rest of the season but came right back. He missed very little time at Oregon due to injury.
Yup. I’m not an Oregon fan but that James kid is pretty durable. :)
I don’t think the Running Back depth chart is set in stone. There were times when Dixon went in for Gore instead of Hunter. I think it has more to do with what personnel packages the Niners want to use on offense. Hunter is obviously a third down scat/change up back type at this point but it’s unknown if the Niners view him as a possible longterm replacement for Gore. I suspect not…at least not at this point…since we know that Harbaugh likes to pound the ball on the ground with a powerful type of runnngback (like Toby Gerhardt). And with Gore quickly approaching his Logan’s Run Age, the Niners know they need to quickly come up with a viable replacement for Gore (which they tried a couple years ago with Glenn Coffee).
Dyer is not a team player !
I don’t know anything about Sure, but the samething was said about Blount. Too bad JH wasn’t our coach then, he would have surely followed through with his original plan to sign as a FA here.
Not slamming your statement, just making a case.
Impeach’s last comment is the ultimate truth: The FO DOES see things differently than us non-football people. And after their amazing run last year, I’m grateful for that!
Even so, I’ll still weigh in, and say I agree with Grant…RB doesn’t seem to me to be a key need at the moment. Yes, Frank is a little older, and maybe a little slower, but if the Niners concentrate on improving the O line (whether through the draft, or as Grant suggested, via FA), our current backs are going to look a LOT better, and Frank’s going to last a lot longer.
Grant,
I see the 9ers drafting one of the inside the tackle runners, CPolk, RTurbin or my sleeper guy, BBolden. They need competition at RB just like all of the positions. As much as I like ADixon, it would be a mistake to wait until next year to get an RB in here through the draft. FG has been known to wear down later in the year and he has chronic ankle issues. KH is an excellent runner, but he is not an every down back. The 9ers should have learned last year with the WR position during the playoffs that you can’t be too thin with quality backups and that includes RB.
I believe Cartwright is Dixon’s competition for 2012, but after this season all bets are off.
Another stupendous insightful statement, seeing as how those are the only 2 other RB’s on the squad.
No way Cartwright is Dixon’s competition! Dixon was a short yardage/red zone back mostly, with some late-game-pound-it-out action. There’s no indicator in Cartwright’s career that would suggest that’s why we brought him in. I think you’re right in that he replaces Costanzo, but if he Dixon brought more to the table than Costanzo in that he can contribute on offense where as Costanzo could contribute (or at least didn’t) on defense. So Cartwright will be like CJ Spillman, primarily special teams but also depth. He’ll probably carry the ball less than 10 times this year.
I have a feeling Cartwright was brought in mainly to compete for a special teams spot first and running back spot second. I see them drafting a mid round running back for full competition to compete with Dixon.
From what I’ve read Polk is a workhorse, good between the tackles runner, 224#, catches the ball. Good competition for Dixon and could spell Gore more over the coming years. 4th round!
The Niners can’t count on Gore to stay healthy or productive for an entire season at this point of his career. I’d be shocked if they didn’t take a RB somewhere along the way in this draft.
Agreed!
I can see your POV, Mr. Cohen, but I disagree. I believe the 49ers will draft a RB in the 1st three rounds of the draft and here’s why. One, Gore has not been able to complete an entire season for some time and he’s on his final contract. He will be a demon at the beginning of the season, awesome as always. Then, he will wear down naturally. It’s inevitable.
Therefore, I see some backs who can eventually compete with Hunter for #1 after Gore in this draft. Martin, Miller, Polk, Turbin, Ganaway, etc fit the mold. I see us potentially drafting Martin, Polk or Turbin. I see Wilson gone before we pick. I love Martin, personally. The one phase of his game that needs coaching is blocking/blitz pick up. Hmmm, we have the best RB coach for that so there you are.
As much as I love Dixon, I just don’t see it. With many attempt to convert 3rd downs, it hasn’t happened. We need someone to be able to come in and do what Gore does so well. Out of all of these, both Martin and Polk seem like the best fits with what we do. Polk has history of injuries so the 3rd and we might need to jump up just a bit for Martin.
Either way, there is no denying that RB will be a need next year. Baalke has shown vision already and the RB is next.
Polk had a bad Senior Bowl, correct?
Polk is not the answer. Andorran does not stay square to the line of scrimmage and doesn’t have the speed to reach the edge. He is equal to, or below Dixon in ability. Pass…
Really Mr. Cohen? The SB doesn’t constitute the entire career of this workhorse for Washington. He’s a straight N and S runner, using very little to cut back. Rather, he churns to get the extra yards needed for 1st downs. The best thing about him as an RB, breakin’ tackles. Hey, here’s a plus. He plays STs as a returner, versatility!
What truly worries me about him is not his SB performance, but rather his mileage in college on that injured shoulder. Injury question on a potential top RB…
Sound familiar?
…and another thing. This kid can block, a savage in that dept! Also, he can play on the outside n has great vision on screen waiting patiently for that opportunity to smack someone.
He fits that Harbaugh mold, everything ends with violence. Fitting for a Harbaugh RB, no?
Jack, CP is an excellent inside runner and although not an edge runner, has the speed to turn the corner a few times a game (but that is KH’s forte). This kid is always looking to make productive yds out of each carry. Definitely fits the makeup of the 9er offense and JH.
Are you kidding… Frank Gore Is A BEAST. He has at least 2 years left in him. One of the hardest working RBs in the league. Gore has completed an entire season recently… The 2011 season. Check This Line.
16 282 1211 75.7 4.3 8
Unstoppable
Totally agree wir Mr. T or is it just T? or Tea?
Anyways, why do we always look at the negative? What would Jim say? Who has it better than us? NOBODY!!!
Gore is a top 5 back in this league and will get only better next year when we have something that resembles a passing attack. We did have to overload to run anywhere with the Dee stacking 8 in the box, hopefully this year Alex and the remade wr corps will be able to keep them more honest.
Niners Forever
T -Frank is the man but we need to think ahead as well!
We will be fine at RB for 2012 though, so there is no need to draft one this year. I agree with Grant, wait until next year when we can draft a RB in the first round.
We have more than capable backups. There is not too much to it, Follow Lupati and ____ (insert name of RG we draft) and gain at least 3 yards.
#PoundItOutFootball
I’m afraid I have to disagree with you Grant. I think that Gore is going to disappear again after the first 1/4 – half of the season. Harbaugh and Roman will keep having to minimize his role as he breaks down. He might be good for a few rushes a game, but he won’t be able to rush the ball 25 times a game anymore. Kendall Hunter is good when we call a misdirection, option, screen pass or run to the edge. Sometimes he’ll get a good block and spring it for huge yardage. But he’s not a power back that can get to the second level by running through people on in the inside of the line without getting huge holes. Dixon is decent, but very average.
So I think we need to look at drafting a running back who can take over for Gore when his legs are done. I love Frank, he’s given the Niners’ fans some amazing moments and he’s a true competitor, even in the darkest times. But down the playoff stretch, if we had prepared for his falling off by keeping a good powerful backup, we could’ve taken control of the game against the Giants by running the ball since we couldn’t get the pass going. Gore completely disappeared in that game when we needed him the most. I think we need to look for a quality running back in the 2nd to 4th round. It’s vital for the future of this offense, which is predicated on ball control and not taking too many risks.
Gore did not disappear in the NFC championship. He averaged 4.6 yards on 16 carries. Greg Roman didn’t call his number enough.
Grant, during the year in 2011 FG was taking quite a few (breathers) downs off that he hadn’t in the past. He’s a stud but I have my doubts that he will last the year and neither AD or RC will be able to pick up the slack needed to be legitimate threats if that occurs.
Say Doug Martin drops to the Niners’ laps in the second round. I’m sure you’d like them to take him. But if they did, he’d be nothing more than a reserve until Gore got injured. If Gore goes for another 250-300 carries, Martin’s role in 2012 is only Gore-insurance. I think it’s best to wait until the first round next year so Baalke can draft a tier 1 bell cow RB, not a tier 2 RB.
Your logic makes sense. I’m just saying they are in a world of trouble if FG goes down for an extended period of time especially given the run oriented WCO JH uses. They should have a good contingency plan if that occurs based on the WR issues they had last year. Let’s not get to the playoffs and then have RB issues. AD hasn’t done enough to prove he is the answer if that is the case.
If you recall Grant, Frank Gore was not considered a 1st tier guy and he ended up ok.
He wasn’t considered a first tier guy because of knee injuries. He was always a top tier talent.
On the surface, if you look at the per rush average, Gore didn’t look so bad, but one has to ask why Greg Roman didn’t call more rushes. We were losing the time of possession battle by almost 10 minutes and Smith was throwing completions at less than 50%, all signs point to Gore not being healthy enough to take more carries, because god knows that we needed to rush the ball and extend our drives to give our defense a breather. Gore was worn out, it’s the only explanation.
Hofer,
They do have a contingency plan, and his name is Kendall Hunter. The offense didn’t miss a beat when Hunter was in there last year. As a rookie he showed very well running, pass blocking and receiving.
gore was considered first round talent….just got injured in college and a couple of his teammates took over in college….he didn’t get a chance to recapture his potential in college and was considered better than the two that replaced him…mcgeehee and someone else and he kept track of their career numbers with some friendly smack talking….
If Gore goes for another 250-300 carries, Martin’s role in 2012 is only Gore-insurance. I think it’s best to wait until the first round next year so Baalke can draft a tier 1 bell cow RB, not a tier 2 RB.
You make it sound so simple Grant…alas it is not. First off, if Gore goes down, the team would be in dire straits because there is nobody on the roster to take over his role. Dixon is not that guy and Hunter is not a workhorse back at his size.
Second, you can’t count on getting the prized bull the following year in the draft. If they play as well as we expect, they’ll be back at the bottom of the first round in the draft again with the same dilemma at RB.
You take the BPA period. If Doug Martin is there in the 2nd and he is deemed to be the best player on the board, he should be the pick. Just like if Andre Branch is the best player in the first you take him even though you just selected an OLB in last years draft. Don’t get cute, just follow the talent.
Grant,I can’t help but think if Frank was healthier our ground game in the Giants game would have been the deciding element in a 49er win.Alas it was clear Frank was willing but his body wasn’t holding up to the extreme demand…
Balke is very unpredictable with the draft, especially with the Aldon Smith pick, you never know what he will decide, although Grant your column has logic.
Grant,
You’re turning out to be 1 Goofy Kid. You’ve been using some really outlandish statements as your Talking Points lately.
The 49ers not drafting a RB?
That’s 1 thing that I can trust on happening come Draft time. The 49ers have no other “Every Down” RB other than Gore who has proven he cannot go a full season without getting hurt. No way the 49ers go without another RB that can tote the rock for volume.
So, who will it be?
I like Robert Turbin in the 3rd round. He should be there
Why Turbin?
Turbin is a popular pick because he is a big, fast back with 6.0+ ypg and good pass-catching skills.
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In my not so humble opinion, the WR position gets the hype, but it’s a lack of applying KHs explosion on short passes that really killed the Niners’ mojo last season. Gore is finished.
Because Turbin is a Beast!
The Kid is so compact (5’10″ 225) & runs with authority. He also has some speed to him, I like him alot. He reminds me alot of Ray Rice.
Hey F
I’d never heard of him before 1 month ago and have never seen him play. Have you seen him play?
Check it out Pork…
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72188&draftyear=2012&genpos=RB
The knock on Turbin is durability. He red shirted his freshmen year (2007) due to a foot injury and missed 2010 with a torn ACL.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1272825/robert-turbin
How about the fact that he played against inferior competition?
He played well against Auburn last year and opened a lot of eyes.
2 TDs, but just 70 yards on 22 carries.
You can’t always buy into the “he played against inferior competition”
That’s the difference between a good GM & a Great one, somebody who can see thru that type of camouflage.
Hell if every GM thought that way Walter Payton from Lil’ Ole Jackson State would have never been in the NFL so that argument is weak.
You just got ask yourself…”Can the Kid play?” I think Turbin can.
I agree, Cohn also stated that a 4.58 for a LB is slow.
It’s not fast for MLB who’s projected as a top-25 pick.
For reference, Navarro Bowman’s best 40 time was 4.59. Patrick Willis’ was 4.51
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=64621&draftyear=2010&genpos=
@nickrow
All the more reason why I wrote my post a few days ago about the 40 time now meaning a whole lot.
If Grant thinks 4.58 is slow and NB was slower and PW is just .07 faster, there is something very wrong with that criteria which so many here and in the media put stock into.
What I meant was 4.58 is not fast for a MLB who’s considered a top-25 pick. I was talking about Kuechly specifically.
He was considered a top 20 pick before the combine, and he performed much better then expected. I think he is a top 20 pick.
Willis also clocked a 4.37 at his Pro Day.
You’re fighting a losing battle on this one Grant. A 4.58 is impressive for a guy his size and puts him in the same neighborhood as Willis speed wise. You aren’t going to find many MLB’s faster than 4.5 and if you do, they will probably be too small to hold up to the rigors of the position.
You’ve watched Kuechly play and you’re willing to declare he’s “in the same neighborhood as Willis speed wise”?
LK is a very good player, but to draft top 20 isn’t worth the value but some team will probably take him in that early spot. He’ll be a consistent player, but then start looking who was drafted after him and compare and contrast at the end of year #2 in the NFL.
Grant,
I’m going by their timed 40′s actually. Kuechly is a tackling machine. His speed does not show up as a hinderance on film at all.
He was a tackling machine in the ACC. Most middle linebackers drafted in the top-25 don’t warrant that high of a draft grade in hindsight. Kuechly is not Patrick Willis, who was a tackling machine in the SEC and ran a 4.37 at his Pro Day.
If the Seahawks drafted Kuechly @ 12 over Quinton Coples or David DeCastro or Melvin Ingram that would be a mistake in my opinion.
Gore may become overworked with the loss Snyder, although a tackle he was a solid stand up blocker who could stun a defensive player at the point of attack. Unless we can install someone who could be comparable or better then Snyder it could be a real chore for Gore or Hunter to run between the tackles.
Dixon should be the battering ram because of his size, but he has a scatback mindset which may spell the end for hin in TC. Rocky was not a big contributor with the raiders, so he may become camp fodder.
I believe we draft a RB in 2-3 rd. I agree with Hofe that Polk would be a good fit and may be available in the 2-3 rd.
Wow AES. You have some great facts there. You must be a big Alex Smith fan.
JJacobs says:
March 26, 2012 at 7:34 pm
“Wow AES. You have some great facts there. You must be a big Alex Smith fan.”
Don’t really know where you found anything I posted related to Alex Smith? If I wrote AS I was refering to Adam Snyder.
But since i’m normally a good guy, I’ll humor you and say that I am an Alex Smith fan, but then again, i’m a fan of all 49ers players.
Agreed, this is why I actually would love to pick up someone like Turbin. Dixon reminds me so much of Kevan Barlow it makes me sick, a big,fast tallented running back who pretends he is MC Hammer in the backfield and falls down repeatedly with shoe string tackles. We absolutely need a Goalline back as he provides no push forward.
definitely a dancer just like Barlow.
I don’t understand why everyone keeps repeating that Dixon is a ‘dancer’ in the backfield. Yes, he was that early on, but has worked on it. To me he seemed much more decisive in hitting the hole last year. He just needs to get more reps in TC.
If we do draft a RB in the 2nd/3rd round, I really like Lamar Miller (if he’s still on the board). He’s versatile all-around RB, can run, catch, and block. This makes him a good fit for the West Coast Offense. He has a 2nd gear and is always a home run threat.
Knock on Turbin is durability. But, I like this kid. He’s a local kid (Fremont) and has gone through much adversity. SFGate has an interesting article on him a few weeks ago.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/09/SPKC1NI3BS.DTL&type=printable
Another knock, this one from the National Football Post: “Isn’t the most decisive of runners when asked to find a hole quickly at the line of scrimmage. Will slow his feet trying to decipher information and leave some yards on the field.” http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/college_player_scouting_report.html&player=33808
The scout goes on to compare Turbin to Shonn Greene, and he says Turbin would be good in a zone blocking scheme.
NickRow says, “I don’t understand why everyone keeps repeating that Dixon is a ‘dancer’ in the backfield.”
Nick, This was his problem early on, but you are right, he showed improvement with this last season, and as the year went on his carries picked up a bit. He brings a lot to the table as a whole for the team with his play on special teams, etc. and most early round picks won’t be used in this way.
I think the 49ers will either draft a RB late, Rounds 5-7 or go after an undrafted rookie. Two years ago they had Blount agree to come in after the draft, but he was talked out of it because it was known that he would have little opportunity to get playing time so he went to Tennessee.
@Jack
In the later rounds (5-7), the following RBs could be available: Davin Meggett, Brandon Bolden, Vick Ballard, and Dan Herron. Of these, Herron seems to be the better back. However, his stock may be affected by his suspension due to ‘jersey gate’ at Ohio State.
Nick, If they look to take a RB in rounds 5-7 they should look at Terrence Ganaway from Baylor. Good size at 6′, 239lbs and does a good job of keeping shoulders square, cutting off blocks and exploding through the hole.
Finished his senior year with over 1500 yds, and 21 TD.
If they are looking for a guy in the later rounds (or FA), Jewel Hampton could be a reasonable option. He’s had some bad luck with injury (torn ACL’s in both knees – remind you of anyone…? He’s even built similar…) but when healthy he’s been productive
That’s a good one Scooter…
@Jack
Terrence Ganaway – from what I’ve read – is slow. Converting him to FB may be a good option, but we don’t need a FB at this time. At RB in the later rounds, there are better options, in my opinion.
@Nick, the entire discussion just became a moot point with the signing of Brandon Jacobs.
*him*
Grant do you think hunter won’t develop into an every down back? I think he took some good steps last year. When frank was relieved by hunter, he stepped in and made plays. He wasn’t an every down back by virtue that frank was meaning he wasn’t given the playing time. I don’t see any reason why we just won’t go with a RBBC approach. Heck you can even run a wish bone, which i wouldnt put past the ‘baugh coach. with a Moss and VD on the outside, you can line up in a wish bone to really mind F the defense. That kind of outside speed if Moss can still run would be interesting. But other then a gimmicky formation, I can see hunter stepping up. And for drafting a RB this year, I think the FO goes BPA. You don’t need to draft a AP or CJ2K or Forte type, you can get by w a good RBBC like panthers/giants. Sure ‘baugh wants to pound the rock but you dont need to do it with just 1 rb, u can do it w 2-3. My thoughts. BTW i love your column. Might be my first post on your blog.
Thanks for writing. Hope to read more from you soon.
I don’t think Hunter is an everydown back. I love him too. He’s explosive, and we should use him more….but he’s too small to get 20-25 carries a game.
There were only two RB’s last year with over 300 carries, and one of those was 301. How many RB’s do think rush 20-25 times/game these days?
I think Hunter can be an every down back, however I think that will develop over the next two years. Hunter would be a typical Baalke RB, but that just means we move to use our backs more like a true WC RB. Also, we seemed to have some success running outside last year (more than recent years) partly because of our formations and personnel packages, but mostly because our Oline can run.
@Ninersushi, Its gonna be hard for hunter tobe an every down back. His body is to small, and won’t be able to endure all the pain from the brutal hits from DE and LB, he won’t last to long.
What about Maurice Jones-Drew? Chris Johnson? Michael Westbrook? There’s precedent.
Unless he becomes another Wendell Tyler ! hehehe
O ” Boy ” …!!
@Grant
Nice post, ma boy…
What about gadget speed guys like Lamichael James, Chris Rainey, or Jeff Demps? I know James is probably early round and Demps is on the Olympic track team (timed 4.19 40), but Rainey could be a steal.
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Presumably they want a big back, but maybe not. Is Gore’s salary guaranteed this year?
James has a penchent for fumbling, the experts say that he doesnt have the arm strenght to hold on to the ball in the NFL. I dont know if that is a correctable problem or not. I like James myself but…………
If you didn’t know, Jeff Demps is only persuing Track and Field now. He gave up his dream of playing in the NFL to run track.
He’ll be back for the 2013 season, but the point was more about that TYPE of back…
I’m not sure how much the coaching staff likes Dixon… remember when they bought in competition last September just to light a fire under him?
After Richardson Martin is the next best back and he will not last until we pick in round 2. It would not surprise me if we went with Grants’ prediction but I think we will draft a RB late if for no other reason than we do have a luxury pick because we only have a few holes to fill.
Some think Martin is the 2nd rated RB in the draft. That’s fair, but the gap between 2nd, 3rd, and 4th RB is marginal. One of these RB’s – Lamar Miller, David Wilson, Martin – will be availabe in the 2nd round.
Of these RBs, I really like Lamar Miller. He’s versatile all-around RB, can run, catch, and block. This makes him a good fit for the West Coast Offense. He has a 2nd gear and is always a threat to take it to the house.
Miller would be a good replacement for Gore – replacing one ‘Cane with another.
Grant, you make a very good case for your argument. The wild card is Gore.
If he stays upright- no draft pick required, BUT, if he goes down, then what, no Super Bowl for Justin?
I’m leaning toward Baalke taking a mid-round chance on a thumper as insurance. Besides the usual criteria, fumbling history will be the deal breaker.
Given the emphasis the 49ers put on pass protection for a RB (which most rookie RBs struggle with), I think it makes perfect sense to be drafting a RB this year with an eye for him to take a few snaps this year while he picks up the pass protection schemes and take over a more full time roll next year or the year after.
Also, given Harbaugh’s run-first offense, having 3 good RBs on the roster is a smart move.
@GC What are your thoughts about Ganaway from Baylor. He is 245LBS and ran under a 4.5 at the pro day he has to be an option especially in the 2-4 RDS.
Grant, this is not meant to be a dig but what is your football background? Did you play, coach, train athletes? Just wondering…You have some outlandish declarations and I would like to know how you formulate some of these concepts…First thing, for you to say a 4.58 is not fast for a MLB, that almost kills all your credibility right there. Please reference Patrick Willis’s 40 yard time. His 40 time at the combine was a 4.51. Yes he ran a 4.37 at his pro day but pro day times have to be taken with a grain of salt. They favor the athlete. So based on your reasoning Patrick Willis isn’t fast. Navarro Bowman ran a 4.7 at the combine, again,according to your measurements he isn’t fast either. You see what I’m getting at here. I played college football and now train athletes for a living. I have a Masters in Exercise Physiology and Advanced Program Design. Not saying that makes me the final authority on the issue but I think you need to do a little more research. A 4.58 40 is extremely quick for a MLB or any linebacker for that matter. Check to see the number of running backs the run a legit 4.5, you’d be shocked at how low that number is…2nd and last point, if you think the addition of Rock Cartwright is the reason the 9ers will not select a running back in the upcoming draft I think you need to evaluate your ability to further blog about football. Rock Cartwright is no longer a viable running back in the NFL and with Frank Gore’s inability to stay healthy for an entire season, coupled with the fact that this is a very deep draft for running backs, the odds of the 9ers selecting a back at some point look pretty darn good to me..The coaching staff has shown limited confidence in Anthony Dixon and Harbaugh’s philosophy is to breed competition at every position..I don’t think you could be more far off in your logic. This is not an attempt to rip you, this is more of attempt to see where you are coming from with some of these recent postings.
@-Rock
IMO Grant does not need to be an expert to start an interesting discussion about football. He’s a journalist, a communicator, and his task is to put on the table intriguing, provocative issues, so the fan base can contribute with diverse, opposite and even absurd points of view. Some can agree, some cannot, and a few, like you, will post very solid and accurate comments. BTW, I agree with your reasoning and think SF will draft a RB.
It doesn’t matter if the position is a need or not Grant. Most mock drafts have the team taking Coby Fleener with their pick at #30. Currently, TE is not a position that needs shoring up. However, the team would be thinking about who will be beneficial now and/or in the future. If Gore’s eventual successor is there at pick 30(and the BPA), then why not draft a RB? He can be inserted to spell for Gore when needed and spend the rest of his time learning the 49ers offense.
Dixon averaged 3 yards a carry in his second year. He’s not going to make the squad. I say this isthe year to draft a stud rb to split w gore and replace him next year.
Trent Richardson would not be better than gore even if we did get him, but no worries we dont need trent richardson
Grant, you don’t see the Niners drafting a backup feature RB who could spell Gore and step in if he’s (probably will be at some point) injured, but you have no problem drafting (and even trading up for!) a 3rd pass-catching TE in Fleener? A first round RB, which is fine with me if the value is there, would not compete with Dixon or even Hunter. He would take Dixon’s roster spot, but he would share carries with Gore. You could still use Hunter as a COP back, and rotate him as well. The first-stringer (Wilson, Miller?) would take over as the feature back when Gore peters out, probably sometime in 2013.
Grant,
That makes a hell of a lot of sense…but the team did say they would be looking to take a RB in this draft. But then again they said they had no interest in Peyton Manning as well…
I like Kendall Hunter but he’s just a change of pace back. He’s too small to be an every down back in the NFL. You draft an every down running back if he’s of good value to take some of the workload off of Gore and have him fresh for the playoffs. I think one of Miller,Wilson or Martin will be available at the 49ers pick in the second round.
You had to write this just to get a big reaction out of us fanatics. If not, you truly don’t know what you’re talking about.
The 49ers will not go into this season without an every down running back in addition to Frank Gore. Kendall Hunter is not an every down back and Anthony Dixon is a bust at running back.
Don’t you think Grant is just playing Devil’s advocate?
It’s all about the clicks baby! And it’s working.
Here is a draft analysis Of Lamar Miller of Miami from Walters.
Lamar Miller*, RB, Miami
Height: 5-11. Weight: 212.
40 Time: 4.38.
Vertical: 33.
Hand: 9 1/4.
Projected Round (2012): 2.
3/12/12: Miller ran a fast 40 time, as expected, at the Combine. He didn’t perform as well in the receiving drills and some are questioning if he can be a three-down back in the NFL. That is the reason why Miller has fallen behind Wilson and Martin, who project to being every-down backs.
Miller was a dynamic playmaker in 2011. He ran for 1,272 yards and nine touchdowns rushing while averaging 5.46 yards per carry this year. As a receiver, Miller caught 17 passes for 85 yards and a score. He showed the speed to break off long touchdown runs, and is a threat to score with any touch. Miller also has the size and strength to handle a large amount of carries. The redshirt sophomore was one of the most dynamic backs in college football.
In 2010, Miller ran for 646 yards (six yards per carry) with six touchdowns. He looks like a future starting running back in the NFL. Miller has playmaking speed and the size to handle a large amount of carries. He is a little raw and is not as polished as runners with more experience, but the benefit of that is less wear-and-tear compared to other prospects. Miller has a unique and special skill set.
Andrew, the word on LM is that he is an upright runner and doesn’t run well between the tackles which is the 9ers bread and butter RB play. He is coachable so he could be there in round 2/3 if they want to pick an RB as high as the 2nd round.
The great thing about Frank is that he runs so low to the ground. It seems he’s only 3 feet off the ground and always moving forward. When you’re that low these big linemen can’t get a good hit. He’s a true warrior.
I agree Andrew.
Which Combine test reveals that? And if there is one, how come nobody in the media talks about it? Getting past the LOS is a big deal for a RB.
1 way to do that is to do what FG does and go small thru the LOS and explode out after passing the LOS.
I agree. I was looking at the draft guides and I gave it some thought. I just don’t see them drafting a RB having drafted Hunter last year. I think the only offensive positions the 49ers will look at this year is WR, TE (only if Fleener is available), and OL. I do think the 49ers will be looking at Gore’s replacement next year.
Grant only says that they won’t DRAFT someone, but that doesn’t mean they won’t add a rookie RB. Remember, This is the same front office that 2 years ago had agreed to sign Legarrete Blount as an undrafted free agent before the Titans talked him out of it.
Running backs are a dime a dozen these days…
Good point.
Grant, The Cartwright signing is interesting, because he has so much versatility and fills multiple roles. He can back up Miller at fullback (that was the position he was drafted for), be a 4th option at halfback, and is a special teams ace.
He fits their mold of being able to fill multiple needs with a single veteran player.
Grant, this is a very short-sighted viewpoint. First of all, it’s not true that as long as Justin Smith is dominating, we’ll be Super Bowl contenders. He’s been dominating for the team since he’s been here. Yes, he plays a key role on the best defense in the league, but that doesn’t mean they’d be lost without him. Lucky for us Niners fans, he’s very durable and hasn’t shown signs of aging yet.
With that said, the 49ers are a Super Bowl contender with very few holes. They can afford to start looking towards the future with their draft picks, because they don’t really need immediate contribution anywhere. RG is the only spot up for grabs, and it seems like the team is very comfortable with Kilgore stepping in based on their inactivity in free agency at that position, and letting Snyder walk. I think they’ll bring in a FA eventually, but the job is Kilgore’s to lose.
I know you want them to draft Fleener, which I’d have no problem with. I’d also be fine with a WR like Wright or Hill. Fleener is the most likely to contribute next year, and he’d be an upgrade over Delanie, who is a FA after this season. The WR position needs to be strengthened, so taking a guy like Wright, who could step in right away, or Hill who will take some time to develop, would also be a good idea.
When it comes to the RB position, I think you need to start preparing for life after Gore. In my opinion, with the Niners having such few needs, you can afford to spend an early pick on his future replacement. I think you’re idea of waiting until you need one to draft one makes little sense, and is more difficult than you make it seem. What happens if you wait and then the guy you draft to replace Gore gets off to a slow start, like many rookies do? With the Niners emphasis on the run game, that’s a risky proposition. If we could grab a guy like Doug Martin in the 2nd, I’d be all for it. I wouldn’t even be mad if we took him in the 1st…
@Dan
Your reasoning is impeccable.
Habaugh/Baalke have hardened competition at the long-snapper position, brought in a 4th qb (after trying to land Peyton), another cb and allowed Morgan to leave. I think trying to anticipate their next move without the knowledge of how they put a dollar figure on the position and the players they can get for that position is pointless. Kinda like explaining how Tebow would fit into the Niners.
I don’t agree and here’s why. Harbaugh promotes competition at every position. So far that competition has not extended to Frank Gore. I don’t think they’ll draft one in the 1st round, but the 2nd or 3rd could very easily happen if there is a running back available who’s capable of providing a real threat through the air the way Ricky Watters and Roger Craig were.
Grant, I like that you’re giving props to Justin Smith, arguably the most under-appreciated 49er of all time. He’s a dominant player who’s the heart of this defense (with Willis of course), but Smith is even more consistent.
I agree with your assessment that he elevates this 49er team to Superbowl caliber, and we can’t take that for granted. Can we sustain a dominant defense when he fades? Possibly, but windows of opportunity come and go. And the window that one Smith has opened for the 49ers could be shut by the other Smith.
Back in the 80s and 90s, I liked the Smiths. Now I just like Morrissey. Know what I mean?
@Alan
Agree with you about Justin Smith.
The guy does all the non-stat things better than anybody. How many runs did a team break towards his end of the line? How many times did JS make a tackle near the LOS on the other side of the field. The number of times JS makes a QB step to their side a little awkwardly causing an Incomplete pass.
Exactly, his dominance is not usually reflected in the stat line but he is a guy who belongs in the HOF some day and Alex Smith may cost him his rightful place in Canton.
If he doesn’t make it into Canton, blame the Cincinnati Bengals….he toiled in obscurity there. It’s been with the 49ers that he’s gotten national attention.
“PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT i WANT”?
Smiths line fyi.
Dixon is a bum!!! lol j/k but he goes down too easy for a big man, too many shoe lace tackles, remember that run in the NFC championship game that should have gone for 30-40 yards. If they find a big replacement in the later rds, go for it. Cut dixon!!
Lamar Miller is the answer at running back. He’s fast, can cut through holes like Gore and has the speed to make the sweep work as well. Miller is also a good return man too. I don’t know why he is being overlooked. He can do what gore does as well as Hunter and is faster than both. He’s a good weapon.
I feel good about Lamar Miller.
He’ll be gone by the middle of the 2nd if not sooner.
I’m not sure what you mean by overlooked, he’s ranked as the third back overall on almost every ranking I’ve seen.
Rok is probably referring to Miller not being considered worthy of a first round pick when talking about him being overlooked.
Grant I think you’re right! We’ve taken a RB 3yrs in a row and Dixon & Hunter are solid guys. I think there’s enough competition between the 3 guys. It would only make sense to get a running if Baalke was planning in trading the loser of the competition. If not, don’t waste the pick (unless serious talent is available. In all honesty, I expect the last 4-5 rounds to be all talented project guys with the exception of a guard in the late rounds.
So no backs this year. But maybe some defensive linemen
I think Harbaugh and Baalke may surprise us on this one. My view is that each of the 49ers’ running backs is seriously flawed. Gore is in the process of breaking down. Kendall Hunter is a nice running back but is not the type of power/speed guy that we saw Harbaugh embrace at Stanford. His size is not ideal. Anthony Dixon will never be an starting running back, as he doesn’t have break-away speed and is too shifty. I like each of them for what they do bring, but none of them will allow this offense to realize its full potential.
If Turbin was still on the board(not likely) when we picked in the 4th are you telling me Baalke wouldn’t bring him in and see if he cant push out Dixon or even Hunter. I haven’t seen anything that suggests that Baalke wouldn’t bring someone in to compete at that position.
What you’re suggesting is a draft philosophy based strictly on ‘apparent’ need and good teams don’t draft that way.
Maybe Baalke would draft Turbin at the end of the fourth, but like you said, Turbin will be off the board by then.
On thing to take into account about the running back situation is the Harbaugh -Baalke mindset for having competition at every position. This plays hand in hand with having a reliable back-up in case someone goes down or is not productive. If the team drafts a potential starter in the 2nd or 3rd Boobie could be history. I can’t see banking on Frank if you take into account his past injury history and the wear and tear he’s gone through over the years.
It boils down to percentages and longevity in terms of production with running backs. When an NFL running back nears thirty the tank goes empty pretty quick.
The one thing that makes Gore so valuable is he can run, catch and block. That is very hard to find in a back these days. It’s easy to find a guy that can run, but it’s very difficult to find a RB that is proficient in all phases. I agree that his durability is a concern, but he makes a huge difference when he is right. Teams can’t take short cuts like they can with other backs. It’s hard to take him off the field.
Gore was brutal last year catching the ball out of the backfield, he had a lot of dropped passes, oh, but wait, thats on Alex Smith for throwing it too hard, sorry, my bad!
He is very good in all three phases, if you want to cry about something that wasn’t brought up, go ahead. He wasn’t asked to receive last year nearly as much as in previous years. You can look at his stats or you can whine about Alex, which I didn’t even bring up.
I think your statement is true with an amendment. Why the Niners won’t draft a running back in the first three rounds, but I almost guarantee they will take a back probably in the 4-6 rounds. Dixon hasn’t developed like the 49ers think he should. He’s a dancer. If the Niners have a shot at a guy like Turbin in the 4th or 5th round I think they will take him. I don’t think the Niners would spend a 1st or second on a running back because they get a “Frank Gore” type of player in the 3rd.
Marcus Lattimore is damaged goods that probably won’t come close to his previous 2 years with SC. He’s probably still a year or so away from playing every down.
The draft isn’t as much about this year as it is about next year and the year after. Who’s contracts are expiring in 2013 and 2014? Who might retire? Free agency is for plugging holes this year – the draft is about filling future needs.
Running back is a huge future need right now.
I agree. It’s also easy to forget that Gore has had both ACL’s and both shoulders reconstructed. It’s pretty amazing that he continues to play with such toughness and productivity. It just feels like a ticking time bomb, and that is scary for a power running team.
I agree. You can’t look at the draft as a way to fill in spots immediatly, although sometimes that works out to be the case. If the Niners lose Gore to injury they are in big time trouble which is why you need to have his replacement on the roster a year early, not a year too late.
If they look to take a RB in the mid to late rounds they should look at Terrence Ganaway from Baylor. Good size at 6′, 239lbs and does a good job of keeping shoulders square and exploding through the hole.
Finished his senior year with over 1500 yds, and 21 TD.
Are you crazy ? I love gore but the end of the season and playoffs he was not good at all. We need another RB.
If only it were that simple GC.
Fact is they NEED to find Gore’s heir apparent and AD is and should be banta fodder. Great kid and all, but crazy hair do’s and good jokes can only carry a player so far in the NFL. He lacks this thing called PRODUCTION.
Why the 49ers WILL and SHOULD use a top 3 pick on a running back:
The Niners tried to use 3 running backs last year. Dixon wasn’t able to contribute the way they wanted him to so he never stayed on the field long. Dixon is cheap, but not drastically cheaper than a 3rd round pick would get in his first year. We’re talking about a couple hundred thousand dollars at most. That is well worth it for a player who you’re happy to see when he’s on the field. Harbaugh would love to have a stable of running, not just a pair. So adding a third RB makes sense.
Gore is a great player, but if we want him to last an entire season he needs to be spelled throughout the season. Even if he is spelled he most likely won’t play an entire 16 game schedule. Gore has only played 16 games twice in his career. He isn’t getting any younger and we need to have insurance on him if we want to go deep into the playoffs. Getting another good running back now is important to our immediate success.
I like Kendall Hunter a lot, but he is not an every down back. He is fantastic as a change of pace back and can have a very solid career if that is his consistent role. He isn’t big enough to take the beating a runner takes and his pass blocking isn’t good enough on 3rd down. There are exceptions to this, some players can thrive with his stature, but I don’t want to risk our run game on exceptions. Any running back we draft will be picked to be Gore’s successor, not Hunter’s.
Rock Cartwright is a special teamer through and through. I will be surprised if he has more than a dozen carries all season long. His position isn’t running back, it is special teamer.
If you look at the Saints offense you realize why running backs are so important. The Saints were 6th in the league in rushing last year. They drafted Mark Ingram in the 1st round when they already had Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory. Even after they had those three players they signed Darren Sproles. All four runners played a big role in their offensive success. They led the league in passing and they still put a lot of focus on their running game. The Niners are a run-first offense and we finished 8th. If we want to be better at running we should have as many runners as possible.
We need a third running back and we need one this season.
Bingo!
I say we ride Gore for as long as we can. HE still has 1-2 years left as a starter and i say we give him that. We will most likely sprinkle a little more of KH but Gore is still capable of 220-250 carries each of the next two seasons. I say wait until we see a real promising RB in the draft in the next two years and draft then. Wouldn’t make sense to draft one this year. We have the RB postion set
man we shoudve kept BLOUNT…..
We never had Blount. He chose to go to Tennessee instead, was cut by them that same pre-season, and was then picked up by Tampa Bay.
Not really, he’s only doing okay in Tampa. He had one good season and last year he didn’t do as well. But in all fairness I was paying more attention to 49er football than Bucs football lol
Gore wasnt a 1st round pick and teams like the Broncos or Texans have shown that it is possible to find extremely productive runners late in the draft (undrafted FAs even)…
That being said the 49ers seem to be in the rare position to not have to fill any glaring needs with the high picks. With the possible exception of right guard all starting (and many backup) positions seem to be in highly capable hands, and personally I am confident Kilgore will be a capable right guard
eventually…
If the player they covet (Fleener, although we probably dont need another tight end, or that guard from Standford or that receiver from GT) is not there I wouldnt mind trading the pick to a desperate team for their 1st in 2013 (which should be a much higher pick than the 30th)…
Sound logic. This is exactly why Niners DID NOT pick KENDALL HUNTER last year. COMPARTMENTALIZATION.
@brandon.conway
if I remember correctly he agreed to go.with SF but changed his mind.so we had him n let him go
This is probably the most informative comment section I’ve come across.. Thanks everyone..
Grant:
I would be shocked if they didnt draft a rb this year.I dont think they believe in Dixon,I know I dont . I do think that Hunter and Miller could make a nice tandem as the starting rb’s ! I would cut Dixon and give Miller his short yardage carries.
Can’t we just pick up a RB as an undrafted FA or pick one in round 6 or 7, because a RB drafted early here is not going to contribute much besides don’t RB’s come a dime a dozen. Other options, trade for Stewart from Carolina, or look to sign Forte next year as a FA if the Bears don’t pay him.
Gore could show up at training camp done. That would leave them with Cartwright and Hunter (I think Cartwright spells the end for Dixon). I think they are going to want to avoid that possibility. If Gore is fine, great, he can mentor the rookie on blitz pickup. If Gore struggles to stay healthy and in the game, they have an alternative (hopefully).
Frank Gore has been susceptible to ankle injury every other game, no doubt the 9ers go after a running back this off season (draft likely). Kendall Hunter is a keeper as a spark plug and continual backup. Rock Cartwright’s contribution is on special teams. Dixon may not make the cut. You will need a quality back with so much inconsistency at the position now,even if you are intent on drafting another next off season.
Grant, you have been on an impressive streak of making educated guesses at what will occur in Niner land, only to be proven wrong when the circumstances play out. Now, when you make a prediction I assume the opposite. Thus, Baalke will tab a running back with out first pick in the draft. Martin of Boise State, welcome to the 49ers!
in this case, i really hate to disagree Grant, but have to.
the reason i hate to disagree is because i just love Frank Gore. I want to put the guy in my will. The guy has shown up year after year, when we had little chance of getting to the playoffs, and carried both the ball and the burden of offensive production, with tough and inspiring runs right up the gut. I dont want to get all Harbaugh on everyone, but he’s been a man among men. He’s talked softly, worked hard, and produced big.
but, he’s pretty old by NFL RB standards, has shown signs of wearing down a bit over the last couple of years, and has recently had some fairly serious injuries (esp. hip, also shoulder). I think Frank can still produce for us, but at this point in his career you have to be concerned that the probability of a injury which significantly curtails his contribution has gone up considerably. If Frank goes down early in the season, we’d have Hunter – good, but not the every down pounder that Frank has been – and Dixon, a guy who i’d bet will be off the roster soon (nice talent, terrible instincts).
Frank has gone into my personal Niner Hall of Fame. But because this team is essentially loaded to compete for the SB, we cant take the risk that an injury takes down a top player late in his career (whereas Justin Smith, also getting up there in years by NFL standards, is playing at/near his peak).
my view: draft a RB in the first 3 rounds, cut Dixon.
In my dreams (ie and subject to cap considerations), i’d sign Wallace, sign/draft a guard, and draft a RB.
“In my dreams (ie and subject to cap considerations), i’d sign Wallace… ”
In my dreams, I’d sign Wallace. After getting LF over here as well. Imagine the two of them along with VD (and, why not…Fleener). SOMEBODY would have to get open among those 4 on every play.
Hey. If you’re going to dream, dream big fesnyc.
I did. but PM signed with Denver ;-)
grant i do’nt often agree with your posts but lately either you or i have been getting smarter because we’ve been agreeing alot more. from both of us wanting fleener in the first rd. to your latest post on why the 9ers wo’nt pick a RB. before reading this post i believed they would choose a RB in the middle rd’s but after reading your post i agree with you. they have needs that need to be filled this yr. [WR G C] they can wait till next yr for a RB
I dont think we are going to be drafting a RB in the first two rounds. 3rd and lower, is anyones guess. I think our current 3rb “rotation” will work out fine. The fact is, we are not a power running team. We are a team that is going to run the ball a certain number of times, doesnt matter if we avg 1 yd per carry, we are gonna run it, and make the defense play for it. For the niners, its not so much about gathering yardage, its about keeping the defense out of exotic blitzing/coverage pkgs. In my mind, i think of it as a “balanced attack” When you think about where we were weakest, you think third-down. When youre facing 3rd-and-medium to-long, you have to have guys who can make a “football play” …getting the extra YAC, beat their guy when that play is a difference maker.
So Grant, I agree with you. No RB in the first two days of the draft, probably. If Fleener is still on the board after 20ish, i see us making a move for him. If we do see a RB taken, it will be because he gives us some very solid playmaking skills, as well as passblocking (as our RBs do on 3rd down.)
I’m in agreement with most of what Grant posted and his reasoning. I think the only way they choose a RB is if someone falls well below how Baalke & Co. have them rated, like if a guy they think is 2nd/3rd Rd falls into the late 4th.
Just like last year, I note with dismay those here who feel like Frank is washed up. Fate can dish out an injury at any time, so who really knows, but I think FG has two more years. When Brady was asked on Twitter where he would’ve chosen in Peyton’s position he said (close to actual quote): ‘SF Gore + Defense’. I guess he still thinks Gore has game.
If FG goes out for any real length of time (4+ games) then where does that leave the Niners RB position as it stands now?
KH (a RB some think is not an everyday back, but I do).
Miller (a converted LB to FB going into his second year whose primary duties last year were to block, not run the ball).
Anthony Dixon (a ST standout who has not shown much as a RB in the regular or post season).
Hardly the recipe for a well balanced attack here Grant. JH wants to run the football, he’ll have a hard time with only these 3.
I seriously doubt that the Niners go into the season with the number of RB’s they have now and who they have. The only semi proven RB is Kendall Hunter. If he goes down as well, we are completely screwed. Maybe we don’t draft a kid, but we definitely need to add some more bodies over at RB one way or another.
I agree DS, Dixon just hasnt produced like he should. FG seems to always get hurt and his explosivness is gone. Maybe we should take a page from the Saints and go with running back by committe. In the draft getting a good running back early wont happen. So I am thinking that somewhere in the 4th round or so we will probably pick one up. The problem then is what quality are we going to get. Getting a running back is going to be a real challenge. We do need to get serious about this tho. One answer to the Niners running back woes would be a better passing attack which prevents 8 or 9 in the box.
@undercenter
“One answer to the Niners running back woes would be a better passing attack which prevents 8 or 9 in the box.”
Hence my obsession with getting Wallace or LF like WR. If my nightmare scenario of losing both FG and KH happened and we don’t get somebody somewhere (does not have to be drafted, but drafted guarantees we get one) then the defense can just tee off on our amazing passing attack.
AS would be our best runner then. Which is a good thing because the opposition would be blitzing him like mad.
No, if a great player is available, you take him. Its the same reason the Colts dropped Manning to draft Luck.
@Rudy
I think if PM was getting paid the vet minimum, the Colts would have kept him.
Or if PM agreed to restructure his contract to basically get the vet minimum or as close to it as possible (may not be legal, I don’t know how NFL contracts are written), I think you keep both.
Money had a lot to do with it. Don’t kid yourself.
I will be shocked, shocked I tell you, if the Niners don’t draft a RB.
I doubt it will be with the first couple picks, though.
why press democrat has lost all its credibilty in a matter of a few months…..articles like these. stop speculating any possible option….the niners could trade half the roster for carson palmer, but u dont see anyone publishing articles about that. reality
It’s the offseason. What other 49er articles do you expect at this time?
I disagree…Gore has been their bellcow for a number of seasons now…and it’s not hard to see the wear ‘n tear on him. You don’t wait ’til he just can’t do it anymore, because you don’t have anyone to plug in to be an every down RB. Dixon just doesn’t seem to get hitting the hole with authority…I had hopes for him, as he looked pretty good early on. But, he seems to have digressed. To use your logic, Grant, would you also advocate the Niners don’t draft a potential replacement for Goodwin? Baalke needs to get help for the interior OL…C, RG. You simply can’t afford to wait ’til Goodwin doesn’t have it anymore…to stay competitive in this league you must have quality depth, so that’s why you DO take a good RB, C and OG (or a player who can do both, like Peter Konz).
Hey Grant your my favourate 49ers related blogger, please remain original in your thinking.
Over the years, it has been proven that the running back position is one which can be filled very successfully without drafting high picks. Look at the history of the Denver Broncos with Terrell Davis as a 6th round pick or with Adrian Foster and LaGarrett Blount currently being successful as FREE AGENT signings out of college (undrafted). Additionally, the Niners need a WR, a DLman; several secondary players at the cornerback position, and even a TE although this year’s draft is weak in depth for that spot.
I disagree that the niners won’t draft a RB. I think they will draft someone to push Dixon. Remember competition is what Coach keeps preaching. Why settle for just an ok running back ( Dixon ) when you can have a good 3rd stringer that can replace Gore?
Dixon killed us in the championship game when we had a chance to pound the Giants into submission; 2nd and short with a huge hole off the right tackle and Dixon goes down from a guy flat on his back throwing out his hand in desperation. 3rd and 1 and Dixon gets stuffed. We punt. Niners stink on short yardage runs and we need someone that can get it done. Counting on Gore is fools gold. We need to draft for a #1 RB, not a #3.
It was worse than that.
Niners were driving for what I felt was the dagger score that drive. Niners punted, made NY punt, then….
Yeah. It really sucks. Who knows, maybe KW makes the TD catch on that dagger drive, and he is celebrated as the hero of the game. Instead of getting death threats, he gets marriage proposals.
Yeah – I didn’t want to fully re-live it. Our backups had a huge impact (negative) in that game: KW and his punt fumbles, Dixon and his inability to break a hand tackle and Tramaine Brock giving up a 3rd and forever Touchdown catch. OK I just re-lived it. Damn it!
@DS94
I finally watched the 49er-Giant final, the Giants were on the ropes. The 49ers did not have to score, the defense would’ve forced a fumble or interception in the next few series. Eli was hammered every time he went back to pass. The Giant wide-outs were looking for 49ers defenders after they caught the ball and were flopping as soon as they caught it.
If Williams walks away from the punt the 49ers win in a blowout. What impressed me the most was the way the defense was getting better as the the game progressed. It looks like Harbaugh is tying up all the loose ends in preparation for another run.
@Andrew
The defense did force a fumble in the next few series. Stupid refs called the play dead though. Chances are very high we win that game if that whistle does not blow.
Can’t agree with you on KW though. That punt had a great roll. Would have been like a 70 yard punt with no return. If the Niners had been shut down there, and the Giants get a short field and score to win the game, then everybody is yelling “Why didn’t we have KW in there!”
Just sucks anyway you look at it.
Watching that game live though I felt that drive where Dixon doesn’t get the 1st down was going to be THE drive. The Niners won games like this all year long. AS not looking great all day, but still manages 2 TD’s and 0 TO’s. Gets the Niners on a late drive (or mid 4th quarter) to put the Niners ahead for good with an insurmountable lead. Defense does it’s thing and we win.
Half dozen say RB don’t contribute first year. Actually RB is a position that can contribute immediately and the life span is @ five years. Teams aren’t spending money on RB in free agency because it’s easy to pick up a 3rd back in the draft or after.
I’ll bet you a chicken dinner, Grant, that they will pick up another RB or maybe two this year. I’ll also bet another dinner that Gore starts less than 13 games this year based on the trend line.
HOW ABOUT THE BETS GRANT?
Grant
Matt Barrows is predicting that Niners will draft a RB, perhaps in the first round! Have you got a bet with him going on this one?
“The 49ers have been interested in running backs both in free agency and in the run up to the draft. It would not be a surprise if the team used its 30th pick on this position considering how critical it is to the team’s offense.”
http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2012/03/the-49ers-post-free-agency-draft-needs.html#storylink=cpy
Aside from a receiver, I tend to think that the Niners will go all BPA in the draft and end up with a potential all-down back as a future replacement for Gore who may be able to contribute in short yardage situations right away. Dixon has demonstrated he is not the answer.
LaMichael James could find 5-10 touches a game right now if he were on the Niners’ roster. No TE in the draft can say that. We saw what Sproles and Graham did for the Saints, why wouldn’t the niners actively seek a similar combination?
The 9ers will be drafting on the bottom of each round. Getting a player like DMartin may require taking him in the 1st round at #30 because when the 2nd round comes at #60, he won’t be there. RTurbin or my favorite RB this draft, CPolk should be there. If they wait until the 3rd round, it is pick #90 and many of the top RBs will be gone. Then the compensatory picks start adding in so the 9ers start drafting even further down the list in each round (see *eight* 4th round compensatory picks). They need one of the three I mention above within their first 2 picks (#30 and #60).
If Fleener and Martin were both available @ 30, who would you draft?
And do you really think Chris Polk would be an upgrade over Anthony Dixon in 2012? I don’t. I don’t think much of Polk.
I didn’t include trade backs in this comment but I did mention yesterday trading the #30 pick for an additional pick in rounds 2 and 3 is a possibility and would allow the team to draft an RB earlier than pick #60.
Grant, yes I would say draft an RB although my heart says CFleener at #30, the strength of the offense is power running. If FG goes down for any length or time, although I think high of both, KH and AD just don’t fill the void. It would put the 9ers in the same position as they had with the WRs late this last year. So yes my long winded answer is take a RB at 30 instead of CF. BTW, CPolk is underrated based on what he can offer an offense so we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.
Before we agree to disagree, what do you think he can offer the Niners offense? He’s never struck me as a powerful, short yardage, between the tackles runner. He’s tall and he runs with a high pad level.
Martin on the other hand would be a big upgrade over Dixon, but he’d play much less than Fleener would in 2012, barring a major injury of course. I think it would be awkward to have the first pick (Martin) start the year as a third stringer.
Dixon has shown next to nothing as a RB and with Cartwright as the ST ace he’s expendable. How much worse can any fresh back be? More upside than downside. I’d go RB in the mid rounds but that is a tough choice. Fleener would be awesome.
CPolk has good speed, blocks well, can catch well out of the backfield, has good size, runs low not upright, runs well between the tackles, fights for extra yards, always looking for productive yards, is a north to south guy, and his *biggest weakness* is that he played on a poor team.
Read National Football Post’s scouting report on Polk: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/college_player_scouting_report.html&player=37315
A few excerpts: “Doesn’t do a great job running behind his pads inside and despite his aggressive, hard running style can be tripped up easily at times.’
“Now, he does run hard and will lower his pad level into contact, churn his legs through the play and create additional yards. However, isn’t the type of physical back many make him out to be because he often exposes too much of his frame and can be wrapped up easily on the inside. Isn’t real shifty at the line and despite doing a nice job reading his run keys, is more of a weaver when picking his way through traffic and not a real sharp/sudden change of direction back. Doesn’t play overly fast, seems to build speed as he goes and might time better than he plays, but in tight areas looks like a 4.55 guy.”
“Impression: Is a big kid with a good feel inside, runs hard and will break some tackles. However, pad level, initial burst and lack of great change of direction skills make me think he’s potential NFL starter only.”
Grant, regarding CPolk, there were good evaluations and reads from CBS sports, NFL draft.com, and bleacher report to name a few. So again, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Fair enough.
@hofer you dont take someone at 30 that you think you can get at 40 you trade back if you really want that player and get additional picks
The 49ers need an eventual replacement for Gore, and they need someone to keep Gore’s reps down right now. So will the 49ers draft a running back? Only if the rookie…
- is expected to be better then Dixon
- is an exceptional blocker, especially picking up blitzes
- has decent size and/or inside power
- can catch out of the backfield
- Is not a high draft pick
- shows competitive instincts in training camp
Is a player has these qualities, the 49ers will nab him.
Hunter was not a typical Baalke pick. Baalke prefers big power runners, but was intrigued with Hunter’s toughness, productivity and low draft cost.
The great Bill Walsh maintained that it is better to replace someone a year early than a year late. RBs eventually hit the wall and Gore is close. Injury is always a possibility for any RB and the Niners don’t really have a solid every down back up. The time is now to find that player.
On a side note Randy Moss will help Gore this year by making the safeties respect the deep pattern and stay out of the box helping Gore to get to the 2nd level and break off some long runs.
i have to assume that the 9er brass are in full knowledge of frank gores health and if he is healthy[or as healthy as you can be at this point in his career] i dont think we will draft a RB. i think hunter is capable of being a full time back if needed and will receive more touches this year even if gore is healthy. cartwright and dixon are capable 3rd string backs along with being special team studs. drafting fleener will fill the need for WR as TE and WR are interchangeable in harbaughs offense especially when the TE can run 4.5 also fleener lined up in the full back/hback position at stanford which provides back up for miller.
next yr we draft a RB in rd 1 or rd 2
Unless we have letdown this year it,who would you predict as a lower first round pick?
The Draft is a living and constantly changing event. With the needs of teams changing every year and based on their draft spots can trade up/down or away their draft choices. So players not expected to be on the broad suddenly are based on those unforeseen elements.. what do you do? Yep you Draft them!
Grant, has JH or the staff said anything about their expectations for Gore going forward? This was the second best season of his 7-year career but, in this system, his receiving numbers are the lowest they’ve ever been.
gores receiving numbers are down because he stays into block approx. 80% of the passing plays this season
True enough. When the team kept referring to the idea that the pre-season sacks had to do with everybody, not just the line, I figured Gore would be asked to block more. Let’s hope we can improve protection and timing to free up Gore’s hands.
This is the first draft in years the 49ers don’t need alot of training camp “bodies.” I don’t expect all 7 picks to make the team.
If Hill, Fleener or a top notch Guard are gone at #30, would it make sense to trade the #30 pick back into the 2nd round, and bundle lower picks to move up into rounds 2-3?
Basically, pack as much draft capital as possible into rounds 2 and 3.
I’m stunned at the lack of acumen the author shows in the above article. Just goes to show that it’s who you know…
I guarantee the Niners draft a RB in the up-coming draft.
At the moment, we have two (2) viable RB’s…Gore and Hunter. That’s it. Anyone thinking Dixon’s viable needs only to look at last year’s tape. Yes, he has value on ST’s, but then that’s what we signed Cartwright for. Much as I’d love to see Fleener join the team, if Doug Martin’s there at #30, I say we jump on him. IMHO he’s the most complete RB in this draft…there’s nothing he doesn’t do well. He has the size and strength to be an every down RB…so what if he doesn’t start his first year…most drafted RB’s don’t. However, when (not if) Gore goes down, wouldn’t a Hunter & Martin duo be every so studly. As pointed out by an earlier poster, Bill Walsh subsribed to the theory it’s better to draft a replacement a year early than a year too late. Harbaugh’s cut from the same cloth…all of which means I’ll be very surprised if they don’t draft a very good RB this year.
I’ll elaborate…
1. Gore is not a 16 game RB anymore; he’ll miss at least a few games.
2. Anthony Dixon has shown too little for anyone to assume his roster spot is assured.
3. Harbaugh/Roman like to run the ball, so will need more than Gore/Hunter in the rotation.
4. Rock Cartwright was not signed to carry the ball; he was signed mainly as a core ST guy, similar to the role Costanzo played last season.
5. How anyone who supposedly knows football, especially one paid to express his opinion on it, can assume that no running back drafted (outside of Richardson) would/could be better than Hunter in his first year is, to say the least, curious. The draft is not an exact science, as evidenced year in, year out, when 1st rounders bomb and mid-rounders boom.
The 49ers brain trust understand all the above, and will draft a RB in the 2012 draft.
@Del Griffiths
Completely agree. Harbaugh’s game is power running. They have a change of pace back in Hunter and now we need someone to spell Frank and take over in the near future.
…or sign one in free agency, perhaps even someone whose name rhymes with Flandon Bacobs…
Some true words of wisdom regarding how the 49ers feel about their RB situation: “Running back: Frank Gore is the starter, but the 49ers can be expected to try to upgrade behind him. Kendall Hunter is a change-of-pace back — not an every-down solution. Anthony Dixon was in the doghouse a year ago because he was inconsistent with his assignments. Veteran Rock Cartwright was signed for his special-teams play. The 49ers are definitely in the market for a 215-plus-pound no-nonsense runner who is reliable in blitz pickup.”
http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/Ranking-the-49ers-draft-wants?blockID=677894&feedID=2800
Bring on Robert Turbin!
I don’t think Turbin could beat out Dixon in training camp.
Turbin averaged 3.2 yards per carry against Auburn in ’11. Dixon averaged 4.6 yards per carry against Auburn in ’09. Dixon averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a 22-year old in the SEC. Turbin averaged 6.1 yards per carry as a 22-year old in the WAC. Dixon is better than Turbin. He’s better than Chris Polk, too. The only running backs in this draft who could beat out Dixon are Richardson, Wilson, Martin and Miller, and Dixon would still probably be a better short yardage back in ’12 than all but Richardson.
Grant, Your assessment on the RB situation is right on. They have no need to draft a RB this year. The good RB’s are essentially plug and play right away.
Dixon is a valuable member of the special teams and showed that he has improved by doing less dancing when given the opportunities last year.
I am sure that they will add a RB at some point this off season, but it won’t be through the draft.
@Grant:
If I viewed things the way you do, I might have written this as a “Why-the-49ers-should-not-draft-a-RB” piece instead of an absolute declaration that the team will not draft a RB. I don’t think we know enough about Baalke to accurately predict what he will and won’t do with any real certainty.
But that aside, I am somewhat flabbergasted by this statement:
The only running backs in this draft who could beat out Dixon are Richardson, Wilson, Martin and Miller, and Dixon would still probably be a better short yardage back in ’12 than all but Richardson.
Wow, that’s either (a) a condemnation of this year’s RB class or (b) a lot of respect for a guy who was drafted in the 6th round in 2010, who was the 10th RB selected that year, who hasn’t done much since being drafted and who saw his carries drop from 79 (5/game) in 2010 to 30 (2/game) in 2011. If it’s the latter, what exactly do you see in Dixon that nobody else seems to see?
It’s certainly a condemnation of this draft class. I don’t think Dixon is anything special, but he had an outstanding senior season in the SEC which counts for something, and he’s only 24 years old.
@Grant:
Thanks for the quick response.
Fesnyc above says it best. Gore is my hero, but he’s shown signs of degradation and as we know, running backs can fall off dramatically and seemingly overnight. I really don’t believe Frank will last an entire season at his current peak level (which is already less than his overall peak). Should he go down, do we really want to count on Hunter, as good as he is, as an “every down back”? And Dixon has already shown he is not the package we had hoped he was when we drafted him. We need an heir aparent.
The other thing to consider is Moran Norris’ future on the team. Bruce Miller will likely be the starter but who will take on the lead blocking role if MN is gone and BM goes down?
Isn’t it really this simple…that the 49ers in the first 3 rounds will take whichever the best player available of these 3 positions falls to them: WR or TE (if Fleener), Guard, RB, in no particular order. If a player at another position presents a great value in the first 3 rounds, they delay the original plan by one round.
Ray Rice’s played against inferior competition at Rutgers as well. Turbin has upside and we have time to develop him. He’s not a 1st round pick, where we need to be thinking about how we upgrade from Chilo – maybe a blocking dummy?
Dixon has upside too, and he is a better running back than Turbin.
Well, I’ll respectfully disagree. He averages 3 yards a carry because he can’t make people miss, and I question his vision. He was good in college, but he could run people over then. Watching him run is like watching Ron Dayne circa 2001. But, I appreciate the posts, and I hope you’re right about his upside.
I respectfully disagree with your respectful disagreement. Dixon did not average 5.4 yards per carry as a senior in the SEC by just running people over. That conference is too talented.
It is was a good conference. In fact, good enough to limit him to a sub 4 avg collectively between the 3 years preceding his Senior year. Scouts clearly didn’t see the same upside you do (predicated on his college career) or he wouldn’t have been taken in the 6th round. And while his 252 yard game vs. Kentucky was a nice stat line, the fact that he averaged 4.3 per carry vs. ranked teams his Senior year tells another story – the story of a lifelong backup.
Baalke saw upside – that’s why he drafted him. Besides the Kentucky games, Dixon rushed for 176 yards against Arkansas and 133 against Ole Miss his senior year. He’s got more talent than all the RBs in this class except the top 4.
Of course he’s a lifelong backup, but so are Robert Turbin and Chris Polk, and Dixon’s better than those guys.
It’s interesting, CBSSports compared him to KBarlow when he came out. Hmm.
Who’s their comparison for Polk?
They didn’t list one, but others said Larry Johnson and Arian Foster.
@Hof
“I am the future”.
Gore barely made it through last season. Now he’s older,the arthritis in the hip has had another year of grinding away. No,if a good or better back is there ,they will take him. They might even trade up now that they have Moss and Manningham.
Your too young and healthy Grant..you dont know football players age in dog years…
Stan, for the Niners to draft a RB who’s better than Anthony Dixon they’d have to draft one in the first round or trade up in the second.
Trade up sounds good.
Grant: Dixon has shown to be a poor RB in the NFL so far,POOR ! If he has the upside you believe he has he has not shown it at any time in the NFL and he had better have the light go on very soon or he is a wasted roster spot imho. I believe that any decent RB with some size that the team might draft in a later round could do at least as well as Dixon has done and at least the new guy would have a chance to be better.
As a matter of fact I believe Miller could do a better job in getting the tough yardage over Dixon.I hope you are right and since he is so young he finally comes into his own,but it doesn’t look good for him to be on the team long term.
According to Matt Maicco, a big running back is a top 5 need. http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/Ranking-the-49ers-draft-wants?blockID=677894&feedID=2800
Huh? By that measure (draft round) Dixon is better than Gore.
Here is an article regarding Frank Gore and the expected fall-off in production due to Age, Position and Carries. http://www.bayareasportsguy.com/being-frank-about-frank-gore-49ers/ As others here have stated, the Niners need to use Frank to run and catch the ball rather than punish his body even more by asking him to stay in to block. Same goes for Vernon Davis – less blocking, more catching. By default then, we need an OL that can block without (or limited) help from our two offensive weapons.
Enter the first round drafting of a Guard that can compete with Kilgore. We have 4 QBs to compete yet only (unproven) Garrett Chisolm to compete with (barely proven) Kilgore. As much as I would love Fleener, we need blockers to give whoever the QB is, more time and passing lanes. The OL has to give the RBs running lanes as well. I’m a grad of The U but recognize that Lamar Miller loves running wide – so does Boobie. I’ll leave it to Baalke to find the low pads runner that can explode off the LOS.
Lastly, I can’t get too down on Dixon for not getting that first down in the NFC championship game. Chase Blackburn made a nice play. We tend to forget the Giants had a defense on the field when we evaluate our guys only two months later.
@Bay
The Niners worked out Cardinals free-agent guard Deuce Lutui. If Lutui can control his weight, he could push Kilgore for the starting job. Last week, they tried to sign Panthers guard Geoff Schwartz, but he signed with the Vikings instead.
The knock on Lamar Miller is durability more so than his running style. He reminds me of a poor man’s Darren McFadden – both for his durability and running style.
http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2012/03/27/49ers-bring-in-cardinal-g-lutui-for-workout/
@OpenMinded
The Niners worked out Cardinals free-agent guard Deuce Lutui. If Lutui controls his weight, he’ll push Kilgore for the starting job. Last week, they also worked out Panthers guard Geoff Schwartz, but he signed with the Vikings for more money.
The knock on Lamar Miller is durability more so than running style. Miller reminds me of a poor man’s Darren McFadden – both in terms of durability and running style.
I believe Gore’s hip injury that ended his season two years ago is still effecting his running. No burst anymore and tapping out way too much. Hip’s never do fully return to normal after injuries (I know) and as much as I love the guy the end is near. To count on him as a full time runner will prevent a SB run for a team that doesn’t have a top five QB.
Good for you to come out so bold with a predicition like this Grant.
.
All of the draft forcasts that I have read (just a few) predit the 49ers WILL draft a RB.
.
The best of luck on this. You are a very good young writer.
.
I am nobody here, but here is my 2 cents: It is possible they will draft 2 running backs, one higher and 1 lower in the last rounds. They are not happy with running game (alot of reasons) and need competition in the next camp. Hey, it’s the draft and teams can get “lucky”.
if we are going to draft a RB “in case gore cant do it anymore” we should’nt use a 1st or 2nd rd pick. get a game changer in the first rd and i believe the only game changer that will be left in the late first rd is fleener
Interesting. Maiocco says about the draft “The 49ers are definitely in the market for a 215-plus-pound no-nonsense runner who is reliable in blitz pickup.”
I seriously doubt that the 49ers or any other team draft with the idea that they will not take a position this year because they’re going to take that position next year.
If the Niners are seeking a “no-nonsense runner who is reliable in blitz pickup”, then that rules out Chris Polk of Washington. Enter Turbin, Miller, Wilson, or Martin.
This rules out Martin too as per scouts he is not a reliable pass blocker which will be needed behind our young line.
Matt Barrows also lists RB as the teams second biggest need. I would disagree slightly but it is still definately a position of need. With our Pass Defense last year I would like to add another CB as it seems that every good QB that went against us threw for 300 plus yards which makes next years schedule a bit scary.
@shoup
Look for the Niners to draft a CB if either Janoris Jenkins or Stephon Gilmore fall to us in the 1st round. It wouldn’t surprise me if TB trades up to grab one of these guys either.
Fleener or Hill round 1/Kelechi Osomele round 2 would be a nice start.
Osemele is a srtetch. One of the keys to being a successful guard in the 49ers system is the ability to trap, and pull, especially on the signature Power O play.
As CBS sports mentions, this is not a strength of his. “Pulling/trapping: Owns short-area quickness to trap, and will negate targets in that role, but is most effective when staying in tight quarters or moving straight-ahead off the snap. Would be limited to hitting first target and could get in running back’s way if asked to pull.”
*stretch*
Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State is my 1st choice in the second I just don’t think he’ll be there unless we trade up for him.
Razor, if they go go Fleener in Round 1, I like Zeitler from Wisconsin in Round 2, but he will most likely be off the board by our pick, unless we trade up. In that case I would wait until Round 3 for a guard, and go with Senio Kelemete from Washington.
He is 6’3″, 309lbs, and although he played left tackle the last 2 years, he was an honorable mention All PAC 10 selection at RG as a Sophomore.
Excuse me for going off topic but the Dodgers were sold to a group headed by Magic Johnson for 2 Billion $$$$. Frank McCourt bought the team in 2004 for 430 million. He and his wife used the team as their personal ATM machine. The team went bankrupt under their ownership. I haven’t read the details of the transaction, but I heard McCourt was pushing to keep the parking concession after the deal was finalized. The wolves are guarding the chicken coop.
When you start getting up to that amount of money, it really becomes “stupid”money. So ridiculous that trying to justify it makes one look stupid. Or greedy. If there is a distinction in this case, it escapes me.
The land the stadium is on is worth big time money, and the team carries almost $600 million in debt. Still, I almost choked when you said $2 billion. For a baseball team? They must have some crazy plans for a “entertainment district” on the land or something. That is a lot of cheddar, but so is $1.2 billion for a stadium in Santa Clara. It’s a good thing football is such a great television sport. I don’t want to pay a premium for Wi-Fi access for my Ipad at games, I just want to enjoy the game with fellow fans……and maybe have a $12 beer or two.
Grant, I like that you keep the argument going and are an active part of your comment section. But I do have a question. Maybe you answered this already, and if so, I apologize. But I think signing Johnson is worth more than a brief mention and a copy of Johnson’s transcript. I think it’s worth some analysis.
I think getting the defense back — mostly intact — and getting players like Ginn back and finding some new receivers to throw into the mix is huge.
I am very excited about the steps being taken now by the very active, imaginative and competitive management and coaching of this team.
I am less excited about all the endless speculation and drama about who will be selected in the draft. The Niners showed us last year we won’t be able to guess who they will pick and the experts will do a lousy job of evaluating the draft anyway until the players start making an impact. How about a little more in depth news about some of these stories coming out of free agency? Exciting times for Niner fans.
Hey Toby, just look back through the posts over the last week or 2. All of the topics you mention have already been discussed.
wow your an idiot. you make such bold, stupid statements, comes across as pure arrogance. how did u get this job? nepotism? thats the only reason i can think of, because it certainly wouldnt be on merit
@alex
Wow, having a rough day?
Grant, where is the blog for adults?
I disagree with the thesis that the 49ers need a third stringer RB, so they won’t waste a high or even a low round draft pick.
I believe the 49ers need a tough, inside RB that can take on ~20-25% of the running plays, with Hunter taking up another 20-25%, so Frank Gore is used for only about 50% of his normal load. That’s the best way they can keep Gore fresh for the post season, and it’s also the best way to extend his career to another 2-3 seasons, by which time, this new guy will like be the starter and Gore the backup, a la Gerome Bettis in his final two years.
I believe the 49ers will try to find a solid RB who is also good at catching the ball and can be taught blocking and blitz recognition.
Grant, you may love Gore. But he’s clearly diminishing to the point where it’s better to conisider him over-the-hill than as a viable starter. At this point keeping him will only diminish his contributions to the team as he holds us back.
Walsh used to say (about getting rid of players): Better a year too soon than a year too late. And that’s the iron-law of football.
We should have replaced him last year. Or at least his contract expire.
I think, if you’re honest in watching Gore, unless the line opens huge holes, he can’t hit them anymore. He can’t make defenders miss very often. He’s gets few yards after initial contact.
Every now and then, the line opens a huge hole and he gets a big rush which pads his average. So credit the line for being good runblockers, and opening up some huge holes that allowed Gore to pad his stats. But you look at all the bad, ineffective runs from last year where his lack of athleticism kept the play from developing, plus his inability to function as a receiver and you can see Gore just doesn’t really cut the mustard anymore. I thought it was fairly clear last year the offense was better with Hunter in at RB than Gore. Just as it was clear in 2010 that the offense was better with Westbrook than Gore.
We need an every-day, pass-catching, solid-running back who can be effective on a starter-quality level. And not a back-up level.
And if we don’t replace Gore, we’re going to have the same third-down issues, if not worse, this year as last year. Gore, simply put, gets stopped for little or no-gain way too often. Enough of those short-runs and your being in constantly poor down-and-distance situations just kills your conversion rate.
Moses,
Respectfully disagree. Gore had a good season last year. He carried us for a big portion of the season. If we had used him more in the Championship game, your post would be completely unnecessary. Instead of running, we relied on Alex. We know how that worked out.
Haters gonna hate
23jordan says:
September 20, 2011 at 8:55 am
Mcosac,
I’ll stop posting here altogether if Alex Smith Is a 49er next year. Write that down and locknot in. He may get benched before the season is over. He will NOT be back here next year.
I wonder what locknot means.
Welcher
Not going anywhere clown. Smith will be gone before I am. Sorry alex lovers. Poor Smihers. Enjoy your last season. BS, you back from vacation already???please try and get sleep before the start of the season!!!
Come on Jordan, be a man and fess up, you lost the bet, why cant you be a good human being and fulfill your end of the bargain.
So… being on the losing end of your absolutist rant, umm… has that at least taught you anything?
Like maybe that you don’t know everything and making statements like that loses you some cred amongst the fellas?
It actually does kinda seem like irrational hatred with you and Smith. Not sure why that should be the case…
Whatever. He’s on the team, you’re just gonna have to suffer through another winning season. Weird to even say that knowing another “fan” suffers with wins.
23 J is yellow and a liar, who comes on a blog making several predictions and betting others only to never be accountable to any of it, I’ll tell you, a Raider fan or a jerk, maybe both!
Think about what you said FDM
(1) 23J
(2) good human being
(3) fulfilling your promise.
I don’t see (2) or (3) coming true whenever (1) is involved.
Isn’t this board about football? Get over it fellas.
Yep, it is about football Jack.
But 23J rarely ever talks football. He always has to hate somebody. Be it blogger, football player, or just plain hating, that is what 23J does.
Hating is not football Jack.
DS, Jordan was talking football in that thread until Mr Balls changed it to an attack on him, and the gang decided to pile on.
The hate goes both ways.
” Instead of running, we relied on Alex. We know how that worked out.”
Jack, unfortunately your filter sees it one way also. Jordo can’t address a comment here without bring up the QB. Just a problem he has.
@jack
This will be the last post from me on this thread.
But you were not here at all last year. During the bye week, a few of us were online conversing and 23J comes from nowhere and starts cussing obscenities at one of those who have posted here on this thread (not me) out of nowhere. It went on for most of the day.
This after 23J said he would never do such a thing, or ban himself (he had done it previously as well). And, 23J has done it since.
Hate. That is 23J.
Even if you go back to try and see the posts, they are deleted now, so it is all messed up. You won’t figure out anything. You just have to trust us who were here before you. Or if you don’t want to get involved, don’t comment at all on the subject.
If I were you, I’d choose the last option and choose to not comment on it at all.
Hofer, so Jordan making that comment about Alex means the next 5 posts have to be nothing about football, just personal attacks.
I don’t agree with him 90% of the time myself, but you Smither guys are a funny group.
@Jack:
Sorry to disagree with you, but Hofer has it right. The welcher had no need to bring up Alex Smith in a thread about Gore other than to do what he always does – hate on a player on his alleged favorite team.
And what you call an attack/pile on, I call the natural consequences of breaking one’s word. jordan brought this on himself.
Claude, Adam, DS, FDM…Grow up. I know Jordan is crazy, and says some pretty stupid stuff himself, but that post was his opinion, and as you all know he is a Smith hater. Why the need to waste space acting just as childish as him is my question?
@Jack:
I think that we will just have to agree to disagree on this one, but I will make one last attempt to explain why you are wrong here.
jordan is a pretty vile character – arrogant, smug, petty, threatening, bullying, vicious, etc. Just look at his history of comments. Anyway, for the better part of a year (maybe even longer for all I know), he annoyed, angered, and attacked lots of commenters with his never-ending irrational rant against the QB of the team we all root for, a team he says he roots for. Even while the team was piling up a 13-3 record, he wouldn’t stop with the petty b/s. Throughout all of the good times last season, jordan was ever present, gleefully pissing on everyone else’s good time. It was an nonstop barrage.
And that vow was part of it. Now that the 49ers have re-signed Smith, it’s time for jordan to honor that vow. But he won’t. He won’t man up and keep his word. And since we can’t make him do it, we can expect more of the same b/s for another year.
In light of that, I have no problem with other commenters reminding him of what a lowlife lying little weasel he is. It’s only fair. He made a vow. He broke it. We simply are reminding him of that fact. And he can stop it at anytime by simply keeping his word. Our reactions are nothing but the natural consequence of his action.
You may see things differently and are of course free to do so. As I said, we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. But please don’t disrespect us by suggesting that we somehow are equally in the wrong.
“Smither guys…”
1) Who you talkinbout, Willis?
2) Not to prolong this ridiculous drama any longer but… you haven’t been here long enough to see what the history looks like (unless of course you’re a double poster still – which makes a certain amount of sense.) Meh… actually I don’t really care, but I love to give Jordy the biz every once in a while. :D
Takes two to Tango as they say and he tangos aplenty. He’s certainly not a victim. ;)
Adam, I am fully aware of the history it doesn’t take long to see that his is often out of line.
Several of those involved complain about personal attacks, yet they all pile on at once like a bunch of school kids, and he never even mentioned any of you.
You clowns just don’t get it. Stop whining Luke biotches! Jack, I talk plenty of football here. I just don’t kiss Alex’s azz. Never have, never will. I hurt them with words. What a bunch of sissies the Smithers. Get used to it girls. It’s nit gonna change and I’m still here!! Bwahahahahaha!!!
@23welcher:
It’s nit gonna change and I’m still here!
But that would make you a lowlife, lying bag of welching cr@p because you said last year:
“I’ll stop posting here altogether if Alex Smith Is a 49er next year. Write that down and locknot in. ”
Well, we did our part. We wrote it down, locknotted in and everything. And when it came time for you to man up and keep your commitment, what did you do? You welched, that’s what you did. You haven’t even apologized for it or anything. No, you just welched.
Not that anyone is surprised. Once a welcher, always a welcher.
…..I don’t get the Justin Smith part in this read!!!!
…”As long as Justin Smith is a dominant player, the Niners will be serious Super Bowl contenders. Smith will be 33 years old this season, so the Niners need to seize their opportunity to win right now.”
@OneNiner
I’ve been thinking about that line this morning. I take Grant’s meaning as Justin is one of the parts in our D that pushes them above good to championship good. He’s a wrecking crew by himself but can only play so much longer at that level, so the Niners should win it soon. That point makes me think that if Fleener, Hill, Gilmore are off the board Trent could take a DL if there’s decent value at #30.
I’m a huge Sopoaga fan, but he’s 30, so that’s also something to consider for the DL, though I doubt we’ll do anything in the 1st round.
Yeah. I get that Brotha.
But Justin Smith has always been really good. And it didn’t mean squat for the Niners in what, 5-6 years now?
@TUNA
Good post…I agree with you 100% (even the players you mentioned)
Niners pick up Brandon Jacobs .
This whole thread is meaningless now that the niners just signed Brandon Jacobs!!!
WE JUST SIGNED BRANDON JACOBS!
Looks like we will in no way draft a RB this year. Brandon Jacobs a Niner. I remember calling this move about a month ago and everyone telling me it was stupid or it was not gonna happen. Dont mean to toot my horn but TOOT TOOT
Everybody -1 Adam707. I didn’t think it to be such a horrible idea.
Seems like AD’s time is coming to an end now.
Yeah, Jacobs is an interesting pickup for sure. :)
Seems like it could be the end of Dixon?
As a relief guy for Gore, I like the move. He hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season in a few years but if he shares some of the load? I like the idea.
Now if we can get some depth at Safety and maybe a DE or DT, get the O-line solidified, we’ll be in good shape. :)
I don’t believe that Jacobs will be here after final cuts. Tc warm body….
Brandon Jacobs signed with the niners!!! Goodbye boobie Dixon. Earth wind and fire here we come!!
Grant was so wrong he was right – we probably won’t draft a RB now!
Jacobs, Gore and Dixon. Earth, Wind and “Fired”.
Nice.
Nothing like a big bruiser to take some if the hits away from Gore. Third and less Than a yard, give it to jacobs. Power running !!! Now we just need Luck, lol
He averaged 3.8 a carry last year, so I don’t love it, but Bradshaw’s productivity also fell, so maybe you can blame the line?
My concern is that Jacobs has a reputation for not running with power. He too often tries to get outside instead of running north-south. He also has not been great at converting on 3rd-and-short runs.
See http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/28/brandon-jacobs-is-headed-to-the-49ers/
That said, Jacobs is a big body, and if Rathman can get him pointed in the right direction, he can bring a missing dimension to the 49ers’ run game.
3.8 ypc is all we need from him…and he’s not a back that we would use to break open big runs like Gore or Hunter. Our short yardage game was poor, signing Jacobs is smart, he will see a re-surge behind our run blocking and be crucial in getting us over our inability to get to the end zone. By comparision Bradshaw was 3.9 and Gore 4.3…this is their OL and the fact that they lean more on Eli’s arm….I like this, this is good…
Dude’s 29. He’s been on a slow decline since 2008 or so. But to share the load with Gore, slightly different type of back, etc? Not a bad pickup for a year if he stays healthy.
Not sure what to make of this move. Jacobs has looked like declining player for sometime now and is not all that good in short yardage situations. Puzzling move in my opinion. I can’t see this keeping them from taking a RB if one they like is on the board at some point in the draft.
I just hope they didn’t break the piggy bank for him either. maybe he saw what we had had here last year and how lucky he was to win and was like,” this is the place to go, at least I won’t have to face that defense in a real game situation.”
All I care about is adding years to Gore, so if this is the reason, then good. I’m all for it!!
I wanted Manning for that reason; to take pressure off of Gore. He does have an F you attitude and cockiness which might actually give our team a tough personality, which I like.
Hi Grant, I have followed your blog from day one, but this is my first time posting. I think you have the most thought-provoking Niner blog out there — I read them all — and I credit you for keeping the back and forth going. I really appreciate your willingness to take firm opinions and put yourself out on a limb. I don’t agree with some of them, but so what. I suspect you do this mostly to keep the flow going, and appreciate your willingness to draw heat. Some of the comments you receive are quite vile, which both surprises and amuses me, since this is only a sports blog and not a form of gladitorial combat. Your blog is fun, and a lot of interesting stuff is presented by you and others who participate, even by people I disagree with.
One thought about the upcoming draft or any draft: I think it is incorrect for anyone to assume that the plugs to the Niners holes can be necessarily found there. Take running back, since we are talking about that. I happen to agree with everyone who says we need another big runner type to rest and eventually replace Gore. Dixon could have been that guy and still might be, but the clock is winding down. Do you remember that when he was drafted some smart people were saying he was the second coming of Shonn Greene? Well, Baalke drafted him correctly in the sixth, because as we now know he turned out to be marginal. My point is that the same might be true of any back in this draft. Baalke and his scouts do their homework and might decide that the best strategy for running back is to sign a lot of free agents and hope one of them is a gem. Or maybe they will trade a late pick for a promising third stringer on a strong running team. One thing we all know about the current San Francisco is that they are smart, aggressive, creative, and resourceful, and they are building the best team they can with an eye to keeping it together over time. How much the 2012 draft can help them remains to be seen.
Good move signing Brandon Jacobs……I think he is the type of RB the Niners thought Dixon would be when they drafted him. This will be excellent competition for AD, and maybe light a fire under him to live up to his potential, use his big body and skill set to his advantage and make an impact in the running game.
As far as drafting a RB this year, I don’t think TB and JH have that as one of the major needs, but, I do think that whent the time comes and a RB is the best player available or the best athlete on the board, they won’t hesitate to pull the trigger and take him.
At the risk of posting what many of you might know:
Barrows: General manager Trent Baalke is on record as saying the trend in the NFL is top have three running backs with complementary skills. With Gore, Jacobs and Kendall Hunter, the team now has a versatile, starting running back, a running back with size who can grind down on defenses and a smaller runner who can break big runs. Jacobs was the “Earth” in the Giants’ Earth, Wind and Fire running back committee that featured Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward. Now the 49ers have a similar arrangement. Jacobs’ addition puts him in competition with third-year runner Anthony Dixon, who also has size but who has vexed coaches with his habit of “dancing” at the line of scrimmage and breaking inside runs to the outside. Dixon, however, also has value on the 49ers’ coverage units the other running backs don’t have. The team also added Rock Cartwright in free agency, although he is seen primarily as a special teams ace.
Josh Alper, PFT: Jacobs gives the Niners backfield another look alongside Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Although he struggled mightily on short third and fourth down tries for the Giants in recent years, Jacobs does have a big body that defenses have a hard time stopping when it is going straight ahead. Jacobs’ biggest problem has been his mistaken belief that he can be effective running parallel to the line of scrimmage before turning upfield. Jacobs’ other big problem has been incessant complaining about his role in the offense once the Giants decided to make Ahmad Bradshaw their lead back. Presumably he gets where he stands in the San Francisco pecking order and that won’t be a problem with his new team. If he avoids those trouble spots, there should be good results for him with the Niners.
Why the 49ers will Not Draft a Running Back…
They just signed Brandon Jacobs to a 1 year deal…
With the Jacobs signing you can cross off another area of need. This leads me to believe that there will be some trades for the draft. DeCastro?
Too costly. Fleener/Konz/Hill. One might be there.
Razor, The team is stacked with starters and backups at every position but guard, receiver and safety. They have no need to use all 7 picks as only 4, maybe 5 will make the team.
I will be surprised if they don’t make a move up in the draft, maybe a few.
I could see them trade up and then trade down. Walking away from the draft with a TE (CF), a RB, a WR, and a DB, wouldn’t be bad.
Hofer, they won’t draft a RB this year.
We’ll see? TBD.
Interesting signing Jacobs. Reinforces the notion that the 49ers are dissatisfied with Dixon.
Shame that Coffee and now Dixon were blown picks. They had great college tape. I had hopes for both. I hear Dixon is in the training facility alot, working hard. He better at this point.
The Jacobs signing (after an unspectacular 2011) could also be a sign the 49ers think this draft class has few quality running backs after round 1.
Dixon is gone. I like the signing of Jacobs, he is very good in the red Zone. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1122668-san-francisco-49ers-reportedly-sign-brandon-jacobs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=san-francisco-49ers
Not necessarily Brodie.
Remember all these players won’t be on the team come Game 1 of the regular season. Some will have to get cut.
Great point, DS. Any indication what Jacob’s terms are? I’m not sure this necessarily spells anything for Dixon. Add to the fact that Jacobs may ostensibly replace a hole in the committee left by Moran Norris. I’m curious what kind of role is envisioned for him. The backfield doesn’t just need runners, it needs lead blockers. Bruce Miller had some key receptions early in the season – at 6’5″, Jacobs is potentially a very versatile FB.
@Ed
I don’t know much of anything about Jacobs. So, I can’t help you there.
Given his age, I’d be willing to bet the contract is like for a year or two with little to no guaranteed money like RM. And perhaps lots of incentives like AS.
Its a nice insurance policy. I’d rather have Michael Bush but as a consolation prize it fits the bill.
Good signing. With gore’ injuries of late Bj will be a great 2nd option. And good for our redzone problems.
MD you can never have enough RB on your team! now we can pound the living **** out of the defenses and keep both Gore and Jacobs as well as Hunter fresh
It definitely looks as though JH and staff are trying to address the RZ issues with the signings of RMo and Bjac. Now the CFlee draft pick in the 1st round looks more imminent. (??)
If they draft Fleener ? holy shi………..who is the defense going to zone in on to stop?
Noooo body. :P
Brandon Jacobs reportedly coming to Niners- yet another sign Baalke/Harbaugh see the world clearly.
So yes, Grant, now the Niners may not need to use a round 1-3 pick on a RB, even tho Jacobs is a short term/short yardage help at best. He serves as at least partial insurance against a Gore injury for 2012
Grant you were right no RB pick for the 9ers. good job
@old coach
No. We can’t say that at all yet. For one thing, the draft has not happened, so nobody can say anything till afterwards. And for another, Grant completely failed to mention bringing in a FA RB. I among many others here stated that is a possibility in addition or in substitute of drafting a RB. Grant’s original post anyway does not discuss it at all. He implied we are set at the RB position.
I didn’t think that at all. Others here were not convinced of that either. And we turned out to be right. Grant’s prediction can’t be proven either way till draft day(s).
I’m more in agreement with Hofer…let’s see what the draft brings. I do believe that we have our 53 RB’s in place, but one for the PS wouldn’t hurt Round #7 or UDFA.
53RB’s?
That is a few. I know JH likes to run the ball, but I don’t think he will go to that extreme oregon.
: – )
Man this is a great news to have Jacobs in our team.
GO NINERS
Grant,
More indicatooin that you might be right about the 49ers not drafting a RB. However you were wrong about Cartwright being Dixon’s competition. Certainly you knew that was absurd to suggest that a RB that has been a career special teamer would somehow compete for a RB spot, right?
Roc, Cartwright will be the swingman in the backfield. He can backup Miller at FB, or be a 4th RB. He was drafted as a FB out of college and started a few games there for the Raiders last year when Reece was hurt.
Cartwright was with the Redskins the last couple of years.
big niner, he was drafted by the Redskins, but played in Oakland last year. Before correcting me get your facts straight.
Some are reporters and some are just fans that have a website to write their opinions.
The signing of Jacobs doesn’t automatically mean that Dixon is gone or that we won’t draft a RB. Does Jacobs play on special teams? I’m not sure. Competition is good, so let’s see how things shake out in TC/pre-season.
cartwright was brought in for that reason, to play FB and special teams.
Some analysts aren’t so high on Jacobs. Here’s a quote from NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal:
“Perhaps Jacobs will have a better attitude with a fresh start on the West Coast. It’s unlikely that he’ll turn back the clock and run like the old Brandon Jacobs, though. That probably won’t happen to a running back who will turn 30 before the start of next season.”
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827ed42c/article/49ers-add-brandon-jacobs-but-does-he-fit?module=HP11_headline_stack
All we need him to do is pick up the short yardage situations, a few catches out of the back field and protect AS. He’s a bruiser period!!!
@BigNiner
He used to be a bruiser
Adding BJac doesn’t change the fact that they need a replacement for FG. I just see it as the replacement drafted this gets 1-2 years to learn the system. If one of the better quality backs is still there at 61 or 92, the 9ers may snag him. There is no guarantee they find that back in the 2013 draft.
Hofer, so you expect them to carry 6 RB’s this year? That would be a lot, and take away roster spots from other positions. I highly doubt they will draft a RB this year.
I’d say someone is on the bubble. Any guess Jack?
I agree unless some real talent falls in their lap…..
Think about it, one on the bubble, KH a change of pace guy, FG’s tank is running low, BJac a *one* year signing, RCart a *one* year signing, and BMill. They will need a back even if it’s in the mid rounds 3-5.
Hofer, Dixon is the man on the bubble. Miller and Cartwright at FB, Gore, Hunter, Jacobs at HB.
Gore had a rough time in the second half of the year, but some of his workload will shift to Hunter and Jacobs this year, and he will be fine.
No reason to draft a RB unless you expect him to play right away. As John Madden used to say, running backs either step right in and perform, or they will never perform. RB is a plug and play position.
Jack, reading the comments above and below, I’m not the only one to disagree with you.
Hofer, Who else is disagreeing with me today? Most of the arguments from yesterday and early this morning are rendered wothless with the Jacobs signing.
They now have 6 HB/FB’s on the roster. They may add one after the draft, but not during.
Jack, this blog is about disagreements and debate. How are you correct until after the draft? We’ll just have to see correct? The bubble guy is most likely gone with the signing of BJac which opens a spot for a young drafted RB.
Hofer says, “Jack, this blog is about disagreements and debate. How are you correct until after the draft? We’ll just have to see correct? The bubble guy is most likely gone with the signing of BJac which opens a spot for a young drafted RB.”
Hofer, I never said I was correct. You told me that others disagree with me and I asked you who has? Looking at my posts I don’t see many other than you.
Jack, you are the only one that tends to think KH is an every down back. But no worries, not a big deal. The 9er brass may shock us all by going defense in the first couple of picks…
Hofer, if they go defense in round 1 what position are you thinking with that statement?
Jack, you read a lot like GC. Hmm.
Thanks Hofer. Care to actually answer the question or did you just want to make a smart remark?
Jack, the smart remark works well here.
Pretty weak Hofer. If you want to make a statement/opinion, at least have something to support it.
Jack, you are very sensitive today. If you re-read my comment that you are alluding to, I say “the 9er brass may shock us all by going defense with the first couple of picks.” Who knows what they will actually do – there is no right or wrong here.
Hofer, I read your comment and simply ask who you think or what position they may target?
I was asking for your opinion but I guess you don’t have one.
Jack, thanks for your explanation.
Dixon is as good as gone, hopefully they can get a pick for him.
Read on Sando’s blog: Jim Harbaugh at the Owner’s Meeting: “like being a carpenter you need a lot of tools. Saw isn’t more important than a hammer”.
there are no guarantees in any draft regarding any positions
next signing leonard davis
Is that a guess or hope? cuz I heard they’re looking at Latui.
With Jacobs signing, maybe they move Dixon to fullback to back up Miller? Just a suggestion. They’re definitely addressing third down and the RZ this off-season. The draft should be interesting…
He’s done!!
Following the Giants win over the Jets, Brandon Jacobs told Rex Ryan “It’s time to shut up, fat boy.”
Very proud of ya Jacob. Welcome to the Niners!
So tired of Anthony Dixon’s goofball antics. A locker room clown to say the least.
Brandon Jacobs is a clear upgrade over Dixon and creates a more diverse running game.
@Crab15
I’ve never heard anything bad about Dixon’s locker room attitude. I think you need a few guys like that in your locker room. It certainly is not a rare quality and he hasn’t done anything worth HAVING to keep him. But, I don’t see what AD has done to deserve that Crab15.
DS – You must not watch the 49er postgame/locker room interviews? Dixon is ALWAYS clowning around in the background.
I’m sure Grant has observed some of his bozo behavior.
I saw all the post game shows Crab15.
I didn’t notice anybody complaining about him or sighing over him or anything. And I thought Grant said he liked Dixon. Maybe that was somebody else. But I am pretty sure that it is not a consensus that AD is ‘bad’ in the locker room.
I thought that Mindi Bach and company liked having the chance to interview the guy. He didn’t complain about anything and also found a way to give different answers from other players without attacking anybody.
And if nobody in the locker room (coaches included) is complaining about AD ‘clowning around’ in the background, I don’t see why anybody here should.
DS – Nobody complained about Dixon, slow down and read my post. The players seem to like him.
I said he acts like a clown in the locker room. If you ever have played organized team sports, did you ever have a “team clown” or jokester? A guy that’s likeable but is rarely serious or businesslike. Same as a “class clown.”
It’s not that complicated DS.
lmfao!! I forgot about that. I already like him!!! Fat boy!!!!! That’s the attitude we’ve missed but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to say that here. JH won’t like it with his ” humble heart” personality.
They just release him if there are issues.
Crab, and the best part of Jacobs saying that to Ryan is he gets the opportunity to say it again this year : )
Hammer – Can’t wait for Jets matchup! Too bad it’s a road game.
Jim Schwartz is coming to S.F. for a visit though!
G-men coming too, maybe Jacobs gets a few extra carries that game. ;-)
What you guys are fogetting that Jacobs of today is NOT the same Jacobs of 2005-2008. He’s no longer the physical, north-south runner he used to be. According to NY media and NY Giants HC coach, Jacobs runs outside the numbers too often. We may have signed damaged goods. Not sure how much of his money is guaranteed.
“Grant is so wrong he is right ”
That is funny !
Go 49ers, I keep being impressed.
Well Grant you bold statement seems to have a lot more credibility now that the FO picked up Brandon Jacobs and to all the know-it-all who tried criticizing you only look more foolish. Anyways i like the bold statements and opinions, keep it up chum.
No more love for Boobie Dixon.
One of the big variables is the supply of quality backs in the 2012 draft. That I can’t comment on. Besides Trent Richardson, any sleepers out there? That small (but tough) guy from Oregon is fast and hits the hole, but we already have Hunter in the small back role.
On the subject or Oregon, the 49ers had LeGarrette Blount as rookie FA for about 48 hours, but let him go. I think the story was we had Coffee and Dixon and Blount didn’t think he would get any reps. He wanted out.
The 49ers never “had” LeGarrette Blount. They invited him, but he picked a team where he thought he had a better chance (no Gore) to start. It seems his current team isn’t too happy with his pass protection work and his performance dropped off a lot in 2011.
Yup. They “had him, but they did not “had” had him, as in actually signed to a contract.
The sfgate archives said:
“the 49ers signed undrafted LeGarrette Blount…” and from Kevin Lynch “The 49ers signed some intriguing rookie free agents… and Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount”
These could have been a misstatements by the reporter(s).
From ESPN: “Blount had initially agreed with the Niners, but changed his mind after talking to Titans coach Jeff Fisher… Since he had not signed a contract, he was free to change his mind.”
ESPN: “… noting the Niners have Frank Gore and Glen Coffee on the roster and took Anthony Dixon of Mississippi State in the draft. “They (49ers) have three kinds of power halfbacks…”
My recollection was he committed to the 49ers in a verbal agreement, but Singletary later let him withdraw with no hard feelings. LeGarrette specifically wanted out because the 49ers were (seemingly) already stacked with power running backs in Gore, Coffee and the newly drafted Dixon.
If for some reason LeGarrette Blount is starting to suck, then I don’t mind he’s on another team.
With Jacobs onboard, Dixon is all but gone.
Advise to aspiring large RB’s: Don’t Dance!
Gore has set the die for 49er RB’s: Run North to South with one cut!
Even KHunt is not a dancer given his size.
B.Jac will be a good short yardage runner for us. And he is a pretty good receiver out of the backfield. Gore stands to benefit now since Jacobs would be the ‘pounder’ in short yardage now. I’m just not crazy about BJ’ upright running style which poses fumble issues.
But a good signing nontheless.
The Jacobs signing doesn’t change that much.
The Niners still only have 1 young real quality NFL RB in Hunter. Miller is a FB, so I’m not counting him as a guy who can run the ball like FG.
AD is unproven. Jacobs is not good on short yardage, which is what we stank in the title game at getting and could have been the reason we lost that game. How are we really any better now?
So, who else do we have guys? Instead of having one old RB, we have two. And the second one can’t do what the first one can’t either.
It’s not a good signing in my opinion. I think you could get a guy like him later in the draft that is younger and cheaper, maybe not as angry but you get the point.
I don’t see it that way. Jacobs was running behind a horrible line that would have and should have been exposed. Manning covered up a lot of their deficiencies. He’ll be a lot fresher with our rotation. Remember how good he was with Bradshaw and…, I forget the third rb in that group. He was fresh and ran with authority. Also, he only signed a 1 year deal which means he’ll go hard to get his last big contract. I think it’s a plus.
At $2 million for the year, this is his last big contract. He will be 31 years old after this year.
@big niner
I am pretty sure the Giants have had more of a real rotation at RB for the past several years than the Niners have had. Up till last year, there was no rotation of RB for the Niners.
Both Jacobs and FG were drafted in 2005. Jacobs has 1,078 rushes (regular season only). Gore has 1,653 rushes. Jacobs thus averaged 154 rushes a year. Gore has averaged 236 rushes a year. 53% more rushes than Jacobs. Plus you add all the blitz pick up hits FG has taken, and the two are not the same at all.
Yet FG is better than Jacobs. Not even close at this stage of their career
BigP, I agree with you I’m not overly excited about this signing either. You have 4 guys (BJac, BM, AD, and BC) that will offer very little production. But if JH thinks he can get a little something out of each of them while drafting a RB in the mid rounds, then all good. They still need to find FG’s replacement sooner rather than later.
*RC* not BC
Hofer,
I totally agree with you. The scary thing is it will be very difficult to find a back that can replace Frank Gore. He can do it all, and that versatility really allows the offense to disguise formations. Most teams have a back that can run, a back that can catch and a back that can block. He can do all three. I do think they should be looking for that guy sooner rather then later. Then again, they probably thought that GC and AD would be that guy.
This reminds me a lot of the 94′ season. We’re loading up for a real run. I just hope AS is ready to carry the load. There will be no excuses this year. NONE!!!
I wonder how this leaves us for the future as far as salary cap health and keeping our own guys. I’m sure the players like Iupati, davis, VD, PW and others will be approaching contract negotiations. Just thinking out loud I guess.
@ds the jacobs signing allows us to use this yrs draft to adress our immediate needs and put off drafting a RB high in the draft untill next yr. look out here comes fleener. you of all people should be rooting for fleener. AS is at his best throwing the ball in the middle of the field and fleener is a stud in the middle of the field
I have a different take on this. This signing gives the Niners flexibility. If the Niners land one of the top 4 RBs in the draft (Richardson [small chance], Martin, Miller, or Wilson), that gives the team a lot of flexibility. They could even consider trading Frank Gore at that point while keeping Jacobs [assuming he beats out Dixon], Hunter, and the newly drafted RB.
Nick, I agree with you although not sure about an FG trade this late in his career after signing a new contract last year. I guess we’ll find out in 30 days.
How does getting Fleener (or not getting him) effect the Niners chances of getting a RB in this draft or not? If Fleener is still there, the Niners would pick him even if they are looking for a RB. I think that is pretty much a given. Of course if you look back at this blog a year ago, we really stank at what we “knew” about the draft.
They can get a RB in round 2-7. Supposedly there is only 1 1st round quality RB anyway, and he is gone in the top 10. So nobody else will draft a RB in round 1. Does that mean nobody will draft a RB in rounds 2-7? No.
And, we only have 1 proven young RB. This signing does nothing to persuade me that this isn’t true.
I also remember some very nice throws to the outside AS made last year. One to Ginn on 4th down, was dropped against Baltimore. Another deep pass to Ginn was more or less on the outside and deep. Ginn just stopped running and lost the ball. Had he kept running at the speed he was going in the direction he was going in, that is a TD.
Then there was Edwards (also in the Baltimore game) near the end of the 1st half. He gave up inside position for whatever reason after he had it the moment AS threw the pass. It was Intercepted. Had Edwards not given up position, he gets a TD.
Then there was the deep pass to Ginn that he caught in Baltimore and ran for a TD. Only to have our favorite Niner G do something stupid.
Those are 3 TD’s that were more or less to the outside of the field that all failed. And not one was due to AS failure to throw deep and outside. Just matters which plays you want to remember when discussing AS throwing deep outside that will guide you to whether he is any good or not.
i didnt say smith could’nt throw the outside routes i just think his strength is the middle routes
@DS
I think one of the top 4 RBs will be available in the 2nd round. The board may look something like this: DeCastro, Jenkins, S. Hill/k. Wright, Fleener. Even if Fleener is available, the Niners may take someone else.
Absolutely they could still address the WR position. Moss is on a one yr contract, and Manningham is on a 2yr contract. If you look at the dollar value of Manningham’s contract vs. Morgan, then we actually downgraded there (though admittedly whenever the Redskins are involved we can probably throw that rule of thumb out the window). Gin is really there for returns and Crabs hasn’t lived up to being a “great value” at the #10 pick. Plus, the WR “breakout” year is year 3, so a little time wouldn’t hurt.
Now, could we still take a chance on a RB, of course, we have 7 picks and Gore is old. But Jacobs provides a stay of execution.
A quality back IS a need. Wasnt the fact nobody could break on for 7-10 yards and made those last four straight three and outs a HUGE (Behind WR and punts) reason that the niners fell short of the SB?
i think we have a quality back in hunter. i think he can be an every down back. i think sometimes people mistake a short back as being a small back and i believe hunter is short not small
Completely agree Old Coach.
good article on the sf gate 9er blog about how many of our starters are locked up long term. i really love the job baalke and parage are doing
Yeah. It is a good one. Also shows how the Niners are set to be winners for a long time.
I like this signing. It is low risk high reward. No trade, no draft picks used, a reported one year deal for less than $2M. Balke did this last year with Rogers, who was great and with Edwards who did not work out. The only downside is the spot Jacob takes on the team if he doesn’t work out. Dixon will likely be cut (unless the competition from Jacobs gets him playing harder) and I don’t think that is a great loss.
Jacobs had 7 rushing TD’s last year and around 10 the year before. If we can get 3-5 more TD’s because of his play that will be very helpful.
I think Balke takes the BPA in the first three rounds. We aren’t that talented to bypass a player based on need over talent.
It feels like the team is in a “Superbowl or bust” mode. It should be an exciting year.
I dunno, maybe its just me but shouldn’t a niners writer/blogger be up on the signings of the team they are covering? Maybe the PD doesn’t pay enough for that and maybe it takes a while to develop relationships with “sources” but the past few weeks it seems that everything here has been retweets of other stories broken by ESPN or Maiocco, etc. The whole free agency coverage, from the dining room table, was just hilarious.
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Again, color me clueless if need be, but if it were me, I’d be pounding the pavement and pressing the flesh. Seems to be the way Maiocco went about it.
Some of you guys can’t read. Grant said that they wouldn’t draft an RB. And now he’s likely right. The 9ers signed one, but they didn’t
but they didn’t draft one… I meant to say.
Oh yeah…cuz they signed Brandon Jacobs. Grant I think you’d be better off analyzing fact rather than speculation. You seem to come out on the wrong end most of the time.
Lol at McLemons
1) Rock Cartwright was brought in as a special teams player, not a RB. I doubt he sees many actual snaps on offense, if at all. He could see duty returning kicks, though, as he did that (and did it fairly well) in Washington.
2) Brandon Jacobs is on a 1 year contract with likely little guaranteed money. Don’t see him changing any plans that the 49ers might have in terms of RB. If they like a RB that falls to them at a pick, I think they will take that RB.
3) They have been scouting several RB, including Polk, David Wilson, etc. It could just be due diligence, but the signals are out there that they are kicking the tires on these players.
4) Kendall Hunter is the #2 RB, but he’s pretty light in the pants, and I think the 49ers wouldn’t mind having a sturdier back to share carries with Hunter. Hunter, himself, was a 4th round selection. If Hunter can be #2 on a depth chart as a 4th rounder, who is to say they wouldn’t take a potential bell-cow in the 2nd?
5) Justin Smith may be 33, but he was still playing at a very high caliber through the playoffs, and he’s not missed a game since his rookie season. Gore, conversely, showed signs of slowing down, has had injury issues in the past, and the expiration date on RB tends to be much younger than it is on lineman. Why not pick up a potential RB who they like this year rather than wait a year? The logic to think ahead is no different for RB vs. DE, imo, and they have some depth at DE on the roster, already, too.
6) Montee Ball and Lattimore are good backs, sure, but how does anyone know if they will be available with the 49ers pick in the 1st round next year? Smart teams don’t avoid moves in a draft year based on possible players that might be available the following year. Sorry, but that’s simply not how it’s done. They might trade out of a spot to add picks in a following year, but that’s not the same as making personnel decisions based on who they think they might get in the future.
7) Michael Dyer is transferring from Auburn and will likely be sitting out a year before playing football again. I doubt, if he plans to follow through with playing one more year in college, that he will be in the draft next year.
1 goo d year left? Why not trade gore to say cleveland who just lost hillis along with some late round picks to move up to theor spot; draft OT kalil and addtss TB next year while we have a full stable now?