Here’s my minicamp review. Keep in mind, it was a non-contact minicamp. No pads, no tackling. It was basically two-hand touch. So I’m focusing on the players involved in the passing game – quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, cornerbacks and safeties.
BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
- Vernon Davis: He got open almost every time in one-on-one drills. He caught a few touchdowns every scrimmage. After he scored I often heard defenders say things like, “Great catch,” or “That man is fast!” Davis is the hardest worker on the offense during practice. He never takes a break. If the No. 1 offense isn’t on the field, he gets TE Coach Reggie Davis to throw passes to him on sideline. Davis used to be the only Niner who did this. Now Crabtree joins him.
- Michael Crabtree: He was one of the best and most competitive Niners in minicamp. He was certainly the best wide receiver. Crabtree won most of his one-on-one matchups. On Thursday he made a strong push for the No. 1 spot on this list, catching a touchdown pass from Alex Smith in a red zone drill. Crabtree seemed extra competitive that day. He wore Vernon Davis’ No. 85 jersey to practice and shadowed the assiduous tight end in warm-ups, literally doing everything Davis did right after Davis did it. At one point Davis looked at me, smiled, pointed to Crabtree asked, “What’s he doing?” Shortly after, Greg Roman jogged over to Crabtree and said, “Hey, Vern! Good to see you. Ready for some blocking drills?”
- Alex Smith: He looked like he had been running Jim Harbaugh’s offense his whole life. Every time he dropped back, he threw the ball quickly, confidently, and for the most part accurately. He didn’t throw many deep passes, but he did start completing some red zone throws into tight windows on Wednesday and Thursday.
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
- Chris Culliver: With Carlos Rogers nursing a calf injury and getting limited practice time, Culliver got most of the reps at left cornerback, and he was near-dominant. Sometimes he’d give the wide receiver too big of a cushion and give up a short completion, but I didn’t see him get beaten for any big gains. The quarterbacks rarely even tested him.
- Tarell Brown: He got tested more than Culliver did, but Brown was just as dominant. He shut down A.J. Jenkins on a deep route and caught a few interceptions on short passes.
- Perrish Cox: He played with the first team defense at nickel cornerback, the corner who covers the slot receiver, the corner with arguably the toughest job, and he played well. He gives the Niners a second corner who can cover the slot if Carlos Rogers misses any time next season.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
- Kyle Williams: He looked bigger and stronger than he did last season, and he made one of the best catches in minicamp – a leaping fingertip grab on a pass way over his head. As far as I could tell, he was the third best wide receiver behind Crabtree and Moss. Williams seemed to catch many more passes than Mario Manningham did.
BIGGEST LETDOWN
- A.J. Jenkins: The Niners first round pick looked like one of the worst wide receivers on the field most of minicamp. He didn’t play with the first- or second-team offense on Tuesday, and he didn’t catch a pass in scrimmages on Wednesday. He had trouble staying on his feet all three days, which was odd considering it was a non-contact minicamp. Overall, undrafted receivers Nathan Palmer and Brian Tyms caught many more passes and made more impressive plays than Jenkins did. There’s no rush for Jenkins to produce, though, because there seem to be at least four good wide receivers above him on the depth chart right now – Crabtree, Moss, Manningham and Williams.
49ers RSS feed
Loading ...
Thanks for the write up Grant. I expect we’ll see a big jump in performance from Smith and Crabtree this year.
I am not surprised to hear that Jenkins is struggling. He is going to be a major work in progress. If this continues through training camp I think they will end up carrying 6 WR’s with Ginn mostly being a return specialist and insurance in case of injury.
I don’t know if Ginn will be on the roster come the start of the season. He isn’t versatile enough.
He is their best return man and gives them a 5th receiver while Jenkins figures things out.
My take is they will both be on the 53, but Jenkins will not be on the 46 early on.
Tedd Ginn will be on the team, it is a 100% slam dunk. All you have to do is watch the last game and if Tedd Ginn was in the game, we would of been playing for the Super Bowl. Ginn is a horrific receiever but top 5 return men in Football.
If Jenkins, James, or even Williams do well in the return game during training camp AND the preseason, then I can see Ginn being let go despite his success last season.
Another key factor is how long Ginn’s current injury sidelines him.
I don’t see that at all. Kyle Williams will never return a kick ever again in a Niner uniform, I don’t care how much he looks better then last year, diving for a punt, getting hit on a knee with a punt, are all things they teach in pee wee football, then ofcourse the fumble. After the first two bad episodes, I would not of even had a return man when the Giants punted, just let the Giants touch or down the ball. Now if the other two guys come through it is a small possibilty but I doubt it. Ginn will be the man.
Didnot know Ginn was hurt, he is on the fragile side.
Never say never Neal. Not many thought we’d be a couple of play away from the Super Bowl last season. I’m hoping Ginn sticks, but I also know the nature of the beast called the NFL.
Ginn will be returning kicks for the 49ers in Green Bay. Would you like to make a friendly wager on that?
Loser proclaims Green Bay rules despite the game’s outcome. I’m game if you are Jack.
Well Jack, as the saying goes, deal or no deal?
Ginn has some guaranteed $, so there’d be some cost to cutting him. I ain’t trying to predict; got no clue.
Lol MidWest! Deal! : )
Midwest always likes to get the last word. Take it to the bank, if Ginn is healthy he will be returning kicks for the Niners.
I could care less if I get the last word or not Neal. Jack made a friendly wager and I set up what the one who guessed wrong would have to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Care to join in Neal?
First I’ll educate you so you have the knowledge that YES Mr. Ginn will be on the roster as the starting Punt Returner. Second I would like a piece of the wager you made with Mr. Hammer.
Deal Razor. However don’t try to educate me when neither of us knows how the TC and preseason portions will unfold. We’re just making guesses and having fun in the process. :-)
500,000 guaranteed tells me all I need to know along with what I predicted would happen due to his absence from the NFC Championship game. The 49ers are paying 1.375 million for one of the best kick/punt returners in football. Where I come from, thats a deal.
That doesn’t guarantee him a spot though, especially if the team can get equal or better production and versatility from an equal or cheaper option.
Ball security. Important to you? The fact is that its the most important factor to me. Tedd Ginn Jr secured the football for his team and never turned it over. 0 Zip nada Could that be considered a lock for KR/PR/WR/RB?
That falls in line with equal or better production and versatility from an equal or cheaper option Razor.
That falls in line with there is not another player on the roster that is one of the best KR/PR in the NFL and probably top 10 all time.
That you know of. And Ginn is not in the top 10. Top 15 yes, but not top 10.
Alex Smith number 22, is loneliest number that I have ever seen.
And that makes sense how Neal?
Besides Jenkins, which other players disappointed?
Kaepernick disappointed until Thursday.
What happened on thursday?
Good read Grant. A little dissapointed with the Jenkins review but that seems to be the consensus of many observers. Really glad to hear that AS is doing well, I know MD will be very happy. Hoping Williams makes the team and its looking good for him right now. Sounds like Crabs is finally establishing himself. With the raving reviews about Moss, Crabs, and add a touch of Manningham and sprinkle some Williams and a whole lot of Davis the receiving group looks like a very talented group.
@under
To me the #1 question for the Niners is how often VD will be kept in to block vs. going out for a pass.
Nobody can really match up with him. He is his own worst enemy (drops/odd times to jump/doesn’t run thru tacklers). When VD solves these problems, we get playoff VD. The only threat we had in the passing game, and was oh so close to still getting us a Super Bowl.
Whether that happens ties into the OL (give AS more than 3 seconds consistently) and WR (more talent) issues. And I think we have the required talent this year. AS is plenty good enough. If our playmakers do their job, he’ll do his and nobody is beating us in Jan/Feb.
@Under…. NO BUENO on the Bears Jersey, lol aaand you forgot Walker. That guy produces when thrown to and is a very important cog for this offense. D-Dub is another good weapon.
yes he is!
Don’t worry about Jenkins, it took Alex Smith 7 years to be some what serviceable. I bet you that it won’t take Jenkins that long to be productive.
Of course not. Jenkins potentially won’t have to learn a new offense each season or play in a run only offense that passes only when they’re down by at least three touchdowns.
@ MidwWest,
You are saying that John York told Mike Nolan that he has to pick AS instead of AR? Makes zero sense.
York allowed Nolan to be hired, ergo it is York’s fault.
@MidWest,
Who would of you hired in 2005?
Hard to say off the top of my head. But there’s a reason why Nolan hasn’t been offered another HC position.
The problem started when York fired Steve Mariucci, he was I believe 22 and 10 the last two seasons with the Niners. The three bozo’s that York hired after that were horrific. Nolan is a good defensive coach and that is where it ends. We know Rev will never get another NFL head coaching job ever, don’t even think he could get anycollege head coaching position Probaly not a arena football head coach either. Maybe POP Warner in his future.
Exactly. As for who could have coach in 2005, Mike McCarthy.
…who could have been coach…
Better.
MidWest,
McCarthy was hired in 2005….as the OC…
Yeah I know. He should have been the HC instead. But then again, we wouldn’t have the zany coach we do now in Harbaugh.
Exactly MidWest. We got very spoiled with almost 20 years of greatness. We needed those lean years and horrible coaches to bring us back to reality.
Truth is, although I need a bag of salt to listen to his press conferences I love having Harbaugh as our HC. He is a real coaches coach if that makes sense. Everything about him is winning. We are really set up well for a good long term run of success.
From what I understand McCarthy wanted AS over AR too.
You’re right Jack. All things happens for a reason. Hopefully that reason is another 49ers dynasty.
Neal, do you feel that Smith was “somewhat serviceable” in 2006?
16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, that was a career year for Alex before this past season, now that is on the grading curve.
In a offense similar to what he played in last season. Smith fits the West Coast offense scheme.
Smith has a hard time taking the snap under the center, unlike two other West coach Hall of fame QB’s. That is why Rodgers was so much more then NFL ready, but blame that on dumb ass Nolan.
No. I blame a cheapskate owner for that. Now that he has backed off somewhat, the team can finally become what it should be. I look for great things from every Niner this year, including Alex Smith.
Neal, I think that Smith had a pretty good year in 2006 considering the circumstances. 22 years old, very raw, not a lot of talent around him, very limited exposure to an NFL offense, etc. When you consider that when healthy, his numbers have improved every year since ’06, don’t you think its pretty ridiculous saying that it took him seven years to be “somewhat serviceable?”
Look, if you don’t like Smith, fine. But when you make such ridiculous statements, it makes you look bad.
I think 29th in the league is a good definition of “somewhat serviceable”.
@ LSX,
Does it make me look as bad as Alex Smith?
Neal, clever response.
Msclemons, I would argue that 9th best in the league and 14 wins is pretty good. See how that works? Yeah, I can cherry pick vague statistics too.
Rex Grossman had 15 wins. That is a fairly useless “stat”. QBR has been so widely discredited that ESPN and Football Outsiders are trying to invent a new version (Alex is bottom third in the new version btw).
I referenced productivity. The most used stat – not an “obscure stat” as you so obtrusively claim. Smith was the 29th most productive QB in the league. That qualifies as “somewhat serviceable”.
Msclemons,
He also led the league in fewest INTs, and was ranked much higher than 29th in yards per attempt, but you’re right, I guess those stats don’t matter.
That’s with a lockout that didn’t allow the offense to learn the new scheme, with Crabtree injured, Davis struggling until the end of the season in learning the new playbook, our WR corps being one of the worst in the league due to inconsistency and injuries, and the sometimes bad play-calling from the sideline.
Considering all of this, it’s not shocking to see that ranking at all.
When Jerry Rice first started w/49ers he dropped passes left and right, and had a difficult time acclimating himself to the NFL. Jenkins will be just fine.
Agreed. Don’t know if you’re new to Grant’s blog or not, but I bid you welcome Wizdom.
Yes, I am new to the blogbut have been a 49er fan for last 20 years. Thanks for the welcome.
I love when people talk about bad play calling , like they can do better, look, they are pro’s and are in those coordinator jobs for a reason. Just because you don’t agree with the play doesn’t mean it is not a good call. What do you want them to do call a play the defense is expecting ? C’mon brah
Jenkins was a slow starter at Illinois as well. He will take a bit of time to get comfortable and develop, but he’s got a lot of the raw tools. Would love to see him hitting the weight room between now and the start of training camp though.
@Scooter
Yeah the Weight Room and The Hill! Thanks for the college insight.
I think Moss & Manningham were the solutions for this year and that AJ is the future. Anything they get this year is icing on the cake, but yeah, he’s got some work to do before he gets on the field. Right now it looks like M&M will both be contributing for a few years and Crabs may be poised to break out.
Jenkins will never even come close to being able to hold JR’s jock. Just because JR struggled doesn’t mean every rookie receiver struggles or will eventually work out of it.
If you keep your early expectations low you won’t be disappointed. I will be surprised if he makes more than 15 catches this season.
I agree. JR is the best ever.
How much Jerry struggled during his first year is extremely overrated. He struggled a little as almost every rookie does but not to the proportion that many suggest. I remember Dwight Clark said very early on after a practice in Rocklin that Jerry was the most talented wideout he had ever seen. Nothing like that is being said about Jenkins.
In fairness Jack, Steve Largent, Don Hutson, Michael Irvin, Chris Carter, Randy Moss, Megatron, Terrel, Chad, none of those guys could hold Jerry’s jock either!! there is a reason he’s called the G.O.A.T! I mean hell even R.C Owens pales in comparison :)
DClark,
That’s my point. Comparing Jenkins’ struggles to those of JR is ridiculous.
As deep as the WR corps is, I’d be surprised if he has a chance to make a catch this season. He’s got a long ways to climb in order to do so.
Do you want to bet $100 bucks MidWest that Jenkins will make at least one catch this year?
I don’t bet with money Neal.
I think that Crabtree, as well as Smith, will have a huge season. I also think that Ginn’s job isn’t too safe.
I think the offense will be in the top ten this year.
We didnot sign Peyton?
A good thing too. I don’t want the team to learn yet another new style of offense.
agree
Oh nevermind, I thought you meant AS learning a new system. No I would rather have PM and a new system
You would rather the team learn yet another offense?! And how would that help CK if he is the future? Two different styles don’t mesh Neal.
Thanks Bill Walsh,
Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baulke had a different point of view
Let us include Harbaugh in this as well. How well do you think Harbaugh and Peyton would mesh? Unlike Montana and Young, Manning wants to run the show his way.
The people who prefer Alex Smith to Peyton Manning are the definition of the term “Smither”.
+1 midwest
PM wants to do what he wants. JH won’t allow that. JH installed this system into a pathetic Stanford team and in a mere few years, they were talked about as #1 team. And in 1 year here he took a joke to the title game and the best team in the NFL.
Why would/should JH change what he is doing? He did in 1 year what took PM half a decade to do. Win a playoff game.
JH is a better HC than PM is a QB.
Our offense is built for a mobile QB Msclemon. Plus Manning is coming off a year where he had three procedures on his neck, our offense won’t have to learn a new offense yet again, and the window is left open for CK and JJ. It also opens up the chance for us to go after Brees next offseason if the Saints continue to stick it to him and our QB(whoever it may be) falters. So yes, I prefer Alex Smith over Peyton Manning.
@msc
“The people who prefer Alex Smith to Peyton Manning are the definition of the term “Smither”.”
Then don’t look at it like that. Look at it like how we know things happened.
JH wanted AS. JH wasn’t stuck with AS at all. AS wasn’t even on contract after last year. No better time than now to dump him if you want.
JH wanted AS over PM for what PM wanted. JH wanted AS before/during/after last season and he does now.
Look at it like that instead of fans wanting AS over PM. Look at it like as it is. JH wanted AS over PM.
Two ways to look at it DS. Either the 49ers did not pursue a massive upgrade at the most important position on the field or else Harbaugh lied.
So which is it? Are the 49ers complete and total morons or is Harbaugh a liar?
I prefer to think Harbaugh is a liar. I’d hate to think the 49ers are total morons.
@msc
I prefer it that neither my HC of my favorite team of any team in the world is not a liar, and that same franchise I hold so dear are not run by morons.
After a decade where you could make a case that perhaps they were morons, I can’t stand up and say that they are morons after the great job the HC did in coaching and TB did in drafting/picking up FA and Jed York did in staying out of the way.
Maybe they know what they are doing, and as fans we got so used to losing and crap, we forgot that sometimes the guys running the show actually know more than we do.
Just my shot in the dark to explain it.
This is pretty black and white DS. Either the 49ers did indeed pursue Manning and Harbaugh is a liar. Or else the 49ers did not pursue a massive upgrade at the most important position on the field, in which case they are complete morons.
Morons or liars, it’s one or the other.
@msc
Black and white?
I didn’t take you for that type of thinker. Your scarf/coat after all looks like it is green. You have more color than that now.
:- )
When you have potentially a younger QB on the same level of routines as him, one that would fit our offensive scheme better, and could be a free agent next season if his current team is stupid enough to let him go, WOULD YOU MSCLEMON?
I think, as I said before, that Jim Harbaugh only threw the 49ers name in the running for Manning to force the NFC West to react. You can’t think 1 dimensional here. By throwing their name in the mix, he made Seattle sign a QB, the rams scramble and show their hand, and Az got blown out of the water as a possible landing spot for PM. He put the pressure on the entire NFC west. It was a brilliant move, he just can’t take credit for it yet.
@ msclemons
The people who prefer Alex Smith to Peyton Manning are the definition of the term “Smither”.
Wrong.
The tru statement should read
People who think that straight up Alex is better than Peyton are the definition of Smithers.
There are plenty of circumstantial reasons that it might be better to go with Alex over Peyton for the 49ers. Enough to make a discussion.
Well said DClark!
wr core is super deep and u add two sick te’s and aj could be on ice this year. he gets in and out of his breaks very well…a poor mans kyle williams imo., i expect kyle to go off this year tho. his quickness is electric ala a certain rb from oregon who will add yet another dimension to the O.
Who knows about AJ? It’s too early to tell. Most rooks at any position need some time. His disadvantage is the quality of the ballers around him; the experienced WRs show him up in comparison, and IMO the quality of the DBs he’s facing in practice is something he’s still trying to adjust to.
I’m neither confident nor disappointed. He’ll have to make his own way, but Baalke has a good record so far in picks, so I’m patient.
(PS I hope I didn’t write something like that about Rashuan Woods back in the day, cuz it turned out he didn’t have an NFL game.)
AJ is gonna’be just fine… he’s been feeling pressure and he’s tense. Come training camp, he’s going to appear a whole different man…fast, confident, and ready to play ball. The expectations he has to conqwuer are his and his alone…JH will cure those…
*conquer* sorry
Jacobs, Ginn, and Haralson could be among the surprising cuts…shows u how deep the roster is. whos ur folks one surpise cut…ill go with Jacobs getn pushed out by Lmj. he’s a ny giant at heart anyways and not a fan of his persona…and wont cost niners much.
There is alsoutely no way Haralson is cut. Why? So we can become even thinner at OLB than we already are? That makes no sense. Haralson provides solid depth to both OLB spots, as well as a good ST player. He’s a lock. I wouldnt call Ginn a lock but we re-signed him for a reason. He’s still one of the better return me in the league. We’ll carry six WRs and Ginn will be one of them. Hopefully having him strictly as a return specialist and rarely seeing the field as a reciever will keep him healthier.
I believe Ginn is the most expendable of the veteran cuts. You have a speedster in LMJ who can return punts. I expect to see Dixon cut as well. You might also see an IR spot held for a veteran with the new rule. That is the only way I see Ginn on the team.
if ginn cant stay healthy…we have no use for him. they havent even put on pads yet and he’s banged up. kendall does kr…and kyle or lmj handles the pr duties. i agree about parys tho…especially if aldon struggles as a starter, which he wont. bottomline…jacobs is gone.
Seriously? Kyle Williams on punt returns? Did you watch the championship game?
If the 49ers put that moron on punt returns again then they are even more stupid than Harbaugh says they are.
Let’s just wait and see. Williams looked great in OTAs. He may improved his return game as well.
You know all of this how Grant … With your expert football knowledge …!!
#StopSquealing
Grant,
I read on NFL.com that Alex’s new found mechanics has helped him get more zip and power to his throws. Any truth to that compared to last season from your observation?
Perhaps a tad more zip, but he hardly ever threw deep. I’ll look closer at the zip in training camp.
From what I read Grant, there was an emphasis placed on situational football in the OTAs. The deep ball is hardly ever involved in those situations unless absolutely needed or in order to catch the opposing defense flat-footed.
Fair enough. Still, Kaepernick took his shots. He mostly missed them on Tuesday and Wednesday, but on Thursday he hit quite a few.
Was he part of the emphasis on situational football or was it more trying to see how he could command an offense in a game?
It seemed to me that all four of the QBs were doing situational stuff by Wednesday and Thursday.
Alex Smith will not overthrow Mr. Moss. Won’t have to worry about that.
The 49ers should invest in Brian and you can take that to the Banks. Reason is he’ll be the most motivated player on the roster, each practice, each game will bring him closer and closer to NFL/speed. In the end, all that matters is you’ll have a very talented player who will die for the team that gave him a shot to play in the NFL.
+1
I’d like to see Banks make the practice squad at least.
Pontbriands’ release frees a roster spot.
That was my thinking as well.
Can Banks still play in the NCAA? He’s got one great college admissions essay. It may not mean a long, bright future in the NFL but who knows?
Having four really good corners is going to help this year. And Brock is not terrible as your 5th guy either. It’s going to be even harder for other teams’ offenses, since our top 4 CBs may all be better than some of their 2nd WRs. We can play both Rogers and Cox in the slot in the dime package and match up very well with 4-WR spread formations. All of which gives Aldon and company more time to eat QBs. Good stuff.
Grant, nice read, I have been enjoying your coverage of OTA’s. A lot of people have been saying Brooks is primed for a breakout – how did he look?
Thank you. Brooks looked good in coverage. He beat Frank Gore once in a one-on-one drill. Gore ran a short route, Brooks shadowed him excellently and batted the pass away.
Brooks is becoming more and more comfortable on the field, and it shows as you watch him. He looks more natural in his movements now.
I agree.
How did Spillman look?
He was late on a couple of assignments because he’s still getting comfortable at free safety, but I thought he played quickly and instinctually most of the time.
Do you think he has the potential to overtake Goldson in the future?
No, I don’t think he has the ball skills for that, but he can be a good backup.
Too bad. I’d like to see Goldson feel the heat that forces him take the deal the Niners are willing to offer. He isn’t worth 8 million a year…yet anyway.
Can’t say that yet Grant.
In 2010, how many Int’s did DG have all year? I think it was 1. Last game of the year against AZ I believe who had thrown in the towel.
What would you have said about DG’s ball hawking skills then? Pretty pathetic if you ask me. And, he didn’t tackle or cover particularly well either.
As you pointed out, Spillman (my secret weapon) is still learning he nuances. When he does, he will be able to showcase his skills instead of having to think about what to do, his body will naturally do it by instinct.
Look at how different DG looked. Last off season, he was available for anybody, and nobody even called him for a tryout if I remember correctly. This year, he gets franchised tagged.
You’re right; it’s early. I won’t say what he can’t do.
Goldson has a Taylor Mays mentality. He just tries to lay receivers out instead of ball hawking. That is why Fitzgerald beat him for a TD last year. With the contact rules of the NFL, I think Goldson loses value.
I think that is where Spillman will show his value after a few growing pains.
@Medic
I don’t know much about Mayes, but I do know that I want my safeties to be sure tacklers and not risk plays when there is no back up behind them if they don’t make the play.
CR said it very nicely in an interview once (paraphrasing going off of memory here):
“It is ok if a DL misses a tackle because the LB’s and secondary are behind them to make up for the miss. It is ok for a LB to miss a tackle because the secondary is behind them. When you play in the secondary, and you miss a tackle, it can easily result in a TD or a huge play. Nobody is behind you. ”
And in many defenses, nobody is behind the safeties. So a miss tackle by them spells certain doom (ie LF in game 2 last year).
Medic: +1.
“Kill shots” make the ESPN highlight reel. Fundamentally sound tackling and good skills playing the ball in the air win games one play at a time.
Let me make this clear: Jenkins caught his one touchdown pass on Thursday in a red zone drill. Kaepernick held on to the ball for 6+ seconds, scrambled and eventually found Jenkins alone in the back of the end zone.
Keeping the play alive is very important ! I hope Kaep can teach that to Alex.
Kaep’s good at keeping the play alive. He puts the defense in a bind when he sprints out of the pocket.
Tim,
A little shot at AS huh? Actually AS has shown the ability to escape the rush and make good things happen. I believe that AS will also use his feet to make positive yardage this season.
AS is coming into this season with confidence and total control of Harbaugh’s playbook. AS will be an All-Pro QB this season!
So Tim, for now, CK would largely benefit from learning from AS…
Grant,
Interesting that CK held onto the ball for 6+ secs before throwing.
In your estimation, did CK look more good than lucky on the play, or the other way around?
Six + secs is a long time to wait for something to open before throwing. Was he being pressured by the defense?
Could CK (IYO) have the poise and athletic ability to make this type of play (without panicing and running scared) in a real game setting?
I see a lot of Randall Cunningham in CK’ style of play. But Cunningham ran with a swagger and confidence that put fear in opposing defenses. D-cords eventually found it more beneficial to contain RC in the pocket and took their chances with RC beating them with the pass.
Thanks Grant
Good point AES
CK won’t get 6 seconds very often. Mobile running around or not when the DL is actually allowed to act like DL.
There was minimal to almost no pressure on Kaepernick on that play, but he extended other plays and completed passes on the run when he had pressure.
I think Kaepernick is the type of quarterback who would play better in games, like Tebow. Kaep looks inaccurate some days, but he’s a playmaker.
Grant
Don’t mean to demean what CK did. I’m sure it looked pretty cool.
But, I’d be a lot more cautious about using the term ‘playmaker’ for a QB. The QB’s main job is to give the ball to the playmakers on the team. How well he does that is how he is judged (at least by me). I always select more mobile over statue guys because they do give the defense more trouble. But I don’t want any sprinters back there either.
A QB who is a play-maker, may make 3 jaw dropping plays a game. But if he isn’t careful, he can make 3 stupid plays a game. And stupid plays are ones where he threw the ball, didn’t throw it away/didn’t tuck it before getting hit. And those 3 can easily result in TO’s. And if a QB is committing 3 TO’s a game, you aren’t winning even half your games.
You’re right – Kaep does have a tendency to throw picks in practice.
So you think Kapping will replace Tebowing in the future?
Most Niner fans will agree that drafting Jenkins at 30 was a reach. He lacks size & strength even though he has awesome speed. With Moss, Manningham, Crabtree & Williams available, why draft another receiver that high? TE Fleener, with his size & speed and a possible go-to guy in third down & red zone situations, would have been my pick. Walker may be gone next year too. The addition of Moss seems to really energize the receiving corps. Crabtree & Williams will surprise next season. Aloha.
I agree. Drafting Jenkins was a case of the 49ers becoming rigid in their thinking, married to a position and player at 30 long before the first pick was made.
Well DS i disagree with you cuz most topnotch QB’s are playmakers look at all those guys with huge passing yards this is what we lacked the last decade after SY and if we want to win a SB we need a playmaking QB.
We’ve also lacked receiving options as well. Both situations will change this season though.
…using your logic brady and manning are not playmakers
@robwco
Most? Brees and AR are.
The Manning brothers most certainly are not.
What they are are master distributors. If you take care of their weapons, what do they got to beat you? Nothing. The last time we played the Colts, we didn’t shut PM down. We shut down his weapons. We had him confused and he had no place to throw the ball. If not for a fluky play, the Colts lose that game at home against us. PM in that game…played horribly. He didn’t do much at all.
Take a look at Vick, and he is a lot like SY was in the first half of his career. They are playmakers. They also aren’t very good QB’s. Vick had one great year in Atlanta, and a nice one a couple years ago. Take a look at the one a few years ago, and as it turns out the Eagles didn’t play many good defenses/teams when he racked up those wins. This past season, he played more good teams/D. And he lost a lot of games. He was the polar opposite of AS. Losing leads in the 4th quarter like nobody else. No way should the Niners have been able to come back and won that Philly game. If Vick weren’t trying to be a playmaker and just be a better distributor of the ball Philly wins that game and a bunch more last year. But what does Vick do? He makes a great play and then makes a stupid play. Stupid plays count a lot more negative than great plays do positive. Like I said, how many teams win games if they give up several TO’s in a game?
SY was the same way. There was a reason why Tampa traded him away. He was trying to be a playmaker and not a distributor of the ball. Had he started immediately after getting here, the Niners would have stank. Between the two (JM vs. SY) there is no question that SY was the better playmaker making things happen out of nothing was common. But SY didn’t distribute the ball worth a damn either. JM is the best ever at doing so. So, at the time, there was no question who the better QB was. It wasn’t until SY learned to do so that he became a HOF QB.
Vick hasn’t learned what SY has. I don’t think he can or will. A QB’s #1 job is to distribute the ball properly. Not to be a playmaker.
“First I’ll teach you how to use this (points to head). Then I’ll teach you how to learn this (picks up sword).”
Most playmaking QB’s have not learned and won’t learn how to use their head. They are stuck at using the sword, and are undisciplined. And when facing somebody who knows what their doing, they lose.
The problem I have with the reasoning that playmakers have huge passing yards is the Alex Smith argument. Huge passing yards means your team is down and out against a prevent defense. Huge passing yards typically means you are losing.
I hope Harbaugh recognise this and that it cant be all on the back of our D and ST.
Why do you think he and TB addressed the offense this offseason, especially the WR corps?
I think we did address it robwco.
Of all the FA’s, how many offensive players did we sign from other teams? How many defensive players? Not one who is projected to be a starter.
And, our first draft pick addressed the offensive side of the ball. That holds meaning.
I think Jenkins will be just fine. These writers are just looking for a story right now. The 49ers have nobody in jail so they have to write something negative.
Alex was rated above Rothlisberger,Rivers,The running qb from Carolina and two more I can’t think of.
You’ve created a firestorm Grant. I’ve found a few articles taking your comments on Jenkins to heart, but a little too much in my opinion. It’s like a rookie shouldn’t be allowed to struggle, which is just plain ridiculous.
I wrote that there was no rush for him to produce.
@Grant
Here is what you wrote:
“BIGGEST LETDOWN
A.J. Jenkins: The Niners first round pick looked like one of the worst wide receivers on the field most of minicamp.”
You started talking about Jenkins like this. So, as a reader, you’ve told me that Jenkins sucks. Everything after this means little. If you start off your opening like this…well….midwest take is the one that is taken to light more. Even though as you point out “There’s no rush for Jenkins to produce…”
By the time I, the reader get to this point, we’ve established that Jenkins sucked and our emotion carries over wiping out anything you wrote after that Title category and first sentence.
DS,
My problem isn’t what Grant wrote but how it’s being received. Check out the link I posted and you’ll see what I mean.
@midwest
I wouldn’t worry about it from any angle really.
This is the kind of stuff that went under the radar before blogs/internet/cell phones. Now, everything is instantaneous and breaking news.
The way I see it, it is 1 guy who is a writer giving his opinon. If it were stuck in a traditional newspaper format, nobody outside of Sonoma County would even know. Now every story is national and news breaking.
My previous post was just trying to show Grant how it is true that he may have written that there is no rush, but just as true (if not more so) that Jenkins/Niners are in a lot of trouble, and how what he wrote can be conceived by the reader.
I know and I apologize if I offended you, but here’s an example of what I mean.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/time-start-worrying-j-jenkins-142730312–nfl.html
I don’t find fault with Grant re: Jenkins, he’s sharing what he sees. OK, his comments (among other blogs and reports) got picked up by other sources. This speaks more about our info sourcing environment than anything. Did those publishers/editors check the facts or have an opinion on Grant’s analytic abilities? No, they just ran with it. That should be a warning to us about stuff in print/on line.
We’ve heard that there are some elements to Jenkins game that he’s already good at, like coming out of the top of his routes for example. He just needs to refine other things and put it all together. Our expectations are high for a #1 Pick; that’s to be expected. Our impatience is unrealistic.
“Our impatience is unrealistic.”
Brotha, I agree with this. We need to be very patient and keep our expectations low with Jenkins. We are fortunate that we have 4-5 WR’s that are better right now and we don’t need him to produce right away. I have some good foundational skills with which to work from and hopefully he will build on those and improve his weaknesses.
I think Baalke and Harbaugh know that, and know that the selection will start to pay off around year 3 or so.
That’s exactly what I’m getting at Tuna. What I took from Grant’s article is that Jenkins isn’t ready yet, but with the depth at WR, there isn’t a reason to worry because he most likely won’t need to contribute much and can work on developing. The Yahoo article took Grants’ words and ran with them in a ridiculous way by calling Jenkins’ struggles unusual and saying that it is, more or less, a reason for immediate concern…without taking into consideration that (with a few exceptions) that the average NFL WR doesn’t really start producing on the field (in the same offense mind you) until their third season in the league. It may be a legit concern, but considering the depth at WR, it’s not an immediate concern.
Jack
“We need to be very patient and keep our expectations low with Jenkins.”
He is a number one draft pick our expectations should be high and it is with me. Grant, Jack, Myself, and some others wanted Fleenor. We didnt get him. A few of you stated the pick was horriable. I didnt go that route. To keep your expectations low is preparing yourself for his failure. I expect all first and second round picks to perform. AS, A Davis, V Davis, Iuptai, CK, and others fit that catagory. I suspect Jenkins will be fine, but the first reports are not suggesting that. Grant has stated his thoughts, thats all well in good and I appreciate his effort for most part, but that doesnt mean they are correct or incorrect.
I don’t mind what Grant said because it appears that he took everything into consideration Under, but that other article doesn’t. And I have never been a fan of all the facts not being considered or just being left out in order to appease someone’s opinion.
Mid
I hear ya, I sure do.
Jack, I agree that expectations on Jenkins for this season should be low – I’ve said that since they drafted him. It is going to be very difficult for him to push into any significant playing time due to the depth we now have at the position. He was selected with the future in mind, not necessarily this season.
Someone earlier made a comparison between Jenkins and Alex Smith. I think there may be some credence to this – from the perspective of Jenkins I think will need to get comfortable in the system before we see the best of him. Until then, be glad we signed Moss and Manningham!
And have Crabtree as well.
Scooter – Good post, this blog might work for you. Stick around, we need some more brains in here.
It’s too soon to worry about the long term viability of Jenkins imo. It takes time for some players to adapt to the speed of the game and coming from Illinois, even moreso for AJ.
The team drafted him for his physical ability and attitude and I think both will help him get there eventually. As it is, he is going to be #4 on the depth chart at best and more likely #5 this season, so I’m not going to stress about him just yet.
The guy who has made things interesting is Williams. From the sounds of it, he has dedicated this offseason to improving and has done so to the point that he may be in the plans for the WR/KR slot.
I’ve read a few people saying he should never return another kick, but I disagree and I think Ginn could be a goner if Williams shows well in preseason. Before the NFC Championship game, KW had never shown a problem with returning kicks, and I’m guessing the team isn’t going to hold one game against his future doing so. He is already a better receiver than Ginn, so if there is a numbers crunch and they only want to go with 5 WR’s, I could see Ginn being the odd one out.
The fact that others are picking up Grant’s post shows that he is good at his craft and others are watching. Almost every other local writer said the exact same thing about Jenkins in their wrap up of OTA’s, but it was Grant’s that was picked up. That’s skills folks.
And now we embark upon the barren wilderness that is the Dead Zone between OTAs and Training Camp. Our subject matter will become stale and repeatedly over-stated bias and preconceptions. There will be attacks on players’ competence even though they haven’t yet put on pads which in turn will lead to bickering and verbal food fights amongst us.
I’d like to be able to tell you that I won’t participate, but I’m enough of a football junkie that I’ll be checking in to confirm my suspicions. Mostly though I think I’ll focus my time on taking my yacht out on the water to enjoy the summer pre-Pre-Season. BTW, my ‘yacht’ fits on the roof of my car. : >)$
“verbal food fights”. Great line! I wish I’d thought of it. And from now on, I did!
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads on the blog
Thank you Jack
Thanks, Jack, and to all the big daddies out there! Now, off to the beach to beat the heat.
Have fun Tuna.
Thanks, MidWest
We beat the heat all right, it was 61 with 20 mph breeze; we got chilly out there! Pretty though.
Is it ok to envy you right now Tuna? lol
Thanks Jack, got the kids coming home for a barbecue. Of course Dad, (thats me) does the barbecueing. I love it. Love my family and my Niners.
Thanks Jack and Happy Fathers Day to all you dads. I am spending the day in the pool. If you haven’t heard from me by tomorrow please send someone to fish me out.
Did you make it?
Thanks Jack. You too.
What’s up Neal!?
Hey Jack,
Not much but I am ready for some football, no more hockey and the Heat and Thunder and the Giants are not cutting it for me.
Ladainian Tomilson is retiring as a Charger. One of the best that played the game.
Regarding WRs, one name we haven’t heard much is Chris Owusu. Because of NFL rules, he could not participate in OTAs until after Stanford’s graduation day. The Commencement ceremony takes place today, so I’m looking forward to see how Owusu does.
He was solid as a kick returner in college and could push for that spot on the team.
+1
The Manning brothers are playmakers no doubt about it
And sure we got improvement overall with some WR’s,OL and a QB so now its time for Smith to show me and the other doubters wrong with winning games on his own and not like last season or the previous.
But still nobody will ever convince me that Smith is in the first or 2nd tier top QB’s cuz he lacks essential stuff.
You pulled a double standard here. You say that it’s time for Smith to prove you and the doubters wrong, but then state that nobody will ever convince you of Smith being a 1st or 2nd tier QB. Make up your mind. It’s one or the other unless you’re running for office somewhere.
great color, Grant!
reading that first para on VD made my chest swell up with pride about the home team, and made me want to go run out and tackle something. awesome to see it rubbing off on Crabs.
Jerry Rice had a rough start to his pro career – lots of criticism about his drops as i recall. Hopefully Jenkins finds his footing.
It’s going to take time with Jenkins. I expect this to be almost a ‘redshirt’ year for him. He’ll get a taste of playing, but unless we have major injuries, not much more.
He really needs a full off-season working with the 49ers’ staff on bulking up his upper body. Next January as soon as we play our last game, he should have a very challenging, rigorous program laid out for him. Put 15 pounds of muscle on him and give him a year to digest the offense so that he is playing and not thinking, and I expect he will be a good player. It’s just too late this Summer to get all that in before camp opens.
I’m not worried about his hands or his legs. He can catch, and he can run. It’s all going to come down to being strong enough to play at the NFL level – getting off the line / beating the jam, learning to use his upper body strength to fend off defenders, and absorbing the hits that the NFL dishes out. And internalizing the offensive scheme so that his play becomes instinctive. These are challenges for every rookie, and I’ve seen nothing yet that calls his long term viability into question. He just needs to work and study like hell this year, and bide his time.
Very true Grumpy. No reason to freak out yet over his struggles.
To me, the really interesting guy to watch this year will be Kyle Williams. He was our most productive WR in the last quarter of last season. Almost all of his catches (no exaggeration) were for 1st downs, and he is supposedly playing stronger and faster now. I’m really hoping he does well. He really had class (and responsibility) after the mess-ups in the Giants game.
As long as he never returns a kick again. I am good.
@Grumpy Guy:
Next February as soon as we play our last game …
There, I fixed it for you.
I didn’t have a schedule in front of me – did not realize the Super Bowl is in early February. So, February 4, 2013, then, Mr. Jenkins needs to set an appointment with pain. :)
You still didn’t get it right claude.
“Next Next February as soon as we win our last game.”
Fits much better in my opinion.
Double standard you say?It is what it is, i think he isnt capable, for our franchise it would be best that he eithers improve(he stays) or either regress(he’s out)2nd option more likely and better cuz if we have 1-2 seasons more of it with only average QB play we will not win a SB, so i hope JH or TB will do some drastically when its necessary.
But why the double standard then? All you did was cancel yourself out. With this post you at least avoided doing it twice in a row.
Grant, how is Owusu looking?
Wow, how times change.
QB’s – Smith looks better than ever, the backups have much promise.
RB’s – Non contact drills don’t help us evaluate, but I’m more than happy with a choice of FG, KH, BJ, and LJ, can you say depth?
WR’s – For the last ten plus years one of the teams biggest weaknesses, now being talked about as a strength! Best story so far is Kyle Williams.
TE’s – They damn good, nuff said.
OL – the least talked about group it seems, but still the biggest question mark, say what you want about AS, it’s the play of these 5 boys that will decide the fate of the team this year.
As for the D, i like whats being said about Perrish Cox and Tarell Brown, but we all know this unit is straight up scary. Can’t evaluate too much until the pads go on.
After 10+ years of horror It’s time for the 49ers dynasty to rule again! bring on Sept 2012!!
I know it’s about two months too late, but my take on the Peyton Manning issue is thus, (this has been said before on this blog) by displaying an interest in PM the 49ers force the Seahawks to pull the trigger on Flynn, and even better, the Cardinals to pull the trigger on Kolb. Now, is Alex better than Peyton? No! not now not ever. So in a straight swap Alex for Peyton, only an idiot says no. But would I swap Peyton for Alex and say Carlos Rogers, Ahmad Brooks and maybe Dashon Goldson? then no, not now, not ever. but to flirt with him and make our divisional rivals potentially weaker as a result, then well played Mr. Harbaugh, well played!
I think the O-line is going to be a HUGE reason as to why the offense is good.
I truly hope so, they have all the parts they need to be dominant!!
Happy Father’s Day!
I agree with Brotha Tuna. Grant was reporting his take on A.J.
A.J. certainly seemed to have his issues at OTA’s but no one should assume that his struggles are a pre-cursor of things to come.
If I recall CK did not look very good early during OTA’s and then came back to light it up toward the end of the week. There’s still a lot of practices left for these players so there should be no need for serious concern.
Also, Harbaugh and Baalke know that the general consensus during the draft among the faithful was heavily leaning toward C.Fleener. I get a strong sense that Harbaugh and Baalke don’t like to be looked on as failures in their decisions, and having A.J. fizzle as a #1 pick is not an option for them.
With the strong emergence of Crabtree, the solid/steady play of K.Williams, a re-amped R.Moss and the sure hands of M.Manningham, A.J. will not need to be immediately pressed.
Grant, I appreciate your reports. Thanks for being our eyes in the OTA’s and the upcoming TC.
Aloha!
Off subject but I would just like to say the Soccer sucks, and the players are Wussys. It will NEVER catch on in America, because we are still Men! The American fan is so sick of flopping and acting like they’re on their death beds, the NBA will put in a “flopping” rule. Good! Man up and play!
Right, firstly it’s called football, you know cos they use their feet to hit the ball, rather than throwing it forwards or handing it off. Secondly it’s not flopping It’s diving. And it’s abhorrent.
apart from that i agree totally, football sucks!!! so you know what…. I don’t watch it! simples.
MD,
You have put yourself on every soccer mom’s hit list (lol)!
But you might be right about soccer never making an impact as a professional sport.
I remember how soccer died out in America back in 70′ after the great Pele retired. This guy was filling up stadiums.
DClark……Its Soccer to me, I would never call it the same name as a great sport, IDC if it had the name first. And its flopping. And only a lame unmanly sport would use such a lame move. Its a garbage sport. And AES……Tell the Momma’s to take a number. lol I watched about 1 min of the Dutch game earlier and saw a player fall in agony like his leg was broken and then got up 2 min later and was running fine. Thats why I dont watch that garbage. So dont worry DClark I follow your advise, and dont watch
Yup seeing professional athletes roll around like they’ve been shot is truly pathetic, so you can comiserate with me when I say that being in England, “soccer” is almost impossible to escape!!
I bet it is DClark. Soccer is like football here. Way out in England Huh? Do they have the ticket out there, or is it the internet for the 9er games?
@MD
The good old internet for the most of it, I can get all the games from NFL.com. Apart from that it’s only cable or satellite that will show a couple of games a week and a highlights show (I refuse to use illegal internet feeds, feels wrong). Still it’s so far ahead of when I first got into the game! back then I got a 20 minute highlight show (on a Friday I think)which came on at about 11pm! The first I knew of the scores was on a Thursday morning from a weekly newspaper called First Down that my paper round paid for
So you can imagine my joy when the 49ers came to England a couple of seasons ago. And how I felt when most people reacted by going off on a “why the hell are they going there” rant! lol, Me that’s why!
Brings my total 49ers games attended count to two. I was lucky enough to win a trip to Super Bowl XXIV off the back of a cereal packet waaaaay back in 1989/90. So only 2 games, which must be hundreds less than you sir, but you don’t love em any more than I do lol. No-one does!!!
And just so this post isn’t entirely off topic,
1) A.J Jenkins will be just fine he’s in the lovely position where he can stay in the background and learn for 1 or 2 years without the pressure of being depended on for big time production.
2) Soccer REALLY sucks!!!!!
Soccer stinks, a total waste of oxygen…
Spoken like a typical redneck who has never appreciated sports outside of North America.
@ Mosin,
I would say the World would disagree with you.
Prime……Any Sport outside America. Just doesnt count. Sorry Bro. But its MLB, NFL,NBA, and heck even the NHL gets a little love.
MD,
Yes the NHL deserves alot of love in my opinion, hardest sport to win a championship. Let include Women Beach Volley Ball, while we are it. Also Womens basketball, now watching that is a waste of oxygen in my humble opinion.
Neal Womens Basketball is right there with Soccer. Im shocked that the wnba is still around. Wheeew thats stinky
The NBA is paying for the WNBA, if they drop it, the NBA would be charged with a hate crime. I am not a soccer fan but come on now, soccer players are a hell of alot more athletic then women’s basketball players.
@MD
I would suggest at least viewing a Rugby hardest/best/crushing etc. hits vid on YouTube, the sport is not a cinch on the NFL but it can produce some fantastic hitting! worth a watch if only once.
Also if you like the violence of the hits, Aussie Rules football is worth a look. again YouTube compilations are the way forward. saves having to watch all the crap in between.
DClark… Rugby is a mans sport no doubt. It may be the only foreign sport I can respect. Those dudes can get down.
You guys are nuts. I mean I’d take rugby over soccer but soccer is fun to watch (more fun to play.)
But that’s just me, I’ve played a lot of team and individual sports so I pretty much have an appreciation for all of it.
Hell, I even like Olympic Curling! :P
@ Adam
Curling? Too cold, Man. Curling imo is like ice fishing: invented by guys with really bad marriages.
I like Bocce and Petanque (French Bocce) and pitching Horseshoes, but none of them are spectator sports.
Maybe soccer is like Golf; if you play you can watch; I don’t/can’t. Just me.
Soccer, rugby and curling. With that, we have officially entered the dog days of the offseason.
While Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, I have to agree with those who aren’t fans. I understand it, I’ve helped Coach my daughters team, but it has way too many periods of slow moving play with no action and the flopping is embarrasing. I’ve become a slave to faster played sports with violence. Love Football, Hockey and MMA. Can still get into Basketball and Baseball when the playoffs roll around, but Soccer? I can’t do it.
@rocket
While being no soccer expert, I’ve observed that by and large, the women don’t flop. And when the do, the soccer gods punish them for their weak methods (Last women’s world cup Brazil vs. USA as a perfect example).
The men flop a lot more. And, because of football, I think the American men have the attitude that you don’t go down without a real reason to do so. The American men don’t flop. Most of the other national teams I see do.
Point taken Adam, I was just referring to watching sports, when considering playing then to be honest i’ll try any sport, even tried greens bowling once! I can appreciate the technical ability required, but it was the most boring sport i’d ever experienced.
I enjoy playing “soccer” but the play acting, cheating and general pussification of the players at the professional level turned me off the game for good.
Watching the World Cup with a Pint or 2 at a local pub was a lot of fun, specially listening to the English football fans. Now watching cricket, that was painful…
@ TxTree
I’ll let you in on the best kept secret of Englishmen everywhere, Cricket – the whole setup, is just an elaborate ruse to allow all day drinking throughout the entire summer.
LOL
Did not think the English needed an excuse, other then the cost of a pint…
@ TxTree
I think you just liked the pints! just kidding…. Actually what you said reminded me of a friend of mine. He never played football and doesn’t really understand or appreciate the game, but he loves going to Playoff Parties and Super Bowl Parties to feed off the energy. And we’re old dudes so its not like he’s a party animal. He watches the last Monday Night game of the season just so he almost knows what’s going on as the Playoffs start; just enough to start a conversation. Its ok, he mans the grill during Goal Line and Two Minute moments.
@ Brotha Tuna
I do like a pint or 2 when I get to visit.
Grant I really don’t get you man. A couple of great articles and then this stuff. You really need to understand that what you write can be completely taken out of context – one of the worst WR in camp? That hyperbole isn’t being reported by your other 49ers scribes. And you all wonder why Harbaugh acts as if he’s King Lear during every press conference. Notice how you’re hyperbole is getting picked up by every national wire out there? Same for Kap. Discretion is the better part of valor dude. Hyperbolic journalism is a fast track to becoming irrelevant.
And yet is it not said, there is no such thing as bad publicity! Grants name is now becoming known, how or why doesn’t matter so much when that is happening. Journalism as much as any career is about making your name well known and busting your balls. I kinda like that Grant is prepared to give his honest opinions, warts and all people will respect that he sticks his neck out when others just toe the party line! Keep it up Grant!
Bad publicity? Yelling fire in a theater because you saw a flash in the corner of your eye isn’t wise. Waiting and checking to see if there really is a fire is smart. Ever hear of the story “the boy who cried wolf”? People stop running to the alarm when all you do is ring it.
One guy not really mentioned here who will dramatically impact what receivers get what snaps is Lamichael James. If he comes in on 3rd downs and catches a lot of swing passes for big gains, then we will probably see fewer 3-4 receiver sets. And he may line up wide sometimes anyway, therefore taking snaps away from some receiver. The one guy I do not want to see on the field as a receiver is Ginn.
@Jack
Him + KH in the backfield. With VD as the TE (split out wide at times). And RM along with take your pick other WR, and on paper anyway, not many defenses can stop us if we don’t screw up.
“take your pick”
Not to trample of J.Stewart’s line, but the OTHER WR would be our leading WR Michael Crabtree. Looks like some ‘fans’ still need a friendly reminder that MC will be the Starter again in 2012.
AES, you’re right that how Crab plays will go a long way to determining snaps. Basically, does anyone establish himself as a true #1. If Moss and Crab and Manningham don’t, there will be plenty of snaps for Williams and others. Moss, as his age, isn’t going to play the same number of snaps he did when he was young. So Manningham for sure will play a lot. But does he shine when he plays? Almost all of these guys will get chances, but can one of them deliver and therefore get more?
Jack Stewart & stewjack – Are you both the same person? What is that?
If you’re experimenting, I would go with stewjack.
This offense will never have a so-called #1 WR and that’s ok.
Just spread the wealth Alex and everything will be fine!
Welcome to the blog stewjack/Jack Stewart!
@ AES
Did you get out to Mama’s Fish House in Paia? My fave.
This 49ers offense is starting to resemble the Oregan Ducks Offense or even Boise State. They picked up some undersized speedsters who are going to play with a chip on their shoulder.
The flip side of that coin makes me wonder if the 49ers organization is anticipating some major rule changes regarding contact in the nfl in light of the medical evidence of impacts and its long term effects. Are we getting a preview of what the next 4 years are going to be looking like moving forward in the NFL?
No AES
It is determined by the play call. Way to start things up again.
Medic – Damn, good stuff….that’s deep. I had one too many I.P.A’s to make a responsible reply to your post. At least I’m honest.
Lamichael James is a stud, Boise State is the master of trick plays. Nice job!
@Medic One
Very interesting point about the possible rule changes, although I’d guess that’s a larger question than the FO motivations for drafting the speedsters.
Crab15, yes, same guy. On one of my computers I’m Jack Stewart by default and don’t know if I can change it. Stewjack is usually my moniker. And thanks for the welcome.
I hope Alex keeps developing but have no real confidence he will go to the next level. But H is a great coach, and Alex is learning the system, which has supposedly always been his problem college or pros.
stewjack – Don’t you miss the good old days of unprepared coaches like Mike Nolan & Singletary? :-)…..Life is good now with Harbaugh.
Beware of a blogoholic in here they call DS, I suggest you keep an arms distance. Besides that, there are many tremendously knowledgeable Niner fans in here bro. Enjoy!
Those good old days were only two years ago. The answer is NO.
Someone much earlier today posited that OCs can’t be all bad because they are pros and we should not criticize them too much.
I disagree: Jimmy Raye is proof positive there are terrible OCs, whether they are pros or not.
Happy Fathers day Neal and all of you Niner brothas! Thanks for the reminder about Singletary, 2 years ago is still not long enough.
I agree, keep KW away from ANY returns Neal!
Even if Ginn gets injured, I’m 99.9% sure Harbaugh will have anyone but KW out there returning kicks.
Thanks Crab 15, I am expecting a great season from you this season.:)
Brotha Tuna,
We are going Tuesday. Kimo’s this evening and looks like Hula Grill on Monday.
Watching the Thunder, Heat game for a minute.
Go Thunder!
This is my first day posting here. Does the thread change daily? Do you just come to Grant Cohn’s page? How does one bookmark this? Thanks.
Stewie,
Welcome to the blog. The topic will change depending on what is taking place. If it is OTA’s etc it will change daily, otherwise it changes every day or two. Even if the topic is the same the comments will go in different directions so it is fun to check in daily.
There are a lot of interesting characters that you will get to know over time. Crab filled you in one one, but there are many others, myself included.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride. It’s a lot of fun!
Hi Grant. Maybe Jenkins is only having a rough rookie break-in. I liked what I saw in his tubes and maintain high hopes.
Speaking of good youtubes, any reports on how Jarius Wright is doing?
Hey Grant. Can you let us know how Banks looks? I’m real interested ito find out what he has to offer.
@MidWestNiner:
I think the rookie mini-camp is closed to the media.
The 49ers have a roster spot available, why not enlist Mr. Banks and see how he progresses?
Razor,
I’ve seen the Banks name a couple of times here, is this the guy who went to jail on a false charge?
AES – Yes, Banks is the guy who had the wrongful rape conviction.
Hot damn our Niners are looking good!!! I can’t wait for this year boys! I am looking to hit the season opener in Green Bay and I am mighty hungry for some cheese! Then I will probably go to the Minny game and heckle some Vikings as pay back for the game I saw there a couple years ago – that one still hurts Fah Vre!!! Then I have one more game planned and I hope all my Niner brothers and sisters are saving up for a trip to the bayou and I don’t mean Mardi Gras!!!
Niners Forever Baby!!! In Jim and Trent We Trust!!!
Up coming season Niners are going to play four top flight QBs, super bowl experienced. They are on the road against Brady, Rodgers, Brees, and E Manning at home. Thats 1/4 of the season. The defense is going to be tested big time.
It is going to be imperative that the offense performs at the “very good level” all season long. Need a lot better performance on 3rd down to maintain ball control. This alone will help the defense greatly. If we can convert 1/3 of missed red zone TD chances from last year that translates into 14 more touchdowns and to include the extra point that is 98 points. Minus 42 points from not kicking the field goal that makes a 56 point increase in the red zone. Thats an increase of just a little over 3 points a game. I base this on 42 field goals made last year, 1/3 of that is 14 TDs instead of field goals. With our offense we should be able to obtain this.
Special teams will have to once again play lights out. Creating long fields for the opposing offenses. The longer the field the less likely the opposition scores. Helps the defense.
Making an assumption that our offense is going to put lots of points on the board, the opposing team, cant run on us, they will have to pass the ball to play catch up. This is where stats might show that our defense is giving up lots of passing yards. If the opposition is losing and they cant run its going to be pass after pass. This is where my concern lies. Are we stout enough in pass defense to endure the onslaught that may be coming?
I think our secondary has the talent to be one of the best in the league if we continue to play at an elite level up front.
Under, I think our pass rush is going to have to help out, and we are going to have to have Goldson to help on the back end.
Considering the schedule, I doubt we’ll have 13 wins again. It’s unlikely we’ll have the same turnover ratio that we did last year. That rarely repeats with anyone. I’ll be happy with 10-11 wins. That would win the division and probably put us with home field for our first game. I would be fine with that.