49ers announce signing of CB Shareece Wright

The 49ers just announced they have signed 27-year-old former San Diego Chargers cornerback Shareece Wright to a one-year contract.

Wright replaces Perrish Cox, who signed a three-year, $15-million deal with the Tennessee Titans this afternoon, according to Ian Rapoport.

Wright and Cox both are 5’11” and both run the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds. During the final 10 regular season games of 2014, Wright gave up a quarterback rating of 96.7, while Cox gave up a passer rating of 103.4, according to Pro Football Focus.

Wright is better than Cox, and presumably cheaper as well. The terms of Wright’s one-year deal have not yet been announced.

Smart signing.

UPDATE: The 49ers just re-signed Chris Cook, according to Aaron Wilson. Here’s how the 49ers’ cornerback depth chart might stand:

Left cornerback: Shareece Wright, Chris Cook
Slot cornerback: Jimmie Ward, Dontae Johnson
Right Cornerback: Tramaine Brock, Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser

The 49ers upgraded their starting outside cornerbacks. Brock and Wright are better than Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox.

This article has 205 Comments

    1. A draft prep signing–good
      The Bush signing is baffeling because he requires touch and timing passes out of the backfield. Touch and timing require looking off the safety at times head and shoulder fakes to one side of the field, then with cat-like reflexes, turning your body and throwing a slant to the other side, hitting the runner in stride (not breaking stride with a rocket ball behind or overhead) nuances of the position, to date, I have not seen from Kap. (You Tube QB Joe Clancy, Merrimack College), now semi-pro. 49ers should pick him up for R. Bush. Has intangibles.

      1. So you are saying that they should pick up Joe Clancy who is paying simi pro and replace Kaep with him because he is more suited to throw touch passes to their 3rd option at RB? That makes sense. Lets build the team around R. Bush.

        1. Not at all. I’m suggesting we follow Baalke’s directive as related to Grant during his press conference…i.e., as on defense to mitigate its vulnerability minus LB–Pat Willis, Baalke told Grant they will utilize different linebackers and defensive schemes. Following his logic, on offense we mitigate certain passing weakness in (Kap) by signing Joe Clancy. Watch his 2013 you tube season highlights and you’ll see back shoulder, outs, digs, go’s, posts, slants, completed without the WR breaking stride; patterns completed that haven’t been here for 15 years, back to Jeff Garcia (who was a Canadian semi pro player signed by Walsh and earned 3 Pro Bowl trips).

          1. Well, c’mon all you Niner fans with blinders (Jed and Trent can do no wrong so lets critcize Grant or Tim Kawakami). Now’s your chance to save Trent…I was the running back who explained the difference between Gore and Hyde, and 2 weeks later, the colts signed him. Now I’m practically giving you a Jeff Garcia type Semi Pro Player. I’m a Niner fan (as Much as I might disagree with Trent or Jed), I don’t want to see them fail. Anyone who can send this info about Joe Clancy to the 49ers should…After all, a rugby player from another country is given a chance.

        2. They could trade Kaep to New Orleans who are in full rebuild mode. Brees for 2 years is enough to draft a replacement and learn the system.

  1. Does this mean Baalke will consider the need at CB to be met, or can we still hope for a 1st round pick like Waynes?

    1. @Big niner….I have the same feeling, and I’m thinking that it’s going to be a half-great, half-crap trade deal….crossing fingers

      1. I’ve been smelling a trade deal for a while, but now I’m not sure.

        Before Willis retired and Skuta left, I thought the 49ers might package Wilhoite or Brooks to sweeten the pot for trade-ups. Baalke wouldn’t get much, because (I think) they only have a year left on their contracts.

        Both players might be thankful to be traded so they could get more playtime. But now the 49ers need their depth.

  2. Wiki listed him as 4.46 40. idk. I think I read somewhere that he’s better at press than off.

  3. Agreed, its a smart signing. Wright actually ran a 4.46s 40 at the combine, so he’s got some decent speed to him, and he has starting experience.

    He’s at his best as a press man CB, so might be a good fit for the 49ers. I don’t expect this to change their draft plans though.

  4. Wright’s deal is apparently 1 year, $4 million, including $1 million in incentives.

  5. Scooter I think you can almost certainly rule out corner in Rnd 1.. Pending what Justin does this coming week with his decision. We could be targeting Shelton from Washington. Getting a Haloti Nagta type enforcer in the middle could make a ton of sense.

      1. Agreed.

        I see Shelton as more of a 1-tech or 0-tech, and the 49ers already have Williams and Dorsey to play that spot (+ Dial in a pinch).

          1. No, I disagree with that. A CB could still be in play. I’ll be curious to see how much of the $4M in Wright’s contract is guaranteed.

            1. I agree with you. Assuming Brock, Johnson, and Ward start, who’s the backup in case one of them goes down? I know about the other guys drafted last year, but how much confidence can they really have in them. Last year it was Cox. Is that guy Wright?

            1. But not because of the Wright signing. You had already ruled it out simply because it would mean taking a DB in the first round 3 years running.

              I agree it is unlikely, but I wouldn’t rule it out if the value is there.

              A guy to keep an eye on for the 49ers in the 2nd round is Byron Jones, he of the record broad jump at the combine.

              1. Yeah, he’s a crazy good athlete. Doesn’t look as good an athlete as that in pads, but still quite good.

              2. I still don’t know why they don’t do all the events at the combine in total gear. I mean they play in gear so if they want to see what they will do on the field it should be under playing conditions. I am sure that the gear affects some players more than it would others so running the tests with out full gear would be an advantage to some players.

              1. With the addition of Wright and Cook, I doubt the 49ers draft a cornerback before the fifth round.

              2. See, that’s just it. Without seeing the board unfold yet, we can’t really make that call. Are they expecting to or hunting a CB in 1st? Unlikely, but it almost always comes down to ‘Who Dat? Who Dey?’ when you’re on the clock.
                See also: Crabtree, Michael

          2. Baalke just said that he makes moves that help take remove any conspicuous need so that other teams can’t out maneuver them for players during the draft; ergo just because he signs a CB or a WR or a RB now doesn’t mean he won’t still draft one at any point even in the first round.

            1. He is paying two cornerbacks starters money, and he has never spent higher than a third round pick on an outside cornerback.

              1. Brock’s 3.5M average makes him tied for the 37th highest paid CB in the league, Wright’s $4 million will put him at around the 33rd highest paid CB. They might be our starters but I wouldn’t say that we have two CB’s making starters money. The average 2015 starting salary of the top 20 CB’s is 9.8M.

                Based on salary I’d say we’re still looking for a starting CB, or at least a top 20 one.

              2. Wright and Brock are solid. They’re better than Culliver and Cox. The problem is the offense.

              3. You keep bringing up that Baalke can’t pick 3 DB’s in a row and then you say the problem is the offense. The same consecutive previous drafts that he took DB’s the offense was the problem then too. If nothing is different why do you feel certain he’ll change his pattern and address the offense in the first round?

              4. Why do you feel certain he will change his pattern and draft an outside cornerback before the third round, especially now that he’s paying two corners starters money?

              5. The 49ers now have two ok #2 CBs (Brock and Wright), a guy with good physical attributes but has so far failed to live up to expectations (Cook), and a bunch of second year guys that we still don’t really know how good they will be (Ward, Johnson, Acker, Reaser).

                No CBs on this team are clear cut #1 CBs right now. The CB position is still something of a weak spot, unless one or two of these guys really step up this year.

                If the 49ers go into the season with the current group you won’t be panicking, but you won’t feel confident in them as a group either. As such, drafting a CB early if the value is there makes perfect sense.

              6. The offensive line is a bigger need. It gave up 52 sacks last year and didn’t run block particularly well. Anthony Davis had three or four different injuries. What if he gets injured again? Not unlikely. Plus, Alex Boone has only one year left on his deal and the 49ers don’t like to extend interior offensive linemen. Plus, the projected starting left guard is Brandon Thomas, a redshirt who didn’t play football last season. He may not be ready to start. He’d be better of sitting and learning for a year.

              7. I think Baalke drafts the players he wants. I don’t think he pays attention to previous draft patterns unless he thinks they’ll help him hide his current hand. If the latter idea is true then you could argue that the unlikeliness of taking 3 DB’s is exactly why he would do it. I also don’t see Brock and Wright’s contracts as significant enough to suggest they’re a) reasons to not draft a potential starter and b) enough to solidify their spot as a starter, even with this group and especially against a first round pick.

                Now with that said I agree 100% on what you said about or offensive line the only difference is I don’t see the need to spend a first round pick on a player that can make an impact.

              8. When the 49ers signed Carlos Rogers in 2011, they gave him a one-year, $4 million deal to be a starter. That’s pretty much the same deal Wright just got.

              9. I’m not arguing that drafting an OL early doesn’t make sense. I agree with the FA signings they have made that OL now would make very good sense as a first or second round pick.

                But saying you can now rule out a CB until round 5 doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. There are enough question marks at the position that taking a CB early would make sense. So would OLB for that matter with Aldon Smith’s contract up at the end of the year and Brooks unlikely to be kept around long term either.

                I don’t think you can rule out any of OL, CB, WR, OLB or DL in the first three rounds, or a RB and ILB in the 2nd/ 3rd.

              10. There are pressing needs on the 49ers’ roster and cornerback no longer is one them. Ideally you’d like to upgrade the position, but it’s already an upgrade over last season.

              11. Outside of a starting OG (which could potentially be filled from within), what are the pressing needs the 49ers have?

              12. Three-down inside linebacker or Nickel coverage inside linebacker, future No.1 wide receiver and mid-sized running back. Then cornerback.

              13. @Scooter, big Red Zone target, and someone to beat out Dahl for special teams; > )

              14. I think OLB is a pressing need. We lost Skuta. Brooks has shown that he can have a bad attitude and who knows what shape he’ll be in coming into training camp. Aldon is also an unknown but arrows are up on that front. Lynch should improve. Brooks and Aldon have gotten into trouble in the past and a trouble-free offseason is by no means certain. Lemonier has been very disappointing. Finally, you can never have enough good pass rushers. I think there’s a good chance Baalke will take an OLB in the first round. Definitely, Beasley if he drops that far.

              15. “Three-down inside linebacker or Nickel coverage inside linebacker, future No.1 wide receiver and mid-sized running back. Then cornerback.”

                Wilhoite can play all three downs or come in as the nickel ILB. Moody can also play nickel.

                Future #1 WR is as it says – a future need. If they don’t get him this year, they can still get him next year.

                A mid-sized RB makes no sense – who cares how big they are? I think what you mean is a guy that is competent both between the tackles and outside. Hyde can provide that, but I agree another talented guy that can provide that skill set would be handy (such as Tevin Coleman). But a RB group of Hyde, Bush, Hunter and later round RB could also work. As Baalke has said in the past, you can always find a RB in the draft.

                As cubus said, OLB is as much a need as any of the positions you have listed if we are looking at future needs. DL also.

                CB easily ranks as high as any of the needs you have listed. Wright has not proven himself to be a good calibre starting CB. Neither has Brock, at least not over any extended period of time. The CB position is one of the biggest unknown quantities on the team.

              16. Wilhoite and Moody are not good in coverage.

                Tevin Coleman is a scatback like Reggie Bush. Coleman is exactly what the 49ers do not need. If the Niners draft him they wouldn’t be able to run inside if Hyde gets hurt.

                The 49ers need to replace Skuta, but they have two dominant pass rushers.

                In general, the offense needs much, much more help than the defense. Spending a first rounder on yet another DB makes zero sense.

              17. Why is that razor? Because of the hidden talent waiting to burst out of veterans Brock, Wright and Cook? Or because of last years 4th, 5th and 6th round selections?

                I would counter such an argument with the OL has more budding potential with Thomas, M. Martin and Looney waiting in the wings.

              18. Btw, don’t take that to mean I think there isn’t talent at the CB spot on the roster. I think there is. But the same can be said of a lot of positions on this team.

                Until we see talent translated into production, the CB spot is one of if not the shakiest position on the team at the moment. The addition of Wright and Cook does not change that, as neither guy has proven to be good quality starters in the NFL.

              19. Looney? Acker looked promising, Reaser -4.3 speed 22 bench press, Johnson looks good to improve in his sophomore year, and Ward is going to be improved too. I’m excited about the group of guys they have and Tim Lewis.

                I’m excited about Thomas and M&M on the OL, but I sure would like to add another. Looney?

              20. Like I said, I agree there is some talent and promise at CB, but lets face it, we still aren’t sure what we have in our second year guys. And there is a reason Johnson, Reaser and Acker were available late on in the draft.

                As for our vets, none of those guys have proven to be good starting CBs in the NFL over any extended period of time.

                With our OGs on the other hand, we have Boone who has proven himself as a high quality starting OL, and Thomas and Martin were 3rd rounders, with Thomas considered a borderline first rounder if not for injury. I agree Looney hasn’t shown much to date, but he was a 4th rounder and may yet find his feet. I think there is a fair argument that the talent at OG is better than at CB.

              21. Marcus Martin was awful last season. Thomas can’t be counted on to start. He should back up Boone in 2015.

                Erik Pears probably will be the starting left guard when the offseason practices begin.

              22. “Tevin Coleman is a scatback like Reggie Bush.”

                Riiiiiiiigghhht. Clearly someone has not spent any time watching Coleman. He looks to run over people. He’s a powerful RB with the speed to get to the edge. And he’s about the same size as Gore, who I assume you consider to be a “mid-sized RB”.

                Wilhoite is ok in coverage. So is Moody. Neither are as good as Willis was, but guess what, not many players are. Trying to replace Willis with a LB as good in coverage as he was is a fools game. They are better off looking for a big safety they can bring on the field.

                If you consider a future #1 WR a need, I simply don’t see how you can overlook OLB as a need. They are an Aldon Smith injury (or suspension) away from having an anaemic pass rush again this year. And who is honestly 100% convinced Aldon Smith will be a 49er long term and will stay out of trouble?

            2. I’m leaning towards CfC on this. I see Baalke using cap capital to leverage draft capital.

              Baalke usually “reaches” for “need” in the first round, then plays trade kung-fu on day two.

              If he builds enough depth, he can play trade kung-fu the first day of the draft.

              The usual pattern:
              Day 1 – Reach for need
              Day 2 – Trade kung-fu
              Day 3 – Try to trade, but usually stands pat

              2015
              Day 1 – Trade kung-fu
              Day 2 – Trade kung-fu
              Day 3 – Try to trade, Backup QB, ST

            3. Coffee- Your referencing that TB makes moves to hide conspicuous needs so as to not tip off the opposition when it comes to draft time. Smoke and Mirrors moves. That explains a lot. He is often so good at it that he even fools himself when the draft rolls around so that he ends up not draft players that the team actually needs himself.

  6. Eh, I’ve never heard a Chargers fan speak well of Wright but considering Baalke hasn’t missed on a FA CB yet, I’ll see how this plays out. Still want Marcus Peters

  7. I don’t see the FA signings as “we don’t need to draft [position name] anymore.”

    I don’t think any of the signings (Smith, Docket, Bush, Peat) have pushed anyone off the 49ers draft board at the respective position.

    I think the signings are all about building depth to improve draft day flexibility for trades and BPAs.

    The more positions they have covered by decent (if unspectacular) players, the more aggressive Baalke can be on draft day.

    If a middling team calls Baalke and says “we’ll give you our 2015 second and 2016 first for pick 15”, Baalke has the position depth to say yes.

    1. Almost every defensive lineman has had a knee surgery and/or was drafted with one as part of the 49ers talent for redshirt program. If they’re successful as Bill Walsh was it’s a smart strategy. However, going into the season it makes sense to draft Shelton or Armstead so there’s someone at the level of a Justin Smith to make the 3/4 effective, and without an injury breakdown worry…….It also makes sense to provide (Kap) with a solid lineman (peat)….Charlie Casserly predicts Shelton…Does anyone have an idea where the 49ers?

  8. San Diego makes sense for Crab’s, that seems to be where mediocre receives go to die.

      1. Players come and go, and sometimes we miss them when they move on. Most times they leave for bigger bucks. A few leave because they’d rather be somewhere else. Pete Kugler and Pierce Holt preferred the East Coast. Josh Morgan was hoping to get to the EC when Washington dumped money on him.
        I’m going to miss Willis and Gore. I am not going to miss Crabtree. I hope things work out for him and I won’t bash him after this piece I’m now writing, but I believe I’ve got cause as a fan. Michael’s arrival and departure have managed to be in-yo-face disrespectful. There was the prima donna rookie hold-out. He made a lot of friends with that. And on the tail end his ‘SF is 33rd on my list’ remark.
        OK, gotchya.
        Ummmm, btw, how’s that job search coming, Mike? Or, put another way: who loves ya, baby?

        1. C4C….well stated….

          Razor….very well stated….

          Bro Tuna……I guess that Crabs is sorta’ like the niners…the first 33 teams don’t want him in their uniform either

  9. Ian Rapoport ✔ @RapSheet
    The #Patriots have always liked Stevie Johnson. With the #Bills, he helped make Devin McCourty into a safety… which worked out for all

    1. Maybe. Wright, Brock, Cook and Johnson probably will be four of the five. Baalke probably will draft a CB on Day 3, and he will compete with Acker and Reaser.

      1. According to Matt Barrows Wright ran the 40 yard dash at 4.41 seconds not the 4.56 you mention Grant?

      1. Hopefully he still has that speed.

        I thought Acker looked good last preseason. Should be a good competition.

              1. 6′ 195lbs. and ran 4.35. When he played, I didn’t notice any obvious exploitations. The only knocks on him coming out were footwork and closing speed. If they plan on playing more dime, he’s got a shot at making the team imho….

              2. I think he’d be one of the final cuts. He just has too many ahead of him on the depth chart.

  10. Below is a link to a NinersNation article on Shareece Wright. Fucillo spoke with his counterpart, John Gennaro, at “Bolts from the Blue”. Here are some quotes:

    1) He (Gennaro) is not overly impressed with Wright. He described him as “not very good. not a very good tackler, pretty terrible in coverage. Not well-suited for nickel either. Probably a solid dime CB.”

    2)It was not a pretty season for Wright. He also was seventh worst among cornerbacks with 11 penalties, including eight for defensive pass interference.

    3) Apparently the most memorable aspect of his time in San Diego is that two years ago every WR that went up against him in training camp would get seriously injured. Players were dealing with torn ACLs, smashed kneecaps, and so forth. Gennaro said fans were openly asking for him to be benched at practice.

    The link below shows game by game PFF stats from 2014. Although his average was 95.5 he had some games with very low ratings against Seattle, Buffalo, Jets, Oakland, Miami, Saint Louis, New England. He got killed by Arizona, Denver (twice), Baltimore and San Francisco.

    He might be more intriguing than I first realized.

    http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/3/13/8210671/49ers-to-host-free-agent-cb-shareece-wright

  11. I dunni, Cubus ..

    my spidy senses are telling me ..he probably
    won’t make the final 53..

    but then ..
    whadda I kno ?

    1. MWNiner: For the amount of money we’re paying him he better make the 53, otherwise it’s a swing and a miss, IMO. I must confess if he can lay the wood against some of the Seattle receivers including Graham, I’ll be pleased.

  12. No way balkee drafts a outside corner back in first round after Wright and cook signings. Whene has he ever drafted a cb in first round and i would not either whene has a 1st round cb lived up to the hype

  13. He’ll be cut before the season begins. And I don’t see this changing how the 49ers will go about the draft. The current needs in terms of importance are as follows:
    OLB/pass rusher
    ILB
    DL
    WR
    OL
    CB
    Backup FS
    RB
    Backup QB

      1. How is olb the first need? Aldon brooks lynch the rookie in your 1st round wouldn’t even get on the field

        1. Aldon is currently on thin ice and it’s also unlikely that the team can outbid another team for if he redeems himself before becoming a free agent. Meanwhile, (despite Baalke’s insistence otherwise) there’s no way that I can see Brooks still being here after what happened last season. That’s why I currently see OLB/pass rusher as the top need to be addressed in the draft.

          1. I’m surprised by TB’s comment, but I’m buying it. If Brooks stays, the urgency is reduced at OLB. But like cb, it’s a position of importance to the D.

            1. His comment is too similar to the one he about another starter that lost his job during the season.

              1. I’m not trying to, but do you honestly think that he will keep a pricey backup OLB that was out of shape for the first half of the season and a malcontent that butted heads with the guy he recently named as the HC?

    1. My depth concerns…are Safety and Fullback. Can Ward’s body hold up at SS? Is McCray more then a special teams guy? Who plays Fullback if Millard goes down?

    2. Even with the loss of Willis I do not see ILB as a top priority. Maybe drafting a guy in the 4th or 5th rnd sure. To compete with Moody for a back up job. If Borland would of started the Whole season he would of got defensive rookie of the year. He is a stud. Not of the caliber of young Willis or Bowman but better then 90 percent of the rest of the NFL. The key to this team is Bowman. If he returns to form we will be soild. Pre injury Bowman was the best LB in football and clearly better then Willis. Willis is a huge loss leadership wise but Borland stepped in and was playing better then Willis was the past couple years.

      1. Can’t really agree with that Elite. Borland couldn’t tackle big backs like Lynch at all. He would also be a huge liability in coverage given his height and speed.

        1. I watched Borland picked up marshawn Lynch and slammed him to the ground on one play.lol..Suprised there was no flag for it…haha

  14. Don’t know much about Wright. I can see one of Cook, Johnson, Reaser or Acker beating him for a starter spot.

    Talented or not, what the defense is absolutely lacking is experience. At least Wright has that.

    From wiki “Wright played well against Peyton Manning and Denver’s high powered offense, holding star receiver Demaryius Thomas to 4 receptions for 45 yards.”

    Maybe he’s a “big guy” specialist to help counter Graham.

    Also, if a team signs a player to a one year deal, and loses the player to free agency the following year. does the team get compensatory value?

    1. I think it’s obvious. The first round pick has to be an offensive player, but it won’t be a wide receiver considering the Niners signed Torrey Smith.

      1. You’re telling me if Amari Cooper is sitting there like the Crabs was, they’ll pass?

            1. Maybe Baalke has a different opinion than Schneider. Or maybe somebody blows his socks off to get Mariota.

              1. Scooter, I think I’d take La’ell Collins over every receiver. Must have been the tequila….

            2. Why would Cooper fall like Crabtree did? Cooper is better than Crabrtee. Cooper ran a 40. And Crabtree only fell to 10. Your scenario won’t happen.

              1. I think they’d take Peat over Parker. They’re in the same tier, but Peat would have a much bigger impact on the offense. Taking Parker would be the third big investment in the wide receiver position by a run-first team with a shaky offensive line.

              2. Most unlikely, but you just don’t know for sure. I don’t remember anyone anticipating Crabs sliding. I personally didn’t think there was a chance in hell, but I didn’t consider the Al Davis factor. I just didn’t agree with your absolute argument….

              3. Parker would be the future #1 WR, and he’d be an excellent guy to bring in on 3 WR sets as the flanker with Boldin moving into the slot.

                I don’t think any of the OL are as good value as the top 3 WRs.

              4. Still would be a run-first team with a shaky offensive line. Wouldn’t matter how many good receivers you add if you can’t run the ball and Kaepernick is on his back.

              5. You don’t pencil in a redshirt for a starting position. Thomas is a total question mark. Left guard is a question mark. There is no good backup for the right tackle, who is an injury risk. Boone was ordinary last year. Kilgore is coming back from a serious leg injury. Marcus Martin was awful, and Staley is on the wrong side of 30, as you like to say.

              6. If Parker is there at 15 Balke is running to the podium himself to turn that card in. Parker reminds me of AJ Green.. A Stud true number 1.. Peat could be a soild Right Tacklle but we already have one of those and young. Peat does not translate to guard at all. He is a stiff.

              7. No, Scherff is a stiff. Peat could be a Pro Bowl left guard or a Pro Bowl left tackle.

              8. Grant, guard is the easiest position to find. A true number 1 Wr is hard to find unless you give up the farm to get it. Plus Brandon Thomas has had plenty of time to recover. You mention that Marcus Martin was terrible last year. He was also 20 years old. He is only going to get better just like A Davis did. I watched Peat at the combine and he looked bad.. I don’t trust any lineman from Stanford by the way.

              9. The Cowboys had Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Terrance Williams, but that team didn’t take off until they drafted Zack Martin.

              10. Dallas was a fluke last year. Easy schedule in the pathetic NFC Least. I expect a 8 or 9 wins for Dallas this year. Philly was overrated too. Giants and Skins are complete garbage now.

              11. “Thomas is a total question mark.”

                Thomas is no more a question mark than any rookie they draft this year. He will be around 16 months removed from his knee injury by the time TC starts. Prior to his knee injury he was a borderline first round talent in one of the most talent rich drafts in history.

              12. What the front office should do is start some terrible rumor about one of the top receivers which will make the teams in front of them leery about drafting them. Then they can get value at a lower cost. I mean they have had plenty of practice at starting rumors so they should be able to pull it off.

        1. I don’t think it’s obvious at all. The offense was bad last year but I bet they Roman and Harbaugh were holding them back. Addition by subtraction.

          BPA all the way, unless a good trade back option emerges. But no way Cooper is there. If he is Baalke will be doing cartwheels to the stage.

          1. BTW TE is a need I think is overlooked, but maybe this isn’t the draft to fill it.

            1. I’m not sure if the University of Miami’s TE is coming out this yr but he runs pretty good. Not as good as VD when he first came into the league but good.

      2. Grant, they still need two Wrs plus Boldin has 1 year left. I would not rule out DGB at 15.. They have two great mentors for off the field and on the field for DGB.. I see D line before O line IMO.. I think its Wr, DL, OL, Outside linebacker in that order.

        1. DGB could be brought along slowly with Red Zone packages. Bolden and Smith would mentor him and he’d be paired up with Smith next year when Bolden leaves. Round two they could take Prewitt FS Ole Miss to finally get rid of Dahl….

  15. Louis Riddick ✔ @LRiddickESPN
    Wake CB Kevin Johnson’s technique is about as good as it gets. That was fun to watch.

  16. My Top 15:

    1. Leonard Williams, DL, USC
    2. La’el Collins, OT, LSU
    3. DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
    4. Dante Fowler, Edge, Florida
    5. Kevin White, WR, WVU
    6. Shane Ray, Edge, Missouri
    7. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
    8. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
    9. Vic Beasley, Edge, Clemson
    10. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
    11. Danny Shelton, NT, Washington
    12. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
    13. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
    14. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
    15. D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida

    1. Nice. My top 15 atm would be:

      1. Jameis Winston
      2. Leonard Williams
      3. Vic Beasley
      4. Amari Cooper
      5. Danny Shelton
      6. Dante Fowler
      7. DeVante Parker
      8. Trae Waynes
      9. Kevin White
      10. Andrus Peat
      11. Marcus Mariota
      12. Cameron Erving
      13. Marcus Peters
      14. Brandon Scherff
      15. Bud Dupree

      I haven’t included any RBs because I just don’t think you can value the position that highly anymore. But I’d strongly consider picking Tevin Coleman ahead of Gurley and Gordon.

      Shane Ray, Malcolm Brown, La’el Collins, TJ Clemmings, DJ Humphries, DGB and Landon Collins are all close to making that list. I don’t really rate Randy Gregory even though I know he is in most people’s top 10s.

      1. Thanks Scooter. Yours is very nice too. I think both running backs go in the first round. Btw, Coleman is my third back and I’d love to see Baalke grab him in the second round, but I just don’t see him taking one that early….

      2. Dog Gone It! You guys left out Van Morrison and Dave Mathews? What up wid dat?
        Oh, wait, never mind, I just got back from a Prix Fixe dinner with paired wines.

      3. Something tells me Dupree is the surprise pick that Niners fans will criticize Baalke for at 15. Until next year, when they realize he is a steal and a beast coming off edge. I just suspect Baalke has a big ol crush on this guy. Lots of attention from lots of teams for good reason.

  17. A friend of mine just text me a screenshot of her Facebook page. Someone sent out a message that the niners traded Kaep to the Bengals for Andy Dalton and their 2nd rd pick. I panicked for a split second.

    1. When we rated wide receivers a month ago, I was the one who compared him to the San Francisco treat….

      1. I recall that draft run-up. Rice was ‘plodding & predictable’. Eddie Bown and Al Toon were ‘miles ahead’ of the ‘raw kid from MissValleySt.’
        Might Grant have called him a turtle? Just trippin’.

    2. Thanks KY49er, good story. I really like this kid. I have a feeling he’ll be a great signing for the team that takes a chance on him.

  18. Instead of trying to replace Willis’ coverage ability with another athletic ILB with coverage skills (which can be hard to find), what do people think of drafting someone like Jaquiski Tartt in the 3rd round? A big, in the box SS the team could use as a LB/SS that is highly aggressive against the run, can hit, and has the speed, length and size to cover TEs.

    1. Well, TB found Bowman even after PW. I saw NB as a college OLB who might be a nickel LB. Yeah, sorry bout dat. Anyway, TB may again be able to find a 43WLB to convert to ILB. In the meantime,a big nasty SS Hybrid could be great. As for that 6-6 SS, check the NBA Waiver Wire. Might get lucky. Some undersized Paint Troll who averages 6 defensive and 4 offensibve rebounds and 6 fouls per game.

    2. Tartt is classified as better against the run than the pass though, so I don’t see how that would alleviate the coverage ability missing from Borland’s game.

      One OLB prospect that could be converted to ILB could be Jordan Hicks.

      1. So was Kam Chancellor, Mid.

        The coverage responsibilities for a LB are quite a bit different to a Safety. Tartt may not have the coverage skills to handle more typical safety coverage, such as covering slot receivers man on man and playing single high or deep halves. But he’s got the speed, size and agility to cover as a LB.

        1. He gets overaggressive and misses tackles from time to time. The 49ers also don’t have the type of strong supporting cast in their secondary that the Seahawks do to cover up his weaknesses. I’d rather not take a chance on a player fit for only a certain scheme.

          1. If you don’t like the player that’s fine, he won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. Personally I like him if you are willing to play him to his strengths.

            But I was more referring to the idea of instead of trying to find an uber athletic LB to play in pass coverage it might be easier to find an in the box SS that can be effective playing the run while also providing better coverage ability than your average ILB.

            Basically you are changing from being a team that uses a lot of nickel to a team that uses more dime, by replacing a LB with a big SS that still has the size and strength to hold up against the run.

            1. Pass. I’d rather see us draft a safety that can backup Reid in case he suffers another concussion, and I don’t see Tarrt being able to do that with the way he plays.

              1. Ward could be the back up Safety MidWestDynasty, and Reaser would take over the slot if he is able to fully recover. He’s the cousin of Sean Taylor….

              2. I’d rather keep Ward at NCB and have him only an emergency backup.
                The key point of that second to last sentence is IF Reaser is able to fully recover.

              3. Yea, that cadaver graft is what screwed up his recovery. After the surgery he seemed fine, because he was running on it in 3 months. It wasn’t until a second team of doctors examined him that they noticed the graft wearing away from the bodies rejection. They took another from his own tissue, so I think he’s going to be fine. Thing is, most if not all doctors recommend your own tissue instead of the cadaver because young athletes who do cutting and twisting have a 4 times higher rate of failure….

              4. I think he will too Razor, but it’s never a good idea to not have a backup in case for some unforeseen reason he has another setback.

            2. I like Tartt as well. He is a physical player that could make his mark on ST’ and eventually work his way onto special defensive packages.

              I like his tackling ability, it’s not perfect but its sound. He goes for the knock-out hit on almost every tackle but like Eric Reid, can learn to use better body control as to avoid concussion issues.

              I would gamble and see if he slides to the 5th rd. I would go after a RB in the 4th that could be ready to be our COP back in the not to distant future.

          2. I just think people have gotten so used to having Willis and Bowman they’ve forgotten it is actually hard to find players like those guys that are excellent against the run and also good in coverage.

            Time to start thinking of ways to compensate for the loss of Willis’ coverage ability. Very unlikely you’ll find an ILB in this draft capable of playing good coverage without spending a high pick on them.

            1. That’s why I agree with Brotha’s thinking of Baalke drafting a 4-3 OLB and converting him to an ILB.

              1. Mid, a lot of 3-4 weakside LBs are guys that played the WILL in a 4-3 in college. Including Bowman himself. That is pretty common practice. It is still hard to find guys that are excellent in coverage.

                Which WILL prospect would you like to see the team bring in that would handle the coverage responsibilities? You mentioned Hicks earlier. Are you telling me you think his coverage abilities are better than Tartt’s?

  19. I have to vote for Scooter as most thoughtful comments for tonight. Tuna right up there too. But I really wish we could hear direct from Salty on all this.

  20. Grant is right. Our defense was not even our biggest problem last year, with a ton of injuries occurred and we started several rookies. We should be markedly better this year.

    Baalke has now positioned himself to take one of the following (listed in order): Scherff/Peat, WR, Shelton, OLB…now OLB/WR could move up depending on who falls. Strongest positions in draft.

    Don’t count out Baalke moving back into first. He is in a needs to win now position.

    Anyway, GC is spot on with his analysis to this point. I hope it’s Scherff. Guy is beast!

  21. Just saw a brief telecast where they compared the current starting defense with the defense that started in the Superbowl.

    From the Superbowl squad:
    Carlos Rogers – gone
    Goldson – gone
    Whitner – gone
    Brown – gone
    Willis – retired
    McDonald – gone
    Sopoaga – gone
    J. Smith – likely to return

    Only three confirmed returning: Bowman, A. Smith and A. Brooks. Hopefully Bowman comes back in 2013 form. Both Aldon and Brooks have had their issues.

    At first I was surprised because I hadn’t realized that there had been such a large turnover. But as I think about it and the fact that we still had a good defense both in 2013 and 2014 (in fact you could argue that the secondary was quite a bit improved), maybe this is just confirmation that Baalke and company are good at assembling a staff even when substantial roster turnover occurs from season to season (which is more and more the norm in the NFL).

    I am concerned about the CB position, however. I would have preferred that Baalke sign Browner instead of Wright to counter the Graham signing. Then draft Scooter’s guy, Tartt. Now you have two big guys that can counter Graham. Scooter’s right in that we’ve become spoiled with Willis and Bowman. We’ll be playing a lot more dime this year with Willis gone.

    1. Cubus, the turnover on D is one of the reasons I think the 49ers ignoring upgrading the D through the draft would be at their own peril.

      The D has consistently been the strength of this team for a number of years. The only reason the 49ers made it to 3 consecutive NFCCGs was because of the play of the D. But the team has lost a lot of talented guys on that side of the ball the past couple of years, and may lose another in J. Smith. If they want to keep the D strong they need to keep investing in it, keep adding talent. Right now the CBs and DL look like they will be weaker than at any point during Harbaugh’s tenure. LB too, though they still have a lot of talent there if Bowman comes back anywhere near 100%.

      The offense on the other hand really only looks like it has two positions with any question marks over it – OG and RB. The other positions are pretty much set. And the team used a 2nd rounder on a RB and two 3rd rounders on interior OL last year. They may already have the guys to fill those spots.

      I think an OL and RB should be taken somewhere in the draft, but in no way do I think it is imperative they draft an OL in the first round or a RB early. If the value is there, sure. But the D needs competition added at CB, DL and OLB, and may need an ILB and safety.

      1. There’s an old cliche about how you can scheme on offense, but you’d better have top notch athletes on D. With the offense favored by rule changes, there’s some validity to that.

      2. Matt Barrows makes a good point with regards to the CB situation:

        ” There will be a changeover in the secondary this year for sure, but there was even more last season. Starting cornerbacks Rogers and Tarell Brown left via free agency and starting safety Donte Whitner did, too. This year, the 49ers at least have stability at safety.”

        http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article14494628.html

        The fact that we’re seeing major turnover at the DB position in back-to-back years is probably contributing to heightened anxiety among the fan base.

        1. Its a valid point Matt makes. I think the main issue is that last season they had Brock who had supplanted Brown as the starter in 2013 and Culliver coming back who had played some extensive minutes at CB in 2011 and 2012. In addition they had Eric Wright and Chris Cook who had starting experience, and Cox and Morris who had played some nickel and dime for the 49ers previously. Now in the end Wright retired, while Brock and Cook barely played, but heading into the draft the position looked pretty deep if not high on quality.

          This year they are getting Brock back, as well as Cook, and added another Wright. Then they have a bunch of second year guys. They really need to hope those second year guys keep progressing.

      3. If they don’t go O @ 15, I cannot see CB. I could see Shelton or OLB…to that point, don’t b shocked if bud depree is r pick. Remember Baalke wanted Seattles Irvin a few years ago. He was pissed…Dupree is far better prospect as a 270 lb athletic freak than undersized Irvin was. If he had longer arms, top 5 pick. Something tells me.

      4. Agree with Scooter.Baalke bolstered with FA but don’t think we are set at D by any means.The idea is to draft to need but each year the available prospects have varying depths at positions(as we all know).We may be stronger at CB after FA than last year as Grant suggests but we are not dominant there by any means and that is the bar we want to set. No one knows what Baalke will do in the first but if it turns out to be Trae we could do worse, this draft is rich at DL one could argue we are set there but would I be unhappy with Carl Davis in the first two? We have Aldon and Lynch but would I be unhappy with Shane Ray in first? No.As of right now I dont see DGB as highly as some so it is conceivable we wont get an elite no.1 receiver unless we trade up a costly move which runs counter to Baalke’s way.Would I be unhappy with Tre Mcbride mid round in lieu of that.No.

  22. After the signings yesterday anyone know where we are cap wise? I think there is one more big move in store and a good draft. This team will be stacked

    1. Prior to the signing yesterday the cap space was $15.4 million. Something to remember per the article referenced below:

      “It is also worth noting this reflects the team’s Top 51 salaries, and not every single salary on the books. When the team makes final roster cuts at the end of August, they will have to have all their contracts (53-man roster, PUP list, IR, practice squad) in compliance with the cap number.”

      If I had to guess, I would say probably around 7 to 8 million (3 million for Wright, 3 million for Bush and around 2 million total for Pears and Cook).

      http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/3/15/8218157/49ers-2015-salary-cap-space-prior-to-saturdays-additions

    1. Even if Marriota gets drafted by someone else, rumors will persist that Chip will trade for him. But I don’t put anything past Chip.

    1. If you mean the Broncos trying to trade for Vernon, yes. I posted a NN article about it a week or so ago. I wonder what they were willing to offer and if Baalke listened.

  23. Andrew Brandt ✔ @adbrandt
    Michael Johnson to make $6M this year playing for Bengals, per @AdamSchefter. Will also make $7M this year not playing for Bucs.

  24. NFL NET ran a Top Ten Shortest NFL Players
    These are my peeps; my tribe, LOL!
    Barry Sanders #1
    Darrel Green #2

      1. Razor-
        I had diverted attention during it (we did taxes today. Done!) but I don’t remember Fran. Criteria was under 5-10.
        Let’s see: Sam Mills, Doug Flutie, warrick Dunn, Bob Sanders, some 5-4 dude who played without a face ask in the 50s, Joe Morris and MJD.

          1. Did not!
            ; >)
            I did think that Mark Clayton deserved mention at 5’9″.
            Quick,fast, great routes and hands. Beautiful adjustment to the ball and a small dude who could beat press with his footwork. He was Marino’s go-to.

  25. Don’t know if anyone has established how long a career a small NFL player needs to make the list, but I remember (yes, I’m the old guy in the room) watching Noland Smith (KC and 49ers) meteoric rise in his rookie season and almost as quick as a descent the following two years.

    Wikipedia
    “Known as “Super Gnat” for his short stature and light weight — he was listed at 5-6 1/4 and 154 pounds — he was the smallest-sized player in the AFL or NFL of his era.[2] Smith was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 1967 AFL Draft. In his rookie season with the Chiefs in 1967, Smith led the American Football League in kickoff return yardage with 1,360 yards. On December 17, 1967, Smith returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown, still the longest kickoff return in Kansas City Chiefs history. Smith currently ranks 18th on the NFL’s all-time kick return average List with 26.06 yards per return.

    During his three seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs and 49ers, Smith was almost exclusively on kickoff and punt returns, with 63 punt returns for 635 yards and one touchdown and 82 kickoff returns for 2,137 yards and one touchdown, but only three rushing attempts for six yards, two pass receptions for 57 yards.”

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