49ers’ schedule announced

Here is the 49ers’ 2014 full schedule.

Week 1: 9-7 @ Dallas
Week 2: 9-14 vs. Chicago (primetime)
Week 3: 9-21 @ Arizona
Week 4: 9-28 vs. Philadelphia
Week 5: 10-5 vs. Kansas City
Week 6: 10-13 @ St. Louis (primetime)
Week 7: 10-19 @ Denver (primetime)
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: 11-2: vs. St Louis
Week 10: 11-9 @ New Orleans
Week 11: 11-16 @ New York Giants
Week 12: 11-23 vs. Washington
Week 13: 11-27 vs. Seattle (Thanksgiving night)
Week 14: 12-7 @ Oakland
Week 15: 12-14 @ Seattle
Week 16: 12-20 vs. Chargers
Week 17: 
12-28 vs. Arizona

This article has 230 Comments

  1. And the road schedule:

    Week 1: @ Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, September 7

    Week 3: @ Arizona Cardinals – Sunday, September 21

    Week 6: @ St. Louis Rams – Monday, October 13, 5:30 p.m. PT, ESPN (MNF)

    Week 7: @ Denver Broncos – Sunday, October 19, 5:30 p.m. PT, NBC (SNF)

    Week 8: BYE

    Week 10: @ New Orleans Saints – Sunday, November 9

    Week 11: @ New York Giants – Sunday, November 16

    Week 14: @ Oakland Raiders – Sunday, December 7

    Week 15: @ Seattle Seahawks – Sunday, December 14

    1. Fly to St. Louis Rams for a Monday nighter, then fly to Denver on a short week, then a bye? I wish they reversed those games with the Monday nighter before the bye.

      Later back to back east coast games with New Orleans, then New York Giants. That will probably be the stop-over week. If Aldon is activated, get the man a baby sitter. NY and NO seem like perfect stay-over spots.

    2. Playing the NFC Least and AFC West, this should be a cake walk.

      Prediction for their record: 13-3

      1. Philly’s and Denver’s uptempo offenses could challenge the 49ers’ defense.

              1. No argument there, but they could draft a quality starter in the upcoming draft.

              2. True. They should draft a QB in Round 2. I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted Manziel or Carr.

              3. April 24, 2014 at 9:32 am
                Is there a more overrated HC than Fisher?
                ————–
                Belichick.

              4. Is there a more overrated HC than Fisher?

                John Fox
                Ken Whisenhunt
                Lovie Smith
                Rex Ryan

        1. Especially on a 6 day week flying to Denver. To beat Denver, the 49ers will need all their pass rushing depth, and the offense has to sustain drives to chew clock.

    1. Only two cross country trips in the final nine weeks? Meaning only two games with 10 AM PST starts? The schedule makers are being generous this season…

    1. I was going to say at least we get to watch Manziel in action but he’ll be on IR by that point.

  2. Interesting Thanksgiving Day game against Seattle. I’ll have to really cut back on the turkey so I don’t have a tryptophan hang-over.

    We will likely split against Seattle again.
    A 12-4 season with our only losses against:
    Denver
    Seattle
    Arizona
    NYGiants

    Rematch of the championship game against Seattle with the 49ers getting over their mortal foe and going on to win the Superbowl.

  3. Possbily the funniest tweet of the night:

    “@DonteWhitner: Better 2014 record…San Fransisco 49ers or Cleveland Browns?”

    1. Hammer,
      That is a funny tweet.
      Sometimes I wonder if we loss against Seattle because we don’t have enough player’s with a lucid brain (lol).

  4. When I flew out to San Fran to watch them play Seattle, I was excited to get straight out of bed and football be on. On the east coast you have to wait all dang day.

    I think we have a favorable schedule. I hate that we play Seattle on thanksgiving day. GEEZ. I already hate watching the niners play around people, it’s going to be miserable watching them play around family.

      1. Over here, the LATER GAMES are at 10:00a!
        .
        And just to show you guys how good you’ve had it…before they changed the Draft schedule (remember when it was on Saturday and Sunday?), we had to get up at 6:00a on Saturday and 5:00a on Sunday to watch it!
        .
        That’s FIVE A.M. dude!!!!
        .
        Just saying…
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

    1. I hear you KY. I had a full house on that ravens game. It was really awkward after that one. I rather just watch the game jusy me and my boys (sons that is)

  5. 7-1 before the bye week and a 13-3 record with the lone losses to Philadelphia, Seattle, and Arizona. This of course is dependent on the team upgrading the secondary through the draft.

      1. Lemonier and Skuta will be able to hold their own if Smith is in jail and/or suspended. It’s the secondary that I’m worried about.

    1. “7-1 before the bye week”

      Our bye is week #8 so we’ll only play 7 games preceding it.

      1. Even in the face of the 49ers only having seven games before the bye, I’m still going with 7-1. That’s how much faith I have in the team.

        I’m also predicting an overall record for the season of 23-3.

  6. Grant, thank you for printing the schedule.

    Below is a schedule with days of the week Gives a nice picture of the challenges ahead.

    Sunday, Sept. 7, at Dallas, 1:25 p.m.

    Sunday, Sept. 14, vs. Chicago, 5:30 p.m.

    Sunday, Sept. 21, at Arizona, 1:05 p.m.

    Sunday, Sept. 28, vs. Philadelphia, 1:25 p.m.

    Sunday, Oct. 5, vs. Kansas City, 1:25 p.m.

    Monday, Oct. 13, at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m.

    Sunday, Oct. 19, at Denver, 5:30 p.m. (Fly Denver on a short week after road game. How will Aldon’s suspension time out?)

    Bye

    Sunday, Nov. 2, vs. Rams, 1:05 p.m.

    Sunday, Nov. 9, at New Orleans, 10 a.m.

    Sunday, Nov. 16, at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. (Back to back east coast games)

    Sunday, Nov. 23 vs Washington, 1:25 p.m.

    Thursday, Nov. 27, vs. Seattle, 5:30 p.m. (Short week.)

    Sunday, Dec. 7, at Oakland, 1:25 p.m.

    Sunday, Dec. 14, at Seattle, 1:25 p.m. (Big division decider game)

    Saturday, Dec. 20, vs San Diego, 1:30 p.m. (Short week. At least they host the game)

    Sunday, Dec. 28, vs. Arizona, 1:25 p.m. (an 8 day week to prepare for AZ)

    1. I’d be more worried about the Denver and St. Louis games if the one against St. Louis was a home game. The short trip shouldn’t affect the team at all.

    1. Ricardo,
      I’m good with one Monday nighter. The anticipation of having to wait through the weekend for a Monday night game wreaks havoc on the nerves (lol).

      I’d typically frown on a Thanksgiving Day game, but because it’s the c-hawks its all good. Of course that means a longer wait before the next game.

      1. AES, yeah… I could relate to the “craziness” surrounding a MNF :)

        IMHO though, Thursday night game is not good for the game. The quality of the games are so bad that a lot of times I don’t even finish watching it :(

  7. Could be worse. (Since 2011 we are really getting used to these killer schedules)

    Without Aldon and Bowman for much/all of 2014, its a challenge finding a slam dunk wins. A big shortage of patsies this season. 13 of the 16 games look to be contested, physical contests.

    The good news…
    – 4 of the final 6 are home games
    – The 49ers play on an extra days rest for the season final at Levis. Good chance they will need that final win.
    – Only two 10am games
    – No December cold weather games
    – A nice almost perfectly mid-season bye after the D has to play a track-meet game vs Denver.

    Minor Concerns…
    – Flying to Denver on a short week is going to be a big challenge. The offense needs to play ball control to shorten the game, the defense needs to rotate pass rushers.
    – Would have been nice to showcase Levi Stadium in our famous Sept-Oct weather for one more game. The silver lining is one more home late late in the season.

    Also easy to forget… Santa Clara is considerably milder and dryer then it is in Northern Sonoma County in November-December.

    1. Brodie
      Yeah, Santa Rosa gets double the annual rainfall compared to Santa Clara; approx 31″ vs 15+”. I guess that’s why Jed didn’t build a stadium next to River Rock Casino!

  8. So we’ll be in “Jerry’s World” (AT&T Stadium) week 1….I want YOU Jerry!!
    Your yearly-reoccurring playoff dreams will be shattered earlier than ever this year Jerry.
    You’re living in Fantasyland Jerry! You have a choker QB and the ultimate diva at WR…..No “D” in big “D” …..The only thing you have going for you Jerry is the hottest cheerleaders on the planet. God bless you for that.

      1. Well, the first time came across as more of an enforced leave of absence. This time round it sounds like he’s leaving of his own accord to deal with a private family matter.

        1. Agreed Scooter. He was essentially pushed out the door by the Niners. This time it appears it’s his decision and he plans to start his own scouting service and work from home.

        1. I wonder if he’s 100%.
          .
          I mean, we don’t even know what the problem was when he left SF.
          .
          Now it’s two GM jobs in a row for unspecified reasons…
          .
          Something’s off kilter a little bit methinks.
          .
          .
          .
          ~ALOHA~

      2. You nailed it. He left the 49ers a week or two before the draft. Wasn’t that the A. Davis, Mike Iupati, Taylor Mays draft? What ever the reason, I hope it turns out well for him (not the Seahawks)

        Still trying to sort out who was responsible for Taylor Mays. Reminds me why you don’t always go on combine or pro-day stats.

        Some think Ryan Shazier is this year’s Taylor Mays. Like Mays he has a great size/speed ratio. He does have a larger body of work making plays compared to Mays.

        1. Yeah, that pretty much sums up my thoughts on Shazier. If football was all played in a straight line both Mays and Shazier would be elite players.

  9. Welp looks like Russel Wilson is getting a divorce. So much for that wholesome family image everyone kept saying Kaep didn’t have.

    1. Divorce does nothing to his image unless he did something wrong in the marriage.

      1. I’m just speaking strictly on people that say, “why can’t Kaep be a family man like Russ?”

        I think it’s a dumb statement.

          1. I’ve seen people mention things like that when they begin to compare why Russell Wilson is successful, oppose to why Kaep has not reached a Super Bowl victory. I’ve even seen someone mention Wilson wears suits and Kaep wears baggy jeans. It’s ridiculous

    2. ‘Welp looks like Russel Wilson is getting a divorce. So much for that wholesome family image everyone kept saying Kaep didn’t have.’
      .
      .
      The rumor is that he wanted to get rid of his wife before he signs his big extension so he doesn’t have to share his millions with her.
      .
      Greedy bastard!
      .
      I think I kinda like him a little bit now…naaaaaaaah.
      .
      .
      .
      ~ALOHA~

    1. Conceivable. Every NFC west road game will be tough. The Denver and New Orleans road games will be tough. The games against Philly and San Diego should be tough as well.

      1. Why do you think San Diego will be tough? Rivers is washed up and predictable.

    2. Jack,

      I thought 11-5 when I read through the schedule. Unlike some others who have posted, my feeling is that the team gets off to a slow start. I see three potential losses before the bye — @Arizona, vs Philly and @Denver. I would not rule out a loss @STL either.

      After the bye, I see the Giants and Seahawks (@ Seattle) as the likely losses.

      Who are your six?

        1. Dallas and Wash really?

          I say Romo has a good day, but that defense is awful. Same can be said about Washington.

          Care to elaborate why?

          1. Opening week games are always a bit unpredictable the Cowboys in Dallas are a tougher draw than it appears.

            Washington because they have a quick turnaround to get ready for Seattle only 4 days later and the 49ers haven’t been all that good in games before Thursday night games the last 3 years.

            1. “the 49ers haven’t been all that good in games before Thursday night games the last 3 years.”

              That is not something I considered, but it is an interesting point. And given that the Thursday night opponent is Seattle, it may even be more likely that look past the Washington game.

              1. In Harbaugh’s time here they are 1-2 before Thursday games. The first loss was the meltdown against the Giants and the second is when they lost to the Colts last year when Vernon Davis went down and they couldn’t muster much offense. I don’t see a trend, just circumstance.

              2. I know that Jack, but to use the league as your defense and then to tell others that obvious facts that the league can be wrong at times is nothing but an example of whining does nothing to help you.

              3. I didn’t use the league as an excuse. Did they change the results?

                Unless they did all of the whining and saying, “that’s not what I saw” is irrelevant.

              4. I didn’t use the league as an excuse.

                Technically you did with this: Sorry, but the NFL disagrees.

                Unless they did all of the whining and saying, “that’s not what I saw” is irrelevant.

                Then why this statement: The end result in both cases was a loss. All the whining in the world won’t change it
                It’s not whining if you can provide evidence that the call was bad. Yes it is still a loss, but it is what is termed as a controversial loss. That’s not whining at all. That’s stating a fact, and it is far from irrelevant.

              5. MidWest,

                Regardless of how anyone wants to view the Saints game the end result was a loss. That was my point.

                If you view that as an excuse, so be it.

              6. As you believe that not being happy about a controversial call that was the cause of that loss is a form of whining.

              1. No, but Harbaugh and staff had never lost back to back games until last year either.

              2. Me either. Another example of bad luck officiating/rules, just like the Bowman fumble recovery while getting his knee shredded…

              3. No offense Jack, but the league still believes that Golden Tate caught a TD pass against the Packers two seasons ago. Using what the league says as a defense can only get you so far.

              4. The end result in both cases was a loss. All the whining in the world won’t change it

              5. The truth is they lost. Was it a bad call? Sure. Did the 49ers benefit from other bad calls throughout the year? Yes.

        2. Jack,

          Just curious — why Dallas? I did not really consider them as a possible loss.

          I thought about New Orleans as a likely loss, but that game is the first game of the road trip, and the 49ers may have a bit extra motivation from the loss last year, so I think a victory in New Orleans is quite possible. However, I see the Giants game as a possible let down game after a victory in New Orleans.

          As for Washington, was the fact that it is after a tough two-game road trip part of your thinking? I thought about that, but I do not see the 49ers losing to Washington at home.

          1. My thoughts exactly JPN.

            Though I do agree that Dallas should not be overlooked. That offense is still a top 10 offense, and Romo has had success against our defense in the past. Also they tend to be fast starters and slow down immensely as the season progresses. And you know they’ll be pumped to show that they are not the joke of NFC against an elite team.

            That being said, we should still be able to have our way with that defense, running and passing. And Dallas has never been a major threat at home.

          2. Just curious — why Dallas? I did not really consider them as a possible loss.

            There’s no reason to. Dallas is a bad team, with one of the worst defenses in the league. No reason to think that game will be a loss.

            They also won’t lose to Washington at home unless they suffer a rash of injuries.

            I agree with you on the Giants. That could be game they stumble and NO and Denver will both be tough.

            1. Dallas played three 2013 playoff teams at home and lost each by a combined margin of 6 points. It won’t be a walkover.

    3. 12-4 at worst. This schedule will also have them in good shape for the playoffs considering how little they have to travel in the second half of the season.

    4. Jack,

      Wow. Barring an absolute rash of injuries / problems (beyond the ones we already know about), it looks like 10-6 is the lower bound of for the 49ers, and least likely of possible records. Same as last year, I’m going with 12-4, with 13-3 a close second.

      1. Ex,

        I’m basing that on a defense that could be without Smith and Bowman for a few games in the first half of the season and a secondary that right now would have a guy coming off a knee injury starting at CB.

        There is still over 140 days, a draft, a court date or two, OTA’s and training camp to get to before the season will be ready to start.

  10. I think the schedule looks tough this year…… Thinking Denver will be my away destination this year. Anyone been to Denver? I’ve never been.

    1. @Bay
      I was wondering where you’d go this year. I thought maybe Oakland. : >)
      You’ll like Denver. Good, laid back folks. Nice city. It would slay them to hear this, but there are similarities between Californians & Coloradans.

      1. Beautiful women in Denver.
        Not quite to the level of San Diego, but nice nonetheless.

    2. Bay,

      The schedule is always tough but it’s laid out pretty nice. 4 of the last 6 games at home, very little travel the second half of the season. This schedule is a dream compared to last years world tour.

      Strange that they play Seattle twice late in the season but that is actually a plus too as Bowman is likely to be back by then.

      1. Not only that, I also think when looking at the Seattle’s schedule the one thing that is also in our favor is our bye week. Seattles bye week is early in the season. Also not leaving the west coast for in our last six games is huge as well.
        For Seattle weeks 8 through 14 they are in
        Carolina, New York, Kansas City and Philadelphia. It also helps that the week before our Thanksgiving matchup, the Hawks play a very physical matchup against the Cards…

  11. I am glad we get Seattle at home first this year. Hopefully we will have at least a two game lead on them by the time we go there on Dec 14. Would be nice to clinch the NFC west and a possible #1 seed on their home field.

    I am not sure why so many people are worried about Philly. They will not be the same team without Desean Jackson. Defenses have figured out the Chip Kelly gimmick offense and I see them going 8-8 and missing the playoffs. No way they beat us at home.

    Denver on the road will be tough. Seattle on the road is always a tough matchup.

    My prediction is 13-3. 7-1 at home (loss to Arizona in week 17 when it will mean nothing), 6-2 on the road (losses to Seattle and Denver).

    Go Niners.

    1. McShay must not be getting the attention he wants because he’s been making some pretty ostentatious claims lately.

    2. If Latimer goes in round 1 another talented WR is falling. Let ’em reach.

      But as Brotha and CfC said, Philly will go defense (CB) in round 1.

  12. We go 13-3. Losses @NYG, @SEA, and either @NO or @DEN (1 of the two).

    We lost 2 games last year because Crabtree (and his resulting effect on the offense) was out – CAR and @NO. We pick up those kinds of games this year and it is the difference between hosting the NFC CG and going up to Sound Machine Stadium.

  13. I wonder if the league will ever let us play on Thanksgiving without making it as hard as possible. We first traveled on a short week to Baltimore amid the hype of the Harbaugh bowl and now we have to travel to Washington and then have 3 days of practice before our first match up with Seattle of the season.

    I agree that Washington could be a loss in fact we should just forfeit the game and stay home and put in extra practice for the Seattle game.

    1. CFC look at the schedule again. We get Washington at Levi’s. It’s a short week, but Seattle has to play Arizona at Sound Machine Stadium 4 days beforehand and Arizona beat them there last year. This could work out tremendously to our advantage.

      1. I’d much rather have the 1.5 hour flight to Arizona and be back by 10pm on Sunday night then have the 4.5-5 hour flight to Washington and get home in the wee hours of Monday morning. Especially if I have to be at the facility Monday morning for treatment and film.

      1. How did I see that wrong? I guess the @ from New York dropped down into my field of view. pffft thanks for the heads up. What a boner move.

  14. Jack is there any chance that the draft will change your perdiction for the 9ers final record?

  15. Seattle plays the “first-place” schedule, while the 49ers get last year’s second-place teams in the NFC North and NFC South. More

      1. Fivethirtyeight.com says the 49ers have the fourth-toughest schedule and the Seahawks have the fifth-toughest schedule.

          1. Here is a list of some of the article titles, they’ll probably tell you what you need to know about the site:

            Which NFL Teams Really Have the Toughest and Easiest Schedules in 2014?

            11:45 AM
            Comparing the WWF’s Death Rate to the NFL’s And Other Pro Leagues’

            6:11 AM
            Is the DH Rule Slowing the Game Down?

            APR 23
            How to Measure Traffic Congestion

            APR 23
            Where the U.S. Gets Its Clothing, One Year After the Bangladesh Factory Collapse

            APR 23
            A 14-Team NFL Playoff Wouldn’t Bring More Parity

            APR 23
            Elizabeth Warren Wouldn’t Be 2016′s Obama, But She Could Be Its John Edwards

            APR 23
            Do April Showers Bring May Flowers?

            APR 23
            Under Moyes, Manchester United Wasn’t Particularly Good — Or Lucky

            APR 22
            The Odds of Getting on a Domestic Partner’s Health Plan

        1. Ok.

          I like the schedule personally. I don’t think the AFC West is that formidable with the exception of the Broncos, and the NFC East was the worst division in the league last year. There’s some tough games obviously but last years schedule was worse imo by a long shot due to all the travel.

        2. Grant does that web site use last years records as their measure of ths years schedules difficulty? Miaocco does a great job in breaking it down well passed just simple stats.

          1. No, it uses the past two years.

            “Because the regression is looking at two years’ worth of data (albeit weighing results from 2013 about 2½ times as strongly as those from 2012), it expects Atlanta to be roughly an average team in 2014 — not the 4-12 team it’s perceived to be by the NFL’s official SOS metric — which feeds most heavily into the SOS ratings of Atlanta’s divisional foes in Carolina, Tampa Bay and New Orleans.”

            1. I think the point is that yes on paper Hawks have the 5th and niners the 4th toughest, but when you start talking amount of travel, the timing of travel, and back-to-back road games against tough teams, etc. you know situational type things than the Hawks look to have gotten the shorter end…. but it’s debatable.

        3. You never really know how tough the schedule is until you get the season going. Team history isn’t always a good indicator. There are always surprises as to which teams are tougher than expected, and which are easier. For example, the Texans will be considered an average at best team in Silver’s rankings, but if they get decent play out of their QB it wouldn’t surprise to see them return to the playoffs, just like the Colts did after drafting Luck.

            1. They don’t need to – they have a pretty good D unlike the Colts of 2012. They also have decent receivers and a running game. They just need to get decent QB play, a guy that doesn’t continually put the D under pressure. Bill O’Brien *should* be able to get a QB to play smart football.

              1. Besides Watt, the Texans’ 2014 D is pedestrian at best.

                Is O’Brien still using a zone running scheme? Can Foster stay healthy?

              2. I think the Texans D is a tad better than that – aside from the stars Watt and Cushing, they have some other decent vets in Joseph, Jackson, Reed and Clemons, and some young talent coming up in Mercilus, Swearinger and Crick. It’s not a brilliant defense, but decent enough, and they’ll no doubt add to it through the draft.

  16. This may be a little off the subject but can anyone explain to me why there are no AFC teams playing on thanksgiving? Chi is at Det and the game is being televised by CBS. In the past an AFC team has played at Det or Dall and CBS has broadcast the game. I’ve never seen CBS broadcast 2 NFC teams before.

    1. Old Coach
      I saw some mention, perhaps at NFL.com, that in the later flex game weekends they may mix between Fox & CBS who broadcasts which games since the featured double header game can draw a bigger audience and thus more revenue. This then puts booth teams on air who aren’t as familiar with the other conference teams, coaches and players. A plus for the League and their TV Clients to the slight detriment of the customer. Again. Death By A Thousand Cuts.

      1. Maiocco has this on his site:

        A select number of games are being “cross-flexed,” moving between CBS and FOX to bring potentially under-distributed games to wider audiences. That is why the Nov. 23 game against Washington will appear on CBS.

    2. The league just wants to get the best games they can in Prime Time. I’m ok with that. I’d rather watch a good matchup with some implications, than Titans vs. Browns to see who will pick before the other in the draft.

  17. McShay has the niners taking Anthony Barr with his latest Mock Draft.

    I dont see any way he falls that far but if he did, I would definately want the niners to take him. On tape he appears to be a top 10 pick. A physical freak who was vastly productive but still has a lot to gain from experience, as he is very raw.

    If he dropped and we passed on him even with our needs I would be upset as no reciever or cornerback at that point would have such a high floor with such high upside.

    1. Wow – Barr at #30?! That would be a big surprise. Top pass rush talent doesn’t usually fall too far on draft day.

      In saying that, I prefer Attaochu to Barr. I know Barr is still learning the position, so he’ll improve, but I can’t help but see a guy that is almost 100% reliant on beating his guy with speed. He won’t be able to do that consistently in the NFL – see Dontay Moch. I’m not impressed by his strength and once an OL gets his hands on him it is game over.

      1. Yep, I worry about Barr also sometimes; Manny Lawson? Ford has a great first step but is also a speed guy, so Attaochu is stronger and plays with better leverage.

        1. Unlike Barr, Ford can hold up against an OL, and can convert speed to power. I just don’t think he is as fast a mover as Barr or Attaochu though – good initial quickness but not as good lateral movement or closing speed.

          Attaochu has as good or better acceleration/ burst as those guys but can also push through an OL with power in his lower half once he’s got a step on them (he put OL on skates a few times in the film I watched) and can hold his ground if an OL latches on. His technique with his hands is sloppy and needs to be refined to help him get off blocks and keep an OL’s arms away from his body, but once he does that he could be something pretty special as a pass rusher.

            1. I must respectfully disagree with much of the consensus that Attaochu is better than Barr. Barr was seen as a top10 draft pick prior to the offseason, and was pretty dominant considering he has only played as olb/de for 2 seasons while Attaochu is seen as a second rounder.

              Then look at their frames, Barr is 6’5 255 while Attaochu is 6’3 and about 253 so Barr has more room to grow into his frame. With the added size he should get better at holding the point of attack and develop a bull rush to go with his explosive burst… he compares more favorably with Javon Kearse than Dee For or Attaochu in my oppinion.

              1. Most analysts agree with you. A few cantankerous folks on here are just taking a minority view, like me. My fear is he may be a One Trick Pony. I thought that about Irvin, and I was wrong.

              2. Good points shoup.

                I wouldn’t call it a consensus opinion that Attaochu is better than Barr. I think most people consider Barr a better prospect than Attaochu, other than a few vocal Attaochu supporters here like razor and I. The media and experts certainly do for the most part.

              3. One red flag with Attaochu is he did not bench at his pro day, which tells me not only was it technique at times that got him into trouble, but strength as well. He’ll have to spend more time in the weight room and get stronger, which I fully expect him to do….

              4. Maybe, but he also had a wrist injury. I’m sure he could stand to get stronger, but from what I have seen on film he doesn’t seem to have glaring issues with regards to a lack of strength. His main issues as a pass rusher are technique and balance – he overbalances on occasion.

              5. Yea, I didn’t notice much on film either, but not benching had me wondering. I was not aware of the wrist injury. That might explain it. Thanks Scooter…..

              6. He shows “field strength”, if that’s a legit concept. In lateral pursuit he sheds well and peels off blockers. He arrives with a jolt, which suggests core strength to me. I think he’s strong, but hand placement, hand fighting technique could help as Scooter pointed out. I like the jolt; Oooh-Rah. You can’t teach the joly.
                With Ford, you can’t coach that first step quickness.
                Fangio might like Barr better…..

      2. Barr has only been playing DE for a couple of years. This kid is already very good and it’s all on athletic talent. With NFL coaching he could be great. None of these other guys have the natural ability Barr has.

        1. They may not have the speed, but they have better strength and power. Barr is a finesse athlete at a position that requires violence and power. Is coaching going to change this?

          1. Barr has more natural ability and size than these other guys, and that can’t be taught. He’s a big kid who will get stronger in an NFL weight training program. You can’t look at where they are right now; you have to look at where they will be in a year or two, and with the strides Barr has made in two years, the sky is the limit for him.

            1. Don’t get me wrong – if he’s there at #30 he’s great value. And yes, I am well aware you take these guys based on what they will be, not what they are. None of them are finished products, and Barr less so than many as he’s only played DE/OLB for 2 years.

              But saying Barr has more “natural ability” is conjecture. What is “natural ability” to you? To me it is more than just height, weight, strength and speed. That’s athletic ability. He’s got some impressive athletic talent, in particular height and speed, but for all that he isn’t strong. He’ll no doubt add strength as you say, and with his frame he can probably do so without losing much speed or agility.

              But “natural ability” also includes other attributes that aren’t so easily measured such as instincts and attitude. Barr has shown impressive ability to learn quickly on the fly, and for a guy with only 2 years experience has pretty good instincts.

              The area that concerns me is attitude, and I’m not talking about how he interacts with teammates or coaches. I mean his attitude on the field, and approach to playing DL. Beating an OL for speed and agility is just part of playing OLB in the NFL – at some point you need to convert speed to power, and the key to that is initiating contact while you have the upper hand, being the aggressor. Barr takes more of a passive approach. He simply hasn’t shown much willingness to be an aggressor as a DL – he prefers to avoid contact with the OL rather than initiate it, and when the OL gets a hold of him he doesn’t do much to get out of it.

              Attaochu already has the right attitude. Barr needs to learn it. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t.

              1. Scooter,

                All I meant by natural ability is how quickly he developed the ability to rush the passer. He’s a natural pass rusher in a perfect body for the position. I don’t think he lacks strength; I think it has more to do with gaining a comfort level in all aspects of playing the position. In other words he’s still thinking instead of reacting at times. He is really raw, yet he can dominate at times. With what he has naturally, he can be a great player with NFL Coaching and Nutrition/Training.

              2. I’m also not trying to dismiss Attaochu. He’s a good player and would be a solid pick in the second round imo. My point was simply that if for some reason Barr dropped to the Niners, I’d run to the podium with his name on the card due to the talent level he possess’.

              3. I know rocket – I’m just saying that there are other elements that need to be considered as well, not just his physical abilities. Yes, he’s definitely an interesting prospect that coaches would love to get their hands on, and at #30 he’d be a very good pick. I prefer Barr over Ford.

                But I think Attaochu also has very impressive physical qualities and combines that with the type of attitude you like to see in a pass rusher. He’s aggressive with a high motor. I think he fits the 49ers style of play and I’d be more than happy with the 49ers drafting Attaochu at #30, but if they can get Attaochu in the second round then that would be excellent.

              4. He arrives at the ball carrier with a violent attitude and can get a little too lathered up at times during the course of a game….

            2. This wouldn’t be a hard call at all for me. Barr looks like a special player to my eyes. He is explosive with great balance and can bend the corner suddenly. He also arrives with bad intentions. For the past two seasons (his first 2 at the position) he has been dominant as a pass rusher with 23.5 sacks.

              When both players are considered weak at the point of attack. I would take the bigger, faster, more productive pass rusher every time.

      1. You know I like Marcus Smith, but I don’t think he’s as good as Barr or Attaochu as a pass rusher. He’s got good initial quickness which I really like, but I wouldn’t put him in the same class as Barr or Attaochu in that regard. Just a notch below. And he isn’t overly powerful in his bull rush either.

        He’s smart though, good on stunts, can drop into coverage and can set the edge. Basically he’s a just a really good all-round OLB prospect.

        1. He’s smart though, good on stunts, can drop into coverage and can set the edge. Basically he’s a just a really good all-round OLB prospect.

          That’s why I like him over the other two.

          1. If the 49ers lose Aldon though they’ll need to replace his pass rush more than they’ll need a well rounded guy. Attaochu is better in this respect, and is also decent in the running game. Just don’t ask him to cover.

            1. I think that Smith’s ability to cover would make him a more likely candidate, especially when you take our revamped secondary into consideration.

              1. Not really. The 49ers don’t ask Aldon to cover much. Just as well as he isn’t good at it.

                If they drafted Attaochu he’d most likely be asked to do a similar role Aldon did as a rookie – rush the passer on passing downs. And in future years he’d have to cover some, but not much. He’s still very young (21), he’ll learn. Rushing the QB and setting the edge in the running game are the main responsibilities for the 49ers OLBs.

                The thing Marcus Smith has going for him is he has experience playing pretty much the same role he’d be asked to play for the 49ers. With regards to coverage – he has experience splitting out and covering the slot in a short zone the same way the 49ers typically ask one of the OLBs to do in the 3-4 if they have a slot receiver on their side of the field. But he’s not great in coverage – he’s serviceable, the same way Aldon and Brooks are.

              2. Not really. The 49ers don’t ask Aldon to cover much. Just as well as he isn’t good at it.

                True, but we also haven’t had as many question marks on defense going into a season under Fangio.

                I also believe that Smith would be brought in to compete with Skuta and Lemonier as the backup OLB, to fill in for Aldon if/when he is suspended, and to be the potential successor to Brooks. They will probably hold off on drafting a pass rushing ROLB until 2015 if they choose or cannot afford to retain Aldon.

  18. “For example, going into the 2013 season, the Detroit Lions were expected to have the league’s second-hardest schedule based on the 2012 records of their opponents. So, what ended up happening? According to the strength-of-schedule component of Pro-Football-Reference’s Simple Rating System, Detroit actually had the league’s easiest slate of opponents last season.”

    Morale of the story; It’s pretty pointless to debate the difficulty of a schedule until teams actually start playing games.

  19. Not a fan of playing teams in the pre-season and then again in the regular season.

  20. Man,
    when the story first broke about Kaep you would have thought he had raped a woman. Then as the truth unfolds, he wasn’t even there and Lockette tried unsuccessfully to get the woman to leave. Ultimately having to call the police to get her out of his apartment.

    Then you have the Culliver story. While he was party to a hit and run, he realized his error and called the police himself. And now we are told he might now have brandished the brass knuckles as previously reported.

    And Aldon Smith. This was national news. But now somehow this is possibly being reduced to a misdemeanor. How could that be? Unless there was an overreaction. Or possible mistakes made by TSA?

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/24/l-a-district-attorney-refers-aldon-smith-case-to-city-attorney/

    My point is that no one in this room especially if you are a fan of the team and the players should rush to judgement. Now can we get to the draft already…..

      1. It was on one of the fanboy sites.

        “I’ve been told by a source not connected with the team, but familiar with the situation, that it was actually Culliver who called the police after the events that day”

    1. Bayarea I just hope the reports about Smith’s drinking are’nt true. I’m far more concerned about his continued alcoholism than a stupid juvenile remark.

  21. Well i bought my seats for our annual one 9er game a year. Sun. Nov. 2 vs. the Rams. We got pretty good seats corner of the end zone 1st row 2nd deck section 308 on the way back we will stop at either Original Joes or The House of Prime Rib. I’m stoked to see the new stadium especially the museum. Now just draft Jason Vetters and we are SB bound

      1. Leo the tickets themselves were $175.00 each but with Vivid’s charge and Fedex they came to $222.00 each. I bought similar seats to last years Seattle game the total cost per ticket was abot $120.00

        1. Thank OC.

          That’s a pretty big bump up. And that was a Seattle game. Wow. But I can’t wait to see that new stadium.

    1. Verrett?Love the mighty mouse.Prime rib coach,nice.There is an Izzy’s in San Carlos east side of 101on the way down.Enjoy the game!

  22. PFT says Roby arrested on some sort of DUI type charge in Ohio. Roby’s agent says he blew a .008 and its a big mistake. Does this drop Roby to Niners at 30? Or does Trent have to remove the gold helmet next to Roby and pass him by if available?

    1. Really really bad move by Roby. He had built up his draft stock all offseason and then does something like this. Stupid. I don’t think the Niners could take him now without being derided by every media outlet in the country.

      1. JV move. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Roby available in the Second Round now….

        1. Yep. ^
          .
          FYI. Kiper doesn’t think Roby is round 1 material anyways.
          .
          I do (or did).
          .
          .
          .
          ~ALOHA~

    2. Based on the 2011 draft I would say that makes him gold helmet material and pushes him up their draft board.

  23. Looks as though AD had shoulder surgery and was wounded in the Buccaneer fracas….

  24. Regarding Roby: wouldn’t several teams other than the Niners be “embarassed” to take Roby now? Seems like this could elevate Fuller and Verrett above Roby.

    1. It’s one to not want or be concerned about having a player with character concerns on your team. I DO NOT think the 49ers or any other team for that matter should be concerned what the media or anyone else thinks. He’s going to get drafted by someone. If he fills a need, draft him. Deal with the issues in house.

    2. Sacto – With all the Niners recent bad pub, Roby fits like a glove. I’d take him.

  25. Actually, Roby would be a perfect fit in Godfather Fangios’ defensive scheme….

  26. Yes sir Razor…….Speaking of good fits, I remember that scumbag OJ trying on those gloves. His pathetic acting job gave those nitwit, racist jurors another excuse to free OJ. After that shameful jury decision I showed my friends and family how easy it was to make gloves that are to big, extremely hard to get on. My acting job was nearly as good as OJ’s man. I grimaced in pain as I tried to put on some XXL leather gloves my neighbor loaned me. Then I squealed like a stuck pig as I struggled to get the oversized gloves halfway onto my hands…….Damn that prosecution team of Clark and Darden failed miserably…..The Juice was let loose.

    13 days til the draft! The rich (Niners) get richer!!

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