49ers’ parade to injury list has Shanahan and Co. looking for help

SANTA CLARA — At his Monday press conference, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the 49ers have added their 16th and 17th players to the season-ending Injured Reserve list, and will add an 18th player to IR later during the week.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt went on IR with a broken wrist he suffered Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie tight end Cole Hikutini also went on IR with a Grade 3 MCL sprain he suffered playing special teams against the Cardinals. And offensive tackle Garry Gilliam will go on IR with a Grade 3 MCL sprain he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles.

And that’s just the beginning of the 49ers’ injury list.

Click here to read the rest of my article.

This article has 80 Comments

  1. The Niners should just accentuate what an absurd hoax of a season this is by playing DBs, WRs, and the punter of the offensive line, Trent Brown at QB, and then put any 11 players at random spots in the backfield when the opponent is on offense. They can play the Florida Flop defense on every down to avoid further unnecessary injuries. I doubt the 47 Niners fans in attendance at Levi’s Stadium will care much one way or the other.

    Maybe they can coax Anthony Davis out of retirement to play a little wide receiver?

    1. Lol Balthazar! I was thinking you sign a team off the street and preserve your players for next year! All joking aside, I think CJ needs to do a better job of protecting himself, I’m tired of seeing people get hurt and he needs to live to fight another day. Throw the damn ball away kid!

    1. Screw that! Put the needle to his knee like they did Phillip Elliott in North Dallas Forty;>)

    1. “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
      Every player is now playing for their job and perhaps their football career.
      We are now into the second half of the season and the evaluation process is in full gear.

      The question now changes from when will we win our first game to who will be on the roster next year?

    2. the injury bug has bit, laid an egg sac under the team’s skin– now hundreds of injury bugs are crawling all over locker room….
      (thought your injury bug metaphor needed help)

  2. Bad teams get hurt, always the case. Trying too hard. You can only redline the engine for so long before you blow it up. Good teams are playing at 4000 RPM when all is well. These kids are playing at 7000…..

  3. Grant,
    The numbers I found had only 9 players missing for the season so it seems they were a bit off.
    Do you know how the 49ers injuries reported this year, stack up against other teams in terms of games missed or season ending injuries? Or is their a site where I can find this?

    1. There were 15 on IR before this game:

      91 Armstead, Arik DL 6-7 292 23 3 Oregon
      13 Burbridge, Aaron WR 6-1 208 23 2 Michigan State
      95 Carradine, Tank DL 6-4 270 27 5 Florida State
      65 Garnett, Joshua G 6-5 321 23 2 Stanford
      15 Garçon, Pierre WR 6-0 211 31 10 Mount Union

      47 Gilbert, Jimmie LB 6-5 230 22 R Colorado
      83 Hikutini, Cole TE 6-4 247 23 R Louisville
      30 Iworah, Prince Charles CB 5-11 193 24 1 Western Kentucky
      30 Jackson, Asa CB 5-10 183 27 5 Cal Poly-S.L.O.
      43 James, Chanceller S 6-2 208 23 R Boise State

      92 Jones, Chris DL 6-1 293 27 4 Bowling Green State
      20 Jones, Don DB 5-11 195 27 5 Arkansas State
      48 Newsom, Donavin LB 6-2 240 24 R Missouri
      51 Smith, Malcolm LB 6-0 225 28 7 USC
      29 Tartt, Jaquiski S 6-1 221 25 3 Samford

      25 Ward, Jimmie DB 5-11 193 26 4 Northern Illinois
      32 Williams, Joe RB 5-11 205 24 R Utah

      It’s 17 now. Those in bold were starters when they hit IR.

      1. Thanks Moses.
        This year it seems the injury bug was especially harsh… per another website I saw that only the Bears have been hit as hard numbers wise as the 49ers this year. But per that website both the Bears and 49ers had lost 9 players to season ending injuries… this shows that we have lost 17. So I was wondering how we stacked up vs other teams… especially since the website I was using seams to be incorrect.

    2. Other teams do the same thing, for example the Eagles:

      Goforth, Randall CB 5-10 190 23 R UCLA
      58 Hicks, Jordan LB 6-1 236 25 3 Texas
      42 Maragos, Chris S 5-10 200 30 8 Wisconsin
      71 Peters, Jason T 6-4 328 35 14 Arkansas
      34 Pumphrey, Donnel RB 5-9 176 22 R San Diego State
      Sh***u, Aziz DT 6-2 288 23 1 Stanford (IT’S HIS FRIGGIN’ NAME!!!)
      43 Sproles, Darren RB 5-6 190 34 13 Kansas State
      6 Sturgis, Caleb K 5-9 192 28 5 Florida
      Williams, Dom WR 6-2 200 24 1 Washington State

      They’ve only lost two significant players: Peters the OT and Sproles the change-of-pace-back that ****ed me in FF last year…

      (had to repost. Silly nanny filter didn’t like some guy’s last name.)

  4. Not looking good.

    Only a matter of time before Beathard follows if he continues to get hit 20 times a game.

    Then it’s risk JG or find a sacrificial lamb from somewhere. Kap? A DB? Joan from accounting?

    Wish we still had Hoyer that guy knew how to avoid the hit just roll on the ground second you get the ball in your hands

      1. Yes, true.

        Its hard to throw when you’re always on the ground (Hoyer). Its hard to throw when you only have a nanosecond before being hit in the ribs (Beathard). Its hard to throw when most of your receivers are either injured or dropping passes or both (Garoppolo, if he plays?).

        This is why I don’t really get the “its an evaluation season” rhetoric. Seems like its just something that some fans are saying to make themselves feel better about a crappy season.

        What exactly is KS going to evaluate?

        His playbook? How do you objectively assess a play that is doomed to fail from the start because of the personnel? How do you say that this particular play, or formation, or scheme didn’t work because its a bad play, when it could be that the play is perfectly fine, its just the players are competent enough to execute it properly?

        How does KS evaluate any individual player/position when the other players on the team are either playing out of position due to injuries to other starters, or simply not good enough to make the play a success?

        I’d imagine that to make an effective evaluation KS needs at least a core of competent players who have played together for some time and have been given requisite the time to digest and fully understand his playbook.

        I’m not entirely convinced he has that right now. What he has is an injury-riddled hodge-podge team made up largely of rookies and last-minute straw-clutching and gap-plugging. Not his fault, I know. But how is he supposed to objectively assess a piecemeal team?

        1. “This is why I don’t really get the “its an evaluation season” rhetoric. Seems like its just something that some fans are saying to make themselves feel better about a crappy season.”
          ~ BritishNiner

          As a 49ers faithful since the early 60’s, I have no problem conceding to that mindset. I’m always hopeful that my favorite team gets off this ugly ride and turns it around. I’ve been around long enough to see John Brodie throw to Gene Washington and Jimmy Johnson, Roland Lakes and Dave Wilcox play in their prime.

          You call it rhetoric, I call it hopeful. Hopeful for the mere reason that I can’t control the underlying reasons as to why this team is so bad, but continue to hope for better days. What I can control is my mindset towards the team.
          And if I feel that the rest of the season becomes an evaluation process, I believe that I’ve earned the right to feel this way.

          I guess I always try to see a positive angle to things.
          Example: Many people are saying that CJ is only a backup QB at best. And that may be true. But I say that CJ is the right QB for the way this team is playing at the moment. Why? because no other QB would be able to take the punishment that he has taken and still get up and stand in the pocket for the next play. Courage breeds courage and CJ is a courageous warrior!

          So when I say that this is now an evaluation process, CJ comes to mind. He could have walked to the sidelines (like most QB’ would have) after taking a shot from Bethea – but I believe he stayed in the game because he knew that Jimmy G was not ready to come in.
          The kid has earned a roster spot for next year imo – but the evaluation process continues for the entire roster.
          I only see a handful of players that I can say are a lock to be on next years roster.

          1. AES – don’t get me wrong… me saying that I’m struggling to see how KS can realistically evaluate this team under the current circumstances is not quite the same as me saying that all hope is lost…!!

            It is a crappy season, undoubtedly. But that doesn’t mean I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been a big champion of Beathard, I really like the kid, I genuinely hope he stays around, if he can make it through the next 7 games.

            I think Solomon Thomas was a solid pick, despite what a lot of other people think. Foster is fun to watch. There is a small nucleus of good players on D… Buckner of course.

            I also really like Kittle, despite the drops, I like his attitude, and think he will get better as his technique improves.

            I only see a handful of players that I can say are a lock to be on next years roster.

            I guess for me that’s the issue I cant quite get my head around, and perhaps I’m being naïve. But with such a light smattering of players with any shot of a future, how can the rest of the players be properly evaluated by the coaches?

            Sure, you can look at Beathard’s play and come to the conclusion that he’s one tough cookie, a real courageous warrior, and I completely agree. But that’s attitude, that’s only part of it. How does KS evaluate Beathard’s technique, accuracy, placement, etc when there are no decent receivers to throw to? How does KS evaluate if his own complex playbook is working when Beathard is getting whacked every other play? That’s the bit I don’t really understand.

            And you can apply the same questions to other positions… how does KS assess Hyde/Brieda’s running play when he doesn’t have the O line who know how to block in his complex offensive system? (or do know how, but just aren’t competent).

            Genuine questions… I’m not trying to be negative. I’m just struggling to see how any coach could make an objective assessment of this team at the moment.

            1. Just part of the game, and always has been. It is a game of attrition, and KS has to play the hand dealt him. Winning teams seem fortunate to avoid the injury bug, and teams like the Bears last year seemed to be a Mash unit.
              .
              Blaming the losing on injuries is easy to do, but not very forthright. Every team is beset with injuries, and that is why they have such large squads.
              .
              Yes, it is next man up, but the talent level decreases as they scrape the bottom of the barrel. However, injuries also allow players to step up and shine. Niners had no depth with all the roster turnover, so that is why they are playing rookies.
              .
              KS will have a hard time making assessments with all the injuries, but the injuries also tell him something. Some players are tough and durable, and some seem to be injury prone. The best ability is availability, so that will be factored into any assessments.
              .
              Sure, this is a train wreck of a season, but I see the light at the end of tunnel. Too bad it seems like it is the light of another train coming…..;p

              1. “The best ability is availability”

                Seb stop using my lines. I know you want to be as smart as me but be honest with yourself, you never will!

            2. “Sure, you can look at Beathard’s play and come to the conclusion that he’s one tough cookie, a real courageous warrior, and I completely agree. But that’s attitude, that’s only part of it. How does KS evaluate Beathard’s technique, accuracy, placement, etc when there are no decent receivers to throw to? How does KS evaluate if his own complex playbook is working when Beathard is getting whacked every other play? That’s the bit I don’t really understand.”

              There is a total disconnect in regards to the offensive players being evaluated because in my opinion, the offensive skill players cannot be fairly judged because the O-line is not allowing them to. The O-line is like a broken mirror, you can’t really get a clear look at yourself when looking into it.
              Shanahan is really not getting a clear look at the offensive skill players with this O-line.
              But the one thing I’m sure he can see clearly is that the O-line will need a major make-over.

  5. Frankly, at this point in a meaningless season, the Niners should grab a scrub QB off the street and play him instead of CJB and JB. When he gets injured, then just rinse and repeat. Could be a good idea using scrub RBs in the same way.

    1. Interesting concept. Seriously, what could it hurt? I don’t think you can even say you are giving players experience running your offensive scheme when you can’t even get a play off without getting the QB punched in the mouth. Other option is to sign a RB who can run the wildcat for the entire game. A few years ago, Baylor was missing their leading rusher (Shock Linwood), top two quarterbacks (Seth Russell and Jarret Stidham) and Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver (Corey Coleman) for its bowl game against North Carolina. So Art Briles changed his entire offense for their bowl game to basically a Wildcat offense. Baylor ended up rushing for 645 yards in the game and scoring 49 points. That bowl game was perhaps the greatest coaching accomplishment I’ve ever seen. Briles obviously ran an unethical and immoral program but the man could coach.

  6. Trent Taylor has a broken rib. He’ll be out for a while because a broken rib can easily lead to a punctured and collapsed lung (something I know from personal experience). However, he’s not going on IR.

    Kittle re-aggravated his ankle sprain early in the Arizona game. It was bad enough the team doctors thought he’d broken it and took him in for X-Rays. However, when Juszczyk and Hikutuni went down, he demanded to go back in toughed it out (despite Grant’s constant (false) assertions the players won’t play hurt for Shanahan) and that means no-go this Sunday.

    Fusco (biceps injury) may not play Sunday and will be a game-time decison. He’s been playing through that for weeks (despite Grant’s constant (false) assertions the players won’t play hurt for Shanahan). But at least his knee is better.

    Dontae Johnson (shoulder), Solomon Thomas (knee), Kyle Juszczyk (neck), Aaron Lynch (calf) and D.J. Jones (knee) are possibilities to play against the Giants but that most of them will be up in the air until game time. Johnson will be wearing a ‘no-contact’ jersey during this week of practice, I’m not sure if the rest will practice or not.

    Gilliam will be going on IR (if he hasn’t already).

    The 49ers lead the NFL on players going onto IR. 23 have gone on IR so far this season. 17, not including Gilliam, are currently on it.

    At this point, if you’re ranting and raving about losing because a talent-poor team has been gutted and you buy off on that stupid ‘next man up’ cliche where back-ups play at the same level… You’ve lost the plot…

  7. Is this the most fragile 49er team ever? I guess that little Frederick P. Soft dude is back.

    1. The injury bug is rampant down in Santa Clara. So much so that Matt Maiocco has now been placed on IR with a neck injury and Tim Kawakami is going through the concussion protocol.

  8. Saleh wants them to play violently. It is no wonder they have twice as many defenders hurt than offensive players.

    1. Just maybe if the offense had played with the same violence/intensity, the Niners would not be 0-9. Your aversion to intensity/violence leads me to believe that you need to find a softer, gentler sport. Let me make myself clear, in no way am I trying to make fun of you it just seems with your mental makeup that football just is not the right sport for you.

      1. I do not ascribe to the mindset of of Ol’ Blood and Guts. Sure, he had success, but at what cost?
        .
        I do not believe in Pyrrhic victories.
        .
        My mental makeup does not countenance 0-9 records. I wish they could out strategize their opponent, and keep intact their fighting force.

  9. With the Niners having so many injuries, they should be desperate, and poach players from other team’s practice squads. They should target players who are buried behind pro bowl players, like Kadeem Edwards G or Jarron Jones OT from the Cowboys. I mentioned Nate Theaker previously, but the Saints picked him up.

    1. If the 49ers tag JG and then another team wants him what is the compensation to the 49ers? Is it 2 first round picks? The Browns have 2 first round picks in next years draft so I’m wondering if that trade is a pipe dream or if it’s a possibility.

    2. Thanks for the link Cubus. Id like a 4 year contract, prove it type deal with 30 million guaranteed.

  10. I noticed yesterday how posters spoke about on the one hand how difficult it was to rebuild a team because players were hard to come by, but on the other, they were happy to let go of players we currently had because in their view, they weren’t worth it (Ward and Kilgore). I’ve seen it with Reid too.

    Here is a news flash. Good players do not grow on trees. Personnel assessment is quite difficult, and it is not a given. One player may look good one year and fall flat the next as assignment duties change. For a team with so many holes the last thing they should be doing is casting off talent so blithely.

    This year had been an unmitigated disaster. No two ways about it. It is unfortunate, but true. There may be some silver linings but the team is well on its way to possibly setting an unprecedented losing record. Fans have accepted that. Guess Jimmy T. And Chip K. have inured everyone to this.

    Sadly, unless the interior of the OL is addressed in a serious way I can predict that next year will be about as bad. It won’t be much better anyway because the skill players just aren’t what they should be. Additionally the team is in critical need of CBs and desperately needs an Edge Rusher. Without these, other offenses will carve us up. As it is they run at will so our DL and LB corps still needs work.

    We recently let one of our veteran players walk across the bay and begin contributing to the Raiders while he could be helping to stop the run on our team. Sure he isn’t the player he once was but he still is better than his replacement, and that matters in games.

    1. 1) We were discussing Ward yesterday. Given his availability, is he worth $8.5 million in base salary next year? I happen to think Ward is a good player, but he has a definite injury history. And like I responded to you yesterday, I have to wonder about players who can’t even make it through a conditioning test without subsequently being on the injury list for months.

      It was a hypothetical and obviously the team is not making those kinds of decisions now. Personally I think they should keep it open as an option, especially, if for some reason a good, durable, free agent safety becomes available or if Colbert becomes a stud (he and Tarrt would then be free safeties next year).

      2) The interior of the OL is bad, but in reading some articles, some journalists seem to think it is still better than last year. The OTs seem to be getting some love. While I have nothing but massive respect for CJB and would definitely like him to stay on as a backup, I wonder if the fact that he is an inexperienced rookie is resulting in a number of hits and sacks being more on him than on the OL. Seeing Jimmy G. play might shed some light on this question. The OL can make a QB look better than he is but the reverse is also true.

      3) People seem to forget that Bowman wanted to leave. Lynch did exactly what he said he would do from the moment he assumed the GM position. He said he would treat players the way he would want to be treated if he was still playing. He let NB go to allow him to play with a team that at the moment is better than ours. I think this kind of attitude will have the side benefit of helping the team acquire good free agents.

      1. We let go of a player we could ill afford to lose. Could have let him go at the end of the season. Could have played him more too.

        Lynch said that but then his actions on Sunday also contradicted his whole winning mentality attitude too as well! And there’s playing smart and that is something I’m not seeing.

        Regarding your first point Cubus, Ward is worth it if you do not have someone who can take his place, simple as that.

        Regarding your second point, it would take a really wonderful, fabulous QB to make this OL look good and I don’t think JG is that guy. I think you guys may be dreaming. But hey, that’s ok. I think Scott McL. said JG needs good players to look good.

        Oregon, we could use a whole lot of pieces we cast off.

        1. East, Jimmy G is special. Of course every QB needs good players around them. But special players make others around them better and we have not had that for a very long time. Steve Young was maybe the last special QB we have had.
          I think with a healthy oline and a legit #1 WR and some depth on offense, this thing will take us to 7-8 wins next year!

          1. Prime, we don’t know what JG is yet. He may be special, he may not be. We will see. I agree with Scooter though that if NE were convinced that he were the second coming of TB they would have let the older version go.

            1. From what I heard, that trade was mandated by the owner Robert Kraft. He is loyal to Tom Brady whereas BB is all about business.

              I agree with everyone doubting Jimmy G, he has a lot to prove but he also is talked about highly in what he can do.
              I don’t think you will disappointed and 49ers fans are going to love this guy.
              Now its time to stop pumping his tires and see what he can do on the field.

    2. EC9er

      No…! Navarro Bowman is probably revered as much as anyone we’ve had over the last 10 years…a great LB, a courageous leader…but Bow gave everything he had to the 49ers…what is left to the Raiders fits their need…NOT ours. He was ‘old’ for his years, and despite the size of his heart, all the other body parts were fading….WhatI’m pissed about, is …we sure could us Theus and Balducci right about now….

      1. So your pissed about 2 guys that either never played Balducci and Theus who was horrific? What?!

    3. This is something I have been saying for a number of years – fans overreact to player performance and want to get rid of X, Y, Z player because they aren’t performing like superstars, even though they may still be playing ok. But unless you can find an upgrade, getting rid of the player achieves nothing good.

      I’m all for keeping Ward. I have been all for keeping Reid in previous years until now, and only reason I say let him go now is that he is a FA, can negotiate a big long term deal, and it doesn’t seem like Shanahan and Lynch want to commit to him long term. With Kilgore, I have no problem keeping him, but as a backup. The interior of the OL needs a serious upgrade to its starters.

      1. Trade down, take G Nelson.
        Take C Price in 2nd, trade up into back half of the 1st to get him if you have to.
        Sign Jeffrey.
        All this makes Garoppolo happy.

        About Ward. I see him as a part time player. At FS, I don’t a sheet of glass as our last line of defense. He has some value at CB, so I wouldn’t be too upset if they kept him for one more year.

    1. On Jimmy G. starting:

      Barrows: He’s an NFL quarterback, not a Faberge egg.

      He agrees on exactly what I’ve been saying about CJB vis-a-vis the offensive line:

      Barrows: No, the 49ers offensive line has not been good. But C.J. Beathard is getting sacked at a higher rate than Brian Hoyer. Which suggests that he’s partly responsible for his big hit count. That’s not a slam on Beathard. You expect a rookie to hold onto the ball too long, to go through his progressions a beat too slowly. Rather, it’s meant to suggest that Garoppolo may not necessarily be in for the same pounding Beathard has received.

      1. cubus – maybe Barrows is missing the fact that opponents are giving CJ more pressure than Hoyer because HE IS A ROOKIE, and the complexities of the looks surpass what CJ is seeing all week in preparation. Teams always vary and or create new looks for their pressure packages from week to week, and CJ has not been around long enough where as Hoyer has many more years, even as a back-up, under his belt and has seen more. In addition, you must admit the offensive line is a bit more depleted now than when Hoyer was playing. Staley is out, Brown is at LT, Kilgore still is on roller skates, Fusco is more banged up, Magnuson is a rookie guard playing tackle and Tomlinson still is figuring out whom to block. Add that your TE is limping or out and the #1 receiver is on IR. Am I missing anything or anybody???????? Over 46 pass plays called per game, including an unheard of 57 (actual passes thrown, plus sacks and scrambles but not counting passes negated by penalty) last Sunday, also may have something to do with it!!!!!!!!! The odds of surviving on the Titanic might be better than making it through the rest of the season as the Niner QB based on the hits and sacks CJ has taken in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Hope JG has a bigger insurance policy than what he was carrying in NE.

        1. Until CJB beats the blitz, it’ll keep on coming. What Barrows and I are saying is that we think JG will do a better job at beating the blitz, which will reduce the punishment. And as you note, once opponents see that JG can beat their blitz, they’ll back off which will reduce pounding even more.

          Do you want them to “bubble wrap” JG for the rest of the season? How would that play out in the locker room?

  11. A bit off topic… Garoppolo possibilities

    Ideal – Signs an extension before the 2018 offseason. Go into free agency and the draft with leverage and flexibility. Its rumored to be a good year for OTs. Trade back to around pick 5-10. Get and OT or Edge. G/C or WR in later rounds.

    What are the options if Garoppolo doesn’t want to extend?

    – Lynch gives a “sign or trade” ultimatum. Call his bluff. If he gives Yee has permission to negotiate with teams, the pick compensation could more than trading under the franchise tag.

    Yee might eventually extend with the 49ers anyway.

    – Franchise tag. Get him for at least a year at close to market rate for good quarterbacks. $20m in 2018. $24m in 2019. It will hurt because its fully guaranteed money, but at least the position is covered. Gives the 49ers draft flexibility to trade back for compensation likely better than a pick 33.

    – Franchise tag. Then sign Cousins or draft a quarterback. They could trade Garoppolo under the tag. Likely to get less compensation because the team trading for Garoppolo will have $20m less guaranteed money to extend in 2019.

    1. No! That would be stupid and only exacerbate the problems the team already has! He has a long term contract. He needs to correct a lot of things however, and I hope he does, because right now he is looking pretty naive.

      1. Ha! I was just thinking the same thing and getting Price in a similar fashion as Foster.
        :-)

        #80 says:
        November 7, 2017 at 12:45 pm
        Trade down, take G Nelson.
        Take C Price in 2nd, trade up into back half of the 1st to get him if you have to.

        1. If we cant trade down, who do we take at #2 lets say? Barkley or Fitzpatrick?

          And if we are #1, then who? Id take Barkley I think even though I hate taking a RB that high. Bad spot to be in now that we don’t need a QB and if no one wants to move up.

          1. I would still take Nelson. I know it’s high for a G, but Nelson is a special G and we have to fix the interior OL for Jimmy.

              1. Barkley may be the only once in a lifetime talent in this year’s draft. I think KS wants to go with Joe Williams. There’s a small chance that Hyde gets extended. After Barkley, there’s not much difference in the ceilings of say the #2 through #10 prospects. The need for interior OL help is just too huge. So yes, I would still take Nelson.

              2. No doubt. The talking heads on ESPN and NFL Network would probably trash JL/KS. I hope it doesn’t come to that. I think we’ll be able to trade down.

              3. I think we have no choice but to trade down. Lets hope the QB prospects get over hyped and over valued.

              4. If they miss out on the top interior OL and likely one of the safest picks in the draft – also the team’s biggest need – because they got cute and traded down that would be a significantly worse outcome then having the talking heads bag the pick as “too early” for a OG.

              5. Scooter,

                I agree, take him at #1 if you have to. But where do you think he will be drafted? I think he’s a lock for the top 10. I think we could still get him at #5 or #6. It’s still too soon to say without knowing the final draft order, but I think we can still get Nelson with a modest trade down.

              6. Isn’t it likely that if we think taking a OG in the first couple of slots is unreasonable, that others do as well (especially since there is little precedent). I think we have to look at the needs of the teams drafting in the top ten and see which teams might really want a OG. Make a decision on whether to draft him high or risk a trade down based on that.

                He really is impressive, though. I saw a clip where his head was on a swivel and he correctly identified a blitz on the right side of the line (he was playing LG). When the ball was snapped he took a step back and made a beeline for the blitzer taking him out. We can’t even get Laken to block a blitzer coming through one of his assigned gaps let alone on the other side of the LOS. How many times have we seen Laken just standing there blocking no one?

              7. If they can make a small trade down knowing they will still get him then great, take it. And yes, understanding other teams needs will be part of that decision process. But (and this is assuming they also really like him) you don’t trade back and risk missing out on him just because the talking heads don’t like the idea of drafting a OG that high.

                #80, yeah, at this point I would say a lock for top 10, though obviously team needs will play a role. I can easily see him being a top 5 pick on talent.

              8. No team – including the 49ers – is going to take an OG with the top pick. Nelson is very good, but there is no way a Guard is going that high. There will be teams interested in the top pick so a trade down will be possible. While a Guard is high on the list of priorities, I doubt they will take one with the first pick. They have two many needs and the skill positions usually take priority with the first round picks.

              9. realist,

                There was a good discussion on here a couple a days ago about interior pass rushers getting more love. It’s only natural that interior O lineman will start to get some love too. I’d rather start the G trend instead of missing out. If we wait for other teams to set the trend, we probably would have to trade up for a quality G in the future.

                And G is such a huge need right now. Plus, we have to convince Garoppolo to stay.

          2. Prime,
            I would take Barkley as well. Saquan would have a similar effect as a olineman in the sense that he would keep the pressure off the QB because the defense would need to account for him.

            Our defense is not exactly light’s out, but if our offense had scored in close games we might have a 500 record.
            I would follow the Cowboys blueprint by focusing on building the O-line in next year’s draft.

    1. Ideally build a team with cornerstone positions QB, OT, Edge, CB (WR honorable mention)… but guard is important, especially for a quarterback “only” 6’2″.

  12. http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/06/steve-mariucci-shares-how-hed-handle-garoppolo-beathard-situation/

    “Maybe they let CJ try to beat the Giants, and that’s doable … and let CJ kinda end on a good note. because, hey, he’s a pretty good quarterback,” he said. “If he had a better supporting cast, he’d be more productive. and we’ve seen it at times. So maybe CJ can get this win and then they can pass the baton to Jimmy.”

    “At that point, Mariucci said, Garoppolo can take most of the practice snaps during the 49ers’ Week 11 bye.

    “I think the Niners, if they freshen up and get some guys back healthy, can maybe get a few wins after the bye — and maybe that’s Jimmy G time.”

    1. I don’t see the 49ers drafting 1 overall. They are a no tank franchise. A “soft tank” where marginally injured players go on IR, but they will try to win every game.

      I’m guessing they will draft 3 overall. Hopefully there will still be some good trade-back opportunities.

      1. stats analysts examining the remaining schedules for the Browns, the Niners and the Giants put Cleveland at 54% for drafting the first pick, the Giants at 1%, and the Niners at 45%.

        Of course, this Sunday’s games could alter those projections and %s

      2. Brodie,
        If they end up with the 1st pick I believe they will swing a deal with Cleveland at #2 to exchange first rounders with the 9ers getting the Browns 2nd round pick. Then they will trade back to the 10 to 12 range picking up an extra 3, 4 and 5. They will then use their #1 to choose Quentin Nelson from ND

        1. Coach who do you think the Browns select? I think they still find a way to get McCarron and then stay where they are at and select the RB Barkley.

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