49ers release 13 players and sign two offensive linemen

The San Francisco 49ers just announced they have released the following 13 players:

  1. OL Alex Balducci
  2. S Marcus Ball
  3. LB Carl Bradford
  4. LB Jayson Dimanche
  5. TE Je’Ron Hamm
  6. WR Chris Harper
  7. LB Wynton McManis
  8. P Brock Miller
  9. DL Zach Moore
  10. NT Mike Purcell
  11. WR Eric Rogers
  12. CB JaCorey Shepherd
  13. LB Shayne Skov

The Niners released these players to make room for their undrafted free agents. The team has not yet announced their names.

The Niners also signed two veterans — C Tim Barnes and OG Brandon Fusco. Barnes was the Rams starting center the past two seasons, and Fusco was the Vikings starting right guard the past five seasons. Both players most likely will make the Niners final roster.

Here is the current depth chart at offensive line:

LT: Joe Staley, John Theus
LG: Zane Beadles
C: Jeremy Zuttah, Daniel Kilgore, Tim Barnes
RG: Joshua Garnett, Brandon Fusco
RT: Trent Brown, Garry Gilliam

The Niners probably will keep only nine offensive lineman on the 53-man roster, meaning one of those lineman above probably won’t make the team. Which one won’t make it? I think the Niners might cut Daniel Kilgore, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fusco takes Beadles’ starting job.

This article has 249 Comments

  1. Yep, I definitely could see Fusco taking Beadlesjuice’s job, and Gilligan has a shot to take Brown’s. Kilgore does seem most vulnerable, and will need an outstanding training camp to make the team….

    1. Gilliam was a key component of the leagues worst offensive line. Shanahan will show his cluelessness if he starts Gilliam.

      1. I’m expecting a dog fight for RT, and Shanny will start the winner. Get a clue dude.

      2. But he’s an up and coming athletic lineman. Their signing him made sense.

        1. Brown won’t be facing a quitter with a twitter account this time around. Get your popcorn ready!

          1. Dude Brown is legit. He just needs to improve against inside rushers.

            What’s your problem with Brown?

            What’s your argument for Gilliam? If the team with the worst offensive line in the league isn’t trying to keep him, what does that tell you about Gillian’s skill set?

            1. Brown is fantastic in Pass Pro, and terrible in the run game. Specifically on the move, locating and latching on to his man. Nothing personal. Gilligan has the traits that fit better in this offense, and his skill is ascending. Higher ceiling, where Brown is basically what he is. He’s a better fit with the Bronco’s who are transitioning to a power based running attack….

              1. To be frank, neither of them are likely to be very effective, for different reasons, and so RT will probably remain an open sore on the OL this coming season…

              2. You get Brown down to 320 pounds and he’ll be much better. His weight has always fluctuated but he’s shown in the past (2015) that he can lose a lot of weight

        2. If he is up and coming then why did the team with the worst offensive line in the league let him walk? He makes sense as a reserve and camp body, but he isn’t going to push Brown for a starting gig. Brown has it locked up.

          1. Brown has it locked up.

            Ha! Then why did they sign Gilligan? Don’t let your personal feeling cloud your judgement like you did with Kaepernick.

            1. Well they got Gilliam for competition but Brown as the size and strength to be the starter and he was solid last year.

              And yes I’ll take the Kaepernick commment as a solid jab to the face haha.

            2. They signed gillian for depth. If you’re so sure the Shanny’s not sold on Brown, then why wasn’t he cut or traded?

              1. There may be a team whose RT goes down due to injury, and TB will be a godsend to them.

                The Niners might be able to get a second or third round pick for him.

      3. Not really. Gilliam and the rest of the Seahawks linemen, like the 49ers linemen, are victimized by two of the biggest ball-holding QBs in the NFL — Wilson & Kaepernick.

        When Russell Wilson gets the ball out in under 2.5 seconds, like Tom Brady does almost ever play, he was sacked ONE TIME. When he holds the ball 3.6 seconds or longer (and he did it the most) he was sacked 32 times in 164 drop backs. That’s 19.1%. NFL average is just over 20%. Even Peyton Manning, one of the hardest to sack QBs in the NFL (along with Brady) when he held the ball that long, got sacked at 20%.

        But Manning, last year I looked at, held the ball that long just 30 times. Wilson? 164 — over 5x that of Manning. Which is why Wilson was sacked 32 times at time-held and Manning just 6.

        Those 3.6+ second sacks aren’t automatically the fault of the line. In fact, I generally feel they’re QB mistakes. A QB, like Wilson, holding the ball, trying to extend the play when the defense has won the coverage battle tends to create unnecessary sacks. Whereas a pocket passer like Manning generally throws it away when things go sideways. Though sometimes he can’t because of other issues (3rd downs, 4th downs).

        Seattle’s line, by the metrics adjusted for QBs holding the ball, the pass protection has generally been average. IT’s QB, like our old QB, is slow to pass the ball. The line gets unfairly blamed.

        Ironically, btw, I get that data from PFF. They’re so cliche’ bound they can’t even figure out the natural and logical consequences of their data. QBs who hold the ball get sacked a lot. What’s important is do you better or worse than the average at every time split. It’s a RELATIVE measurement they should be making, not an absolute.

        1. King Solomon will be an assailant and Russell Smurph will be his victim.

  2. If they all stay healthy through camp…..does this just mean we are going to signing a lot of udfa and free agents to give them a tryout?

    1. It means we a purging the garbage that was Baalke and rebuilding in the image of Walsh.

  3. Ya cut Eric Rogers. Hopefully they bring in another WR that is 5’10 and fast. Shanahan is an idiot, we have 0 playmakers at the WR spot. Our running game is going to be worse than last year and our passing game just as bad

      1. And your comments that the running game is going to be worse — with the addition of Juszczyk, Hightower and Williams — and that our passing game is going to be as bad — with the addition of two FA QBs, both of whom are better that Kaepernick and Gabbert and who both know Shanahan’s system going in — are mind boggling. Sorry, maybe I’m having a bad day. If I’ve offended you, I apologize, but think about that please.

        1. George you are on it , Next time I am in a jam and need legal representation or one who can do a great job presenting facts you will be called. Has they say in the street” do not let facts get in the way of a good story!” You are the man and I salute you!

      2. Okay I’m not one of the KS is an idiot because of the super bowl. In fact I condone his play calling. What people forget is the field goal earlier in the game where Ninkovich or Van Hoy leaped the line and nearly blocked the kick and Bryant ended up actually missing it. If KS got passive and ran to settle for a field goal it wasn’t a given thing.

        Anyway back to your comment. I actually am super excited for KD Cannon I love his potential!

        I just don’t know why we cut a 6’4 WR when all our WR’s our small. I think it’s good to have diversity. Not saying Rodgers should make the final 53 just at least let him battle for a spot. And it’s sort of annoying that we cut Torrey Smith and then pay two WR’s in Robinson and Goodwin the same salary to do the same thing he can do yet they have been less successful than Smith.

        1. Well James. Here is where I come down on this little argument. Kyle Shanahan gets paid to make football decisions. He has a great track record of making really good decisions. How about we give him a chance to do his thing before we start calling him an idiot. MMK?

            1. C. J. Beathard, the chosen one. Joe Williams who was initially off their board until mid draft. Two off the top of my head, but you get the point….

            2. Well you called Shanahan an “idiot” for the decision to cut a CFL WR coming off an ACL injury. That’s one decision where I think we should give Shanny the benefit of the doubt. My original response was actually referring to the decisions Shanahan has made or been part of over his past 11 years as a paid coach in the NFL. Obviously, he’s made some good football decisions or he wouldn’t be paid millions as the 38 year old head coach of the 49ers. I say his track record of making very good football decisions makes me think he just might be right about cutting a guy who’s never played a down in the NFL. I say calling him an “idiot” is a bit over the top unless of course you are a GM or paid NFL coach. If you aren’t a GM or paid coach of an NFL team James, then I say Shanahan has a ton more credibility than you so I’ll side with Shanny on this football decision.

        2. Fair enough, James. I don’t know why they cut him. When Baalke signed him I was excited about it. Maybe they think he’s redundant after the Kittle signing and want to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere. I have no special insight. I think we can assume though that they looked at his tape and what he’s doing currently without pads, and made their decision rationally. I have no doubt the franchise is being run by experienced football guys, as opposed to before. The water was way over Baalke’s head.

          1. Ehhh. People hate on Baalke. I’m not saying he should be regarded as a great GM. But he is responsible for the bright spots on our roster.

            Armstead, Buckner, Robinson, Ward, Brown, Hyde

            1. The Mutiny On The Baalke was required due to his poor leadership, part of which was his lack of technical and inter-personal skills….

            2. It’s pretty hard to miss all the time when you are picking in the top end of each round.

            3. Not nearly, nearly enough. Baalke created the worst level of talent in the NFL. Saying we weren’t very good is an understatement.

              1. Don’t forget though George the number of injuries and retirements the team had. Not to excuse Baalke’s missteps but there was 22 key spots that turned over I think. That would hurt any team. I saw that graphic at one point.

            4. Six guys, two of whom were injured a good amount of time, while he was in control of the roster for five years. . Don’t have to hate him – just recognize he was incompetent.

        3. 49ers couldn’t cover all the bases in one draft. Wait till after 2018 draft/FA pick ups before we judge the leadership of the 49ers. 2019 is when they should excel!

      1. And most likely he didn’t score a single pet pick in the draft, like certain others, hence Shanahan et al are idiots LOL . . .

        1. I wanted Thomas, we got him. I didn’t want Foster at #2 because I didn’t think he was worth the #2. But we got him at a very fair, possibly even deeply discounted, price. So I’m happy with the pick.

          We didn’t draft Peterman, whom was being touted at one point by the draft experts as a QB who could sneak into Round 1. Kind of like Cook last year…

          que sera sera

          1. Whoever told you Peterman had a chance to sneak into the first should have their credentials revoked;>)

      2. Scooter,
        I believe Seb and Lynch have teamed up on this cut to get back at Prime.

    1. Relax Jimbo,
      Rogers couldn’t even make it through his first NFL training camp and Shanahan isn’t an idiot. Step away from the sauce, otherwise you’ll be drunk by the start of the second quarter of this rebuilding process. ??

      1. Good to hear from you Big P, I am sure you still think the Yorks will screw things up in the end, But Lynch and Shanahan are a great breath of fresh air while we have them! Funny to See Parag pretty competent himself! Stick around my brother! We need you!

    2. Don’t sleep on the UDFA speedster out of Baylor, WR KD CANNON.

      Kid has the tools to win on the outside! Fast, strong for his size, excellent at tracking band winning jump balls. Should have been drafted. Would have been drafted if Baylor taught their WR’s a route tree, for crying out loud.!

      1. Anyone know if Mike Purcell needs help cleaning out his locker? I’ll volunteer!

      2. As always, fans get excited about which UDFA is going to be a difference maker on this team. Yet it rarely happens.

        Cannon has an uphill battle to make the 53. As it stands the 49ers have four vets we know they like (as they signed them) in Garcon, Kerley, Goodwin and Robinson. And they just drafted Taylor rather than Cannon. That is 4 short receivers. Chances are the 6th guy they keep will be a bigger bodied guy to back up Garcon.

          1. If that’s the battle for the 6th spot then Cannon’s best shot is the PS. But realistically I think Cannon will be competing with Aldrick Robinson to be Goodwin’s backup… which basically means his best shot is the PS anyway!

            1. Possibly but Robinson isn’t anything special and if Cannon shows enough in PS I could see them letting Robinson go. Robinson has knowledge of the system but he hasn’t been much of a factor.

              1. Knowledge of the system is exactly why he will be kept. And as always with UDFAs, I have to laugh when people start talking about how they might knock off a vet player that has been a decent contributor in the past. It is of course possible. But not probable.

              2. I’m not somebody who falls in love with PS Superstars and predicts greatness and I’m not pumping up an UDFA as much as I’m looking at a limited NFL WR who is here because he knows the system . It isn’t likely, but I would not be surprised if a player like Cannon showed enough to be kept over Robinson.

              3. That limited NFL receiver has been a contributor every season he has played under Shanahan. That isn’t something to dismiss. He isn’t a nobody that never sees the field. And he will be ahead of most receivers on this roster due to his experience in this system, so he is likely to look pretty good in camp. Yet you are suggesting if Cannon shows something he can beat him out. He’s going to want to show a lot to do that.

                The same thing happened last year when people were saying X, Y, Z UDFA would beat out Patton. Not going to happen unless the UDFA shows a lot of talent in camp. Which rarely happens.

              4. Scooter,

                As I said, it isn’t likely, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept a young player who played well in TC and PS over Robinson. He’s not guaranteed a roster spot imo.

              5. So what you are saying is you actually agree with me when I said his best shot is likely to be PS, but decided to argue against it anyway…?

              6. I wasn’t arguing. I simply said I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept a younger player who showed something in PS over a vet who isn’t anything special.

          2. Grant, I remember you told me Cannon wouldn’t be there in the 5th round. Ha!

        1. Cannon probably ends up on the PS as a future or injury possibility.

      3. Well, first KD needs to learn to run any route other than a fly, so I wouldn’t be buying his jersey just yet…

    3. I GAURANTEE the 49ers running game will be better than last season minus the QB rushing numbers that, in reality, skew the real story when it comes to a rushing attack.

      HYDE = Thinder
      WILLIAMS = Lightning
      HIGHTOWER = Savvy, Well Rounded Vet

      That’s my kind of backfield if Hyde stays healthy. And don’t sleep on another UFDA RB, MATT BREIDA!

        1. And that is another reason I believe that Beathard could be the QB of the future, He is excellent with the play action fakes. I’ve heard his fakes described as slight of hand. My neighbor an Old U of Iowa football player describes his fakes as Unitas like.

          1. My neighbor an Old U of Iowa football player describes his fakes as Unitas like.

            Between your neighbor and Trump, we might just have a winner on our hands!

            1. Not at this point. I believe he will need 2 years under KS before he is ready to start but then again i’m not sure I ever want to see Barkley start for the 49ers. With the exception of a game being played in a blizzard.

              1. Do you have NFL game pass? If you do, watch Matt Barkley’s late-season start against the Packers. It’s impressive.

              2. Grant,
                I will and I have to admit I haven’t seen Barkley much as a pro. Its not as much that I don’t like Barkley as I really love what i’ve seen of Beathard especially last year.

            2. I do not know much about Barkley.

              What I do know about Beathard is that the likely reason Shanahan drafted him is because he has experience in a Pro style offense. what that means is experience under center. coordinating footwork with routes and going through progressions. he was allowed to make audibles and adjustments at the line of scrimmage. he played in an offense that relied heavily on roll outs and play action (sounds kind of familiar). He was knocked for having played in a simplified half field read offense but then that’s a fair amount of Shanahan’s offense too. I think the general consensuses that Beathard doesn’t have strong arm but just an adequate one that was required to make all the pro style throws.

              On the other hand Barkley has actual NFL experience. Grant would you care to describe in greater detail what you saw from Barkley?

              1. I would add Beathard’s toughness, dedication to football and leadership traits also contributed to the reason Shanny ranked him higher than any other quarterback. Precisely why I never thought he had any interest in Trubiscuit, and he didn’t….

              2. I’ll leave the talent rating to those who have seen a lot more film than I. Razor’s comments bear weight though. Leadership and above-the-shoulders gamesmanship are yuge to Shanny methinks.

              1. I didn’t ask which one is better. I asked which one has more talent.

              2. I’d rather have Charles Wade Barkley quarterbacking my team than Matthew Montgomery Barkley. I don’t know what it is about USC QBs. It’s been a very long time since any of them showed good consistent talent at the NFL level, especially in relation to the lofty expectations that seem attached to every golden Trojan quarterback who dons an NFL jersey (or more likely, several of them as a journeyman).

              3. Chicago exposed Barkley’s weaknesses, but CJB has more potential.

                I expect KS to be able to coach both up so they compete for the backup role.

    4. Señor Foster

      How tall are Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham? Generally I’d be with you, but with Shanahan turning Taylor Gabriel into a bona fide star, I’m cool with seeing what he can do with the undrafted rook, KD Cannon. Plus, the league is definitely in a phase that favors guys with short burst and separation over dimensions and long speed.

    5. With that comment you can look in any mirror and see the idiot if hou think Kyle is a idiot. Very stupid comment. best offensive mind probably since Walsh and you come u with that.

  4. The WR core could certainly use more playmakers, but we’ve also had the worst receiving core in football over the last decade. Garcon is better than any WR on the roster we’ve had since 2003. So, slow your roll.

    1. Goodwin can stretch the field with his speed and KD Cannon looks pretty good. I think he might make the team.

    2. You spelled “corps” wrong.

      Anyone with interest in Cannon would benefit from following @JerodBrown_ on Twitter.

  5. Grant

    I went over my ‘cut list’ yesterday, and it was close to theirs…other than Alex Balducci, JaCorey Shepherd, and Eric Rogers…no real surprises. In that they cut Balducci, I doubt that they’ll cut Beadles because he can play all of the Oline positions…WELL…I doubt that they’ll cut any more…maybe someone to the 90 or Practice squad….

    1. Why in the devil is ‘Band-aid’ Ellington still on the roster ? I’d rather see Rogers get a shot…Ellington will be on IR before he leaves the locker room….

      1. Rogers was on IR all last season and we have no idea how well he’s recovered. He was a fringe player at best anyway.

          1. Yeah, I think Rogers was a Trent guy, actually. Interesting to me they so far like Smelter over Rogers. They ‘owe’ Smelter nothing since he wasn’t their pick, so he must have intrigued them somewhat. The size issue may be a consideration.
            (Old Timers remember Washington’s smurfs? If Cannon beats out Smelter, that’s what we got!)
            : -)

            1. The Fun Bunch. Yes I remember. That was a fun team to watch in those days.

  6. And it begins…lockers being cleared out.. Hope the loss of Skov doesn’t anger Seb…

    1. Funny comment and sad when any one loses their job or their dream maybe in jeopardy! It sounds like Seb is working hard with his business so maybe he will fall in love with these new players and the pain will be subsided, Hey we all know, new program , new blood , new way of doing things but it does suck for those being replaced if they deserve it or not.

      1. All these players had their opportunity and showed nothing. Shanny owes them no loyalties. Shanny owes us victories. That is all.

        1. you are right but there is always a human factor on those that are cast aside. It is a gladiator world and those will be treated as such in the Not For Long World!

        2. Meh. These guys tried hard I’m sure, we just need to get better guys.
          I asked a guy the other day if he was still playing in a mostly amateur jazz combo. He said no. I asked if he quit and he said nope, they found somebody better. He said he listened, and the new guy is way better than him.

    2. Ha!
      You know it will. And it can only mean that Shanny hates Skov……….

  7. Lynch and shanny are starting over bring in the new blood to the roster can’t wait for success to come soon

  8. Man I’m disappointed Eric Rogers getting cut. I thought he had potential. Getting hurt for the season last year really hurt him. He didn’t really get a chance to prove himself, maybe he will end up on the practice squad.

    1. I would assume that KS has watched tape of last year’s spring and summer practices. While I thought Rogers had potential…. The tape doesn’t lie.

  9. Interest Smelter and Bruce Pine Riderton are not on the cut list. Cut down day will be interesting.

    1. Yeah, Brodie, good point. Maybe they’ve just given them their hat but haven’t told them to leave yet.

    2. I actually like Helter Smelter’s chances, but the Duke will be playing the blues on cut down day.

  10. I’m fine with all the cuts. I wanted to see if Rogers could play, but Shanny looks for specific traits in his WRs. Makes me wonder what he sees in Ellington.

    1. No, he was another player used incorrectly. I thought he was a good slot receiver on those slants, but they used him as a returner until he was injured.

  11. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trent Brown gets traded and Beadles moves to RT.

    1. That’s interesting, Scooter. Thinking outside the box, and I like that. What ‘cha thinking we’d be able to get for a starting RT?

      1. Probably not as much as you might hope. Doubt anybody would trade for him right now, or the 49ers would want to trade him until they see how he looks. So it probably won’t happen until he becomes a backup and teams know the 49ers don’t really want him anymore. Late round pick or swap of vet players is my guess.

        1. My dark horse candidate would be the Broncos agreeing to trade for him.

              1. No idea if its been proposed before, but Lynch and Elway making a deal would hardly be surprising :-)

              2. True that, Scooter. But not every Tom, Dick and Harry realizes Denver is changing to a power based running attack. That just so happens to be in Brown’s wheelhouse, not to mention Elway seemed impressed with his ability to handle Miller in Pass Pro during their shared practices….

            1. I dunno’…seems to me that you’re picking away at one of the more solid players on the offensive line (Brown)…Don’t you remember Rachal and some of the dog food candidates we had before him ?At least now I have a clue as to where we find the caliber of evaluaters like Baalke….Leave well enough alone…Lynch and Shannahan will take care of the rest….You want to gamble ?…go to Artichoke Joe’s….

          1. The Niners and Broncos seem to have developed a synergistic relationship. In part I’m referring to the trade that got us Bibbs. We got him and Denver’s 5th round pick and they got our 4th next year. I read later something like “Elway needed a 4th round pick next year.” Not an exact quote but that was the idea. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Another possibility is that we did that as a payback to Denver for something they did for us, maybe not blocking Adam Peters from coming here. I believe they could have.

            1. Yeah, Broncs thin at RB. I wonder if Mike Davis ends up there; cheap.

              1. Changing offensive scheme. They have said they will be using a power based scheme, not the ZBS Kubiak favoured. Bibbs isn’t a fit

    2. Scooter

      I think that’s the silliest comment I’ve seen from you…

      1. If that’s the silliest comment I’ve made I am doing pretty darn well.

    3. I understand the reasoning behind a Trent Brown trade as he isn’t a great fit for this system, but that would leave the depth chart extremely thin.

      1. Not if Beadles is moved to RT. Gilliam would be the backup swing OT.

        1. Scooter, you know football, but what leads you to believe Beadles could handle RT? If only he could. I’ve read he was a decorated tackle in college, but obviously that has not translated in the NFL.

        2. Has Beadles played Tackle in the NFL? He’s been a Guard for a long time as far as I know and that would leave a hole at OG or the Swing C/G if he did move.

          1. I know for a fact Beadlesjuice was filling in at LT for Staley during practices when he was unable to go….

          2. Played RT for 6 games at the Broncos. And no, it wouldn’t leave a hole at C/OG. Kilgore would be the backup C/OG.

            1. So 6 games a few years ago, and Kilgore who has struggled becomes the backup. I’d rather keep Brown, or try to trade for another option.

              1. Like you earlier, I said “I wouldn’t be surprised” if this happened. Not that it will or is likely. It is a possibility that I would describe as more than remote because, as you say, this isn’t a scheme he is really suited to.

                As for Kilgore being the backup, heck yeah. What a great backup to have. A guy with fairly extensive starting experience and can start in a pinch if needed. Like Snyder was.

              2. Fair enough. I’d rather have Beadles as the backup over Kilgore, but I suppose he essentially still could be on game day.

              3. There is also the possibility Barnes ends up the backup C/OG.

                With Zuttah, Beadles, Garnett, Fusco, Kilgore and Barnes, that is a lot of vets with quality experience (and a young guy with some talent). All fighting for what will likely be four spots, as I suspect they will look to keep a young guy as their fifth interior OL that won’t suit up on game days. On the other hand they only have 3 vet OTs, and little young talent behind them. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they are thinking of moving Beadles.

      1. LT- Joe Staley, John Theus
        LG- Joshua Garnett, Zane Beadles
        C- Jeremy Zuttah, Tim Barnes
        RG- Brandon Fusco, Daniel Kilgore
        RT- Gary Gilliam, Trent Brown.

  12. 1. 12-4
    2. Top 10 D.
    3. Top 15-20 O.
    4. McDonald traded.
    5. Hyde has first 1000 Yd season.
    6. Juszczyk has 50 Recs and 400 Yds.
    7. Bowman plays all 16 and makes the Pro Bowl.
    8. Foster plays all 16 and is DROY.
    9. Witherspoon wins starting job at some point.
    10. Top 10 in starting and opposing field position.

      1. All roses here. Maybe I’m back on the glue. Other than the 12-4 record, do you think any of the last 9 predictions are far-fetched?

        1. I’ll take door #6 as most likely. The rest of them I don’t feel good about.

        2. #9 is possible, and #4 could happen if McDonald isn’t the starter and some other passing team’s TE corps gets decimated with injuries. leading to a trade strongly in the Niners’ favor.

        3. I think the NFC West just got a lot better. Seahawks got O linemen, Cards improved their defense, Rams will do better because Fisher is gone and Wade Phillips is running the defense.

          Niners will have to survive the first half. They might go 2-6, but I am hoping 3-5.

          Just keeping it real.

    1. The way things are going and the winds of change are in the air, Are we even sure Hyde will make the final roster? He has not shown durability and they want dependable hardworking Men that will go through walls, I have enjoyed Hyde but he maybe traded or cut. May not be as surprising as we all once thought.

      1. I think it’s entirely possible that Hyde gets traded after the draft and Hightower in place. Hyde is good but somewhat fragile, as we know, and now expendable. Trade for another vet value player or a third or fourth rounder in 2018. However, no problems if they keep him, our running game will be one of the best . . .

        1. It’s tough trading a player in a contract year. No worries. We run his dick in the dirt and then he signs with another team getting us a comp pick. Might be better than what we could have gotten in a trade….

      2. He started 13 games last year and averaged 4.6 a carry reb. There seems to be a growing consensus that he’s injury prone and won’t be here much longer but I disagree. RB’s get banged up and miss a game or two sometimes. Hyde is a good player who had one really bad injury in his second year and has actually done pretty well behind bad blocking lines. In this system I think he could be really good, especially sharing carries with somebody else like Smith.

        1. I agree fully with what you say about Hyde but still think he’s imminently tradable, but who’s Smith?

            1. Gottcha, yes, I think we are all in agreement with variations . . .

        2. I hope your right. If he produces and Joe Williams comes on, with the FBI from the ravens, this year might have alittle “juice” to It! You sound like me mixing up names! Do not though, you are ahead of your time projecting Joe to be emmitt smith like but just faster! Other than Carlos Hyde their were no real weapons so it is fun to see other options and opportunities, would like to see better war options but Rome was not built in a day!

      3. Neither did Gore his first seven seasons. He only dressed AND started 16 games ONE TIME.

        2005 — missed two
        2006 — Full year starting. No games missed.
        2007 — missed one
        2008 — missed two
        2009 — missed two
        2010 — missed five
        2011 — dressed but didn’t play in one.

        2012 — 2016 — dressed and started every game.

        Gore is the very model of the running back injury rule-of-thumb: Approximately 50% of seasons a running back will miss one or more games. But, as you can see from Gore’s history, the distribution can be quite streaky.

      4. If Hyde gets traded, he could very well end up being some other team’s Gore.

    2. That’s bold. I will all restrained and stick with my 10-6 prediction….

    1. No surprise there, but I feel as though King Solomon is wiser and more talented than Garnett, and will pick up the system quicker….

      1. Agreed. Although I’d like to see the unit get as much chemistry as possible going into the season.

          1. It’ll get changed when Alabama holds classes through the month of September.

      2. Not worried about his football savvy or instincts in the least . . .

      3. Garnett on how he prepared for his first NFL practice last year:

        ” In fact, he turned in a school assignment as recently as last night. Until now, he has been working on his own, getting the playbook on his iPad and working on the Stanford field to emulate what the team was doing.

        He’s been staying in contact with other rookies to try to figure out what they are doing. “I felt better than I thought I was going to do coming in and everything’s clicking and I felt like my preparation really helped me out,” Garnett said of his first day of practice.”

        http://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/94741-joshua-garnett-discusses-his-first-practice-49ers/

      1. Now, if we could only get that lucky with the other impostor . . .

      1. No, just another door closed. Since the Texans drafted Watson, I thought that Arizona was his logical destination.

        People better start getting worried that he will be forced to return.

        If I remember correctly, Lynch left that door open, still.

  13. Free at Last.

    Shanahan taken a chain saw to the last vetiges of Seb roster man crushes:
    Now he can move to Las Vegas to join his beloved Raiders.

    Cassie Baalke

    May 2, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    And it begins…lockers being cleared out.. Hope the loss of Skov doesn’t anger Seb…

    1. I never understood what Seb saw in him. And he’s not the only one. He only looked good in pre-season against 4th team scrubs that were never going to make the NFL. The few times he played even at 2nd team level he was totally out-classed.

    1. 29 carries, and he still looked pretty fresh at the end of that game.

    1. Up above I commented that I don’t know why USC QBs tend to horribly underwhelm in the NFL, and now I think I do know why (in comparison to someone like Beathard, who could impress). It’s because those SC QBs rarely, if ever, experienced much adversity, and so missed an important formative process that is necessary for success in the pros, where there’s plenty of adversity week in and out. For all he lacks in glamor and flash, Beathard may thrive quite well, especially with a mentor like Shanahan, and develop into a very good pro QB. We’ll see.

    2. This is why I didn’t start crying and ranting when the pick was made. I decided that maybe, oh just maybe, there were some positive things about him that caused Shanahan to view him differently than the know-nothings that decide where players fit in the grand scheme of the draft.

      I don’t necessarily buy-off he’s the QB of the future, but I do understand that he has some real strengths compared to guys that’ll take three-and-four years to teach the necessary NFL pocket skills. And that’s IF they can learn them.

  14. Q: to all… If Ward goes out with injury, who replaces him at single high safety?

    1. Yeah, I’ve asked this question at least five times. Apparently the best answer is Eric Reid.

    2. Now after the draft, possibly Adrian Colbert. Even though he was the 7th round selection, he was in Mayock’s top 100, IIRC. Maybe by the latter half of the season…..

      1. Yep, if Colbert is healthy and a keeper as some already think, the SHS position might be exactly what they have in mind for him. He’s really fast, he can cover, and he’s a hitter. Wowza.

        1. I think they’ll look at him first as a CB.
          Now Stephen Colbert can serve as a ultural SHS in terms of being the last chance to tackle bs before it gets by us!

        2. I really started paying more attention to the GM side of football back in the late ’70s. And how the fans reacted to the draft, the trades, the cuts…

          And boy is this a ever a classic fan-hope tale… One that’s repeated in every year in 32 fanbases… I’m surprised Disney hasn’t made a movie out of yet…

          I’ll give Colbert a puncher’s chance. But the reality is that Colbert has been a low-production, in jury prone defensive back. He has never completed a season because of injuries.

          He was such a poor prospect he didn’t get invited to the combine. And while the whole ‘invited to the combine’ thing isn’t a guarantee of failure, the combine invites the top 335 prospects. To draft 256 of them. Half of whom won’t make it to their third-year.

          But he ran a hand-timed 40 of 4.25. So he’s suddenly a ‘prospect’ and the love-fest begins. Even though his actual production and playing history is pretty spotty.

          Like I said, I’ll give him a puncher’s chance. But that’s all he’s got being the fringe prospect that he is. And I’m sure as heck not going to give him a love-fest. Heck, I don’t do that for anyone. I may like some prospects better than others and give them better chances.

          But I never believe in any prospect until he proves in the NFL. You know, the place where college stars come to be humiliated, ground-up in the roster-churn machine and become forgotten in just a few short years.

      2. Mayock’s grade is a laughable outlier. Colbert wasn’t invited to the combine because he was not considered an NFL prospect thanks to a career line of this:

        For his 22 game career: 33 tackles, 15 assists, 2 INTs, 4 PDs.

        The biggest reason for that pathetic line is that he’s fragile. He’s always getting hurt and has never completed a football season. But he ran a 4.25 (hand-timed) 40 and suddenly he’s a flyer worth taking a risk on. But even when healthy, it’s not like he was tearing up college ball.

        So, really, he’s a flyer. Like virtually all 7th rounders. And maybe he beats the odds. But I would never count on it.

  15. Niners made some painful cuts, but it is a business, and the new players seem to be an upgrade.

    Sorry to hear about Skov, guess his knee has not healed fully. He hurt it in college, too, so it is understandable that the Niners are dropping the ACL players.

    1. I could make a highlight reel of Kwame Harris. You’d think he was the greatest OT ever based on the highlight reel…

      1. Moses, you’re right of course. However, in the video notice how ball-aware he is and how quickly he reacts.

  16. Offseason Workout and Practice Schedule From 49ers Website

    Phase 2: May 1-4
    Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
    Phase 2: May 8-11
    Phase 2: May 16-18

    OTA: May 22-23
    OTA: May 25
    OTA: May 30-31
    OTA: June 2
    OTA: June 5-6
    OTA: June 8-9
    Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15

    Wondering when there will be introductory presser for all drafted players. Perhaps the start of rookie minicamp

    Assuming Thomas will miss workouts because of Stanford graduation schedule.

  17. just to clarify….

    Hyde will not be traded

    T Brown is the starting RT for the 49ers for a loooooong time.

    anyone who thinks differently is high……

    1. Puff, puff, while I agree that Hyde will stay, Brown is not a great fit for the KS offensive system.

      Hope the Niners can bundle him with Vance and get a decent draft pick. Those two are starters, so they do have value. Niners just need to identify a team who could benefit because they are weak at those positions.

    2. Not necessarily…
      While I agree that Hyde will stay and that Brown most likely will start… their long term future is not certain.

      Hyde is injury prone and it is yet to be seen if his vision and instincts mesh well with Shanahan’s stretch run scheme.

      Brown, while very good in pass pro was the worst run blocker on the worst run blocking unit in the league. Knowing that Shanahan routinely asks his tackles to either reach block the end on a near side run or pull and pick up the backside linebacker or safety on a far side run Browns inability to move in space may be magnified to an unacceptable degree for Kyle.
      Understanding that Kyle’s passing offense relies heavily on play action elements, the coaching staff may elect to go for a lesser blocker in pass pro to improve the run game and therefore have a greater ability to sell the play action pass.
      Needless to say, unless Brown shows a previously unseen ability to move in space, he likely will be moved.

      1. How about we just find the best pass protector and run blocker instead of electing to go “for a lesser blocker in pass pro to improve the run game and therefore have a greater ability to sell the play action pass”

        I mean it is the NFL. You don’t settle, you find the best overall player to fit your scheme!

        1. I agree, but this was only an argument as to why Brown may not last on the team long term. He is very good in pass pro but terrible in run blocking.

      2. I agree. Since the Niners are going back to the WCO roots, they need less bulky players. They want quick nimble players.

  18. Here’s a question for you, does it seem like we have had more than our share of injuries of late and does that have something to do with:

    1-medical evaluation
    2-condititioning
    3-nutrition
    4-bad luck
    5-combination of these factors

    1. Obviously I am thinking about Foster, but also Thomas (who is smaller and won’t be in full camp and Witherspoon who is spindly)

    1. Both played in the Big 10 and Trump likes them both. Maybe Beathard should choose #12 jersey. It’s still available (Hoyer #2, Barkley #7). :-)

  19. People keep saying that the Niners hoodwinked the Bears and took advantage of them.

    I think the Bears did well. Glennon is pedestrian, and may be a good bridge QB, but I do not envision them in the playoffs with him. They needed to improve. They got the best QB in the draft, with the biggest upside. Time will tell how it will pan out, but his accuracy and ability to throw on the run make him an intriguing player.

    Bears also did not give up additional first or second round picks. They gave up 2 third round and a 4th round pick. Considering the Goff and Wentz compensation, they did very well. It was a good trade for both teams, and became a win/ win situation.

    Some say the Bears were fleeced, but they had a dire need to improve their QB situation, and they did it. The Bears also were bludgeoned with all those injuries last year. I do not know the status of all those players, but I expect that several of them will be healed up and will be able to contribute this season.

    The Niners leveraged those picks masterfully. They used one to move up to ninja Foster. They used another to move up into the second round next season, while still holding onto the third round pick next season.

    Niners biggest coup was that they traded back, accumulated more picks, and still got they player they coveted. Setting up their next draft with additional second and third round picks was just icing on the cake.

    Hope Lynch can now have some quality family time, he earned it.

    1. Some things about Cannon that are intriguing: his speed, ball-tracking ability, and great hands.

    2. I had mentioned Cannon early before the combine, but others were saying that he only had straight line speed and could not block.

      Glad he is here, and I suspect he signed with the Niners because he thought SF was the best chance for making a team.

      I also think Smelter may have a good chance to make the 53 because of his blocking.

      1. Yes, apparently that’s the knock against him. Baylor taught a limited route-tree and asked their receivers to only participate when they were on the play side of the field. Also he showed little as a blocker. But apparently we signed him as a “boundary receiver” and to compete against Robinson. They are alike in build and speed.

  20. Charlie Campbell’s review of the Thomas picks is a good take on why I didn’t wan’t to draft him at #3, his last sentence sums it up perfectly.

    “A lot of fans saw the big media overinflate Thomas with the hype machine, but a lot of teams around the league did not grade him in the top 10 prospects of the 2017 NFL Draft. I spoke with nine teams, and seven of them of had Thomas graded as a mid- to late first-round pick. Two of the nine teams had Thomas as a top-10 pick. I knew sources from playoff teams that were hoping their division rivals drafting in the top 10 would take take Thomas. The reason is they felt he was a tweener, lacked length, and they would be able to run at him. Some team sources said that while there were games like his bowl performance against North Carolina that got a lot of attention, there were also a lot of tapes where Thomas was unimpressive. Thomas only needed one team to fall in love, and that was the case with the 49ers, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Thomas ends up being a quality player who is not truly special and a bit of a disappointment as the third-overall pick in his draft.”

      1. Sebrazor, how many sacks would you think “King Solomon” gets next year?

          1. Stop pretending. Your the same guy. 10 sacks hey, for a rookie DT. Ok. Ill be sure to cut and paste this post and get back to you next January.

    1. That was my impression too CfC. There was this huge hype machine building on Thomas that propelled him up the charts based on his bowl game and combine but not his tape. He could have challenges.

    2. I think one of the reasons the Niners took Thomas was because he was a safe pick. Great kid, top talent and no injury issues. The only other guy who fit that criteria at that spot was Adams, and they didn’t have him in the top 3 on their board. Will be interesting to see how things play out.

    3. Scheme fit is really important. As a tweener, teams might look at him and think that’s a guy we can run at as a DT. But if he plays DE in a 4-3 in base then he is actually bigger and stronger than most. Good luck running on him. On passing downs if he is playing 3T then good luck blocking him.

      Basically this D has shown a guy like Thomas has a place and can thrive. I can see why some teams wouldn’t want hom for their scheme though.

    1. That was great. Also, do you recall the hug that Goodell gave him after giving him the jersey? Even Goodell seemed thrilled.

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