49ers sign OG Laken Tomlinson through 2021

Posted By on June 22, 2018

San Francisco 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson walks on the practice field during NFL football practice at the team’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, June 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The 49ers announced Friday morning they have signed guard Laken Tomlinson to a three-year contract extension through 2021.

Here’s a statement about Tomlinson from 49ers general manager John Lynch: “Laken is a very talented player who has improved consistently since joining the team one week before last year’s season opener. This offseason, his hard work and dedication paid off as he continued to progress and performed at a high level. We were confident we could work out a contract extension with Laken and we are fired up to get that done before training camp.”

This extension surprises me. Tomlinson has started 39 games in the NFL — we know what he is. He’s one of the worst starting guards in the NFL. The 49ers traded a 2019 fifth-round draft pick to the Lions for him last year — they gave up on him, as they should have.

Coming into the offseason, I thought the 49ers’ plan was to play Jonathan Cooper at left guard, and Joshua Garnett at right guard. Now, it’s clear the 49ers planned to keep Tomlinson at left guard the whole time. Alarming.

This article has 352 Comments

  1. Hmmm, maybe because he graded out as a top 10 guard doing Jimmy’s 5 starts? Amazing what a competent QB can do and how he can elevate those around him. It’s not like we have anyone better behind him. Let’s see what the guaranteed money is before over-reacting.

    He was a power blocker in Detroit and had to learn new techniques and scheme on the fly with us. Perhaps he showed enough work ethic and changed his body to help better fit what we do.

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    1. LOL. I remember the “in Harbaugh” and “in Baalke” I trust days around here.

      2. Yeah, given the fact that the team made it to the Superbowl on his (Baalke) watch making such a statement wasn’t farfetched.
        Have you ever known fans not to be fickle?

      3. Razor,
        Without starting a political firestorm around here, I loved me some Ronald Reagan.

        2. “Shining city on a hill”

          Wonder what Reagan would think of what the Shining City and his Republican Party has come to.

          1. As a taxpayer it costs us $340 million a year to take care of illegal immigrants coming into this country per year, and I’d rather use that money to take care of American citizens. The Shining City needs a big, beautiful door where you enter legally. As for asylum, the international law that the USA signed onto, mandates that the first country you enter is the country where you request your asylum. Not 4 countries later….

            1. $340 million a year to take care of illegal immigrants coming into this country per year,

              Highly doubtful. And completely bogus when considering the contribution to the economy by undocumented immigrants.

              As for asylum

              It looks like Fox News is talking up the concept of first safe country to its cult45. Tell me Razor, is that the rationale they are using for this regimes policy of tearing children away from their parents and locking them in cages?

              1. Highly doubtful. And completely bogus when considering the contribution to the economy by undocumented immigrants.

                Look it up. 500,000 Central Americans are roaming the country illegally thanks to President Obama’s catch and release policy, which was signed into law by President Clinton and AG Janet Reno. It’s called the Flores Settlement which allows for only 20 days to hold the children.

                It looks like Fox News is talking up the concept of first safe country to its cult45. Tell me Razor, is that the rationale they are using for this regimes policy of tearing children away from their parents and locking them in cages?

                Fox News? Ha! The current immigration system is broken, and I don’t remember you whining like an angry mommy when President Obama separated them, who I might add built the detention center, or President Bush that did the same thing. A lot of these “kids” are 17 years old and are MS-13 gang members from El Salvador. All they have to do is have a sponsor, say a cousin who’s a gang banger that is willing, and we the taxpayers pay for him. I’m as empathetic as the next guy, but where’s the empathy for the parents of the children that were permanently separated by an illegal?

                Furthermore, I lock my doors when I go to bed at night and keep my weapon handy. Not because I hate those that are outside the door, but because of those I love inside the door.

                Now, I’m neither Republican or Democrat and I’ve only voted for President once and that was for President Reagan. The democrat party has been hijacked, and their claim to fame is supposedly tolerance, however they are intolerant when it comes to President Trump supporters or with anyone who dares disagree with them. Their rhetoric is over the top and borderline dangerous and the media/hollywood has demonstrated their culpability as well. I realize they don’t want to talk about the IG report, and understand their Collusion Delusion game has run it’s course and they need a new angle. Everyone needs to work together to fix the problem, but first they need to build that wall and secure the border. Your party is broken, and if they think running on open borders, higher taxes, and strategic patience will win themselves seats come November, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming/Judas Priest!

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46oYev7S_PI

              2. It’s called the Flores Settlement which allows for only 20 days to hold the children.

                I don’t remember you whining like an angry mommy when President Obama separated them

                See your quote above. Could that be why?

                A lot of these “kids” are 17 years old and are MS-13 gang members from El Salvador.

                A lot”? A lot, Razor??? That is bull f-ing sh*t.

                All they have to do is have a sponsor, say a cousin who’s a gang banger that is willing, and we the taxpayers pay for him. I’m as empathetic as the next guy, but where’s the empathy for the parents of the children that were permanently separated by an illegal?

                God, you’ve been brainwashed. Look up the crime rate per capita for undocumented immigrants vs those for true blue Born in USAers. I’ve got many times more empathy for those murdered, parents and otherwise, by legal americans, because many many more are murdered by legal americans.

                Nope, you are not laying this current stain on America’s history on anyone else besides Trump and those supporting him. Deal with it.

                if they think running on open borders, higher taxes, and strategic patience will win themselves seats come November,

                Just look at the turnaround on the special elections so far – 15-20% against the Trumps party. Ditch the metal and get out your surfboard Judas, there a blue wave a comng.

              3. “Look up the crime rate per capita for undocumented immigrants vs those for true blue Born in USAers.”

                This is true.

                “I’ve got many times more empathy for those murdered, parents and otherwise, by legal americans, because many many more are murdered by legal americans.”

                So you have less empathy for those murdered by illegal americans?

              4. So you have less empathy for those murdered by illegal americans?

                80, I have empathy for everyone murdered. Strictly arithmetically speaking, the greater the numbers that are murdered, the greater the empathy in that direction.

              5. “Strictly arithmetically speaking, the greater the numbers that are murdered, the greater the empathy in that direction.”

                So less murders = equals less empathy? Your empathy should be the same for each individual. The greater the problem deserves more attention. That doesn’t mean you should have less empathy for the others.

              6. BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!The Obama’s, the Bush’s, the Clinton’s including Chelsea, the Clooney’s, Oprah, Pete Fonda, Morning Joe and Mika, Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga , Jennifer Lopez, Alex Baldwin, Whoopie, Bob De Niro, Ribico, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and many more have announced that they will be taking 100 each immigrant families into their homes to ensure they are not separated, and they will allow them to blend with their children and grandchildren to ensure that they have the same humane principals as their parents. What a wonderful sacrifice by these wonderful people. Thank you!

              7. 80, nowhere have I expressed less empathy towards any individual victim of violence. Unlike our First Lady I don’t go around wearing clothing with that specific message.

              8. “80, nowhere have I expressed less empathy towards any individual victim of violence.”

                ribico says:
                June 25, 2018 at 12:26 pm

                “I’ve got many times more empathy for those murdered, parents and otherwise, by legal americans, because many many more are murdered by legal americans.”

              9. Republican voters are too stupid to realize that we have a labor shortage and will continue to have a labor shortage for the foreseeable future. The long term consequence of Trump’s immigration policy (besides the immoral aspect of child/parent separation) will hurt the economy far more than any realized benefit.

            2. Oh look, Razor’s calling for direct citizen action. I bet that means you have no problem with citizens directly confronting the regime members as well? In any case that’s rich coming from a guy who doesn’t even f-ing vote.

              1. President’s approval ratings via Gallop is at 41% as of Jun 18-24, 2018. Please keep talking and confronting!

              3. Jimmy Carter called. He said to get your sweater on, turn down your thermostat and get used to losing!

              4. Again with “the regime”?

                Therein lies the real hatred, the real bitch…………….and it leaks into every other issue of any kind.
                And yet were told over, over and over, over, over and over that the libs are overflowing like Niagara Falls with Love for everybody and everything.
                And if u believe that, I have a bridge……………

              5. Again with “the regime”?

                Dictionary definition :

                noun
                noun: regime; plural noun: regimes; noun: régime; plural noun: régimes

                a system or planned way of doing things, especially one imposed from above.

                “I alone can fix it” –Donald J. Trump

                Sound familiar? Tell me how I am wrong?

                Like it or not cat, you are living under a “regime”

            1. I’m not getting into a lengthy discussion over this. You said, “I’ve got many times more empathy for those murdered, parents and otherwise, by legal americans”

              Having more empathy for those murdered by legal citizens (which includes every individual) implies that you have less empathy for those murdered by illegals (which also includes every individual).

              If you didn’t mean to convey that, then learn from your mistake. If you’re just rabble rousing, then by all means, keep on having more or less empathy based on someone’s legal status.

              1. 80,

                My complete quote was:

                “I’ve got many times more empathy for those murdered, parents and otherwise, by legal americans because many many more are murdered by legal americans”

                Changes the context, don’t you think?

                Maybe I’m not explaining this correctly. Let me put it into football terms. Frank Gore runs for 20 yards, LaMichael James runs for 1 yard. There is no difference in each yard (e.g. the empathy directed towards each individual, legal status regardless) that makes up those runs. Yet how many times more yards did Gore run for? That is all I’m conveying.

                If I were really rebel rousing, I would ask why our President hasn’t brought victims of violence perpetrated by those more closer to the Razor demographic (white guys with guns) for a white house photo op, as there many many many times more victims of that than from illegal immigrants.

              2. Hey Mr. Roboto, I’m Italian. It’s more of an olive skin tone than white.

              3. So your immigrant ancestors got the same sh*t as our south of the border ones are now. Talk about gang membership, don’t get me started. Yet somehow you assimilated, how about that.

              4. My goodness Rib.

                I included the full quote the first time, and it doesn’t change the context at all. The point you now claim to be conveying was already made in your previous sentence, “Look up the crime rate per capita for undocumented immigrants vs those for true blue Born in USAers.”

                I’ll take your word for it and believe that you have no less empathy for those murdered by illegals. In that case you should have said, I have been empathetic many more times because of the higher rates. Saying I’ve got many times more empathy means more empathetic, not I’ve been empathetic more often.

                You keep saying more empathy while claiming to mean empathetic more often based on numbers. As I said, I’ll take your word for it. Learn from your mistake.

              5. Great grandfather Cato loved America, and that was one of the 4 reasons why he came in legally.

              6. Razor, I’m sure great grandfather Cato did, I’m sure he did. It’s highly doubtful those already here saw him the same way. Luckily for him (and you) “legal” was much less restrictive than it is now.

                Tell me, what job did he take from someone native born?

              8. The fact is that, putting aside the act of being in this country illegally, undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than American citizens.

                That’s just a fact! Sure, there are bad apples in every bunch. But if these undocumented immigrants are committing crimes at a lower rate than American citizens, why are we treating these human beings in such an aggressive, un-American manner? Unlike what people like Razor want you to believe, this isn’t about MS-13 gang bangers, or keeping this country safe. I don’t know anyone on any side of the isle, who wants to protect immigrants who come to this country and gang-bang, or commit serious crimes. That’s a strawman.

                I mean, for those of us who are not Native American’s ourselves, which are most of us, we all have ancestors who likely came to this country as either refugees, or simply looking for opportunity, and many of those ancestors came here illegally, without proper documentation, expired visas, etc, yet went on to do great things for this country.

                Even the architect of Trump’s disastrous, inhumane, and highly unpopular family separation policy (and no, the Obama administration did not have a policy of family separation. That’s fake news. Some were separated, as an exception to the rule, for reasons of health, safety, etc. Not as a matter of policy) Stephen Miller, is the great-grandson of a desperate refugee from Belarus.

                I grew up in California, and worked in the restaurant industry for a number of years, so I’ve met a lot of undocumented immigrants (some with expired green cards, some who crossed illegally). Almost without exception, these immigrants I came to know were honest, hard working folks, most of whom are God-fearing Christians of some denomination, with very strong family values. These aren’t people looking for a handout.

                So what’s all the fuss about? Generally speaking, most of these refugees and undocumented immigrants are in fact, good people who simply want to make a better life for themselves and their families. Why are we treating them all in such a reprehensible way?

                Let’s once for all handle this the right way. It’s called immigration reform, not zero-tolerance. Spend the resources on going after the bad apples, the gang-bangers, and those who commit crimes after they get here, and for those who are here, and aren’t committing crimes, make them pay a hefty fine, and make them earn their citizenship, so that they can assimilate seamlessly into our society. And let’s stop treating them like they are bad people, because most of them aren’t. And my gosh, why are we separating these poor children from their parents? That’s unnecessary, mean spirited, and simply WRONG.

              9. Not true. Take the time to educate yourself

                Razor, you and I are of similar age. My grandfather came to the USA from Germany in the 1910s (pre WW1 and boy did he get sh*t during the war years). Your greatgrandfather must have come then or earlier. And yes, pre-1920 was much more generous than what is considered “legal” today. From your link:

                The 1921 and 1924 laws exempted from the new quota highly skilled immigrants, domestic servants, specialized workers such as actors and wives or unmarried minor children of U.S. citizens, and the 1924 law also created preferences for quota visas for certain family members and agricultural workers.

                Hell, if we had 1921 and 1924 laws I could get my housekeeper legal status under the “domestic servant” clause. Instead, the poor woman lives in fear every day under the threat of arrest and deportation.

              10. I grew up in California, and worked in the restaurant industry for a number of years, so I’ve met a lot of undocumented immigrants (some with expired green cards, some who crossed illegally). Almost without exception, these immigrants I came to know were honest, hard working folks, most of whom are God-fearing Christians of some denomination, with very strong family values. These aren’t people looking for a handout.

                Absolutely, 49reasons. In fact the American hospitality and food service sectors (including 45’s holdings) , and many others would collapse were it not for the labor of the undocumented immigrant. Americans would do these jobs instead? Not many Americans I know would line up for 12 hour bedmaking, dishwashing or strawberry picking shifts.

            2. And Christ said “all have sinned………”. Obviously, everyone one of us. Who among the human race is without it? U know something we don’t, Ribs???

              I have never seen you go on, on and on about the black on black murders which, at last count, were substantial. And a whole lot of those people wanted to live their lives out. Had every right to do so. They are the real victims that are an inconvenient truth.

              2. Focus, catfish. Take your racist interjection to a discussion about Kaepernick. If you can find one.

  3. Grant what is your prediction for the season. I say 9-7. 10–6 if we get a couple lucky bounces.

  4. Grant here is Cam Inman take:

    Tomlinson, 26, started the final 15 games last season, shortly after being acquired from the Detroit Lions, who used their 2015 first-round draft pick on him. He seemed to improve as the 6-10 season progressed, as did most of his teammates, especially in the run-blocking aspect as well as upon Jimmy Garoppolo’s 5-0 debut as the starting quarterback.

  5. Grant, I don’t get why this development is alarming to you. Lynch said, “Laken is a very talented player who has improved consistently since joining the team one week before last year’s season opener. This offseason, his hard work and dedication paid off as he continued to progress and performed at a high level.” Of course you disagree. You’ve turned into Mr. Negative. But to a fan of the team who believes management likely knows what it’s doing, it’s good news. Chill out, man.

  7. Don’t see this as alarming. Had him penciled in at LG from the start.

    Not a big fan of PFF grades but I wonder how they graded him over the last 5 weeks compared to the earlier on.

    1. eney
      ‏ @PFF_Jeff

      Jeff Deeney Retweeted David Cochrane

      Tomlinson graded out as a top 10 guard during Jimmy G’s five games #smallsamplesize

      1. “Tomlinson graded out as a top 10 guard during Jimmy G’s five games”

        I guess. What I’m trying to reconcile is how his grade jumped up when the performance of the running game didn’t improve.

        1. as Beachie posted below, Tomlinson posted his 2 best run blocking game grades last 2 games of season…

          1. In Garoppolo’s first 4 starts they averaged 3.22 ypc, 3.70 when you add in the Rams backup game. That’s down from 3.95 in the first 11 games.

            With PFF you get a breakdown of runs by direction. This is what I am looking for, but I don’t have a subscription.

          2. I woud hope his run blocking grade improved a lot considering both Jacksonville and the rams were in the bottom third of the league in run D and the rams didn’t play anyone that final game.

        2. From what I saw against Jacksonville, when running left, there was no issue with Tomlinson, and when running right, Tomlinson was consistently compensating for Kilgore’s weaknesses.

  8. clue me in if I’m wrong here…but aren’t PFF OL grades weighted solely or mostly on pass blocking efficiency???
    wasn’t Tomlinson’s OZ & IZ run blocking suspect? (along with the rest of the Oline save for Staley?)
    all the Oline’s PFF stats jumped when JG took over…which I thought was solely due to less time needed to hold pass blocks while JG got the ball out in record time?

    1. @tjf No its both. I believe they have 2 separate grades, one for run blocking the other for pass. The overall grade is a combination of the 2. Not sure if its an average, total, etc.

      1. I wonder how those PFF stats square with the team having the 7th highest number of run snaps in the league (and worst in NFC) stuffed for zero or negative run yardage…23% of all 2017 season run plays were futile…

  9. Is it just me or do the people here who post like 5 posts in a row (and sometimes reply to themselves) all seem like the same one person? The names differ, and come and go, but the style seems exactly the same.

    I dunno…little observation.

    1. Jack Hammer is a burner account. I love the fake arguments he has with lil cohn.

      Sad.

  10. I thought that by the end of last season he had improved to become an average NFL guard.

  11. Yep, no surprise and no alarms. Like, Hammer I had him penciled in at LG as well. Garnett seems headed for the pawn shop to see what they can get for him, while I’ve had Cooper penciled in at RG. Person will compete against Magnuson for the back up of all trades….

    1. Razor, can I have you head a fantasy league again this year? The Internet connection issues I have been dealing with became so bad that I was unable to complete one of my college courses last month, and I am worried that said connection issues will not allow me to effectively manage and participate in Quest4Six this year.

        1. I would like in on the fantasy football league also if their is openings, I am feed flinstone when it comes to computers but I may need help in the start up. Thank you Razor,

          1. My pleasure. We’ll get you all set up. I’ll let you know when it gets close to being time.

            1. Can we have an electric football league, based on Tudor Electric Football?

              1. Cassie, you mean the one with guards that play like Grants description of Tomlinson? Buzzing around in circles or running backwards?

              2. That is funny ribico,old school madden. I just flashed to the. 70’s with my electric set, mine buzzed too loud, it was the cowboys verse the steelers, the Niners were so bad they did not sell a miner version, I never could get the kicker to kick right. Good times!

              4. Cassie,
                Ha! My RB ran for over 3 hundred yards on one play after he reversed his run about 10 times. Me and my friends thought we had the most high-tech game in town!
                My, how the times have changed -and in this case, thank God!

              6. Who had the felt, and who had the magnet football?

                When I’d play my friends we put a piece of cardboard across the LOS as to not see the formation . Then so called “friends” would line up completely along the sideline. ???? “YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!”

  12. According to Pro Football Focus, over his first eight games, Tomlinson allowed 21 hurries and four quarterback hits. Over his final seven games, Tomlinson allowed only eight hurries and two quarterback hits. He also posted his two best run-blocking grades of the season during the 49ers’ final two contests.

    Yes it is Alarming that he improved so much after he fully learned the system (plus Garoppolo). Sounds like a decent signing to me.

    1. “He also posted his two best run-blocking grades of the season during the 49er”

      Which sounds good until you realize he was playing the Rams backups.

      As for the improvement in pass pro, that was across the board and had more to do with the QB.

      1. his 2 best run block grades in final 2 games…compared to his previous lofty standard???
        let’s not forget the run yds. avg. in the Jags game…not good…

  14. I thought he was going to be starting at guard, seemed like he was getting better as the year wore on. Was wondering if some of his questionable play was more of a reflection how Kilgore performed and his very late arrival to training camp.

  15. No no no … this just doesn’t fit into Grant ‘s narrative If this guy doesn’t suck then what the h*ll does Grant know? Lol !!!!

      1. …and his necktie is asleep
        And his jukebox has to take a leak
        And his telephone is out of cigarettes
        And his piano has been drinking…

  17. This is an 8.5 on the Grant Alarmed Index, or GAI (on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is supremely un-alarmed, and 10 is flaming Armageddon…)

    1. Cassie ..
      C’mon… don’t pick on Grant … After all… this is his
      first piece since coming back from his week-long hiatus ..
      where he allowed the blog posters to pick the topics !

      How cool was that ? … I mean .. it seems we got along
      just fine without The Grantster ! … (who knew ?)

      Hey Grant … how ..was … the vacation ?

  18. Its my understanding that Mt. Mike and Pettis are the only two draftee’s unsigned?

    1. my understanding.. as well .. UC ..

      I’m thinking McGlinchy will be first to sign (more money)
      and Pettis afterwards …

  19. This isn’t a surprise. They said when they didn’t take up his option that they were working a long term deal with him. And he has spent the entire off season as first string LG.

    What has been surprising is that some people still seem to think Garnett is in a good position to win a starting job. Yet he was stashed on IR to transform his body last year and this offseason has been rotating with a late FA journeyman OG signing in Person. Once Cooper is ready to go that job is likely his, and Person offers cover at centre. Garnett has a very good chance of not making the 53.

    2. Garnett is gone already, we just don’t know his destination yet….
      TC will be the last ditch effort to promote his transformation…

        1. power scheme # 1
          inside zone scheme # 2
          outside zone– need not apply…
          is a 4th rounder too much to ask in trade????

          1. Probably. We gave a 5th for Tomlinson, and I expect that’s about all we could hope for wrt Garnett.

            1. gee, thanks Trent!
              makes ya want to light a bag of dog crap on fire, placed on Cassie’s dad’s doorstep, of course!

  20. All I remember of Tomlinson is a couple of plays where his defender flew by him like he blew an assignment. They have the tape so they ought to know whether he is competent or not..

  21. 2017 splits.

    Hyde
    LEFT SIDELINE 28 carries, 167 YDs, 6.0 Avg.
    LEFT SIDE 62 carries, 337 YDs, 5.4 Avg.
    MIDDLE 70 carries, 252 YDs, 3.6 Avg.
    RIGHT SIDE 43 carries, 121 YDs, 2.8 Avg.
    RIGHT SIDELINE 37 carries, 63 YDs, 1.7 Avg.

    2. 2017 team rushing splits.

      http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/splits/_/name/sf/type/rushing

      Left Sideline 59 carries, 359 YDs, 6.1 Avg.
      Left Side 90 carries, 448 YDs, 5.0 Avg.
      Middle 103 carries, 369 YDs, 3.6 Avg.
      Right Side 75 carries, 275 YDs, 3.7 Avg.
      Right Sideline 68 carries, 223 YDs, 3.3 Avg.

      Staley and Tomlinson looking good.
      Richburg is an upgrade over Kilgore.
      Trent Brown just didn’t fit. McG is an upgrade.
      Garnett? See Trent Brown, he doesn’t fit.
      Is Toomer an upgrade over Fusco? Maybe, hopefully, low bar so probably.

    3. McGlinchey and Richburg should put some balance into the run game. Really looking forward to seeing it work.

  22. Alarming?

    The only thing alarming Grant, is your misuse of the word alarming. The 49ers made it clear weeks ago, while they weren’t interested in picking up Laken’s 5th year option, the were interested in working out am extension at a more reasonable price.

    This is a guy who was not only underdeveloped by one of the worst OL coaches in the NFL, but also a per scheme fit. He showed a lot of growth as he became more comfortable in Kyle’s system, and excelled down the stretch, with Jimmy at the helm. I think it’s a solid move, and certainly nothing to be “alarmed” about.

    1. What seems more alarming to me is that someone who supposedly follows this team, didn’t see this move coming, hence they determined that Joshua Garnett was actually one of five players on the roster who must exceed expectations in order for the team to make the post season.

      I mean, for those of us paying attention, this move was telegraphed a mile a way. And, for crying out loud Grant, Garnett has been on the bubble since the Spring of 2017.

      I mean, you do realize the Pope is Catholic, right Grant?

      Grant Cohn = Eyes Wide Shut.

    1. Means the 9ers (once again) failed to meet Grant’s expectations (like they should know better)…

  25. Tomlinson’s play got better as he got more comfortable in a new system, and towards the end of the season he was grading high, do some homework. What’s with the blinders?

    He was always going to be a starter here, since last season ended. Maybe they get more competition in the 2019 NFL Draft and maybe they’re happy with what they’ve got.

    On to Right Guard.

  26. With the way he played the last 2 games , both run and pass , no not alarming .

    He improved as the season progressed .
    If we get from the offense , what they are cable of . I think the only postion we should be alarmed at is right guard ?

    That’s the bigger question , RG ?

  27. I am not concerned nor alarmed about Laken. RG on the other hand is another story. Following up on some previous articles, I am also not concerned about JG’s cadence. Grant noted that ” (JG) knows the playbook, and has experience with his current teammates. ” I beg to differ. He probably has a good handle on on the playbook, but he is playing with a new Center, RG, RT, RBs Mckinnon/Joe Williams, WR Pettis/Garcon. If there are cadence and false start issues mid August, that would be noteworthy.

  28. I think with Richburg and Staley tonthe left and right of him, he will be better.

    1. Staley to the left of me
      Richburg to the right
      Here I am
      Laken the middle with you

  29. Grant says that last year “the 49ers gave up on him (Tomlinson), as they should have.” I gave up on Grant a long time ago. Anyone else?

    1. jsaniner
      That’s a mis-read on your part. Grant meant that the Lions gave up on a 2015 1st Rd choice; he’s correct, but it may turn out to be SF’s gain. Even Joe Looney found employment, and started after injury elsewhere. A fresh start can work out. Because Grant doesn’t have close relations with coaching staff he’s missed what Barrows and Maiocco have bee saying since April: that the Niners like Tomlinson more than the fans or media do.
      Grant’s presumptuous ‘alarming’ schlock reveals more about him than Tomlinson, Shanahan, or Lynch.

  30. Tomlinson will be avg. next year. Hopefully Cooper will be above avg. and next year they will draft a OG within the first three rounds.

    1. Spot on Coach, that’s where my expectations are at. Not sure Tomlinson is ever going to be a pro-bowler, but I expect him to grade out around “average”, and from what I’ve heard, he’s a tough kid, pretty durable and willing to play through pain. He should be just fine sandwiched between Staley & Richburg.

      And who knows, maybe he’ll continue to get better. It’s not unheard of for an OL to take time to develop into fine players.

      Thumbs up on this extension.

  31. Pro:
    – Tomlinson is 26. That’s only 21 and running back years. Lots of room for improvement.
    – His statistics improved over the latter half of the season.
    – He’s a Martin Mayhew draft pick. He could have been victim to a system change in Detroit, and might thrive n this system.

    Concern:
    – Garoppolo has such a quick release, an easy chair on roller skates would have improved pass blocking stats. His ability to get rid of the ball hides a multitude of pass protection sins. Hoping the 49ers aren’t taking this for granted. They’d be risking their prized new quarterback if they did. Jimmy took some big hits last season. Not sure he’d last a season at that hit rate.

    Observation:
    Free agency and offensive line changes signal a strong commitment to the run. Shanahan is likely to involve more play action this year if the run game is established.

    If Shanahan loved Tomlinson he would have signed him to a longer contract. He’s likely banking (hoping?) the best way to keep Garoppolo clean is play action slowing the pass rush. At least until they find better guards down the road.

  32. LT will be fine. I trust the folks that are actually “in” football to make these decisions.
    As for you Grant, you just come across, as usual, as bitter and insecure. Everything about your coverage of this team, and really all the bay area teams wreak of resentment. Is it because you have to cover men that are successful, talented, and in many cases multi millionaires, while you tread water in your nice little blue collar, pedestrian job at the rarely heralded Santa Rosa PD? Does jealousy enter in to your thought process when writing these articles? Do you look at Kyle and John and the athletes your are assigned to cover with envy and think that should be you, with, in your mind, your overwhelmingly superior, as Seb would put it, “football acumen”, or should I say “all sports acumen”? It’s so boorish. Your much, much better when you write articles like your piece about Dwight. Uplifting, positive writing. I’d stick with that avenue. Let your talent represent you, not your insecurities and obvious discontent, because you do have a gift for writing, just not when the subject concerns evaluating sports talent. Your not objective enough. Just saying.

    1. Juan, I like Grant’s style of writing. It is topical and edgy.
      .
      His ‘acumen’ was spot on when he wrote about Bowman’s regression. He mentioned Hyde, and the lack of fit to KS’s offensive philosophy. Now Hyde is gone. Sure, Grant may be wrong at times, but he does present cogent logical arguments.
      .
      Frankly, I am tired of the saccharine rainbows and unicorns, especially when the Niners go 2-14. Last season, they did not seem too smart when they floundered to an 0-9 record. Luckily, JG fell into their laps and saved the day.
      .
      Sure, the Niners may be poised to have a good season, but it will be a daunting challenge. Identifying the weaknesses and possible pitfalls just means he is keeping it real. If I want a Pollyannish fairy tale, I will read the Matts.
      .
      However, I will agree that Grant should write more human interest pieces. That Keith Fahnhorst article was pure gold, just like his Dwight Clark story.

      1. “Edgy” Seb? If I want edgy, I’ll spend a day at a modern art museum.

        Seriously Seb, Grant is posting negative thoughts and negative 49ers analysis’ at about an 85% clip these days. Do you believe ShanaLynch are getting things wrong at an 85% clip?

        I’m guessing no, so why are you defending Grant? I mean, is “alarming” the word that comes to mind for you Sebnynah, when it comes to Tomlinson? Again, I’m guessing no.

        1. Considering the whole interior line played poorly for the first half of the season, all of those players should not have been confident with their job security.
          .
          Thankfully, they cut Beadles, traded away Kilgore, and let Fusco walk. Garnett is coming back from IR, they signed Richberg and Cooper, but failed to draft a guard. Guess we will have to wait to see how it all works out.
          .
          Alarming is an edgy word.

          1. coward is another word for someone who cried foul last year and now suddenly appears again…what does your wife think about all this posting pos….

  33. Posters need to realize that they signed Kilgore to an extension, drafted MM, then traded DK away. Nothing is set in stone.
    .
    Cooper may be the wild card. If he is healthy, Garnett is the odd man out. Instead of cutting Garnett, as some have been speculating, maybe the Niners should be looking to trade him away to a team that just had a guard go down due to injury during the upcoming TC.
    .
    I am not going to count on Cooper, because knees are tricky. He may have sprained his MCL, but he also had surgery on it. Therefor, Garnett may win a starting job by default.
    .
    If Garnett becomes a starter, I hope they put him in the best position to succeed. They should play him at LG, his natural position, and let Tomlinson play RG, Tomlinson played RG in college, so he is versatile enough to play both LG and RG. Putting Garnett next to a grizzled veteran like Staley may help him, just like putting Tomlinson next to McGlinchey, so he can have a veteran next to him. Otherwise, the right side of the line may have a first year and rookie manning those positions.
    .
    Tomlinson may have had a good game against the Rams during that last game of the season, but he was not going against Aaron Donald, making that performance…..meaningless.

    1. 11 paragraphs to say what could have been written in 2 or 3 sentences of stuff everybody already knew. This guy didn’t get any smarter during his time out.

  34. PFF, so take it with a grain of salt. This is his PFF numbers after 9 games.

    https://www.ninersnation.com/2017/11/8/16623614/laken-tomlinson-stats-49ers-sacks-allowed-cardinals-daniel-kilgore

    “They have him graded at 43.7, 50th of 80 players at the position. His pass block rating (40.4) is 62nd out of 79 and his run block rating (43.7) is 40 out of 78.”

    And his numbers after the season ended.

    “Tomlinson earned a 70.7 overall grade across 1,042 offensive snaps in his first year with San Francisco, specifically excelling in the run game. In addition to his 76.2 run-block grade, he ranked 11th among guards with 400-plus offensive snaps last season in run-block success percentage at 15.0 percent.”

    Big improvement in run blocking.

    1. Don’t go confusing lil cohn with numbers…. mr chess club president, live in his mom’s basement, 49er insider, don’t do facts. Gets in the way of his chase for clicks.

  35. Anyone says a game is meaningless , never really played at a high level .
    It’s the NFL ,are you kidding me?
    The best of the best . Cream of the crop . Meaningless no Seb , we all had this discussion before . But no he didn’t go up against one of the best DT in the game (AD) .

    And a quick note , look at what he did in Atlanta , with the offensive line . The QB didn’t change ,but the backs he had to work with did.
    Everyone is saying JG affect helped with the O-Line , we might want to take a look at the running backs , that’s were they get help from , play action , pickup blitzes , screen where they are supposed to be , that kind of thing .
    Guys think outside the box so to speak .
    Brick by brick . Takes time .
    And Rome was built in a day .

    1. 78, I was being facetious. I was just making fun of JH.
      .
      I also mentioned that Tomlinson’s PERFORMANCE was…. meaningless, due to the fact that Aaron Donald did not play, so his grades may have improved.

    2. “Anyone says a game is meaningless , never really played at a high level .”

      You mean like Mike Ditka, who stated he didn’t know a late season game against SF would be so meaningless. But hey he was only a hall of famer.

      The problem is fans get to hung up on the idea of meaningless and take it too literally. There is some value to all games, but not all games are cared about equally by coaches and players. If they were coaches wouldn’t bench all their starters like the rams last year, or like Indy always did with Peyton the final week. Players would get mad over losing these games and wouldn’t be laughing on the sidelines after a such losses.
      Yes, there is some value to these games. Players do get paid for them and might have a bonus incentive to reach a statistical milestone. However, lets not pretend like many players don’t essentially check out, or “take the game off” when we know some take plays off in games of bigger importance.
      So if we can admit to this, we also have to admit that good performances in some games are more impressive and therefore hold more value. If the rams guard dominated DJ Jones, its not particularly impressive but if he dominated Defo it would be. Degree of difficulty matters.

      2. If winning is “meaningless” then we’ve completely lost sight of what competition and sport is all about.

    2. Martin Mayhew drafted LT. They know him well. He played half a season with the 49ers and played pretty good all things considered. Once again Cohn head throws shade on the team without real reasons.

      1. I think we’ll be ok with him as second string.. as long
        as he doesn’t hafta play most of the season… but
        for a couple of games … I think we’ll be fine

        1. I agree. If he doesn’t need to play extensively under horrible conditions, he’ll continue to learn and improve. Solid play by the OL and RBs can take a good deal of heat off if he’s brought in due to a lingering Jimmy injury.

  39. Being in a frequent state of alarm is detrimental to procreation and maintaining an overall healthy life.

  40. I used to enjoy reading Grant’s articles because it was always a different set of eyes and he seemed to take a different perspective. The difference is it wasn’t ALL negative articles and now, that’s all I read about. It’s almost like it’s a pride thing that’s gotten in his way to write something positive. Idk. I wish the old Grant was writing

  41. Grant, Laken May be a bust in this system however based on his performance last year PFF ranked him
    With pass blocking of 97.4 which was ranked 20th out 58 guards which is not bad at all for what they are paying him and he is still young. Also I respect the coaching staffs opinion on who fits their system. Go Niners

  42. ok, I think the Tomlinson horse has been well and truly beat to death by now…
    now let’s focus on the right side of the OL…

  45. Hmmm, so if you don’t start in the NFL, you are basically a meaningless player and anyone’s performance against you, good or bad, should also be dubbed meaningless. That’s an insult to a whole hell of a lot of professional football players who have spent most of their life perfecting their craft and achieving the pinnacle of said craft by playing in the NFL only to have some nitwit posting on a web sight who’s probably never even played the sport declare them meaningless. Laughable.

    1. Juanhunglo

      Excellent point….it seems that the blog has subscribed to Seb’s theory of ‘ let’s take 12 losers and trade them for 6 winners….’ and then we’ll just rule the SBs. With Cooper, Garnett, and Eric Magnuson to choose from, I think that the RG position is well stocked…All-pro ?…maybe not, but with three guards who have ‘blood on their aprons’, I think thatmore is not necessarily better. Aside from that, I believe that Magnuson is overlooked….We’ve already cut Alex Balducci…310 lbs, who never got a shot, but is now starting RG for the Redskins…The old saying goes that ‘you never hear an Olinemans name called unless he does something wrong….’ (paraphrased)

      1. What are you talking about? Alex Balducci has never started a regular season game and is a long shot to even make the roster.

        1. rocket…my reference says he’s starting RG

          tjf….may be a little bit of both

          1. Your reference is mistaken. He was added to their practice squad and never played a game. He’s a long shot to even make a roster this year.

      2. sorry, but is weighing in at 310 lbs. a qualification to start @ RG in WAS?
        or for being cut by KS/JL?

      3. Ore, how I wish that trading away marginal players would result in SBs, but that is just a pipe dream. ;p
        .
        JL and KS are actually doing it the right way. Building it brick by brick. Establishing a tight knit band of brothers with good locker room dynamics. Out bidding other teams for decent FAs. Hitting home runs in the draft. Being extremely lucky to have their franchise QB fall into their laps. Starting JG those last games to help create that winning culture.
        .
        A better example of an overlooked player would be Joe Looney. He was cut by the Niners, then signed with the Titans, where he played LG and center. Then he signed with Dallas, and played every game as a versatile backup in 2017.
        .
        With Gilliam as swing tackle, Person as backup center, and Garnett possibly being backup Guard, Magnuson may be the odd man out.

  46. Good stuff on Niners’ 3rd round pick, S/CB Tarvarius Moore. You know, the kid whom Grant has given very little chance of having a positive impact on the 49ers roster early in his career, apparently based solely on the fact that he’s being converted from Safety to Cornerback. Well, I’m going to attempt to counterbalance Grant’s increasingly snarky, negative coverage of the 49ers with some positive-yet-fair posts.

    Tony Softli, former NFL V.P. of Player Personnel writes: “It’s EMBARRASSING a VP and Scouts admit they didn’t do their job when Scouting a TALENTED Safety with Corner Skill Set…..Former Dir @NFLPABowl did!”

    Matt Barrows notes that it’s notable that several teams had focused in on Moore in the days prior to the draft, though most of them were left scrambling to do the kind of thorough evaluations you’d expect from NFL scouting departments.

    Adam Peters, Niners’ V.P. of Player Personnel basically corroborated this by saying: “I actually had a couple of teams call me after we picked him, and they said, ‘Hey, we really liked this guy. But we just didn’t have enough time to spend on him.’ Because I think a lot of teams really jumped on him after he had that pro day. And then they were kind of scrambling to catch up.”

    It sounds like there are a number of teams who were tardy to the T. Moore party, and wishing they had been a little more diligent in regards to scouting this gifted, and seemingly versatile young player. The 49ers scouting department on the other hand, had identified Moore early in the process, and kept close tabs on the prospect throughout the run up to the draft. They ultimately pulled the trigger for Moore in round 3 because they loved all of his athletic traits, i.e. his size, length, speed and fluidity, and feel like he’s a natural fit at CB in their scheme. According to multiple reports, the early returns on Moore’s position change are very, very promising. He began this spring working with the Niners’ 3rd team unit, however by the end of minicamp, Moore had not only worked his way up to 2nd team, and he was even getting a few snaps with the 1st team unit as well. I’ve studied Moore quite a bit, and based on what I’ve read and heard from other people, I’d be willing to bet that the 49ers have found their starting CB’s for years to come with Sherman, Witherspoon, and Moore, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Moore challenges Sherman as soon as 2019. If one of the other outside CB prospects currently vying for a roster spot develops into a solid backup, CB could be a real strength on this team rather quickly, and what a change that would be.

  47. Should have kept Kilgore at og, moving him to center was the beginning of his demise. Major injury didn’t help either, before that he was above average imo…..curious what his pff numbers were during the Harbaugh years but I’m not savvy enough to find them. A lil help gentlemen?

  48. Was there a contest to name the defensive backfield two or three weeks ago–a contest organized by all 9er DBs? I must have missed it…what were the results? Winner was to receive a jersey signed by all DBs….

  49. My feet, shins and joints are about to get much happier on these 3 mile runs. I just scored a pair of Kayano 22’s from a guy in San Francisco for $38.90 delivered. Looks like they have maybe 5 gym miles on them!

    1. I’m 56 and look better than this man! Ha! Mucho respect to the San Francisco Treat.

    2. Wouldn’t it be amazing to come out of the opening huddle on Offense with Rice and TO at WRs….?

  51. Hey OREGONINER-
    PFT reports your boy Royce Freeman has a shot at winning starting role with Broncos.

    1. Bro Tuna

      Thanks for the shout-out…big “Rolls” Royce will be rolling for someone…I wish it was us, but I’m more than satisfied with our brace of RBs…especially Joe Williams….

  52. Agree Juan , nice , can’t hand pick what is or isn’t. It’s one or the other .

    Unless you are a starter .

    Are all the games JG won , meaningless ?

    All the games LT played in meaningless ?

    So if all the starters aren’t playing it’s meaningless ?

    Or just this article ?
    To be or not to be , meaningless ,or a starter . WOW ,

  53. Seb , does it matter if he went up against AD , in that game . Yes . But not because he did or didn’t do his job , hence it’s not meaningless ,
    It’s not meaningless because a team pulled there player to protect him for the playoffs .

    That’s why every game matters , relation to the standings , draft picks , compensation picks , yes all games matter .

    Tell the raiders ( who wanted MM) that the , flip of the coin was meaningless , or if , we lost those last 2 meaningless games , where would we of been picking in the draft . Would it make that draft pick meaningless ? Or the spots that would of been gained , be meaningless .

    No sirs all games matter ?
    No matter if all the starters are playing , or some , or none .

    You just didn’t get the comparison you were looking for in AD .
    Meaningless is the wrong word .
    Now like shoup said value , you know assessing a grade or amount.
    Meaningless no !

    And the last time I checked shoup Mike Didka. Wasn’t the most or the brightest bulb in the box . And a hot head to boot , we remember Ricky Williams trade . Wig and cigar . Lol through that in , because soon as you say his name that’s what pops into my mind . That wig , dreadlocks ,and that cigar . Anyone remember that one . LMAO .

    Can we talk about the other guard spot , the one we don’t know about yet , RG .

    1. To the ‘blog’

      I have limited access to some of the draftees and almost all of the UDFA’s that the niners took , and would like to know more about. In particular, I’d like to know more about Jamar McGloster… OL out of Syracuse…I know there’s no cause for comparison, but he’s 1″ shorter and 6 lbs lighter than our #1 draft choice who is a buttkicker (McGlinchey)….Can McGloster play Guard ?…how is his footwork ?… Attitude…work ethic…etc ? Wouldn’t it be great to find that he could be the Guard that we have been seeking ?
      TomD… Shoup, or Bro Tuna…I have leaned on all of you in the past because I trust your research abilities more than my own…Can you shed some light on this únknown’giant….? Thanks

          1. GEEP

            Wow ! Thank you for the run-down on Jamar McGlosteer…all your reports were comprehensive and well written…You answered what I wanted to know, and even though he appears slow afoot, that’s why we have coaches…Again GEEP….Thanks

            1. OREGONINER
              * Not a problem, I’m glad it answered your questions on James McGloster.
              * My best guess would be he’s a candidate for the practice squad. He will need, as you say, some coaching up and hard work in the weight room. Needs to add more strength, especially his upper body strength.

      2. Oergon,
        I havent done enough research on this prospect as of yet. However, this reminded me of a request from Old Coach I believe who asked for a short analysis on Steven Dunbar which I forgot to deliver (sorry) so I’ll add this analysis to your thread.

        Dunbar appears to be an interesting prospect from what I saw. He is very strong and his play shows it, he isn’t afraid to go over the middle and routinely won contested balls from what I saw. While he doesn’t routinely create separation, he appears to track the football very well, attacking it with his vice like hands, in this regard he is very similar to Bolden. I love the fact that ex able to and is willing to fully extend to snag footballs high and low.
        The bad part is that coming out of Houston, he will have a very limited route tree, and wont see the kind of space he did in that conference. He is not especially quick or and doesn’t have top end speed, to this end he seems to vary his route speed in order to deceive defenders and get what separation he does… I am not sure this will work in the NFL.
        For this team he is a bit more interesting of a prospect than he would normally be, as SF doesn’t have many 3rd down or Red zone type receivers that Jimmy can just throw it up to and ask them to make a play. I am not sure he will make the team initially but he could easily be a practice squad player that gets later in the year or next year.
        Oregon, Ill try to watch some tape of Jamar and get back to you a little later on him.

        1. I’ve gotten the impression from comment here and other sites that KS’ system is not keen on the jump ball/wrestle-ball-from-DB-in-end-zone “#1 rcvr” scenario…
          rather it’s a timing/rcvr separation/small catch window/YAC based system….

          1. My impression as well, but they gave this guy a bonus to sign udfa, so they must see something they like.

            1. didn’t mean to imply Dunbar is DQ’d from potential success in KS’ system…
              just that he’ll be judged based on how he creates separation, his timing with QB’s, YAC speed and elusiveness, etc., etc., ad nauseum…

          2. Tjf, it’s definitely true that he has a preference for that. However, Dunbar was a late round pick not really a number 1 reciever so it’s important to see where he wins.
            The WCO also uses a lot of rub routes and Shanahan in particular has shown the ability to get wide receivers open just through play calling. So perhaps he believes once taught the NFL route tree , that Dunbar has the necessary traits to develop into a good wr.

        2. Shoup

          Thanks…I am also interested in Steven Dunbar…and his physical attributes (and failings) do remind me of Anquan Bolden….is he that tough ?

          1. He appears to be very tough on film but this has to tempered a bit. He played in a wide opèn offense that gave him quite a bit of room to operate in so he probably didn’t need his head on a swivel. Additionally he wasn’t exactly going against top competition so pro level safeties could come as a bit of a shock to him.

    2. “And the last time I checked shoup Mike Didka. Wasn’t the most or the brightest bulb in the box.”

      I never said he was. I only disputed your statement that “Anyone(who) says a game is meaningless , never really played at a high level .” and gave an example of a Hall of Fame player.
      But I’m done debating about the use of a word.

    3. 78, once again, I will state that I was just trying to be glib, and you should have taken my comment with a grain of salt. Obviously, my attempt at humor fell flat.
      .
      I, too, think all games are meaningful, even the losses.
      .
      At RG, I think they need to put in a veteran, who can help McGlinchey, who is an unproven rookie. They should put in Laken Tomlinson at RG, because he played RG in college. Garnett played LG in college, and Cooper played LG for Dallas. They would put either Garnett or Cooper in their best position to succeed, if they put them at LG. I think Tomlinson is versatile enough to play either LG or RG, and he would help anchor the right side, since Brown was traded away.

      1. Makes sense. But I assume that if they keep LT on the left you’ll assume there is “method to their madness.”

        1. Considering that they lost Kilgore, Fusco and Brown, the O line will be 3/5ths new.
          .
          Maybe they need to think outside the box, but since they penciled in Tomlinson in at LG for the OTAs and Mini camp, maybe the writing is on the wall.

      2. “At RG, I think they need to put in a veteran, who can help McGlinchey, who is an unproven rookie.”

        Right, that’s why they have Jonathan Cooper penciled in at that spot.

        1. Penciled in, but he had surgery for an MCL. Usually, MCLs are treated without surgery, but this was so severe, he did have a surgical procedure. I can talk from personal experience, because I did suffer an MCL strain, and had 10 weeks of rest and therapy. Mine was not too bad, but Cooper’s may have been a complete tear.
          .
          That said, I do not think that Cooper will be fully recovered, so Garnett may get a starting job by default. Hence, putting Garnett in his natural position at LG. Tomlinson at RG.
          .
          I also do not think the Niners should count on Sherman being fully recovered. Sure, he is raring to go, but the conservative approach may be to bring him back slowly. Ward may be needed to fill in until Sherman has completely healed. I think K’waun Williams may be another candidate to take the other CB spot if Sherman is not available, and put Ward in the slot.

          1. “I can talk from personal experience, because I did suffer an MCL strain, and had 10 weeks of rest and therapy.”

            Comparing your body to that of a professional athlete. That’s cute.

            Anyway, Cooper will be 6 months post surgery when camp opens on July 25.

            1. Usually, it takes over a year for an ACL surgical repair to fully heal. 6 months for an MCL repair may be wildly optimistic, with no guarantees that there will be no complications, side effects or set backs.
              .
              Other posters have talked about their injuries, so they have intimate knowledge about the procedure, and can talk from experience, instead of speculating with little medical knowledge. The doctor gave me a range of options, and detailed the rehab protocols. Believe me, the therapy to re-establish a full range of motion was almost as painful as the initial injury. The fact that Cooper had surgery just meant that he most likely had a full tear instead of just a strain.

              3. Hmmm, guess what? Cooper did not participate in the OTAs, or the Mini camp.
                .
                Sounds like he is less than 100%.
                .
                Considering a player fell on his leg, it was much more severe than usual. In fact, he expressed extreme agony and was writhing on the ground. Every injury is different, and can affect different people in different ways.
                .
                I remember Baalke blithely stating that Will Redmond would be at 100% for training camp, too. The Niners should take a conservative approach, and bring him back slowly so he does not have any set backs.

              5. Again, there is no guarantee that Cooper will be fully healthy at the beginning of TC. That is just their target date, and a best case scenario. Maybe he will not be ready until the Preseason. Maybe he will be put on IR with a mid season designation for return. That would be the conservative approach. Knees are tricky.

  56. Hey shoup was that when he was a player ,,,,or coach ?
    Just wondering .

    I sir have never heard a player say this game or that game is meaningless .

    Seen some very high strung so to speak coaches ,say something’s that really insinuated that certain games mean more , inter conference . And the what not .

    Every game matters guys , no matter . That’s why we play the game ,or games . All of them .

    3. If every game matters NFL teams like the Rams wouldn’t sit out their starters in the last regular season game, something we see teams do on a regular basis.

      If every game matters NBA coaches like Popovich wouldn’t send their starters home from a road trip with another game left to play.

      If every game matters the Warriors don’t lose 6 of their last 10 once they realize the top seed is sown up by Houston.

      The thought that every game truly matters is a fallacy. Yes, it matters to those backups that might finally be getting a shot to put themselves on film for other opportunities down the road but not really to the coaches who are making a conscious decision to not play their best players etc.

      As for “it’s why they play the game” let’s be real. They are playing the games at the end of a lost season because they have to and there’s definitely instances in which a star player or maybe even a middle of the road guy isn’t fully engaged like they would be if the game meant something, like a playoff berth or home field, etc.

        1. Gee thanks. I didn’t realize there was a difference in the number of games on the schedules of the various leagues. Week 17 rarely matters to the majority of NFL teams.

            1. I didn’t compare the leagues, in fact I didn’t even mention MLB.

              The point was, there are meaningless games every year and provided examples. I also included a link below. This isn’t new, and I think the reason many on here are arguing about it is because it takes away from the 5-0 finish.

              If this year the 49ers are 13-2 and rest their starters and lose I’m sure most will come on here and say, “that loss doesn’t mean anything. Look at all the starters that Shanahan was resting.”

              1. It’s still meaningful for many. Those that replace the starters. Those players that could get released with a bad performance. Those players that could get an extension with a good game, or continuing a string of good games (Tomlinson).

                Blah. This thread is a disaster.

              2. Yea, I just added in MLB to follow along with your NBA comparison. Gee thanks. I didn’t realize there was an actual point. I thought it was all just meaningless weight….

              4. “It’s still meaningful for many. Those that replace the starters. Those players that could get released with a bad performance. Those players that could get an extension with a good game, or continuing a string of good games (Tomlinson).

                Blah. This thread is a disaster.”

                Perhaps you missed this, “Yes, it matters to those backups that might finally be getting a shot to put themselves on film for other opportunities down the road but not really to the coaches who are making a conscious decision to not play their best players etc.”

                “I didn’t realize there was an actual point. I thought it was all just meaningless weight….”

                It’s far better than the political crap from yesterday.

              6. It’s far better than the political crap from yesterday.

                I don’t know. Crap is still crap. It all stinks.

              7. “Perhaps you missed this, “Yes, it matters…”

                I saw it. It contradicts your “If every game matters” paragraphs. This is why people have to ask you to clarify your positions so often. You contradicted yourself by saying “but not really to the coaches”. The coaches are the ones making the calls on if the backups get resigned, let go, or get more or less playing time in the future.

                There’s also the famous Jerry Jones quote about seeing which players want to be there next year. A player could get themselves in hot water if they treat the game as meaningless.

                “It’s far better than the political crap from yesterday.”

                Agreed. Cheers Jack.

              8. It obviously doesn’t matter to them if they win or lose though and we see this every year

              9. To lose or not to lose. That is the question. ‘Tis nobler to not be a sore one.

              10. Jack, your entire premise is flawed, which is why you are losing this debate.

                There is actually a decent debate to be had, in terms of just how much those games meant.

                However, speaking in absolutes, which is defined by words such as “meaningless”, is a flawed premise on which to form this debate.

              11. “your entire premise is flawed, which is why you are losing this debate.”

                ????

      2. If every game matters NFL teams like the Rams wouldn’t sit out their starters in the last regular season game, something we see teams do on a regular basis.

        Seeing how the Rams got blasted in their first playoff game, maybe that last game should have mattered just a little more to the coaches.

        1. Meh. That was one example. Teams do it every year.

          http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22047639/cases-nfl-teams-resting-stars-week-17-2018

          “Besides, even if we poke deeper into the Rams argument, there’s not much there. Donald had a monster game. Gurley ran the ball well but struggled as a receiver. Was he rusty only in the passing game? Goff struggled, but the biggest problem for the Rams on Saturday night was Pharoh Cooper, who shockingly made two key special-teams errors. Cooper was hardly rusty; not only did he play in Week 17, but the South Carolina product started that game as a wideout and was targeted four times.”

        2. “Seeing how the Rams got blasted in their first playoff game, maybe that last game should have mattered just a little more to the coaches.”

          ribico ,
          I get not playing your “stars” much in the final game as the risk is not worth the reward, in most cases. However, I’ve never understood why don’t try a ” happy medium” in which they play the starters for a few series’s, just to keep their rhythm, then work in the backups.

          1. Shoup,

            I think that probably tends to work better when the team has the bye week. Don’t want guys to get hurt, but also don’t want guys sitting for 2 weeks either.

            1. Jack,
              That was precisely the scenario I was thinking of. As I recall normally teams are Sitting their starters when they have both the Playoffs and Home field advantage locked up. Of course there are the exceptions in which a team cannot better their playoff position but still expect to be playing on wild card weekend but if memory serves me correctly this is less often the case.

  58. Imagine ?….if the NFL playoffs was….Each division plays a round-robin tournament, in which each team is scheduled for three matches against other teams in the same division. This means that a total of six matches are played within a divison. The last round of matches of each division is scheduled at the same time to preserve fairness among all four teams.  The top two teams from each division advance to the knockout stage. Points are used to rank the teams within a division.
    Three points awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss

    The knockout stage is a single-elimination tournament in which teams play each other in one-off matches, with extra time used to decide the winner if necessary. It begins with the round of 16 (or the second round) in which the winner of each division plays against the runner-up of another division . This is followed by the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the Superbowl….

    One month of playoff football.. …???

    1. One, and they could rename the NFL trophy to the America’s Cup. Wait that’s already taken ;)

    2. Ramsey is right in that the scheme was spot on for that defense, but it also took Garoppolo to properly execute the scheme. The Jax and Seattle schemes are almost identical, and the results of those games show the importance of being able to execute.

      2. Yup. Execution and scheming. Montana and Walsh won a lot of games by executing well designed schemes. Not saying KS/JG are BW/JM, but we have a pretty good HC/QB combo that will be frustrating CBs for years to come.

      3. That rollout and side arm throw for TD with Jaguars in his face was an off schedule play.

  60. Jimmy G, will not win every game he plays this season as last year.
    I want to see what he’s made of after suffering a terrible loss which we were not able to witness last season.

    I’m interested in how his confidence level holds up when the same fan’s who have extolled his small window of success begin to jeer as opposed to cheer.

    I’m excited about JG’s upcoming season but there still some unanswered questions that will come to the forefront for me when the winning streak ends.

    1. He’ll probably put all the blame on himself. He can kind of be a gunslinger at times. Got to move on quickly after bad throws. We saw him play well in games after throwing some ugly picks. I interested to see if his teammates confidence in him starts to waver if and when he finally loses.

  61. https://247sports.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/ContentGallery/Power-ranking-the-top-40-NFL-quarterbacks-before-training-camp-119374064

    11. JIMMY GAROPPOLO
    “Garoppolo has an unblemished, 7-0 record as a starter. Five of those wins came after he was named the starter in San Francisco and inherited a 1-10 team. Three seasons spent as an understudy to none other than Tom Brady turned him into a precision-passing machine, allowing Garoppolo to dice up defenses in a way far more experienced quarterbacks can only dream of doing.”

    JG is ranked higher than these players.
    12. CAM NEWTON: Former MVP
    13. DEREK CARR: Haha!
    14. ELI MANNING
    15. JARED GOFF
    16. KIRK COUSINS: See you Week 1 Kurt, oops I mean Kirk.
    18. DAK PRESCOTT

  62. WR
    Goodwin-Garçon-Tyler-Pettis = locks

    Bourne-Burbridge-James-Dunbar-McCaffrey = scrum for two spots.
    I like Bourne and think he may be #5
    I’d love to see James win the #6, but I’ve read that Burbridge has shown well.
    We’ll see.
    PS
    With Grant seemingly spread a little thin these days, the shared links here are helpful.

    2. I think the winner between Mostert and Williams could weigh in the balance between Burbridge and James.

    3. Taylor banged up last year, had surgery at some point this offseason. Goodwin has had concussions. Garcon is coming off a neck injury and isn’t getting any younger. Shanny thinks Pettis can fill in for all three of them. Add all that to Pettis’ route running ability and it’s easy to see why KS coveted him. We have depth at WR and we might need it. Bourne and or Pettis could have a big role this year. I like Pettis in the RZ too.

      1. Of Pettis’ 22 touchdown receptions for the Washington Huskies, 12 came within 20 yards of the end zone. Acceleration + Precision route running = Red Zone Menace(which happens to rhyme with Pettis);>)

        1. Smart guy too, should be able to figure out his opponents tendencies on the field in real time.

  64. http://www.tmz.com/2018/06/26/janoris-jenkins-dead-body-investigation/

    “A dead body was found at the New Jersey home of NY Giants star Janoris Jenkins on Tuesday and now the Major Crimes Unit is investigating … TMZ Sports has learned.”

    “First off, we’re told Janoris was out of the state when the body was discovered early Tuesday morning — but sources connected to the NFL player tell us his camp is aware of the situation.”

    1. Weekend At Aaron’s was so successful, it looks as though they made a second one called, Weekend At Janoris’.

  65. Since our esteemed blog host is busy with other assignments……

    5 Burning Questions Facing The 49ers This Preseason

    1. Who will be the starter at Right Guard?
    It would appear that Jonathan Cooper is the man penciled in for this spot, but he missed all of the offseason OTA’s and mini camp while rehabbing a knee injury suffered in the final game of the 2017 season while he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys. To win the job he will need to beat out Josh Garnett and Mike Person. If this happens it is likely that the 49ers will look to offload Garnett due to his lack of versatility.

    2. Is Richard Sherman healthy?
    The 49ers pass defense struggled mightily in 2017, yet they took a calculated gamble when they signed Sherman as a free agent this offseason. If he can come back from a torn achilles tendon and play at anywhere close to his previous form the 49ers should have an improved secondary. If he struggles to get back up to speed, similar to Michael Crabtree when he returned from a torn achilles, the 49ers may be in trouble.

    3. Has the pass rush improved?
    A big part of why the 49ers struggled against the pass last season was their inability to get to the opposing quarterback. The 49ers finished with the 26th in the league with an average of 1.9 sacks per game, which was a sack on only 5.23 percent of the pass plays they faced. Despite this they did not make any big acquisitions in the offseason, instead settling on re-signing Cassius Marsh and bringing in Jeremiah Attaochu via free agency. This is another gamble as Marsh and Attaochu have combined for a total of 16 sacks over 4 NFL seasons. If they don’t look good in the preseason it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team go after Elvis Dumervil who led them in sacks a season ago yet was released in the offseason.

    4. How will the running back and wide receiver positions shake out?
    The top two running back positions are set in Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida. Unless Joe Williams is dominant in the preseason it is likely that he will lose a spot on the team to Raheem Mostert. This is due to Mostert’s ability as a standout on special teams.
    The wide receiver group appears to be pretty much set as well, with Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Dante Pettis and Kendrick Bourne all but locking up the top five spots. This will leave Aldrick Robinson, Aaron Burbridge and James Richie to battle it out for the final spot. Look for Burbridge to win that spot while Robinson is released and Richie is sent to the practice squad for a year.

    5. How many games will the NFL suspend Reuben Foster?
    My semi-educated guess is that the 49ers will be without Foster for the first four games of the season. Although charges against Foster were ultimately dropped, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has shown in the past that he does not need a ruling from the court system to hound down a 4-6 game suspension. Just ask Greg Hardy and Ezekiel Elliott.

    1. Good job Jack

      1. I agree
      2. If Sherman doesn’t pan out, Ward will probably step in till he is once again injured.
      3. Biggest question mark on the team – pass rush.
      4. That’s the way I was seeing it.
      5. I am thinking two games, but four would not surprise me.

    2. 1. Financially there is no harm keeping Garnett. If no trade I doubt they cut

      2.49ers may be in trouble. NOT….they have Ward who is better than last yr dude

      3. Elvis has left the building and he is not coming back unless an injury to current roster.

      4. No brainer

      5. 2 just cuz you picked 4

    3. Ah yes, I erroneously and rudely left Mr Robinson off my list. I don’t think he’ll make the final roster, but in the words of Woody Guthrie: he “ain’t dead yet.”
      6? How long for the new OL combo to mesh? Outsider looking in for me, but the signing of Person seemed to be a vote of no confidence in Garnett. Speculative.

      1. BT,

        Question 6 was one that I had in mind. That definitely will be something to watch for, especially with 3/5 being new this year.

    4. I’ve missed the 3rd degree Burning Questions series by, Hammer.

      1. I’ve tried to offload Garnett as well, but the numbers don’t seem to add up. Staley/LT/Weston/Cooper/Mike. That leaves at least 3 more. Person, Magnuson…Garnett?
      2. Sherman is mentally superior to Mr. Crabs, and coming back from injury is mostly in your head when cleared medically. He’s the beneficiary of my doubt.
      3. Pass rush should incrementally improve by moving Thomas inside beside Unca Buck on passing downs, along with the Sherman led secondary that could provide that 1/2 second longer coverage.
      4. The combination of Mostert and Burbridge as gunners on special teams would probably give us the best in the league in coverage. I think James is the safer choice than Williams on the practice squad if it came down to it. If it ends up close between Mostert and Williams, maybe they stash James, keep Burbridge and release Mostert.
      5. I don’t think Foster receives more than a 2 game suspension. I think 4 would be excessive. He’s already been a victim of a deranged woman, coupled with attorney fees and muddied name.

      Thanks, Hammer. Hope you do more of these.

      1. If Cooper is the starter at RG the 3 backups are likely Person, Magnuson and Gilliam.

        1. That’s still only 8, which would be conceivable but don’t they usually go with 9?

          1. They kept 9 last year, 4 tackles but only 3 guards and 2 centers. Unfortunately for Garnett he can’t play tackle.

    5. Good job, Jack. Though maybe not as critical as your listings I would add: JG has so far shown that he is brilliant in the intermediate passing game. But as we all know chicks dig the long ball. Over this season can he become as proficient there as well? With his looks there would be no stopping the guy – on the field or off (a nod to that famous quote about Dwight Clark).

      1. Thanks Rib. Yeah that’s something that I think will be answered more come the regular season which is why it wasn’t included here.

  66. 1. Cooper
    2. Yes
    3. Yes it would be hard to be worse. A rotation of Armstead, Thomas and Buckner will be very good in the middle.
    4. Jack, I agree with your breakdown. Pettis will lead the league in punt returns and if Williams shines in preseason they will keep both he and Mostert, Williams won’t suit on sundays.
    5. Because Foster’s accuser had previously falsely accused someone I see them giving Foster a pass unless they suspend him for the weed in which case it will be 2 games.

  70. Jack Hammer:
    * Since our esteemed blog host is busy with other assignments……5 Burning Questions Facing The 49ers This Preseason:
    * All good questions: #1) Cooper, #2) Yes, #3) Yes, (by committee), #4) TBD? #5) 2 games.
    * A question you should add: How will the 9er’s 2018 opponents adjust to JG and the 9er offense?

  71. man i hate these slow news periods…but hey what you gonna do?

    I did want to reach out for some advice for those who’ve coached youth football before….i’ve been tasked with running the offense for 7-8 yr old division (jr micro). What types of offenses have worked in the past, what types haven’t???

    Any advice would help…

      1. very nice…thanks CB

        Thank looks pretty simple and effective…i’ve been looking to run something similar but out of the shotgun. I want to reduce the hand-off time…maybe even a direct snap (wildcat type).

    2. Leo
      I’m too old to give a good system suggestion. My thinking in youth ball may be too Paleolithic. As you develop your plan I’d suggest
      >keep it fairly simple
      > make it fun to learn and to practice and play. They’re too young for Macho.
      > play to the strengths on your roster. Are they strong? Fast? Work with what they’re good at.
      > Have fun at your job (and be prepared for over-bearing parents; don’t let them spoil your fun)
      > If you see the commenter Crab15 on here, re-ask your question as he’s coached youth league football somewhere in SoCal
      Good luck Coach
      >

      1. Thanks BT….fun is the primary goal for sure.

        We have a lot of speed, but not much size….so we’ll see.

        1. Wide splits on the OL, press the edges, revive the Cross Buck.
          See, I told you I’m fossilized

      2. Leo …

        Here’s a question for you …
        When you win your first championship… and the
        kids present you with the customary Gator-Aide bath..
        How are they gonna carry you off the field with
        all that.. extra .. “wet” weight ?

        Seriously, though … Da Brotha … ^
        has expressed the best advice so far …
        Good luck !!

          1. Would you have concerns about any members of the media second guessing you?

    3. Leo – I played in the very first football league for youth in the world. Youth football was born in Fremont Ca. 1964. I was 12 at the time. One thought to consider is using the single wing formation, as its mostly a run type system and very simple. There are some variations to it such as the ‘buck-lateral’ series which is a lot of fun and takes advantage of speed/quickness.

      2. Zactly. Wildcat/Single Wing hybrid. We ran it as full pads 4th graders (private schools league). Maybe threw 3 passes a game back then, LOL.

        1. UC ….

          Fremont ..? … really ? … I didn’t know that …
          I lived there for a little over 18 years …
          both in the Cabrillo area .. (off Thorton) ..and
          off Mission & Star … (Mission area) ½ block from
          Gary Plummers mom’s house ….

          Remind me.. (sometime) .. to relate some pretty
          amusing anecdotes between him and me … ;-}

          1. I lived in Fremont from the mid 80s through early 90s. Loads of fun during the Loma Prieta quake!

            1. Cassie …
              I was working in Milpitas and living in Fremont
              at the time… and being a Bay Area native, I’ve been
              in many quakes … but the Loma Preita remains the
              biggest one I’ve ever experienced … and the only
              one that actually freaked me out …

              I remember shortly afterwards I bought a
              T-shirt that said …
              “.. I survived the 5:04 — Loma Preita..”

            2. Hey … Cassie ..

              You didn’t (perhaps) attend
              Mission San Jose High School during that time ?
              The reason I ask is … my daughter went there
              during those years …
              (she wanted me to ask you this)

              1. Sadly no… I grew up in Alameda.

                On the day of the Loma Prieta quake, I was in a meeting was near San Francisco Airport. We ended early–around 2:30–to beat World Series traffic. I considered going north, then east across the SF/Oakland Bay Bridge, or just take the dull way home via the Dumbarton. I was lazy so I took the Dumbarton. I hadn’t been home more than 20 minutes when the quake hit. Kids took cover and I pinned a 50 gallon aquarium to the wall to keep it from going over. Good thing I didn’t take the longer, slower way home over the Bay Bridge. Would have been sleeping with the fishes…

          2. MW – I lived there from 1956 till 1991. My high school sweetheart lived on Lancero St in the Cabrillo area near Jarvis. I lived in four places, 3 of them off of Central the other was an house on Paseo Padre between Peralta and Eggers. I went to school with pitcher Denise Eckersley and tore the ligaments in my thumb tackling his brother. I worked for their father for a couple of weeks just after my service days ended.

            1. UC …
              Lancero st … is that in Cabrillo Park ? …
              If memory serves … Jarvis in the northern
              foundry of Cabrillo Park …
              Cuz, when I first moved there … we had a
              house at the bottom of the… “L”
              where Pizarro and Cabral come together …

              Oh …gotta tell you …. I still drive my eldest son
              totally nuts by referring to the Nimitz fwy
              as HWY 17 …. (I’ve never called it “880”)
              (old habits die hard !)

              1. 17? Oh yes, never 880. And it was US 40 from the Bay Area, through Sacramento, and on past Reno.

              2. HWY 17 …. (I’ve never called it “880”)

                Right on MW. And in Cupertino it’ll always be Highway 9, Not Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, or De Anza Boulevard or whatever they are calling it these days.

      3. that’s awesome UC. Yes single wing is what i’m leaning towards, possibly split back.

    4. Leo, whatever you do make sure to coach up the kids as to prevent pre-snap penalties as much as possible. I used to referee pop warner football. I remember this one game where I had to flag one team almost every play – false starts, offsides, illegal formations…. i finally had to take an officials timeout and huddle with the coach – isn’t there anything you can do??? Otherwise I’m going to have to keep flagging you guys.

      1. Yes I hear that is a big problem at this age. I think everything will be on one, don’t wan to get too fancy just yet.

      2. ribico …

        Hwy 9 ? … isn’t that the road which takes you from Saratoga
        up Ben Lomand… and on into Santa Cruz ? …
        and you pass by the Paul Masson Winery …

        (I saw Loggins & Messina play up in those parts once)

        1. Hwy 9 ? … isn’t that the road which takes you from Saratoga up Ben Lomand…

          It is. But that name was also given to the part that stretched from Saratoga through Cupertino up to Sunnyvale, skirting around that part of the South Bay. According to this memoir:

          http://mr-entropy.blogspot.com/2014/10/call-it-highway-9.html

          its northernmost point was Mountain View.

          re: Loggins & Messina. Heh, I saw them back when at the Berkeley Community Theater. Opening act was this solo piano player I didn’t think much of. In fact, I thought he was terrible, this guy’s not going anywhere. Naturally, that was Billy Joel. lol

            1. Rib and Cassie

              Yeah … I saw a 3 piece band at Bezerkley.. I didn’t think
              too much of …. drummer , guitar, and an accordionist..
              But even still, I went out and bought his
              album b/c of one song ….

              The album ? … “Greetings from Asbury Park”
              The band was named after the guitarist …
              Bruce Springsteen

              (I never thought he was going anywhere)

              1. MW, so much for us as label A and R guys :)

                Cassie, yup that was it. 7PM show likely, I still had a curfew ;) Also L&M a couple years later at a Day On the Green. Good times.

    5. Leo,
      Run a 22. 2 back 2 TE set. Teach them to put a hat on the man in front of them and then run, run,run.

    6. Yeah, keep it simple and fun as BT mentioned. I would also include some plays that are common (but still relatively simple) to get them ready for the next level.

  72. thanks OC. That’s what I’m thinking of doing, plus a Wing i can line up on the left or right. I think blocking is key, but also kinda difficult to teach at this age, especially when coaches are stacking one side.

    2. Leo if they stack one side 2 plays you can run are Fake hand off to your back towards the stack side then run a fly sweep with your wing away from the stack, the second play starts the same way after the fake, run your QB on a naked boot or have your TE delay then release to give your QB an option. Just keep it very simple and all of your pass plays should come out of a roll out. Good luck.

    1. Let’s hope the Niners can return to those meaningful meaningless games soon. As soon as this season would be nice.

    2. Hmm. If only we could ask the author of this article just what he meant by “inconsequential”, right Jack? My guess is that he defines inconsequential differently than he defines meaningless.

      One thing we do know is that the circumstances involving the Cowboys’ week 17 game, were very different than both the 49ers final game vs the Rams, and the 5 game winning streak in which the 49ers finished the season with. The Eagles, of course, had just clinched home field advantage throughout, and more importantly, the Cowboys were coming off of their first loss in over a month, and that loss officially eliminated them from 2017/18 playoff contention, after finishing 2016/17 with 13 regular season wins.

      Can you draw any parallels between the two? No, not really! In fact, I’d argue it’s like comparing apples to oranges.

      1. The circumstances were pretty much exactly the same. In both cases the home team was already in the playoffs and resting starters while the visiting teams were eliminated from the playoffs and finishing out the string.

    4. http://www.cecildaily.com/sports/pros/ravens-will-play-starters-vs-bengals-in-season-finale/article_59ca8428-a928-50f9-82d0-316b043e258b.html

      “Head coach John Harbaugh made it clear Monday that just because the Baltimore Ravens won’t be going to the playoffs this year, their season is not over yet.”

      “We’re going [to Cincinnati] to win the game,” Harbaugh said.”

      “We’ll play our guys,” he said. “Everybody that’s healthy will go play. That’s the plan – wouldn’t look at it any other way.”

      “You try to win. We talked about it in the locker room after the game. That is what I pointed toward, is the next game,” Harbaugh said. “We want to go win it. We do want to be 9-7; it is important. It is important to have one more win than we potentially could have. I do not care what the record is. We want to go win the game. Absolutely, it is important. That is what we do this for; that is what it is all about.”

      1. https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/112623-kyle-shanahan-wants-49ers-have-intensity-playoff-team/

        “Our goal, and what we expect, is to be in that situation next year. I’d like that not to be our first time in that situation, so I don’t see why our team can’t treat these three games as if we’re playing for our playoff lives too.”

        “They’re going to feel an intensity from these teams, especially Tennessee on Sunday. That’s probably a little more intense than what they’ve felt from other teams throughout this year. And I expect us to be the exact same way and to learn from that and, hopefully, we’ll be in that situation next year and it won’t feel like the first time we’ve been in it.”

    1. yeah, it is Cubus..but …I sure hope all of these
      players do their homework on ..any and all ..
      VC venture “opportunities” …
      that might catch their eye … cuz you gotta know there will
      be some real Great White sharks … along with the rest of
      the vultures in the crowd…

      (Maybe they all should talk to Patrick Willis for some
      sage advice … After all …. he got hosed by a (phony) VC)

  76. Niners should trade Ronald Blair and Brock Coyle for Frank Gore. Miami lost Suh, so they need DT help, and they need MLB help. They wanted Warner, but the Niners took him 3 spots before the Dolphins picked, so they settled for Jerome Baker, who is under sized.
    .
    Frank Gore bleeds red and gold, and it would be very fitting to have him end his career as a Niner. Frank Gore would automatically be the best blocking RB on the squad.

    2. No Sebbie…no. No.

      Frank ain’t comin’ back. Shanahan’s 9er offense and his desire to form the team as he sees fit does not include Gore. When Frank announces his intent to retire, sign him to a one-day contract–end his career that way.

      For someone who idolizes Bill Walsh, you’re curiously sentimental–or at least you would want us to believe you feel that way. Bill was rather cutthroat about moving players. Leave your playbook with your position coach….see ya!

      PS… Bleeding red and gold does not give aged vets a roster spot–a place to come home to and relive the glory years. Sorry.

      1. Most cut throat coach I can remember, funny since he had the reputation as the nuttycollege professor . But n many ways he was insecure with it all. Many brilliant people lived conflicted lives, I wonder how many people rembered he had a former playboy playmate on the side, she wrote how brilliant he was but conflicted ocd and depressed at times. He would not have signed aged veterans at all. At times he was hated as coach brooks was with the 80usa hockey team but both men brought out brilliance from their players but at a cost at times.

      2. Cassie, I still think Frank Gore can help his team win. He is an asset, and does have talent. He also is tough, durable and productive. Frank Gore would help provide leadership, and name a Niner RB who is better at blocking than Frank Gore.
        .
        Trading away 2 players seems to me to be a modest proposal. It is realistic because they are bubble players, but they do fill needs on the Dolphin’s team.
        .
        Maybe if Joe Williams shines in TC, they should trade Breida straight up for Frank Gore. Breida would be duplicative, and Frank Gore could be the change of pace back that would run between the tackles.

        1. “name a Niner RB who is better at blocking than Frank Gore.”

          PFF Pass blocking grades for RBs in 2017.

          8th. McKinnon 75
          25th. Gore 57.2

          How bad was Hyde?

          46th. Hyde 28.3

    1. I would like to read or hear an explanation from the NFL on why it’s not a 6 game Time Out. It is being said that he groped a woman. Period. That would seem to be qualify as a DV incident to me. I don’t get it. No consistency.
      3 games for non violent sexual assault, but 4 games for smoking a joint.
      Same group that can’t define a legal pass reception.

  81. Cassie Baalke says:
    June 28, 2018 at 3:58 am

    No Sebbie…no. No.
    Frank ain’t comin’ back.

    PS… Bleeding red and gold does not give aged vets a roster spot–a place to come home to and relive the glory years. Sorry.

    TomD’s Take: It does when your 1960’s electric football game ‘s players were painted with irremovable paint–all with # 21.

    Seb as Deniro in The Fan:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJhwzOqqdqU

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