49ers still have work to do in offseason; here’s the list

The 49ers’ focus during free agency has been signing veterans on offense. This is smart.

Kyle Shanahan’s system is complicated. Young players take more than half a season to learn it. So, by signing veterans — especially ones who have played for Shanahan and already know his system — the team eliminated the learning curve. The offense should be ready to compete Week 1.

But that doesn’t mean the whole team will be ready. If the Niners are serious about making a playoff run next season — and I believe they are serious — these are the five assignments they still must complete.

Click here to read the rest of my Wednesday column.

This article has 136 Comments

  1. Copy paste.
    Solid article Grant.
    Well thought out and explained. If the niners rwere to trade back is their another corner that could fill the roll as needed?

      1. I love me some Conley, and think there’s an outside chance he slips through the cracks like Zack “Richie” Cunningham at pick 34. If that’s the case, I’m taking Gareon “Gaston” Conley every time….

        1. Seems unlikely after Sidney Jones’ injury, plus Fabian Moreau may have injured himself today at UCLA’s pro day.

          1. I agree, Grant. Tre’Davious White or Adoree Jackson are more apt to be there. Both are too small. Tabor who I doubt they’d be interested in. That leaves targeting Ahkello Witherspoon….

              1. Doubt it, Mayock has him at #3 behind Humphrey. Conley is at #4 followed by Moreau. If Moreau hurt himself, he’ll be wounded in the draft too….

        1. Sorry Scooter, I didn’t see your post. When we went to Washington’s Pro Day, it was to see King and Jones more so than Ross. I think the Niners would love to get King at #34.

      2. There you go Grant! Very articulate & terrific article. You are much better when you’re optimistic! I too like the direction the new regime is heading..first time I’m excited since we hired Harbaugh..& I really really like Shanahan offense for a plethora of reasons but my favorite is he doesn’t take what the defense gives us ala Greg Roman..he instills his will on defenses & his plays/formations look identical so defenses have a hard time figuring out pre snap what’s coming their way..Jed might have gotten lucky yet again…

    1. I don’t like it. The top corner isn’t a Patrick Peterson type corner that would justify being taken 2nd overall. Not to mention that his teammate Hooker is the better and more valuable prospect. He instantly becomes the most talented DB on the team and solidifies the FS position. Ward isn’t durable as a corner, so how would he be able to make it through a full season as a safety, having to hit big TEs and receivers over the middle of the field? Plus he played pretty well on the outside, so it makes sense to let him continue to grow as a corner. We also have Redmond to man the nickel. I agree on needing another LAB, but I tends to remember Crabtree coming back from an achilles injury in just 7-9 months? He wasn’t his old self, but a LB won’t have the strain on him coming back from that injury that a WR does. I think the 2-3 rounds could be for a Cunningham, a Zay Jones or a Evan Engram at TE. This team isn’t ready to compete for the playoffs and a Defense full of rookies isn’t going to accelerate the process. We all know that Vance McDonald isn’t the answer at The or that Garcon isn’t the long-term answer at WR. So adding top level talent on the offensive side of the ball is the way to go. Also think about this. ATL made the playoffs with an elite offense and a middling to bad defense. The secondary wasn’t as bad as many think. It was the lack of pressure up front and the inability to stop the run that ultimately hurt the secondary and the defense as a whole. Fix the run defense, add a pass rusher and Hooker and the defense will be on its way. The offense is still a long ways away from being good enough to win games. We just need the defense to be passable and to create turnovers. Not to be what it was under Harbaugh.

    2. While Grant ignores him, or just forgot about him, Will Redmond got a solid Round 3 grade despite having an ACL tear. Many talking-draft heads had him, pre-injury as a low-Round 1, high-Round 2 player. His profile is physical, man-coverage. He’s never been shy about run support and has all the attributes you’d want in a corner for this defense. And when healthy, was running a 4.38 in senior season so even if he’s lost a small bit of his top-end, he’s probably still fast.

      And while he has downsides, so do most players, and to say there is ‘just one’ corner on the team and that we must draft a CB starter is not entirely supportable. Though a corner for nickel that could take a starting spot would probably be a good idea.

  2. Lattimore seems prone to being bitten by the injury bug. I think the position is deep enough you could grab a good one later on. I would remind you 24 cornerbacks were selected before Dick Charmin. I think Willis will be long gone by the third round, but you never know. Still on the Williams bandwagon? Not me. Plenty of room on the McNicholes express;>)Like the idea of not overworking the vets. Remind Shanny for me, will ya?

  3. So they go another season without addressing their need for an impact reciever…brilliant

  4. Good suggestions with solid reasoning. Good article Grant.

    I think we forget sometimes just how many holes their are on this team, and you can’t fix everything in one offseason. Using the picks where you have them would go a long way to getting this defense into the upper half of the league in the next year or two. If you combine that with the offense having a year in Shanahan’s system and the possibility of getting Cousins as a FA, they could be a solid playoff contender as soon as 2018.

  5. The logic of the choices is fine. Flip flopping pass rusher for CB could also work in this year’s draft; 1st Rd pass rusher, 3rd Rd CB to compete. My thinking is that a top pressure guy can make a db look good, and vice versa.
    A QB to develop makes sense, and how far down the draft do you want to choose?
    Grant left room for some variations, but all Day#3. Not complaining, just noting.

  6. I think the idea of going primarily defense is definitely the right one and I love the first three picks. That said, I don’t think Jordan Willis slips to the third round after the combine he had (by the way, he went to K-State, not TCU). The only pick I had issues with is the RB in the fourth. Shanny and Lynch put a lot of emphasize on picking guys with high football character who love the game, so a guy who was kicked out of UCONN for credit card theft and then retired from football for a month at Utah doesn’t really seem to fit the bill. He is a great athlete, though.

    1. ElDea`no

      Not to sound as though it doesn’t matter, but it is ‘futbol’ we’re drafting for..”high football character” does not preclude bangers and street kids. I don’t know Joe Williams from buckshot, but I’ll bet Kyle Whittington does…he admitted the kid to his team not for Emily Post manners, but because he could (and did! ) make his team better. We (niners) have dealt with Alex Boone, Aldon Smith, and a litany of guys with ‘bad hair days’ and they did what they were paid to do…at least for a period. I don’t agree with double jeopardy either…but what meaner punishment could you give than to …play football….I agree with Grant on #4….

  7. Lattimore, Cunningham and Willis would be excellent additions. Though I still think they will draft a QB somewhere in the first 3 rounds.

    Cunningham and Willis may not last to those picks. What are your backup plans?

    1. I get the feeling Cunningham will be there, because Mayock dropped him to #4 under Davis last night when he updated. If he’s trending down, chances are he’ll be available.

      1. Mayock is usually close to it… the day of the draft. He doesn’t mind changing his rankings fairly regularly. I take his current rankings with a grain of salt.

        1. I don’t remember many rising after falling. Mostly the opposite. I find it interesting that the quarterbacks & OL did not change at all. The jump from 3 to 1 by Peppers raised my eyebrow. I think he’s due to update it again only once more, as you mentioned, right before the draft. Cheers!

      1. Hmmm, Harris may also be gone before #34. Not sure I’m fully on board with Harris. I like his first step quickness, but not sold on the rest of his game. I actually prefer Willis to Harris. Anzalone would be a big risk. He really struggled to stay on the field in college. I’d rather take Jordan Evans later, and look at another position.

          1. No, not at all. I was just wondering who you saw as alternatives. Not my fault you chose poorly… ;-)

  8. Mach Draft 6.0

    (1)1. King Solomon QB Killer
    (2)34. Zach Cunningham LB
    (3)66. Brad Kaaya QB
    (4)109. Ahkello Witherspoon CB
    (4)143. Jeremy McNichols RB
    (5)146. Robert Davis WR
    (5)161. Jonnu Smith TE
    (6)198. Stevie Tu’ikolovatu DT
    (6)202. Aviante Collins OG
    (7)219. Jerry Ugokwe OT

    1. A draft a day atm, razor! Certainly increases the chances of getting some picks right! :-P

      1. Mostly set. I’ve substituted Witherspoon for the Free Safety I had in John Johnson. I had to double check to make sure the opportunity to get Witherspoon at the same spot was realistic. I’m pretty much set with this one, Scooter;>)

    2. I like Raekwon McMillen over Zach, Webb over Kayaa, D’Onta Foreman over McNichols and George Kittle over Jonnu Smith.

      Think the Niners should draft a NT before the 6th round.

      I do like your Robert Davis and Aviante Collins picks.

    3. I like most of it in terms of positions selected but not sure I like Solomon at #2. I was big on Allen and Foster from Alabama but injury concerns make me worry about their long term future. I guess you could take a flyer on Kaaya in the 3rd but why? Kaaya and Blaine Gabbert are basically the same guy but Gabbert has experience. Both have great physical tools but they simply don’t have the instincts for the position.

      I totally disagree with Grant on selecting a CB at #2. The 49ers have serviceable guys at CB right now. My dream scenario is the 49ers trade down and pick up either Ross or Williams at WR. The 49ers offense needs playmakers.

      Lastly, the 49ers will not make the playoffs next year with either of the QB’s they have on the roster. Hoyer has no heart and his teammates will not respect him. Barkley is just ok. They still need to make a move to shore up the QB position or they will have a losing record next season which means no playoffs.

  9. Grant, are you hearing anything about the Niners interest in Joe Williams out of Utah? I watched that kid all season long and feel like he is being extremely under valued in this draft. IMO, that kid has a chance to be special

  10. As usual, I’m looking forward to who the 9ers sign as undrafted free agents.

    1. Ben Boulware LB
      Johnny Caspers C
      Bug Howard WR
      Freddie Stevenson FB
      Montae Nicholson S
      Gunner Kiel QB
      Jonathon McLaughlin OT

        1. In some mocks Boulware goes as high as Round One, while most have him in the UDFA range. Round 6-7 seems likely.

          1. I just noticed what my damn spell check did LOL, yeah I would certainly take a flyer on him in six or seven.

  11. Grant, I like this article and I agree with your reasoning. The 49ers must have a starting caliber linebacker and pass-rusher and outstanding corner in this draft to really transform the woeful defense. we must have another solid, ground-eating running back to pair with Hyde. Personally, I prefer Mcaff or Mixon or your man Hill. Need also to draft another quality WR and their will be some there in the 4th, like Carlos Henderson. We can draft competent OL help in the middle rounds and yes, select a developmental QB in the late middle rounds, such as Chad Kelly ( if they can determine he has his head on relatively straight). Given this approach and coupled with what they have already accomplished in FA, I think a playoff run is a definite possibility in the NFC West with their schedule. Of course, I may be completely deranged on high altitude Andean air and high octane Colombiano coffee.

    1. Andes? Really? That’s Awesome. Been to a few spots down there but Bolivia & Colombia are still on my list. Worth the trip?

  12. With the depth of cornerbacks in this draft class, and the deart of linebackers, would it make more sense to draft a linebacker in the first round and a corner in the second?

  13. Great observations, Grant. Was going to say it thru my mock draft in April.

    Offense takes longer to learn than defense, so I agree that our 1st 3 picks will be defense.

    A few mocks have mentioned the Ohio State Corner as well as their safety who’s
    compared to Seattle’s, Earl Thomas, in that he can cover the entire center.

    Also, Solomon Thomas is moving up the depth charts.

    1. Sometimes teams can get away with average corners until the next draft if their D-line is superior.

  14. The Morning Call:

    Colin Kaepernick’s unemployment signifies rotten state of affairs in the NFL

    Why can’t Colin Kaepernick get a job?

    Am I the only one who looks around and cringes when the New York Jets, with Christian Hackenberg already on their roster, hand $6 million guaranteed (with the potential for much more) to 37-year-old Josh McCown, who brings an 18-42 record?
    http://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/

    1. So sad to be a fan of ‘Big Green’.

      I bet Cody Pickett would give Jet fans something to cheer about in ’17.

  15. Latest Poll from the major sports networks on the 49ers 1st pick (ESPN, CBS, Etc.)

    Final Tally (17 total)

    Thomas: 9

    Adams: 3

    Trubisky: 2

    Lattimore: 1

    Hooker: 1

    Fournette: 1

    1. Great Blue North Draft Report

      2017 GBN Big Board
      Updated: March 20, 2017

      1.*Myles Garrett DE 6-4, 272 Texas A&M
      2.*Solomon Thomas DE 6-3, 273 Stanford
      3.Jonathan Allen DE 6-3, 286 Alabama (X)
      4.*Marshon Lattimore CB 6-0, 193 Ohio State
      5.*Len Fournette RB 6-0, 240 LSU (X)
      6.*Jamal Adams FS 6-0, 214 LSU
      7.OJ Howard TE 6-6, 250 Alabama
      8.*Malik Hooker FS 6-1, 205 Ohio State (X)
      9.Reuben Foster LB 6-0, 229 Alabama (X/O)
      10.*Dalvin Cook RB 5-11, 210 Florida State (O)
      11.*Mitchell Trubisky QB 6-2, 222 North Carolina
      12.*Mike Williams WR 6-4, 218 Clemson (X)
      13.Haason Reddick OLB 6-2, 237 Temple
      14.Corey Davis WR 6-3, 210 Western Michigan (X)
      15.*Derek Barnett DE 6-3, 260 Tennessee (X)
      16.*Ryan Ramczyk OT 6-6, 310 Wisconsin (X)
      17.*Deshaun Watson QB 6-3, 210 Clemson
      18.*Jabrill Peppers SS 5-11, 213 Michigan (LB/RB)
      19.*Marlon Humphrey CB 6-1, 200 Alabama
      20.Forrest Lamp OG 6-4, 310 Western Kentucky
      21.*Zach Cunningham LB 6-4, 234

      1. Mock draft experts expect 49ers to take Stanford star at No. 2

        Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas is expected to be selected by the 49ers by nine of 17 major mock drafts.

        Many of the experts pointed to new 49ers general manager John Lynch’s defensive focus and connection with Stanford, his alma mater. That said, Lynch does not plan to attend Stanford’s pro day Thursday and still has the 49ers’ last two first-round picks, both defensive lineman, around.
        http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/20/mock-draft-experts-expect-49ers-to-take-stanford-star-at-no-2/

  16. Solid post Grant. While not everything needs to be glowing, what’s important is the articles you write show critical thinking. Every now and then you post an emotional article, and that emotion tends to be quite negative. That’s where I notice the most criticism towards you.

    I have no issue with you criticizing decisions, but when that criticism is based purely on emotion rather than critical thought, you just lose me.

  17. This is the best draft in ages. If the 49ers don’t come out of this with at least two SUPER picks along with a few really good ones then it is a failure. We need to build for the future and add players other teams fear. There are several players on offense that can fill that category and a few on defense. The Raiders picked up their WR of the future, their QB, and Kalil Mack. They immediately became contenders until Carr succumbed to injury. The 49ers need to do the same and make BIG moves. There are 2 or 3 super receivers, 2 maybe 3 super TEs, and a couple of RBs. This doesn’t happen every year and we need to hop on these while we have the chance or become like Balke watching every team pass us by in talent. We can’t just pick defensive guys though I wouldn’t mind a super passrusher or Jamal Adams, Malik hooker or Lattimore getting picked along with the gamechanging offensive guys.

          1. if they were to trade Armstead, what would be the least you’d take in terms of draft picks on draft day?

              1. Adding King Solomon only strengthen our defensive front, and combined with the porous offensive lines of our divisional opponents, would be a recipe for disruption. That would then equate to production….

  18. Mock Niner draft 3.0

    Forty Niners trade the #2 pick to Washington for Kirk Cousins and #17 pick

    1. #2 Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
    1. #17 John Ross, WR, Washington
    2. #34 Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut
    3. #66 Patrick Mahomes , QB, Texas Tech
    4. #109 Dawuane Smoot, Edge, Illinois
    4, #143 Brian Allen, CB, Utah
    5. #146 Derek Rivers, Edge, Youngstown St.
    5. #161 Jeremy Cutrer, CB, MTSU
    6. #186 Calvin Munson, OLB, San Diego St.
    6. #202 Josh Malone, WR, Tennessee
    7. #219 Kevin Davis, OLB, Colorado St.

    1. All the same, Bro! Our needs are so great, so universal, that anybody they draft fills a need.

  19. I think pass rush isn’t a need. Lynch will be in shape and ready to play this year for obvious reasons. Harold made strides after putting on weight last season. He is servicable and as a third rounder he is not a bust. But if you hated Trent Baalke than it’s easy to label him a bust. Furthermore would you be surprised to see Carradine excel in is natural position as an edge rusher in a 4-3?

    Here is what they should do:

    Trade back with Titans for their 18th pick and 37th pick and a 2nd or 3rd round pick in 2018.

    18. Forrest Lamp
    34. Kevin King/Teez Tabor/Quincy Wilson
    37. Cooper Kupp

  20. Grant, your reasoning is solid. I don’t know enough to judge your picks but I hope the 49ers are seeing their situation in a similar way.

  21. Grant, maybe you overlooked Redmond. The Niners should re sign both Cromartie and Davis. Reaser may shine, because they will not be playing players out of position, and playing favorites.

    Dontae Johnson may be the biggest surprise, I think he may start because of his size, and with a decent pass rush, he will not be left out on an island.

    Still think that if they hold steady on their picks and do not trade back, King Solomon should rule.

    I do agree that the first 3 picks should be concentrated on the defense, because the FA signings leaned heavily towards the offense. However, if they do trade back, Christian McCaffrey may be a key acquisition that will make the offense click.

    With their first 4 picks, the Niners should select-

    2- King Solomon EDGE
    34- Montravius Adams NT
    66- Jarrad Davis ILB
    109- Davis Webb QB

  22. 2 OLB”s linebackers View in that mock. KS wants 4 quarterbacks in camp. He’s drooling for Cousins. Maybe he can use Barkley or Hoyer as trade bait down the road, possibly for a RB, or sign a FA RB. They’ll keep three QB’s minimum.

  23. Mahomes is the future. He’s not going to be starting, even if its Hoyer or Barkley as our top QB’s. JL and KS know you need at least 1 good backup quarterback QB in this league where starters get hurt frequently (see D. Carr). That’s where Hoyer and Barkley come in. KS wants Captain Kirk as his starter. Bank on it. They will do all they can to make it happen.

  24. Grant, it seems you may have changed your outlook on Taart, which is fine. Just curious if you think he is the heir apparent at SS given the importance of the position in that defense, and the perception that the Kelly staff wasn’t high on him at all. Otherwise, who is our SS?

    1. It seems the 49ers already have their four safeties — Ward, Reid, Tartt and Jones. Tartt probably will get the first shot to start at SS. He and Ward are question marks.

      1. Ward will be in the CB position, we also have some promising upside with robinson and redman

      2. That makes sense. I just don’t see Reid or Ward as a SS that will line up in the box and Jones seems like a special teamer for now. So, I would expect the team to draft someone to compete with Taart for the position. We’ll see

        1. Cromartie wasn’t tendered an offer. He’s a FA. He’s also a converted cb and definitely not a thumper. If signed back it would mostly be as a gunner and would be a bubble guy.

  25. I’m liking Takkarist McKinley. He’ll be drafted before Smoot. If he’s still there at #34 he’d be a good pick.

    1. McKinley would be a steal at 34. The surgery could knock him down a bit, but he’s a top half of the first round talent imo.

  26. Nice article, Grant. I do have to say, I think WR is still an extremely high priority for this offense and I hope we are able to trade back in the first round and grab a game changer like Mike Williams or John Ross. If Shannahan’s system really takes more than half a year to learn, they would be ready to go when Kirk Cousins arrives nexr year. What do you think the chances are we go WR in the 1st?

    1. This draft class is deep in WR speed. There are at least 16 players who can run 4.45 or better 40 times. Niners could wait until the 4th or 5th rounds to select a good WR.

      Niners picked up 3 WR FAs.

      1. None of the 3 FA WR they picked up are game changers IMO, and fast 40 Yard dash times are hardly a good indicator of talent.

        1. Well, if they trade back and get more second and third round picks, they might get a Zay Jones, Chris Godwin or Ju Ju Smith Schuster.

          However, Amara Darboh ran a 4.45 forty and is listed at 93. Stacey Coley also ran a 4.45 forty and he is listed at 163.
          Josh Malone ran a 4.4 forty and is listed at 195.
          Michael Rector ran a 4.42 forty, and he may be a 7th round pick.

          Granted, 40 speed will not guarantee success, but in KS’s offense, speed is essential.

  27. 49ers CBs Brock, Ward, Reaser, Johnson, Robinson, Redmond, Shepard, Jones, williams, and Charles. 10 CBs in total!

  28. Mock Draft 2.0 (thru round 4)

    49ers trade with Indy for Indy’s 1st round draft pick this year (15) and 1st next as well as a 3rd rounder this year and a late round picks next year. Indy takes Fournette at #2

    15) Reuben Foster ILB – yahtzee!
    34) Evan Engram TE – A talent in a deep TE draft
    66) JuJu Smith Schuster WR – Potentially a long term solution at flanker
    80) Alex Anzalone OLB (Pick from Indy) – NFL body but with injury concerns who shined in the senior bowl
    109) Josh Harvey Clemons (S) A rare specimen that could compete for SS
    143) Derek Rivers (Edge) – situational pass rusher

  29. Defense! Pass rush first, which will help secondary play, then address the linebacker corps then solidify the corners.

    We also need a running back.

    Good article by the way, Grant, but you point out the very weaknesses in the team…the bridge to far, so to speak, there are far too many holes to fill!! This will prove too much for the team to overcome. Injuries and unknown variables will always create challenges that are unforeseen and may prove to much for this young staff to adjust to.

    1. There were holes to fill, but Lynch signed a bunch of FAs, and filled them. Now the Niners need to fix the defense and add depth in the draft.

      So far, the Niners have done a good job, but still need to hit a home run in the draft. If they can manage to trade back a couple times and garner more second round picks, they may be able to hit a grand slam.

  30. Hard to predict this draft. The mocks are all over the place, and some are predicting teams like the Cards, Texans and Chiefs may draft QBs in the first round, while teams like the Browns, Bears, Jets and Niners may pass on QBs in the first.

    One mock had 5 DBs going in the top 10, and one with 4 RBs going in the first round. Most had few O linemen going in the first, and I think one had no QBs going in the first.

    1. Kinda reminds me that if Shanny makes it all the way to year two, he’ll be the first coach in 4 years that Jed didn’t gong.

  31. 1. Corner is not necessarily as barren as Grant asserts. Redmond was a low Round 1/high Round 2 projection before his ACL. AFTER his ACL he was still a third. He may of lost a year in the Charlie Foxtrot of 2016, but that’s not terribly relevant. We also signed K’Waun Williams (who was an excellent nickle-back for the Browns). So while a CB, if only for competition and unit upgrading wouldn’t be the worse thing in the world, I just don’t see it being ‘the thing we need’ by any stretch of the imagination.

    Edge is Round 1 (and most important upgrade we’re likely to be able to make this year), or hope like heck you get massively lucky later on, and I’m thinking Solomon Thomas is probably the best DE candidate we can land. By a large a margin.

    2. Linebacker is the Round 2 need in my book. I’m a TJ Watt fan whom I project as a MLB/WLB in the NFL. Cunningham is definitely not my choice as high cut linebackers with chicken legs have big tendency to fail since the body-type is ill-suited for the NFL.

    What Cunningham was good at was flying through space and shooting gaps against inferior talent. But even college blockers could wreck him. And unlike college ball, everyone is he’d be going against is a top-flight athlete so he’s just not going to ‘out athlete’ everyone. He’s was also poor at the second-level with dubious tackling skills and poor angles to ball-carriers and that’s a very necessary skill in the NFL.

    3. Yes. Pass rusher. But after Round 1 you’re getting lucky. Go big or go home. This is the wrong place to think you’re going to get a difference maker at EDGE/DE. I’d pick up a possession WR (the sweet spot for value vs bust likelihood in this position) here.

    4. Running back. Sure. Why not. Hyde keeps getting hurt. Of course, there’s a 50-50 of any running back missing at least one-game per season due to injuries. It’s how the game works and I think teams need to have at least one high-quality back-up on the roster.

    1. 1. Redmond and Williams are nickels.
      2. Cunningham is Derrick Johnson 2.0.
      3. The Jaguars drafted a pass rusher in the 3rd round last year and he led the team in sacks. Robert Saleh comes from the Jaguars.

      1. G’morning. Not a challenge, just a question: how much do we know about Redmond without seeing him play?
        You might very well be right, but…….?

      2. Grant

        What about Prince Charles Iwarah ?….As I remember, he had some ‘pretty good’ numbers following Training Camp….Why aren’t we hearing about Cromartie at Safety….good tackler…hard hitter…good hands….?

    2. You and I are like minds in terms of need though not sure if I’m totally sold on Thomas yet. I do believe that pressure on the QB makes corner job easier though. I also think round two should be spent on LB. I think they should trade down if possible though and get more picks and possibly pick up Williams in the process.

  32. Grant.. I keep hearing alot of talk about Zach Cunningham. No I don’t pay that much attention to the college kids unless they are at the top of the draft. I also don’t pretend to “study film” like most posters do, when all they do is go to a YouTube highlight. Nothing wrong with that I guess. Buy my question is, if that guy is so talented, do you think he will make it to round 2? I mean that much talent won’t make it past the defensive oriented teams in the later part of round 1. U

    1. Zach is not a lock. His evaluation runs from being ranked 25 to 52.

      Back in Feb, he was neck and neck with Foster, but has dropped since then.

      I think Takkarist Mckinley, Tim Williams, TJ Watt and Raekwon McMillen are all superior choices.

  33. Opinions of blog writers and blog commentors don’t matter right now. Up the arse or kicking the arse, all conjecture. During OTA’s won’t metter, during training camp won’t matter. Sunday, after “grades” blog is written, after we’ve seen Shanny and Lynch at the presser, and see the team is 1-3…..then opinions and comments will have purpose. I hope they are 4-0, but let’s be ready for reality.

    1. No, no, all this speculation is archived, so when the season does get started, we can all look back and see who made the savviest calls.

      I really hope Lynch can trade back, accumulate picks and build a solid foundation for the future.

  34. Hue is on thin ice. He needs to do well next season, or he may be out.

    The best way for him to succeed is for Browns to trade up with the Niners so he can get the best QB that he wants. First of all, they should take Garrett, the best defender in the draft, but if they wait at 12, the Niners, Bears, Jets and Buffalo may all select a QB ahead of them.

    With 2 firsts and 2 seconds, the Browns have lots of draft capital to play with. The Browns could get the second pick in the draft by offering the 12th, 33rd, 52nd picks and their 2018 second round pick. Considering the Rams and Eagles gave up 2 first round picks and 5 picks overall, that scenario is not too costly. Maybe the Niners would be willing to trade the number 2 pick for the numbers 12, 33, and 65, along with a 2018 second round pick. Or maybe even the numbers 12, 52, 65 and 108 with a 2018 second round pick for the number 2 pick. That way, the Browns would have the first, second, and 33rd picks.

    Niners will give up quality, but they need quantity. Hopefully, Lynch will find willing trade partners, and the Browns seem like the likeliest target.

    1. Niners trade up to 29? Why? The Steelers, Falcons and Saints will not draft a QB. Browns picked up Trubisky, so they will not draft another QB.

      Niners should just wait, and keep their picks.

  35. So I’m a bit confused Grant…what about the KS “rookie mistake” in FA this year…are you changing your tune with this “49ers are making a playoff run” insurance policy statement?

    Which one will you stick by?

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