Breaking down the Vance McDonald trade

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After I left the 49ers locker room this afternoon, I spoke on Periscope about the Vance McDonald trade, the Matt Stafford contract and more. You can check out the video below.

This article has 344 Comments

  1. Makes sense on Williams, and Shanny pounded the table for him. Agree on Haden, and the draft pick strategy.

      1. He was good before the injuries and fat contract. I’m against acquiring him in any form or fashion, just to be clear.

  2. Grant, odds on the 49ers trading Hyde or Kerley. If so, who should the Niners pick up? DB, OG? Love the periscopes, btw.

    1. The new regime re-signed Kerley, so he probably will stay. Hyde could get traded before the trade deadline if he struggles in the outside zone scheme and Breida or Williams or Mostert excels in it.

      1. I know it’s the 4th preseason game and both teams will sit some starters, but I would really like to see Mostert play with the “ones” in this game. It won’t be a true comparison, but better than playing with the “threes” in the previous games.

        1. Cubus, I would like to add Bourne to that. Mostert and Bourne to start with the firsts because both are on the fence and have shown real promise. Bourne is a 2017 undrafted free agent find and I guess Mostert is a camp free agent who has bounced around for awhile.

          1. So I just found some time to see Grant’s post game conversation. He convinced me that they will keep Mostert due to his value as gunner, primarily, and Hightower as expendable at this point. That makes so much sense. Also Mostert will get grabbed by KC or like.

            What is wrong with Joe Williams. He looked to have so much promise at the start. Heart not in it? In college he had a good reason for loosing heart. What’s up now? Seems thursday would be a good time to test the kid.

            1. Joe Williams didn’t look to have so much promise. Grant made him look like that. Talked all kinds of crap when Hyde was killing the 2’s and 3’s, but blessed Williams for doing the same thing. Don’t believe everything you blog lease says. Which always kills me when people like Seb say, that’s why I come to this blog. Grants unbiased a d tells it like it is. That’s horse crap. #hatersgonnahate

              1. Haters Gon…,
                Just to clear the fog of miss reason, when I mentioned the initial promise of Joe Williams that was in reference to what I saw from him in the first preseason game – with my own eyes. The guy looked to be a natural fit in this new offense.
                Furthermore, put on some tape of Joe Williams in college to see the PROMISE. Then keep in mind that his sudden absence from football was on the heels of the sudden death of his beloved sister. There is promise there that had nothing to do with Grant Cohen or Carlos Hyde.
                Do not make this about your opinion of Grant. Do not take my thinking and toss it into a box full of your mindset so as to twist it into something it isn’t.

              2. Bruce, and 80, what I said had nothing to do with what you saw in college or against kc. For all the nut hugging you guys are doing on Grant, during that KC game Joe killed the 2’s and 3’s. In Practice, Joe was killing the 2’s and 3’s. But because he was some kind of blessed rb. But like I said, Everytime Hyde killed the 2’s and 3’s, it was because he was killing 2’s and 3’s, not because he’s any good. And as for cj bethard, lol, all of you were killing Kyle and John for taking him in Rd 3, and Grant was killing them as well. But then you guys turn around and praise Grant for calling the pick. Which is it? Give credit to a blog opinionater, or kill the realheadsof the team. Can’t have it both ways.

              3. Horse crap? No, it is cutting edge and not just rainbows and unicorns like many other sites tend to be. I am sick of the saccharine sweet tripe some spew. I want the Niners, warts and all.
                .
                I also vehemently disagree about your take on Grant. Grant does have his biases, but he backs up his positions with salient facts and poignant arguments. He steps on toes, and people yelling just means he is hitting close to home.

              4. Seb…. Ohhh Shutt Upppp. Haven’t you been destroyed by Prime Time Enough? Go lay down. Grant more thanks his biases, but to say his word is gospel more than the likes of the 2 Matt’s, Lynch, Kawakami and others, then you to are full of crap. So what you like his writing. Leave it at that,but the son of papa Cohn is paid to give his opinion, it’s the only difference between you and him. Money. So don’t put it out there like he is blog God. #hatersgonnahate

              5. Grant gave an F for that pick because they gave up a draft pick to move up. He also was rated 215, but was picked at 104, so many thought he was picked way too early.
                .
                The 3 players chosen after CJB were James Conner RB, who runs with abandon, Amara Darboh WR who the Seahawks really like and Kendall Beckwith ILB who is turning heads in TC. Niners could have drafted any one of those 3 players, improved the team, and still could have selected CJB later.

              6. Fellas, what are y’all arguing about. Just agree to disagree. I do it all the time with Seb, and razor. But no need for name calling. We are all 9er fans with our own strategy on how to fix the team. Don’t forget we are all one blog community. Let’s here the good and the bad. And the asinine. (Kap). Lol just kiddin Seb. Anyhow, this year Hyde can be great, next year Williams can be great, but hell I’d take em both, means we killed it this year,Hyde got to expensive, an Williams took over and killed it the next 4 years. Just sayin.

              7. LOLOLOL Destroyed by Prime? That made me laugh. Prime is a spoiled brat potty mouth that does not have an original thought, but just spews invective.
                .
                Those other blog writers are masters at stating the obvious, and Kawakami has disappeared on some obscure site that I certainly will not waste time reading.
                .
                So now you tell me to shut up and think I am full of it. You really are a piece of work.
                .
                I tried to read what you wrote, but English must be a second language for you. Either that, or you get so worked up, you cannot spell or write correctly. I am not impressed.
                .
                Yup, you are well named. Haters gonna hate.

              8. “For all the nut hugging…”

                Joe killing it against 2’s and 3’s is a good development for a rookie. Hyde killing it against 2’s and 3’s is expected. See the difference?

                “And as for cj bethard…”

                Yeah, we all thought he was taken too high. I believe Grant had us taking CJ in the 6th round. I ‘praise’ (more like give credit where it is due) Grant because he identified the only QB Shanahan took. Kyle could have taken Trubisky, Mahomes, or any other QB. He chose CJ because of the reasons Grant mentioned.

                “Which is it? Give credit to a blog opinionater, or kill the realheadsof the team.”

                Not entirely sure what that means to be honest.

              9. There there Sebbie… Everything will be better. Just work on being honest and authentic.

                Hey, got any more ‘Gosh, I’m Special’ stories to share?

            2. Yea, Grant made a great call on Williams and how Shanny would love him. He’s not going anywhere.

              1. Grant also nailed Beathard as potential target for Shanny. I believe he was the first to mention CJ on here. He could have easily ran the hype train with CJ too. He hyped Williams because of what he saw in Williams and how he would fit in our scheme. During the KC game we all saw what Grant saw in practice. Williams and the outside zone are made for each other. Williams just needs to work on his receiving game and blocking. Oh, and ball security. I think there’s a really good chance that Joe will be the featured back in 2018.

              2. Sure did. Two good calls by the GrantMeister! I took Williams off the board, because Lynch stated he wanted dedicated to football players. Lo and behold, Lynch removed him from his board, only to have Shanny throw him a lifeline. Pretty cool….

        2. cubus,
          Playing Mostert makes good sense. As of now, I see Hyde, Breida and Williams as locks. But believe the team will go with 4 RB’s so Mostert could get the nod over Hightower who I believe is the odd man out.

      2. So has Taylor has shown enough to supplant Kerley? Another slot rcvr-needy team (NE?) could use him. That’s why I thought BB would be on the horn to Chip asking about Kerley’s abilities. But perhaps 9ers know what they have in Kerley and have not shown him so much in preseason.

          1. so they possibly have stuff lined up for him that’s been held out of preseason that we may see in Panthers game, etc. Just unsure due to lack of snaps in last 3 games.

  3. Grant: Good, informative description of the importance of the tight end to the outside zone run versus the inside zone run.

    1. Yes, Grant, very illuminating. I just looked up how much Paulsen weighs, a little under 270. Interestingly, it’s the same as McDonald by a pound or two. Celek and Bell both weigh about 15+ pounds less, and Kittle a little less than them. Does this suggest they might be looking for another big TE?

      1. Paulsen is an outside zone run-blocking specialist. He will be the starter. Kittle will be the pass-catching specialist. And Celek will be the all-purpose No. 3 tight end. I think those guys will be the Niners’ three tight ends.

        1. After your periscope conference I now get why Paulsen will be the starter. Everything rides on that outside run zone block and especially with a less than great O line.

          Its funny this offense could finally accomplish what some of us have been asking for over the ground and pound years and that is stretch the box laterally. Yet ironically this new offense does not look to be running much up the middle. Yet again the O line is weakest in the middle so maybe that is a good thing.

          It seems this QB will have to be really good maneuvering in the pocket because the edges will be sealed due to defense fear of the outside zone run. It seems the goal is make them take the long way around to the QB. Denver could. Minn could not. Hmmm

  4. Credit where credit’s due – your suspicions were right about VMD being traded despite all the public “team love” (along with the rumors during the draft).

    It sounds to me like you think VMD is gone due to lack of scheme fit as a blocker in the outside zone. I didn’t hear you mention his horrible hands and league leading drop percentage as a TE? Do you think that was a concern as well for Shanahan or not really?

              1. People always seemed to have forgotten that he was a WR in college who they converted to a tight end. Baalke’s main problem always was he could modify players to fit needs rather than drafting players that fit that need. Like making a weak WR stronger ( Jenkins ). Or converting a WR with bad hands into a TE. Grant did a good job of explaining as to why McDonald being a good blocker was an illusion created by the scheme that only required him on double teams.So that left a TE who was useless in the new scheme on run blocking along with having his questionable hands. Nothing wrong with drafting projects, but Trent tended to over deaft his projects rather than in the lower rounds where most of them usually fall.

        1. Be nice. Vance was a good guy on / off the field and that should count for a lot in this day and age. Bad blocking in this new scheme could be fixed as he showed he can learn and adapt. He learned two schemes why not a third. The hands got better over the seasons, that is until that drop the other night that probably sealed the deal.

          1. You want a TE to be able to catch with his hands and not just when the ball is placed between the numbers. The one he missed was not an easy catch but those are the types that good TE pull down. You speak of him learning to block in that scheme because he learned before. Yes but how long did it take him . He was always a project. You don’t pay a project the amount of money his contract calls for. Grant stated that he was driven back on run plays, That is not about learning a scheme or technique rather strength. Even if he did improve his blocking his pass catching would still be mediocre at best. You sound like you think a team owes a player unlimited time and chances. Now Baalke stuck with his picks far too long, but he is no longer here to force coaches to give players extra chances to look good.

            Bruce– These criticisms were not directed at McDonalds character rather his ability to fit the new scheme. His being a good guy does not make him a better player on the field and that is what he is being evaluated on. Why should a persons character influence an objective evaluation of their abilities? If that were so Mother Teresa would be in the Hall of Fame.

  5. Grant,

    Do you think Ward will start in Week 1 if he doesn’t play Thursday? Or is he a lock to start, but will be held out like Foster?

    1. I think Ward will start Week 1 if he’s healthy regardless of whether he plays Thursday.

        1. Grant …

          Great Periscope perspective .. very enlightening !
          I never thought VMac was worth the extension he got from Baalke
          and thought he shoulda been gone back then … but
          here’s an OT question for ya …

          Do I detect a hint of some facial hair in this report ? … or ..
          did you forget to get close to your Gillette this morning ?

      1. Any thought that Ward may get moved to CB since that group is really struggling and Lorenzo Jerome appears to be a player?

          1. So far so good for my family. My house is dry. I’m on an island though. Neighborhoods on all sides of me are flooded. Im in N Houston near Intercontinental airport. Live in a relatively small tight knit community. We spent yesterday helping with water rescues. The shelters we dropped people at yesterday are now flooding so we spent today transporting people and supplies from those shelters and a nursing home that was in danger to new shelters on higher ground. The rest of my family volunteered at our church where many elderly and disabled people are being housed. I took a couple who are in their 80s there today. They told me they had been calling for help but by the time the boats got to them the water was chest high in their home. They don’t even live in a 500 year flood plain. The amount of water is insane. The scenes here are surreal. I was loading people and supplies in my truck with these giant county and state vehicles all around me. City, state, county, and private individuals in every type of boat or kayak you can imagine are going back and forth rescuing people. Meanwhile there are helicopters going all over the place overhead rescuing people from their rooftops. Very proud of my community though. Everyone is helping. Everyone is donating. I only know of 2 fatalities. All the stuff lost is just stuff. People are making sure everyone is safe and helping in any way they can. It’s really been awe inspiring.

            1. Sounds incredible. Glad to hear you’re all right and fortunate to be used by the Lord as the peoples angel. Fight the good fight, Houston9er, and God’s speed to you and yours!!

              1. Houston, you are an admirable Niner fan. Glad you are OK. You embody the American spirit.
                .
                I am reminded of this adage- When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
                .
                God speed, and stay dry.

            2. Houston,
              You are an amazing person. May God give you grace and strength in your efforts to help others.
              Praying for relief and for the waters to recede my friend.

              1. Thx for the Thx but we only did what hundreds of others were doing around here. So many people helping their neighbors. It is truly incredible. I live in a wonderful community.

                So I haven’t kept up with 49er news. I know McDonald is gone. Are they going after Hayden or not?

    1. I think it’s a serious concern given the recency of the surgery and the lack of usage throughout the preseason. Lack of reps = rust for even the best QBs.

      That said, it would be foolish for Shanahan and Saleh to assume Newton will be a pushover. They should gameplan as though Newton is in 2015 NFC CG form (when he was crushing the Cardinals). They don’t want Rivera to psych them out “playing dead” only to have Newton come out and go off on the defense.

    2. Coach speak. There is always concern but they alienated a good portion of those the other day in their preseason game.

    3. They were late it getting his rotator cuff surgically repaired. From what I’ve read he’s been struggling big-time to make NFL level throws.

      No OTAs.
      Little training camp.
      Two passes last week (his first game passes this pre-season).

  6. Good point about McDonald not having played in this type of blocking scheme, but I still think the primary reason he was traded was due to the contract. He’s very athletic so learning how to block the outside zone would not have been an insurmountable challenge for him. Bottom line for me is that they have been clearing out players from the previous regime in areas where they have young options to play a large role, and this is no different. Kittle will get a lot of playing time now. The question will be whether he can stay healthy because last year he was injured a lot and has struggled with a hamstring pull so far this TC.

    Your suggestion about paying QB’s a percentage of the salary cap has been talked about many times before. Agents have tried to get teams to do that but they won’t and the reason is simple: if they get hurt the team has a huge amount of the cap tied up in a player that won’t play. Teams want an out in the event of an injury and guaranteeing a cap percentage makes that difficult if not impossible. That’s why a lot of money is paid up front in these big deals to offset the damage to the cap long term if the player is injured.

    Having said that I do agree that a good QB is worth the large contract. It is definitely a QB league and you have little chance to compete without a good one.

    Enjoyed it Grant. Nice job.

      1. Yes it is and few can do it, but the point was McDonald was athletic and strong enough to learn this system. He actually had some nice blocks in the preseason along with some miscues. He just needed more reps. That’s why I don’t think blocking played a big role in him being traded. I think they just want to get Kittle going right out of the gate.

        1. Kittle won’t be blocking much at the point of attack on outside zone runs. That will be Paulsen’s job.

          1. Kittle was actually a very good blocker at Iowa. Paulsen missed at least two blocks from what I saw in Minny Sunday night and has struggled in the preseason overall (another reason I believe McDonald was traded due to the contract because he was clearly better than Paulsen ). I think Kittle will be a blocker more than expected.

            1. Blocking college DEs and NFL DEs are two different things. I doubt the Niners will rely on a rookie to handle that extremely difficult assignment. Paulsen will be the Levine Toilolo of this offense and Kittle will be the Austin Hooper.

              1. It won’t be that cut and dried. You can’t be that predictable. Toilolo is used as a receiver just enough to make defenses stay honest and it’ll be the same here I would imagine. Kittle is too good of a blocker to make him a receiver only.

          2. I think you’re putting way too much pressure on a rookie to be a substantial part of the offense. Let’s lay off the 50 catch prediction. Let’s go with Kittle is a rookie and we hope he can contribute as much as possible while he makes the transition from college to the pros.

            1. I don’t expect him to do it all the time, but one of his best traits coming out of College was his blocking so I don’t think they’ll shy away from using him in that capacity.

              Hope you’re holding up ok. It’s times like these where football seems so trivial and life so fragile. I truly hope you your family and friends are all safe and thanks for your efforts in helping others.

    1. As I’ve stated before, this new regime is clearing out guys that they never drafted or who they feel don’t fit the scheme.
      I guess the next dominos to fall are Carlos Hyde and Eric Reid.

      1. I agree on Hyde but not Reid. I don’t have the links handy, but John Lynch and I think Saleh as well have gushed about him and he has played well in the preseason. Having said that, I’m sure they would listen to serious offers, but Reid seems to be a good fit at SS in this system, imo.

  7. These views through the periscope are magnifying. Particularly appreciated the TE specifics to the outside zone run . A Macro and Microscopic analysis.

    1. That everyone on here continues to dismiss Blake Bell at all is totally stupid….he has better hands, more speed and is a good and improving blocker…so much better than Celek…also more length….

        1. Oregon,

          He hasn’t done enough to bring him up in conversation never mind dismiss him. What do you see that makes you feel he’s worth keeping around?

          1. Rocket

            Did you even read my post…? Other than Paulsen (long in the tooth),who do you prefer over Bell…Not Celek…maybe in a couple years Hikutini…

            1. I did and you said some things about Bell that haven’t been evident, at least from what I’ve witnessed so far. Not sure what it is you see in Bell as he hasn’t been much of a factor in the two years he’s been here and has been behind Celek on the depth chart through 3 Coaching staffs now. If the Niners decide to keep him fine, that will be based on seeing some potential possibly, but he’s done nothing to warrant making the roster to this point from what I’ve seen.

              1. Rocket:

                Do you see any chance that Bell could be a serviceable emergency QB, if the team keeps only two on the 53 and if they should both go down in a game. Is that something ShanaLynch might consider?

              2. Haven’t heard anything about Bell getting any QB reps, and I would assume Shanahan would consider Bell a very different style of QB to the ones he has (which we know from his comments about Kaep is not what he wants). So I very much doubt they would consider keeping Bell for his capacity as an emergency QB.

              3. Scooter: I had the same concerns about Bell as you posted which is why I used the term emergency. But if they only keep 2 QBs on the 53 and both go down in a game, who would step in as the QB? At least Bell has some QB experience.

              4. I don’t think they would keep Bell over someone they like better just because he played some QB in college.

                If they only keep 2 QBs on the roster and both are injured in the same game, I’m sure they’d have a plan, but it will be a guy they like for the 53 regardless.

              5. Scooter, what do you suppose the plan is if both QBs go down and there’s only two on the 53. The more I think about it, if they only keep two QBs on the 53, it’s really the only position (besides kickers) where they are only two deep. I think just about every other position could be competently filled by at least three people on the 46 or whatever number it is of active game day players. But QB……….

              6. Probably Kerley. He played QB in high school. A lot of WRs are actually guys that played some QB in high school.

              7. Cubus,

                I agree with Scooter. He wouldn’t offer much as a 3rd QB – he didn’t throw the ball very well at OK and was more of a runner – which is why he was switched to TE in the first place. I also think they will keep Barkley due to Hoyer’s history of injury and the fact they may not want Beathard thrown to the wolves too quickly.

              8. Rocket and Scooter. It’s not so much Bell that interests me in this discussion, it’s the notion that a team can get by with only two QBs on the 53. As I said before, all positions (except kickers) have at least three players on game day that could competently play the position. Yet, for those teams that only keep two QBs on the 53, the most important and difficult-to-play position in all of sports only has two players. That really doesn’t seem to make sense. I guess there must be sufficient statistical evidence that the odds of two QBs going down in the same game is very, very low. I must admit, I can’t remember the last time it happened.

        2. BruceZ

          Perhaps you should compare all of the TE’s stats before you infer that he has no accomplishments

          1. Oregoniner,
            As I recall he had very few catches (like only a half dozen) in his career with 49ers with a target to catch ratio in the mid 40s. Am I missing something like – he is turning out to be a good blocker in this new outside run scheme? That latter could count for something.

            1. BruceZ

              I agree that he (Bell) hasn’t lit the world on fire with numerous catches, but consider that he has been the ‘target’ his whole career of Kaep, Gabbert, and at least a half dozen QBs who would be better in a bowling league than the NFL. That’s also one of the reasons I disagree with trading VMac to the Steelers….Our last two accurate QBs were Alex Smith and Tim Rattay…Bell catches the ball and holds onto it…He should be the 2nd TE , AHEAD of both Celek and Paulsen, and just behind Kittles….also fights for YAC….

          2. Can he block a DE one on one in this new run scheme as Grant points out? Because if he can I will guess we have something there. Otherwise I don’t see it.

  8. Re quarterback salaries. It’ll never happen, but I think the next CBA player salaries should be framed something like:
    Max for any single player – 10% of cap ($16.7m)
    Min for a full season player – 1% of cap (1.67m)
    Number of players within 100-200% minimum cap per team – 7

    But it would never fly. Big name players would join owners in squishing the NFLPA if they proposed something like this.

  9. With the increased cap and quarterback salaries, it’s less crazy for the Redskins to FT or TT Cousins in 2018. Either way Cousins has to love the situation, with all the Fully Guaranteed $.

    The semi-worthless players union (that only seems to win on non-monetary issues like practice hours) needs to push for more severe indexing of franchise tag amounts. As it stands, its not punitive enough for clubs that can’t shinola or get off the pot with extensions.

    1. I feel pretty sure based upon the Redskins sources and league sources I’ve read over the past 8 months that:

      1. Cousins will not sign a long term deal with the Redskins because he’s particularly done with GM Bruce Allen. He and the team are making nice in public, but the fact that they’ve now failed in two offseasons to hammer out a long term deal, and the Redskins have continually lowballed him, and his interest in playing for Shanahan again all indicate Cousins won’t sign long term with them. Also the Redskins will lowball him again in early 2018, further irritating Cousins.

      2. The team is unlikely to exclusive franchise tag or non-exclusive franchise tag him because it will cost them an immediate $35M for the 2018 year and will guarantee Cousins is an unrestricted free agent in 2019 (cannot tag him more than 3 times) making the Redskins look really bad. The only caveat here is with the non-exclusive franchise tag; if the Redskins somehow believe some team is actually going pony up 2 first round picks and pay him 28-30M/year for 5 years, then they will nonexclusive tag him. However, I think this is unlikely as teams are loath to surrender high picks and the richest QB contract on the market, and Cousins has the ability to say “no, I won’t sign with you.” More likely Snyder and Allen realize that no team will pony up their cost and the Redskins lose him to unrestricted free agency without any ability to tag him in 2019.

      3. The team is unlikely to trade Cousins because teams know their leverage stinks, and will offer barely more than the 3rd round compensatory price and Snyder doesn’t dare come out looking like a dolt for getting only a dinky 3rd rounder for a top 10 QB. I can’t see another QB desperate team like the Jaguars or Jets even getting the chance to make a trade offer that would get the Redskins off the hook, because Cousins will refuse to sign long-term with these teams. The Jets or Jags therefore won’t make much of an offer at all. Why part with high picks to the Redskins if Cousins bails on you for UFA (with no ability to tag him) in 2019?

      4. The team is likely to transition tag Cousins at 28M for the 2018 year, which is close to what Stafford is getting now. That way when other teams make offer sheets and Cousins signs the one he wants, the Redskins can save face with their fanbase and look like they tried to sign Cousins, but he was too greedy and went with a team that offered him what the Redskins couldn’t pay. (Snyder and Allen shift blame, Cousins becomes public enemy #1 among loyalists in DC, and Snyder continues in his belief that RG3 would have been his long-term superstar, and not Cousins, if it hadn’t been for the evil Shanahans.) I believe the high offer will be the 49ers because of their ability to structure an unmatchable deal, and because of the Cousins-Shanahan relationship and Cousins’ desire to come to the 49ers.

      Short summary:
      Cousins to SF in 2018 via the transition tag and an offer the Redskins cannot match.
      or
      Cousins to SF in 2019 via UFA after the Redskins franchise him one final time and delay the inevitable.

      1. Adusoron – Good break down. What so many have overlooked is Cousins can nix and trade by refusing to extend if he dislikes the target destination. No team’s giving up high picks for a one year wonder.

        John Keim is one of my favorite sources. Silver and Keim do the math.

        1. Yep. Keim, Silver, Jason Reid, Master Tesfatsion, Mike Jones and Benjamin Allbright are each contributing voices. I read all of them and I think they have a good grip on what Snyder and Allen are doing to make this an eventuality.

          Reading the tea leaves and how Bruce Allen wrote that horrible “Cousins is a greedy SOB” letter in July after Cousins refused their 2nd lowball offer told me that it’s even more likely he’s leaving. Yes, it’s negotiations, but doing that is a public slap in the face and a ridiculous attempt to save face with the fans. That tells me they really care about PR, not actually getting a deal done with Cousins, which means they’re actually aware they’re going to lose him. Cousins can like Snyder and his coach, but hating the GM creates a situation in which the player really wants out and won’t sign their deal, or their potential trade deals either.

      2. Agreed, with one caveat. Snyder’s spite towards Shanny might supersede any other factors or emotions.

        1. Or, California slides into the Pacific prior to 2019…

          Levis Stadium becomes an artificial reef–very popular dive destination by 2021. Levis constructs a luxury hotel and boardwalk nearby known as Dockers… Closest airport is Reno.

          1. Cassie,
            That would make the raiders move to Vegas look very smart. The raiders rarely do anything smart!

            1. Raiders would be the bay again–this bay washing onto a new beach at Jean…just down the road from Vegas.

        2. Acknowledged, Razor. At least one of the Redskins ESPN writers is convinced Snyder is a vindictive jerk and will do what he can to prevent Shanahan from getting Cousins (further strengthening my belief that Cousins really wants to go to SF). He thinks Snyder will keep tagging until he can’t do it anymore and then be essentially forced to let Cousins walk for free in 2019.

          But really, Cousins has the leverage. What can Snyder do but delay the inevitable? Offer Cousins 35M/year over 5 years just out of spite? I just don’t see him saying “here I hate Shanahan, and I basically hate you by association – here’s a 5 year 175 million contract. He still loves RG3, and hates Shanahan (and by association, he holds a grudge against Cousins for being a Shanny guy).

          1. Is another outcome possible? Snyder makes Allen the scapegoat and fires him, which mollifies Cousins and the signs a #25M/yr for 5 years, choosing to remain close to his and his wife’s families on the East Coast.

            1. Or, Cousins suffers a leg break in November–worse than Joe Theismann’s–and calls it a career in February 2018. On to the draft!

  10. You look at Ronald Blair and you can’t help but think “that’s a beefcake of a man.”

  11. 53 Man Stab:

    3 QB-Hoyer/Barkley/Beathard
    4 RB-Hyde/Breida/Mostert/Williams
    5 WR-Garcon/Goodwin/Kerley/Robinson/Taylor
    1 FB-Juszczyk
    3 TE-Paulson/Kittle/Celek
    4 OT-Staley/Brown/Gilligan/Theus
    3 OG-Beadles/Fusco/Garnett
    2 C-Kilgore/Barnes

    10 DL-Armstead/Buckner/Mitchell/Thomas/Carradine/Dumervil/Lynch/Jones/Dial/Taumoepenu
    6 LB-Bowman/Foster/Harold/Watson/Coyle/Armstrong
    5 CB-Robinson/Johnson/Williams/Witherspoon/Reaser
    4 S-Ward/Tartt/Jerome/Sunseri

    K-Rose
    P-Pinion
    LS-Nelson

      1. No way they go with 2 TE’s. Reid in, Celek in, Theus or Gilliam out – no reason to carry 4 OT’s. Either Theus or Williams to PS. And I suspect 10 DB’s total., meaning 9 DL or 2 QB’s.

        1. Is it me, or does Reuben Foster look BIG for 228-230 lbs?

          Imagine him at 240 lbs? Talk about a freight train. I’m not saying I want him at 240, but if he becomes a full time MIKE, then it’s good to know he’s big enough to do it, even at 235 lbs.

          I remember when there were questions as to whether Willis was big enough to play 3-4 ILB or 4-3 Middle-Backer. I think Willis was right around 230 lbs as a rookie, but eventually got close to 240 lbs.

          1. Grant, do you think the 49ers would risk only having 2 TE’s on the 53? I know Jusz can play TE in a pinch. But both TE and FB are important components to the offense. McCloskey looks the part as a FB, but he might not clear waivers, and with 1 injury at TE, this whole offense could look dramatically different.

            1. The Niners will keep three tight ends. If they were to keep only two and one gets hurt during a game, the offense couldn’t use 22 personnel.

              1. Why couldn’t they use an offensive lineman during the game if it’s Paulson, and Juszczyk if it’s Kittle?

            2. Don’t sleep on Hikutini. He should get some targets in the final game.

              http://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/25000/te-cole-hikutini-an-undrafted-free-agent-to-watch-for-49ers

              During draft weekend, the Niners shopped tight end Vance McDonald for a possible trade and other holdovers Garrett Celek and Blake Bell are far from set in stone. Logan Paulsen came in as a free agent and the 49ers added talented George Kittle in the fifth round but Kittle and Paulsen might not fit the role of “move” tight end that Shanahan envisions for Hikutini.

              “I think the ability to stretch the field and get open, route running, I thought that was what I did really well at the college level,” Hikutini said. “But I think creating separation, too.”

              1. Yah, #80, Hikutini is a real mystery man right now. I get the feeling Kyle’s trying to sneak him past wavers, you?

              2. He was hand picked for this offense by Shanny. I think KS wants a good look at Hikutini on Thursday night. Same with Williams and Taylor. But Hikutini might not make the final 53.

                I have a feeling that a lot of our cuts will be picked up by other teams. Hikutini and Pita would draw interest from other teams.

              3. That’s why I am not sure we will see him catching passes on Thursday. He may be in the game as a decoy, and to test his blocking skills, but I get the feeling they aren’t going to target him much. I’ve seen this movie before. I could be wrong, but I have a gut feeling they’ve been hiding him with the intent on hoping he clears waivers, and they can stash him on the PS for now. I think Blake Bell and Celek get the bulk of the TE action Thursday.

              4. Per the FOOCH:

                “One player who has not gotten a ton of work is tight end Cole Hikutini. He got 11 snaps in Week 1 and three snaps in Week 2. Sometimes a team gives a player less playing time in hopes of keeping him under the radar and improve their chances of sliding him through waivers to the practice squad.”

          1. Jusz can line up at TE, but Kyle likes to use 13 personnel (3 TE’s) to spread the field quite often. He can go 4 verticals, or Hi-Low Mesh from this concept. In fact, Kyle used 13 personnel formation 8% of his plays in 2016. TE’s get nicked up a lot. If 1 TE get’s nicked up, there goes that 8%.

            1. And, like Grant says, if they lose a TE, there goes the 22 Personnel. Kyle’s keeping 3 TE’s on the 53.

              1. Yes, it might be the only way Thomas sees the field this season. Just kidding.

                Something tells me Thomas would make V-Mac look like Freddy Biletnikoff. lol.

              2. I think Thomas could run a simple curl route by the goal line, and I think he could be used like the Fridge down there as well….

              3. Grant, thanks for your input. What’s your feelings about the numbers at DB? 10 total? Jones or Colbert make the team on special teams? Ward, Jerome, Tartt, Reid, Robinson, Johnson, Williams, Reaser, Witherspoon. That’s 10 total. And what about Sunseri?Jerome has to make this team right? No way he clears waivers? I know they’ve played Tartt at FS, but it looks like he’s going to be in on Dime packages, and he needs to be Reid’s backup right? Who else plays SS, Don Jones, Sunseri?

              4. 10 total sounds right. I’m leaning toward Colbert as the 10th because he’s versatile. Who would be the back up nickel? Jerome?

              5. That’s a good point. Who’s backing up the Nickel Corner? Ward slides to the slot and Jerome takes over at FS? Hmm. I need to think that through.

      2. As others have said, seems very unlikely to me they would keep only 2 TEs, even with Juice as a 3rd TE option. 3 TEs + Juice seems right to me.

      3. Reid in, and Barkley cut, to be picked up later.
        .
        Blair should get in instead of Pita.
        .
        Like your bold Rose pick.
        .
        Good 53.

  12. What are the salary cap ramifications with the trade of McDonald and the release of Brooks…Seems like both were on huge deals?

  13. Grant much respect,but the whole idea of using Paulsen to block and Kittle to catch instantly puts you at a disadvantage because your telling the other team what your plans are by the guys you send out there in a few weeks every team in the NFL will know.(hey they bring Paulsen in to block for run,bring Kittle in for pass.sorry just makes absolutely no sense.

  14. Like the breakdown grant , of how the different zone blocking works ,good idea . VMac trade , think your right grant ,not enough value in the pick / upgrade in draft postion. Disagree with you on the percentage thing ,for the player being signed .that would change alot , league minimums for rookies ,and veterans alike , how else would they justify it . without an exception rule . Hence franchise tag ,or transition tag . Would change alot of a set standard . If we are to change it ,we would have to remake all of it . Would that affect the tags so to speak . They would find a way to manipulate it . Great idea but would need lots of consideration on the effects it would have on the other 50 plus players ,and would play Havoc on the union agreements. There might be way to arrange it . But it’s alot of work. it would also favor the more skill postions / Qb / Rb, that shutdown Cb , would we need a franchise player or transition tag. Good idea,alot to work out though. Great thinking grant , but would favor the player to much ,not the owners . Or the union .

  15. From a Steeler website…

    “Mike Tomlin had to know he was walking into a mountain of questions when he took the podium for his weekly press conference leading up to the Steelers fourth preseason game after the team traded a 2018 NFL Draft fourth round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Tight End Vance McDonald and a 2018 fifth round pick.

    But, as only Tomlin can, he stood there and was as blunt as can be about why the team made the trade. There was no “coach speak”, just pure honesty.

    When asked why the team traded for McDonald, Tomlin stated because the current crop of tight ends on the roster, “hadn’t been consistently varsity enough.”

    Ouch.

    That sound you heard was the deflating egos of David Johnson, Jesse James and Xavier Grimble.

    Now, Tomlin spoke about how McDonald is an “NFL-capable player”, but ultimately was brought to be a ‘player’ on the roster. The team isn’t going to trade a 4th round draft pick away for a player who won’t even make the team.”

    1. Since Mr. Grimble was once a practice squad Niner (or was it just off-season?), Steelers have two Niners TE.

      1. Yup. A USC Trojan… “On September 15, Grimble was signed onto the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. On November 18, he was waived by San Francisco. On December 16, the 49ers resigned Grimble to their practice squad.[6] On September 5, 2015, he was released by the 49ers in order for them to make their 53-man roster.”

  16. http://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/108486-transcript-robert-discusses-bowman-defense-heading-preseason-finale/

    “It is a good problem. We feel like we have three to four pretty good edge rushers. We’ve got three to four pretty good inside rushers with [DL] Solomon [Thomas], Arik again, and [DL DeForest Buckner] Buck being on the inside.

    “For us with Arik, the way we see him is he’s an outside guy on base-downs, on run situations, 50-50 calls. His greatest strength as a pass rusher will be inside on third down in our vision. Will you see him outside? I think so. You can see him outside too because he does have that flexibility where he can do both. His greatest pass rushing strength in our opinion would be inside.”

  17. This is funny.

    http://lastwordonprofootball.com/2017/08/29/vance-mcdonald-is-upgrade-steelers-needed/

    Vance McDonald finished 107th in the NFL in yards after the catch last season.

    Vance McDonald is not super man. In fact, on three occasions he flat out dropped the ball, like the play below.

    However, on passes that were catchable, Jesse James hauled in 79.5% of his targets while McDonald caught 75% of the passes that he could have made a play on.

    McDonald also has a should injury that could be worth worrying about while James has been consistently healthy.

  18. I would like to see us trade for Cameron Erving. He can zone block. He’s quick and athletic. He can play all across the interior and he’s a hard worker. He hasn’t gotten much of a chance in Cleveland. He was a high pick that is young and still has potential. It fills a need.

    1. I’d pass, he’s worse than horrible. PFF graded him 36.8 for the 2016 season, just to provide some perspective.

        1. Michael Schofield learned under Kubiak, and is slightly below average with a grade of 62.4 in 2016 as given by PFF. The Broncos will probably release him, and he’s really a guard.

          1. Erving has a higher ceiling. I doubt we do anything on the OL this late unless we have an injury. Just me, but I go with upside when we’re talking about the bottom of the roster. I’d be OK with Schofield. We need a G upgrade.

            1. Erving has a higher ceiling.

              What makes you say that? They’re 25 and 26 years old respectively.

              1. Where they were drafted doesn’t hold water for me, unless the you believe the Browns evaluation of him was correct. So far his career does not back that up. Erving hasn’t improved this year, where at least Schofield, who was drafted in the 3rd round specifically for Kubiak’s offense, has improved. I don’t think either guy has a higher ceiling than the other. Ironically, Erving got beat out by a 3rd rounder….

                Schofield 40 yard dash, 5 seconds
                Erving 40 yard dash, 5.15

              2. Erving is a converted D lineman, which could explain his growing pains. Schofield can be decent, about where he is now. Erving could become better than average.

              3. I don’t think the Browns like his current trajectory, which is why they’re moving on. Maybe he could be a better fit in this scheme, but when you grade out at 36.8, there’s no where to go but up….

            2. Still think the Niners should patiently wait, and select an O lineman cut from the Cowboys. Their third string may be better than some team’s first string.

              1. Looked up Chaz Green, and he looks good, but he is listed as the backup to Jonathan Cooper.
                .
                Nate Theaker G, Dan Skipper T, and Ross Burbank C, may be the bubble players.
                .
                I would not mind the Niners re-acquiring Joe Looney, if he becomes available. I think he played center, and did well, so he would be versatile.

  19. Lynch pulled off a great move. He unloaded Vance’s salary, got rid of a Baalke player and picked up a 4th round pick. Of course, if they picked like they did in 2017, the Steelers would be moving back only 4 spots. However, if the Niners do well, and the Steelers falter, the trade will swing to the Niner’s favor.
    .
    Vance should be happy. He is getting a clean slate, and going to a playoff team.
    .
    Many are assuming Paulsen will be the number one TE. I think they will go youth and keep Celek, Kittle and Hikutini. Why? Because the TE has to be able to catch passes, too. In 6 seasons, Paulsen caught 82 passes. That is less than 14 per season. KS will want the TE to be able to block, but also catch passes. Hikutini is not only faster, he caught 49 passes last season. Added to the mix, Juszczyk will be used like a TE.

  20. Interesting, they just gave 50 mil guaranteed to a QB who has never won a playoff game.

    1. Yea but they made Derek Carr the highest paid player in history a couple of months ago. And Seb, what has he won??

        1. Oh Sebbie… Blackballing is not that big of a deal for you anymore (if it ever was…). Your recent post…

          sebnynah says:
          August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
          If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

          1. Don’t forget the other hypocrisy plum:

            sebnynah says:
            August 27, 2017 at 8:41 pm
            Juan, you should commend me for my total fandom of the Niners. Frankly, I tout Kaep just to needle you. ;p

            Credibility? Somewhere in the Marianas trench…

            1. Yes… That too and the ‘Nessa-is-preventing-Kaep-from-returning-to-his-love-of-football’ argument.

              Sebbie is a credibility chameleon. From the web (faking authenticity)…

              “If we are examining our own authenticity, honesty had better be at the top of the list.

              If you’re not honest, with yourself and others, you have little chance of being perceived as authentic because honesty is at the root of how genuine we appear to others.

              While you may be able to get away with the occasional white lie, truth will ultimately prevail and you will be judged accordingly.”

            2. Try harder. Kaep will play, because he is being blackballed, and the continued protests just show how unfair and over the top the NFL and certain fans have become. Now, even Aaron Rodgers has said that Kaep should play.
              .
              Sure, the prospect of Kaep coming back are remote, because Kaep was the one opting out, but I still believe he would give the Niners their best chance to win, despite the fact that Lynch declared he would be constantly trying to improve the QB position, yet KS designated Hoyer the starter with little competition.
              .
              It is interesting to note that the Niners are blackballing Kaep for protesting, calling him divisive, yet when Eric Reid did it, they still let him play on the team. Talk about HYPOCRISY.

              1. Typical response, Seb! You are called out on something and redirect! Should have tried your hand at magic.

                Keep rolling that stone though!

              2. Sebbie… You don’t care if Kaep is being blackballed. You’re on record saying so. You even questioned Kaep’s commitment to his cause by saying Nessa was preventing him from returning to his true love…the NFL. A woman has blinded your man.

                And then you went on to assert that Kaep wants to take a team to the SB (OK), and Shanahan does not (what?!). You’re on the record for that as well. The HC not wanting to take his team to the SB.

                Keep serving up your self-serving drivel…it’s a good look for you.

              3. Um, Sebbie, that’s coming from you. I know because I’m downwind of you. Please shower.

              4. Cassie, the stench of Baalke comes from the Baalke shills. Guess you are so used to the smell, you seem to not notice it.

              5. More un-truths, Seb..

                Kap can’t play winning ball in this league………

                Eric Reid, especially in his new position, looks promising,

                His game grew…………….

        2. And here is one from March of 2016, once again, before the protests:

          https://www.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/02/colin-kaepernick-robert-griffin-rg3-trade-future

          You don’t a genius level IQ to understand that:

          1. Nobody, at this time, will talk about his deficiencies because the horde of screaming cry-babies that will attack people as ‘racist.’

          2. Why nobody claims the same thing for RGIII who has been at least as good as Kaepernick on teams worse.

          3. Why nobody in the NFL is actually interested in him, or RGIII.

        3. Just cant keep your bitterness from leaking out, can you Seb…………

          leaking like an old maple tree…………..

  21. I wonder how Trent Balkee feels, looking at his life’s work, crumble. The San Francisco 49ers we’re his team for 7 years, and this man went from talk of the Town, to hard headed, do it my way or the highway dumpster fire of a gm he actually is. This team was literally built in the image of Trent Balkee. Now, it’s being reassembled “Brick By Brick”. And to think, I was this man’s biggest adversary. Until I opened my eyes and took off the rose colored glasses. Man, believe me, this view is much better

    1. Baalke, like the honey badger, doesn’t care. In fact, he’s pleased. His DBs are pretty much making the final 53. Picking DB’s is where his heart is. All the other draft picks he was forced to make were merely irritants. He dreamed of picking DBs numbering in the double-digit in each draft.

      1. http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/2011-draft-story-49ers-would-have-passed-on-7947768.php

        What if the 49ers had a chance to select Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson in the 2011 draft?

        Answer: They would have passed.

        “There was one guy I fell in love with, who I absolutely wanted on our team, and who I’d prearranged a trade to move up and get: Patrick Peterson,” Smith said. “I arranged with San Francisco to move up to No. 7 if Peterson was available there.”

    2. Balky should never have been hired in the first place, but that is a moot point, I know.

      Jed and Bulky…..as bad as has ever been.

  22. Baalke dismantled that SB team so fast, only Staley and Bowman are left from that squad.
    .
    Baalke whiffed on an entire draft class, and his ACL strategy backfired spectacularly.
    .
    Baalke will be remembered for drafting AJ Jenkins.
    .
    Baalke made decent FAs avoid the Niners like the plague, and he took a parting shot by signing Vance MacDonald to an extension. What made it perfect was VM signing, then hours later he breaks his collar bone.
    .
    Only 30 players from last year’s team are on this squad, so at least 23 players will be new.

  23. Joe Haden has been outright released by the Browns. Now would be the time to pick him up, at a fraction of what a trade would have cost us in terms of $$$ and another player. The Browns brain-trust (for what that’s worth) did not think he was still capable of a high level of play and certainly not one commanding 11 million dollars. But depending on how Lynch/Shanny view him, he might be worth a flyer at three or four mil on a one or two year deal..

    1. No harm in taking a flyer. He’s still young – maybe he could be reenergized.

    2. At the least he’s an upgrade over Reaser and Jackson… Why not kick them tires at least.

      1. Do not think Hayden deserved to be traded for, and now do not think he deserves to be signed by the Niners.
        .
        Browns were desperate to trade him, for good reason.

    3. We tried that with Nnamdi Asomugha. Did. Not. Work.

      Honestly, if Haden was still ‘all that and a bag of chips’ the Brown could have traded him. Something they’ve been trying to do for a year. But they couldn’t.

      1. Yep, you’ve got to remember, he was ranked 88th in performance for 2016. That’s why he was shopped, that’s why no one purchased, and that’s why he’ll be signed for free, with a substantial reduction in salary, commensurate with his present day skill level….

  24. Bye bye Big Mac… Looking forward to watching Kittle develop while having grand visions of him pancaking Richard Sherman on a regular basis.

  25. He was doomed the second Baalke gave him that perplexing contract. Baalke leftovers will get cleared out. Also, who really cares anyway. Just another guy in a position with a lot of choices. He will have a tough road in Pit, proving to his new team why a. He was worth the contract, b. If so good why did they unload you for nothing?

  26. Okay, I was going to hold off for my prediction for wins and losses till after the fourth pre season game. However that game has little value other then to determine final few roster spots. I have as much information to make my pick as any of you out there. First I am throwing the last three years out the window. Using the past to gauge the future in this case has zero merit. The team is not at all the same, front office is changed, the coaching staff has changed, the players have changed for the most part. Change does not mean wins but you have to start somewhere. Coaching matters!! KS maybe the most gifted offensive mind since the Genius days, bunch of wins just for that. I do believe, even with a suspect secondary the defense is better as compared to last years pre season games. Positive write-ups, of course we fans are heavy dependent on observations from the press. The entire local press has been very positive, to include Grant, which is somewhat unusual. We have the pre season games as a gauge, some good and some bad came out of those games.

    So there is really not much information to make a educated guess for wins and losses. Year end and year out I always state a 16-0 season regardless of anything, . The competitor in me finds it very difficult to find losses. I guarantee you not one player goes down the schedule and says oh we are going to lose that game and that game, well that’s me. Now I have only seen a few people who have picked a winning season, Grant (9-7) being one of them, #80 being another (12-4 ) My prediction based on what I think I know and feel, is a minimum of a 12 win season. In most cases a team on the upswing needs a catalyst game, a confidence booster that energizes the team. That catalyst game is early in the year, the Hawks up in Seattle, a place where this team has stunk it up in the last 3, 4, 5 years. A victory in Seattle is all that is needed for this team this year to go from 2-14 to 12 and 4. Sounds simple yup, is it simple yup, will it happen I have no idea – its just a different feeling this year. 12-4 baby 12-4.

      1. Instead of a 500% increase in win totals, I’m sticking with a 200% increase, and 6 wins.

    1. I have a feeling Wilson will throw those Rainbow Brite deep balls, and our corners get lost, get burned or get flagged. I think our run defense is improved, but our running game will struggle….

      1. Razor, that’s my only concern on this team is the secondary. I think the run offense is going to get better as the team gets use to the complications of the system. Your predictions is probably more accurate then mine but like I said I got this feeling.

      2. Our fears may ease when Ward slips easily into his role, and the D Line will chase the Smurf all over the backfield. The Smurf’s mobility and quickness is not what it used to be 3-4 seasons ago….

        1. True, but he’s added/perfected a potent weapon over the last few seasons. Namely, take off like your’re running and force the second/third line defenders to move towards you and then at the last second throw over their heads to a wide open receiver. I haven’t seen anyone do that better in a long time. That’s where he kills defenses and even a spy on him doesn’t help that much in that scenario.

        1. I hope the 2017 regular season is one of those we can point to twenty years later and say ‘it all began there’.

          Any HOF inductees from this 2017 class?

  27. It is nice to see teams making trades. Hope the Niners can pull off a couple more, to create room to obtain some cutdown players.
    .
    With all the injuries, some teams have needs that the Niners could fill with some of their bubble players. It might be smart for the Niners to trade away players to teams that they will not play this season. I fully expect the Seahawks to want to poach another cut Niner player, so trading away bubble players to the AFC might stymie that strategy.

    1. Well Sebbie… The Seahawks know that John Lynch is clueless without your posts (and by extension, Kyle), so they have a senior coaching assistant reading through all your material, and breaking it down into twice daily intel summaries.

      1. Well, Cassie, I think the Seahawks are smart enough to peruse all the media, and especially this site, because they took my advice and traded back as many times as they did to obtain additional picks.

        1. Yeah the NFL is consulting a grass mower and a guy who cannot handle a chainsaw to sort out their personnel.

          Have another hoot Seb!

        2. That’s right Sebbie… Trading back was NEVER attempted across the NFL until you started posting on this blog.

          1. It certainly was not done as many times as they did it. I think they moved back 5 or 6 times.

            1. All because of you, the landscaper from no one cares! But yet is not employed anywhere in the NFL and never played football. How does that work?

        3. Not a Seahawk’s assistant, a Paul Allen funded-Microsoft admin ‘ed “exaflop” (wiki it) supercomputer scanning all media on the web around the globe, searching for the holy grail of NFL personnel wisdom, and behold: the A.I. found Seb….

        4. Sebs, you are either a megalomaniac…………or, you like to mess with people.

          Mostly, I think you like to mess with people. Mostly………not entirely.

  28. With the 49ers being 2nd in the waiver line at cut down time, I see them picking up at least 2 CB’s. With just under 1200 players being released at the same time there will have to be at least 5 quality CB’s. Who knows maybe Cleve is so sick of Hayden that they will release him and the 49ers could claim him without giving up any talent or picks at the price of 11 mill.

    1. I hope the Niners will poach a cut DB from the Seahawks or Cards. Ryan Lewis has 4.37 speed, and is listed at CB/FS.

        1. Prime, you admitted Kaep took the league by storm. Guess you are now dissing your football knowledge.

          1. He did, past tense dummy! Never happen again. You predicted he would again. Still waiting.

            Inhale deeeeeeeeepppppp!!!!!!

              1. No, Prime, I predicted you would haunt my posts and spew invective.
                .
                My prediction came true AGAIN.

      1. Niners should hope Tedric Thompson, the player the Seahawks obtained from the Niners for moving up to grab Foster, becomes a cutdown player.
        .
        Marcus Cromartie may also be on the bubble.

      2. Sebby..

        You keep going on about speed. But were often talking about one guy being tenths, maybe hundredths of a second faster.
        Rice ran a 4.6 40 at the combine–remember? For an NFL receiver?

        Far more important is–can they play? Are they play-makers? We have a safety right now who looks like a play-maker, but does not clock well. Sometimes you get too wrapped up in stats.

    2. Old Coach,

      Hayden isn’t subject to waivers. He immediately becomes a FA upon release. My guess is he will sign with a contender unless a bad team throws a lot of money his way.

      I agree with you that are likely to claim 1 if not 2 players after cutdowns.

      1. Imagine what’s it like in the 9er player personnel office this week–putting in long hours and trying to keep up-to-the-second on developments across the league–and trying to sync all that up with 9er needs/priorities and system fit. They must have access to some interesting player databases–strengths, weaknesses, salary obligations, injury history (to the extend allowed), etc.

        1. Yep they will be pretty busy for the next few days. There could be quite a bit of talent available.

  29. Old Coach, da Browns did release him and now he is a free agent on the market to the best bidder with some seriouos red flags. And I agree that there some quality CBs will be cut on or before Saturday and the Niners are in a very good position to take advantage if they see an upgrade suddenly appear. It’s going to be interesting

  30. Great,

    Get to the computer only to find Seb knee deep in hypocrisy, A-G-A-I-N……
    This guy will never learn. I now find myself questioning anything he says he stands for.

    1. Marching with Caesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta….Have another bong hit, Sebby.
    2. A defender of the downtrodden and civil rights…..Yeah, right. The other day CassieBaalke chastized Seb when he said women should not be at the table discussing football with the men when there’s grocery shopping to be done……A real knee slapper, Seb, looks like you’re the one who got slapped down by Cassie on that whopper.
    3 Enjoying white phosphorus grenade exploding in the playground with neighborhood friends, only to find out that soldiers in Vietnam used it to destroy tunnels and the key element can burn someone to the bone…..Seb said he and the children enjoyed it as a smoke bomb, when Cassie Baalke and BroTuna slapped him down before he could bring in the heavy artillery on this site.

    sebnynah says:
    August 29, 2017 at 11:11 pm
    Smh. And they blackball a SB QB, so the priorities are skewed. :(

    Cassie Baalke says:
    August 30, 2017 at 4:14 am
    Oh Sebbie… Blackballing is not that big of a deal for you anymore (if it ever was…). Your recent post…

    sebnynah says:
    August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
    If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

    EastCoast9er says:
    August 30, 2017 at 5:33 am
    Don’t forget the other hypocrisy plum:

    sebnynah says:
    August 27, 2017 at 8:41 pm
    Juan, you should commend me for my total fandom of the Niners. Frankly, I tout Kaep just to needle you. ;p

    1. sebnynah says:
      August 27, 2017 at 8:41 pm
      Juan, you should commend me for my total fandom of the Niners. Frankly, I tout Kaep just to needle you. ;p

      The instigating little troll, tough guy behind the key board who then plays victim when people call him out.

      1. Prime..

        Man, I told ya–he’s messing with all of us-for the most part, always has.
        Except for his dogma about this, that or some other victim. He likes to be seen associated with that stuff.

        To be honest, I love the guy. He’s provided me with many, many humorous memories. With the right agent, he could be the new Don Rickles.

    2. The real head scratcher are those uncle hero war stories.

      When Seb said his uncle negotiated twisted barbed wire and mine fields, while bullets whistled past, ultimately taking out a machine gun nest, while never letting the flag touch the ground, and that it was the only thing that kept him going…..I wondered, what would other vets think.

      Thankfully, Cassie Baalke and others saw through Seb’s 3rd take of Clint Eastwood’s, Where Eagles Dare, and put a stop to his warped reality show, by claiming soldiers fight for one another.

      1. Seb should have been watching, Kelly’s Hero’s, Donald Sutherland and Clint Eastwood, good flick centering around all that stolen art and money during WW2

    3. TrollD, it seems as though I have dominated your thoughts, and you seem to be so unhinged, you write long screeds trying to counter me.
      .
      I must present such a daunting opponent, you try to do everything in your power to say anything others have said against me. Too bad they, too, are just more pathetic attempts, that say a lot more about you all, than it does about me.
      .
      Considering you are the TrollD that advocated a trade of Kaep for Tebow, I am not impressed, and consider you lightweights, with little football knowledge and barely hidden hate.

      1. How’s that Barkley prediction of outplaying Hoyer for the starting position going, when I predicted Hoyer would start, and Barkley would be lucky if Beathard didn’t beat him out ?

        Yeah, you’re a paper football tiger, creampuff.

  31. La Canfora: 49ers are among the teams ‘in mix’ for CB Joe Haden
    18 minutes ago • 11 comments
    By David Bonilla

  32. Like UC said, we pretty much know the makeup of the roster now so I have looked at the schedule and predicted the season. Obviously injuries and motivation late in the season play a huge part, but here’s how I see it playing out at this point in time.

    Carolina – L

    There are questions about whether Newton will be ready, but indications are he will be and this team knows Shanahan’s offense pretty well. Should be close but I think the Panthers get the W.

    @Seattle – L

    Tough place to play at the best of times never mind when you are still breaking in new systems on both sides of the ball.

    Los Angeles – W

    First win comes at home against the Lambs. I expect the Rams to improve a great deal this year but the game is at home and this is where we should start to see the offense become more efficient.

    @Arizona – L

    I expect the Cards to rebound this season. They have the makings of a playoff team provided Palmer stays healthy. A lot of good vets who are making one last run.

    @Indianapolis – W

    This is a tough game to predict as the Colts may be better than some think when Luck returns. If Luck plays in this game, it will be tough for the Niners to pull out a win, but I’m giving it to them anyway as of now.

    @Washington – L

    Shanny will really want to win this one but the Skins at home with Cousins becoming more familiar with his new receivers will be too much to overcome.

    Dallas – L

    First game back for Zeke comes against the Niners if the suspension holds. Niners played them tough last year and I expect they’ll do the same this year, but Dallas is the better team.

    @Philadelphia – Loss

    Rising team in Philly will be too much to overcome on the road.

    Arizona – W

    Not sure I truly believe this will be a win but there always seems to be a win over a better division rival somewhere along the way

    New York – W

    One of the few games the Niners will actually be favored in.

    Seattle – L

    Seahawks will be in the midst of a play off run. Niners will be figuring out who will remain on next year’s roster.

    @Chicago – L

    I expect the Bears to be a much better team this year than the past two. Great coaching, QB position has been improved and defense has added quite a bit of talent.

    @Houston – L

    Houston will in the running for a division title at home with one of the best defenses, if not the best, in football.

    Tennessee – L

    Titans will also be playing for the playoffs while the Niners will likely be playing young guys to get them experience for 2018.

    Jacksonville – W

    Jags will be focused on the draft and a replacement for Bortles by this point. Long trip to the WC will seem like a nightmare.

    @Los Angeles – L

    As mentioned earlier, I think the Rams are going to be a lot better this season and I think they win this game to edge out the Niners for 3rd in the division.

    Final tally: 5 – 11 and picking anywhere from 3rd to 6th in the draft.

    1. The more I study the schedule and the state of the Niner’s opponents, the more I am inclined to think that Grant could be right about 9-7. I’m leaning towards 7-9. Niners will surprise Carolina. It will win at home against Titans and steal one on the road against NFC East.

    2. I could see that playing out Rocket though I think they may have a tough time with Indy and Arizona. At the same they may win the Washington game if everything goes well.

      I think the season what we can expect is closer games where the margin of victory is tighter and the fans can say a few things go our way and that game could have been a victory. That’s a huge improvement.

      1. EC,

        I think we are looking at anywhere from 4-6 wins and imo that would be a successful season. We have a first time HC and GM, major turnover on the roster with a number of holes still remaining and no elite players to speak of. It takes time and especially when you have the kind of obstacles in your way that this team does.

        My hope is that by the time we near the end of the season we start getting some answers to long term questions such as:

        Is the QBOTF on the roster?
        Are there veterans worth resigning?
        Did Armstead take the next step and become a high caliber player in his 3rd season warranting the 5th year option?
        Does Garnett show enough to instill confidence in his future?
        Do we have even one CB we can say is a sure fire long term starter?

        Many more but no time to address each and every one. I just want to see a competitive team that improves over the course of the season and is in position to take the next step with more additions in 2018.

        1. Exactly with so many questions it’s hard to imagine anything beyond a 4-6 win with 6 wins being the summit.

    3. I think they can beat Chicago and Houston. Chicago’s offense will struggle to score TD’s and we’ll be playing Houston’s defense towards the end of the season when they’re tired and possible injury depleted, plus I don’t their offense will be all that effective. I picked 7-9 when the schedule came out and I think I’m sticking with it.

      1. CFC,

        Definitely possible, but as of now I think the Bears and Texans are better than the Niners. Everything will have to go right to reach 7 wins imo and that rarely happens.

  33. Niner Nation:

    The San Francisco 49ers are “very much in [the] mix” for free agent cornerback Joe Haden, according to CBS Sports NFL reporter Jason La Canfora. While sometimes La Canfora can be all over the place, he was first on it with regard to Haden being on the outs in Cleveland.

    Earlier today, 49ers GM John Lynch said he would talk to Kyle Shanahan about Haden when they got together today. Lynch said the 49ers had “been watching Joe for a while” and are always looking to improve the roster when an opportunity presents itself.

    Haden is likely going to end up with a playoff contender, but the 49ers do have things they can offer. The first is money. The 49ers have the kind of cap space to give him virtually anything he might want. The second is familiarity. 49ers defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley coached the Browns secondary in 2014 and 2015. We don’t know what Haden’s relationship was like with Hafley, but it could be a point in the 49ers favor. And of course, Kyle Shanahan was offensive coordinator in Cleveland in 2014, so he and Haden likely crossed paths at least once in a while.

    There’s really nothing to lose giving Haden a call and seeing what he’s looking for in a new team. He can sign somewhere starting at 1 p.m. PT, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he gets something done. Pittsburgh is viewed by many as the favorite, but La Canfora also reported that the Saints, Eagles, and Chiefs are all in the mix. We’ll see how quickly playoff opportunities and money talk.

        1. My team:

          QB: M. Mariota
          RB: L. McCoy
          RB: J. Ajayi
          WR: A. Jeffrey
          WR: D. Hopkins
          WR: B. Cooks
          TE: T. Kelce
          Flex: P. Garcon
          K: C. Boswell
          D: Chiefs

          #championship

      1. Tell me what you think of how the autodraft did ninermd; if you are not happy with it, I will see what I can do for you.

    1. This is my team.

      QB: Tom Brady
      RB: Mark Ingram
      RB: Leonard Fournette
      WR: Antonio Bryant
      WR: Desean Jackson
      WR: Jarvis Landry
      TE: Jimmy Graham
      W/R: Kelvin Benjamin
      DEF: Houston Texans
      K: Stephen Gostkowski
      BN: QB Aaron Rodgers
      BN: QB Phillip Rivers
      BN: TE O.J. Howard
      BN: RB James White
      BN: New England Patriots
      BN: K Mason Crosby

  34. 3rd down and 10:

    Wouldn’t mind seeing this pass rushing pkg. this season:

    A. Lynch, Buckner, Armstead, Thomas, Dummerville.

  35. Guys, remember when we used to be “intrigued” by released players to free agency. Just to have balkee come on and say, we are always kicking the tires, trying to get better. Then only to have him say, we are a draft and develope team. A bunch of released players could have helped us the past 7 years. To bad his ego got him in trouble. Bottom line, I know he’s not, but I sure hope John doesn’t start that we are interested in side free agent, only to appease the fan base. Because that is definitely a Trent Balkee trend.

        1. What a complete load of crap. Harbaugh played every rookie worth playing. Go back through the draft classes from 2011 to 2014 and tell me who didn’t play that should have? Multiple players from every class played large roles right away. This anti Harbaugh stuff is so moronic it’s beyond words. He was a great Coach here and got more out of this team than could have possibly been expected. Hindsight criticism that isn’t even accurate toward a Coach who got to 3 straight NFCCG’s and a SB without a top QB, limited skill position players especially at WR, and some FA’s who weren’t that great elsewhere but became better under his guidance? What a load of BS.

              1. What did he get? 10 games worth?
                Then the league figured him out and Harbaugh wanted out.
                And yeah, you were convinced he was a franchise QB.

              2. He got trips to two NFCCG’s, a SB and a sh*t ton of wins. As to your continuing lame accusation that you can’t support, keep at it Prime. Maybe you can drop some posts as your alter ego Axel Foley and pretend that two different people saw it.

              3. Sour much? He played 10 good games in the NFL including the ones you mentioned then regressed so badly, no one, not even QB starved teams want him.

                A flash in the pan that you labelled a franchise QB.
                I know you hate being wrong Rocket, but you were wrong on Kap.
                I said he sucked from day one and the proof is in the pudding, 10 good games that’s it,now where is he?

              4. I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong and would have in this instance if I actually said that. Problem is you either don’t have much of a memory or you’re just trying to stir sh*t up. Go play with Seb Prime Foley. You aren’t worth the time.

              5. You really hate being wrong. Go play with yourself, that way you’ll never be wrong.

              6. You said the 49ers had finally found a franchise QB after the SB.

                You praised Harbaugh but he never did what he was hired to do and that was develop a QB. He got 10 good games from Kap then knew he could not do much else and started his exit plan to Michigan

    1. And im thinkin that “pinch the pennies” attitude came from the York’s. Thats how they’ve been from day one.
      Until the chickens come home to roost-and only then.

      Somebody on this blog said it best–Eddie wanted to win Championships–the York’s want to make money.

  36. Good draft. Here’s who I ended up getting:

    Cousins QB
    Howard RB
    Cook RB
    Amari Cooper WR
    Tyreek Hill WR
    Keenan Allen WR
    Kyle Rudolf TE
    Christian McCaffrey W/R
    Janikowski K
    Giants D

    Bench:

    Winston QB
    Elliott RB
    Davonte Adams WR
    Cris Hogan WR
    Parker WR
    Kittle TE

    1. Good draft, but sorry, I am going to root for Gabriel.
      .
      You won last year, so I am rooting for the underdog. ;p

    1. I agree !00%……… just don’t want to give Dial away as he is a pretty good player. I like the idea of trading Kerley too- NE as a back up to Hogan perhaps?

  37. This is why you trade for a player that might be cut. Just missed out on a big fix to part of our secondary problem.

    Haden to the Steelers.

    1. It would be good to know the 49ers brass decision making on that one……… certainly, no one has been thrilled w Reaser to date, let alone how much faith they have in Johnson.
      I wonder what the cost would have been? That said, I think Haden came with a large salary- $11 million?

      1. We have over $71 million in cap space the salary was a non-factor. Not only was the $11M easily manageable with our cap space but the contract had an out in 2018 that would allow us to cut him and save cap.

        Knowing now that the Browns were willing to just cut him it would have been absolutely worth it to toss them a 6th just to prevent him from hitting the market where he’s obviously going to choose a contender. Like he did.

    2. Money isn’t an issue for the Niners. My guess is they are focused on seeing what they have in house this season and Haden has had trouble staying healthy.

    3. CfC, I think part of the issue with trading for Haden was did he want to play for the 49ers? He’s been stuck at the Browns. Being traded to another cellar dweller I can’t imagine was appealing to him. So while a trade would have forced his hand, he probably wouldn’t have been willing to renegotiate a deal and he may not have been happy coming.

      I would have liked to have him, but 49ers are in a rebuild. 49ers will likely struggle this year, and likely would have done so even with Haden. They can make splashy signings down the track.

      1. And perhaps in support of that, it is being reported he received higher offers from other teams than the Steelers, but wanted to go to a good team. Though I take that with a pinch of salt as it is often reported how players turned down bigger offers.

        1. An agent never wants it perceived that they left money on the table, makes it hard to sign new clients so they will suggest that the player took less money to play for the team they wanted.

      2. If he played at a high level a contract negotiation wouldn’t be necessary and if he didn’t then it would have only cost us a low round pick for him to come and be unhappy for a season or two before we cut him or he decides to retire. He’d have to weigh the results of playing mediocre football for a season or two in the hopes of being cut for a better team. Sure he’d only be 30 but if he put in another couple lackluster seasons who would really be all that interested, I mean the Browns couldn’t get any trade offers apparently.

        So if we traded for him his only legitimate options would be to play well and earn another big contract, play poorly for a season or two and hope to get cut and then still get another decent contract or retire.

        The 49ers had very little to lose by trading for him and a ton to gain. At only 28 years old he’s still young enough to be a part of the rebuild.

      3. You summed up below my thoughts on why the 49ers had little to lose with acquiring him:
        “…they could easily afford him at that price, or that he was still their best CB when healthy.”

        Would have been the same story with us.

    1. Yeah, he’s not worth a draft pick. But it’s interesting tha KC gave up a 5th rounder instead of waiting for Michael Schofield to get cut. One could argue that Erving has more upside. OK, you could say KC didn’t want to risk not being able to sign a guy in free agency. But then why not just trade for Schofield. They’re both familiar with zone blocking. Clearly, KC thinks it can get more out of Erving.

  38. *Was meant to be a reply to Rocket*

    I see two reasons they don’t try and get him:

    1)They honestly believe in the players they currently have. Hard to imagine but anything is possible.

    2)They don’t believe he can play at a high level anymore. They aren’t perfect but the Steeler’s are a better run organization then we are, by far so I’m willing to think that if they’re willing to sign him to a 3 year deal they must think he can.

    Money and trade compensation should have been non factors given our cap space and the fact that they ultimately just cut him meaning they would have taken almost anything for him.

    I still think that given how little we had to lose from the situation it was worth sending a 6th rounder to the Browns just so he didn’t hit free agency. If he plays well then fantastic, we just acquired a really good starting CB, something we don’t currently have . If he doesn’t work out the cost was relatively negligible.

    1. I don’t disagree that he was worth a late round pick. Just speculating on why they wouldn’t do it. I think they are in a position where they don’t expect to win much and want to get a clear idea of what they have moving forward.

      1. I think everyone is sleeping on CJ Beathard. For a rookie QB he looks very poised. I think he will be the starter 6-8 games in.

        1. Not sleeping on him . Just acknowledging all the possible options that could present themselves. If Beathard turns out to be a starting caliber QB great. If not there will be a lot of other ways to go.

      2. Doubt it. The Jets and Bills appear to be the two teams that look to aiming for the top two picks.

      3. We passed on Brady, and then passed on Rodgers, who if I’m not mistaken was another 49ers fan growing up.

    1. Went to high school a ways west of Fresno. Could be shades of Ryan Leaf or Trent Dilfer. Let’s see what he does this season.

    1. Thanks for posting that. I completely agree, and believe Solomon Thomas’ ceiling is cathedral.

  39. Browns have two first round and three second round draft picks in 2018. Seems like they have a lot of picks every year in the first couple of rounds, yet nothing ever comes of it. Everyone always talks about how you build through the draft and I’m not really arguing that point. But clearly there is a wrong way to build through the draft and Cleveland would seem to be the poster boy.

    https://www.ninersnation.com/2017/8/30/16227830/browns-trade-cameron-erving-to-chiefs-full-list-of-2018-nfl-draft-picks

    1. Moneyball at its “finest”.

      Getting rid of Haden smacks of a team that only sees the dollar signs. They saw a guy that wasn’t living up to his high price and therefore deemed he shouldn’t be on the roster. Doesn’t matter that they could easily afford him at that price, or that he was still their best CB when healthy.

      And they love to accumulate draft picks, but like Baalke, use them poorly. While you should have more chance of “hitting” if you have more picks in high rounds, you still need to do a good job of scouting, you still need to understand how a player fits what the coaches want, and you still need to surround young players with decent veterans so they can learn without being ruined. The Browns don’t do any of those things well.

      1. Agree, Scooter. Like anything you have to know how to use an available resource. The Browns are known for their analytics, but you have to wonder if there is a “winning matters” component in their equations.

        1. Haden was starting to break down. Concussion issues, loss of speed and the amount left on the contract didn’t warrant the performance on the field.

          I never understood the argument that if you have the cap space you should spend. If the guy isn’t performing, why keep him?

          1. Actually, I agree with you Prime. I was only agreeing to Scooter’s post regarding draft picks not Joe Haden. I don’t think the team should spend money on marginal players just because they have cap space. But in the past I have supported the idea of spending money on what were believed to be good free agents. However, there’s a lot of evidence showing that once the FAs get big money, their performance drops. It’s not easy for us fans to know who will continue to perform and who won’t. But I think Lynch, Shanahan and team are doing and will continue to do a good job in bringing in players that will perform in KS’s system.

            1. Well said Cubus. Teams like the Browns and the Niners need to spend wisely even though they have an abundance of cap space.

          2. The Steeler’s organization doesn’t seem to agree with you two, but what do they know they’ve only won more Superbowls then any other team.

      2. Browns stumble around in the cellar, because they have Haslam, who makes Jed look like a choirboy.

  40. Bruce Arians: Blaine Gabbert “could be a starter”

    Well, it is Happy Hour on the East Coast.

    Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who has never hidden his fondness for a good cocktail, may have been hitting it a little early Wednesday considering the difference in time zones.

    Via Kyle Odegard of the team’s official website, Arians was singing the praises of third-string quarterback Blaine Gabbert, saying he looks like a guy who could start in the league again.

    No, really.

    “I’ve been very pleased,” Arians said. “Short-term, I’d be very comfortable if he had to play for us. Long-term, if he continues at this rate, he could be a starter.”

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/08/30/bruce-arians-blaine-gabbert-could-be-a-starter/

  41. Seahawks shopping Kearse. Obvious move to make room for Kasen Williams. Too bad, was hoping they’d have to cut Williams due to the numbers….

    1. Grant: Regarding beer, I took a tour of an Anheiser Busch brewery several decades ago. I always preferred European style beers (there weren’t a lot of American microbreweries at that time). I asked the brewmaster why they couldn’t brew a beer like the Germans or Brits do. He said they could. Obviously they have lots of money and it would be relatively easy to bring over a German/British brewmaster. The issue was that AB’s research told them that Americans wouldn’t drink a bitter beer. I asked why, because I like those types of beers. The answer from the AB brewmaster was that Americans grew up drinking a lot of sugary sodas and it was difficult for them to transition to the bitter beers. It made perfect sense to me because I had spent a number of summers in Europe. One thing I noticed was that the young people I hung out with rarely drank soda. It was either carbonated water, beer or wine but rarely soda.

        1. I would bet that if you totally give up sodas, bitter beer would become an acquired taste for you (it might take a little while, but I bet it would happen).

        2. You would not like Pliny.
          .
          I had to laugh. Bud light advertised their beer contained only 4 ingredients. Barley, hops, water, and RICE.

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