Breaking down the 49ers’ new linebacker, Elijah Lee — plus more

I had some time to kill before Kyle Shanahan’s Wednesday press conference, so I went on Periscope and discussed the 49ers new signing — rookie linebacker Elijah. I also discussed other 49ers topics, the Raiders win and the A’s new stadium. You can check out the video below.

This article has 54 Comments

  1. With regards to your draft assessment, the 49ers were the worst team against the rush in the league. That had to be plugged first and foremost, and Solomon Thomas mixed with Reuben Foster were the spackling paste. The top ten talent that you assess as equal is not true. Many of those players were injured, and had big question marks hanging over those injuries. Draft a safety at 2? He better be a Charles Woodson or Ronnie Lott. One game in, the rookie Thomas has been compared to JaMarcus Russell? Ha! Thomas’ ceiling is high, and I’m not ready to say after one game that the roof is falling in. With respect to your assertion that the 49ers schedule is easy, I would remind you that it is ranked 20th in degree of difficulty. I wouldn’t call that easy, and as you are well aware, there’s no such thing as an easy game at the NFL level.

    When I was scouting Lee, he reminded me of a poor mans Deion Jones. The guy you liked, and then didn’t.

    1. I’ll be surprised if Thomas ends up being the third-best player from this draft, but we’ll have to wait and see.

      1. King Solomon’s strength was run defense, and he’ll get better and better rushing the quarterback. That’s not a surprise, that was a given when he was selected. I’m more interested to see what he looks like next year after being in the NFL strength and conditioning program. I predicted he’d end the season with 6 sacks. 15 more games to get there….

        1. You don’t take a run stuffer 3rd overall. It was a reach pick. The issue with Solomon is he isn’t a violent player. He is almost too nice of a human.
          For him to get 10 sacks like you originally predicted is more of a reach.

          1. Primnocchio, perpetuating a lie once is bad enough, but 13 times defines a psychotic nature that is quite disconcerting. Thomas’ specialty is stopping the run, and it just so happens, that he can also get to the quarterback. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan disagree with you. Maybe you should stop taking your opinion so seriously, and defer to men greater than yourself at talent evaluation, along with what’s best for this team….

            Prime Time says:
            May 10, 2017 at 11:49 am
            10 sacks right for the King?

            Reply
            EastCoast9er says:
            May 10, 2017 at 11:55 am
            That’s very optimistic!

            Reply
            Razoreater says:
            May 10, 2017 at 12:11 pm
            What do you expect from the fool on the pill? Try more like 6 sacks, with tackles for loss in the running game. Pressures and disruption that assist his team mates in making plays. That’s what I’m expecting from King Solomon in his first NFL campaign….

              1. Whoop dee do! 3rd overall pick and you are excited about a tackle?
                You don’t draft a run stuffer 3rd overall and he has yet to show he has what it takes to get to the QB.
                It was a reach pick. I’m hoping he turns into a miserable person because he seems to be more like a gentlemen when we need him to be a villan.

              2. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
                My, oh, my, what a vain thing to say
                Plenty of GM offers headed your way
                Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

      2. Thomas: Let’s be fair, at 279lbs he’s not a DT. Rather he’s a prototypical LDE. If the 49ers chose to put him where he’s over-matched, it doesn’t make him a bad player.

        Armstrong: He’s terrible. He’s always been terrible. He’s considered one of the most-selfish-self-centered players in the NFL. He just does stupid stuff all the time. And his stupidity is nothing new. He was like that at Miami. He got suspended as a Sophomore and then dismissed from their program as a Junior. He sat out 2012 after a failed transfer attempt to Faulkner.

        Shanahan: Hindsight is 20/20.

      3. Grant, you’re an ignorant, manipulative writer. And now you’re trying to deceptively change your stance on Thomas after implying he was a bust, after one game, in your other article. And now you’re cleverly re-wording your claim by manipulatively saying, “I would be surprised if he was the 3rd best player from this draft.” Which is a far cry from your doom and gloom comment about Solomon Thomas seemingly being a bust. You and your dad have been known to make impulsive, foolish statements like this on a regular basis. This is why Joe Montana hated your dad. Or at the very least was seriously annoyed by him……..Like father like son.

        1. He’s stirring the pot, but it’s nothing new. That’s part of his job. Hope he has one of those gotcha questions for Shanny, today. I think Shanny likes Grant, but I’m interested to see how long the honeymoon lasts. Conversely, I don’t think Harbaugh liked Grant very much. He seemed irritated that he had to even take his question every time he got the opportunity….

          1. Well, at least he answered the question. Chip seemed to think he did not need to answer Grant’s questions.

      4. It was a weird draft once you got past Garrett. Name a single player chosen at 2 or 3 pundits would not call a “reach.”

        The “move the stick” guys said of their top 20 players, 14 had injury or off field concerns. Then there was the “clean six”, and after Garrett really only a clean five.

        Thomas was the best of the clean five. I would not be surprised if several of the dirty dozen+2 turned out to be great players (at need positions edge, SHS, CB), but its tough to play Russian Roulette with high draft picks.

        I have high hopes for Thomas. Its early yet. Very early.

        I’m giving Thomas a chance. He’s a quick twitch young puppy.

        1. I couldn’t agree more, and it were those injury and off field concerns that factored heavily into my decision for Thomas. In fact, you and I discussed it quite frequently during the process….

            1. Foster’s availability has dissipated, which is the best ability you can afford your team. Unless either or both those running backs are future HOF’ers, you don’t draft them at 2, let alone when you’re last in the league at stopping the run….

          1. No chit Sherlock. Last I checked, Trubisky hasn’t played a meaningful down. On the other hand:

            TOP 5 GRADES:
            DI Leonard Williams, 83.6 overall grade

            Edge Kony Ealy, 83.5 overall grade

            OT Brandon Shell, 80.1 overall grade

            DI Muhammad Wilkerson, 79.3 overall grade

            Edge Jordan Jenkins, 78.9 overall grade

            No Jamal Adams with a grade of 71.5. He wasn’t much help against the run, but assisted his team against the pass. The 49ers had to stop the run before they could even contemplate anything else, but I don’t have to tell you that….

            1. So protective of King Solomon :)

              The Niners did well against the run even when Thomas and Foster were on the bench this past Sunday. The scheme change was key.

              1. Meh, I’ve let the naysayers talk the talk. I’m just walking the walk of reality. Scheme has helped, but that was to be expected. What you’re looking for is, does the scheme allow these guys to grow together, and eventually thrive, explode and dominate in it. That’s gonna take some time, but again, I don’t have to tell you that….

              2. The thing is Razor you had a bit of over exuberance for the kid before he played an NFL down. Now you’re saying wait and see. Makes me laugh.

              3. Every Niner did not seem to be able to generate a pass rush, not just Thomas.
                .
                I think he will start off slow, but finish out strong.

              4. What exactly is the between Razor’s exuberance over Thomas and the exuberance of others on the other draft prospects?
                Answer: Not a darn thing.

              5. You’re easily amused, Nurse Ratched. I didn’t hide my draft crush for King Solomon, and why would I? I think the exuberance you display over any perceived failure regarding him is much more interesting….

              6. It’s the classic Sebrazor reasoning. Belch it out then retract.
                It’s their song and dance.

                Not sure why no one else sees it. For a day the 2 idiots don’t say a thing. Then conveniently they show up supporting each other comments.
                Coincidence? I think not!

              7. It’s the classic sit n spin by Primenocchio, with some conspiracy reasoning thrown in for good measure….

          2. Yes 49ers should have drafted Adam! Reods had two bad seasons and talk of oh this system is going to benefit Reid is Garbage and sets teams back when they draft like that!

            1. So the strategy should be to draft a certain prospect that some fans want instead of addressing the area which which was the weak point on the team. Got it.

    1. And wipe his arse while saying it.
      Razor pumps his tires like he is the next Reggie White. Looks more like Reggie Mcgrew!

  2. Pete Carroll was ‘kind of disappointed’ to see John Lynch as GM in division
    1:22 PM MT, Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer

    As part of his job as a color analyst for Fox Sports over the past eight years, John Lynch often found himself in production meetings with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

    Lynch was part of one of Fox’s top broadcast teams and given Seattle’s recent run of success, he would regularly sit across from Carroll and pepper him with questions.

    “I don’t think there’s any question that the way he went about finding his information and getting answers to things, he was very much in depth beyond where most guys go,” Carroll said. “He wanted to know why and what you’re thinking and that kind of stuff. I didn’t really put it together.

    According to Carroll, Lynch would ask more probing questions, wondering about the process and why Seattle would choose to do things a certain way.

    “I was kind of disappointed that he went to be the GM in our division because I like John a lot and he asked a lot of questions, more than most guys do and we went into a lot of depth, so he does know kind of how we think and all,” Carroll said. “Whether that’s becoming part of what they’re doing, I don’t know. But I do know that we’ve talked a lot. By the same token, I’ve coached with Robert Saleh and told him everything I knew”……..

    http://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/27220/pete-carroll-was-kind-of-disappointed-to-see-john-lynch-as-gm-in-division

    1. Like Lynch was supposed to turn down the SF offer cause he met with PC as a Fox analyst? Double rainbow had no qualms paying college players to get ahead.. Now he gets all self righteous about Lynch learning ‘inside stuff’ from PC. Carroll is upset he didn’t think of trying that tactic before?.

    1. White House on a roll. Didn’t the current renters in the Westwing of the WH brag about blackballing Kap ?

      TomD’s Take: If it was one area I thought was a safe escape it was sports…Keep out of our sports …. P-L-E-A-S-E !!!

    2. I don’t know about you, but they have a point. That’s no place for this, whomever one voted for.

      1. Yep. They already fired people like Schilling who voiced his political opinion and Adler with whom sheer idiots didn’t think of the fact that guerrilla tactics do exist in sports. Anything less than the firing of Hill will show a massive double standard

  3. Niners borrowed a page from Vic Fangio vs Carolina in the1st half.

    Fangio used to alternate from a 4/3 under to a 3/4 and used quick linemen capable of penetrating into the backfield, ala, Solomon Thomas (still the only 49er lineman to penetrate into the backfield of the Panthers and stuffing their RB for a 2 yd loss—lets give him time) and play coverage…Cam didn’t have much of a passing game Sunday…..

    Niner D, keep it going vs. Seatte !!!

  4. Craig Hoffman‏Verified account @CraigHoffman 56m56 minutes ago

    Cousins says when McVay left he signed a jersey for him that said “thank you for my career.” Says there are a few guys he can say that about
    2 replies 1 retweet 2 likes
    Reply

    Craig Hoffman‏Verified account
    @CraigHoffman

    Cousins has been reading Bill Walsh’s book. In there, Walsh says the 4 most powerful words are “I believe in you.” McVay told him that a lot
    12:41 PM – 13 Sep 2017

  5. I like the Lee signing. He was a guy I thought they would take in the later rounds, but guess when they drafted Foster he wasn’t considered necessary. Good to be able to pick him up now and see what he has.

    1. I think Lee starts vs. Seattle…..Addition by subtaction of Beadles and Armstrong, then add Lee and Tomlinson, suddenly the PFF’s lowest ranked players Sunday are just a bad memory.

  6. Silver linings anyone ?

    Here’s one: The 49ers head into Seattle next week facing a Seahawks offense that struggled against the Packers. Seattle likes to run and the 49ers improved their run D, holding Carolina to 3.05 yds/carry.

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