It’s been said ad nauseam that it takes much more than a rocket arm to be a successful NFL quarterback.
But the point has rarely been illustrated so vividly as it was this week. Consider the case of Nate Davis, 23, who can throw a pigskin to Pleasanton but, with his services available, could only inspire yawns from 31 NFL teams.
The 49ers dealt Kentwan Balmer, and at the same time dealt him the ultimate insult. They traded the disgruntled defensive end within the division today, to the Seattle Seahawks, effectively suggesting they don’t believe he can help swing the balance of power in the NFC West.
Balmer, a first-round draft choice in 2008, reportedly netted just a sixth-round pick two years later. At that, it may be a conditional pick.
Think Glen Coffee’s decision to walk away from football – possibly forever – took the 49ers by surprise? Check out their web site. The lead story this morning was titled “49ers Eagerly Await Full Contact.” It was a look ahead to this Sunday’s game at Indianapolis, and it prominently featured… Glen Coffee.
The article talks about a couple of the 49ers’ more physical players, leading with rookie safety Taylor Mays. It then moves on to the player who told coach Mike Singletary this morning that he is leaving the game:
The first words on the subject came from Glen Coffee himself, in a brief statement distributed by the 49ers PR department after this morning’s practice: “This has been a tough decision for me to make, but at this time in my life I feel it is best for me that I move on from football. I appreciate what the 49ers, my teammates and coaches have done for me, and I wish them a blessed season and all the best in the future.”
The news came so suddenly that there wasn’t much time to gather thoughts from teammates. While waiting for resolution – apparently, Coffee has not filed retirement papers with the NFL office yes – here is some of the reaction we did get in Santa Clara today.
The 49ers have decided how much they value Trent Baalke. They like him enough to keep him in charge of drafting and signing talent, but not enough – at least not yet – to let him succeed Scot McCloughan as general manager.
Trent Baalke told reporters via conference call that he signed a four-year deal as the team’s new VP of player personnel. He also acknowledged that he will now relocate from Colorado to the Bay Area – though first he has to wait for his daughter to graduate on Saturday.
Asked whether he had to go through much of an interview process for the new title, Baalke said, “It’s been a 5 ½ to six-month interview, so that’s more than what most people endure.” The message was that he was being intensely evaluated even before Scot McCloughan left the organization in March.
The 49ers liked their draft process so much, and presumably the picks it netted, that they have formally promoted Trent Baalke from director of player personnel to vice president of player personnel.
We just got off the line with club president Jed York, who is in New York for NFL owners’ meetings, and he said that the communication between Baalke and coach Mike Singletary before and during the draft was the primary reason the 49ers bumped up Baalke’s duties.
It will be months, if not years, before we know the true value of the 49ers’ 2010 offseason transactions. But some of them clearly came with greater risk (and perhaps greater reward) than others. Here is a look at the team’s major moves since January 1, categorized according to the Homeland Security Advisory System – because something worthwhile has to come out of those much-ignored color codes.
The 49ers finished the 2009 season with 11 defensive backs under contract. Potentially, there could be a lot of turnover in the secondary in 2010. There are four free agents, and several other questions about players who are signed for the upcoming season. As I see it, there seems to be little doubt Shawntae Spencer, Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown will be on the team. But there are…
Is Frank Gore a good fit for the spread? That’s the question of the week. And my answer is . . . Frank Gore is a good fit for any offense that requires a running back to catch, block and, of course, run with the football. On his KNBR radio show this week, Steve Young opined that Gore “needs to be traded” if the 49ers decide to stick with…
If you’re wondering how Michael Crabtree looked today in the 49ers’ offense, the answer is: He didn’t. Because Crabtree will not be in uniform for Sunday’s game against the Falcons, there was no reason for him practice any of the 49ers’ game plan. Instead, he lined up as a receiver on the scout team – in the role of Michael Jenkins.
Same personnel but a lot of mystery There is one big reason I absolutely despise making predictions. I prefer not to blow my cover. I want readers to believe I actually know what I’m talking about.
Marvel Smith plans to retire One of the 49ers’ major priorities when the offseason began was to strengthen their offensive line. But heading into their third exhibition game, the 49ers find themselves in worse shape than they were when the 2008 season concluded.
