Chip Kelly assembles feeble cast of assistants

To read my Sunday column on Chip Kelly’s coaching staff, click here.

This article has 547 Comments

    1. One of your worst blogs. Just demeaning to men with skills that you could only dream of having. Not sure why I read your noxious blogs, but the only one available.

      1. These men poured their lives into their profession and this little snot nosed punk who was given his job because of his daddy continuously takes immature swipes at them. I would respect Jed a lot more if he banned Grant from the facility. Make him wait in the car while Daddy Cohn covers the team.

  1. I don’t see a problem with the coaching staff. Many people wondered what the Ravens were thinking promoting a special team coach to HC. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Just think, you’re writing for the PD because no one else wanted the blog job. You have made the most of the opportunity, so may they.

    1. Did anyone really expect Grant to like anything Kelly would do regarding this team. Tomsula’s coaching staff for all the years didn’t get a lot of resultsfor all the years that Grant talks about. When Chip has a good year we will see what he has to say.

      1. No, no. Didn’t you hear? Grant shrewdly lobbed that softball question to make Chip look like he was the smartest man in the room, and succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. Glad Grant took one for the team.

  2. Tom Gamble is the key to making this work or Kelly might end up as another piece of meat down at the Butcher….

    1. Grant’s too busy patting himself on the back, he’ll join us shortly… I’d say there were solid performances on defense…

            1. LOl, it sure was funny when the announcer lavished praise on Dixon then he dropped that pass. Still, I liked the way he hit the hole, and seemed to have rapid acceleration with good field vision.

        1. Will be interesting to check back this time next year and see who ‘made it’ from this Senior Bowl class..

              1. As a receiver and kick returner. He’s smooth, can change direction without slowing down. Needs to get better exploding out of his routes instead of shuffling, but I think he’s a better prospect than Miller right now….

              2. Miller has a way to go more of a raw talent, so agree there. A guy I find intriguing is Tyler Boyd what’s your take on him?

              3. I like Boyd a lot. Better route runner than Cooper, but I don’t like the match up as far as who would be throwing him the football. He’s gonna need a more accurate quarterback….

    1. I do not blame Chip for assembling a weak coaching staff. I blame Jed and Baalke. So many coaches have tuned down the opportunity to coach the Niners because they do not like the owner and think the GM will interfere with the coaching.
      Coaches do not like being stabbed in the back, and consider the Niners a good place to destroy a career.
      Chip will have a daunting task ahead of him, and I wish him well.

  3. We get it. You don’t like Chip. I’m sure these columns about him make you feel so good about yourself.

  4. At a minimum Kelly had the opportunity to assemble his own cast of characters. Let them be judged by the team’s performance.

  5. Grant

    Not a good article. Very one sided, very much an attack. Experience? How many years of HC experience did Bill Walsh have before he came to the 49ers?

    It is common knowledge that the 49ers want to be known as innovators. They have the most innovative HC in the NFL, the most innovative stadium in the NFL, and they’re located in America’s innovation capitol. Do the 49ers have the youngest coaching staff in the NFL? Wouldn’t surprise me. Does that make them bad? I don’t know, is OBJ a bad WR, Cam a bad QB, Donald a bad DT? Is Adam Gase, 38, a bad coach? Is Luke Walton a bad coach? Hmmm. Is Mark Zuckerberg a dolt? We all know Steve Jobs was a moron when he started Apple. Tha girl in Pakistan, Malala, she’s an idiot too. And that guy Mozart, he was writing really terrible music at age 6, wrote the melody for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. What an ignoramus.

    Grant, lots of room for improvement on this article. Here’s a logical question: how many years of experience did Vrabel have? Would he have been a good pick?

    Look into Modkins’ time in Detroit a little deeper. You might learn something.

    1. I agree. That article was complete crap! Why would you dog and disrespect Tomsula that way? Was he a good head coach for the 49ers last season? No, but he used to be a solid D line coach, so at least give him some props. You disrespect Kelly and his staff too.

      Why would any of these guys ever want to speak with you when all you do is spew negativity? If that’s your style of reporting I don’t exptect you to ever advance from a newspaper in Santa Rosa, CA.

      1. It’s not necessarily the negativity, it’s Grant’s ‘assault rifle’ style of ‘write provocatively first and think later’…if at all… Sorry Seb, hope you don’t flip out with the weapon imagery…

    2. Sigh, you may be asking too much of Grant… Someone do some research on the age and experience of John Madden’s first staff–John’s first three years as HC.

    3. “Very one sided, very much an attack. ”

      This is different from any usual Cohn article because ????????

    4. Give Grant a break chip
      Grant only has about 7 years of experience covering the NFL. By his own admission he is about 13 years short of us taking him seriously. Then when you combine his unfamiliarity with the game (having not been allowed to play by Lowell) and the nepotistic nature of how he got the current gig you can clearly see that the PD has similar issues to the 9ers FO as to who is qualified to do what

  6. Amen! I was thinking similar when I read that crap article. What a worthless little coward.

      1. Over the hill when your at the infant stage…Grow up Seb, teams don’t have time for this experiment much less your Kap disaster…Cut your losses, Seb. You predicted 49ers to a 10-5…Be a man for once, own it, and move on, for the sake of the 49er roster

          1. TrollD, your screeds are so pathetic, you cannot even write correctly. Glad I unnerve you so much you make unforced errors. When making a joke, never screw up the punchline, or you will become the joke. I guess mission accomplished.

        1. TrollD, I did not predict a 19-0 record, so I was pretty conservative. I think the Niners this year could produce a 10-6 record, since the coaching incompetence will be solved and more players will have experience and be healthy. Last year, Kaep took such a beating behind that putrid O line, he required 3 surgeries, and Hyde was injured in the second game. Actually, with an injured QB and RB, the Niners did OK, especially considering they lost 7 starters on defense.
          Be a man? I am more of a man than you will ever be. You seem to think that criticizing me makes you look good, but just shows how little you are. You are the one who needs to grow up, or to put it more succinctly, grow a pair.

            1. Free agency will be critical. If Baalke is able to sign decent free agents, this team has a chance. If he has the same results as last year, they might stay the same.

            2. Since this blog has been beaten to death, I will post something that I have wanted to do for a while. Hopefully, other posters can vent their feelings and frustrations in a similar manner.
              This is my open letter to Jed York.

              Dear Jed,
              As a Die Hard Faithful Niner Fan, I hope you will accept my criticisms and heed my advice. My goal is to see the Niners win multiple rings. How can that goal be accomplished? Well, it starts at the top, and you, as CEO is the leader. You have to improve. You must stop the leaks, by stopping to say things out loud. Loose lips sink ships, and your leaks about JH doomed the team. We cannot change past history, but we can change the future. You never should have breathed a word about JH not being retained, and you sure as heck should not have told anyone Tomsula would be fired before his last game. So my first piece of advice is to be more circumspect, and do not divulge secrets by keeping your mouth closed. Stopping the leaking is paramount in your quest to succeed.
              Leadership has been handed to you, but so far, you have not earned the right to lead. As a foxhole analogy, you are in charge of a squad and need to storm the enemy positions. If you send your soldiers out of the foxholes, they will only succeed if you lead them. Rooting while behind them will not get the desired results. You have to take chances, lead the charge and do the the dirty work.
              Therefor, you should start earning their respect by starting from the ground up. You should start working in a variety of jobs, from maintenance, groundskeeping and food service to payroll and public relations. You should go incognito. You should earn their respect by not shirking a chore, and working very hard. You are young, and could do many different jobs. It will help you gain humility, and you will learn a lot. It will give you a new perspective, and help you learn how to lead. This second piece of advice will be hard to do, but it will be very rewarding, too.
              The third piece of advice is to behave like a champion. Do not cut players on the team bus, keep players who behave badly, and stop the practice of drafting players with red flags. Act like champions by never stabbing a player or coach in the back through leaks. Find out who the leakers were, and part with them truly. Do not say one thing and do the opposite. Class is not bought, it is bestowed, so act only with the purest motives and thoughts.
              I could go on and on, but will stop for now. Please consider what I wrote, and act accordingly. If you will become a strong leader, the Niners may achieve greatness. If you continue acting like you have been doing, the Niners dream will never be fulfilled.

              1. HT,

                Did you mean “Division”, instead of “Conference”? As in, Seattle, Arizona and Los Angeles?

              2. HT,

                Did you mean “Division”, instead of “Conference”? As in, Seattle, Arizona and Los Angeles?

              3. In reference to Oregoniner’s prediction of a 2016 49er 11 & 5 record, my question is will those five loses come in division games?

                Everything seems to be placed at the end of the blog. So what else is new? Where this one goes no one knows.

              4. Sebnnoying you had a long day of being told. The room has spoken, turn the computer off and go trim the hedges on your lawn! Make yourself useful!

              5. I’d love for the team to draft Spence, but something is telling me that Baalke is going stand with with our current OLBs.

            3. Razor,
              Chip (unlike many first year HC’) will not have a honeymoon period. Based off his dismissal in Philly, Kelly’ brand will be under tight scrutiny in 49ernation – but even more important; among the Afro-Americans on the team.

              Hey, I’m just calling it like it is – or at least what the perception is for Kelly coming into the 49ers locker room. And for now, perception may trump the actually truth among players.

              Luckily for Chip, he has done a good job in surrounding himself with a good diversity of asst. coaches but in all honesty, the true test will come after some time in TC and a few games into the season.
              Truth be told, Kelly MUST win more than his predecessor for him to gain the respect in the locker room and in the FO.
              8-8 sounds about right, but a 9-10 win season will make the team relevant again and point at better things to come going forward.
              Just giving one old man’s opinion, Razor.

              1. Who knows how this season turns out, I can say I look forward to the next season with interest and a modicum amount of hope that the 49er offense will not be a Keystone Cop adventure.

              2. Don’t you find it peculiar that perception surfaced this late in his career, and manifested itself after key players were released and a losing record ensued? I think reasonable players will….

              3. Razor,
                I agree with that but on the heels of many incidents across our nation over the past 2-3 years involving police shooting of Afro-American’s (sorry for the heavy dose of society issues) even a perception that comes close to resembling racism will be closely scrutinized.

                For Kelly’ career as a Headcoach I hope that this issue completely blows away but time will be the litmus test.

              4. AES, I think the R word is thrown around in too cavalier manner. McCoy has backtracked on his statements now that he has had time to cool down, but he definitely felt hurt when traded and responded by lashing out.

              5. tomd

                February 1, 2016 at 10:34 am

                sebnynah

                January 31, 2016 at 9:43 pm
                I do not suffer fools gladly, so Jed has probably gotten an earful from my various deliberative scathing criticisms. I am positive that trolls from NN recognize
                sebnynah

                January 31, 2016 at 8:07 am

                Grant is not the man

                Seb,

                Are you even aware what a practice squad is for?…

                Now and then teams come up with a Hayne, or muscleman like Lawrence Okoiye, maybe even stash an ACL victim for a season.
                However, Baalke is not the norm. His ACL draft picks (lattimore, etc), Okoye and now Hayne have not worked out.
                Smart GM’s use that roster for their developmental players who have real life experience and need a little coaching. Hayne and Okoye never played American football and Hayne was 26 0r 27 when signed him–old for a BEGINNING player.
                We haven’t even touched on wheter Kelly’s offense can use him, however, since you’ve gone hellbent in this direction for everyone I’ll engage your ignoranace here also.

                Does LaMichael James ring your bell?…Yes, Seb. Hes’s the kind of athlete the Chipster prefers because a SPREAD OFFENSE relies on quick hitters and double teams up the middle so a player of James’s caliber can take it to the house. This creates a balanced defense because the defense respects that speed so can’t cheat–they have to remain honest.
                Hayne, at best, when he stops missing his assingments (I’ll show you that article too, Seb, so you finally realize his fumbilitis allergy is not botanical, but football related) a fullback–a straight ahead runner who does not make people. Chip’s offense does not deploy, fullbacks, so goodby, Hayne.
                On to your mancrush, Mr. Kap….Kap is not versed in Kelly’s offense. The Oregon Duck QB is. Kelly is better off moving on from Kap and drafting a QB he can plug in immediately and draft an offensive line/defensive pass rushers this draft…Kelly is bright enough to find receivers in the later rounds.

                Move on, Seb, the 49ers and your audience will greatly appreciate it after a full year of this.

                Also, the subject of being a man was brought up, because, once again, you broached the subject with Grant…Seems you post things on guns and manliness and you’re not even aware….a classic sign of…Let me consult rorschach inkblot testing inc…they’ll ring your bell.

                Reply

              6. TrollD, you really seem to like engaging me. I really must have smacked you down hard in previous posts, but you are clueless and come back for more. Usually I will accept criticisms with not too much blowback, but posters will find that I have especially reserved my ire only for you, and will not hold back.
                TrollD, you are the kind of person who I have absolutely no respect for. I think you are a shill for Kawakami, and probably could be TK for all I know. You always seem to bring him up and post links for him. I laugh at your feeble attempts at trying to say something intelligent, and I could fit all your football knowledge in a thimble.
                Diss Hayne all you want. I am confident that the new Niner coaches are smart enough to be able to use him properly. This will be like you predicting the Niners would lose by 52 points in their first game last season. Of all the imbecilic rants, you advocating trading Kaep for Tebow even with a million picks. will define you as the clueless wonder forever.

              7. Letting your hubris show for the readers by demonstrating that you were right about Hayne and Kap at the expense of 1milllion picks that would help the 49ers roster is you, Seb.
                Bill Walsh was asked, once, his thoughts on the Ricky Williams trade by Ditka for his entire draft picks…Walshs’ response:

                It’s like launching your entire coaching staff, front office and their families one one rocket ship, hoping there’s no mishaps.”

                Your ego is a universe, Seb.

              8. Another item that concerns me Seb, is how often you fall prey to the Jedster
                Let me remind you of somes old saying: You are who you are or you’r a product of your environment.
                Jed’s environment: He has an MBA from Nortre Dame; Paraag Marathe, MBA: Dr. York (Jed’s father) MD, owns his own Medical Company; Marie York, made Forbe’s richest women in the USA list.
                How this relates to the 49er’s RB, Hayne…The 49ers, until last year travelled more than any NFL team to Europe; Europe is quickly becoming a large revenue source for the NFL and the 49ers will share large profits if their European audience is larger with Hayne on the team….We all realize by now just how much the York’s care about profits, and how much the NFL corporate office appreciates the York’s for furthering their European cause.

              9. York’s joke at 49ers’ expense draws few chuckles

                York attempted to joke that the 49ers did NFL senior vice president of events Peter O’Reilly a big favor by not making it to the postseason, which allowed the league to begin field preparations a month in advance.
                Peter asked us if we could not make the playoffs this year to make sure the turf was as good as possible,” York said with a grin. “I said, ‘OK, if that’s what we have to do, then we’ll take that under advisement.’ ”

                Not many laughs at that one, understandably.

                Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 23m23 minutes ago
                Yeah, that wasn’t a great one from Jed.
                heidi ‏@hkfinan · 13m13 minutes ago
                @timkawakami he’s the worst.

                ‏@satonthebay · 17m17 minutes ago
                @timkawakami at least he didn’t call him a ‘good kid’

                Nick Russo ‏@nickrusso415 · 20m20 minutes ago
                @timkawakami how is he(and in turn the entire org) so out of the loop on what good PR is? Just so clueless but thinks hes golden

              10. Close (hint: the first letter of Hayne’s actual country of origin in the word “Poland”).

              11. Having hair down to your buttocks as a male growing up in Indiana got me my share of discrimination, not to mention much more attention from the fuzz. Deep6TheLaw! J/K;>)

  7. Guess were going to find out in a few months if it is an issue or not. Sometimes its easier to mold a young coaching staff then it is a veteran staff that have fixed ideas. Kelly is innovative he might need a staff that will flex under his system.

  8. Grant, people may criticize you, but you are the guy who says the emperor Jed has no clothes.
    Keep up the good work. There are some who share your belief that this staff is pretty weak. I will not say that it sucks, only that it could be a lot better.
    All I can say is that I hope this coaching staff is innovative with fresh ideas, and they are young and hungry.
    Bill Walsh took a chance with a lot of his coaches, so I am hoping history repeats itself.

      1. Grant: It’s not so much the topics/opinions that you are writing about, it’s the manner. The continuing condescending/snarky attitude is not going to help your career. Your bleacher report articles were much more evenly balanced and for the most part devoid of condescension and snarkiness. I would think that when other publications want to consider you as a writer for them, they will look at your previous work. If they look at how you write for the Press Democrat, it would seem to me that this will reflect negatively on you. Of course it’s all your choice on what you do, so please take my opinion in the spirit it is intended. But my advice is that even though you may have an “in” at the Press Democrat, don’t close off other potential opportunities – because you never know.

        1. Cubus, you do speak the wisdom of the ages. While I will defend Grant, he is not above criticism, and could improve.

  9. Grant you are obviously smarter than all the 49er football execs which begs the question, Why are you writng and not coaching?

    Those that can do, those that can’t write about it.

  10. Grant enjoys being THE contrarian. He gets positive vibes from that. He likely has a posse that gives him high fives for his body-check sarcasm style. Speaking for myself, I’m not blown away by everything the 9ers have done the last few weeks, but I’m feeling a bit more positive in that prospects are looking a bit better these days. Kelly is nowhere near as clueless like the last HC. Would hope we can spare the self-centered ‘reality TV’ approach. How about some real journalism….?

    1. Cassie, Edward R Murrow is dead, and all that we have left are feeble shadows of such a giant. The whole media apparatus has evolved and changed, but if you want unbiased news reporting, I suggest turning off Fox and watching NPR.
      Grant is running a blog site. Blog sites are not known for upstanding journalistic integrity. People like you can say anything they like and infer the worst things about a person with little repercussions. I know.

      1. Come now Seb, your reply is dripping in sarcasm–even from you it’s a bit much. And true to your observation..”people like you…”…kinda like the pot calling the kettle black, no? Nice try attempting to fit me into your view of the media continuum. Makes me smile, I thank you for that. Don’t forget to check the mirror before turning in tonight.

        1. Its OK, I expect blowback. Grant has gotten plenty of grief from me, so if I seem defensive of him, you should take my posts with a grain of salt. Or a boulder.

  11. You keep harping on the same point. What’s not clear is what you think of him purely as a teacher of system, x and o’s part of it. Seems like you’re insinuating that it is because he is just plain bad as a coach, as to why he received no other offers….Not that the views of a well respected owner, or remarks of exiled players, or the banishment of a city had anything to do with it, right?
    Grant, how many GMs do you think would actually willing to put their own jobs on the line and absorbing the kind of scrutiny that is sure to accompany a coach fresh off of THAT. He kissed the eastern half of the country goodbye the day he was fired and he knows that. Niners were the one team that needed him as bad as he needed them and previously in dire enough shape to make this look acceptable. The Kelly Perception and the potential ramifications is what older establishment figure heads ran from. Not his abilities.

  12. “Feeble?” Lol.

    Would someone please explain to Grant that when everything he writes about a team is not just negative, but over-the-top-negative, his criticism loses credibility. It’s clear that no matter what the 49ers do, Grant’s going to find a way to criticise them. No matter who Chip brought aboard, Grant would be able to label them as “rejects”, because why else would they be available?

    Let’s look at one coach Grant singled out to criticise. According to Grant, Quarterbacks Coach Ryan Day was simply hired by Kelly, because he played quarterback for Chip at UNH. In fact, it’s so simple, Grant says “you can’t make this stuff up”. In fact, Day is a former quarterback, which is my first prerequisite for a QB Coach. Here’s what Grant failed to mention, likely because it doesn’t fit his narrative: Ryan Day spent two seasons as BOTH Quarterbacks Coach AND Offensive Coordinator for Boston College (2013/14). He spent last year as Quarterbacks Coach under Chip at Philadelphia, and by all accounts, did a fantastic job. He’s regarded as a bright, up and coming coach around the league, and has an absolute understanding of how the QB position relates to Chip’s system. Nothing alarming about this hire.

    Last season Jimmy T hired Steve Kogan to coach his QB’s. Steve had much more experience coaching than Day. However, Steve never played the position. He played DB for one year at Emporia State University, before he retired as a player. Not only did Steve never play the position, Steve hadn’t coached quarterbacks (2016 OC/QB’s Rhein Fire) for the last 9 years prior to the 49ers. The position has evolved a great deal over those 9 years. In fact, Steve had been out of football all together, since 2011.

    Now, I have a great deal of respect for Steve Logan. However, IMO Ryan Day is a far better hire for the position of quarterbacks coach. Not only has he played the position, he also coached QB’s while simultaneously running Boston Colleges entire offense for two seasons. And perhaps most importantly, he held the same position last season under Kelly, and is in lock-step with what Chip wants out of his quarterbacks.

    In other words, it’s another shallow minded, misdirected criticism from Grant Cohn. Or should I say, par for the course?

    1. Correction, typo: STEVE LOGAN last coached quarterbacks (before the 49ers hired him) in 2006 (OC and QB coach for the Rhein Fire), not 2016.

    2. Awesome, thanks for the info…makes me feel much better….need to remember this Grant character, did not realize he hated the niners so much.

  13. OF COURSE it’s Grant. This personal vendetta thing is being taken a little too far don’t you think?

  14. Calling Grant “inconsistent” would be an understatement. Grant harps Kelly’s staff as being inexperienced, yet pretended it was a slap in the face, and a big loss for Kelly when Mike Vrabel, who has ZERO years experience as an Defensive Coordinator. Even weaker, he only served as a position coach for 3 years in college, before coaching as a position coach for his 2 years with the Texans.

    Anyone else hate hypocrites? Grant thinks I am a “plant”. I very much doubt the 49ers care enough about this blog to “plant’ someone on it, becuase I doubt anyone takes Grant seriously.

    Grant, I understand how foolish Kelly made you look at his press conference the other day, but your disdain for anything 49ers clearly goes much deeper, and has been going on far longer than anyone probably realizes. I am not sure what happened, and why you feel so scorned as to spend your life publically criticising everything the 49ers do, regardless of the facts. I am not sure what you think you are accomplishing either. Your like the boy who cried wolf. You have been so consistently negative for so long, nobody takes you seriously anymore.

    1. Ah, but I do believe he’s receiving positive reinforcement for his behavior…his style. To use a tired 60s phrase, ‘he’s sticking it to the man’, and he simply relishes it.

    2. 49, I hope you realize that he writes to generate posts. It is formulaic, and expected.
      I guess I have gotten used to it, and it does not bother me like it bothers you.
      I think his writing style is refreshing, because all last season, posters were wildly optimistic, me included. Grant always pointed out flaws, and when the team imploded, it made his viewpoint spot on. Grant just tells it like it is, and sometimes, people would rather be rosily scenarioed.
      I still will root for the team, but do not insult my intelligence by proclaiming O’Neil is the second coming of the Messiah.

      1. Seb, aside from your well-used mirror, do you have personal theme music..something pulsing and stirring, something that matches your self-image and is easily recognized by others as…YOU?

          1. Dancing Queen would be too easy, I’d say Super Trouper. Contrary to the appearance, I do respect Seb’s place on this blog–he has his place on the bell curve.

    3. 49, you parrot the company line and viciously attack Grant. That sounds like a plant to me…

      1. Parroting plants… I had a succulent years ago that kept mouthing off about over watering.

    1. A LOT of the pundits were criticizing the Seiffert hire. Yet, after 5 SBs he was hailed as the next best thing since sliced bread. O’Neil presided over a 29th ranked defense. He deserves to be questioned and doubted.

      1. This is what I don’t get, you’ll question O’Neil but you jump in blindly behind JT. He wasn’t even a DC. Let’s see how the season turns out.

        1. Wilson, everyone said that the DC was critical for success, so pardon me if I am not jumping for joy over the hire. Like Seiffert, and even Fangio, they had doubters but turned out fine. I guess I will have to hope for the best, but still, I expect the worst. Then I wont be disappointed.

        2. I like Tomsula. I wished him every success. Too bad the team failed so badly, and the coaches, too. Tomsula accepted all the blame every week. He took it like a man, and fell on his sword for the good of the team. I have nothing but respect for him.
          I do not know much about O’Neil, but just the fact that he was from the Browns does not fill me with optimism. The criticisms from the players did not allay my fears, they confirmed them. Like Chip, I hope they have learned from their mistakes, and will not repeat them.
          You are right. The final grade must be derived from on the field activities.

  15. Grant,
    You have been on the war path toward Kelly before the ink on his 49ers contract dried.
    Sure Dave Righetti and Luke Walton have done well as assistant coaches but last
    I looked the SFGiants had assembled one of the best starting pitching lineups in the Majors (3 championships in 6 years) and the Warriors are reigning champs with 3 players going to the all-star game.

    Sure there are some similarities between Kelly and Tomsula but they are minor and of course there’s really no way to make a clear and educated comparison until we see what Kelly and his assistants can do with the 2016 49ers team.

    You had some concerns (like I did) with the Kelly pre 49ers signing, but it only stands to reason that he is given an opportunity to prove himself before the you (we) start hurling the mud.

    1. AES, considering what Lurie said about Chip, Grant has been pretty soft on him.
      Remember, Bochy coached for years until he got lucky to find Buster and those pitchers, so he was not immune to criticism. Many times I would grind my teeth over how he did not bunt a player over, or keep a pitcher in one batter too late.
      Please do not compare Modkins and O’Neil to Rags and Luke. They pale in comparison.

      1. Seb,
        I didn’t blast Grant for his comments, and I didn’t make the coach, assistant coaches comparisons – Grant did.

        Everyone who frequents here has a right to voice their comments and opinions but in all fairness (and in Kelly’ case) we cannot determine what type of headcoach (assistants) we have until the real hitting starts.

        And frankly, I don’t care what Lurie had to say about Kelly. I’ll reserve to make my own judgement of Kelly after the 2016 season.
        I think that we as 49er fans should know more then anyone that owners can make some errant and lofty statements:
        “this team can win with Jim Tomsula” (paraphrase)
        ~ Jed York

        1. Cubus, sincerest apologies if you felt slammed. I think you are one of the most steadiest and fairest posters on this site.

          1. Why are you working so hard at defending Grant? He wrote this stuff, let him explain it. Seems like he missed the boat on JT’s hiring and now he’s making up for it with vehemence against Kelly. I don’t know what to make of Kelly yet, but AES has it right, we’ll know once the preseason starts.

            1. Moi? Grant does not need me to defend him. He just throws us a bone and let us fight over it among ourselves. Guess it is just the fine tuned sensibilities and desire for fairness and calm civil discourse. Being a poster on a blog site, I find it is easy for others to say anonymous screeds with no repercussions. This is just my way to level the playing field.

            1. Although I include you too, Cubus. If not for your kind post, I might have left this site when I had my first brouhaha months ago. ( Now watch Posters get mad at you for keeping me here). ;p

  16. I think it’s a pretty good overall staff and you criticize it because of the overall years of NFL coaching experience it lacks? What do you want chip to hire retread NFL dinosaurs?!? Geep Chryst had the 20+ years NFL coaching experience you seem to want, did that make him a good cosch?

    Mike Vrabel only had 2 years NFL coaching experience but yet you bash Chip because he turned him down. Don’t compare the DC hire to Tomsula’s disaster of an OC choice. It took Tomsula weeks and multiple guys turned him down. Heck he wanted to intrtview Bicknell for the OC spot and couldn’t even get an interview. Bicknell is our WR’s coach now.

    I think Chip put together a staff quickly and it is a good, young, diverse staff. I have questions about Jim O’Neil as DC as well buyt I think Azannno, Nickerson and Tarver are really good position coaches.

    Also keep in mind, Doug Pederson kept SEVEN of Chip’s coaches in Philly so that tells you that Chip can put together a good staff.

    You cannot compare Chip or even his staff to Tomsula. Your just being a hater at this point.

    1. “Also keep in mind, Doug Pederson kept SEVEN of Chip’s coaches in Philly so that tells you that Chip can put together a good staff.”
      ~ Patrick

      Patrick, dang good point. Maybe Kelly does know what he’s doing. At the very least I say let’s give the guy a chance before we start the bash parties.

    2. Vrabel helped lead a top 3 defense in the league. Belichick recommended him.
      Belichick did not recommend O’Neil. Vrabel would have been a superior choice.
      The Tomsula staff hires were painful. Because of Jed and Baalke, they continued this year. Jed was forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel AGAIN.
      Modkins and O’Neil will have to prove themselves before I will say they are an upgrade.

      1. Seb,
        We don’t have any guarantees that Vrabel would have had success as a 49ers DCord- and we can’t blame Chip or anyone in the FO for Vrabel’ decision not to sign on.

        The Texans are a playoff team and Vrabel may have the best defensive player in the league with some very good pieces around him on defense. Let’s face it, the Texans likely made Vrabel a deal which included taking over as DCord in a couple of years. It makes since for Vrabel to bite his time in Houston and continue to build his brand for bigger and better things.
        Again, I don’t blame Kelly or the FO for not signing him – if I were in Vrabel’ position I would keep my current gig as well.

        As far as Belichick’ recommendations go, not many of them have found great success in the NFL when given their opportunity.

        1. AES, well we will have to agree to disagree. When Belichick says something, smart people stop to listen to what he said.
          Also, I do not blame Kelly for losing Vrabel. I blame the Texans, and Jed.

          1. Seb,
            Belichick had less success than Kelly in his first HC gig in Cleveland. Not debating that he is the best HC over the last 15 years – but aside from Nick Saban, his assistant coaches have not faired well after leaving the perch.

            Belichick is a great HC, but he has a legendary QB in Tom Brady. It’s hypothetical, but I wonder how Belichick would do in one year if he were given the HC reigns in Cleveland today.

            1. Oh absolutely, he would probably fail. I mean, he would go from a Hall of Fame QB to a drunk.That obstacle would thwart even Bill Walsh.
              However, I am talking about soliciting the advice of a 4 time Super Bowl winner that does have 15 years of experience, not a new HC that has his first gig in Cleveland. I may not like the man because he leads the Patriots, but I do recognize that he is a very smart coach whose advice is solid gold.

              1. Seb
                Belicheat’s Advice is Solid gold???

                Notre Dame: Should we hire Charlie Weis as HC? BB YES

                Cleveland: Should We hire Romeo Crenel as HC? BB YES

                Broncos: Should we hire Josh McDaniels as HC BB YES

                Browns: We had such sucess with the last belichik desciple that we are going to hire another one who just failed as a Jets HC

                Texans: Should we hire Tom Obrien? BB if u want a .500 record Yes

                The next Bellicheat disciple to succeed in the NFL will be the first one

              2. Bos, I meant that recently, he gave Kelly encouragement by suggesting that he was still good enough to coach in the NFL. His pal O’Brien made it into the playoffs. He has only been a perennial playoff coach, so he does have football knowledge.
                Too bad those other coaches did not work out, but he only gave recommendations, not guarantees for success.

              3. Seb,

                Do you not see that the lack of success of those coaches recommended by Belichick directly discredits your claim that Belichick’s recommendation of Vrabel proves his worth as a DC candidate?

      2. “Modkins and O’Neil will have to prove themselves before I will say they are an upgrade.” … The Seb

        The Seb never seems to understand that his judgment isn’t a requirement for success of coaches, players, GMs or owners.

        Ready, criticize, evaluate. ;-}

        1. Sir, I see you are in good form tonight.
          Did you see I made a prediction and it came true?
          I predicted Jed would do something stupid. The next day, he said he would not hire a Notre Dame coach because he would not ever try to hurt his alma mater.
          Funny, he has a burning passion to get another trophy, but will not do everything with his power to get it.

  17. Negative ned.

    If Chip hire ms Vrabel you would have blasted him but instead blast him because he didn’t get him.

  18. Have the 49ers fired Tomsula yet? If so, I recommend they hire that Hugh Beaumont guy from Cincy. Anyway … where ‘s Sam Wyche when we need him?

  19. Hey Grant maybe you need a good bordeaux wine to relax because you are a bit premature now with your thoughts,i rather have guys with little experience in the NFL but who are innovative and determined than guys who are longer in the league who know only the basis.

  20. Grant…you and none of us have any reason to state the coaching staff Kelly assembled is feeble. They may be untested as a group…that’s a fair assessment. Anything else is merely mindless conjecture…I for one, thought you were better than that.

    1. “I for one, thought you were better than that”.
      Are you fairly new around here Frank? Because this is EXACTLY who I’ve seen grant to be. Want journalism? You’re NOT going to find it here. Read one of the Matts, or a national writer. The value here lies with the comments. Regardless of the agenda, the hostility, or the nonsense of the original post, the comments are always interesting, entertaining, and sometimes even insightful/educational.

      1. And farcical…and occasionally funny. Would help if Grant could be just a tad more objective and grounded. A writer can still eviscerate the 9ers, yet do it in a way based on a bit more NFL savvy. Just sayin’.

  21. Cohn and Kawakami. You can always tell who wrote the article by the degree of negativity. What a couple of wannabes. You make your dad look like a good writer, Grant. Pathetic.

  22. Disappointing to read such negative articles. However when the author doesn’t know anything about the subject what would you expect?

  23. If Jackson was the 49ers first choice, why did they never offer him a contract? According to Mike Silver, a close friend of Hue’s, the Niners never offered him the job.

  24. Again, a philadelphia sports writer clone….not much originality or forthought, no understanding of Kelly’s reasoning behind any pick…other than his own statements concerning wanting bright football minds that have different experiences and insights than he…Grant what we really dont need from your blog is repititious inuendo from already projected as truths from philly bloggers. Have you taken any serious time to examine any of the philly
    narrative as to its accuracy of what really happened or how valid the blog reports have been.
    The truth of your article is that the staff in aggregate lacks the experience you deem necessary to be considered good choices and therefore in your mind, they are feeble cast of assistants…ok, I get it, you certainly have a right to your opinion. However, you never express any of the reasons they were chosen by Kelly giving us little to no insight into what Kelly is trying to accomplish or to what in fact they bring to the table that will be strengths…instead, again you try to leave us with the impression that it is a result of Kelly’s or the 49ers
    tarnished reputation…could be…but you certainly offer no real support of that other than….we should all know already, fools that we are…dont you even read the truth from philly about Kelly. Again, really dissapointed with your negativity and lack of depth. I had hoped for more, as I am now a 49ers newbie fan living outside philadelphia, as a direct of Kelly’s hire and would like to find some bloggers/writers who were insightful and fairly critical as need be. So far you don’t appear to be one.

    1. Being a life long Niner fan, I welcome you. I am glad Chip is the Niner HC and anticipate a better season than last year. Instead of bleeding green, I bleed red and gold.
      I have perused the Philly site to glean insight in the whole Chip Kelly debacle, and have decided that it was not a matter of competence, but more a power struggle. That Roseman is a piece of work, and I actually would prefer Baalke over him, even though I want Baalke gone, too. In Philly, Kelly did not have the proper tools to succeed, but here, he has his perfect QB who will thrive in his offensive system. In fact he has 2 mobile QBs, so if you like Chip Kelly, hang onto your hat, it is going to be a wild ride.
      If you want homers, I would recommend Maiocco and Barrows. Cam Inman has some good insights. Fucillo is wierd because he has cultivated his site into a bunch of rabid York haters, even though it is the NN site. Lynch and Branch are lightweights and trite. Kawakami is odious and unctuous, yet keeps getting scoops. Of all the writers, I refuse to read TK because it is just the same old screeds. I also refuse to read Lowell Cohn because of his writing during the Niner Glory Years, and his verbal broadsides against my hero, Bill Walsh.
      Which now leads me to Grant. He may seem unrelentingly negative to you, and I will not deny he seems like he is too young to be a sage or oracle, but he has grown on me over this past year. I, for one, can appreciate someone who cuts through the clutter and gets to the heart of the matter. When reporting during Training Camp, I felt like I was standing next to him on the sidelines. He identified the salient areas for fans to discuss, and he does have a biting sense of humor. If you want a pom pom shaker, Grant is not the man, but if you want someone who shakes the tree, he is. I always like to see what falls out of that tree, and the insights and knowledge gained make this site a must read for me. Being a die hard, faithful Niner fan, it may tell you a lot that I have abandoned all the other sites. I was banned from one for just saying that true fans do not want their team to lose, and could have made up another name and kept on engaging, but I had no respect for the other posters, and decided to come here. On this site, I have found some tools, but all in all, the breadth of knowledge and astute football insight and analysis make this site way superior to all the others. Welcome again, and hope you post often.
      As a caveat, I hope you realize that I am kinda emotional about the Niners, so if I offend you, I wish to apologize in advance. Like Grant, I have a sharp tongue, but unlike him, I do not suffer fools gladly.

      1. Nice work Seb… You have that flag wrapped tightly about you (Battle Hymn of the Republic playing softly in the background…). You’re not the only lifelong 9er fan around. We’re a diverse bunch. Suggest you not apply litmus tests to determine loyalty. Thank God you do not suffer fools.

      2. Seb,
        I get a kick out of your posts. Pay no attention to Grant, he’s a tool. He’s a wannabe who can’t even escape his own fathers shadow. He knows it. Everybody does. He’s all about picking low hanging fruit. The posters on this blog, however, are for the most part very cool. They are much more informative than Grant. Grant’s problem is that he exudes too much of his personality through his posts and gets attacked for being himself. He went after Anthony Davis and when A.D. hit back (with Grant’s own Facebook pics!), Grant labeled it as “libel”. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about a man, I don’t know what does. Grant is too much of a coward to admit that he is the one that moderates comments because he likes to pretend he is immune to criticism. Once you crack the Cohn Code, you just stay away from him and embrace the community of long time posters.

    2. James, to respond to your post, The DC and OC hires may have made perfect sense to you, but my opinion is that the DC came from the lowly Browns with a 29th ranked defense, and the OC will not even call the plays. Both do no inspire me with their achievements or football knowledge.
      In comparison, Wade Phillips is far superior O’Neil and Josh McDaniels is far superior to Modkins. Both those other coaches are playoff coaches and one is coaching in the SB.

    1. Arrrg. The coaches were clueless to think that grabbing crapola couch potatoes with less than a week studying the playbook were far superior to Hayne. McGauhey was incompetent to allow his punt returner to call for fair catches while behind. It was almost like he was not trying to win.
      Baalke has no class, and proved it by cutting Hayne on the team bus.
      Chip is smart enough to be able to utilize Hayne correctly.

      1. Yes, but Seb…Chip has done a horrible job building a staff. He may be smart enough to use Hayne, but remember, Chip is a coach no one wanted. No one Remember? No one. Bad HC + bad staff =………….? Tell us Seb.

        1. Cassie, it is a simple matter of addition through subtraction.
          Subtract McGaughey and Hayne will shine.
          I also do not think Chip is a bad coach. I hope you realize that when I advise the Niners to run the No Huddle with quick snaps, I am just suggesting the Chip Kelly offense.

  25. Hmmm, just looked at Seattle’s coaching staff, not a lot of experience there but they seem to do okay.

    I like the Chip move!

      1. The reason for the Seahawks having new coaches is because other teams grab the old ones, like Dan Quinn and Ken Norton Jr.

        1. How many New England assistants are thriving elsewhere? How many Seattle assistants are thriving elsewhere?

          The All-Pats fired coaches team:
          -Crennel
          -McDaniels
          -Weiss

          The All-Hawks soon to be fired coaches team:
          -Gus Bradley
          -Dan Quinn

          Put your faith in the Head Coaches, unless his last name is Tomsula.

          1. Pats and Hawks won the last 2 SBs. That success makes their coaches worth something. The 2 SB coaches this year were fired coaches, so it is just a fact of life that coaches get fired, and only a select few achieve greatness.

  26. I find nothing wrong with this column. It has good points, and I always felt that Bay Area media was very tame, compared to Philly, New York and a few others. The one thing Grant does not have yet, is the likability and vulnerability that his Father has. Lowell would make fun of himself, while writing master pieces and Grant does not have that human side yet. Just a little full of himself.

    1. While gnashing my teeth over every word Lowell wrote, I would still read every word.
      Still, back then, he was the oracle for the Niners, and Padecky was his only competition. Nowadays there is a glut of writers, so the message is diluted.

  27. Weak, lazy, and solely for reaction. I suppose there are worse ways to launch a career…

    As for the Tomsula – Kelly comparison:

    It pretty much starts and ends with the level of uncertainty regarding expected success as they try to right the Niners ship.

    After that, it’s abundantly clear these two men are miles apart in their makeup (with the exception of their beer guts). Just because they inherit an unstable 49ers team with question marks about their fit, we can all agree that Kelly is highly intelligent and knows how to put together a winning team. Tomsula? Not so much.

    As for the experience, or lack thereof, of the coaching staff, I’m not buying into that. They certainly don’t come without experience, and Tomsula’s “seasoned” staff did not translate to success. The man running the show (Kelly) will either make the most of his coaching staff, and them their players, or not. Experience helps, yes. But it’s not the end-all. If they had all just moved to the NFL from NCAA, or are just getting their first gigs, sure. That’s not the case, though.

  28. Of all the hires, Pat Flaherty seems to be the most important to me and he has plenty of experience….

    1. If Flaherty can improve the Niner O line, that would be huge, but if Derius Swinton can solve the ST woes, that would be important, too.

  29. its easy to hide behind a typewriter and disrespect people. tomsula is a butcher? bet you wouldnt say it face to face

  30. its easy to disrespect people from behind a typewriter.Tomsula a butcher? bet you wouldnt say that face to face

  31. Its not the coaching staff we wound up with that’s a category five hairball. Its the loss of the coaching staff we had that’s hard to digest.

    OK, so there were irreconcilable differences between Harbaugh and some combination of York/Baalke, an the offense did really stink in 2014. So what’s wrong with
    HC – Gase
    OC, WR, TE – New Guys
    OL – Solari
    RB – Rathman

    DC – Fangio
    DL – Tomsula
    LB – Levitt
    DB – Donatell

    I have no animosity for the new staff. Light on experience isn’t their fault. Its the Stalinist purge that puzzles me most. Reports were Gase was requesting the defensive coaching staff stay intact, with Tomsula getting a raise and ego soothing new title. Fangio was reported to be fine with staying on.

    So… a big Bronx cheer to Jed the impulsive purger. Props to the new guys, though light on experience, have some interesting talents that could help the team.

    OC – Curtis Modkins. Perception: Oversaw a bad running offense. Reality: Turned around horrible running offense mid season.
    WR – Bob Bicknell. Was blocked by the Eagles from interviewing for the 49er job last year. The 49ers have finally got their man.
    RB – Tom Rathman. Of course.
    OL – Pat Flaherty. 49ers landed on their feet with the experienced Flaherty.

    DC – Jim O’Neil. Count me as worried. Has many of the same issues Mangini did. Poor run fits. Confuses his own players. Gives up big runs. But alot for smart people think he has a good football mind, and 2014 is a better example of his coaching prowess. He will play more under fronts that include a 3-tech (I like). A risk taking defense might compliment a Kelly offense well because it gets off the field quickly… sometimes by giving up long TDs, but beggars can’t be choosers.
    OLB – Jason Tarver: Good keep. Probably make a better DC than O’Neil.

    1. B2W, if Azzinaro can shore up the D line, maybe the O’Neil shortcomings can be overcome. I, too, am worried about O’Neil.

      1. As courageous as Bowman was, I think the linebackers (and complicated new scheme) made the D-line and DBs look worse than they actually were.

        The draft is supposed to have “10 first round grade defensive tackles.” True or not, its a deep draft on the inside. Kelly’s teams will need depth on D-line, so this is a great opportunity to stock up.

        I’m hoping O’Neil’s fronts will allow a bit more first and ten single gapping 3-tech. If the play turns out to be a pass, the DT’s in a better position to pressure of force double teams.

        1. I’d like to see them run a hybrid scheme that combines both one and two gap assignments in a 4-3 front, similar to what the Seahawks employ….

          1. Agree. And to a lesser degree Fangio used to employ.

            Fangio’s under front shaded the NT slightly over the centers right shoulder. The Seahawks under front did the same, only the shading was farther out, almost in the gap. They both (if my memory serves correctly) had the right DT/DE (Justin Smith) 3-tech.

            Either way works for me.

          2. Considering how successful the Seahawk defense is, it just makes sense to mimic it at times, and provide more flexibility.

      2. What any Chip Kelly defensive line needs is depth. Lots of it. It might mean letting ST studs like Bellore go to make roster space.

    2. I hate to dose water on the whole Lions run game was better in the second half reasoning, but they had a key RB come back from a injury midseason and played some very bad run defenses (including the 49ers) in the second half of the season if I recall.

      1. That douses water on my “Lions run game was better in the second half” reasoning.

  32. Since the Super bowl is one week away, I would just like to put in a plug for Eddie D.
    Eddie deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He is the only owner or former owner who has 5 rings. For that accomplishment alone he should be enshrined.
    But he also is more than that. Eddie changed the game. The salary cap was installed just because of Eddie.
    Eddie took care of Jeff Fuller. He did not have to do it, but that was type of man he is. For that gesture, he should make it into heaven when his day comes to go, but he should make it to Canton because his day is now, and richly deserved.

  33. Who didn’t know it was a Cohn just from the header ? Grant you definitely know the meaning of feeble as you show us your feeble attempt at journalism almost every single article you write about the 49ers. At least Tim Kawi know’s more about what he is talking about when he makes claims and why he feels the way he does. I’m pretty sure because he has sources that will talk to him when from what I see you make assumptions just to sound as if you do. You must have many football friends as your Pop had. I feel 10 times more optimistic about 2016 than I did about 2015. Only thing worse negative crap is finding myself reading them. I’ll just slap myself now.

  34. Calhoun remains my #1 choice for OLB. For my money, Bosa is a DE, he’s the closest thing to Justin Smith that I’ve seen in awhile. Like Shaq Lawson, in a 3-4 I see Bosa more as a strong side linebacker. Both players are best suited as 4-3 DE’s but Bosa is the better prospect of the two to be successful in a 3-4 but still as a DE.

    Calhoun is the best 3-4 rush linebacker prospect.

        1. #70 Willie Beavers handled Calhoun well. Starts at about 47 sec mark. Beavers is considered a 3rd Rounder atm, but the more tape I watch, I think he’s being undervalued….

          1. Beaver will probably not last past the third. He’s not a junk prospect by any means.

        2. Von Miller, the guy everyone is salivating to get on the team has played in 72 games in his career. He has 60 sacks. That’s an average of less then 1 sack per game he’s played in. In 2015 Miller averaged 60 plays a game(I have a hard time believing that number but it appears to be true) which means he goes at least 50 plays or more before getting sack.

          How many plays did those two go up against each other on?

          1. This also illustrates exactly who is winning the power dynamic between offensive tackles and power rushers when the best in the league can go over 50 plays against the same lineman without getting a sack.

          2. The following week, Beavers went up against Bosa. Soon as I get time, I’m going to watch how he follows up that performance against another tough assignment….

          3. Miller’s value isn’t just in being a pass rusher CFC; he’s also a very capable tun defender. That’s a good combination to have. But I have seen more talk of getting Malik Jackson more than Miller since the latter is expected to be hit with the franchsise tag.

            1. Mid nobody that is salivating over the unlikely prospect of getting Miller is talking about his run stuffing abilities. The bring him up when they talk about upgrading the pass rush from the linebacker position. Whether or not he has a complete game the point is that he’s considered one of the top 3-4 pass rushing options out there.

              1. I think getting Bruce Irvin would be more probable than Von Miller.
                Seahawks are in salary cap hell and Manning may retire.

              2. No you’re missing the point that it has nothing to do with his ability but the fact that he’s preceived as a top pass rushing option and that one of the top pass rushing OLB’s will go 50+ plays before making a sack. Whether or not you want to make the argument he’s a complete linebacker has nothing to do with why I brought up his name.

              3. Sorry CFC, but you’re incorrect. I have heard many times analysts pointing out that he is a capable run defender. You brought up his name to justify your point that he isn’t as great as a pass rusher as most fans believe and that’s fine. But my point is that teams hoping Miller makes it to free agency aren’t looking at him exclusively as a pass rusher, and smart fans shouldn’t be either.

              4. That didn’t appear to be CfCs point, Mid. Seemed to me he was just pointing out that even the best pass rush proponents (which Miller is considered to be one of) have games where they don’t get a sack, and can average less than a sack a game. Miller being a good run defender is immaterial to CfCs post.

              5. Ok, my bad then. It looked like he was trying to downplay Miller.

      1. I disagree with a caveat that between the two Bosa has the potential to be more successful on the weak side then Lawson but both are best suited on the strong side.

            1. They’ll stay on the weak side because each is a talented pass rusher with a wide array of moves.

      2. Grant Cohn January 31, 2016 at 12:22 pm
        Bosa and Lawson are weak-side edge rushers in any scheme.
        ——————
        As DE’s sure but not as OLB’s.

          1. Reminds me of the Preston Smith discussion. They’ll(Bosa, Lawson) end up playing Middle LB or DT now. The two positions we never considered them for.

      1. Floyd will probably get drafted before Calhoun but I see Calhoun as the better prospect.

          1. I would have put Floyd in front of Calhoun but Calhoun added more some technique to his pass rush this season beyond just having a quick first step. His success will be tied heavily to how strong he is and whether or not he’ll need to add much weight in the NFL. He could be like Harold where he’s got the right skills but might not have the right physique.

            1. I might rate Ragland over Calhoun. Sounds like he showed a lot of versatility in the Senior Bowl. Ragland might be the next Hightower.

              1. Here is a really good article touching on comparisons between Ragland and a few of the recent, top-rated linebackers who came out of the SEC in recent years.

                http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/alabama-football/film-study-can-alabama-lb-reggie-ragland-get-anymore-freakish/

                I can’t hardly wait to see how Ragland measures up at the combine. I get the feeling Reggie is going to prove to be more athletic than a lot of scouts believe he is. Either way, I’d love to see him playing next to Navorrow next season. I like the idea of Baalke trading back in the first round and grabbing Ragland, if they aren’t going to pull the trigger on one of the top 3 QB prospects.

  35. In regards to your article. I never have a problem with one who calls things how they see it. As I read the article however I perceive an overwhelming tone of bitterness and even anger. You’re a clever guy, I know you can say what you mean to without sounding so venomous about it and I bet when you do so you’ll find wider/friendlier reception of your opinion.

    1. Grants bleacher reports are calm and civil. Here, he is less constrained, so I think he uses us as a sounding board to gain material for future blogs.

  36. Am I the only one who found the North/South game broadcast useless? How do you guys who evaluate players learn anything from that mess?

    1. I beg to differ. That Noah Spence was a beast. Jarran Reed really impressed, and I think those 2 are now in the top 10 category. Spence would be in the top 5 if not for his flights of ecstasy. Ragland looked good, too.

      1. Exactly! Of course The Seb has second sight so the camera work and interviews replacing coverage of the game has no effect on His Sebness.

          1. Razor, to tell you the truth, I was very distracted when they showed that 1 pound peanut butter cup. YUM. ;p

            1. I’ve had one before, and they take a couple days to eat just one. My favorite candy bar though is Nutrageous….

        1. The real Seb… As the son of Shu and Tefnut, Seb was the Egyptian earth god. He was masculine, contrasting with the tradition that the guardian of the earth was usually female. Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys were his children and he was brother and husband to Nuit. In early Egyptian history, Seb was known as Geb or Keb, but in later forms of the language it became Seb. Seb’s sacred animal and symbol was the goose; he was often referred to as the “Great Cackler.” His skin was either green or black. The green represented the the color of living things and the black was the color of the fertile Nile mud. It was believed that Seb imprisoned wicked souls, so they couldn’t ascend to heaven.

          1. Cassie, you are deifying me. You must not go overboard. I know that I present such an awe inspiring force in your life for you to obsess about me to no end, but to tell the plain truth, I am just a die hard faithful Niner fan.
            You really should take up a hobby. How about needlepoint? Sounds like you like to stab things.

    2. The vast majority of Senior Bowl evaluations happens during the week. In fact, most of the scouts had left town before kickoff.

      1. Of course the real work is not dependent on the broadcast. The magnitude of the mismanagement of the broadcast is what amazed me. Using that as a model, maybe CBS will override the first half of the Superbowl with babbling interviews about the half time show run over the top of their football broadcast.

        Then CBS can promote their new TV shows during the action of the second half.

      2. 49, there may be practice evaluations, but the supreme test is to see it done on the field in front of the cameras.
        If you extrapolate your perspective, Tomsula swore that they had great practices, so you would say that they should not even play the game because those practices revealed so much. Yet somehow, that did not show up during game days.
        Singletary was a master motivational speaker, and really got them fired up. Yet during game time, he froze up and had that bludgeoned look on his face.
        So I will say to you, Practice is nice, but the supreme test is on game day and the test of wills that decide the outcome of the game is the main thing that is important. And it only can be determined on the field of play.

  37. Seb’s unusual ManCrush, and hitching his wagon to a 28 yr. old has been.
    Thank your lucky starts 49er fans, Seb is not your GM

    Second chances in the cut-throat industry that is American football don’t occur often for rookie fringe players, but the 49ers persisted

    Hayne will be 28 in a fortnight and despite overcoming the odds to achieve what he did in his rookie season at the San Francisco 49ers, time is still against him.

    If he makes an impact and can develop into a regular contributor

    http://www.smh.com.au/sport/us-sports/san-francisco-49ers-general-manager-trent-baalke-opens-up-on-why-jarryd-hayne-was-dropped-20160131-gmi4sm.html

  38. Hey Grant! Know what Mike Holmgren was doing 6 years before becoming the 49ers Offensive Coordinator?

    He an assistant coach. For Oak Grove High School.

    The amount of time someone has been a coach is immaterial to how good/bad that individual is, or will be.

    So…perhaps you could talk X’s and O’s instead of whining about ownership.

    What sort of system will he run? What base scheme will the defense run? What sorts of pressure packages might they employ? What can we expect as it pertains to run/pass balance on offense?

    There are a million ways to go without coming off as a self satisfied blowhard. Maybe if you tried thinking about the game instead of yammering about people you don’t like, your readers might actually engage in football talk instead of wondering when you’ll break down and take a Xanax.

    1. AJ… Don’t confuse us with facts! If Grant wants to call out Kelly and his staff as incompetent, inexperienced fools, it’s his right as an American and a PD pundit. And I, for one, will gladly allow Seb to defend Grant’s rights to the death!

        1. Seb from August 2015…. “…one way that Kaep may improve is to work on his accuracy. Logan should put up a dart board and have Kaep play a game of darts every day. He could concentrate on using his wrist to flick the dart, which would aid in the short passing game. I say play a game because it involves strategy and calculations, and could be a social event between team mates. Challenge Hayne, I bet he has tossed a few in a pub.”

          1. Wow, Cassie, trying too hard? Pulling up posts from so long ago just means you are desperate.
            Glad you brought up that advice. Kaep could work on his accuracy. At least, that is what everyone says, even his detractors. I thought that throwing darts by itself might help his mechanics, but the in game calculations will force him to think quick on his feet. Of course, you may not know how to play darts, and your counting skills do not reach into the triple digits, but playing various games of darts require multiplication competence along with addition and subtraction.

            1. I’d rather he be required to perform agility ladder drills prior to practice, and VR training after each practice….

              1. That could be done on the field during the day. Dart practice could be done at night practically anywhere. I really hope he becomes pinpoint precision accurate.

              2. Cassie/Godzilla,

                I think you are overlooking the obvious benefits throwing darts could bring to the art of playing NFL QB.

                Of course, you’re only a lizard, albeit a very smart lizard, so, it’s understandable.

  39. True ‘classic’ X receivers in the NFL are becoming extinct with the news that Calvin Johnson has informed coaches that he intends to retire.

    How many are even left?

      1. ad nau·se·am
        ad ˈnôzēəm/
        adverb
        referring to something that has been done or repeated so often that it has become annoying or tiresome.

    1. Lot of my posts are responses. Did not know I was on a post count.
      Do not worry, Grant is happy.;p

          1. I’ve yet to see a guy out work him. They all eat his dust, when it’s all said and done….

      1. You’re not on a post count, it was an observation. I did a quick page search for Seb and it totaled after I noticed that your avatar seemed to be the most common one on the page.

        1. There isn’t a topic yet that the Seb hasn’t felt the need to interject and impart his superior knowledge on.

            1. Yep. To be honest I’ve cut down my posting largely because it’s become very difficult to keep an interesting debate going before the Seb interjects and ruins it.

              1. Gee, I did not know I had so much power over you. Maybe you should try saying something interesting to keep the thread going.

              2. I just wish people would stop encouraging him. Please, please stop responding to Seb and maybe he’ll finally get it and just go away.

                I mean, it did eventually work with DS. Unless of course Seb is DS, which at this point wouldn’t surprise me one bit. They’re both totally clueless.

              3. Roper, I am not DS. Of all my posting, I am best known as Nynah. I have adopted this site as Sebnynah. whoever DS is, he left without any knowledge of me.
                I have invited ALL the posters to ignore my posts, if they want to. Then I can post in peace. However, I have been viciously attacked AD NAUSEUM, so feel I free to respond.

              4. Seb, you say Nynah was your name in another life and then you added Seb. Can you delve further into the history of how each name came about? I think it would give some of the posters more insight into Sebnynah, the person….

              5. Man that’s a shame Scoot. Ive really enjoyed your pre-draft material though out the years. But I completely understand, the guy never stops.

              6. To tell the truth, I am pretty much a luddite. My son set up my computer and he did not even include an avatar on the screen, so I do not even know what mine looks like. This is the only blog site I post on, though I peruse the others from time to time.
                I have to laugh. You all are so afraid of little ol’ me. I have made posters conspire against me and have driven some into expletive filled tirades, yet never swear in return because I do not need to. I am just using the King’s English to get my point across, and would much rather calmly and civilly discus the 49ers, but seem to bring out the kooks and weirdos attacking me. So be it. At least I SAY something. I am sure I get flak for my stands on concussions and guns, but I am past trying to be meek and mild. I do not suffer fools gladly, so Jed has probably gotten an earful from my various deliberative scathing criticisms. I am positive that trolls from NN recognize who I am, and they are the ones attacking me. But since being banned for the innocuous statement saying that true fans do not want their team to lose, I have decided that this site is much preferable to one where you have to scroll through dross and dreck just to find 2 cogent thoughts.
                Once again, I invite anyone to ignore my posts. Let me post in peace. Others have tried to engage me, but in the end, they finally admit defeat and swear that they wished they had never started in the first place. I have driven posters to start arguing against themselves, and one even wrote- ‘one does not have to be stupid to display stupidity’.
                It is so easy. Many posters have an IQ of a squid. They are full of hubris and are easy to enrage with just a few simple words.
                However, on this site, there are some whose football acumen I respect, and there is nothing better than being able to intelligently discuss the merits of a football draft prospect, without the emo bellicosity.
                I also like Grant. He may seem constantly negative, but I am sick and tired of the Pollyannaish tripe you see written on other blog sites. He may seem rough, but I see he has potential, and just needs seasoning to develop polish. The best compliment I could give him is that I think his dad should be proud of him.
                I will leave you with a lesson from the Art of War. Sun Tzu once wrote that there are many ways to win a war. However, it is the acme of success to win a war without a blow struck.
                I like to win. I just use words.

              7. I’ve asked you if you have considered creating your own blog before Scooter and really think you should. I certainly would be a regular and I’m fairly confidant that many of the regulars here would join me.More control over disruptive posts etc perhaps a more satisfying situation.Please consider!

              8. No, I do not want the responsibility and burden of creating my own blog. I like to post for a while, then will not post while busy with work or other things. Guess you all are stuck with me.

              9. Sebnynah says “I have to laugh. You all are so afraid of little ol’ me.

                As a long time poster the problem as I see it is you came on here as an unknown and threw around that you like to win and that the 49ers should listen to you and take your advice on anything related. Well as you now and can tell by the response you have received, that attitude has caused you more grief than anything. Sure we can ignore your posts and ego but Sebnynah, nobody likes a know it all when the know is not that all.
                Just some friendly advice my friend.

              10. FDM, have I ever said that I know it all? I am just expressing my opinion. It is your response to my posts that claim to think I know it all.
                I am perfectly OK to be challenged, and have backed down when proven wrong, admitted my mistakes and moved on. Other posters seem to take umbrage over my posts because they think I threaten their little insular world, and cannot handle being challenged.

              11. Seb, no one is afraid of you at all…. you are the Steve Urkel of this blog. We can deal with the few trolls we have in hear who comment from time to time. You say just ignore your posts, but when your posts make up 80% of this site it becomes quite a task. Again no one is scared of you, you are like a virus you get from one of those sites you shouldn’t have been on, with continuous pop-ups and that you keep having to close, just a nuisance really.

                Go Home Steve!!!

              12. Me too Scooter. Between Seb’s endless blog diarrhea and Grant’s ongoing quest to be a mini me to his Father, I’m finding few reasons to come here anymore.

              13. Sebnynah, I think the board has spoken loud and clear as to your presence here. Maybe, and this is just a suggestion, tone modification is in order.

              14. FDM, sometimes a man’s worth is defined by the strength of his enemies.
                If my enemies stop hissing, it means I am slipping. MC

              15. Sebnynah if that is your approach in life, measuring your enemies, good luck to you sir and please watch your back.

              16. Poor The Seb! He is just a true Niner fan looking for peaceful, insightful discourse. He reminds me of this poor soul from NinersNation:

                http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/2/24/8101505/another-play-to-pull-out-of-their-back-pocket#291276148

                I have to actually thank The Seb once again, as well as the ‘po niner’ fellow (see link above), for showing us that even though we are all supposedly adults, we should still follow playground rules in this, and other similar, venues rather than adhering to valid rhetorical strategies. As I have written before, it is freeing to understand that I, like The Seb, can spew simplistic, cliché-ridden verbiage without redeeming value, or even coherent thought, and yet still proclaim victory!

                I weep when I ponder the number of years so many of us have wasted actually learning argument structure and then using same to generate coherent logical arguments, as I now see we could have aspired to naught but being the most verbose, yet vapid, orator (virtually speaking in this medium, of course) and yet still have reveled in our self-awarded laurel wreaths.

              17. Prime, attacking a die hard faithful Niner fan just defines you as petty and mean. Insulting Kaep just makes me want you to eat your words. Keep it up, and we will go on this merry go round all day. Discuss the Niners in a civil, logical manner and we can have differences in opinions. Blustering that you do not care if I respond to your hate just gives me licence to counter it ad nauseum. I hope you have a strong stomach, because I am just warming up.

              18. I think it was Scooter who brought the image to the blog of Seb driving the wrong way on the freeway, all the while wondering why everyone is driving the wrong way. Cracks me up every time it comes to mind.

            2. Hey Prime, want to keep dissing Kaep to me? I love engaging you since you blustered you did not care. I hear you think Kaep took the league by storm. What changed your mind?

              1. Prime Time

                I think that it’s time to quit fooling ourselves….Seb is none other than Dr. Sheldon Cooper of ‘the big bang theory’ ….pretty hard to disguise…eh..?

        2. wilsonm, maybe Grant will change the title of this blog to “Inside You’ll Get Bored from Seb.”

        3. Well, if I succeeded to drive Prime away, I will consider that a job well done. He brings nothing to this site, and when challenged, he acts like a spoiled brat and starts name calling.
          Oh, how I wish to be able to calmly and civilly discuss the Niners with fans who love the Niners as much as I do. Many posters have good knowledge about strategies and schemes, but some others think it is their duty to attack me.
          I will keep on bringing up ways to improve the Niners, and invite the many silent readers who should not feel intimidated by the snark, to post their thoughts too.

          1. Succeed in driving me away? Son you have a lot to learn. First you should start with Niners/football 101. Once you complete that which should take you about 4 years, come back and we can talk!
            As for the boards response to you, take a hint!

            1. Prime, I am going to throw your own words in your face, so get used to it.
              You say Kaep sucks and will be cut. Every article I have read points in the other direction. Your screeds against Kaep just begs for a retort, so bring it. I will be happy to oblige.
              I hear Kaep took the football world by storm. Do you agree with that?

              1. Traded or released or fades away, as long as he is not quarterbacking my team!
                Have you taken the boards hint Sebnnoying?

              2. Still doubling down. Good. I like a challenge.
                Maybe you should take a hint. I plan on making you eat every one of your words.

              3. What if he is the 49ers starting quarterback Prime? Are you mentally prepared for that possibility? I don’t want to read, “Canadian sets himself on fire”, on the newswire…; > )

              4. Sebnyanah says ” I plan on making you eat every one of your words”

                You are new here and clearly don’t get how things work around here do you? If for every time someone made a prediction and was wrong and had to eat their words, we would all be 200lbs over weight.

              5. Razor if that happens then it means one of 2 things. He earned it and has improved or it’s another 5-11 or worse season.

              6. FDM wrote, “If for every time someone made a prediction and was wrong and had to eat their words, we would all be 200lbs over weight.”

                Yep.

                Prime wrote, “Razor if that happens then it means one of 2 things. He earned it and has improved or it’s another 5-11 or worse season.”

                Other than thinking that the Niners might be able to get to 8-8 even if Kap has not improved, I agree with Prime. If Kap is enough better next season to lead the team, then great. If he is not, then the 49ers should move on. Kap will always be one of my favorite Nevada Wolf Pack players, and I rooted for him to succeed with the 49ers, but I am a fan of the team over any individual player on the team.

              7. For all my championing of Kaep, I have also said that if Gabbert wins the starting job, I expect Kaep to take his demotion with humility and grace.

          2. “He brings nothing to this site”

            Holy crap. Talk about a total lack of self awareness.

            1. Jack, that has nothing to do with self awareness. That comment was directed at the unrelenting hate against Kaep.
              Self awareness requires introspection.
              You may diss my assessment of an individual, but I was not talking about myself. I was talking about a potty mouth hater.

              1. Are you understanding what is being said here Sebnynah? Every response in this thread that is related to you is saying the same thing in not so many words: You are an endless source of nothing, who is oblivious to the fact people are mocking you because of a belief you are relaying information that is useful or that no one has ever heard of. Nobody is intimidated by you Seb; just annoyed and indifferent because you offer post after post of irrelevant nonsense. .

                The easy thing for all of us to do is ignore you as you said, but when your posts cover more than half of a thread it gets tedious and frustrating to find the posts of contributors we actually want to read. You mentioned getting banned from Niner Nation and yet you continue to miss the reasons why: You offer nothing other than tired cliches and nonsensical suggestions.

                Here’s some advice for you Seb seeing as though you are proponent of giving it to the Niners in a forum they will never read: Get a life, find a friend, do something other than sit on a football forum all day, and maybe try to find the self awareness you obviously lack. It’s not healthy to spend hours on a computer never mind when it revolves around posting useless info and quotes from a book about war.

                Here’s a relevant cliche for you to consider: Less is more. Maybe, just maybe, if you post fewer entries, and try to formulate interesting thoughts, people may accept what you say a little more willingly.

              2. Rocket, I have my life and friends, and can afford to spend time blogging on a site about a team I am passionate about.
                You all are the ones who need to modify their behavior. Attacking me does no good. I am immune to your criticisms because I consider them in the proper light. They are just hate, and hate just defines you as unworthy opponents.
                Maybe it would be better for all involved to stop the hate, and just concentrate on discussing the Niners in a calm respectful manner.
                Obviously, you do not understand the amount of power you confer to me by trying to shout me down. The best thing would be for you to ignore my posts and scroll past them. It is not that hard to do.
                A wise man once said that if a man has no enemies, he has no character. My ideas rock your world to its foundation, because I SAY something. I purposefully try to stir the pot, and like fools, you take the bait. Attacking me should be the last thing anyone should do, because it is a lesson in futility. Get a clue.

              3. The Seb is immune to criticism in a manner that, prior to coming to understand the unique wisdom he possesses, I would have thought was the result of delusion. I now know it is just his singular ability to see the world’s ugly underpinnings and yet remain true to himself, which is a way of perceiving reality that is foreign to most of us.

                Personally, I had always adhered to the simple idea that if my behavior evokes the same or similar responses in variant situations, then it is likely that my behavior is the common factor. The Seb, however, is beyond such simplicities. He can see the intricate patterns of hate and enmity that other posters exude, even when they themselves are surprised such patterns exist. It is his gift.

              4. Gad, there is only one other poster on this site who is erudite and perceptive as you. Can you guess who that is?

              5. We should start a tote board for which regular is most likely to be “Gadfly”.

                I’ll go with JPN as my favorite, with Cassie/Godzilla or a lurker who is usually satisfied by reading but not posting as possibilities, as well.

              6. Seb is like having Kramer from Seinfeld constantly posting on the site with while in a crack addled state.

              7. He does have the ability to unite posters who otherwise would never agree. Mary could do that, but I think that was mainly because she was a Seahawks and only secondarily because of her posts themselves. And DS, even with all the strife he/she generated, did not alienate everyone.

              8. All I know is that being a gadfly is dangerous work. They sentenced Socrates to death for his efforts.

  40. I think Winston is the next elite quarterback of the future in this league. His mechanics, mental processing, quick release, accuracy, are all top notch….

    1. He’s a natural. It’s why I was so high on him last year. Best QB to enter the NFL since Luck.

      1. Another guy you hit on was Allen Robinson. I undervalued him, underestimating his playmaking ability on the field….

          1. So far, Carroo has looked most impressive to me. Not sure how his legal problems figure into the decision. I think if you take a chance on character, Carroo might be the guy, if he slides to Round 3. It’s a safe bet they can get either Jack or Lawson at seven, even though Spence, in my mind, is better than Lawson, but too risky that high. With the depth at DL, I think that’s where, with 2 picks in the 4th, you can get one and use the other on a quarterback, like a Vernon Adams. I still like the idea of upgrading the Center position in the second round if Kelly is there….

            1. I like Nick Martin, if Kelly is gone. That way, Killgore can slide to either guard position.
              Caroo is radioactive. Spence is a calculated risk.

            2. I just watched a few of Carroo’s games and you’re right, he looks good. I’ve not spent a lot of time looking at WRs yet so not sure how he compares to others.

  41. Seeing Bowman make the Interception nice, but seeing Russell Smurph come up and pat him on the head, extolling his virtues, makes me wanna vomit….

  42. how many more years do we have to put up with grant? maybe it is time this whole community moved somehwere else together?

    i don’t even read his stupid articles anymore, come just for the community and comments, and that less and less.

    miss the old days here with maiocco and everyone else that followed until this clown’s daddy got him a job.

    lame

  43. Even with the mediocre coordinator selections, I am hopeful. Chip is the key, and he has the organizational skills to rebuild this team. He needs to work on his people skills, but don’t we all?
    Last season, I was so frustrated with the offense that I declared I would be content if the offense got a play off in time. When Tomsula yelled TEMPO a million times, I was hopeful. Obviously, they needed more than that, and the offensive malaise was way beyond inefficient. Now that Chryst is gone, I finally have hope that they will not force Kaep to be only a pocket passer. Chip finally has his mobile QB, so his offense could become very effective. Still, the Niner defense must improve. The lack of a pass rush doomed the team. Fortunately, there are a bunch of good fast pass rushers in the draft this year, and Baalke must not fail to obtain talent. Buckner, Jack, Lawson, Floyd, Calhoun, Reed, Ragland, Spence and Dodd could all help the team.

    1. Firstly, Kaepernick needs to want to be here. Secondly, he needs to win the job. If Kelly can reduce the amount of information he has to process, he can play faster and let his instincts take over. Bodes well for him, given his struggles to read defenses….

      1. Was Colin Kaepernick confused by Geep Chrysts offense? If so how does that bode well for him in Chip Kelly’s system where it relies on quick decision making and precision accuracy. Those 2 things is what he has struggled with as a pro.

          1. True, but that throw to a wide open Torrey Smith against the Rams ahould have been simple enough.

  44. Sebnynah, Chip Kelly is excited about The Hayne Plane’s capabilities within his system. I think we finally get some pitches to him in open space….

    1. I would be happy if Hayne only makes the team as a punt returner, because that is where his skillsets will shine. Too bad McGaughey threw Hayne under the bus, but now that he is gone, I hope Swinton will use him properly.
      Hayne would be good as a change of pace back, and those swing passes would be a good strategy, but I will be content to have Hyde carry the workload.

  45. Wow the pitchforks and torches are really out for Grant here. One comment particularly struck me:
    “They may be untested as a group…that’s a fair assessment. Anything else is merely mindless conjecture…”

    Sorry, folks. Conjecture is half of what sports writing is all about. It is far less mindless than reporting what happened yesterday. Grant is engaging in conjecture based on reason and on past performance. Is there any reason to believe that this group of coaches won’t perform just as badly as they have in the past?

    Believing otherwise is the kind of conjecture that is mindless. I for one am not interested in holding out false hope that magically a bunch of mediocre losers will catch fire simply because every once in a while some outlier in the past has magically turned it around.

    Put down your pitchforks and look around you. Jed has screwed us all again.

  46. If Chip off the old Baalke can get Myles Jack LB, Ryan Kelly C and Leonte Carroo WR, I’d consider that a very successful, first 3 Rounds….

    1. Agree that we need a good second center. Despite earning the top rating for centers coming out of college, Martin has been very disappointing. I often wonder how much the loss of Goodwin affected the OL.

      1. I would also consider a starter-quality center to be high on the priority list.

        If strength, quickness, ability to maintain balance and football smarts are important qualities to seek in a potential pick for center, then Martin should never have been picked. Martin had red flags in inadequate strength, playing top heavy (although being bottom heavy in build), spent too much time on the ground, could not sustain blocks, and caved in to bull rushes even against college competition.

        But he has long arms, 10″ hands and could move up to second level in run game in college, some of Baalke’s key criteria. :)

        1. Mood,

          I’m not against getting another starting quality center, but I just don’t get why Kilgore isn’t valued more highly than he is. He grades out as quite a good center.

          1. Has he finished a season at the position? Who’s the next man up, Martin? Please no….

            1. He finished this year, Razor. Of course, he didn’t start it…

              Does a broken bone make a guy injury prone?

              Also, the Niners don’t have the luxury of making adding depth a priority, at this point. They need to add starters. Unless Kilgore projects to be as good at guard as he is at center, I wouldn’t put a center too high in their list of needs.

              1. Kilgore played OG in college and Kelly would not only be a perfect fit in Chips’ system, he’d make an immediate impact….

          2. I think Kilgore is starter quality. But with his health and eventual free agency in mind, there needs to be a starter-quality backup. Same for the need for a starter-quality swing tackle.

              1. Possibly, but that would be in the future. Baalke’s approach is to meet immediate needs with FA and draft for BPA who may need development.

                Considering how awful O line play was the past season, and assuming that Boone will walk and AD will be back, I expect Baalke to spend some serious $$ on a starting guard. Maybe a relatively short contract.

                Again courtesy NN, here’s the PFF list of top FA O linemen:
                https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/27/pro-top-10-offensive-line-free-agents/

                Anyone think that Mathis who played for Kelly is a viable for 1 year-$6M contract?

                Does anyone know

              2. You don’t think the Rimington Award winner, after playing against elite talent for 3 years straight as the Center for Alabama and having not given up a sack for 2 years, could beat out Danny Kilgore?

            1. Razor,

              He quite possibly could, but there are no guarantees. Just like Elliot might be able to beat out Hyde.

              Given the number of needs the 49ers have, would either be the best use of a pick?

              1. My point is, having Kelly starting center would displace Kilgore. Unless Kilgore could start at guard, I’m not sure that would be the best use of a draft pick.

              2. Center is kind of an important position. Kilgore has played 12 total games the last two years. I don’t think he’s All Pro material, and I’ve all but given up on Martin. Once again, Kilgore played Guard in college and would play on either side of Ryan Kelly. The alternative would be to buy an aging veteran Center, and take a gamble on a developmental one later in the draft. The Cowboys took Frederick(Not a ZBS C, but a Power C) at the bottom of the first, and many people bemoaned the move, including myself. Turned out to be genius. Kelly is a better fit for ZBS Center than Frederick or Kilgore. He’s agile and able to move and block downfield….

          3. From NN, PFF grades for OL:

            Kilgore – 40.8
            Martin – 30.1

            Devey – 37.5
            Boone – 65.0
            Tiller – 80.7

            Staley – 86.6
            Trenton Brown – 66.6
            Erik Pears – 37.5

  47. sebnynah

    January 31, 2016 at 9:43 pm
    I do not suffer fools gladly, so Jed has probably gotten an earful from my various deliberative scathing criticisms. I am positive that trolls from NN recognize
    sebnynah

    January 31, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Grant is not the man

    Seb,

    Are you even aware what a practice squad is for?…

    Now and then teams come up with a Hayne, or muscleman like Lawrence Okoiye, maybe even stash an ACL victim for a season.
    However, Baalke is not the norm. His ACL draft picks (lattimore, etc), Okoye and now Hayne have not worked out.
    Smart GM’s use that roster for their developmental players who have real life experience and need a little coaching. Hayne and Okoye never played American football and Hayne was 26 0r 27 when signed him–old for a BEGINNING player.
    We haven’t even touched on wheter Kelly’s offense can use him, however, since you’ve gone hellbent in this direction for everyone I’ll engage your ignoranace here also.

    Does LaMichael James ring your bell?…Yes, Seb. Hes’s the kind of athlete the Chipster prefers because a SPREAD OFFENSE relies on quick hitters and double teams up the middle so a player of James’s caliber can take it to the house. This creates a balanced defense because the defense respects that speed so can’t cheat–they have to remain honest.
    Hayne, at best, when he stops missing his assingments (I’ll show you that article too, Seb, so you finally realize his fumbilitis allergy is not botanical, but football related) a fullback–a straight ahead runner who does not make people. Chip’s offense does not deploy, fullbacks, so goodby, Hayne.
    On to your mancrush, Mr. Kap….Kap is not versed in Kelly’s offense. The Oregon Duck QB is. Kelly is better off moving on from Kap and drafting a QB he can plug in immediately and draft an offensive line/defensive pass rushers this draft…Kelly is bright enough to find receivers in the later rounds.

    Move on, Seb, the 49ers and your audience will greatly appreciate it after a full year of this.

    Also, the subject of being a man was brought up, because, once again, you broached the subject with Grant…Seems you post things on guns and manliness and you’re not even aware….a classic sign of…Let me consult rorschach inkblot testing inc…they’ll ring your bell.

  48. tomd

    February 1, 2016 at 10:34 am

    sebnynah

    January 31, 2016 at 9:43 pm
    I do not suffer fools gladly, so Jed has probably gotten an earful from my various deliberative scathing criticisms. I am positive that trolls from NN recognize
    sebnynah

    January 31, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Grant is not the man

    Seb,

    Are you even aware what a practice squad is for?…

    Now and then teams come up with a Hayne, or muscleman like Lawrence Okoiye, maybe even stash an ACL victim for a season.
    However, Baalke is not the norm. His ACL draft picks (lattimore, etc), Okoye and now Hayne have not worked out.
    Smart GM’s use that roster for their developmental players who have real life experience and need a little coaching. Hayne and Okoye never played American football and Hayne was 26 0r 27 when signed him–old for a BEGINNING player.
    We haven’t even touched on wheter Kelly’s offense can use him, however, since you’ve gone hellbent in this direction for everyone I’ll engage your ignoranace here also.

    Does LaMichael James ring your bell?…Yes, Seb. Hes’s the kind of athlete the Chipster prefers because a SPREAD OFFENSE relies on quick hitters and double teams up the middle so a player of James’s caliber can take it to the house. This creates a balanced defense because the defense respects that speed so can’t cheat–they have to remain honest.
    Hayne, at best, when he stops missing his assingments (I’ll show you that article too, Seb, so you finally realize his fumbilitis allergy is not botanical, but football related) a fullback–a straight ahead runner who does not make people. Chip’s offense does not deploy, fullbacks, so goodby, Hayne.
    On to your mancrush, Mr. Kap….Kap is not versed in Kelly’s offense. The Oregon Duck QB is. Kelly is better off moving on from Kap and drafting a QB he can plug in immediately and draft an offensive line/defensive pass rushers this draft…Kelly is bright enough to find receivers in the later rounds.

    Move on, Seb, the 49ers and your audience will greatly appreciate it after a full year of this.

    Also, the subject of being a man was brought up, because, once again, you broached the subject with Grant…Seems you post things on guns and manliness and you’re not even aware….a classic sign of…Let me consult rorschach inkblot testing inc…they’ll ring your bell.

    Reply

  49. The idea that Kelly is racist is absurd. He just hired Curtis Modkins as one of this top assistants and has surrounded himself with the best coaches, regardless of so called, “race.”

    What Kelly has an issue with is guys that have sketchy pasts, or dodgy friends. If anything, Kelly is a moralist, not a racist and in sports, especially football, coaches have to deal with borderline personalities with dangerous tendencies and social environments that don’t always traffic in the highest standard of values.

    That’s why Chip favors system over players.

    Thinks he’s on an island?

    Look at the Pats. Bellichik doesn’t draft guys with sketchy past and if it does happen, they don’t stay long. Lawrence Maroney comes to mind.

    If they bitch about money or step out of line, they’re gone.

    Just ask Wes Welker.

    The Pats system is intact and they win. No one questions it or Bellichik because of it.

    Kelly got rid of both McCoy and Jackson because they are both connected to groups of people who have dubious reputations.

    Chip’s biggest problem was that he didn’t replace either adequately.

    McCoy ran that system well–Murray not so much.

    And Nelson Algoholor wound up being another wideout from USC who looks less promising as a pro, than a college player.

    Kelly should have signed DeAngelo Williams instead of Murray. He would have saved more than just money, he might have saved his job.

    1. I have to disagree with the writer of that article. It just seems like they’re talking about different outlooks, but Kelly and York are probably on the same wavelength.

      1. The writer ended with the same conjecture. There is no need for Jed to comment on players. He can stick to his overall vision of a new future for the 49ers and avoid these situations.

    2. Where is the separation that Jed promised between himself and football decisions? My prediction is that Jed still has a lot of meddling left in him.

      “What York should do is simply defer to the coach when discussing player and position evaluations and avoid any speculation. His words will be dissected and discussed, which can potentially undermine the head coach.” see above link

  50. The old Oneniner who seems more even in his posts now , Spitblood(at least he had a sense of humor) some will say Mary and now we have a new entrant- Grant when people like Scooter ,Rocket and host of others of us who have been here awhile begin to express frustration and become reticent to post in my opinion it is time for you to respond to the situation.

  51. Another item that concerns me Seb, is how often you fall prey to the Jedster
    Let me remind you of somes old saying: You are who you are or you’r a product of your environment.
    Jed’s environment: He has an MBA from Nortre Dame; Paraag Marathe, MBA: Dr. York (Jed’s father) MD, owns his own Medical Company; Marie York, made Forbe’s richest women in the USA list.
    How this relates to the 49er’s RB, Hayne…The 49ers, until last year travelled more than any NFL team to Europe; Europe is quickly becoming a large revenue source for the NFL and the 49ers will share large profits if their European audience is larger with Hayne on the team….We all realize by now just how much the York’s care about profits, and how much the NFL corporate office appreciates the York’s for furthering their European cause.

  52. This is my kind of wide receiver draft class, tall. Not common to see this many big guys rated this high. Curious to see how these guys move at the combine.

    1. I don’t think my favorite receiver, Carroo, will be a combine warrior, but like Elway alluded to; you have 40 speed and field speed. The other Bear receiver, Jay Lee(Bruce Lee’s 3rd Cousin)is a guy with size and speed that forced Senior Bowl scouts to reacquaint themselves with….

      1. I am not a fan of relying on the 40-yard dash times for much of anything. It is too long a distance to adequately capture the acceleration of a running back and too short a distance to measure the true field speed of some longer legged runners. The most valuable data from the 40 are the comparative split times, but that is not information widely distributed.

        I suspect CFC was mainly alluding to the WR drills, which do provide some relevant data.

        1. Yeah, the speed, strength and agility tests should simply be used to confirm what you see on film, or to make you go back and look at film to see if there is something you may have missed.

        2. The combine tells me about the athleticism of that player and helps give some clues about whether or not he possess the right kind of body and physical skills to compete at the next level. Once you’re done evaluating the skill set of the player it comes down to what kind of body does he have. Seeing how many reps they can put up on the bench can give you an idea if that 6’1″ 190lb receiver is ever going to be able to get off the line of scrimmage.

          40 yard dash is probably an ok indicator if you’re drafting a return specialist, maybe. The 10 yard split is more often the better indicator of how explosive and fast a player really is. It’s almost the only stat I look at for pass rushers.

          1. I recall Grant (and others) saying OBJ wouldn’t be able to get off the LOS because he only put up 7 or 8 reps in the BP, and that he wouldn’t be able to get open consistently deep because he only ran 4.43s in the 40. :-P

            The combine can of course be a useful guide, but I do believe you can tell a lot more about a player by watching them play.

          2. If memory serves me, OBJr didn’t test too well on the bench press, but his explosion and ability to change direction without slowing down was impressive. Jarvis Landry was said to be too slow,(I remember having a discussion with Scooter regarding him)but his hands were magnets for the football and I think he was a bit stronger than Beckham….

            1. Rocket was in that conversation as well. He really liked Landry. I liked him as replacement for Boldin, thought he’d be a good slot WR (he’s proving to be a better slot WR than I thought though). But I liked others better.

              1. Right now, I think Landry is behind Robinson as far as being a go to wide receiver when you really need a play, but I think both guys were undervalued with respect to where they were drafted….

              2. In a draft do over I’d still take OBJ, Watkins, Evans, Robinson, Matthews before Landry. Landry is an excellent possession slot WR, like Boldin, but those other 5 guys change how teams defend you. To think you also have Cooks, Benjamin, Bryant, Brown and Moncrief from that draft class. Will we ever see another like it?

              3. I’m actually not as big a fan of Bryant as many. He’s good, don’t get me wrong. But he’s a complementary, big play WR. He’s lucky to have a WR like Brown that takes a lot of the defenses attention, and a QB like Roethlisberger throwing him the ball.

          3. If I have two 6’2″ receivers that I’m trying to decide which one will go first and they both have equal skill sets and play similarly to each other. I’m probably going to mock the one that performs better at the Combine first versus the one that doesn’t. When I’m trying to pick between pass rushers that look about the same and have the same frame type, I’m gonna pick the one withe faster 10 yard split.

            It’s helpful when you’re trying to pick between similar players but as I eluded to, you only go to these numbers after you’re done scouting the player.

            1. What about instincts and the ability to diagnose a play without having to think. How does that get measured at the combine?

              1. I think what CfC is saying is that when trying to decide between guys you can’t differentiate off film, the combine can be useful.

              2. I’m not disagreeing with him per se, but when we evaluate a player, we’re not able to interact with the player. Gauge his attitude, acumen or personality and if it’s a fit in the locker room. I think those factors can be just as pivotal as a measurement or time as a participant in the combine. It’s a useful tool, no doubt about it, but I catch myself all the time getting caught up in the numbers and then having to calm myself down…;>)

        3. All Walsh seemed to care about the fact that Rice was thought to not be fast enough was that there was no film showing him being caught from behind.

      2. I think Carroo has potential to be a real nice prospect for someone but you should put him out of your head in regards to him becoming a 49er. After Aldon and then McDonald the team is out of the ‘second chance’ business for awhile and they definitely don’t want any association with domestic abuse.

        1. Could be right, but we live in a country of second chances. Seems foolish to disqualify a player and create that disadvantage for yourself based on another’s actions. Don’t expect the Seahawks, Cardinals or Rams to operate that way….

    2. I agree about the tall receiver prospects, especially given that the 49ers receivers cluster between 6′ and 6’2″, with Ellington being an outlier at 5’9″. A tall, long striding receiver might be a really nice addition. However, I suspect that any receiver the 49ers draft will be in the same mold as the most of the others that Baalke has drafted or signed.

      1. Usually I would agree, but Chip Kelly does like to have some big WRs to play with (Matthews, Cooper). At the moment the 49ers only big WRs on the roster are yet to play a down of football in the NFL.

      2. When you’re talking about a quarterback that struggles with accuracy or one that has difficulty taking some velocity off his throw, like a Kaepernick, catch radius and a receiver that is a hands plucker is paramount, whereas a highly accurate quarterback with an ability to put some touch on throws like Brady, would be best suited for a receiver like Boyd, who does not reach or dive for the ball, and has shown an inconsistency with his hands….

            1. Cassie,
              Vintage American Motors Pacer with a super large subway sandwich in the back seat in case he gets stuck in traffic.

  53. Has anyone thought of Laquan Treadwell as number 7 pick? This Son of a Gun is the Truth.. If I can’t have Carson I’m taking Treadwell. This guy would Automatically JumpStart this offense. Especially being paired with a coach who knows how to use one

    1. I think with his injuries, the first question you need to ask yourself; Can he make a living in this division? Not so sure. Another question is his ability to maintain separation playing against a corner like Sherman, who matches up very well against physical receivers. Treadwell isn’t the greatest route runner either in my opinion. I wouldn’t select him with the 7th overall pick, if it was me….

  54. Laquan Treadwell…. Number 7 overall pick!! This man has OBJ written all over him… If not Megatron

    1. Frankly, when you talk about seeing OBJr in a receiver within this draft class, the first name to pop into my mind is, Carroo….

    1. Maybe Jed it the JimmyT of owners when he’s in front of a audience and a microphone is handy.

  55. So more than one Broncos team bus sustained significant damage from an accident coming back from practice at Stanford.

    I wonder how effective a linebacker is going to be playing with a cast. Seems to me Kubiak could take advantage of some leverage advantages against him….

  56. Here’s a quick five round mock draft:

    1) ILB Reggie Ragland
    2) OG Vadal Alexander
    2) QB Vernon Adams Jr.
    3) WR Braxton Miller
    4) WR Leonte Carro
    4) CB Will Redmond
    5) DT Nile Lawrence-Stample

    No DE or OLB because I’m currently under the assumption the 49ers will pick up Malik Jackson in free agency and that the team will want to see what they have in their current ROLBs along with Carradine.

    1. Also assuming Baalke trades back into the 10-15 to draft Ragland while picking up an extra second round pick.

  57. Time for a new blog article Grant. Posts are going everywhere.

  58. Here is my early off season prediction for FA and the draft.

    FA:
    – I am assuming they lose Williams and Boone to higher bidders. While I think they would like to keep Williams, I expect they want more from their nickel DT in terms of pass rush, so will see and price Williams as more of a base player. And yes, I know he played in nickel this year, I’m just thinking they will want a better pass rusher from that spot this year.
    – Re-sign Celek, Dawson and Draughn.
    – Re-sign Wilhoite and Armstrong on 1 year RFA deals.
    – Let Boldin and others go.
    – Sign Malik Jackson, Danny Travethan and Jeff Allen

    Draft:
    – Round 1: Baalke will pull out his old Aldon Smith trick and take a pass rusher earlier than many expect him to be taken in Emmanuel Ogbah. He has great size, length and strength to bully OL, which fits the mold of OLB/DE Baalke usually takes.
    – Round 2: With the D addressed in FA and Ogbah, and OL addressed with Davis returning and Allen added, Baalke gives Chip a WR. Tyler Boyd. He’s a great athlete with good height, speed and hand strength. Makes tough catches. Moves very well. Highly productive. And in my opinion, still quite raw, so has room to grow as a WR.
    – Round 3: Despite the addition of Jackson in FA, the loss of Williams means only Dorsey has any real experience at NT. To address that the 49ers add Javon Hargrave, who also has the ability to play as a 3T on passing downs. Some might feel this is too early for him, but his performances at the Shrine and Senior Bowl, plus my expectation he will show well at the combine, makes me think he goes around here.
    – Round 4: With two picks in the 4th round, 49ers add OT/OG Joe Haeg and RB CJ Prosise.
    – Round 5: Two more picks, and they bring in a QB in Kevin Hogan. They also grab Adam Gotsis as a DT/DE with plenty of upside, but could go on IR as a rookie.
    – Round 6: So many picks! I won’t name specific players, but I think they’d be looking at a TE, another OL, an ILB and a DB.

    1. Nice work Scooter. Jeff Allen is expected to be one of if not the top free agent Guard so if Boone is too expensive I don’t see them paying for Allen.

      My hold out in regards to Williams not returning will be what his actual value ends up being in free agency. I’m just not convinced that teams are going to be throwing money at the guy.

      I’m not seeing Baalke go DL in the first two years in a row, I have nothing to base that on except my personal feelings on the matter. I was saving Tyler Boyd in my pocket for my next mock, you beat me to the punch on him. He’s a name that should be getting mentioned more often.

        1. So do I, but then I though the same of Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch, as well as Preston Smith. I think Ogbah matches the type of long, strong OLB/DE that Baalke has shown he likes to draft.

              1. Let’s see what the tape says at the combine before we get into a big debate about them being the same height. To my eyes Ogbah looks taller than Lawson, but since I’ve never seen them side by side that is just my impression from seeing them on film.

            1. I should also stress this is my guess at what the 49ers do and like, not what I think they should do. I like Ogbah, but I don’t think he’s better than Lawson. I just think he’s the sort of player Baalke might fall in love with.

              1. So was Von Miller.
                ————–
                He was? Is that a reference to his middle school days or did he grow recently?

                Miller is 75″ tall and Spence is only 6’2″.

                ;)

          1. There’s a growing trend this year in thinking DE and OLB’s are interchangeable.

            1. The reality though is that teams are starting to put bigger guys at OLB. Being in the 265 to 275 lbs range isn’t that abnormal, and these guys don’t need to be extraordinary athletes that can cover anymore.

              More and more the OLBs are being asked to play the run and rush the passer first, and cover less. Look at Aldon and Lynch. Neither guy is really a coverage OLB. They are big guys asked to play the edge. Same with Preston Smith. Same with Pernell McPhee. There are plenty of others too. What we used to see as strictly 4-3 DEs is being blurred a lot. And it isn’t that surprising given the prevalence of nickel and dime packages on D these days. A 3-4 OLB plays a lot of snaps (and on some teams more snaps) as a DE anyway.

              1. To address the names you mentioned; Lynch is a strong side linebacker which isn’t where Grant and maybe you are seeing Ogbah and Lawson playing but where players their size do belong if they’re in a 3-4. Aldon Smith was great because of Justin Smith and has only been ok since, sometimes not even that. I wouldn’t point him out necessarily as a success story of a big man playing as a weak side outside linebacker in a 3-4.

                Not quite sure where you’re going with Preston since they have him playing on the defensive line in Washington.

              2. They’re moving him around then because last time I saw him he was playing DE.

              3. By no means am I saying it can’t or shouldn’t happen. It’s just starting to feel like anyone that is a DE that looks like a decent pass rusher is being assumed they can play OLB also.

      1. Thanks mate.

        I don’t think Boone leaves because he is too expensive per se. I think he leaves because he doesn’t want to be a 49er anymore, and 49ers won’t pay him what he feels he deserves. I think they will acknowledge the terrible play of the interior OL this past season and finally spend some reasonable $$ to address it with one of the best guys available, who is also still young.

        With Williams, I think a 4-3 team will snap him up that is looking for a guy to play the 1-tech/ strong side DT but can also be somewhat disruptive on passing downs. He’ll play more downs on most 4-3 teams than he would on a 3-4 team that sees him primarily as a NT.

        Ogbah would play OLB in base, DE in nickel. Iagree they are unlikely to address interior DL two years in a row, but I believe an edge player is a different position and the 49ers would be willing to go that direction.

        I’m surprised Boyd doesn’t get more attention too. I hadn’t spent much time looking at WRs until recently, and he is a guy that impressed me. And I really think he’s done most of what he achieved through sheer athletic talent rather than a refined skill set. With proper coaching up he could be even better.

        1. Boyd’s production is what stands out for me; 78 catches in 2014 and 91 in 2015 and that’s with missing a game.

          They’ll have to look into the DUI. Is the kid a boozer or did he get caught at .09.

          Either way 170 catches in two years is impressive.

          1. Don’t forget he also broke the Pitt freshman record for receiving too. He’s been productive ever since he got to Pitt.

              1. o.O

                He was 74 yards short but it’s mostly immaterial when you have 900+ yards with 91 catches.

          2. Kind of silly of me to leave off the freshman year. 85 catches gives him 254 receptions averaging over 80 catches a year.

            He’s on the down low now but by draft time he’ll be talked about as a late day one pick up.

              1. He could be this years Kevin White if he goes out and puts up a blazing time at the combine, which he could do. This isn’t about my personal take on the 40 yard dash but that his public perception will suddenly match his true draft value.

    2. Don’t think Boyd or Ogbah are good fits. Agree with you on IDub and Boone. Not sure about Draughn sticking around. Really like Hargrave. Thanks for sharing. Always enjoy your contributions….

      1. Why do you say that about Boyd, razor?

        I can see why you’d say that about Ogbah, who seems more like a classic 4-3 strong side DE, but Boyd I think would play the Jordan Matthews role quite nicely while providing the ability to threaten deep.

            1. If the ball is somewhat out of reach, he’ll not make the effort you’d like to see to make the catch. You’re not going to see him make many diving catches. Has some inconsistencies. He’ll make a bad drop and then come back and make a great catch. Think he’d be a great slot receiver for the Patriots. He seems similar to Agholor but I don’t think he’s as explosive….

              1. I can’t say as I’ve really seen too many issues regarding making an effort to catch the ball. He makes some tough grabs in traffic, he makes diving catches. He has naturally good hands, though he does have the occasional drop. Likely a concentration issue.

                He is only 20 years old, and this past season was heavily marked. He’s a playmaker, and will only get better as he gets more experience and matures. I don’t think he’s quite as good a prospect as Allen Robinson was, but he reminds me of him in many ways. Young guy that performed consistently pretty much as soon as he stepped on campus, was “the guy” that defenses knew they had to stop but still made plays, good mover in space.

              2. I defer to your judgement, but I don’t think he starts as a rookie. Not sold on him being a playmaker, but more of a first down receiver. Probably the best route running wide receiver, excellent hands, great blocker. As I’ve said before, I like him a lot but I think he needs a really good and accurate quarterback to reach his potential….

              3. Jonathan Baldwin? Huh? Sorry, really not sure where you are coming up with that comparison.

    3. Despite the addition of Jackson in FA, the loss of Williams means only Dorsey has any real experience at NT.

      Didn’t Dial play at the position in 2014 due to the ones ahead of him on the depth chart?

      1. Good point. I think they only see him as a NT emergency though, not as the primary backup for the position. His body type is best suited to playing DE in a 3-4. If they lose Williams, my guess is they look to bring in a replacement that can play the position.

    4. Solid Gold Skoots-just mentioning Boyd to Razor earlier today .I like him as well(looks like CFC does as well!), Hargrave and Haeg are two guys I’m bullish on as well.Well done!

  59. Perhaps Chip Kelly is the Miles Davis of coaches. Davis always surrounded himself with the young lions of jazz. From Chick Correa, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Joe Zawinul to Darryl Jones, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garret, and Bill Laswell, Davis wanted a youthful, energetic and adventurous approach to surrounding himself with musicians that were hungry and in most cases, enormously talented.

    He was never afraid that one of his young guns would eclipse him. Davis was too good, had too much belief in his talents and abilities.

    What came out of those collaborations was in most cases, really amazing.

    The thing with young guys is that they don’t have the proven track record, aren’t the wizened teachers and sages with a bag of well worn tricks.

    They’re still developing in some ways and while they can make mistakes, the potential for real novelty and innovation is also inherent in that formula.

    I’m interested in seeing where it all goes.

  60. once again Grant was wrong

    ” And no NFL team other than the Niners wanted any part of Kelly”

    “I didn’t want any input or anything like that,” Mariota said. “They did ask. They asked about Chip Kelly, about Coach (Mike) Mularkey. They obviously asked my opinions about people here and there but I wanted them to make their own decision.”

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