Chip Kelly’s version of 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick’s fall is fantasy, not fact

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This article has 119 Comments

  1. Kelly could save the 49ers a draft pick by keeping Kap but can he develop him?

    with a surplus of $60 million to spend, that makes the Rogers signing so unique. Just two hours after news broke of Kelly’s hiring in San Francisco on Jan. 14, a 603 area code hit Rogers’ phone.
    “Chip gave me a call on the way to the airport,” Rogers remembers. “He said I was the first person he called.”
    Kelly, coveter of big receivers, was prepping for a Week 15 game pitting the 6-7 Eagles against the playoff-bound Cardinals when Rogers came to visit. Rogers had a two-hour meeting with Eagles staff that Friday. Kelly was there for the last 30
    Kelly was there for the last 30 minutes; most of the head coaches in other cities didn’t offer nearly that much face time.

    “I wrote that down in my notes,” Rogers says. “I was very appreciative of that.”
    Kelly was canned 13 days later. After the Black Monday firings shook out, Rogers

    ttp://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/22/eric-rogers-san-francisco-49ers-cfl-nfl-chip-kelly

  2. If Kelly phoned Rogers 2 Hrs. after the 49ers hired him and w/o analyzing their current WR’s, does that mean he’ll have more say about personnel in the upcoming draft?

  3. Best article ever Grant. Not because of my position on #7, but because it’s the cold hard truth! Nice work my friend!

  4. Its all just to make Colin feel loved, to make him feel like the coach has his back. This is nothing new, Harbaugh did it for both Colin and Alex. I guess when all we have seen the prior decade was the likes of Singletary and Nolan throwing their qbs under the bus, its a bit odd to see the coach actually support “their guy”.

    Now all that said, Colin is no good and should be out of here.

    1. To better understand Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch, NFL personnel men and scouts are asking their college coaches how much responsibility each QB had in the offense. Here’s what they’re hearing, plus more notes
      He probably had more on his shoulders before the snap than any quarterback in the NFL.”

      We give the quarterback an incredible amount of responsibility and (Goff) got more than any quarterback since I’ve been coaching.

      Under Franklin, Goff had the ability to choose between the called run play and an alternate pass play, and vice versa, based on the alignment of the defense. Goff haability to audible individual routes on pass plays, and Franklin estimates he adjusted the protection scheme on about 10% of passing plays
      Says Franklin: “The longer last season went on he started doing it more because I think he was tired of getting hit in the mouth.”

      http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/23/nfl-draft-carson-wentz-jared-goff-paxton-lynch

    2. @MJ yes Colin should be gone,He is a pouter when things go bad for Him ,which most of it is his own doings gee what a quitter.

  5. ….Or could it also be that Chip is trying to make Kap look better to other teams to increase his value, while also making it seem like they fully intend on keeping him, another tactic to increase his value?

  6. Gabbert never seemed clueless — he mostly knew where to throw the ball. According to reports, Gabbert spent about five times longer watching film than Kaepernick, and you could tell.
    ——————–
    All that extra time spent sure helped him find his checkdown right away.

    1. I don’t think any Niner fans are excited about Gabbert being the starter next year.
      But during the rebuild he looks to be the be the best option financially, athletically and intelligently.
      This is why this draft and getting the heir apparent is essential. Wether it’s in the the top 10 or the entire 12 picks, Baalke has to get it right.

      1. Kaep to remain in SF. RG3 off the table to Browns. Competition between Gabbert and Kaep. Then draft a QB of Chips likening. However that may be. I think we will not draft a QB in Rnd 1.

      2. Prime, I think I am cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a Blaine Gabbert-led Chip Kelly offense next season. Does that count?

        My biggest criticism of Blaine last season was his conservative approach, particularly on 3rd downs. I don’t think I am telling you something you don’t know here. There were times that Blaine was way too quick to check the ball down with little to no chance of making the line of gain, causing me to to alternate between throwing my hands up in bewilderment, or throwing my TV remote down in disgust.

        However, there is a reason Chip Foles, AKA Nick Foles led the NFL in YPA in 2013 (an astonishing 9.12 YPA), and Sanchez ranked 6th in YPA in 2014, after replacing Foles, who suffered a season ending injury in week 9. Not only does Chip love to stretch the field vertically, the nature of the way he likes to spread the defense out, especially on 3rd downs, should lead to better opportunities for RB and/or receivers to to make big plays when Blaine does dump the ball off, because these guys should be operating in more open space.

        There is another aspect to it as well. Not only do the X’s and O’s tend to make for better opportunities for his check down receivers, but the up-tempo offense, when it’s working like it should, leads to more aggression, IMO. It’s the psychology behind competitive nature. When a QB senses he has the defense “on it’s heels”, in theory, it has a psychological effect on the players.

        Attack, attack, attack ….. EXPLODE! Attack, attack, attack, EXPLODE!

      3. Prime Time

        Au contraire, my friend…
        I ,for one am very excited as to the prospect of having Blaine Gabbert as our starter this next year….
        as I have previously stated, Blaine stepped onto the field with no first-team snaps when he was called upon to put out the fire. He put the team on his back and just ‘went to work’. He was/is now getting his chance for redemption from a bad memory named Jacksonville.

        If there were two football people who hold their cards closer to their vest than TB or ‘Chip’…I don’t know of them. If I had a nickel to bet, I’d lay it that those guys are thanking their lucky stars at their situation…NOW

        I’m hoping that this draft yields Buckner, Stanley, and the big ILB from Clemson.
        Staley, Beadles, Kilgore, Thomas, and Trent Brown can fill out the Oline.

        1. Blaine put the team on his back? You do realize he only won one more game than Kap did last year right? I don’t get all this love for Gabbert. It is truly puzzling. He was the worst 3rd down QB in the league and really plateaued once he played for awhile. He’d had plenty of first team snaps by the time he went into Cleveland and stunk it up. He is a backup caliber QB.

            1. I don’t need a Snickers, but you need to start being honest with what we are seeing here.

              1. Gabbert, with phenomenal coaching could very well be a good QB. I’m not discounting that.
                As a long term plan, we need to draft a franchise QB this draft. Or at least one that can develop into one.

              2. Rocket

                If you don’t have a case, don’t question my honesty I call ’em as I see ’em

              3. You aren’t being honest with yourself Oregon. You like Gabbert much like you did Alex and you want him to be successful. That is the only way anybody could come on here and say what you did about Gabbert. He was marginally better than Kap last year and worse than Kap was the previous year, and yet you are gung ho about going ahead with him while wanting to run Kap out of town. There’s no consistency with your views in this area. Your opinions seem to be based strictly on your personal like or dislike of the individual. Gabbert is a nice guy; he’s not the future at QB.

      4. I am… His checkdowns at the end got tiresome but I think it was a confidence boost more than anything else and horrible coaching.
        Sticking with my gut feeling. He’s gonna light it up under Kelly

  7. Wentz does not make it past the Browns. He looked outstanding. A team needs to trade up to 1 to get him. It won’t be the Niners but someone might. Wow that kid looks promising.

  8. As news of the pro day comes out just remember that they gave Alex Smith a standing ovation at the end of his.

    1. This guy is a whole different level of talent then Alex. I get what your saying but this kid looks like a natural. Alex never has. This kid looks more natural then Luck coming out. Just my opinion though.

      1. You are blinded by your hate of Alex. Smith was phenomenal in college (hence his Heisman candicacy and being the #1 pick). Smith had 2 horrific head coaches, a porous oline, crap wr’s and a rotation of OC’s….and he was a starter at 20 years old. Thats the recipe for how NOT to groom your franchise QB.

        1. MJ

          Thank you….I have been saying that ever since we lost Alex Smith….you just said it a lot better and quicker..Alex is a hell of a man aside from being a hell of a QB

          1. MJ and Oregoniner, while I can appreciate your respect for Alex, as a QB and as a human being, I think you might be forgetting about Alex’s limitations as a QB.

            Alex went an ENTIRE NFL season without throwing a single TD pass to a WR. Think about that for a minute and let it sink in. Then, if you can get your hands on it, rewatch the 2012 NFC Championship game.

            Alex was certainly dealt a bad hand being drafted into the situation he was. And I think the world of him as a person, and as a model teammate. But I if we’re being honest, Alex is held back by his arm talent. Alex has a borderline NFL quality arm. There are a lot of NFL throws that he simply rarely makes. His deep ball is excruciating to watch, and he simply misses way too many open receivers, to ever be considered anything more than a game manager. If Alex were to ever win a Super Bowl, it would be in the role as a game manager, reliant on a dominant running game and defense.

            1. I’m sorry, did I miss the memo that made TD throws to WR worth more than 6 points? Thats the most overblown stupid stat that ever war. In that season Alex Smith threw 18 TD passes to just 6 ints (3 to 1 ratio). His two main targets were Jamaal Charles and Travis Kelce, and if you know anything about the NFL those are both top 5 players at their respective positions (kelce probably the 3rd best TE right now).

              And heres a rundown of the KC receivers from 2014….Dwayne Bowe (who had 5 receptions for 53 yards this year), De’Anthony Thomas (rookie), AJ Jenkins (yeah, him), Albert Wilson (rookie), Donnie Avery, Jason Avant, Junior Hemmingway, and Frankie Hammond. Tell me…would you be throwing passes to that cast of all stars when you have Charles and Kelce is prime targets 1 & 2??

    2. Mayock has said many times that the best pro day he’s ever seen was JaMarcus Russell’s. The pro day is nothing more than a chance to watch the player up close and see if there are any obvious fundamental flaws in his game.

        1. For one thing, if the guy is pregnant it might show and you would have a chance to drop him from your board.

      1. If I was a top draft choice I would, out of spite and principle, not do a pro day, not do the combine. They have scouts, they have film.

    3. I agree! These QB pro days are the most overrated exhibition in the history of sports. Remember they said the same thing about Russell pro day and we all know how that turned out. So, they need to stop with all this pro day garbage and lets look at his play on the field. He was played on the FBS level and not with the big boys. So we will see what he can do against the best of the best! Remember those WRs he saw open at his level in college are most likely NOT going to be open at the NFL level.

      1. CJ

        Did I miss something there..? I thought that Russell was from LSU which is certainly a D-1 school……?

  9. Eric Branch had a similar themed article with this interesting set of stat lines:

    Kaepernick’s first three starts (healthy): 59 of 91 (64.8), 567 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT, 71.1 QB rating.

    Kaepernick’s last five starts (injured): 85 of 152 (55.9), 1,048 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 83.4 QB rating.

    He plays better injured?

      1. I will dispute those figures because I will dispute the whole narrative. I have said many times that I think Kaep started to become injured from the first game. Many do not remember, or conveniently white wash the side line hit he took in the first game.
        Kaep was blown up, and most players would have stayed down to assess the damage, but Kaep bounced up and ran back to the huddle like he just slipped and fell instead of taking a sledge hammer that drove his shoulder into the turf.
        Chip has finally come around to my point of view. Kaep was so injured, he required 3 surgeries. The fact that Baalke denied that Kaep was injured when in fact he was, was a direct violation of the rules. Baalke should never had lied and covered up the injuries. No wonder Kaep did not trust the Niner Doctors, one of whom commited suicide the year before. It was also no surprise that Kaep did not use the Niner doctors to perform the surgeries, and did not trust any of the medical staff because he is rehabbing in Colorado.
        Believe Baalke if you want to, but just because it fits Grants narrative, does not mean that the facts are correct. I think Baalke is a liar, because he said straight faced that he did not know how long his contract ran for.
        Week One he was bludgeoned. Week 2 he lost his RB. Week 3 his O line was putrid, and they knew where the ball was going to so they jumped the routes. Just ask Mathiew, that is what he said. Against the Packers, he injured his thumb. I remember the post game interview, Kaep had a big bandage and splint, but next game, he was not on the injury report.
        No matter how Grant wants to spin it, Kaep did sustain injuries that affected his performance. The 3 surgeries were proof, and a fact that many will downplay, but cannot deny.

    1. Those last 5 starts the team around him started to go into the tank! I was at the Giants game in NJ and watch Kaep lead the 49ers down the field and throw what I thought was the game winning TD pass. The 49ers D lost the game letting Eli drive the length of the field and throwing the winning TD pass. So I am assuming that lost was his fault.

      1. The NY loss was on the coaches. They should have told Kaep to hand the ball off to the RB who would stop just short of the goal line, so the Giants would be forced to burn their time outs. Then on third or fourth down, they should have scored. Giants let them score so they could have enough time with their time outs.
        That way, Eli would have had less time and no way to stop the clock.

  10. jared goff

    QB, Cal

    Projected trade with Ravens

    The biggest move in Round 1 comes from a team with the most appealing draft pick possibilities. Los Angeles is thin on Day 3 picks (no Round 5 or 7 selection) but holds three of the top 45 slots. Would 15, 43 and a future second-rounder be enough to convince Baltimore to drop nine spots? Let’s say yes, for the purposes
    And with their new top-10 selection, the Rams cut in front of Chip Kelly to take Goff, the QB with the best combination of NFL readiness and upside in this class. All those “Case Keenum is our quarterback” soundbites can be erased.

    http://www.si.com/nfl/2016/03/23/nfl-mock-draft-2016-trades-rankings-prospects

    1. I see the Eagles moving from 8 to 6 for a QB. It would cost exactly their 3rd rounder.

      Bradford’s on a 2-year deal. The perfect situation to groom a young QB.

      1. I don’t know Brodie. They paid a lot for Bradford and brought on Chase Daniels with a 3-year deal valued at $21 million (first year cap hit is $5 million). The average for both is around $25 million per year. As a result I don’t see them moving up in the first round to select a QB.

      2. I beg to differ. Eagles lost Murray, and did not sign a RB. I think they moved up so they could draft Ezekiel Elliot.

    1. The devil will be in the details. The amount of guaranteed $ will help tell us if they’re still planning on taking a QB in the first round or not.

    2. Apparently he’s only interested in being a starter instead of getting better.

  11. 49ers could draft Jacoby Brissett with a late round pick and save a draft pick for the defense.

    Big quarterback with an NFL arm. Has the frame and lower body strength to shake off a would­-be sack and extend the play. Possesses competitive spirit and football character needed to be an NFL quarterback. Has a fastball and changeup.
    Plays in pro­-style scheme. Has experience under center and is comfortable in boot-­action pass attack. Makes good decisions reading combination routes. Generally accurate passer who excels in intermediate

  12. Robert Griffin to Cleveland.

    Watchout, Hue, that Griffin’s airliner isn’t hit with the “Kap storms a coming” Seb predicted.
    Seb won’t stand for your statement here that Griffin is better than Kap.

    1. Except, based on what they are reportedly paying RG3, it’s absolutely NOT a “Griffin is better than Kap” statement!

      SMH

      1. just relaying exactly what was scrolling by on ESPN subtext…Talke to them about your problems, they’ll be happy to straighten you out.

  13. Is Baalke going to sign any other FA’s or is this it? It is becoming harder and harder to defend him. I’m not a quitter I will give him another 9 days. I’ve been away from my computer for about 5 days has there been any news on Boldin?

    1. You don’t sign people just to sign people. What’s the rush in signing Boldin, no one else has shown interest in the guy. Is there a F/A you feel the niners MUST sign? And if he’s still out there, doesn’t that say something since no other team has yet to sign the guy(s)?

    2. Baalke could be targeting players expected to be released or traded because their contracts are too steep. Beadles as released. Wilkerson, Clady could be trade targets.

      Players acquired through release or trade don’t count against the compensatory formula. The 49ers would are currently due a comp pick from the Boone loss.

      2017 could be a cleanup FA period. Not just for FAs, but some fat contract payments will be due, and the 49ers could clean up on a few sign-n-trades.

    3. Coach, I think Baalke is waiting for Kelly and his staff to evaluate the players they have, which as you know won’t begin until 4/4. The exceptions of course were the signings of Rogers, Lewis, and Beadles, which I view as incidental but tailored to fit into in the Kelly system if they make the 53.

      1. Sorry George, the evaluation has to wait two weeks past April 4th because they are only allowed to do physical conditioning for the first two weeks.

  14. MJ,
    I asked about Boldin because I’ve been away from a paper and my computer for almost a week and I was wondering if he had been signed. I’m not in a rush to have Baalke sign anyone like my post said I’m giving him 9 more days and who is left out there has more to do with individual team needs than it has to do with talent.

    1. Why 9 days? After that you will bail on the team…you going to go on a hunger strike…draft a letter for his resignation and send it to Change.org?

      1. MJ,
        Whats with the anger? Its not going to do you any good it will just make you constipated. Take it from an old guy you don’t want to turn into a get of my lawn old man before your time. Hey how bout we just celebrate our oneness as 49er fans. Go 9ers.

        1. I’m not angry at all, furthest thing from it…just find it odd and funny you placed some random deadline.

    2. OldCoach, the 49ers are a “draft and develop” team, and it’s going to be a 2-3 year rebuild. Chip Kelly needs to get these guys on the field and and get this roster sorted out, before they make any big signings, unless there is a player whom they are certain is a good fit, fills a need, and isn’t asking to be vastly overpaid this offseason. I suspect that the 49ers have a game plan, and they are going to stick to it. I think we’ll see a substantial roster turnover here in the next year, and I expect the Niners will be a much bigger player during 2016 free agent period, once the roster is sorted out.

  15. Grant,
    Does this mean you’re reversing course on your opinion we should start Kap over Gabbert due to his “failed completions”?

  16. What exactly are you trying to say Grant? Are you saying Kap faked his injuries? Was the surgery on his torn labrum a fake. Was the surgeon in on it as well?

    Kap did not play well last year. In fact he pretty much sucked. We can all agree to that. The only issue is: Was his play in 2012 and 2013 a mirage and what we saw in 2014 and 2015 is pretty much what he will be going forward. Or, were their mitigating circumstances in 2014 and 2015 and a fully healthy Kap behind an NFL quality O line can play like a QB who took his team to two straight NFC championships, winning one and coming within inches of winning another.

    Kelly clearly believes there were mitigating circumstances. In my opinion the lousy O line was as much to blame as injuries. Many on this blog believe otherwise. Let us wait and see.

    1. Rick, I think Grant is saying what I have been saying. That is, Colin’s injuries were not the reason he failed last season. And I think Chip is trying to frame it like the injuries were a big factor, in order to give Colin some cover.

      It’s a lot easier to say that injuries were the problem, and that Colin deserves an legitimate opportunity to reclaim his status because the injuries were the issue, as opposed to saying that Colin deserved to benched because he sucked, but that he should be given an opportunity to reclaim his starting status because he get’s paid a lot more than Blaine.

      1. 49reasons

        I think you are correct in your first paragraph in that Kaep left NOT because of injury, but convenience. In your second paragraphI think that you’re glossing over the fact that they’re still putting lipstick on the pig (paraphrasing) to try to jack his trade value up….Did I just duplicate what you said ?

  17. Kap, IMO, is immature for his age and he has not reconciled with the fact that he cannot rely on his athletic talents alone to lead an efficient offense with mediocre talent on offense. Combining his immaturity with his obstinacy has led to problems both on and off the field. DCs who game plan to counter his tendencies (e.g., those in the NFC West) have had success against him. At this point he may be thinking: “I’m a Super Bowl QB and with three consecutive appearances in NFC Championship games, I don’t need a coach to tailor his offense for me. I can win with any reasonably decent team whose coaches and management I can trust.”

  18. NFL – BREAKING NEWS:

    Moments ago, ESPN is reporting that the Cleveland Browns have signed QB ROBERT GRIFFIN the 3rd to a 2 year, $15 million contract!

    Wow, I can feel the repercussions reverberating throughout the 49ers facility!

  19. Hey Grant Cohn, I think this was another fantastic article!

    Unlike some posters on this blog who I won’t mention by name, I am not convinced that Kap’s physical injuries had much, if any, impact on his performance last season. However, the psychological injuries were a different story.

    I’m glad you touched on Colin Kaepernick’s weekly performances last season. Unlike some posters on this blog who I won’t mention by name, I am not convinced that Kap’s physical injuries had much, if any, impact on his performance last season. However, the psychological injuries were a different story.

    IMO, the individual, back to back games in week 3 & 4 simply broke Colin’s spirit last season, and he never recovered. I cannot say for certain whether Kap was consciously trying to prove Card’s safety, Tony Jefferson, wrong by attempting to complete passes outside the numbers, when he faced them week 3. But, I have no doubt that Kap’s pathetic performance in week 4 against the Packers was a direct result of his horribly devastating, inept performance against Arizona the prior week, and that he was a broken QB, from a psychological position, throughout the remainder of his season.

    I also believe that Colin was entering last season with Blaine Gabbert “all up in his head”. If you think about it, Colin should not have been under an extreme amount of pressure going into last season. The 49ers had new coaching staff going into the season, and that should have taken some pressure off of Colin going in. However, the sense I got was that Blaine Gabbert was coming on strong, in terms of pushing Colin, and competing for the starting spot. And Colin was feeling that pressure, even though the 2 quarterback’s contracts suggested it was going to take a total collapse on Colin’s part for Blaine to take his job away from him. And I think when you combine that factor, with the way Kap’s season played out during Harbaugh’s outing, it seems to me that Colin’s psyche was shaky to begin with going in.

    I have had issues with Colin’s game, leading back to the 2014 season. I’ve had problems with his study habits, i.e. too much time working on his biceps & not enough time breaking down film, which may have resulted in Geep Chryst simplifying the offense. His mechanics, i.e. dropping his elbow, throwing off his back foot, etc. And also Colin’s pocket presence, i.e. prematurely leaving the pocket, and taking his first step directly backwards, in retreat, as opposed to taking that first step – up into the pocket, or laterally.

    My biggest worries with Colin nowadays, have to do with his emotional and psychological stability. And I am not just talking about on field. I understand Colin’s feelings may have been hurt, and he may have some trust issues with the FO. But it seems to me that Colin’s got a fantastic opportunity to turn his career around playing under Chip Kelly. I am not 100% certain Colin’s going to be able to get his mechanics cleaned up, but I think he can. I’m not 100% certain Colin’s going to able to have the type of repetitive accuracy that Chip is looking for. But I think he might. I am not 100% certain Colin’s going to be able to develop the type of reflexive recall required to thrive in Chip’s offense. But I think it’s possible he could.

    But, based on the way he has handled this transition to a new HC and coaching staff, and seemingly willing to cut off his nose to spite his face, I really question Colin’s got what it takes from a mental aspect ( because he seems emotionally immature to me), to turn his career around. And he’s going to need to take his headphones off and act like a leader in the locker room and on the field. He needs to put the past behind him, regardless of who’s to blame, and make an effort to prove to Chip Kelly that he wants to be here, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim his starting position.

    I’m not sure he’s going to be able to do these things to turn himself around, but I hope he proves me wrong!

    1. Yes, I know I somehow repeated an entire paragraph.

      Grant, don’t you have enough pull around SRPD to have the tech guys give your readers and posters a way to edit our posts? It’s frustrating.

      1. Clearly Grant doesn’t have that kind of pull, and his dad doesn’t understand the Internet or related media. I’m sure that Grant would like for us to have an edit capability like he has.

  20. I sure am glad Chip has come around to my point of view. My biggest regret is that he did not say those things at his initial presser.
    Sure sounds like he thinks that Kaeps, regression was due to injury, and since he did not even mention Gabbert, maybe he is thinking that he wants Kaep to regain his starting job that he lost due to injury. Sounds like he really likes Kaep and is going all in with him, and never mentioned that Gabbert was the starting QB and Kaep will have to compete for a spot.
    Of course, it sure smacks of desperation, and may just be posturing to get a better draft pick as compensation.
    Personally, I think Kaep is gone, and he will flee this dumpster fire to get on a contender. Rehabbing in Vail was a tipoff, and the Niners saw the writing on the wall and signed Thad the next day.
    I predict that Kaep will fail his physical, and the Niners will be forced to accept a third round pick for him. Baalke, if he has an iota of common sense, should also insist on a conditional 5th round pick in 2017, as insurance in case Kaep takes the league By storm, again.
    If Baalke were clever, he might also bundle a 4th 5th and 6th round pick with Kaep and get the Denver first. Both teams would benefit. Niners will get good compensation fitting of a player who has played in a SB and has a 4-2 road playoff record. Denver will be able to lock in 3 more players to a rookie contract, and help replenish the roster that lost many players. The Denver first is essentially a high second, but it would allow the Niners to mine the sweet spot of the draft.
    Grant sure has a vivid imagination, and paints a pretty picture, but he needs to get back down to earth. I will scoff at him using Baalke quotes to drive the narrative, and emphatically state that he is entitled to his opinion, but I vehemently dispute his scenario.

    1. Seb, honestly, I don’t even know where to start when explaining how illogical this last post of your is. So I not even going to respond to it this time.

      1. However, one thing I must say. You really ought to think about the logic of what Chip is saying, and why it behooves him to day what he did about Colin’s Injuries.

        Chip Kelly is anything but stupid. Chip made a calculated decision to say what he did about Colin because it’s serves his, and the team’s purpose. All you have to do Sen is take a step back and ask yourself, “How do a Chip’s statements benefit Colin’s trade value, AND how do his statements benefit the team in terms of simulating Colin back into the quarterback mix?

        And on the flip side, what would be the benefit of Chip saying something along the lines of what Grant and I are saying? It’s obvious to any sane person why Chip and the Niners benefit from what he is saying. And it’s just as obvious to logical person why it wouldn’t be of anyone’s benefit to take the position Grant and I are taking.

        I mean seriously Seb! SMH

        1. 49, there you go again.
          I did say that it smacks of desperation and it is just posturing to get a better draft pick.
          Then you say- And its just as obvious to logical person why it wouldn’t be of anyone’s benefit to take the position Grant and I are taking.
          Really, you should think before you write. I cannot argue for and against you. You should stop arguing against yourself.

          1. You said you were glad Chip came around to your poi.t of view” which is lame because if it’s posturing, then why did he “come around to your POV?” And then you said “sure sounds like Chip believe’s Kap’s regression is due to injuries” which is absurd, unless you think Chip would have no reason to say otherwise.

            Honestly, none of what your saying makes any sense because in one post you contradict yourself like 10 times.

            1. 49, Chip never before mentioned that Kaep was injured, and that he regressed due to injury.
              I, on the other hand, have brought up that very subject many times, and many posters have told me that I was crazy for even thinking it might be a possibility.
              Look it up, it is archived for all to see.
              I have been very consistent, and have not changed my point of view 10 times. I have also said that when Chip was asked numerous times about Kaep, he kept mentioning Gabbert. Chip should have been praising Kaep to the high heavens in his initial presser, but failed to do so. He damned with faint praise.
              Now that he is confronted with losing Kaep, Chip has parroted exactly what I said. It still may only be posturing to get a better draft pick, but it also may be too little, too late.

        2. Also Seb, you seem to be under the impression that Colin is going to purposely fail his physical? Is that your position?

          And are you under the impression that if Colin fails his Physical prior to April 1st, that it automatically means the team is going to want to negotiate an injury settlement?

          Because, why would they. If you think Colin’s going to “mysteriously” fail his physical on March 31st (which seems silly on the surface) and then the team is going to immediately move towards an Injury settlement, please tell me why would they do that? And please, think it all the way through.

          1. 49, I have never said that Kaep will purposely fail his physical. Kaep just underwent 3 surgeries. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that he has not fully healed and totally recovered from the surgeries. Believe it or not, there are complications that may arise, even with the best of care.
            I said he would fail his physical, not that he will purposefully develop phantom symptoms. Stop putting words in my mouth.
            If Kaep had truly wanted to stab the Niners in the back like the Niners did to him, he would have scheduled his surgeries on March 30th.

            1. So you are on record saying Kap will fail his physical because he isn’t fully recovered from off-season injuries.

              OK, fine. And then what? I am just curious what you think happens next?

              And what exactly is your position in terms of what Chip had to say about the effect Colin’s Inuries had on his performance? Are you saying Chip was being honest and meant every word he said? Or do you think it’s very likely just posturing, because it would benefit nobody if Chip had said the opposite? Because you seem to think it’s both, which makes no sense.

              1. 49, I do not know exactly what will happen, but I do know that Kaep may have been offended when Jed sent the leaker to negotiate a pay cut. He was so offended, his reps asked for permission to talk to other teams within minutes after the meeting.
                Maybe we should wait until April 1st, and hear what Kaep says. Throughout this period, Kaep has remained silent, which I think was a smart thing to do. Kaep may say that he will forgive Jed, and will continue to play for the Niners. He MAY also say that he does not trust the FO, and wants out so he can play for a team that truly wants him, recognizes he has skills, has a coaching staff that is smart enough not to force him to be only a pocket passer, and respects him enough not to stab him in the back.

              2. No, 49, I am saying that he has not recovered from surgeries that were needed due to injuries he suffered DURING the 2015 season, not offseason injuries.

  21. NN had a good article about Lurie dissecting the Chip tenure. I think Chip’s downfall was not that he got Murray, but that he did not retain Mathis. Maybe Chip did not realize how important Mathis was to make the offense function smoothly. He should have done more to try and keep him, because mathis helped the Broncos win a SB.
    Sounds like they gave him power, and if he did not make the playoffs, they would fire him. This really mirrors the whole JH fiasco, and appears like the FO did not support the coach enough.
    Chip better watch his back, and work on his people skills.

    1. So, you would agree that it’s very possible that Chip agrees with Grant’s POV, and that it makes a lot of sense for Chip to blame Colin’s benching on injuries, even if, in fact, he doesn’t believe Injuries were to blame?

      Therefore, we don’t have any hard evidence that Chip believes Colin’s regression has anything to do with injuries?

      Am I getting that straight?

      Also, you.have no hard evidence to support the idea that Colin will fail his March 31st physical, and even if he does, we don’t exactly know what it means moving past that date?

      1. In other words, it’s all wild speculation, what Chip really thinks of Kap, and also wild speculation as to what is going to happen with his physical, or what happens after the physical?

        1. No, 49, it is not wild speculation. I just read what Chip himself has said, and draw inferences from his words. I am getting it from the horse’s mouth.
          No, I really do not know exactly what will happen, but my OPINION is that he may not be fully recovered, and will fail his physical.

      2. 49, no, you are not getting it straight.
        Chip just said that Kaep was injured, and his regression was the result of injuries. Grant’s POV is that Kaep was not injured and his regression is due to Kaep not being a very good QB.

    2. Does it really mirror the JH situation Seb? Jim Harbaugh didn’t have the control over personell decisions. And that’s a huge difference, and a therefore a completely different scenario, isn’t it Seb?

      1. In other words, aren’t’t you just trying to connect dots that don’t connect? And aren’t you drawing similarities that are actually wildly different Seb?

  22. So let me get this right… kaepernick needed to stay in the pocket and throw with a diminished and non existing o-line. And let’s not forget the plays that were so obvious to play against due to a coach that did not know how to do his job. Last was not kaepernicks fault

  23. I have to agree with Grant that the injury story is pretty much BS. A torn labrum on a non throwing shoulder is an injury that is traditionally played through. (Gabbert previously had even played through this type of injury) This was confirmed by an independent Dr. when he was asked, so that is not really an excuse. The knee injury was more of a scope from my understanding and is a fairly common off-season operation. The only injury that would have affected him significantly would have been the one to his thumb… which if memory serves correct he suffered in his last start.
    The offensive line was pretty bad last year but he seemed to let it break him ala Jim Everett, so I have to question his mental toughness. I hope he turns it around as he seems like a good kid but he has to lean to be effective without the best oline in the biz in front of him ala Tom Brady and Russell Wilson who had far worse pass blocking lines in front of them.

    1. Sorry to disagree, but when a QB throws the ball into the turf, it sure looks like he was not 100% healthy, and Kaep’s thumb definitely was injured when Clay Mathews ran by Devey like he was standing still, and sacked Kaep hard. I remember seeing the pain on his face after the hit, and in the after game interview, he had a big bandage on his thumb.
      I agree, the O line was putrid, and after 80 sacks, it is no wonder why he was injured. Last year, after the Viking game, he was sacked 28 times, or about 4 times per game.
      You may claim that the Seahawk and Patriot O lines were worse than the Niners, but both teams also went deep in the playoffs behind those lines, while the Niners set records in offensive futility.

  24. They advanced deep into the layoffs in spite of their o line. Please feel free to look up the pass blocking ratings for o lines if you don’t believe me.
    The niners online was bad, but they were rated as a terrible run blocking line and an average pass blocking line. The patriots had a pass blocking oline that was ranked in the 30’s and of course tom Brady was throwing balls into the dirt and hitting ball boys 15 yds out of bounds… Oh wait.
    As to the thumb injury, I just checked and that occurred in against Seattle not GB. As to Kaep throwing the ball in the dirt, considering this started last year and got worse this year I would hate to see what would happen if he got an injury that should legitimately affect his throwing motion like a stubbed toe or a hang nail.

  25. The Kap situation is complicated. It’s not one way or the other. It was a number of issues that contributed to his eventual benching.

    Kap’s biggest problem has always been inconsistency. He can be great one week and complete garbage the next. You have to have more stability at the QB position than that.

    He is not comfortable in the pocket. He has never been a pocket QB at any point in his life and he really wasn’t asked to be until Harbaugh’s last year when they started taking him out of his comfort zone and forcing him to play from that spot more and more. He struggled at times, but he also played well at times too. The inconsistency again.

    The Oline. Starting with Kilgore’s injury against Denver in 2014, the Oline play dropped considerably. The rest of that season and pretty much all the way through last season, featured poor pass protection and that also led to Kap being benched because…

    The key reason: a complete loss of confidence. We can point to a number of factors that caused it, but the AZ game was demoralizing for him and the Seattle game ended any chance of him bouncing back. It was just a steady downward spiral that culminated in a player who was shell shocked and didn’t trust himself.

    Whether he can regain that confidence is anybody’s guess, but right now he is total question mark moving forward.

  26. It is convenient that you looked at the whole year rating when in the first half of the year Kaep had Devey and Martin, while Gabbert had Tiller and Kilgore.

      1. But after the first game they seemed unable to run the ball. What does it all mean?

        How about it’s a team game that’s won in the trenches?

        You got to play with 110% effort?

        If you don’t get better each and every day you’ll get worse?

        1. Jimmy T??? is that you?
          You forgot “we have to face the problem head on, we can’t go around it. We have to go through it.”:):)
          I’m not discrediting the fact that the offensive line was not up to snuff, I am stating that qb’s and teams can play well enough to win with below average o-lines, Seattle’s 0-line ranked 27th overall the year they won the superbowl… 25th in pass blocking. In 2014 when the Pats won the superbowl their Oline ranked 25th overall and 31st in terms of pass protection. The year Baltimore won it they had the 23rd ranked oline overall, 20th in terms of pass blocking.
          The point is we simply we can’t blame all of our qb’s struggles on the O-Line. While the niners oline was not good, (particularly in run blocking) they were not entirely to blame for the offenses struggles. Neither was Kaep, but he most definitively regressed as he was no longer comfortable in the pocket and was not making defenses pay when they stacked the box.
          Can he get back the magic in Kelly’s offense? Maybe. This is very possibly the best shot he will have to succeed in the NFL, as very few offenses give their qb’s such simple defined looks as Chip’s does when it running right and his running ability would only stress the defense even more.

          1. “Jimmy T??? is that you?”

            Yes and probably more than 99 percent of all football coaches through out the history of the game.

      2. Shoup, I will concede that the O line was only part of the problem.
        Another big factor was the coaching. It was as if the Peter Principle was emblematic of every coach. Tomsula was the poster child and Chryst was not too far behind. In hindsight, coaches who were radio talk show hosts and out of coaching, tend to make lousy QB coaches. ST coaches who refused to let Hayne return punts even while behind, deserve to get fired. Baalke and the O line coach were obtuse not to put Boone in at RT and seemed to want to punish him more than they wanted to win.
        Baalke also deserves some attention since his 2015 FA class disappeared, and in the case of Pears, many wished he would have disappeared. Now that this present FA period has been worse than a bust because they re-signed Devey, I am not too optimistic.

        1. While I tend to agree that the coaching was poor and we would have done better with better coaches. I kind of feel bad for them.
          They took over an 8-8 team that lost their starting LG, C,and RT, RB, both RDE, LDE, OLB, MLB, both CB’s of which 4 were borderline or actual probowlers… The overall talent just wasn’t there on this team and I don’t believe there is a team in the league that could sustain those kind of losses and succeed.
          With that said I don’t think it was the number of losses that got the staff fired, it was the embarrassment and non competitive nature of some of them.

          1. Exactly. I agree that the loss of 12 starters hurt, but the coaches did not prepare them very well. They were not focused or disciplined. When 7 players jump offside in a game, I had to wonder what the coaches did all week in practice.
            Sure seemed like the other team shaped the Niners. In the Cards game, they invited the blitz, then exploited the area the blitzer just left. The season before, the Raiders said that they could tell what play would be run just by looking at the formation. In the first Cards game Mathiew said that they knew where the ball would be thrown, so they could jump the routes. That shows poor coaching.

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