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  1. Agree with all of those. Though I still think Vance is a good chance of not making the team. Whoever ends up playing that move TE role is in for a big year.

    Beadles could be in for a good year too. This offense suits his skillset, and he’ll get to play next to the 49ers best OL. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the left side of the OL being the favoured side for runs.

    1. Scooter, I agree, Vance does have value as a blocker. He has the prototypical size and speed to be very productive. If he can solve the dropsies, he should still be the starter.

      However, TC will decide that factor, so speculating now is just idle posturing. Maybe he would have more value as a trade prospect, so Bruce Miller may get more playing time.

      1. There goes Sebnnoying thinking the NFL is the NBA where teams make multiple player deals like sprinkling fertilizer on a lawn!

        1. Prime, you think you can bully me into leaving this site, but it is futile to even try. If you want a war of words, I will gladly accommodate you. However, some have begged me not to start, so I will just start describing your lack of football knowledge. You obviously feel so inferior to me, you must attack me to try to feel better. I truly feel sorry for you. I pity you. Keep up your snark, it just shows how lacking in intellect, maturity and class you so aptly demonstrate every time you write some drivel.

          I get it. You are the FO GADFLY that is being directed to oppose me in a knee jerk reaction.

          Please try harder, so far, you are really not worth the bother to engage. I like winning, but when you start spewing expletives after only a few posts, it is pathetic. You obviously are not a worthy opponent.

          Again, I will stress your total lack of football knowledge, and when you devolve into attacks, you prove it every time. You are afraid to engage me in a civil manner like Scooter or Wilson, so you go infantile. I am not impressed.

          Remember, you once said that Kaep took the league by storm. That may be the only thing we agree about.

            1. Yes this is a Yawn watching you too have a cat fight instead of knowledgeable football talk!!

              1. Knowledgeable football talk? Prime cant do that, so he devolves into insults. I have been the one disputing Grant’s take on Draughn, not disparaging other civil and respectful posters.

                Speaking of football, I think that Gabbert does have skills, and he is almost as fast as Kaep. However, Gabbert has not shined, even with a better O line that Kaep was deprived of. Gabbert could easily have lost the Atlanta game if Quinn did not go brain dead. He should have lost the Bears game but the Kicker missed an extra point. He also should have lost to the Rams, but their kicker had a chip shot blocked. Gabbert could easily have been 0-8, and we would not even been having this discussion about who should start.

              2. Gabbert had a better line? Interesting, their pass blocking rank didnt improve from week 8 to week 16. Stop perpetuating this myth.

              3. Please, even you should at least acknowledge that Devey was a QB killer. Look what he did to Kaep. He had to have 3 surgeries after getting sacked 28 times.

              4. Not only was Devey a QB killer (per Seb), Devey was also sitting next to Hayne on the bus when Hayne was cut… Devey is bad news.

              5. Devey was a qb killer… yes. The problem was so was his backup seeing as the Oline improved its pass pro ranking by exactly 0 positions when he was replaced.
                Thats right, Gabbert had the benefit of starting behind an offensive line that produced at exactly the same level as it had prior to Devey’s replacement.
                So please feel free to explain how a line that didn’t improve improve in pass pro by any statistical measure, lost its starting and backup running backs, and pulled new ones off the street every couple weeks (that had to learn their pass pro assignment within the week), created a better situation for Gabbert than Kaep had?

              6. Shoup, Gabbert did not need 3 surgeries because he was bludgeoned into the turf. That is improvement to me.

              7. Common Seb, even you know that this is not a valid argument. If it were, it would indicate Dallas’s line doesn’t block as well for Romo as it does for his backups. Or that Denver’s didn’t block as well for Manning.
                Injuries are pretty much luck of the draw and almost every qb will be injured at some point in the season. As to the bludgeoned one… he had two noted injuries in the season that typically played though. Hell, Gabbert, who is not known for his toughness, played through the same shoulder injury. As to the thumb injury pshhh… throw a dart at a board of starting qb’s and you have about a 50/50 chance of hitting a qb who played with this.

          1. Sebnnoying you are not even in the same league as me. In fact you are or not even on the same planet as me or anyone else on this blog.
            You want me to talk football with you? That would be like talking to a donkey who just repeats the same thing.
            No thanks!

            1. Prime, I agree. You are not in the same universe as me.

              You came up with how many hits on your mock? Zippo.
              I came up with 3. Buckner, Garnett and Cooper.

              Last Super Bowl I predicted the Broncos would win when you and so many others declared the Panthers were unstoppable.

              The year before, I predicted the Pats would win and came within 5 points of guessing the exact score.

              You, on the other hand, have been crowing how Kaep should get cut because he sucks. Well, you are wrong AGAIN. Kaep is still a Niner, and poised to take the league by storm AGAIN.

              1. Just to set the record straight, I would add he gave me a hard time for predicting they were moving towards a ZBS, over a year ago….

              2. Seb what does it mean when people self praise themselves?
                The self awareness storm is coming!

            2. Prime, when you unfairly criticize me, you give me the perfect opportunity to defend myself.

              Stop leading with your chin.

              1. Start using some self awareness and listen to the response you are getting not just from me but the entire blog.
                Continue being you and sooner or later you will be gone. I guarantee it. Mouth pieces like you don’t last. You know that. Look back to your history on other blogs. Time is the only thing now before you leave. I just can’t wait for that to happen!

              2. Sebnynah, your outrageous ideas have made it clear to everyone on this blog that you haven’t even the slightest understanding of how NFL teams operate, let alone basic human nature. You waste our time with suggestions of nonsensical grand conspiracies, and you attempt to decieve us with big words, instead of substance, like a typical dime store con man.

                Prime Time is only the latest to call you out on your nonsense. I am sure he won’t be the last!

              3. Talk is cheap. Of course, everyone leaves after a while. I can guarantee that, too. Even you.

                Still, all I want to do is politely and civilly discuss the Niners with faithful fans who want them to win. They will be playing for years to come, so expect my input for the foreseeable future.

                When you mention self awareness, maybe you apply that term to yourself. We all know you act like a spoiled brat and have a potty mouth. Look back on some of your posts. You do not cover yourself in glory.

                Keep on engaging me, and I will get to keep on bringing up the fact that you said that Kaep took the league by storm. Ignore me, and I, and a whole lotta folks, will be a lot happier.

              4. I’ve been here a long time Sebnnoying, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll talk football to the people who can and call out the garbage as well. You sir, have been here a very short time, making feeble predictions, repetitive comments and overall elementary comments all the while polluting it with too many posts.
                It’s all garbage and sooner or later you will get the hint the blog doesn’t need or care for your weak game!

              5. 49, for some reason, Grant lets me post on this site. I like it here. I like the fact that I do not hear all the tired cliches and rah rah fandom. The safe, Barrows or Maiocco- like blogs are nice, but boring. However, on this site, posters get to speak their mind and throw out new ideas. Maybe Grant lets me stay because I defend him against his detractors. Maybe he lets me stay because I say things that he cannot say, but would like to. Maybe he likes that I do generate debate, and can disagree with him without being disagreeable.

                I do not have the slightest notion how a team operates? I know enough to say that the Niners should reverse course and do the exact opposite to what they are doing. Maybe they should start by stopping the leaking, instead of using leaks as a SOP. Maybe they should treat the players better so Free Agents do not shun them, and players do not flee like the ship is sinking.

                Gosh, when I use big words, maybe I am trying to elevate the discourse. Maybe you want this site to sink into grunting monosyllabic pablum.

                I sincerely apologize that I have affected you so much, you get upset that new ideas are being postulated. I thought most Niner fans would have the capacity to not allow their emotions to spill over into a blog site. I guess I was wrong. Maybe you are such a newb, you do not realize that some blog sites can be wild and inflammatory. Some have made insulting one another an art form. I thought on this site, there are site protocols that restrict such behavior, but when I am relentlessly attacked in a tag team fashion, being called names, bullied and insulted constantly, it does get tiresome.

                It is so easy to just scroll past my posts. It should not be a huge burden to do so, unless you make it a point to read them so you can get upset about them. Maybe you, and the Niners, should realize that getting upset is counter productive.

                If I were a true troll, I would be ecstatic that my posts can be so powerful. However, being just a die hard faithful Niner fan, I find it sad.

                I will say this to you, and all the other posters who fly off the handle- Please grow up.

  2. I am thinking VMac won’t make the team. If Cooper wins the RT position do you still think Garnett will be the RG? Seems to me you want your rookies playing next to a veteran if possible. I would expect Garnett to play left guard and Beadles plays right guard if Cooper wins the RT position.

    1. Undercenter

      These spaces between camps and OTA’s etc. lead us into the “What if ?” zone. I think that ‘Chip’ holds his cards too close to his vest for anyone to even guess closely who and where his players will be. I sort of think that all of the ‘projections’ are comical.

  3. Last season, Gabbert started eight games and completed a career-best 63.1 percent of his passes. This offseason during three OTA practices open to the media, Gabbert has completed 68.6 percent of his passes. Big improvement. Kelly’s offense seems to bring out the best in the Niners’ quarterback.
    ————-
    You’re not actually trying to compare the completion percentage during a game towards how he throws in shorts during OTA’s, right? Even if you are, and I know you wouldn’t do such a silly thing but even so if you are you wouldn’t still try and compare the average percent variance between a sample of 3 vs 8, right?

    1. If the NBA playoffs were determined off of a sample size of 3 the Warriors would be at home watching the Finals.

          1. Saucy tonight, hey clown? You’re just wrong about the Warriors. They flipped a switch when it was required, never in doubt. A different format wouldn’t change that truth.

            1. You and Seb appear to suffer from the same failing, makes me wonder if you aren’t the same person. When you have no legitimate point to make you say random crap that had nothing to do with the original post. Hooray for you.

        1. After 3 games the Warriors were down 2-1 to the OKC, therefore if the playoffs were only 3 game series the Warriors would be at home. Was that simple enough for ya?

  4. None of these players have ever excelled at anything, ever. I mean it’s possible, but we’re talking OTA’s here, brothers and sisters. Training camp will separate the wheat from the chaff….

  5. Grant, I agree with Ellington, but disagree about Draughn. There was a reason he was cut so many times, and I like DuJuan Harris better as the backup to Hyde.He has more wriggle.

    Also, Taylor may surprise the coaches. Running is in his blood, and I am sure his father imparted all sorts of pearls of wisdom.

    1. I for one hope that Taylor is a surprise. His measurables are pedestrian and so we have to rely on pedigree. I can’t think of too many football players who follow their parent and are as good or better – the Matthews clan is the only one that comes to mind after Manning.

    2. Draughn has a much bigger catch radius than Harris. Draughn’s length allows you to do a lot with him as a receiver. Theo Riddick is the same way.

      1. I beg to differ. Draughn had passes thrown his way, but they were mainly swing passes and short throws. They were not timing passes where the receiver had to contest for the ball.

        I think Harris can also catch those short easy passes, too. Of course, maybe the QB should pitch him the ball while he is looking.

        1. Additionally, Harris ran a 4.44- 40 time, while Draughn ran a 4.62-40 time.

          Harris averaged almost 11 yards per catch, while Draughn averaged 7 yards per catch.

            1. Harris was talented enough to attract the attention of the Seahawks. I think Pete Carrol knows a tiny bit about running backs.

            2. This is exactly what prime, aj, myself and others mean. Seb is irrational all posts–everytime. Now instead of Hayne, who played Rugby, a sport in which catching a forward pass is illegal that Seb elected to the Hall of Fame in summer camp, now he likes RB Harris over Draughn, even thought Harris has only 2 games, as Grant pointed out.

              Here’s one a few days ago:

              MJ

              June 3, 2016 at 8:47 am

              Why would Chip quit over a player he has never worked with? Do you read what you write before you hit send?I mean seriously, Chip was FIRED 5 months ago, he’s not quitting after 2 months on the job when NO ONE wanted him in the NFL, and all other coaching vacancies have been filled. He’s making 6 million a year, you don’t walk away from that before it’s even started because of some QB, especially when that QB is named Colin Kaepernick and he’s been trying to get out of SF the whole offseason.

      2. Another good read Grant.

        Take away the receiving threat, and Harris is a far superior RB. Harris is a big play threat every time he touches the football. He is the more elusive RB, and he has break away speed.

        Their career stats back me up.

        Draughn is not a big play threat. He doesn’t make people miss and he doesn’t have break away speed either.

        However, don’t you think they both make the final roster?

        1. Certainly possible they both make the roster. Harris has been returning kicks in practice, which gives him a good chance to make it as a fourth running back a la Kenjon Barner last season.

          1. Grant,
            A little off subject but have you noticed Marcus Rush during OTA’s yet?

          2. I think it comes down to Davis and Harris. When Harris got a chance last year he made the most of his opportunities.
            Solid hard runner who doesn’t go down easily. Also not too bad catching balls out of the backfield.
            Davis never really got a chance with the injury. The only thing saving him might be he was a 4th round pick.
            Like corners, you can never have enough RB’s.

          3. OK, thanks Grant, good to know.

            I know that you can get a feel about how the coaches view a player based on the way they are being utilized in practice. And it sounds like they are taking advantage of Draughn’s length as a receiver. After all, he’s 6′ tall with fairly long arms, compared to Harris, who is only about 5’8″. Watching them up close and personal, do you agree Harris is the better runner, but Draughn’s pass catching ability makes him a better overall weapon? Because, all though it was a small sample size last season, Harris looked far more explosive to me, and a tad more elusive as well.

            1. Yes, Harris is a better runner than Draughn. Draughn’s pass-catching ability makes him a better fit as the passing-down back. Harris will be the change-of-pace runner for Hyde on running downs.

    3. Running is in his blood?? Thats the most ridiculous argument ever for anything.

      By that notion Barry Sanders son should have been an amazing running back…yet he is now a graduate transfer to Ok State, if that notion meant anything he would have been a draft pick as a jr or even sr.

      Or Michael Jordans kids would be playing pro basketball somewhere.

      Now that doesn’t mean that Taylor won’t prove to be something, but it has nothing to do with who his father is. Who was Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders and countless other NFL HOF players fathers, very few did anything besides high school level ball.

      1. I think what matters is how early Fred started working with Kelvin. I terms of bloodlines, Kelvin really doesn’t look much like his father. His father was considerably bigger, and more of a power back. Kelvin’s running style is different as well.

        I like what I see on Kelvin’s tape. And having never lost a fumble as a starter for Florida, relates to the early work his father did with him teaching the fundamentals of ball security. My gut tells me Kelvin has learned a lot from his father, and has what it takes to be a featured back at some point in his career.

        2016 running backs:

        HYDE is the featured back.
        HARRIS is change of pace RB.
        DRAUGHN will be the passing down specialist.
        TAYLOR Is the 4th string RB to start the 2016 season.

  6. I know it’s early but it’s nice to see that some of the young players (and this is a bit of a laugh as the entire team is young – except maybe the kicker) stepping up and looking like they may supplant veterans. Players like Cooper, Robinson, Buckner, Harold, Rogers and even Burbridge who are turning heads and making a name for themselves. Some of the veterans that Grant mentioned along with Miller, Beadles, Ward, Armstead, and Reid have also been given some praise for their play, intelligence and capacity. That can only mean good things for this team going forward.

  7. I agree with each player except McDonald and Cooper. The hands on McDonald are too suspect while Cooper needs to get stronger. I would switch out McDonald with Miller and Cooper with Rogers. Ellington is also a toss-up as well, but I think he can finally break out if he is able to avoid any type of injury.

    1. Cooper put up 24 reps on the bench at his Pro Day. He plays stronger than Pears.

      Miller isn’t dangerous enough to start at H-Back. He also has shaky hands a very small catch radius. He’ll be a situational blocker.

      1. I think you’re overestimating Cooper and underestimating Miller, especially the latter. Miller has been playing at TE and WR during the OTAs from what I understand. His hands might be shaky, but I trust Miller to make the catch more than McDonald, who I don’t even see making it to the final roster.

        1. V-Mac is making the final roster. I guarantee it.

          He really came on strong in the 2nd half last year. Even if he continues to have issues with drops, the kid is a flat out dominant blocker. You don’t cut dominant blocking TE’s.

  8. In all likelihood the offensive player most likely to excel will be Dawson.

  9. When the Rams cut Nick Foles, the Niners should pick him up in an instant. Or try and make a deal for him now and let loose Kaep. Foles will make a great backup and/or possible starter if Gabbert gets hurt or is ineffective.

    1. Why? He was a 60% completion guy with Chip and 54% without Chip. Both our current QB’s are better that without Chip, wouldn’t it make sense that they both improve as well?

      1. No matter what his detractors say, Kaep has a 4-2 road playoff record and played in a Super Bowl. He is not chopped liver.

        1. Seb

          easy deal there….”Hit the road Kaep…and don’t cha’come back no more , no more, no more,no more….”

          1. What you say?
            Woah Niners, oh Niners dont treat me so mean,
            your’e the meanest front office that I ever seen.
            So listen up Niners dont treat me this way,
            Cause I’ll be back on my feet some day.
            If you tell me to pack my bags and go.
            I’ll be back and show no mercy fo’ sho.

        2. Actually Kaep is 3-1 on the road and 4-2 overall…

          Which means jack nothing. By your notion than Joe Flacco is the best QB ever since he has 7 road playoff wins. Or how about Marc Sanchez with his 4-2 road playoff record.

          Joe Montana, crap since he is 2-5 on the road, just ignore his 10-2 home record and 4 championship rings.

          Steve Young and Troy Aikman, awful, a compined 1-6 on the road between them…

          1. Sorry, but Kaep has a 4-2 road playoff record. I did not compare Kaep to Steve Young or Joe Montana, because those 2 are HOFers, and were blessed with having elite teams supporting them. They did not have good road playoff records, but also had home field advantage many times.

            The fact that Aikman, Young and Montana had poor road playoff records just emphasizes the fact that it is hard to win on the road.

      2. Milleneum Wild Bill was talking about Gabbert not Kap. It’s the same point. I think if you look at the numbers of the QB’s who’ve played for Kelly both with him and without him they all show drastic improvement in their stats when playing for Kelly. Most of those guys are mid 50% passers without Kelly and around 60% with Kelly. BG completed 63% of his passes last year and CK is. Career 60% passer meaning these guys are better than anyone Kelly had at both aspects of running and passing. I would say from Kelly’s performance as coach we could see improvement from either of these guys. This of course is guessing based on Kelly’s past performance. Our WR’s are of great concern to any offensive pass improvement.

  10. Foles is probably a better QB than Gabbert. Gabbert is 8-27 as a starting QB. Most procrastinators see the Niners being one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. Let’s say the Niners go 3-13 or 4-14 this year, which they probably will with this years schedule. That would make Gabbert 11-40 or 12-39 as a starter.

    I’d rather take my chances with Foles.

    1. Kelly dumped Foles for Bradford and he won’t go back. I am no Gabbert fan I think Foles was propped up by Kelly’s offense. He’s exposed now and was awful last year without Kelly with the Rams who have buyers remorse. He got benched for an inexperienced back up. Foles is a statue and is never a threat to run.

    2. I wish to point out your improper word usage. I think you meant prognosticators.

      Foles is a statue. Chip did not want him then, he will not want him now.

  11. Doesn’t look like Kelly’s scheme accomodates or is designed for come from behind scenarios, when legit downfield game will be needed. And there will be a plethora of these situations this year I am guessing…

    1. My guess is Chip’s scheme has plenty of options to come from behind being that it’s essentially a 2 min drill offense all the time. Grant’s drawing some conclusions about scheme after OTA and only a few practices open to the press. I would imagine they are working on the basic concepts in both passing and running. I think it’s a bit early to draw conclusions from what we’ve seen so far. We do know Chip’s offenses score way more points than last years 49ers offense.

      Our defense had the lowest points against last season at home. We were awful on the road. If O’Neil could improve their road defense we won’t have as many of those as last year.

  12. Thanks for the good read Grant.

    Good to hear about Cooper?

    Question : I keep hearing the same narrative about Browns conditioning but they all lack detail. It almost seems like one blogger mentioned it and everyone just followed suit. What was it exactly that has everyone questioning his condition? Was he huffing and puffing all over the place? Was he puking on the sideline? Was he just plane ol’ looking like tons of fun out there? Some insight would be great.

    Thanks Grant.

    1. Thanks for asking that question, Leo. I find this Brown situation puzzling. Surely, he must have seen how an effective NFL dieting and conditioning program improved his football physique last year. It just seems odd to me that he would let himself go over the offseason especially with a new regime; if that is what happened. Speculation for sure, but as you say we keep hearing about his lack of conditioning from different beat writers…

      1. My thought exactly Cubus. Is it something to be worried about or is it that his conditioning is still on schedule that was a continuation from last year, but its just the difficulty of adjusting to Chip’s tempo that makes it seem worse than it is?

      1. I don’t get it, I thought he was running with the 2’s. Is he taking plays off?

        1. Taking entire periods off, and he did not participate in any of the team drills on Thursday. Cooper ran with the drills and acquitted himself well, especially against Ronald Blair.

          1. Grant: What is your understanding of conditioning? Does he look overweight compared to the end of last season? Is it just that he can’t handle the pace of practice?

            If he’s just getting winded, then wouldn’t he have recovered Wednesday night in order to at least participate in some of the drills on Thursday. Are we sure there isn’t something else going on?

            Thanks for any insight.

            1. TomD

              June 5, 2016 at 11:52 am

              This is exactly what prime, aj, myself and others mean. Seb is irrational all posts–everytime. Now instead of Hayne, who played Rugby, a sport in which catching a forward pass is illegal that Seb elected to the Hall of Fame in summer camp, now he likes RB Harris over Draughn, even thought Harris has only 2 games, as Grant pointed out.

              Here’s some a few days ago:

              June 4, 2016 at 12:55 pm
              49reasons
              June 4, 2016 at 12:55 pm

              MJ, you need to understand the source.

              Sebnynah doesn’t understand team dynamics MJ. Seb doesn’t understand how NFL teams operate. And since he makes assumptions and predictions based on his false understanding of the nature of an NFL team, and the way it’s structured, most of his comments make very little sense.

              and this about Seb after he wrote this:

              sebnynah

              June 3, 2016 at 7:42 am

              Personally,and without a shred of evidence, I think the rumor of friction between Chip and Baalke was over Kaep. I speculate that Chip threatened to quit if they got rid of Kaep.

              MJ

              June 3, 2016 at 8:47 am

              Why would Chip quit over a player he has never worked with? Do you read what you write before you hit send?I mean seriously, Chip was FIRED 5 months ago, he’s not quitting after 2 months on the job when NO ONE wanted him in the NFL, and all other coaching vacancies have been filled. He’s making 6 million a year, you don’t walk away from that before it’s even started because of some QB, especially when that QB is named Colin Kaepernick and he’s been trying to get out of SF the whole offseason.

          2. Grant,
            You mentioned that Cooper did well against Blair. Has Blair done well enough to garner Cooper getting a good grade when going up against him?

            Both are 5th rd picks (Blair picked about 30 players ahead) and of course rookies.
            Fahn probably hasn’t lined up against the 1st team defense, but if he does then that would warrant a more worthy grade.

            Having said that, I am looking forward to any report on Blair’ overall performance come TC.

            1. Quote from LeShean McCoy:

              “The one thing I’ll say about Chip is that he wants to win. He is very, very, very, very, intelligent. The offense, they’ll find a way to get the big numbers. They’ll find the ways to put up the stats offensively…” Philadelphia Daily News.

  13. Shaun Draughn talks returning to the 49ers, the Chip Kelly offense, and the coaching change

    By Elpato  @PatOHolloway on Jun 4, 2016, 2:45p 17

    Before practice, [49ers offensive coordinator] Curtis Modkins compared you to Theo Riddick who caught 80 passes under Modkins last season you caught a bunch of passes last year too. Do you feel like this offense suits your strength

    Yeah. I feel like I’m pretty versatile to do what this offense demands of a running back. They do a great job of involving the running backs. Definitely feel like I fit in the offense.

    Does the offense ask running backs to be a big part in the passing game?

    Absolutely. As a running back, you’re the workhorse. You do everything. Pass catching, blocking, running, you do everything on the offensive side of the ball.

  14. Modkins has been a running backs coach in the NFL for eight seasons, so what’s going on with the backup running back situation behind RB Carlos Hyde?

    There’s two guys that stuck out when he mentions them. First, RB Shaun Draughn.

    “Shaun can do everything good. He gives versatility, gives you ability to create match-up problems, I’m excited about it,” Modkins said. He even went on to compare Draughn to Lions RB Theo Reddick.

    1. *Above source:

      Ryan Sakamoto
      ‏@SakamotoRyan
      #49ers OC Curtis Modkins on Shaun Draughn…

  15. 2002. That was the last time the San Francisco 49ers had a double-digit sack artist before OLB Aldon Smith ended the 10-year drought with 19.5 in 2012. Interesting, right? You’re probably asking yourself, “Who was that player who accomplished that feat in 2002?” The answer is former 49ers DE/OLB Andre Carter.

    Hand selected by the great Bill Walsh, Carter was the anointed one. He was the one player the 49ers had targeted throughout the entire 2001 NFL Draft process. However, the 49ers were in a vulnerable draft position. Despite holding a top 10 pick at No. 9, it wasn’t high enough to land the Cal product. Why? Because the Chicago Bears who hold the No. 8 pick were destined to take Carter off the board if he was available.

    Walsh understanding the need for an elite pass-rusher in a transcending pass-happy league, had to make a move. Going against his own conventional wisdom of trading back and stockpiling picks, he did the exact opposite. Just one phone call away was Seattle Seahawks GM/HC Mike Holmgren.

    The Seahawks held the No. 7 overall pick and were in the market of trading down, if the price was right. Walsh who had mentored Holmgren during his time in San Francisco used that as leverage in negotiations. It worked. The 49ers-Seahawks swapped first-round picks in a two-for-three deal.

    The 49ers moved up to No. 7 while also receiving the Seahawks sixth-round pick (No. 191). The Seahawks received the 49ers first-round pick (No. 9), third-round pick (No. 82) and seventh-round (No. 222).

    “I’m relieved. We had to give more than we hoped, but it was well worth it,” Walsh said after making the deal.

    Carter would go on and play five seasons for San Francisco while racking up 188 tackles (18 for loss), 32.0 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles. His best year was of course, 2002, where he recorded 12.5 sacks. A successful NFL career, Carter would play 13 seasons while finishing with 80.5 sacks before calling it quits in 2014.

    Now that his NFL playing career is behind him, Carter is hoping to pay it forward by coaching up 49ers OLB Aaron Lynch and newly converted OLB Tank Carradine. Part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, Carter has been working exclusively with the outside linebackers, specifically Lynch and Carradine.

    Last week, we saw Carter observing the linebackers from afar, but today he tackled a more hands on approach. In my video above, I caught a candid glimpse of Carter working with both Lynch and Carradine on hand-placement.

    But this goes beyond fundamentals.

    You see, when Carter was with the 49ers there was a man by the name of George Chung. At the time, Chung was the team’s executive producer. But what many people don’t realize was that he played a big role in Carter’s 12.5 sack production by working with Carter on hand placement via martial arts.

    How do I know this? Because before every home game, me and my Dad would get to Candlestick four hours prior to kickoff watching Chung work with Carter exclusively on hand-to-hand combat.

    AP
    AP

    He would work with Carter using his boxing mittens, and Carter would incorporate self-defense movements into his pass-rushing game. If I remember correctly, Carter once called him the Bruce Lee of the NFL, though I can’t remember for sure. In any case, one of the reasons why Carter was open to the idea of working with Chung in the first place was due to his own martial-arts background in Tae-Kwon-Do — having received a black belt at age 12.

    Fast forward to today, and Carter is using the same technique learned from Chung with Lynch and Carradine. It was like a blast from the past for me, as I seen this before.

    Not like I remember how to use it, but I also have a black belt in shotokan and will help breakdown the lesson by Coach Carter below as it all comes down to spacing:

    1. Spacing

    This is extremely important, for two reasons. One, the lower half of Carradine/Lynch’s body is not a threatened state. Meaning although they are partially exposed on top (from Carter’s hand-placement), Carradine/Lynch both have 100% use of their hips to trim the edge and get by the offensive lineman.

    Secondly, their hand placement creates natural spacing allowing them to shift their balance from a powerless position. You will notice in the video above that both Carradine/Lynch place their right hand between Carter’s forearm and elbow. In doing so, they will be able to set the edge while getting up-field, due to gaining advantage on hand-placement.

    Now that his NFL playing career is behind him, Carter is hoping to pay it forward by coaching up 49ers OLB Aaron Lynch and newly converted OLB Tank Carradine. Part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, Carter has been working exclusively with the outside linebackers, specifically Lynch and Carradine.

    1. I like this post TomD. I remember Chung working with Carter as well pre-game on his hand work. I believe these OLBs will need the spacing to be able to use their natural athletic ability (length, speed) more freely (as opposed to bull rushers, who would use force to push back the pocket).

  16. Walsh also asked the York’s to draft Drew Brees–Walsh thought he saw something there–but his note was thrown in the garbage. TomD

    1. This is not news, Walsh covered his bases having DL learn martial arts, ie, hand to hand combat to get the sacking edge. Ronnie Lott, Bill Romanowski and Roger Craig have black belts

    2. Kaepernick plays to win, and Gabbert plays not to lose. Pick your poison….

      1. Kaep didn’t look to be playing to win last year. He looked indecisive and tentative. Gabbert at least looked more decisive, even if it was timid football. Pick your poison indeed, but if Kaep continues to look indecisive and tentative then its not a difficult choice to make.

        1. Neither choice looks particularly enthralling. I’m in agreence with Rocket that the 49ers will be drafting a QB next year.

          1. Yep, me too. I’ve been saying they should do that since before the draft, though I thought they would still look to draft a QB early this year even after Goff and Wentz were taken.

        2. He should look anything but tentative and indecisive in this offense….

          1. He should. Sadly, there is a big difference between should and will.

            Time will tell as to whether he (a) impresses Kelly enough to win the starting job and (b) actually plays like a starting calibre a QB in this offense.

            1. Meh, I’ve seen what Kaepernick can do in a triple option offense. If he’s healthy, mentally focused on the task at hand and committed, there’s no way in hell he loses to Gabbert. And if he does, it’s time for him to retire….

              1. You’ve seen what he can do in a triple option offense in college.

                Aside from being healthy, mentally focused on the task at hand and committed, he also needs to show he can be accurate and make smart decisions with the football. So far in his career he has not been a paragon of these QB virtues, and was outplayed by Gabbert in these areas last year.

              2. I’ve seen Kaepernick make smart decisions and throw accurately from the pistol and spread offense in the NFL. Ask Gabbert if he outplayed Kaepernick on 3rd downs last year….

              3. Except, the NFL is a far cry from the Mountain West Conference. I’m pretty sure you can get away with accuracy issues in the MWC? Or am I missing something?

              4. “Except, the NFL is a far cry from the Mountain West Conference. I’m pretty sure you can get away with accuracy issues in the MWC?”

                A valid point, but you should reference the WAC, not the MWC. Nevada was in the WAC during Kap’s time there.

                To Razor’s comment, Kap can make smart decisions and accurate throws from the pistol, as well as from the pocket, in NFL games. He just has not done so consistently, and the last two years have not given much data to support that he will get better in his consistency. I think he can get better, but that is a different issue from will he get better.

      2. I don’t know Razor. Kaepernick certainly wasn’t playing to win last season; he was playing like he was afraid to throw the ball.

        1. MidWest …

          correct me if I’m wrong … but ..
          it seemed to me that Kaep was benched ..
          soon after he started throwing would-be
          certain catches… at the receivers feet … or ..
          was that just coincidence ? …

          (I thought .. back then … there was something
          not right … going on .. behind the curtain …)

          At any rate …
          I’d still rather have Kaep behind center …than ..
          Gabbert .. or that Thad guy …

          however …
          still wouldn’t mind seeing Bell-Dozer featured
          somewhere in the offense … even if it’s
          as often as Harbaugh called the “Big Sleeper” …

          1. I remember one Kurt Warner having a horrible season with rams after breaking a finger and eventually losing the starting job to Marc Bulger. His injuries and not being a good fit as a NYGiant made his stay very brief.

            Warner was signed by the Cards and eventually overtook Matt Leinart. Now healthy, and finding his niche in that offense he was able to make it back to the SB (although losing to the Steelers).

            Perhaps we will see Kaep having this same type of resurgence under a new offense that seems to fit his strengths. I’m anxious to see what CK will do in TC when he is fully healthy to compete.
            If Kaep can get his confidence back Gabbert will not be able to beat out CK7. But if Blaine beats out CK, I would feel much better that he beat out CK in a highly contested TC rather than by default because Kaep has lost his groove.

            Gabbert winning by default doesn’t necessarily give me hope going into the season. Watson or Kaaya might be who we are talking about this time next year.

            1. Don’t go to sleep on Luke Falk. He completed 69.5% of his 645 passes last season, and that was second best in FBS play. I expect him to be even better this year….

              1. OT, but relevant when it pertains to coaching, Warriors did their job.

                Kerr proves to me the importance of good coaching. Hope Chip is taking notes on how a champion thinks, especially when they are poised to repeat.

                I may be wrong. I predicted a 5 game series, but it may not go that long.

              2. What I meant to post here, was that McCaffrey was a better choice for the Niners, and not a QB, especially if Kaep is rehabilitated.

              3. Scooter and I were talking about Falk before this years draft as an option in 2017 should the Niners pass on a QB. The only concern I have about Falk is that it’s a strict short passing offense for the most part. You don’t seem him throwing down field regularly. Doesn’t mean he can’t do it, but I worry about the transition when a QB is locked into that type of system. I’d like to see WSU give him more shot plays this year.

                I think Kaaya is highly overrated based on what he’s done so far, but if he can fulfill the hype and have the season many think he can, it will be a plus for a Niner team needing options at QB.

                A guy to keep an eye on is Mitch Leidner. He could be the 2017 version of Wentz. CFC’s guy Kiel will be fun to watch too.

              4. Another name I’ll be watching is Joshua Dobbs from Tennessee. Flashes brilliance but overall has been pretty average, really needs to work on his consistency as a passer. Doesn’t have a lot of talent around him at the moment. Raw player that might flourish with better coaches and talent around him.

              1. Having a strong running game is almost as important to Chip Kelly as having a great quarterback is to other coaches. 1st, 9th and an inconsistent 13th last year in rushing. Ask any coach whose worked with Kelly and they’ll tell you, to establish the running game, you need to have a quarterback that can at the very least threaten the fact that he could tote the rock. Defenses ignored Bradford as a runner. Defenses cannot ignore Colin Kaepernick….

              2. But he still can’t throw the football. Bad knee, shoulder and thumb on top of his last 8 games. Yikes!

              3. We’ll find out what the shadow can and can’t do in training camp….

              4. Prime,
                Although Blaine and Keap are similar athletically, I believe that they are polar opposites in their mindsets when it comes to running.

                Blaine can make the occasional nice run when he is flushed out of the pocket, while CK will look to run when he see’s an opening.
                Two different mindsets.
                There is a reason why Kelly has always liked and imagined someone’s with CK’ running ability.

                But having said that, the thing that can hurt Kaep’ chances of succeeding in this offense would be his inability to make the 5-8 yrd touch pass that requires timing and accuracy.
                This is where Gabbert has the edge over CK.

                I’m anxious to see what a healthy and confident Kaep brings to the table. I’m hoping for a highly competitive battle between Gab and CK in TC and may the best man win.

        2. The difference? Kaepernick has played to win and Gabbert hasn’t and won’t. I’m betting Chip restores Kaepernick’s confidence in this offense, and then it’s not a difficult choice to make….

          1. Why won’t Gabbert? He has everything to lose here. This is his last shot probably at being a starter. He will do whatever Chip tells him to do. Probably why the Niners didn’t draft a successor til the 6th round.
            While CK rehabs and plays mime in the shadows, Gabbert is leading the offseason implementation of the offense.
            I can’t imagine Gabbert is playing it safe!

            1. Training camp is where position battles are won. Not in OTA’s, press conferences or shadows….

            2. Prime …

              History teaches us …

              Kaep has been to the top of the mountain ..
              and… I bet he’s learned … now
              what it will take … to be successful …

              Did Brady win his first Super Bowl .. ?
              (I dunno .. and don’t really care) …..

              And .. on the other hand … we have

              Gabbert …

              ’nuff said !

              1. I don’t like either guy but I like the guy who is working hard and gaining his teammates trust and whom they can look to for leadership.
                Wether CK can do that in TC is to be seen. Right now today, I support BG cause he’s the only one working.
                If we are banking on CK of 2013 then that’s a huge mistake. You are only as good as your last game and oh wait, wheh was #7’s last game?

              2. Prime, I respect your decision to push in all your Chips on Gabbert. He’s like the guarantee on that box your brake shoes came in. It’s not worth much, but it gives you the warm fuzzies. I just don’t see how a player that was born to play in this type of offense, gets beat out by a guy like that….

    1. Razor ..

      I was wonderin’ … when ..
      someone would bring that into the
      conversation …

      Good one !

      ;-}

  17. Nice article. To me, Ellington fits the mold of Sproles, more than Draughn.

    It’s too bad Smelter isn’t showing more promise due to injuries. We need him to fill the possession receiver void left by Boldin. The Niners need their version of Jordan Matthews.

    1. Smelter is exactly why I do not like the ACL picks. Healthy players help immediately. ACL picks like Tank, Thomas and Smelter may take more than a season to recover, and they rarely come back equal to when they were healthy.

      Expect the same thing with Redmond.

  18. Brought my family to Florida for vacation. Didn’t know Colin was coming with me.

      1. Lol.. naw, but his hurricane swag, is rearing its ugly head. Let’s hope the #7torm settles a bit.

    1. Cubus… not a big deal, im sure he has a playbook, and a steady training regimen. Ota’s are glorified practices. Come mini camp, he will be ready to roll

      1. Steelematic, you are correct sir. This is something that was known by the niners prior to the draft and these practices are really only beneficial from a mental reps standpoint as they only in shorts and t-shirts.

        1. Well, I posted a Staley interview a couple of days ago and he hedged on whether or not he thought Garnett would be ready to go by game 1. There could be a number of reasons he did that, but he mentioned both the transition from college to the NFL and the rapid tempo of practices. The speed of the practices doesn’t just take a toll physically but mentally as well. You have to stay sharp because you don’t have as much time to review in your mind what the next snap entails. Here’s the interview.

          http://www.49ers.com/video/videos/OT-Joe-Staley-Evaluates-49ers-Offensive-Line/17ff941e-0003-44df-9db1-52c00fa08e78

    1. Good. In the Art of War, one way to surprise an opponent is to feign weakness.

      Hope other teams take the Niners lightly, and are defeated because they underestimated the Niners.

          1. Option offenses work in college where man power on one team is superior to its opponent.
            Different story in the NFL. The 1st game Kap or Gabbert try to run, Shane Matthews will spear them in the back while they lay prone on the ground, willing to take the 15 yard penalty to injure a running back/QB.
            There’s no denying it, QB’s at this level need to read past their 1st option sometimes to option 4 and deliver the ball accurately and on time. Kap struggles past read # 1 with on time and accuracy requirements.
            Kelly’s offense using run/pass option limits a quarterback to one half the field while running to either side, meaning DB’s can review film and shut this down…I hope Kelly has evolved enough to employ a reading QB capable of using all weapons–not just 1/2 of a football field

            http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000240534/Clay-Matthews-late-hit-on-Colin-Kaepernick

        1. “That’s exactly what happened in 2011”
          Not exactly… the niners were thought to have a very talented roster and terrible coaching. In fact their NFC west opponents voted them as having the most talented roster in the division the year prior. That is not the case with this team.

      1. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

        ~Sun Tzu – The Art of War

    2. Shoupbj,

      There are fans of every team in every sport that can only see through rose colored glasses. People cope in different ways and for some it’s impossible to see things as they are; only as they want them to be. Sometimes I wish I was able to join them.

    3. While I think PFFs rankings are interesting, they are not predictive. They are historical. They show many players on the roster having dropped significantly last year, and it is an open question whether that is a result of inferior players or inferior coaching (or perhaps a combination thereof). The result is that the roster, even more so than last year, is chock-a-block full of uncertainty. As such, it makes sense to rank the 49ers roster lower than rosters with more certainty.

      Below, Rocket mentions fans predicting with fan-based optimism. I find that a more realistic criticism of the 8+ wins crowd than the 8-8 ceiling crowd. I think this because, in my view, last year’s team, which is a quite similar roster to this year’s team, was a +/- 3 wins over record team. That is, the team could have lost three more games (as has been discussed on this blog before) or could have, with better coaching, won three more games.

      Given increased uncertainty concerning the roster, but more certainty concerning the coaching staff (with respect to scheme and past performance, both bad and good) than last year, I would say this team is a 4 win team, +/- 4 wins. In other words, based on the available data to date, one could predict that they could well lose every game or that they could win 8. Personally, I suspect that the coaching staff change is worth 2 to 3 games over last year if the roster talent is equivalent, but that is the big question mark at this point.

      As more current data is gathered on this roster (rather than historical data), that uncertainty concerning the roster will decrease, which will decrease the range of the margin of error.

      1. Well, given where my post appeared, I should have written, “Above, rocket mentions…”

      2. JPN,

        I think 8-8 is optimistic, but anything is possible. The difference between what you said here and some other view points, is that you allow for the fact the record may actually be worse than last season. I have no problem with giving a range of success/failure, in fact I did that last year, even though I felt they were going to be terrible with Tomsula as HC. The NFL is so unpredictable with the chance of injuries derailing team success.

        Predictions this time of year are strictly based on the rosters and Coaching staffs we see at this point. Based on that, I can’t see the Niners winning 8 games, but the great thing about this league is it’s parity and unpredictability.

  19. While I like Grant’s assessment of Cooper, and he was one of my mock picks, I do not expect or want him to start.

    I think Cooper would be better served if he gets to back up Trenton Brown, gets stronger and studies the playbook. I hope he does play, but sparingly at first.

    Brown, even if he came in out of shape, still played well last season, and once he gets his arse worked off by Chip, will claim the RT spot.

    1. Eddie D

      June 6, 2016 at 3:24 am

      fill the possession receiver void left by Boldin. The Niners need their version of Jordan Matthews.

      TomD

      Grant had an article about Chips PAC 12 connections/knowledge. Currently the 49ers have exactly that man (possession receiver ) on roster. His name: Devon Cajuste. It is my belief he will bulk up and play H-Back and/or TE

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FfWqvlQsLo

    2. I hope you are right about Brown, but keep in mind, “Ancient ancestor once say, ‘Words cannot cook rice.'” (Charlie Chan in Reno)

  20. Don’t expect San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick to be throwing passes during practice anytime soon. Just one week after doing so during warmups, it’s been reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that Kap won’t be cleared for the team’s minicamp this week.

  21. Maiocco just confirmed what I intimated when Baalke moved up in front of the Seahawks to pilfer Garnett. Pete and the boys were eyeing Garnett with their pick, and in a stroke of genius, Baalke moved up in front to take the best road grater in the country. Now Tom Cable has to use Ifedi at RG. Tsk, tsk, tsk….

    1. Razor,

      As I pointed out previously when this topic was discussed, Seattle was not locked into one player or they wouldn’t have traded down. I’m sure Garnett was on their board, but he was one of a few that had the same grade for them which is why they made the trade in the first place. The Niners couldn’t steal him away if the Seahawks had an opportunity to take him with their original pick. It’s because they didn’t feel they had to take Garnett with their pick that allowed him to be there for the 49ers.

      1. According to Maiocco, Baalke believed the Seahawks were going to take Garnett. Whether or not the Seahawks miscalculated doesn’t matter. Garnett was the best run blocking G in the draft. The Seahawks needed a Guard. Instead, they got a OT to play guard….

        1. Razor,

          In order for the Seahawks to trade down to where they did they had to have at least 6 players ranked in the same area. That is draft 101. You don’t trade down if you are targeting a single player.

          The second thing that makes no sense is that if the Niners were worried about the Seahawks taking him, they could have traded into the 30th spot and still gotten him. The team they actually traded in front of was AZ.

          Baalke wanted Garnett and rightly or wrongly traded up to get him. That doesn’t mean he stole a player away from the Seahawks. In fact there is nothing about what the Seahawks did that says they were focused on any one player. They had Ifedi ranked at the same level as Garnett. That is what their actions show. Whether they are right or not will be proven in the coming years.

          1. I tend to agree with Rocket on this. I can’t see a team trading back if they covet one player. Additionally, I don’t really care if we stepped in front of some team for him or not. It is vital that he produces at a high level though, as we gave up a shot at another fairly quality prospect to acquire the right to pick him.

          2. This is an instance where you can both be correct but are so intent on one or the other being wrong you won’t acknowledge it. The 49ers may well have been correct the Seahawks would draft Garnett if available at their pick. Ergo the 49ers needed to move up and in a way ‘stole’ the player the Seahawks wanted. But it is also clear the Seahawks weren’t so hell bent on drafting Garnett (or any player) at their original pick as they were happy to move down. Maybe they had Garnett rated the same as Ifedi, maybe they just had neither guy rated as better value than what they were offered to move down. Either way, they clearly weren’t as hot for Garnett as the 49ers.

            1. Scooter,

              Agreed. I also think that the Seahawks will regret not realizing that Garnett >> Ifedi,

      2. Rocket, wouldn’t be the 1st time a team miscalculated a players worth. They were thinking the same thing u were, that Garnett could be had later. I’m willing to bet Pete was cussing himself after the Niners moved up and took him.

        1. One of the very few miscalculations in the draft that Schneider has made over his career….

          1. Lol. Believe whatever you want to believe Razor. It makes no sense but if you feel better thinking Baalke pulled one over on Schneider then do it.

            1. LOL I’m not the only one, LOL. Sense Baalke and his staff believed it, and Maiocco verified it, I feel I’m in good company. LOL….

              1. So you’re an LOL snob? Ok Ha Ha. Or Chuckle. Is that acceptable?

                Razor you’re one of my favorite people on this site, but you are drinking team Kool aid here. Seattle may have taken Garnett if he was still on the board, who knows, but they were not targeting him and they obviously had other players ranked in the same category. That is what their actions clearly tell us.

              2. Please explain your theory as to why Baalke would care about serving Kool Aid involving this trade, and then using Maiocco to serve it?

              3. I mean you are buying into a theory that makes no sense simply because it means the Niners got one over on their hated rivals. I’m not saying Seattle wasn’t interested in Garnett. They likely were. I’m just saying they didn’t value him any higher than a group of other players on their board. The bottom line is Baalke wanted Garnett and felt he needed to trade into the bottom of the first to get him. I have no problem with that and said so after the draft. What I disagree with is the idea that they screwed Seattle in some way because there is no reason to believe that.

              4. Then why is that what Baalke and his staff believed and why is he using Maiocco to perpetuate what you attribute as nonsensical?

              5. Baalke believing Seattle would take Garnett has nothing to do with how highly Seattle had him rated Razor. Baalke wanted Garnett and felt he would be taken by Seattle or someone else before their selection in the second round. I have no argument with that or Baalke trading up if he felt that strongly about Garnett. Where I disagree is with the notion that Seattle had targeted Garnett and the Niners stole him from them. That doesn’t make any sense based on what Seattle did.

              6. I find it interesting that two teams with similar offenses and similar needs had a player rated so differently….

              7. I find it interesting that two teams with similar offenses and similar needs had a player rated so differently….

                You are veering off course again. We don’t know where Garnett was rated by Seattle. I said at best they had him rated the same as a group of other players on their board. I say this because their actions dictated just that.

              8. Rocket, you said I was drinking team kool aid and nonsensical to believe the Seahawks wanted Garnett. We will agree to disagree….

              9. Razor you’re better than that. Don’t distort what was said, especially when it was posted at the beginning of this topic thread:

                Razor you’re one of my favorite people on this site, but you are drinking team Kool aid here. Seattle may have taken Garnett if he was still on the board, who knows, but they were not targeting him and they obviously had other players ranked in the same category. That is what their actions clearly tell us.

              10. Having read through these posts, sounds like I was wrong above. Rocket, agree with most of what you are saying. Regardless of whether the Seahawks would have taken Garnett, they clearly weren’t that hot for him or they never would have traded down in the first place.

                Only thing I disagree on is they must have valued Ifedi as much as Garnett. Not necessarily. Could just have been they valued the extra picks more than any player at their original draft pick.

              11. Unless they got too greedy and arrogant and believed their chances of him being available to them were greater than they really were. A slight miscalculation of Baalke being able to find a trade partner for a bargain….

              12. Razor, I’m pretty sure only someone desperate to believe the 49ers got one up on the Seahawks would believe that. It suggests a pretty high level of incompetence from the Seahawks. The far more believable scenario is the Seahawks liked him, but not so much they weren’t willing to risk losing him.

              13. Only thing I disagree on is they must have valued Ifedi as much as Garnett. Not necessarily. Could just have been they valued the extra picks more than any player at their original draft pick.

                I doubt that played much of a part but that is a difference of opinion neither one of us can substantiate. I’m basing my point on the fact teams don’t pass on a player they see as clearly better than the next guy on their board. Seattle got what, a late 3rd in the deal? So for that they are going to pass on a player they have rated higher on their board and risk getting a lesser one after trading down? Doesn’t make sense to me.

                I can’t remember the exact wording, but going into this draft, there was a belief that the talent from around the mid first into the late second was comparable, and Seattle’s decision to trade down seems to bear that out. .

              14. Razor, I’m pretty sure only someone desperate to believe the 49ers got one up on the Seahawks would believe that. It suggests a pretty high level of incompetence from the Seahawks. The far more believable scenario is the Seahawks liked him, but not so much they weren’t willing to risk losing him.

                Exactly.

              15. Yea, someone like Baalke. Oh that’s right, he has to justify trading up for the best guard in the country. That’s why he’s putting all this out there through Maiocco. You guys are right. I stand corrected; > )

              16. Razor,

                Go back and read through the conversation. You have completely gone off the rails here and are arguing straw men at this point.

              17. For what, dude? There’s no logical explanation for Baalke to feel a compulsion to have Maiocco put this out there. There’s no logical reason for Maoicco to make it up. Could the Seahawks have wanted their cake and eat it too? It’s human nature….

              18. Having not seen the comment by Maiocco, can someone please outline what it is he said? Did he explicitly say the Seahawks were desperate to draft Garnett, like razor is suggesting? Or did he simply say something along the lines of Baalke felt a team like the Seahawks would take Garnett before the 49ers picked?

              19. Desperate? No, Baalke said he believed the Seahawks were lying in wait for Garnett. He alluded through Maiocco, that he spoiled their ambush….

              20. Right, so Baalke moved up because he thought the Seahawks would take Garnett. All of which both rocket and I have said was quite plausible (and for me I consider it likely).

                It doesn’t change the fact the Seahawks had an opportunity to take him and declined. No team that covets a player does that unless offered a kings ransom in return. The Seahawks got a decent deal, but it clearly shows they did not covet Garnett. Sure, they may well have been hoping he was there at #31, but I am sure they realised he may be taken and had a contingency plan in place that they were comfortable with or they would not have made the trade.

              21. Fair enough for me. Time will tell whether or not the Seahawks should have bought instead of sold….

              22. For what, dude? There’s no logical explanation for Baalke to feel a compulsion to have Maiocco put this out there. There’s no logical reason for Maoicco to make it up. Could the Seahawks have wanted their cake and eat it too? It’s human nature….

                Because I have no idea where you have gone with this discussion. You asked me why I thought Baalke would feel the need to get the story out that they thought Seattle was going to take Garnett and traded up to beat them to the punch. I gave you my guess as to why that was and then things went sideways. I don’t really know what your point is with this and it has nothing to do with the discussion as to whether the Niners pulled one over on Seattle.

                As I said multiple times and Scooter as well in the last post, Seattle would not have traded down that far if they truly wanted Garnett. You don’t bypass a player you have targeted as BPA for a late 3rd round pick. The only reason you do that is if you have more names on the board than the amount of slots you are trading down, knowing you will get a player from that tier no matter what.

                I agree with you that Garnett was on their board and could very well have been their pick at 31. I’m not arguing that at all and I’ve said I understand the logic in trading up if they really felt he wouldn’t be there when their second pick rolled around. I simply don’t agree that they pulled one over on Seattle. Seattle had multiple options they were ok with or they wouldn’t have traded down.

              23. Rocket,

                You may well be right in your assessment, but you could be wrong, as well.

                For all their success, the Seahawks conduct themselves with an arrogance and have made a number of mistakes, Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, and their poor drafting of OL, among them.

                If the Seahawks got greedy, thought they could trade back and still get Garnett, and got burned, I’m sure you would agree it wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened.

                I’m not saying it did happen that way, but IMO there is just no way you can be so certain you’re right.

        2. You are free to believe whatever you want to believe, but Seattle’s decision to trade down tells you all you need to know about how much they wanted Garnett. If they felt they had to have him they would have taken him. They did not.

          1. “If they felt they had to have him they would have taken him. They did not.”

            I agree with Rocket here. The Seahawks may have wanted Garnett, and they might have taken him if the 49ers had not, but trading down indicates that they were willing to take the risk that someone else might take him.

            1. I’m not saying this just to be diplomatic… but both views have validity. Its possible the Seahawks ranked Garnett higher than Ifedi, but were prepared to lose out on Garnett when they traded back. In their minds Ifedi+94 > Garnett.

              Seattle needs help all over. I hear Ifedi is raw but gifted. The position value of OT is also a factor if they intend on moving him outside some day.

              Getting Jarran Reed at 49 was a home run for them.

              1. Brodie,

                I appreciate the diplomacy, but teams don’t trade down unless they feel the talent level is commensurate with the pick they are trading down to. If you have a player rated higher than the group after him, you take him. If you have a pool of players you are content with, then you trade down. Seattle rightly or wrongly had Garnett in a pool with a few other players and were willing to miss out on him. That is what their actions clearly tell us.

              2. Wrongly and it will be borne out as we follow each players respective careers….

              3. rocket – Yes. That’s the trade back math. Move back 6 spaces, be prepared to miss out on 6 favorite players on their board.

                If 7th best player + extra pick > than best player, agree to trade. Simple.

                But it doesn’t mean Seattle valued the 6 players equally. There had to be rankings within the 6 best on their board. Because they really needed O-line help, it would not surprise me of Garnett was their primary target.

                It would also not surprise me of they are relatively satisfied with Ifedi+ Vannett.

              4. Brodie,

                Teams don’t trade back unless they feel there will be a player of similar talent at the point they trade back too. If they had Garnett rated higher than Ifedi then they would have taken him or tried to trade back up after they traded down.

                Here’s some more speculation for everybody: who’s to say KC didn’t call Seattle after they were contacted by the Niners? If SF is calling me to trade up I would call their division rivals in an attempt to get even more compensation wouldn’t you? If that happened and Seattle didn’t bite, then how much did they value Garnett over Ifedi? .

                Leaving all speculation behind, the only concrete information we have is that Seattle traded down, and wound up taking Ifedi. Basic draft reasoning tells us that teams don’t trade down unless they feel they have a group of similarly graded players numbering higher than the slots they trade down. There is absolutely no reason to believe Seattle had Garnett rated any higher than a group of 6 or more players they had on their board at the time.

              5. “Teams don’t trade back unless they feel there will be a player of [similar] talent ”

                Exactly. “similar” is no exactly the same.

              6. “Teams don’t trade back unless they feel there will be a player of [similar] talent ”

                Exactly. “similar” is no exactly the same.

                In this context similar means players close enough in evaluation that you are not targeting one of them. If Seattle had rated Garnett higher than Ifedi or any other number of players on their board, they would have taken him instead of trading down.

                Seattle’s actions leave no room for speculation imo. They traded down because there were multiple options on their board. That is the only reason you trade down. If there is a player that clearly stands out above the others you take him. In this case there wasn’t which is why Seattle traded down.

              7. Yea, they didn’t look very satisfied after the draft at the podium….

              8. Rocket,

                You can’t say teams don’t do this, or don’t do that. Teams make mistakes, all the time. This is a given, since they’re run by human beings.

                You can say, if a team likes a player more than another, they shouldn’t risk trading back and exposing themselves to missing out on the the player, but you can’t say it NEVER happens, and that is precisely what you’re saying.

                BTW, whether or not a team should trade back risking missing out on a player, in order to pick up an extra draft is a question of the risk tolerance of the team in question.

                It’s like poker players, there are Phil Helmuth / Dan Harringtons who are solid conservative players, they would take the approach you laid out. Then there are the Daniel Negreanu / Phil Ivey type players who would be more aggressive, risking more, but winning more, when things work out as planned.

                I see the Seahawks FO as being in love with their own aggressiveness and thinking-out-of-the-box-ness. Even some of their own fans feel they get too cute and out think themselves, at times.

                They seem like they are exactly the type of FO that might be willing to run the risk of missing out on a player they valued more highly than others (albeit, probably not that much more highly), in order to grab an extra pick while having a decent chance at landing the player they preferred. I’m not saying that they had Garnett ranked way higher than Ifedi, but it’s possible that they clearly preferred Garnett, and still took the risk.

            2. Risk involves exposing oneself to danger, which in this case was a miscalculation….

              1. There was no miscalculation on Seattle’s part. They traded down and acquired an extra pick in the process. They felt they could do that and still get a similar player to what was available at 26. Draft 101.

              2. They’re in no way similar. One was rated the best road grating guard in college football and the other was rated as the sixth best OT. Ifedi was clearly a reach….

              3. Seattle’s rankings were obviously different from the online draftnicks. They tend to have players ranked differently than the norm basing it on how the individual fits into their system.

              4. Yea, and there’s no way in hell Schneider and his staff made a mistake. You know, because they’re so frigging good. If Tom can’t work his magic, epic reach….

              5. We won’t know if they made a mistake for a couple of years Razor and that isn’t what the subject was about anyway. It was about this idea that the Niners had stolen a player away from Seattle which is an epic reach in speculation refuted by the actions taken.

              6. Right now, it’s a mistake on paper. I’m still waiting for your reasoning behind Baalke brewing Kool Aid and using Maiocco as a distributor involving this trade….

              7. “Risk involves exposing oneself to danger, which in this case was a miscalculation….”

                Was it?
                Is there a source from Seattle validating this, or do we only have sources stating the Niners felt like this was the guy that Seattle was targeting? Thus providing an explanation for trading away additional draft capital, for the right to select a player most pundits thought would have been available to the niners at their pick in the 2nd round?
                And yes, as a GM potentially on the Hot Seat, their is a slight motive to explain the thought process behind this move.

              8. Right now, it’s a mistake on paper. I’m still waiting for your reasoning behind Baalke brewing Kool Aid and using Maiocco as a distributor involving this trade….

                The Kool aid comment I directed at you was in regard to your desire to believe that Baalke had pulled one over on Seattle. Baalke’s reasoning is obvious: he has to give validation for trading into the first for a player most viewed as a second round pick.

              9. You’d have to ask him. My guess is he felt like he would be criticized for trading up for an OG who was rated as a second round prospect. I don’t have an issue with that. If you really want a player and feel he is somebody you have to have then trading a 4th round pick is worth it. The question left to be answered is whether he was right in his evaluation.

              10. LOL Wait a minute, you’re telling me that Baalke believes he has to justify trading up for an All-American honor Outland Trophy winner, former team Captain and The best Guard in the draft? Nonsense and poppycock!

              11. LOL Wait a minute, you’re telling me that Baalke believes he has to justify trading up for an All-American honor Outland Trophy winner, former team Captain and The best Guard in the draft? Nonsense and poppycock!

                You asked me why I thought Baalke had to do this and I gave you a guess as to why. Not sure when you became so attached to Garnett but your view is not shared by everybody, and he wasn’t universally ranked as the top OG in the draft. The outland trophy means nothing. It’s a College award and If you look at the list of winners it features as many disappointing NFL players as successful ones.

              12. Yea, I was one of the first on here to mention Garnett. Don’t take my word for it, ask Hightop. You’re the one who said he had to do it, and if that’s your reasoning, then I now understand why we’re where we are in this discussion. You can poo, poo the Outland Trophy all you want, but it does not diminish the fact Garnett earned it….

              13. Razor,

                You aren’t reading my words, or you don’t want to. Either way I answered your question with a guess as to why Baalke may feel compelled to release that info. I don’t know that for sure and I don’t even know if he actually said that to Maiocco in the first place. It’s all speculation as everything is because we don’t know what these guys do or say behind closed doors.

                I also don’t dislike Garnett and I support the move to trade up and get him if Baalke felt he was worthy of it. The only thing I disagree with you on is the idea that the Niners hoodwinked Seattle – or however you described it. Garnett was there at 26 if Seattle really wanted him. If you really want a certain player you don’t trade down 6 spots hoping he falls to you.

            3. It’s Baalke’s MO to target a player early (even if people yell “reach”) to buy freedom to move picks around later.

              Kelly mentioned this on draft day. If you target too many players, you wind up missing on value. But if there are no targeted players it leaves roster holes.

              Baalke splits the difference. Instead of trying to balance need vs BPA in the same pick, he balances it through multiple picks. Need early, BPA later.

              People yelled “reach” when he traded up for AD, Reid and Garnett. They yelled “reach” when he stood pat for Aldon Smith, Jenkins, Ward and Tartt. Baalke doesn’t care.

              Its very possible Seattle targeted Garnett. Even if they weren’t, Baalke may have decided to trade up anyway. The trade was below chart, and the 5th year option mitigates some of the cost.

              1. Brodie,

                I don’t recall how many people were screaming reach on the picks you mentioned, but I remember the majority being ok with them. Many on here wanted him to trade up for a WR on a couple of occassions, but other than that, I think the consensus was fairly positive on most of his first round picks. The problem Baalke has is his inability to scout offensive skill positions and the pattern he has developed with drafting CB’s later in the draft instead of sooner. There is also the inability to resist drafting injured players, but I digress.

                He targeted Garnett and moved up to get him. If it works out then no one will care that he traded a 4th round pick away.

              2. I remember lots of people pundits bashing Baalke for trading up for AD and Reid, and standing pat for Ward, Jenkins and Tartt.

                They really ripped him for the trade ups to secure AD and Reid. You don’t remember?

                A few even criticized Baalke for taking Aldon Smith at 7, insisting he could have traded back to the mid first for him. (Turns out Dallas was going to take him at 9)

            4. The Seahawks may have wanted Garnett, and they might have taken him if the 49ers had not, but trading down indicates that they were willing to take the risk that someone else might take him.
              —————
              Not sure why this keeps coming up. I said exactly as much the day after it happened. If Seattle really wanted him they wouldn’t have taken the chance on losing out on him.

              1. Here is an excellent breakdown of how the draft played out for the Seattle Seahawks: http://www.hawkblogger.com/2016/05/all-best-laid-plans-the-seahawks-draft-that-wasnt.html

                Below is a pertinent excerpt:

                So there they were. Pete & John had just acquired #31, swallowing hard on the reality they had just passed up #67 for #94, having earlier watched all the home-run balls be knocked out the park. It was fall-back contingency time. Putting aside their draft night comments for a moment, they had clearly set their sights on now immediately improving the interior OL for the 2016 season. Germain Ifedi is a RG, despite any longer term aspirations, Pete & John selected a player they feel can start right away at Guard. But could Ifedi have been something other that their 1st choice there at the bottom of the round? When they initially considered the trade-back scenario, it must have first been thought that a team would move-up from the top of the 2nd Round to get their QB, ala the Dallas Cowboys attempt. In targeting the type of player value they could safely expect at the interior OL positions early on Day 2, they must have considered Josh Garnett, the top true Guard prospect in the draft, as well. Enter our old nemeses, the SanFrancisco 49ers, and their charming leader, one Trent John Baalke. Yes, I like to refer to the truly EVIL MFs of the world in the same tone as their own mama would be judging their shenanigans too!

          2. I believe they underestimated the risk due to greed and arrogance. I also believe KC wasn’t happy about Seattle making Denver stronger by facilitating their quarterback, so they agreed to make SF stronger with an economical trade deal….

            1. You think KC accepted a low ball trade offer as revenge against the Seahawks for making the trade with the Broncos? Are you serious?

              1. Yea I’m serious. When you consider KC and SF have done plenty of business together, it’s not inconceivable for them to accept a modest gain while at the same time sticking it to another team who made one of their adversaries stronger. Don’t you mates down under have a similar expression to “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”?

              2. When you have limited resources (e.g. draft picks) to make your team better, it makes very little sense to accept a bad trade out of spite. So I would be very surprised indeed if that is what happened.

                Again, the far more believable scenario is the simple one. KC didn’t have any players they really wanted at that point, so taking the trade down was their best option.

              3. You guys can believe there’s no emotion in these deals, but you can’t deny it’s an emotional game….

              4. If the GM of my team accepted a bad trade out of revenge against another team, I’d crucify him.

                You’ve gone done a Seb on us today.

              5. I didn’t see it as a bad trade for KC. I saw it as a win, win. I don’t have the issues with Seb that you all have. I’m more tolerant of people like him and so I don’t consider your jab offensive….

              6. Of course it was a win win. They only make that trade if it is a win win. Which is why the idea of it being out of some petty revenge makes no sense.

              7. I suppose if you look at it that way, but in the context of “icing on the cake”, it’s a dish best served cold….

              8. If they were a little annoyed with the Seahawks for making the trade with the Broncos then perhaps they did get a little bit of a kick out of making a trade that would strengthen a Seahawks rival, but that by no means would be enough to warrant making such a trade. They had to have been happy the deal would be best for them regardless of any other side play.

              9. I didn’t mean to suggest it did, just that it was part of the equation that made them feel particularly good executing it….

              10. Razor,

                It’s a business. KC making a trade due to being angry with another team is not good business. What is good business is garnering more picks when you see that you have a number of players with the same ranking and will still be able to select one of them after a trade down. Both KC and Seattle did just that imo.

          3. Actually, it doesn’t. Drafting not only includes YOUR value of the player, but what you expect other teams (drafting ahead of you) to do.

            Seattle could have easily thought he was a #15/#18 pick who’d fall to them because teams ahead didn’t value/need guards. Only to get burned by the 49ers who did.

            Which makes Baalke a ‘genius’ for ‘stealing’ a Top-20 player for a pittance.

            1. Why stop at 15-18? Maybe they thought he was a top ten pick that would fall to 31? Maybe they planned to take him at 26 and then decided to break for dinner instead? Maybe Baalke has intentionally drafted poorly the past few years just to set Seattle up for this Garnett bamboozle? The man is a genius!

              1. I commented that it was a genius move at the time, and I still feel that way. He got the best defensive lineman and the best guard in the draft, while at the same time filling 2 very big needs and kicking Pete Carroll in the groin….

              2. We’ll see how things work out. It’s only a good move if the player turns out to be a good starter.

              3. A lot of us love to use PFF as a reference, and I find it curious they rated the selection of Ifedi as the worst 1st rounder. Schneider must have planned it that way….

    2. Razor, I had those same sentiments. While everyone was saying he would have been there in the second, he would have never made it past the Hawks. To add more insult, if this man would have made it to the Hawks, everyone would be saying how it was a stellar pick and Pete and John are geniuses. But since we moved up to get a guard it was a bad pick and we reached. Bottom line, we got the best guard in the draft.

      1. That’s exactly right, and it directly ties in with what many on here forget. The running game is paramount to Chip Kelly’s offense in order for it to enjoy success….

        1. Agree. I’m always surprised how many times I see posts about the passing game being more important or that only a running QB will succeed in Chip’s offense. The QB needs to be able to have a passable threat that he can run; he does not have to have CK or BG running abilities.

          I think we’re pretty well set at guard. I’m more concerned about tackle. The bloom on the Trent Brown rose at the end of the season has wilted and spring has not yet come for him. Further, who will step in for Staley if he gets injured. Left tackle is as important as it gets on the OL and we’re going to throw a rookie in their to protect either CK or BG’s blind side.

          1. cubus

            I believe that it was Leo who followed up your earlier query as to any ‘real’ info on Thent Brown…Do we have any authentic info on him , or just the repetitive “I heard this …or I heard that ” ?

            1. Nothing definitive, Oregon. Grant just keeps saying the issue is his conditioning. I’ve asked for more specifics, but haven’t received a response.

    3. Where did Maiocco say this? I can’t find any mention on his twitter. Radio? Web chat?

      1. It’s an old video that plays on the website when you click on his latest article.

  22. “When Chip Kelly was hired he requested they (49ers ) keep Kaepernick on the roster…This could be a strong hint that Kelly favors Kaepernick…”

    Obviously were not a Quarterback-run offense, but if the QB can run you can use a little of that to your advantage. And both (Gabbert/Kap) have extremely strong arms so there cut out of the same mold.

    http://www.inquisitr.com/3171156/san-francisco-49ers-rumors-colin-kaepernick-blaine-gabbert-quarterback-controversy-addressed-by-chip-kelly/

  23. Sorry, Inquisitor quote was slightly different from CBS’s version. I wanted the full quote.

    Chip Kelly calls Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick ‘similar’ players

    The new 49ers coach isn’t tipping his hand on which quarterback he prefers

    “But, you know, obviously when you’re looking at both those guys, I think they’re similar. They have a similar skill set,” Kelly said. “They’re both 6’4+. They both can really run, which will help keep plays alive. Obviously we’re not a quarterback-run offense, but if the quarterback can run, you can use a little of that to your advantage. And they both have
    extremely strong arms.

    http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chip-kelly-calls-blaine-gabbert-and-colin-kaepernick-similar-players/

  24. “I think he should have gone back (to school). I like the talent, but he didn’t put it together like I needed to see to give him a first two-round grade. I see him as a guard and not a tackle.” — NFC area scout on Ifedi

    1. Interesting, they have the Eagles as the 5th best roster, over the Cards, Seahawks and Broncos.

      1. The Seahawks have a weak OL and their vaunted secondary showed some cracks last season. The Cardinals have question marks about their defense after being pummeled by the Panthers in the NFCC game while the Broncos suffered some key losses and have a huge question mark at the QB position. Even though the Eagles didn’t make the playoffs, they have a solid offensive unit and an underrated defensive unit.

        1. Sproles is 33 and Barner ran for 147 yards last season. Agholor was injured and the other WRs do not strike fear in the hearts of DBs. Last year, their guards sucked, and Bradford is fragile.

          Roseman just had a fire sale, so there is a ton of roster turnover, and they did not draft a top 10 RB. Wendell Smallwood was the 16 ranked RB. They gave up a ton to draft Wentz, who was a lower level QB, and the rest of the draft picks were meh.

          Cards and Seahawks both made the playoffs, and Denver won it all, while Philly missed the playoffs even though they were in a weak division.

            1. Also, it be interesting to see how many of the eagles on this roster were Chip Kelly picks.

              While Kelly jettisoned some top name players out of Philly, he also may have set the team up for the future with the current roster.
              If many of these players were Chip’ picks, that should bode well for the 49ers future talent.

              1. Most of the talent in Philly was acquired before last season when Howie Roseman was running the show. Kelly’s one year as GM was an unmitigated disaster, especially in FA.

    1. No prob. Chip likes Thad, and Driskel is as fast as Gabbert. Sounds like the Rams will release Foles. DT must out compete Keenum and Goff, so he is not a shoo in.

  25. Seahawks traded back 6 spots and garnered another draft pick.They selected Nick Vannet TE, with that pick. Broncos knew that Browns or Cowboys wanted to move up ahead of Denver, and grab Paxton Lynch. Therefor, they moved up in a strategic move to get the player they coveted.

    Seahawks traded back because they coveted another third round pick, and they gambled that one of the two best guard prospects would still be available at 31. Niners moved up and snagged Garnett, who I think is far superior to Ifedi. Ifedi is talented, but has weaknesses, and is inconsistent. Garnett is solid, and could be playing LG for years.

    If Ifedi is a bust, the Niners will have scored a coup. I bet Buckner would not have relished facing Garnett for years if Seahawks had chosen him. If Vannet does well, the Seahawks will have done well even if Ifedi is a bust.

    Most of these trades may have to be judged after a few years, and seeing how the players do, but I agree with Razor- Niners leapfrogged Seattle to ninja a guard. Niners would not have moved up into the first round if they thought that Garnett would still have been available at 37.

  26. It’s so nice to see a back-and-forth on a football topic instead of the sniping and name-calling that has plagued this blog for some time now.

  27. As I’ve pointed out many times, the people who whine about the Garnett trade and act as if Seattle’s trading down means the 49ers over-reached, you really don’t understand the calculated gambling and GM thinking in the draft.

    Not only do you evaluate the players, but you evaluate what the teams ahead of you need when you make decisions to trade-down OR TRADE UP. Further, you have to consider what will be there later if you miss.

    For example, this year Denver traded up to get Lynch. Lynch was significantly better than Hackenberg who went in Round 2. He wasn’t that much better than Cook who went in Round 4. I don’t think he was a Round 1 pick, but I don’t think it was a huge reach, either.

    So why did Denver move if Lynch should have fallen to them?

    Simple, you had the Chiefs AND the Cardinals who could have been easily interested based on development-time vs need. Smith and Palmer both hit FA in 2018. Also, Palmer is injury prone and that cost the Cards at least one play-off run so bringing in Lynch who could use a couple of seasons to become an NFL QB would have been a good move.

    And the Cowboys were a threat to trade up, too as Romo’s signed through 2020, but is getting older and injury prone. So the Cowboys could have traded up to take him as a development prospect.

    Consequently, the Broncos move up because if they don’t, they’re in trouble if one of those three teams pulls the trigger because after Lynch, it’s a problematic mess at the position. In short, it was a smart trade to minimize draft-failure risk.

    OTOH, when Seattle moved down they had the Packers (needed an OT, not an OG), Cardinals (didn’t need an OG) and Panthers (need an OT, not an OG) and Chiefs (did not need an OG).

    So, there was NO REASON for the Seahawks to especially fear Garnett being taken. But the 49ers jumped 10 spots and very well could have ****ed them up… Even though, by Seattle’s thinking, they could have Garnett AND an extra pick with little risk.

    Or maybe Seattle was never really interested and Germain (OT/OG) was their choice all along. In which case both sets of arguments are pointless hand-waiving.

    1. While perusing the various team sites before the draft, the Seahawks had Guard as a huge need, yet many mocks had Ifedi being picked. Garnett was never mentioned, but that is standard practice for teams to not tip their hand.

      Seattle moved back because they figured that either Garnett or Ifedi would still be there, and took a gamble to get another third round pick. They could not anticipate the Niner move, because Baalke rarely moves up.

      luckily, the Niners grabbed the Outland Trophy winner, so some may say they reached, yet I think they helped solidify their line for years, while I hope Ifedi is a bust.

        1. Hmm, so Garnett was the one who tipped off the Niners of the Seahawk interest in him.

          Makes sense.

          1. Pretty interesting stuff, Seb. Adds a lot of intrigue to what was going on behind the scenes….

            1. Yes, and it makes sense that KC, seeing how Seattle helped out the Broncos which hurt KC, decided to return the favor by letting the Niners poach Garnett from under Seattle’s nose.

              Game of Thrones intrigue……

        2. Thanks for taking away time I will never get back Razor. What a complete pile of garbage.

          So a Seattle fan coming up with about 5 different scenarios of who he feels the Seahawks may have wanted in the first round is proof that Seattle really wanted Garnett?

          Did Buffalo and Washington pull one over on Seattle too considering they took players this guy thinks the Seahawks were interested in?

          I’ve learned a lot about you over these past two days Razor. You like conspiracy theories apparently. What’s your take on 9-11?

            1. I call it as I see it. You know that. You are straying into tin foil hat territory and I’m concerned for you.

              1. I didn’t write the article but I found it interesting. You had an opposing view. The difference? I don’t belittle you or call into question your mental acuity….

              2. Lighten up. I’m just messing with you. I think your views on this trade and KC making a deal out of spite are pure fantasy, but I’m not seriously questioning your mental faculties.

              3. I never said KC made the deal out of spite. I intimated that it made the trade that much more gratifying….

              4. I forgot to ask you how you enjoyed the Maiden show in April? I saw them in LA about 2 weeks after you did. Can’t believe Bruce can still move around like that at his age.

              5. Outstanding show and performance. We were right down in front by the stage. Sold out venue and I fought off some fellow metal heads to secure one of Mr. McBrain’s drum sticks!

              6. Nice. We sat stage left about 20 rows up. Had a great time as always. This was my 8th Maiden concert.

              7. Yea, I used to see them at the Long Beach Arena in the ’80’s, when I lived in Tahoe. I’ve seen them in Reno on the 7th son tour. San Jose. I’ve probably seen them about 18 times total. If it’s at all humanly possible, I see every show nearby….

    2. The Chiefs certainly did need an OG and instead of taking Garnett they traded down.

      This need to feel the Niners pulled a genius move and pulled one over on other teams is truly sad. They traded up to take a player they wanted. That’s it. They had no idea whether Seattle truly wanted him and if they felt Seattle did want him, then why trade up to KC’s spot? They could have waited a couple of more picks and then traded up. By passing on their pick at 26 and trading down to 31, Seattle made a clear statement that they had a number of players ranked in the same tier and knew one of them would be there at 31. There is no gray area here. You don’t trade down if you are targeting a specific player.

      1. Yup. The only thing that matters is the 49ers moved up to get a player they wanted. If they really liked him, and didn’t want to risk missing out on him, then it was worth trading up. End of story.

        1. And if they were able to kick Pete Carroll in the groin while doing it, so much the better….

    1. I have never clamored for the edit function, but if anyone needs one I do.

    1. More Baalke Offensive Draft Busts. Thanks Jed. Keep letting Trent draft on offense.

      Marcus Martin.

      Martin shouldn’t even make this year’s team. He’s a green-room bust. There was a reason it took him so long to be selected, because he isn’t as good as so called “draft experts” in the media thought he was.

      Quinton Patton:

      Each year, we run a series of post called “90-in-90” here at Niners Nation. The idea is that we’ll take a look at every single player on the roster, from the very bottom

      Once regarded as one of the better draft picks of the 2013 draft. The pick was actually a steal in the draft given that many analysts had him
      Patton shined in the preseason, showing us the most unorthodox dance moves ever created, provided motivation for The General’s Bandwagon (complete with his own sticker) and eventually being quiet in the regular season. And that’s Quinton Patton’s 49er career in a nutshell.

  28. *Sources above By Elpato  @PatOHolloway on Jun 7, 2016, 8:45a Sb Nation
    and http://ninernoise.com/2016/06/06/no-1-area-49ers-will-show-improvement-2016/

    The 49ers offensive line had to be one of the least-talented groups in the NFL last season and, for that matter, their own history.

    It featured an arguable bust, Marcus Martin at center, as well as castoffs Jordan Devey and Erik Pears at right guard and right tackle to start the season. A once proud unit, lead by former offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick, had fallen into the depths of despair.

  29. A trade the 49ers need to make happen

    Early reports indicate San Francisco 49ers former superstar Colin Kaepernick has had few setbacks during his recovery from surgery.

    Gabbert is not going to be fooling anyone and neither is the 49ers defense. With Kaepernick still nursing his ailing body, the 49ers decision to not trade him while his value
    is still high could come back to haunt them.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/news/trade-49ers-happen-020612547.html

  30. Garnett’s on the field for today’s workout. I was mildly concerned he would only be able to attend the final day of minicamp.

    1. Kelly said they will practice with Texans and Broncos before their preseason games. Maybe Colin will swing by Elway’s place for dinner again.

    1. They really need better writers over there. Too bad Jack Hammer, Scooter or Rocket isn’t available….

    2. Anytime you see the word “decoded” in the title skip right over it. This so called Kelly expert is full of unsubstantiated speculation. BG may very well be the QB, but not because of anything Tanier says.

        1. Since you turtled away last night, Ill ask again:
          Sebnnoying,How will the accuracy return to form? Are you using injuries as an excuse to his accuracy and decision making failures?
          The injuries were not to the brain or throwing shoulder so tell me how you think he will return to the player he was almost 4 years ago?

          1. Yawn, you are so annoying. Maybe you do not realize it, but players can regress, but also progress.

            This is why I think your football knowledge is so lacking. Your blind hate towards Kaep just makes me just shake my head. Kaep, now healthy, when given time and support, will improve. Sounds like Torrey Smith likes Kaep, and more importantly, Chip likes Kaep.

            Keep up your screeds against Kaep, I will just throw your own words back in your face. When Kaep starts and leads the Niners to victories, I hope you crawl back into your hole and stop making yourself look so foolish.

            Maybe you should listen to JC. Sounds like he learned his lesson and will now leave me alone, since he looks so pathetic trying to diss me. Losers like you and JC may try to sound knowledgeable, but just come off as smarmy infantile potty mouths.

            1. Still cannot answer the questions or form an argument. I knew you were weak but now you are just hopeless. Go back to Niner Nation Seb or whatever rock you crawled put from, the big leagues are too much for you.

              1. Prime, I see your reading comprehension is lacking, also. I did answer your question, but you cannot accept the fact that Kaep can improve.

                So here it is again. Kaep, when given an O line that is not a sieve, and brain dead coaching that forces him to be only a pocket passer, when the pocket collapses like a house of cards, will regain his accuracy once he is fully healthy.

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