For all his greatness, NaVorro Bowman’s time is done

Right about now, if Bill Walsh were alive and running the 49ers, he would cut NaVorro Bowman.

It’s nothing personal. Walsh cut a lot of players he liked personally. He wasn’t sentimental. He cared about building a vibrant football team and believed in getting rid of players a year early, not a year late.

Walsh cut Dwight Hicks when Hicks was 30. Walsh cut Carlton Williamson when Williamson was 29. Walsh cut Charle Young when Young was 31 and replaced him with Russ Francis, then cut Francis when he was 33 and replaced him with Brent Jones.

Each of these players were Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl champions. The way Walsh saw it, they had lived their dreams and accomplished more than most people ever would. Time for them to step aside and let younger players chase their dreams, too.

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This article has 331 Comments

  1. Randy Cross tells a great story about Walsh and his philosophy of cutting people. I don’t remember all the details exactly, but it went something like this…. Walsh comes up to him and says he thinks Cross will have 7 (could have been more or less, don’t remember exactly) more good years in the NFL. But he wasn’t going to finish his career in San Francisco because Walsh only wanted his ‘best years’ and figured he’d be a 49er for about four more years.

    Cross was a bit stunned by that. And Cross beat the odds because he managed to stay on top of his game and, ultimately, finished his career out as a 49er. But a lot didn’t. Not only did he retire/cut those you mentioned, he also forced Freddie Solomon into retirement at 32, demoting him mid-season. And there were some others.

    As for the Bowman HOF thing… You’re wrong in that he was clearly on the HOF path before the knee injury derailed him.

    1. the typical time it takes to come back from a achilles injury is 11 months… therefore bowman is obviously not operating at 100%. this is the kind garbage “sports journalism” I hate. just loud mouthed, ignorant, and obnoxious. if the dude looks like he can’t compete this season then yes cut him. but we are a long way off from the season and not that long removed from a serious injury. and the year bowman went down with that blown knee he was operating at a higher level than Patrick Willis. He was arguably the best defensive player in the nfl that year.

      1. Thank you, Ben Franklin! Great points, to be sure. I would like to remind everyone that the 49ers defense started the season with a goose egg win vs the Rams. We were actually quite good against the run, all the way until Bowman’s Achilles heel ruptured. After he left, the 49ers defense no longer had a run defense. Bowman’s hard hitting ways were mighty effective against the run, and I expect he will be that way once again.

        1. Bowman is fine. I tore my ACL in college running track. It takes about a year to recover from it, but you won’t have the same quickness or suddenness. Navorro was great down hill, but not very good going side to side. But the ACL is in the knee. He didn’t re-injure that, so it will be stronger this year. The Achilles takes about 6 months to heal, and about 6 months to gain full strength. With that being said, it will be wise to use Navorro on base downs, and take him out on nickle to give him more time to get to full strength. When the season starts, he should be about 90%. Him at 90% is better than 75% of the LB’s in the league at 110%. He is that good. Walsh would know that and keep him.

    2. Grant, your wrong AND right at the same time!
      everything you said about walsh and siefert moving on from guys a year early, and how Bo fits all the criteria……..your dead on right about it!
      But remember all your hubbub about how we should have singed Demarcus Ware?????? about how this crappy team needs some real leaders……true professionals!!????
      Well, that’s how Bo will contribute to this new era of 49ers. No one works harder, no one garners more respect in that locker room! Bo will show Ruben Foster what it takes to be a pro…..as well as many other young players.
      Part of the reason for Walsh’s philosophy of moving on, as you pointed out, guys had accomplished everything! more than they could have ever dreamed ! that narrative dosent apply here.
      Yes, the $$ he will make wont match the play on the field……and no, I don’t see him finishing out his contract……..but I doubt he gets cut before the season starts.
      That would not be a good message from the new FO.
      Bo’s leadership is needed in this era of transition/rebuilding.
      Just as Kap needed to go! Seb made a bunch of great points the other day…….yes Kap is better than every qb on our roster……..and yes shanalynch are VERRY smart………and that’s why Kap is gone for good!!!!
      not only does he not fit the mold of the west coast offense……..football reasons aside……kap is the face of an organization that wants nothing more than to forget the past 3 years. I don’t blame or dislike Kap for being the first athlete to risk his own neck to make a political stand……I blame him for pouting, never getting better and being ok with losing. Not taking his job seriously enough……being the face of a team that won 5 games in 2 years!!!!!
      in order to move on from that era……we had to move on from him!
      Bo on the other hand, is a pro, a leader, a man!

    3. Grant, sooner than later, you need to start analyzing your track history. So very many times, you throw up names and lists of 49ers who will be cut. More often than not, those players end up sticking around and even thriving. For example, how many consecutive years have Vance McDonald, Ahmad Brooks, and Tank Carradine lasted. Vance just attained his best NFL season, even though it was cut several games short due to injury. Heck, you even kept predicting Delany Walker would be cut for all his dropped passes, before realizing such srops had a little to do with his QB’s (Kaepernick’s) errant throws. Now, Delany has been the best receiver on the Titans for the last 3 years, just ask any of the 49ers faithful if we should have done more to match Tennessee’s contract offer. Bowman is not going anywhere. NaVorro is highly valuable and works extremely hard at his rehabilitations. Just having Bowman’s inspiring example of work ethic is worth the man’s weight in gold.

  2. This will be the pivotal season for Bowman, as to whether he should step aside or not. Not yet. The actual NFL season will reveal at what level he can still play. Until then, he’s an outstanding leader and exemplar professional for that young team.

    1. Look at the bright side: if Bowman a liability and the Niners lose a few more games thereby, they just improve their positioning and options in the 2018 draft. This is a rebuilding year anyway, so strategically, the Niners should play everyone on the roster to see what they’ve got, despite the season record they’ll compile as a consequence.

  3. Thank the Lord you don’t run a team, even though you think you probably should.

    1. I’m sure he’ll get his chance. But there is a lot of truth to what Grant writes even if he didn’t live during those days.

      1. How does Grant Cohn have a job? What kind of low rent operation is the Press Democrat running that they keep Lowell’s creepy kid haunt the by line after they already cut bait on Lowell?

        This article is based on a single play in an OTA. Because no linebacker in history has ever whiffed on a double move? Shut up Grant, you’re out of your element.

        Fire this kid already, he doesn’t care enough about his job to even read a book about football. He knows less than the majority of his readers, and he makes a living writing click-bait garbage insulting people that are actually good at their jobs.

        1. I’ve been up Grant’s *** over some stupid things he’s done in the past. But there is, literally, nothing fundamentally wrong with this article, even if you don’t agree. Unless you’re like Seby and can’t accept sometimes things are just ****ing over.

          Gayle Sayers, the Kansas Comet, one of the greatest runner is NFL history. Six years as knee injuries turned him from special to pedestrian.

          Paul Hofer, the first back to average 5.0 rushing and 10.0 receiving. A 49er fan favorite, knee injuries destroyed his career and he retired after the 1981 season that he spent on IR.

          Bo Jackson, a future HOFer if there ever was one, one hip injury and both his baseball and football careers were destroyed.

          Earl Campbell, for five years he was the most dominant RB in the NFL. But injuries got him and he faded hard his last three years and retired after just 8 years in the NFL.

          Sterling Sharpe, the fastest WR to 500 receptions in the history of the NFL. An neck injury sidelined what was a potential HOF career after 7 years.

          And there’s a ton more. Dizzy Dean. Sandy Kofax. Bill Walton. And those are just the famous stars that anyone who follows sports should know.

          1. Yup, even Walsh started losing his edge with recommendations like
            Gio Carmazzi and Jim Druckenmiller.

            1. You know who’s really washed up? Grant Cohn. Press Democrat should have cut bait when they let his know nothing father drag off to die.

          2. He literally based the entire article off of a single play he watched in an OTA in May.

            That is a joke, and it’s what Grant does. His articles this time of year are pure garbage. He’s got his little fan club of mouth breathers on here, but he is terrible. Just the absolute worst. Bow bites on a double move, and now he’s washed up. Robinson gets poor leverage on a single deep route and “maybe he’s got problems with speed”. It’s a joke, and if you don’t see that, it’s because you know as precious little as he does about football. That’s not my fault.

            1. No. Grant attended the whole practice, and he seems to be pinpointing areas of concern. If a player has not fully recovered from an injury, do not shoot the messenger for pointing that out. Just because it is Bowman, it will not give him a free pass for a spot on the 53.
              .
              Lynch declared that no job is safe, especially after a 2-14 season. Competition will decide his fate, not some blog poster declaring he is back to his 2012 form.
              .
              Your name defines you as a troll, and it automatically defuses your post as pure hate, with jealousy dripping from it, because he writes well enough to get paid for it, while your post will be forgotten in 10 minutes.
              .
              Grant has more football knowledge in his toenail clippings than you have in your entire body.

              1. Over the top with the last two sentences, eh Seb? Don’t try so hard being Grant’s poodle. Grant’s an adult and has a rather robust sense of self esteem. I suspect he doesn’t need your drooling defense to feel better.

              2. Cassie, like your spirited defenses of your daddy, I just want to counter the snark.
                .
                Sure, those are hit pieces, but when countered, they lose their impact.
                .
                Grant should know that some of the posters on this site like him, and will defend him, especially when some one tries to stab him in the back.
                .
                I noticed that when I first came here, the nepotism angle was stated frequently, and he was accused of being a terrible writer. Yes, my spirited defenses may have been a contributing factor in the reduction of those screeds, because I like his edgy writing style, and I felt many times like I was standing next to him at the practices with his descriptions and insights.
                .
                As a connoisseur of the English language, I appreciate good writing, and can recognize talent. Grant can paint a picture, and he gets down to the nitty gritty. He makes cogent points, and can sum up a whole practice in one sentence.
                .
                It is interesting to read posters go pyrotechnic over a blog writer saying that some one should be cut. They declare that such a thing is an impossibility, then we all read that the Chiefs just cut Jeremy Maclin.
                .
                Just like my spirited defenses of Kaep, posters would go all emo and declare that he is a rocket armed QB who cant read defenses and runs too early. Then we read Pete Carroll destroy their arguments, and totally vindicated my position. Kaep may have had his ups and downs, but Pete Carroll thinks he is a starter, and can lead a team to championships. Sure, they do not need another starter, but he realizes that some team will want him, especially if their QB goes down due to injury, or stumbles at the beginning of the season.
                .
                I will take the assessment of Pete Carroll, even if he is a division rival, over the wild ramblings of the peanut gallery, any day, and twice on Sunday.
                .
                I will also defend Grant against the hate, especially if I think it is unwarranted, because we need more writers like him, not less. I am sick and tired of the homers, who write a lot and say little. They tend to state the obvious, and only pick the low hanging fruit. With a 2-14 team, I do not need rainbows and unicorns, but just want to concentrate on the salient matters, without the rosy scenarios.

              3. It’s still way to early to make this proclamation. Its clickbait…
                Foster can play on passing downs and learn for at least one season under Bowman.
                To further aide the idea that teams can easily exploit Bowman is not necessary true. Teams can run this amazing new concept called a zone defense… in fact that is primarily what they will run in the new defense.
                One last point of order was that Kevin Lynch was more impressed with Bow’s movement this year than he was last year at this time.

              4. Sebs

                You were right on target until you started with that “snowflake/pajama boy” hate sewage of yours. You realize, using your parameters, Walsh must have been right up there with beelzebub. He cut a whole lot of players shortly before thieir time…………must have “hated” them.

          3. Have to agree, Moses. I’ve been around since long before Walsh’s time and as hard as it is to accept, the greatest of them lose a step and either must step aside or be traded. I sure remember the fans screaming when Walsh made those moves. If NaVorro weren’t such a huge name, he could step into a situational role that would work well for himself as well as the team. But that just won’t happen. NaVorro will go elsewhere, by choice or by trade, for a couple of years and then retire. Wish I was wrong but those of us who have been around know better.

          4. Moses, after reading what Pete Carroll said about Kaep, I stand by my position that he will become a starter again in this league.
            .
            Lynch probably read the same things, and will now have to decide if he will want Kaep to play for him, or against him.
            .
            Hoyer and Barkley may make the decision easy.

        2. I usually skip over everything this clown or his clown father writes as they’re just awful.

          1. Yet you read the article, and felt moved enough to post about it. If you truly did not care, you would have ignored it.

        3. The article is based on a single play in OTAs? You apparently haven’t been watching all the games when Bow has been getting burned in pass coverage.

      2. Moses,

        Those were different days and there was no cap. Walsh developed guys, kept them and then he knew when this guys time was over. When it was over, he already had a guy developed to replace him. You can’t do that today. By the time a “normal” guy is ready, he is either in a contract year or one removed.

        I don’t give a crap if Bowman is slower than he was. He was never a blazing fast guy to begin with. He played with instinct and took great angles. There is no way that you can say that this guy who has overcome so much is not our best LB and he’d be better off playing elsewhere, right here, right now.

        This is simply click bait and a time of year that even good journalists struggle to find good stories.

        1. Bingo Bling Bling!

          I really tire of folks constantly comparing personnel management from pre-cap with modern NFL. Walsh would have to have a different approach without the luxury of having a second starter-quality player on a relatively low salary. The other big change was the scrapping of the Plan B free agency in 1992 that removed protection of the best players from free agency.

          If I got a Benjamin every time a silly claim was made invoking the name of Bill Walsh, I’d have paid off my house mortgage by now…

          Players are

    2. I stopped reading at McCaffrey motioning out to wide out and Bow would have to cover him…Show his total and utter lack of understanding of what this defense does and who has what responsibilities. In said scenario, Smith or Foster would cover him. The Will would pick up that back on the weak side. Brooks would be responsible for him if he motioned to the strongside…To act as if Bow is done due to ONE PLAY DURING OTAs is beyond stupid. Bow is still learning the defense and he very well could’ve overplayed Celek to the outside and got fooled. It happens to the very best of them…It happened to Pat, Day Lewis and Luke. This writer shows every single year why people call him a hack and a troll, and why you simply can’t take him seriously…

      1. Good points. It might be different if he had access to the practice field every day. But he doesn’t, and we don’t know what the coaches are working on.

  4. Yeah, but if we had Bowman and Kaep on he team it would be the who’s who of the geriatric society–the cream of the crop…Think of the great season.

  5. Wasn’t Lott on that Plan B Free agent? When the Raiders got him? Craig too? Not sure he was cut?

    1. That’s right. My take was 49ers HQ thought putting them on Plan B was a way to keep them and pick up some young guys at the same time but Lott & Craig took Plan B to be an insult and left.

  6. Forgetting one small item in analogy to the Walsh years, The Genius always had an upgrade as option B. Bowman’s rank, if he is as healthy as OTC’s may suggest, is that of the team’s #1 LB, with a steep drop off until #2.

  7. Cut Grant Cohn, he peaked in junior high. Thanks for the click bait story. Why would you even think about cutting Bowman now? He’s still 29, LBs can play into the Mid 30’s and be productive. So age is not an issue!!! Salary cap also not the issue. The 49ers should have one of the highest cap space the next two seasons. So why are you worried about his salary? It’s ok to see if he can recover for his injury they have that luxury. Finally, It’s not your money, so stop worrying about how the 49ers spend it.

    1. I know more….

      This is the same issue that both Walsh and Sieffert dealt with and had to and now its Lynch and Shannahan’s turn, and they also have to. I want to remember Bowman as the butt-kicking ILB of the past…not pitying him….Grant is right…it’s not an old folks home….I remember when Tommy Nobis stayed too long acres of bandages….

    1. I certainly hope so. Players should not get all emo over an article. If that player is affected by what some blog article said, imagine how he will respond in critical pressure packed situations.
      .
      I hope Lynch will address the team and say that the blog writers are just doing their job, and the best way to control the message is to be open, up front and honest. Hiding is a good way to lose control of the message.

      1. You’re such a troll, man.

        You get butt hurt over what people write about you on this blog, probably because it’s true. And you are the quickest to criticize someone with you trollisms, when someone say something you don’t like about Grant or Kaepernick.

        Now you’re saying that a man with dignity and pride can read or hear about an article where the writer essentially says that he is not good enough to play on a 2-14 team and be cool with it? In our sensitive society where everyone and their mothers feel marginalized in some way and overly sensitive to words, you say Bow should just get over it?

        Get over yourself.

        1. Bling, maybe you need to get over yourself. Players are cut ALL THE TIME.
          .
          Case in point, Jeremy Maclin.
          .
          I am certain that Bow will take this article, and use it as motivation to prove him wrong.
          .
          I am also certain that ANY player from a 2-14 team should expect changes, and no player is totally safe. Heck, they moved on from their franchise QB.
          .
          The very fact that they drafted Foster is proof that they may be thinking they need a replacement at MLB.
          .
          Talk about being over sensitive.

          1. I’m pretty sure Kaepernick’s contract extension was reflective of a QB who had yet to prove he could be a “franchise QB”, and if anything, it suggested the 49ers had serious questions, and maybe even some doubt as to whether Colin would ever develop into a franchise QB worthy of franchise QB money.

            1. It is a fact that they designated him as the franchise QB with that contract, but Baalke wanted to purge every last vestige of the JH era.
              .
              He signed a 6 year, 114 mil contract. To me, that is Franchise QB money.

              1. Sorry Seb, but Kaepernick’s contract was basically the equivalent of a year to year, “prove it” contract. Look at the fine print and the guaranteed money. Colin got very little guaranteed money and also agreed to the clause that allowed him to be cut prior to April (provided he was healthy) without penalty. That’s not a “franchise QB contract” regardless of what the FO called him.

          2. I don’t agree that drafting Foster means they should move on from Bow. This was the weakest position on the team. Malcom smith was TERRIBLE in Oakland, Bowman is coming off an injury and Brooks… well what can you really expect from him?
            They had to draft a linebacker with the number of questions marks they had at the position.
            And I’m not overly sensitive when it comes to cutting players but this team is so devoid of talent and has enough cap space that I can’t justify cutting one of their two best linebackers.

  8. Ray Lewis was a liability against the pass in 2012 too. Yet they won the SB, and he was still a valuable member of the team.

    Bowman can still be a great run defender. They just need to be smart about how they cover up his deficiencies against the pass.

  9. Good points Grant, but I don’t think he will be as bad as you do. He most likely will be starting in Week 1 and barring injury, he could be a pro bowler. We need depth so he wouldn’t get cut anyway.

  10. The Niners need all the grown-ups in the room they can stockpile. Hang on to Bowman.

    Wish I could see OTAs. Sometimes players may seem slow because they’re thinking too much while they learn the system. I’m for waiting and seeing on Bowman and Hyde.

      1. Been lurking. I just haven’t found alot of new info to post. And alot of topics are predictions or extrapolations, so my chiming in adds little.

        I found a draft breakdown of PitaT. I’ll try to post it later.

  11. Ravens tight end was injured today. If a few more TEs go down, the trade market for McDonald could heat up.

  12. “He’s an old, broken-down football player other teams will torment until they run him out of the league…”

    Your arrogance is breathtaking and your asinine comments are embarrassing. When was 29 old?

    Your last dozen columns are nothing more than your favorite kick’em down material: Kaepernick numerous times — not on the team, Harbaugh is a loser — not on the team, Aaron Lynch is a fatso, Carlos Hyde can’t run, on and on and on. There is not one original idea in any of this.

    Please, please, please. Put some actual work into what you write. D- and that’s being kind…

  13. If they’re going to cut him, it does look like this year would be the time to do it. If it happens, I won’t be surprised. I felt sorry for him against the Giants when he was victimized by Vereen….

    1. I remember that game. Manning was 10-for-10 with 2 TDs against the guy Bowman covered. Yet, apparently, Grant is now Worse than Hitler for opining that Bowman would have been cut by Walsh and that he’s a shell of his former self.

      Both are true. While Bowman can still play the run effectively, he can’t cover. And this is the NFL. Which is a passing league now. Go back to the 60s and Bowman would be fine. But this isn’t the 60s and he’s demonstrated, through his own failures on the field, that he’s not coverage capable in the modern NFL.

  14. Tap on the breaks a little Grant. Though Foster is expected to be ready to go by training camp, there is no guarantee he will be. If that occurs, then the team will need Bowman .

  15. This team is not championship caliber therefore I say let Bowman play so a professional assessment of his ability can be completed. Playing Bowman isn’t going to hurt this teams chances at a divisional run- heck if the team was able to swallow recent QB play Bowman should be given the same opportunity.

    1. Some big “If’s”. Up to him. Gilligan will push him, and that’s what he was signed to do.

  16. LB Dan Bunz of SB fame lasted 6 years with the 9ers…78 to 84. Played with the Lions in 85 then gone. And then there was first round pick Todd Shell, another LB. He didn’t last long either…84-87. Walsh and Seifert did have a tendency to move players out somewhat early. There are a few exceptions, like Keith Fahnhorst…74-87, Cross, and Harris Barton…87-98–offensive linemen.

  17. I have my doubts about Bowman. A complete rebuild of his knee followed by a torn achilles is a whole lot of injury to overcome. Grant says NaVorro is moving terribly.. Others are praising him, saying he is moving well. Who do you believe? It is just the OTA’s.. We’ll see in 7 weeks..

  18. It’s pretty early in camp to be writing off Bow, but if he can’t cover in a couple months, it probably makes sense to let him go. I’ll wait to make that judgement. What you don’t want is to have him get injured again and not be able to cut him if he wasn’t a viable starter anyways.

    1. Good question. Looks like several services picked this article up and are running with it..

    1. Maclin would be a legit Z WR. He had a down season last year, but he had Alex as his QB. Give Hoyer weapons.

      1. He had a down season last year, but he had Alex as his QB.

        Injuries played a bigger role than having Smith throwing to him.

      2. Hoyer can only dream of throwing as effectively as Smith, even at this stage of the latter’s career…

      3. Mid,

        Good point about Maclin being hurt.

        Balthazar,

        The reason I said but he had Alex as his QB, is because Alex doesn’t pass to WRs as much as he should.

  19. OTAs have just begun and so many are in the “bitter barn.” Sorry, but Bowman is “damaged goods” in the eyes of any NFL coach or player personnel guy. Statistically, Bowman was a pass defense liability prior to severe injuries, one of which has been the end of many a NFL career. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league and “you only are as good as your last play.” Odds are against Bowman, not because his mind no longer tells him what to do and how to react; however, his body no longer can respond to the instinctive commands of the mind. If I am an offensive coordinator readying to play the Niners, and Bowman is in the Niners defensive line-up, I am scheming on how to isolate him and to take advantage especially in the passing game because, after all, the NFL is a passing league. Give Bowman his kudos for what he was, but don’t hold your breath that he still is what he was.

  20. A column with an actual opinion. Good reading for early June. Other beat writers play it too safe, very boring. That said, it would be very controversial to get rid of bowman and hyde based on voluntary workouts.

      1. In particular, the hair on his nether regions. Will be interesting to see if he can put on about 15 lbs of muscle without losing a step or slowing down his moves.

        1. Charles Haley was 230lbs when he was drafted. Fred Dean was in the same range.

          1. Different time. You weren’t playing against 310 lb offensive linemen who were as nimble as cats. And most QBs played with their feet firmly embedded in concrete.

            1. Either of those guys as rookies in today’s game would get work at Leo and maybe Sam. The game hasn’t changed that much.
              Cement feet? Like Staubach, Tarkenton, Theismann, Montana, Young, Plummer, Elway, Bradshaw, Favre, Flutie, Moon, Kelly of those eras?
              Seems like selective memory.

  21. I wouldn’t write him yet. He does have to get legs under him and into football shape mentally with his mind and body. A bit premature to judge when are just starting football. As soon as I saw the title I knew who wrote it. He doesn’t write it as a question, but as fact, which grant has been wrong numerous times. Sure he gets some right, but keep asking all the girls inthe club and you are to get some who may dance with you even if you are Cohn-haha. Still, let Bo get back his game, his problem is getting his instincts and reaction, back.

  22. Cohn has really outdone himself this time….

    Bowman is 9 months removed from a torn Achilles and becuase he isn’t running at full speed his career is over?

    What a hackjob you are cohn. The vast majority of people and niner fans cringe when you or your fathers name comes up. Its articles like this that tell us why.

  23. Another article that will come back to bite you in the you know what. Waaaay to early for this prediction. Most had him written off and you too, after the knee injury, he just came back and led the league in tackles.
    Bowman is the perfect guy for that Hollywood movie. He’s was just on another level. Will he be the bowman of before? No. That I can agree with. But to say he’s done after a couple of practices and 8 months of rehabbing is ridiculous, but it’s you Grant and I wouldn’t expect anything less. You can be sure this article will be brought back up and thrown in your face. And maybe it won’t be, maybe you will nail one for once. But as of right now you’re way to early on this call, but guys like you wouldn’t say something like this, this early if it wasn’t for the “I told you so” and “I was right way back then” factor.

  24. Some of you really need to get off this guy Grants crotch. By sucking up to him, he’s not gonna offer you a job! He writes garbage and ever since he’s adopted this clipped style of writing, it’s like he’s talking down to you, or it’s written for dummies. Some of you guys troll this page and post your lil insights, like somebody cares. Just the style of this article irritated me. Stick to weight watching buddy and the ‘cool 20 pound’s’ overweight that you were so happy to point out how you were the first person to report. Good job

  25. KC releases Jeremy Maclin, a WR with experience and okay production…

    1. Chiefs fans are going to blame their bad season on Smith, but it is moves like this and a failure to address some key areas of need that is going to hurt that team.

      I think the 49ers pass on Maclin.

  26. So many things wrong with this article, kind of reminds me how you insisted the Rams would draft Carson Wentz last year. Let’s take them one at a time.

    1. Bowman is 8 months removed from a torn achilles. He’s going to get faster, quicker, and twitchier until he’s 15 months out. This isn’t even close to what he will look like when the season starts. You need to understand the injury.

    2. Bowman is bad in coverage. This is a true point. It’s probably not changing. Problem is, you don’t seem to have any clue how this defense is going to work despite your claims to the contrary. Bowman will play Mike. He won’t ever be isolated on a motioning RB. He won’t be on the field in nickel either. Most of the time, his coverage responsibility is going to be zone, because that’s what this defense plays. Cover 3 made to look like press man. They have 3 LBs better than him in coverage, Foster, Armstrong, and Smith. 2 of those 3 will play in the nickel, not Bowman.

    3. They should cut him now, while they have 70 million in cap space. Nothing about this makes sense. If they cut him now, take a $10 million cap hit, and get left with $60 million to carry over next year is the exact same thing as if they carry over $70 million to next year and take the $8 million cap penalty next year. It’s 6 of one, half dozen of another.

    4. Bowman’s value. He is still, and always has been one of the best run defending LBs in the NFL. On a team that couldn’t stop a nose bleed after he went down last year, he has tremendous value to this team. You cut him, and Foster has to start at Mike, while Malcolm Smith, who sucks btw, starts at WILL. The best LB unit this team has is going to be Ahmad Brooks, Bowman, and Foster. Then 2 of the 3 cover guys playing in nickel. Furthermore there is a chance that Foster doesn’t fully recover from his rotator cuff surgery this year. Then who are your starting LBs? Brooks, Smith at Mike (lol), and Armstrong. That lineup might break last years record for worst run defense in team history.

    1. Hot97x, you make some excellent points.

      However, I wouldn’t use the Ram’s decision to draft Goff over Wentz as proof of anything other than a failure on the Ram’s part. Drafting Goff over Wentz was purely a marketing decision, not a football decision, and it’s one of the reasons Fisher is no longer making decisions for the Rams.

      As far as the achilies, I made this point after Grant’s OTA’s observations a few days ago. The achilies tendon is actually extremely rigid at this stage of recovery. A 29 year old athlete shouldn’t be expected to be back to his best anytime before 10 months, and it’s not uncommon to see an athletes movement to continue to improve well into their 15-16 month of recovery, as the athlete works some flexibility and pliability back into the tendon.

      I believe the beauty of drafting Reuben Foster is that he has the ability to excell as a middle or weakside LB. However,, I’d like to see the 49ers take a conservative approach to easing Foster into Both roles, leaving Bowman to start in the middle with Smith/Armstrong competing to start at the WILL this season. Losing Bowman now would farce the 49ers to rush Reuben into a starting role and that causes me serious trepidation.

      1. My point was that I flat out told Grant that the Rams were drafting Goff, and it was 100% certain because someone who has significantly more sources than Grant, Sal Palantonio said as much, and he specializes in the Eagles. Grant said he didn’t believe it, even though he acknowledged that someone more tuned in than himself was the reason for my claim. Grant was still 100% certain the Rams would draft Wentz. He doesn’t use logic sometimes, and it’s very obvious. I actually like him as a writer, I think he’s very informative. I just think every once in a while he gets caught up in thinking too highly of his own opinion and how flawless it is.

        1. Hot, in retrospect, who turned out to be the better QB, Goff or Wentz?
          .
          Maybe Grant thought the Rams should have taken the best QB with the number one pick. Goff’s first pass in the NFL was an interception.

        2. Fair enough. I cannot argue with that hot97x. Good to have you contributing to this forum.

          I will say this – I’ll bet Jeff Fisher wishes he could have used a Mulligan, he might still be coaching the Rams.

  27. Grant, certainly Walsh had a vision to replace talent before the athletes were ready to retire.

    I am not sure if one play in OTAs should force niners to part ways with one of their key defensive leaders when they are trying to build a championship culture. You may be correct and Bowman might not have the physical ability to be productive but at this point it’s too early to make that decision for several reasons:

    1) he is just returning from his injury and learning a whole new defense

    2) this team needs leadership and some experience to mentor some of the new guys

    3) We should at least check how he plays in the next few months after OTAs

    4) our team still needs more talent to improve the roster and we do not have that luxury right now unless Bowman becomes a reliability.

  28. This is Summertime typical Grant column, dissing some veteran and calling for him to be put to pasture. I’m not surprised and its happened too often to get insulted. Readers can draw their own conclusions about it. It’s interesting to see ‘strangers’ registering their outrage,in the comments.
    Scooter evoked today what I mentioned yesterday, that Ray Lewis (Urlacher too) were mighty contributors to their programs,in their decline.

      1. Same thing happened with the “Fat Lynch” observation. That’s the danger of media now. An off the cuff observation becomes a reference point for a story that is based on nothing but an opinion. I don’t blame Grant, he’s just writing his opinions, but for other outlets to run with it as evidence of a bigger underlying story is shameful.

  29. Yep. Bowman’s strength was his ability to cover and that’s now become a liability. Time to move on.

    1. Wasn’t Borland a liability in coverage during have excellent rookie season? The 49ers can use a role model who also doubles as a run stopping, tackling machine at MIKE. Especially with a need to ease Foster into the fold.

  30. Another bold article,and we will have to see if it plays out. It kinda reminds me of Lowell, who would write something that would be locker room fodder, and make a player have a ton of motivation to prove him wrong, thus bringing out the best in him.
    .
    Sadly, I saw how other teams would target Bow in 2015, because he was just recovering from his knee surgeries.
    Now that he is barely recovered from an achilles, it would be logical to assume they would go after the weakest link.
    .
    Maybe the Niners should put him in a scheme that would play to his strengths.He should be utilized wisely, and put into positions to succeed, and not force him to cover the RB coming out of the backfield, or guarding the TEs.
    .
    Still, I think Bow can contribute to this team, and he will help stop the opponents running game. He is a savvy veteran with a nose for the ball, and is a tackling machine. He is a student of the game, and can read and anticipate before the snap of the ball.
    .
    Maybe the Niners should let him play on first and second downs, then bring in Foster on third down.
    .
    I want Bow to stay, because he is a team leader, but if he is not helping the team, and becomes a liability, they need to move on.

  31. The Cohns are garbage just like this article. Wow and I thought Lowell was worse

    1. I may have been infuriated by what Lowell wrote, but I read every word. In retrospect, he was just using his bully pulpit to become a master motivator, and coaches and players were gnashing their teeth to work extremely hard to prove him wrong.
      .
      I will take this article any day over the pablum and platitudes from the other Niner blog sites.

      1. Remember Seb… You’ve often pegged other local media types as shills for the 9er front office. Yes you have.

        1. Seb? Nah. What that guy writes is gospel, even if he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth.

        2. Naw, I just call them Homers.
          .
          I call posters like you as shills, toadies and sycophants, especially when your name is Baalke.

  32. People are loyal to their favorite players. Bowman is a heck of a guy and tough. What’s not to like about him? He’ll probably never return to his prior form. Most people are a bit romantic and hope for Thomas Davis’s return after 3 ACL’s. Guys like Davis are really rare, there are a lot more Marcus Lattimore’s than Thomas Davis’s.

    Here’s my take, Lynch/Shannahan won’t cut him unless he’s a total liability. Their building positive credibility with everyone right now and cutting Bowman isn’t something I think they’ll do unless he just can’t play at all. So far they’re pretty positive on wanting him on the team. We don’t know what’s going on privately. If he can still stop the run he may play some. At some point players come to terms with reality as well. If Bowman can’t play the way he wants and he doesn’t start he may make his own decision. I also think OTA’s just aren’t the place where we really know much about a player’s performance going into the season. TC and pre-season will be far more predictive.

    1. +1 Wilson.

      I don’t think ShanaLynch want to send the message that leadership, hard work, determination and a winning attitude are worth hell-o-beans if a player is not up to full speed 8 months into a 10-12 month recovery.

      Not right now, while they are trying to erase Baalke’s legacy and build trust back with the players.

      Next offseason is a different story.

  33. It’s the sad reality of shredding half of your lower bodies vital athletic ligaments and the bittersweetness of a championship window’s popular and loved player facing his football mortality. It’s a classic Old Yeller moment for a dog of war that you love.

  34. The drafting of Reuben Foster spoke volumes. Every single player will eventually retire. Injuries accelerate the process.

  35. Nice take Wilson. You have it right on the money. Time will tell. It’s early. Cut him now? Come on. That doesn’t even register on the moronic meter.

  36. My perspective, Bowman should retire this season, two reasons: 1, his body just can’t withstand another brutal season of football. He needs to think about his physical health 5 to 10 years from now in his life and the consequences that will be attributed to the current time in his life. So many players with his injuries are unable to walk or have permanent disabilities. 2, his play making ability will not as it was 4 years ago, too much punishment on his body to perform at high level of play.

    I like Bowman and his contribution to the team, he needs to think about his health now.

  37. Just one more thought here, Walsh also let players go if they were prone to permanent injury or health concerns. Steve Young was an example of that.

    1. Doc, Steve young was not cut. He retired after his concussion due to the poor protection by the running back Phillips.

        1. Walsh was the GM when Young retired in ’99.
          7 concussions in 3 years made Young’s decision to leave football a wise one.

    2. Walsh wanted Young to retire as a 49er and avoid further concussions; Shanahan Sr. wanted him to play in Denver. Young and Walsh engaged in a very heated argument which ended with Young realizing that Walsh was correct, tears being shed by both and Young retiring.

      Mariucci was the HC at the time, not Seifert. Walsh held the title of team President I believe, with Terry Donahue being groomed to be the GM.

        1. For me, that injury, and subsequent retirement set in motion the end of the greatest DYNASTY in American pro sports!!

          The 49ers were still riding high at that time though. They had just came off a devastatingly close loss to Atlanta in the NFC Championship game (SF 18- ATL 20), thanks in large part to Garrison Hearst blowing out his ankle on the first offensive play from scrimmage. Hearst was coming off a career year in which he broke the franchise single-season rushing record and made one of the greatest runs in NFL history (his 96-yard game-winner vs. the Jets). Hearst was the 49ers most important offensive weapon outside of Young that season. Some 45+ % of the offense went through Hearst, or some crazy number like that.

          “If Garrison Hearst’s ankle was the start of the 49ers’ fall from grace, Young’s concussion was the nail in the coffin.”

          For the span of 2 straight decades, “there was an inherent confidence, or call it arrogance, that despite any brief dips in our success arc, we were still destined to be on top. With Young’s injury it all came crashing down. Even when San Francisco managed a brief foray back to respectability in ‘01 and ‘02, the franchise never regained that air of infallibility that the truly great 49ers teams exhibited.”

          Thankfully, I have a feeling in my gut that ShanaLynch are building something special once again. GO NINERS!

  38. Making a judgement on a player during OTAs, who is recovering from an injury, seems premature at best. At worst it is a gratuitous attempt to elicit clicks.

    This reminds me of Grant writing articles a few years ago that Frank Gore was washed up and should be traded or cut. Those too generated many hits and comments. They also have the benefit of eventally being right.

    Bow may be done. However, I am in favor of waiting until spring training to make that decision. If I was putting money on this I would bet on Bow being a starter this year.

    1. You’re right. Grant does this GM impression every year. He’s a writer and opinions are free in the press. The bottom line isn’t the team doing what he says it’s people reading his opinions. It helps to read his stuff this way.

      My only issue is when other journalists start taking opinion pieces and turning them in to reports. Someone posted a link that was reportedly saying the 49ers were going to cut Bowman or in another instance they would cut Hyde or Lynch. Often based of Grant’s opinions here. What they should do or are projected they do is different than inside sources reporting what they will do.

  39. Thdre cclicks, then thetes unique users. Very few unique users on this blog, based on comments. It’s a small handful of responders, some who are probably the same person with multiple handles. Also apparently many wash-outs from NN..

    This blog is all incest. But these few commenters are entertaining so I appreciate that.

    1. Donald is that you, I think you spelled coffee wrong in your tweet like some of words in your post here. ?

      1. Stick that comment up your covfefe. #FakeWords #BlindLoveForKaep #ImposterPosters #NothingMattersTilGamesStart

        1. Hilarious, stick it up my covfefe. Max who do you think is an imposter here?

          1. *CNN misspells ‘Cheif’ in the headline of report mocking President Trump on live television. ❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄?

  40. Absolutely moronic commentary by Cohn the younger. I’m sorry, but when your only job is to cover the 49ers and you say things like the failure to take a cap hit this year may hurt the team’s chances of signing Kirk Cousins next year, you are clearly unqualified for your job. The Niners have about $100 million in cap space for 2018, and for you to suggest that an $8 million hit next year would have ANY impact on signing Cousins shows either a shameful degree of ignorance or an unacceptably cynical habit of using made up “facts” to support your specious argument.

    Navorro Bowman is literally the best LB on the team right now. When you have mountains of cap space you do not cut the best player on your roster before you know you have his replacement (and you have to actually see Foster play a game or two before you anoint him). Moreover, this season is about building a new culture in the building and there is no better leader or role model to help establish the new culture than the guy you ridiculously want to cut during OTAs. Purely laughable.

    1. Leo, your ? correct! Cut Navarro Bowman LMAO after one OTA in practice 7 months removed from an Achilles injury. Trade Hyde cause the other RBS look better in shorts… Holy Hell this is garbage. Even if he is not a 3 down Backer anymore that’s fine. He is still one of the best run stoppers in the NFL. Garbage work to say the least.

    2. Leo
      One of your most assertive posts ever. I thought you made a strong case, but that may be my bias showing. I’m thinking that NB will know when to exit, but that’s speculative too as in Jerry Rice saying the other day that he could still play. I recall JR in Seattle……
      We hate when our homeiz retire or move on; Joe and Jerry and Ronnie? Ouch. Always too soon for some fans even though it’s inevitable.
      I’ll wait and see if Grant is smarter than Lynchahan. He whiffed on his call to cut Bowman last September. He was several years premature on Gore’s professional obituary. My money is on Lynch.
      But hey, LOL, credit where it’s due:
      Yo, Navarro! That was Grant who wrote that! Just sayin’.

      1. I live in St. Louis. So I tend to see a few more Colts and Chiefs games than you do on the west coast. Gore has been a sad, sad, sad plodder in Indy. About as bad there as the pitiful spectacle of watching Roger Craig play for the Vikings.

        Even worse, the Colts o-line was one of the best run blocking lines in the NFL last year with only 13% of their runs stuffed. Which is an amazing number. And both FO and PFF ranked the Colts tip-top in run blocking. In fact, FO had them ranked ahead of Dallas.

        Yet they barely averaged 4.0 YPC from their backs. And that was mostly on Gore because once he was past the LOS he was tackled for short gains. In the end, because of that, the Colts were 32nd in open field yards.

        That’s a heck of spread. Best run-blocking, worst open-field running. Net 4.0.

            1. Matter? Of course not. Just fun to present Seb with objective information and observe him reject it outright. Not long ago Seb wanted to bundle players in a trade that could bring Gore back to the 9ers. What fun !

              1. Not sure Seb and fun should be in the same sentence.
                Stupid, annoying, a jerk off sounds more like it.

              2. Cassie, sure I wanted Frank Gore, and still do, but that was before they signed Hightower, traded for Bibbs, drafted Joe Williams, and signed UDFA Breida.
                .
                I hope the Niners would trade Tim Hightower for Frank Gore straight up. Still think Gore can contribute, and he would be a good acquisition for his leadership alone.
                .
                Right this second, Gore is a better blocker than any Niner Running back.
                .
                Gore would not have to carry the load with Hyde and Williams, but I think he would be an ideal third down back.
                .
                It would also atone for Baalke throwing him away. and he could retire as a Niner.
                .
                The Colts situation was unfortunate, but once Luck went down, the defenses just keyed on Gore because I do not even know who the QB was once he went down.

              3. Yeah Seb, let’s base player personnel decisions on principles of atonement–as you see it of course. Brilliant. Hey! Let’s bring Chip and Tomsula back, Hayne too, and everyone else you feel were slighted by Jed and company.

            2. THAT…..is a fact. Seb-skov does hear and sees only that which is consistent with his narrative……….

  41. When an athlete looses their wheels(legs) they are done.
    As for Reuben Foster, he has a bad shoulder at the start of his run. Not looking good.

    1. Meh, “what shoulder?”

      Football players get hurt, it’s the nature of the sport. A torn rotator cuff is generally nowhere near as impactful as a torn up knee, achilies, or even some bad bone breaks, etc. As long as the shoulder heals, and can hold up to the impact, Foster won’t miss a beat.

      1. But I wouldn’t push him too quickly if I were the 49ers. They can afford to take their time easing Foster into action.

  42. Meh just an edgey top to get the clicks and comments. Worked well Grant, well played.

    But IMO I see no reason for a new coaching staff to get rid of perhaps the best player on the team before they even see him play. That would be one way to lose the fan base quickly. They got to at least let him play out this season and see how he does. If he gets worse and worse as the season goes on or if he reinjures either his same knee or same achilles and Foster looks like a stud then maybe they consider cutting him.

    But no way do they cut him before game one of this season. Just doesnt make sense.

    But nice click/comment bait.

  43. Meh. It’s Cohn being Cohn. I read everything out there on the Niners I can and nobody else has said Bow should be cut. That in itself would make me skeptical of Cohn’s opinion. Add the praise for Bow from Shanahan and Lynch and I become doubtful.
    In any case, I’ll hold back on my judgement on whether Bow can still play or not when they put on the pads and start making contact. 1 OTA in the beginning of June is way too early for me.

  44. Playing Bo when he can’t cover or catch the run, this is the sure way to ruin Bo’s legacy and lose fans. Rookies who can’t play, leave them in. Vets who can’t play…get them the F out.

    Or switch him from Leo to Covfefe. No one knows what it is, define it as you go!

  45. You are a f@#$%^& dumb a$$. He is better than most not great as the best, but still very good!
    You love getting your clicks…..?
    P.s. you should be cut, u are not as good as the best, and worse than the worst…..

  46. Love Walsh, but he was wrong about cutting players early many times too. Ronnie Lott was a mistake as well as Roger Craig. Their early cuts hurt chemistry for a. couple of years and it took time to replace them. Further back then it was just the start of Plan B free agency. It wasn’t full blown FA as now . Different times and cap implications. I’d rather the philosophy in this instance and be a little more loyal to vets that can have a positive impact on and off the field. Also in the free agent era you will get more quality guys that want to come here if you show some loyalty while maintaining your cap integrity.

    1. Ronnie Lott left in Plan B during the Seifert years . The front office assumed he’d resign with the 49ers even though they exposed him to Plan B. . But he was pissed-off because he looked at it like it was a slap in the face and he left for the Raiders. That had ZERO to do with Walsh who’d already retired.

      Roger Craig also left during the Seifert years. He averaged 3.6 YPC with the Raiders. He averaged 3.7 YPC with the Vikings after he left. He started a total of 17 games in his last three years, 13 with the Raiders, 4 with the Vikings.

      But that would be no surprise to those who saw him. His last year with the 49ers — 3.1 YPC and and 3.9 the year before. He was just worn out from that hard-charging, punishing running style. Just like as happened to many other punishing runners.

  47. Anyone with some medical knowledge regarding situations similar to Bowman care to weigh in here? Seems like there is a tremendous amount of speculation regarding these devastating injuries. Is Bowman being obtuse and not seeing the reality of his situation, is Lynch being naive and somewhat nostalgic as are some of the fans, or is Grant being somewhat premature in his assessment of a player being finished? I’m not sure, I certainly think that sometimes you have to be ruthless in sports to remain competitive. But you also have to be pragmatic and steady. So it is a challenge.

    1. I think Macklin has a much better opportunity signing with the Niners if he is interested. More money, a much bigger role. Going to the colts just because Ballard is there doesn’t make much sense. Hilton, Moncriff and the Miami kid all would be ahead of him. Niners have Garcion and nothing else. Luck obviously is on a different planet compared to Hoyer but money and opportunity should make it appealing. Just my opinion.

      1. Agree. I’m sure Lunch and the personnel staff are looking the Macklin matter over closely. Whether they pull the trigger or not is another issue.

  48. Grant I think the 49ers agree with you but you can’t expect them to just cut him. They’ve drafted an heir apparent to his position and they made enough of a gesture to trade him that it warranted a leaked report, or the leaked report was the attempt to trade him. It gets confusing. With that said does it make sense at any level right now to release him?

    We can guess that trading him is unlikely or it’s very possible he already would be gone. There is plenty of uncertainty about Foster not just about his ability to play the position but about his health as well. You’ve also pointed out that the kid is a time bomb for making bad decisions and getting himself suspended. We not only don’t know if Foster is an equal replacement for Bowman or at least a reasonable facsimile but we don’t know if he’ll even be healthy or available to play. By releasing Bowman you are taking away a pretty big safety net for the team in case the rookie isn’t ready for one reason or another.

    There’s no financial reason to release him this season so why not wait until the rookie has established himself first. The coaches don’t teach the LB’s to play only one spot. As he learns Will he’ll be learning Mike as well. It makes much more sense to hold onto him at this point and give Foster time to prove he’s healthy and able to take over the most important role on the defense. The team will be better off being patient in this regard. At this point the only reason to move Bowman off the team is if someone comes along and offers a decent draft pick for him. At least then you gain something to offset the risk you’re taking.

  49. One thing to remember, Bow did not start as a rookie. He played behind Takeo Spikes and spent most of his first year on special teams. Bow allowed the team to let Spikes go before he was ready and he eventually signed with San Diego. My money still says the bow will start this year and will probably finish the year as starter.

    1. It’s possibile. Nobody, probably not even the coaches, really know for sure.

      But despite the hate leveled at Grant over this, he has very solid point. Whether we like it or not as fans, that knee injury has really hampered his ability to cover backs and TEs. To the point he’s one of the worst coverage linebackers in the NFL.

      And while that might not have mattered that much in the 1960s, when Dick Butkus roamed the middle with his bad knee until he finally had to retire at 31, now MLBs are integral to pass defense and can’t be mere ‘two down’ players (another dead concept).

  50. Well, I have been advocating all along that they should trade players away, and get something for them, instead of cutting them, and getting nothing.
    .
    I also advocated bundling players, to make the other team give up as high a draft pick as possible. People who say that bundling players is an impossibility also said that trading back was impossible, and look how last draft unfolded.
    .
    The Niners should target teams that were out of the playoffs, but really want to make a serious push to get into the playoffs. Teams like Minnesota, Denver, New Orleans and Indianapolis. Other under performing teams like Jax, the Chargers and the Bears may be amenable to doing trades, or even swaps, especially if it would help out both teams.
    .
    The Niners cannot trade away marginal players because the other teams will just wait until the 53 cut date, and pick them up for free. They should designate players like Carlos Hyde, Vance MacDonald, Garrett Celek, Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and maybe even Bow; players who have started and could possibly fill needs on the other teams.
    .
    Swapping players may help both teams, but I prefer trading them away, because I want for the Niners to create space on the roster so they can poach a couple players from playoff teams.
    .
    Sure, it would take creative thinking to pull it off, but if the Niners are truly serious about improving their roster, they should act now, before Training Camp. That way, they can work out the players and see if they fit the new scheme.
    .
    The good thing is that the roster has improved already, so they do have depth in talent. That means that they can afford to trade away players, with replacements already in place.
    .
    I also think they should upgrade the QB position.

    1. Well, on the matters you’ve noted you’re pretty much consistent with your other 50+ ‘bundle players and trade ’em’ posts the last 3 months. And of course, you invoke that ‘if the 9ers are truly serious’ caveat every time. Always the condition and caveat with you. If Lynch really wants to win…if so-and-so really wants to win… blah, blah.

      Did one or both of your parents impose similar ‘if you really want to’ conditions on you from an early age?

      Anyway…there’s little player bundle trading these days in the NFL–hasn’t been for a while. Is it because NFL execs are complete idiots, or that approach really bears little fruit?

      1. Cassie, it is done in other sports, so maybe you are right, the NFL is rigid, and inflexible, I guess it proves they are unimaginative and not very creative, and certainly does not impress me that they truly want to win.
        .
        Jed swore he would do everything in his power to win. How about thinking outside the box, because thinking inside the box left them with a 2-14 record.

        1. You can call the NFL rigid and inflexible, but I suspect the matter of multiple/packaged player trades brings risks/problems that GMs and HCs would prefer to avoid (beyond salary cap details). Sure, there are some GMs and HCs who are on the unimaginative side, but there are others who will do just about anything to win and are constantly innovating and looking for edges (and they are quite good at it)–yet they don’t do as you instruct. Hmm…..

          1. Seahawks did exactly what I advocated, but I expect they are clever enough to look everywhere to get an advantage. They also poached players, especially Niner players, something I have advocating that the Niners should do. Since they have been doing that, the Niners have had a very hard time winning against them. Maybe it has something to do with obtaining intel.

            1. Seb-skov…..

              Your monster ego is showing it’s deadly side again.

              Must I suffer you with even MORE of my poetry??
              Please don’t make me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        2. The issue with bundling players in the NFL is the Hard Cap. The NBA has a soft cap which teams can go over, and in Baseball their is no cap. Additionally their is a hard cap number on roster spaces and anyone not on the active roster who is not injured is available to other teams. That means the team excepting multiple players has to either, cut more players on their own roster or cut one of the players they just gave up a draft pick for.
          How many times does this need to be explained for you to understand why this situation is unique and it cannot be compared to other sports? It can be done but its extremely hard and bundling actually makes trades harder to complete.

          1. You are wasting your time Shoup. He lives in fantasy land where anything he dreams up is possible and candy corn is hard cash.

          2. Shoup, the main reason I think there is less bundling is the Hershel Walker trade. Vikings gave up a bunch of players, and a bunch of picks, and let the Cowboys rebuilt their team into a Super Bowl winner. After that Viking fiasco, many teams were reluctant to make blockbuster trades.
            .
            Still, with Basketball having trades of 5 players, that would be equivalent to trading a third of the team, or 17 players on a football team.
            .
            Football is unique, with its large squad, but that just means there are usually multiple needs.
            .
            Bundling players should facilitate trades because a team could possibly get 2 players for one, which is inherently advantageous. The fact that they traded multiple picks to move up in the draft like the Rams and Eagles did, was bundling picks, which translated into players, so bundling is being done despite your assertions that it is almost impossible to do.
            .
            Yes, I agree that teams do not generally bundle players, but that just means they are not innovative imaginative or creative enough. However, they also said that teams would never trade back, and it was foolish to even consider the possibility. Then we have the Seahawks, that traded back multiple times, just like I advocated, and turned 3 picks into 7 picks. The Niners traded back, and also traded up, so they were bold, aggressive, and thought outside the box.
            .
            Yes, I concede that the salary cap is an impediment to bundling players, but every team that won less than 5 games should expect a lot of turnover, and those are the teams that should be considering bundling players, because they have multiple needs.
            .
            The main obstacle to bundling, is the conservative and unimaginative mindset of the FOs.

      2. You can set your watch by this guy, he’s like clockwork and just as repetitive and imaginative.

  51. Where is the “49ers should (not) sign Jeremy Maclin!” post. I figured we’d be seeing that this morning since he was released yesterday.

  52. http://walterfootball.com/ws2017zcunningham.php

    According to sources, Cunningham slid for a few reasons. The first and most important was concern about him having a thin lower body. Some teams felt that Cunningham would have a hard time holding up and staying healthy because of his lean-boned body going against NFL front lines. They thought he could be prone to a lot of annoying, nagging injuries that can come from players trying to add quick weight when they don’t have the natural build to do it. Missing tackles was another criticism, but scouts across the league said Cunningham had impressive tape and was a good player. The question was on whether he would translate to the next level.

    That being said I like Zach. More of an Eagle front Sam or 3-4 Will linebacker to me as far as maximizing his skill set, reducing the number of blocks taking on offensive linemen for him.

    Foster > Cunningham.

    1. I forgot to quote the second paragraph. I would have edited it, but if you edit a comment that includes a link it goes into moderation.

      1. Aha… That explains why some of my posts drop into moderation, never to be seen again.

  53. Pretty sad rotoworld took this as a reliable source that the 49ers might cut bowman…..

      1. How so? He’s actually right about the 49ers affording Cousins in 2018 whether or not Bowman is on the roster next year.

      2. Hey Grant, maybe you can dig into this a little deeper and help us understand the implications of the league’s, pre, and post June 1st designation? I have to say, this June 1st deadline (or designation) still confuses me. I thought a pre-June 1st cut meant that teams could split the ‘dead money’ between the current year, and the following league year. If that’s the case, approximately half of his 2017 salary would still be carried over and applied to next years cap.

        If you could clarify this for your readers, it would sure help make your case.

        Personally, I’d rather the 49ers hold onto Bow this season. Simply because he still isn’t fully recovered from the achilles, and I’d like to see the 49ers take a cautious approach with Reuben Foster and ease him into his role(s) this season. Keep in mind that, in theory, the MIKE and WILL LB’s in this scheme are considered interchangeable. “The MIKE-WILL (weak side linebacker), they’re interchangeable,” Saleh said. “But, what there is, is one person can communicate and the other one might be able to communicate, but one is better than the other.”

        Also, it seems to me that ShanaLynch need to be careful here. They are in the process of changing a culture left behind by Trent Baalke. This means they need to re-establish trust, and instill a sense of accountability between players and the FO/Coaching staff. Does it send the right message at this point to cut a player of Bow’s stature on and off the field, given most doctors will tell you that recovery from a surgically repaired ruptured achilles tendon tends to take 11 full months post surgery, and that they would expect to see improvement, especially lateral movement, and change of direction, as late as 12-16 months post surgery, as the tendon regains it’s pliability?

        For point of reference, here are 2 players who recently recovered from a ruptured achilles tendon:

        – Raven’s WR, and potential future HOF WR, STEVE SMITH Sr. revealed that his November2015 achilles injury was actually a “double rupture” of the achilles tendon, the first such injury ever seen by his surgeon, renowned orthopedist Robert Anderson. Smith’s wife, Angie, said that photos taken during surgery showed what looked like “raw, shredded chicken.” Smith made it back to post impressive numbers the following season – 799 Yds receiving & 5 TD’s.

        – Raven’s LB TERRELL SUGGS’ injury was much more similar to Bowman’s Suggs suffered a ruptured achilles tendon in April 2012. Suggs, aka T-Sizzle, is considerably bigger than Bow (6’3″ 265), yet amazingly (I don’t believe in miracles) Terrell was back on the field by late October, but not up to full speed. He was fully recovered by 2013, and he recorded 22 sacks, 83 solo tackles, and 2 forced fumbles during the 2013-2014 seasons, and played in the next 47 straight games.

        Navorro Bowman has lost a step in coverage since he suffered his devastating knee injury. However statistically, Bow was still a very good run defender prior to the achilles injury. Why cut him now when the 49ers still have to carry at least half of his salary as dead money into 2018 season. Thanks in part to Marathe’s genius, the 49ers are in FANTASTIC salary cap shape moving forward. They can afford to take on Cousin’s contract regardless of whether they cut Bowman now, or after the 2017 season, and still have cap space to spare.

        1. One more point: It’s also true that there is strong evidence to suggest that an athlete will never be the same physically after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon. The question is how much of a drop off will we see from Bow once he get’s to the 11-16 month mark of his recovery? Navorro is not only physically gifted, he’s always been a very instinctive and smart player, and this bodes well for a strong return.

          It’s impossible to draw any conclusions at this time, on his recovery from this most recent injury, but given Bow’s will to succeed, I wouldn’t give up on him at this stage. Not with the youth behind him and the cushion the 49ers have in salary cap space.

  54. yeah .. no kiddin’ … #80 ..

    Grant is certainly getting himself noticed a lot
    more among his peers.. but ..
    I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not

  55. Both Lynch & Shanahan said from the get-go every player would have to earn a roster position. That goes for Bowman and all the vets. So, to single out Bowman seems trite and unnecessary. Ah, but that’s the Cohn way…try to make a splash and pretend people care about what you’re saying. Give it a rest, Grant…write about things that are facts, not your opinion.

  56. Fooch dissed Grant for invoking Bill Walsh? Personally, I want more wisdom from Walsh , especially if they are going back to the WCO. I want to hear more about flooding zones, targeting players, setting up plays by thinking 3 plays ahead, and proper game management. Sure hope KS remembers that Walsh chose Montana and Young, 2 mobile QBs.
    .
    He also did not derive his conclusion out of thin air. He gave concrete evidence.
    ,
    Injuries suack, but they are a part of football, and life. It is entirely possible that Bow does not come back 100% from his achilles. So the backlash from his post is a teensy bit over the top, but maybe he could have phrased it better by mentioning the other possibilities. Maybe he becomes a 2 down linebacker.

      1. East, I purposefully intended to write it that way to avoid the possibility of censorship.

          1. Hmmm, I thought I saw you write that you were wising up and will avoid my posts, Guess not.
            .
            Its OK, because I am impressed with your football knowledge as much as I am impressed with Prime’s.
            .
            Cant think of something, so you just go attack dog. If you want to insult me, please do not whine if I zing you too badly in return. I do not suffer fools gladly.

              1. Cassie, always the gadfly. Guess ol’ Baalke is so butt hurt, he sics you on me.
                .
                Did you know that I have high expectations for the team, just because Baalke was fired? Lynch actually apologized for a leak, while your daddy made it his signature move, other than cutting players on the team bus.
                .
                Thank God the stench of Baalke is dissipating.

              2. He thinks we are afraid of him. Instead we think he is a donkey. Always the last in on the joke.

              3. East, no I do not think you are afraid of me, because you are too dense to see what you are doing. By attacking me all the time, you think you look clever and smart, but in reality, you are a pathetic loser who has nothing better to do. I really suggest you grow up, because acting like a spoiled brat having a tantrum just makes me pity you.

              4. EC9
                Reality check
                He actually seems to believe that not only John Lynch, but Schneider of Seattle too read Grant’s column’s comments section to gain draft strategy from Sebastopol’s village idiot.
                He really believes that.
                Tells you what you need to know.

              5. He has quite the fevered mind BT and the gumption to accuse others of things he himself is guilty of. He is quite the troll. A real gem of a human!

                A case study of psychological need to be noticed. Sad and pitiable if he weren’t so loathesome.

                His unimpressive repetitive solipsistic screeds and that’s what the they are – akin to Ted Kaczynski’s top ten hits are self indulgent narcissistic journeys into the mind of a buffoon who believes he is smarter than not only other posters but GMs, coaches and other NFL executives. Further, this genuis actually believes he can discern what goes on inside the closed spaces of the board room and team rooms on his own. His lack of humility knows no bounds and he has an exceptional ability to reinterpret events favorable to his own point of view.

                These long unwarranted rambles take way too much blog space and have sadly had both a soporific and combustible part of the blog community now we cannot avoid.

    1. Seb……….

      Walsh picked Montana and Young..

      1) after meeting and appraising them, and.
      2) seeing with his own eyes they could hit the broad side of a barn.

      I can see some “Seb-logic” shall be forthcoming. I ask you to grade it when it does.

  57. Seb, hey we agree on something. I also agree that they should upgrade the QB position, the only difference is I’ve been lobbying for that for the last three years. We’ve put up with horrid, incompetent play at the most important position in football for far too long. They’ve already made significant progress in that direction by signing Hoyer and Barkley and drafting CJ. It’s refreshing to know we can agree occasionally! ;)

    1. Juan, with the film they have been garnering during these OTAs, Hoyer and Barkley seem to be struggling. Do not think Lynch will be satisfied with what they are showing. Kaep may win back his job by default.
      .
      Sure, we will never agree on Kaep, but I will take Pete Carroll’s assessment over yours. He thinks Kaep is a starter, and even though he has had his ups and downs, he still can lead a team to championships. He also thinks he will play this year, but it may take a QB failing or becoming injured.

      1. Kaep’s not returning to the 9ers Seb–no matter how badly you want it, no matter how twisted your argument becomes.

      2. Lynch is satisfied knowing he will select the QB he wants down the road. He’s very aware of the fact that his franchise QB is not on the team. I think every available QB on our roster would have to be on IR and no one else left in FA to sign before CK would be invited back.

        1. Wilson, sure, that is your opinion, and it is a a realistic one, but I am patient, and think things will unfold differently. I think that Hoyer will be out competed by Barkley, and both will amply demonstrate their limitations. The assessment of the OTA practices already show that may happen.
          .
          Through attrition, you may be prophetic, and if they hesitate, some other team will sign him.
          .
          However, Lynch is very smart, and is not a coward like some other GMs and owners, worried about public opinion and falling victim to emotions. Mara admitted to blackballing.
          .
          He will want to win, and he will look at the assessments of Pete Carroll, JH and Chip, and realize that Kaep will give the Niners their best opportunity to succeed. To him, it will be a business decision, and he will convince KS to change his mind, fully expecting KS to be able to take any QB, and make him fit into his scheme.
          .
          Lynch had many opportunities to declare the door is closed, but he has still left the door open.
          .
          I am also counting on Jed, which may seem foolish, but at least he will not be afraid of a mean tweet, since they have stopped lately.

          1. Lynch and Shanahan have a long-term plan. They are implementing it. The plan does not include Kaep–the system is being forged in a manner that doesn’t align with Kaep’s limited abilities. Yes, Kaep has a few strengths, yet he has many foundational liabilities. Kaep is not returning to the 9ers…guess that will validate your conclusion that Lynch really doesn’t want to win–in the manner you feel he should.

            1. You keep saying that Kaep has few abilities, but I will take Pete Carroll’s assessment over yours, any day, and twice on Sundays.
              .
              Then you downplay the limitations of the present QBs, as if Lynch thinks they will lead the Niners back to the Super Bowl. I am merely supporting the last QB to lead the Niners to the Super bowl.
              .
              Sure, with Cousins waiting until next year, and a bevy of potential college QBs who could be franchise players, Lynch may be looking towards the future, but that will not help him win this season. He should sign Kaep to a -Prove it- one year contract, at the same level as Hoyer, and let there be a fair competition.

              1. Seb. Check my posts. I’ve NEVER said anything downplaying the inadequacies (whatever they are) of the current 9er QBs. A little early to toss them overboard or sing their praises, no? Check my posts Seb.

                You are the little boy in the movie Shane, who calls for Shane (Kaep) to come back…

              2. Cassie, you have not extolled them as franchise QBs, so you are damning them with faint praise

              3. Lack of evidence equals evidence of condemnation. Wow. Great lawyering!

          2. Mara admitted to blackballing, but he is the tool that allowed Brown to play for months after they knew he was found out to be terrorizing his former wife, and abusing her cruelly.
            .
            He allowed serial abuse, defended him, now he has his panties in a twist over non violent silent protest. What a profile in courage.

          3. Wilson, sure, that is your opinion, and it is a a realistic one

            Seb you should have stopped here after using the word realistic.

            I am also counting on Jed, which may seem foolish,

            Your last word here describes your argument here.

          1. That ends well for the protagonist. Tell me Cassie who is Seb in that scenario?

          2. Yes!!!! It is sport for Seb!! He’s messing with all of us, has been for years.

            Some “Seb-logic” is coming up from my bowels………Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!

      3. Haha!!!!!!!!

        Kap may win back his job by default………..and the cow flew over the moon.

  58. Gosh, I did not bring it up, and was just responding to Juan. You all seem to want to perpetuate it, so the best way to do that is talk about something else.

    1. Okay, let’s talk about special teams. Would like to get Grant’s take on special teams issues and opportunities, and associated coaching–strong or weak.

      1. Grant said he would concentrate on assessing the position coaches in future practices, so I will wait until he writes about them.
        .
        For special teams, my question is over who should be taking the punts and Kickoffs. I certainly would not pull an Ellington, and make a WR prone to injury take kickoffs. Maybe Breida could earn a spot on the team with kickoff duties.
        .
        For punts, I liked Kerley, because he has good hands.

        1. I’m thinking of our kicker, wanting a better sense for his clutch abilities–if there are any.

          1. http://ninerslive.net/49ers-will-kicker-robbie-gould-be-able-to-fill-mr-reliable-phil-dawsons-shoes/

            “Robbie Gould has, at times, showed a lack of focus and concentration in clutch situations throughout his career. In Week 13, December 1st, 2013, Gould missed field goal attempts (66,47) in the late minutes of the game against the Minnesota Vikings to lose 23-20 in overtime (CBSsports.com).”

            “Also, who can forget the missed field goal in 2015 by Gould in overtime that allowed the 49ers to come back and win in overtime with a Blaine Gabbert to Torrey Smith pass play as seen in the (video).”

            “Note: Robbie Gould missed two field goals in that game also, (40,36).”

            “In the following week of the 2015 season, the Chicago Bears played the Washington Redskins, and ole Robbie missed another clutch field goal (50) to tie the game with 1:45 seconds to go in the game. Needless to say, the Bears lost again 24-21, which essentially crushed the Bears fan base (video).”

            1. That’s what I was wondering. I knew he had some occasional lapses. Thanks!

  59. I hate that you wrote this but every word of it is true. Bowman is done. His only contribution to the team this year would be his leadership and mentorship of the younger players. That’s really hard to do when anyone with eyes can see Bowman shouldn’t be on the field ahead of other players.

    1. We’ll all other outlets are saying that Bow has looked good especially considering he is 7 months removed from an injury that typically takes much longer to heal from. Now you can take Grants opinion and think he is correct which is fine but let me tell you he does this every year and not once has he been correct on a player they should get rid of. Maybe this is the year he is correct but I wouldn’t count on it. You don’t get rid of a guy that will still get you 100 plus tackles and rare leadership skills that you mentioned. Especially when you you have a younger version of him that he needs to learn from.

      1. Been around here awhile. I know Grant has said other players are done but they went on to productive seasons… see Gore, Frank. My opinion is based on what I’ve seen with my own 2 eyes. Number of tackles is a decent barometer for judging success but it isn’t everything. Before the knee injury Bowman could cover anyone and he would routinely meet ball carriers in the hole for no gain or even a loss. After the knee injury Bowman clearly couldn’t cover anyone and he was late to the hole on a regular basis. What used to be no gain is now a 4 yard gain. I’m a huge Bowman fan so his lowered level of play is distressing to see. His level of play now is based on smarts and pure grit. His physical ability has deteriorated to the point where it’s hard for me to watch him play now.

    2. Thanks, Houston. Kyle Shanahan already has said Bowman will have to compete for a starting job.

      1. Thats what ANY new coach would say. Competition brings out the best in players. Bowman is going to have a really good year. With the D line much stronger I expect 100 plus tackles from Bow. Hopefully Grant you write a nice article saying how wrong you were.

  60. “…Walsh cut Charle Young when Young was 31 and replaced him with Russ Francis, then cut Francis when he was 33 and replaced him with Brent Jones.” Grant, John Frank replaced Russ Francis. Brent Jones took over after Frank retired (to become a Doctor I recall).

  61. OT from Bow, but pertinent to the running backs, I think they will keep Hyde, but utilize him correctly.
    .
    The best way to utilize him properly, is not to let him run parallel to the line of scrimmage.
    .
    They should line him up deep in the I, so the the defense cannot scheme to stop him from running either to the right or the left. That will allow him to build up a head of steam before hitting the line of scrimmage. Hyde then can find the hole to run through, because he does have agility.
    .
    Having a good fullback like Jusczyzk will make the I formation even more effective.

  62. 2 things if 9er coaches limit his scheme to north-south
    1. Hyde is a pouter. He won’t like this. His effort will be half-a$$ed, his sucess will simply be a$$.
    2. Any half competent DC will destroy Hyde. Hyde cannot run into 8 in a box. He wants to dance, jig, juke and take a 3 yard loss.

    This blog has a recurring theme that suggests there is only coaching by one team in a game. I guess this is why everyone gets stirred up in OTA’s.

    But as lomg as ontopic of OTA’s….., considering that, if a LB can’tcover in OTA’s….well what do y’all think will happen against real competition.

    1. Hyde almost ran for 1000 yards last season. Thousand yard runners do not grow on trees.
      .
      How to stop the 8 in the box? Spread them out with 4 wide, and attack the edges. Develop a passing game so the defense cannot stack the box and dare them to throw.
      .
      Niners will do better once they stop running into the teeth of the defense.
      .
      Hyde may get injured again, so he should go down by falling forward at first contact, and not let them gang tackle him by trying to stay upright and fighting for every inch. It would also lessen the chance that they strip him of the ball.

      1. Hyde almost ran for 1000 yards last season. Thousand yard runners do not grow on trees.

        What used to be a challenge back in the NFL days gone by, rushing for 1,000 yards got easier with the advent of the 16 game schedule in ’78. Wasn’t long before nearly every team sent out a 1,000 yard rusher: In 2000, 23 players reached the number, and any back who did not was seen to be a substandard NFL running back….

        1. Very true Razor,
          In the past rushing for a thousand yards meant much more because players had to average around 100 yards but now if a player averages 63 yards per game they will run for over 1000 yards. To put this in perspective a running back that averages 17 carries for 3.9 yards will be a thousand yards running back… that’s not nearly as impressive.

  63. O, and then Hyde will go on the DL…in this senario probably at or before 1st bye

    1. I hope Hyde stays healthy, and with the upgrade of the other RBs, they can spell him so he stays fresh.

      1. Due to the upswing of the passing attack in the NFL, 1000 yard rushers are in decline, while 500 yard rushers has increased. More teams are using the running game as a compliment to their passing game, and implementing more rotation at the position. The days of elite running backs are coming to an end in the NFL….

        1. I hope it is a running game by committee,and do not need the Niners to have another 1000 yard rusher. However, if they are in the top 5 rushing again, I hope they win more than 2 games.

        2. Well, I wouldn’t put money on the demise of elite backs–perhaps static, but not demise. There may not be several 1800 yard + performances anytime soon, but a back (benefiting from a good OL and offensive system) capable of gaining ~1000 yards in a 16 game season is quite valuable…especially if said back is a decent receiver as well. The NFL is cyclic, yet constantly changing. When Ray Chester (TE) emerged with the Raiders decades ago, he was heralded as the new wave TE–fast and prolific receiver, and decent blocker. How many times over the last 10 years have we heard of athletic TEs setting ‘new standards’ for the position? New standards in terms of fast, very good hands, and decent blockers. Yawn, heard that before. Just an example.

  64. A lot of emphasis on the benchmark 1,000 yard season……really?
    Did anybody stop to do the arithmetic?
    62.5 yards per game average is something to brag about? Please!
    100 yards per game average would be admirable but not earth shattering.

      1. How much of that was due to facing a softer defense in garbage time?

        1. None. 124 of his 217 carries came in the first half of games and he averaged 4.9 a carry. 57 came in the 3rd quarter at 3.6 per carry and only 34 came in the 4th quarter in which he averaged 4.4.

          1. Thank you Rocket for pointing out the man’s obvious gifts. He is a good running back. Why is everyone so down on Hyde? His one challenge is he cannot stay healthy. Other than that he is a decent runner.

    1. That’s why I have been shaking my head when people suggest he should get traded or cut. I think frustration over his inability to play a full season, along with the usual unrealistic expectations of rookies is spearheading itf, but it doesn’t make any sense. Hyde is the best RB on the roster and trading him would be a complete waste unless someone offered a day two pick which isn’t going to happen due to him going into the last year of his deal. I have yet to see a RB not have some degree of success in this system so the suggestion he’s not a fit doesn’t fly with me.

      Bottom line: Hyde isn’t making big money, he’s a good back and there is little chance they get much in trade so the suggestion to trade him is a bad idea.

      1. Baffles me too. The young guys are totally unproven raw at best and yet people are ready to discard one our best offensive players?

  65. Hyde averaged 4.6 despite playing for Kelly, whose plays were often telegraphed by the formation. This will be a run heavy season. Hyde will get plenty of work. They have to run effectively to sell the play action. I’m not sold on Hightower. And Williams and Breida while having potential, haven’t done squat in the league.

    1. You kind of killed your own argument by saying Hyde got his average despite playing for Kelly #80 since Kelly was known for being able to get big production for his RBs before his 2016 coaching season with the 49ers.

      1. Except when the opposing team knew which way the play was going. How many times was Hyde hit behind the line of scrimmage?

        1. How many times was it due to his lack of patience in waiting for a hole to open up? I agree with you on teams knowing which play came next, but Hyde has struggled with patience and durability since coming into the league.

          1. Fair point about his style. It’s both style and predictability. I’m also concerned about his health and that’s why I wouldn’t give him an extension unless he has a monster year.

            I just think people need to pump the brakes with Williams. We’re still in non contact OTAs. He would have to really shine to take a spot from a HB that is an above average talent. Let Williams be the 2 in a 1-2 punch.,getting him ready to start next year while not getting him pounded and possibly hurt by being a NFL workhorse as a rookie.

            1. I agree on all of that, but I still think Hyde will be traded/released due to not being a fit for Shanahan’s offense or will be one of the backups.

  66. When I read the comment section in terms of Hyde and his performance I get the sense I had reading about Kaep: unrealized potential. Like Kaep Hyde may have peaked early.

    1. Hyde just needs to stay healthy and protect the ball. Kap needed to improve everything related to passing.

  67. While I don’t agree with the suggestion to cut Bowman this season, I do agree that his ability has diminished to the point he is strictly a two down LB now. There is a role for him on a young team for at least this season imo, but anyone expecting him to ever be the Bo of pre knee injury form, will be sorely disappointed. It sucks but that is the reality of the sport.

    1. Agreed, but he was a two down LB pre achilles. Smith is also a two down LB and is weaker against the run. Neither Bow nor Smith should play on obvious pass plays. Foster and Ray Ray can cover.

      Bow is a run stopper. Smith is mediocre depth.

      1. I wonder if Brock Coyle may be the joker in the deck, and he may supplant Smith or Bow.

  68. Seb, all that Carroll said was that Kaepernick is a starter in the league. So what! There are numerous mediocre starters in the league. He would just add to that total if given the chance, which is doubtful. When I read his quote I figured you’d grab onto it like a desperate soul grabbing onto a vine while hanging on the cliff of a raging river. Quite humorous actually. But I will concede that your right. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and it’s conceivable that a team could ultimately become so despondent that they might consider signing a controversial, mediocre quarterback. Stranger things have happened!

    1. As sung in Titanic…The Heart Will Go On (Seb’s heart as he watches Kaep slowly disappear…). Sniff…

    2. Juan, engaging me over Kaep seems to stir up the peanut gallery. We will just have to agree to disagree.
      .
      I must commend you for refraining from using Kaep’s name in a pejorative manner, and I actually respect your opinions because you at least use facts to bolster your arguments.
      .
      I hope we can civilly and politely keep having these discussions, because I do agree that Kaep is a long shot to return. Yet, like you said, stranger things have happened. Oh dang, another gun reference, Hope TrollD does not get hysterical again.

        1. Seb is the kid in school who tries too hard to be heard and liked and wonders why no one sits with him at lunch.

          1. And you 2 are like Baalke in the elevator. Wont make eye contact, or say something nice, because you are twisted inside and cannot be amenable or pleasant.

            1. Seb is the guy who came on here with brash and sass and no matter what he says now, no one can take him seriously.
              He thought he was big time after getting banned from NN and decided to come on here with a bang only to build a reputation as a poop disturber.
              Bad move Seb!

              1. Prime, your continual snark is amusing, and is totally futile, except to define you as a blustering bloviating belligerent bombastic blowhard.
                .
                Remember, you said he took the league by storm, you cannot unsay those words.

              2. You made a bad move coming onto this blog with your porous bravado.
                Big mistake.

              3. Prime, you said you were leaving this blog, and never coming back. Another bad move on your part, because it just shows what a liar you are.

              4. No matter what you say or how much brown nosing you do, you’ve pigeonholed yourself as a character, well, with none.

                I may be harsh but the reality is I’m here to read other posters.
                You came on here with an attitude that you knew more than anyone and made the mistake of campaigning that daily.
                In the end it didn’t work, you are that guy and now lost in blog purgatory.
                Bad move.

      1. “Stir up the peanut gallery……………….”

        Cmon Sebs-you do this stuff on purpose, and then cry victim! You get a kick out of it–always have.

  69. Let’s also knock off the nonsense once and for all that Lynch has left the door open for him to return. Your problem Seb is that, similar to Trump haters, according to Trump proponents, you are taking what Lynch says literally, and not figuratively. I would advise the latter. Kaepernick will never, ever, ever be a Forty Niner again. Now you can take that literally!

    1. Sebs an idiot. Lynch and Shanny are not. That’s why Kap will never be a 49er again

  70. Sebber, if you look at the bottom of the screen/middle, 13 second mark you’ll see a guy jumping up and down rocking. At the 1:27 mark(look for bouncing arms) bottom left of screen during song solo. Notice he begins the solo on the opposite side, then finishes in front of the guy jumping up and down. Again at the 2:41 mark as the song ends. That guy would be me…;>)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8MDoe2qyHY

    1. NOICE ;p
      .
      I like how he ended the song, tossing the guitar. Quite a show.

  71. Wow what an awesome venue Razor. Looks similar to the Mystic from what I can see in that video.. Only way to see a concert in my view. How were your ears after that one? Well, after a stressful first half with a dozen turnovers, the Dubs seem to have this one in hand, though there are still a little over seven minutes left. Go Dubs!

    1. Yea, it’s pretty diverse as well. Neil Sedaka to The Temptations(Otis Williams), Toto, The Glenn Miller Band to heavy metal, along with movie themed nights, broadway plays, etc. Sound is excellent too. Ears are like leather, so no problems and no ear plugs. Place holds like a 1000 people. Only bummer is they’re all assigned seats. No general admission, or I would have been right down on center stage….

  72. That’s cool Razor. Perfect size venue. Toto? One of the few great bands I’ve missed live over the years. On my bucket list. I have their “Live from Amsterdam” video. They rock the house. Steve Lukather is one of the most underrated lead guitars around in my view. His solo on “I won’t hold you back” is epic and also ” While my guitar gently weeps” is right up there with Clapton, Framton, and the rest of the top leads around.

  73. Yes Tuna, my favorite around here is the Mystic, not just for the small intimate size (I believe it’s a 600 max occ.), but it’s also close, in Uber range! Napa Uptown is a good one, and Annie O’s (formerly the Last Day Saloon). I haven’t been to the new “House of Rock” in Northwest SR. Konocti was always one of my favorites. Too bad it closed.

    1. Haven’t tried it yet, but I hear Napa’s Blue Note is nice. Slack Key show coming in June there I might check out. Sweetwater Music Hall is a fine reincarnation of Sweetwater Saloon.( Sweet Beets plays there Monday night. Sorry for the blatant plug, but she’s a friend of a friend. More Islands tunes, )
      : -)

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