Jim Tomsula on Blaine Gabbert: “He’s got a nice personality.”

SANTA CLARA

Here is the transcript of Jim Tomsula’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department,

 

Opening comments:

“The injury report, again guys are still coming in, but [LB Aaron] Lynch and [TE Vance] McDonald are both in the concussion protocol. [LB Michael] Wilhoite is getting an MRI on his ankle today. [LB NaVorro] Bowman, as of right now, looks like everything is really well. He went through all the protocol yesterday in the game and went into the locker room, checked, all those things and was cleared to return to play and he’s fine. [TE Garrett] Celek, there’s a meeting with our medical staff and doctors today to see what they see on that. Today’s a bid day for him, letting it go the first week and see where he’s at. So, we’ll let you know about that tomorrow or later on today. Questions?”

 

Why is it a big day for him? Just to see how far he’s come?

“Yeah. With those high ankle sprains, just to see where he’s at and how it’s progressed over that first week.”

 

How concerned are you about covering tight end if McDonald and Celek are not available next week?

“Well, obviously we have to look at that. We brought a guy in. We’ve got our guys in here on the practice squad. It’s obviously a concern. We need to be shored up for it. Feel pretty good about McDonald, but we’ve got to make sure that we’re covered there and we will be.”

 

How much has QB Blaine Gabbert just shown you with his leadership and his big-play ability since he took over this job and his steady nature out there?

“Yeah, he’s been really steady. Again, the way he’s approached his job since he’s been here has been really impressive. I think since you’ve seen him in games on Sundays, you’ve seen him progress. He’s moving along well. Blaine is a talented, talented quarterback, obviously. But, we’re really excited about where he’s at and where he’s heading. We still need to keep getting better. And the way he interacts with everybody and the way he handles the offense, all of those things are really good.”

 

What do you like about how he interacts?

“Blaine’s that, I don’t want to say Midwestern guy, but he’s just, he comes in in the morning and, ‘Hey, Blaine, what’s up?’ He’s got a nice personality. He’s a good guy and he’s real serious about football and you see it and he talks about it and the guys, I just like the way he communicates with the guys.”

 

What about his running ability? You certainly didn’t hear much about that and it’s turned out to be a big asset it seems like.

“Yes, sir. He’s a very good athlete. He can run. We go to all the statistics, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s in great shape and he can move around. Obviously, you got to see that the other day, but we’ve known that. We see him in practice.”

 

Can you see incorporating that more in the offense given that he’s now shown it’s not just one or two plays, he’s done that several times?

“Yeah, I figured I would get asked about the zone option and all those things. That’s still part of our offense.”

 

How much of a jolt do you foresee yesterday’s win and the fashion it played out, having an effect on this locker room going forward? 

“I don’t know that I say jolt. The fashion, the way the game went, the ups and downs, it was by no means a perfect game. But, to battle it all the way through and come out with a victory makes those moments in the locker room after the game more exciting and more emotional. So, that part of it, we let that go a little bit longer for the guys to be able to feel that. But this group, again we keep saying, working through the week and they come to work. Again, we’re in a performance-based business, but winning on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and through the week and we’ve got to finish it by winning on game day. So, I think a win definitely goes in the good category, the great category, but I don’t know that it’s a jolt.”

 

Your team is competing very well lately. Could you name some specific areas in which the team has improved from the beginning of the season?

“Yeah. Defensively I will say that with the scheme and the techniques and playing together in some of the zone defenses and where the guys are and understanding where the other guys fit around you, I think that’s an area that we’ve really improved on, that you would expect to improve on. We’re still not as consistent as I would like us to be in the run fits. You’re seeing the still up and down. You’ll see us come out for a game and it’s solid and it’s good. I know we had a couple of guys go out of the game and we had to bring people in and things like that, but we‘ve got to keep hammering that. That’s still too much up and down. That just needs to be there and stay there and the guys are working it hard, but the consistency of that has to get much better. But, there is improvement in it. Offensively, again I would say the operation of it, understanding your route combinations when you’re running routes on where you are to where the other receivers are and the quarterback’s reads and the guys, again, just working together at it. The offensive line, and again yesterday, we feel like we can play better than we played yesterday on the offensive line. But, I have seen that moving forward. So, I very much think there’s a lot of work to do, but those are the areas that I do see things improving on. Special teams wise, I thought that our [P Bradley Pinion] punter, that was the best game he’s played this year. That’s what we know Bradley can do and he can change the field for you and he was able to do that. I felt really good for him in that area. Defensively as a whole, not being in favorable field position in a couple of areas where they got the ball and either getting a three-and-out or making it be a field goal. That was good to see. Stepping up to the plate there, playing the complimentary football with the offense, the defense and special teams. So, those are the areas. I hope I’m answering your question, but those are the areas I see it.”

 

ME: In terms of the run fits, was that the issue on the 11-yard run at the end of the game on third-and-ten? It seemed that LB Gerald Hodges got a little too far to the left.

“Yes. And again, when they say it’s a game of inches, I understand all that, but we’ve got to fit in there. Again, moving forward, what we talk about is OK mistakes happen in every game, but now we need to make sure that we’re not repeating. That needs to be cleaned up and the next time we do that, let’s have a new problem to fix. That’s the mentality that we’re trying to have.”

 

ME: And the problem with the run fit, where does that come from? Does that come from young players not having experience around each other or why is the run fit an issue?

“Well, on a few of those plays, particularly the one you’re talking about there, we had a little movement going on. So, the guys were moving. And you’ve got to kind of sit back. They’re going that way, you see the ball going that way and you want to get over there. That’s where your patience has to sit in. You’re emotional, everything’s going on, you need to stay, knowing that that’s going to go take care of that and that thing’s going to come back to you. So, it’s almost a little bit too aggressive. That’s what happened on that particular play that you’re talking about. But, the run fits just, I mean, the other teams scheme too. As you’re in the game and you have to adjust to the schematic that they’re presenting to you and make sure that, the biggest thing to me when you talk run fits is keeping one problem one problem because all of a sudden I can get a lot of guys out there that, ‘oh the ball hit there so we’re going to get there.’ Now one problem becomes six problems. Now I’ve got other people out of position trying to take care of that. Leave it one problem. Let’s get that fixed and then we’ll be OK, let’s move forward. And that’s what happens. Now, we’re not having six problems. There were some games earlier in the year where we ended up with six problems. You mean well, but we’re causing more problems. Yesterday, we had maybe one or two. But, let’s keep it to one problem. Let’s identify it, let’s fix it and let’s move forward.”

 

Given the distance of 24 hours, how do you sort of view the offensive performance yesterday? Obviously, Blaine made two big plays to tie the game and to win the game. But, before that, the offense didn’t do a lot. How do you sort of view it as a whole?

“Well, I’ll tell you, the offense, when we say that I mean looking at it with my coach’s hat on, coming out of the gates, no it wasn’t where we wanted it to be nor expected it to be. We did have a 16-play drive there it the second quarter which I thought that’s what we want it to look like. There it is guys. So, that will be taken off the film. That’s what we want it to look like. There’s what it looks like guys. You talk about rhythm. You talk about moving. You talk about in and out of the huddle. You just see that bounce. So, you saw that there. We come down, we have points. And then there was a lull again, but you saw to where we come out in the second half, early on we were abysmal in third downs. In the second half, they were much better. So, we started to hit on the third downs. And a lot of those third downs had something to do with first and second down. So, there were a lot of things there to feel good about and to grow from along with things that we need to continue to fix. We need to continue to get better.”

 

Would you expect RB Carlos Hyde to play again this year with four games left?

“Honestly, I don’t know if Carlos will play this year or not. I know that, with the particular injury and the way that it’s being handled medically and with Carlos and with everybody, I know Carlos would like to try to play. I know that they’re really working through it. So, again, when it comes to those things, I don’t deal in that world.”

 

Would he be better served to start fresh next year with a healthy–?

“I’m going to stay out of those conversations and we’ll see where he ends up.”

 

You referenced Pinion a couple minutes ago. How valuable is K Phil Dawson this week, especially when you’re going to Cleveland and a place he really knows the conditions and all of that stuff?

“See, Phil Dawson is incredibly important every week. And not just because he’s such a good kicker, such a good football player. Phil, with again, his knowledge and his experience in the winds and the way things are happening, the way he studies it. Phil will come in at halftime, he’s letting you know where the winds are and how were doing those things. Quite frankly, 10 days ago here, at halftime, Phil came in and obviously Bradley kicking off there’s a good chance it’ll go out of the end zone and we’ll start on the 20. The winds changed here and Phil came in and let me know that. He said, ‘Hey Jim, the winds have changed. If we kickoff into the wind right now, Bradley might not get it out of the end zone because they’re coming in a little bit odd.’ And he knows that. He really studies it. He said, ‘But, it’ll give me the wind in the fourth quarter if we get into a long field goal situation.’ So, again, I don’t say that to Bradley, but you get your coverage units here, ‘Hey guys, let’s cover extra hard. OK, the wind’s coming at us. Let’s make sure we get down there and get it covered.’ So, it’s no surprise that the ball didn’t go out of the end zone when he kicked off. That’s where Phil’s at. Just things like that with Phil Dawson are just huge. I laugh a lot and tell him we’re the same age.”

 

He’s hinting about coming back for another season. I’m sure you’d be well in favor?

“Phil Dawson is, that’s a money guy. That’s a good dude.”

 

We haven’t seen a lot of long throws by Gabbert. So, how impressed were you by that throw to WR Torrey Smith?

“I mean, obviously impressed because we needed it and we had it and he did right there he saw the quarters coverage and hit it. But, we do see him throw in practice and his touch and some of his long balls. He makes the throws. He’s got the ability to do those things. So, I felt really good about it that it happened there and Torrey did a great job catching the ball and those things. But, we think he can throw the football.”

 

You said you’re not sure about Carlos. If he doesn’t play again this season, are you comfortable at the running back position?

“Whatever’s best for Carlos is what we’re going to eventually get to.”

 

Right, I understand. But, without him I know RB Shaun Draughn–?

“I think he’s done a really nice job. He really has. I’m really glad he’s here.”

 

With Gabbert, a guy who’s had a second chance so to speak with a new organization, do you sense when you have a guy like that who’s getting another try and do you sense an extra, is he thrilled by that?

“Well, I’ve been through some of those things with other players in my position groups and things like that. I mean, the bottom line to me is Blaine Gabbert came out of college at 20 years old and became a starting quarterback in the National Football League at the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’m not critiquing anybody’s team, but it was a tough situation. You’re 20 years old and you’re a first round draft pick and you’re in Jacksonville and you’re going and OK things don’t work out the way they should. Fast forward, we get to the San Francisco 49ers, and since I’ve met the guy and watched the guy work and obviously when he first got here he was going against the defense. So, I’m watching this guy throw footballs. I’m watching this guy out there running around. I’m watching him have a blast at what he’s doing. I’m seeing him walk in the building every morning at six o’clock with a cup of coffee and sit down and study tape like he’s going to start. This is all of last year you see the guy constantly doing those things. And then you say he’s 25 years old. Sometimes being able to look at it from a different vantage point can do a world of good for you.”

This article has 347 Comments

  1. While I’m not a Jim Tomsula hater (I do wish the 49ers had fired Gase, with Fangio as DC), the title quote is cringe worthy, at least out of context. In context, it’s not as strange, but it still doesn’t sound right when it’s being said about an NFL QB by his HC.

    1. Go back and look at all the headlines using Tomsula quotes. In every single case, the underlying story contains many quotes that could be used but this blog intentionally uses something to make Tomsula look like a buffoon. It’s definitely the point of view they are trying to push. Tomsula spent much more time on the kicking game and the defense in this interview but they used the quote on Gabbert that sounds kind of goofy. Not sure if Cohn is the guy who writes the headline but it wouldn’t surprise me.

      1. I don’t think JT is a buffoon, but does anyone know what the hell he thought he was challenging on that punt play?

        1. I thought it was a safety, but was incorrect, but even so I thought it should have been placed at the 2 yard line where the Bears player touched the ball.

      1. Reason No. 8. The Niners’ front office may start talking itself into keeping head coach Jim Tomsula for another season if San Francisco beats Chicago. It’s not in
        Like Grant,

        Until the GM proves to the fans it will no longer draft back-to-back busts in Rounds 1-2 (AJ Jenkins, LaMichael James), or whiff on an entire draft, 2012, and go 30-50 in drafting players, and be incompetent drafting the entire offensive side of the ball, Tell the entire NFL what your new hire coach’s strategy will be: “we’re going to run the ball,” –which even offensive genius Walsh wouldn’t do, although he had the offensive prowess to do–then I agree with Grant, Baalke and the front office suit’s Egoism run amok will never admit a mistake….When and if they decide to hire an ego larger than their’s it will be to the peril of 49er fan’s pocket books as it will be a business/football 2nd coach.

        the front office’s interest to fire Tomsula after just one season and admit his hiring was a mistake to begin with.

        Reason No. 8. The Niners’ front office may start talking itself into keeping head coach Jim Tomsula for another season if San Francisco beats Chicago. It’s not in the front office’s interest to fire Tomsula after just one season and admit his hiring was a mistake to begin with. The front office needs any excuse it can find to keep him around. Plus, he comes cheap and the front office likes that.

      2. TrollD, FYI they played the game and the Niners won. I know you are rooting for the Niners to lose every game, but you will be disappointed like your whole life is a disappointment.

  2. Blaine Gabbert will be the starting quarterback for the next 3 years, at least. During that time he will continue to improve. He will lead this team into the playoffs. Book it. And remember that you heard it here first. :)

      1. Playoffs are getting easier to reach each year because the NFL makes money. In two years expect to see more teams qualify.
        Now look at the division. STL is a trainwreck on offense. As long as Fisher is in STL they are not going to compete.
        AZ has no backup QB who can take over the franchise. They are not prepared for Palmer’s retirement.
        Seattle should run into cap problems at the end of next season.
        So, 2 years is a very feasible time table for SF playoffs. They have a young squad and early picks. We can point to Baalke making the picks, but even with his misses he is bound to find a gem or two.

        1. I will admit that I have not been excited about any of our quarterbacks since Jeff Garcia. Blaine has promise.

    1. Leo, I second that notion. Even though I love Kaep, he just is not doing his job. Gabbert is. He won that game with his legs and his arm. Above all, Gabbert is smart with the ball. If the O line can improve and give him time, he can make the throws.

  3. Ok y’all someone give me some info here…I watched at least 3 maybe 4guys leave the game yesterday, with what the nfl calls concussion protocol.(Vmac,bowman,and a bears te.Bennett I think.)ok that’s cool.most of the hits were not bone crunching. Ok fast forward to the Carolina vs saints game.cam takes a direct shot to the head helmet to helmet doesn’t move for 3 ,4 sec then slowly gets up. not one time did I see anyone check him for a concussion,just went over and sat on bench.later in game takes another shot winces teeth showing still no check by independent neurologist.what am I missing??when vance went down they were on the field before he even had a chance to get up all the way. 3 min after that in locker room done for game.

    1. Cam came out of the game and was checked. They also took him to the locker room for a short time. The way it works is they put the player through some tests both visually and mentally, and use the responses as a guide to whether the player has suffered a concussion.

    2. Look at the records. Carolina has something to play for SF does not. Guys won’t sacrifice their bodies at 4-8. Concussion testing is an easy way out.

  4. Just read on BASG that Jed tweeted yesterday after the game: “Very fun win.”

    Unbelievable. “Very fun win” is what a high school girl texts after her school has won at lacrosse and she’s on the way to get her nails done. Besides being a sissy, Jed shows no passion for the team. It’s worse than I thought.

    1. Beating Gase and Fangio might have validated their decision do go in a different direction.

    2. In a way, both Kaep and Jed are made for each other — decent guys who are immature and incapable of playing the leadership roles that have been assigned to them.

      1. “The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure, and the intelligent are full of doubt.” – Bertrand Russel

  5. (Rocket) I know how the protocols work and what they do.I live nc I watched the game on tv,personally never seen him leave or go to locker room.my point is why were they not on the field after said hits.they sure was in the niners game, seems like a double standard who cares if we pull Vmac the niners are 3-8.no one wants to see cam leave game when Panthers are undefeated don’t make since

    1. Got it. I’m not sure why they didn’t go out on the field, but Cam did get tested on the sideline and went to the Locker room for a short time. It was documented at the time on Fox and later in print.

  6. What up, Colin?
    This is your former “backup”…. Alex.
    “my team” is gonna finish at 11-5…
    We will make the playoffs.
    You cool with that? Uh huh. Uh huh.
    If you get rehired anyway, be sure to be
    ready. Watching my game film during
    “the rest of the season” will help, okay?
    2 TD running and 2 TDs passing.
    That is called a balanced attack.
    (Oh, yes; I ran one in myself.)
    Having fun (on the field), homie.

    1. Was winning really worth it?
      ———-
      Didn’t you just break down how the team might finish 7-9?

  7. I hope the Niners put Hyde on the IR so his foot can heal fully. There is no reason to bring him back since the Niners are out of the playoffs, and Hyde is too important to risk injuring his foot worse over meaningless games.
    With Hyde recovering, I hope the Niners elevate Hayne and lets him help win games.

  8. The fact that an argument xists over whether the team has even changed at all should be a clue about how much change has actually occurred.

    1. “but his athleticism has always been an underrated part of his game, perhaps because your eye was automatically drawn to the horrendous quarterback play first.”

      Lol

      1. “While it’s too early to make this a Jim Plunkett redemption story, we are seeing a different Gabbert than in years past, and how high his ceiling is will be interesting to watch down the stretch.”

    2. The tale of Blaine kinda follows the dichotomy of Alex and Rodgers. AS was thrown into the starting lineup too early and Rodgers had the luxury of sitting and studying for years behind Favre. Now that Gabbert has sat and studied behind Kaep, he has studied hard and learned from his mistakes. He also has honed his skills and grown stronger.
      Gabbert also has benefited from learning from the struggles of Kaep and how to avoid the same problems.
      Gabbert never had a chance at Jax because that team was horrendous and any QB would have failed there. Here, with a better supporting cast, he has done well.

      1. It wasn’t just Favre. His QB coach was Tom Clements one of the greatest Canadian League QBs in history and is in the CFL HOF.

        He was also the guy who coached Tommy Maddox into becoming the NFL comeback player of the year. He was a excellent OC for the Bills. He made people think that Elvis Grbac and Kordell Stewart could make it in the NFL (despite their complete lack of talent). And as a college QB coach he made very under-talented Rick Mirer look good!

        Smith’s QB coach was a young, inexperienced defensive coach that had 1 year college WR coaching experience on offense. In short, completely and utterly unqualified.

        I think if we drafted Rodgers, he’d have been the bust. We’d have said Nolan was an idiot for drafting yet another crappy Tedford product. We’d be whinging and crying as Smith played well for the Packers even if he didn’t hit Rodger’s current level.

        1. You may be right, but my response to your argument is that Rodgers has won a ring and Alex has not. Also, I think Rodgers is more accurate than Alex.

    3. Gabbert is a great story no question. I really hope he becomes the player Jax thought they were getting when they drafted him. This team could really use a success with all the negativity around them..

        1. Yep, I agree with much of that article. The only thing I’d say is I think he’s showing he’s a little it better than a capable backup QB, and is showing he can be a capable care-taker starter.

          I would still like to see what he can do with Hyde at RB and a better OL.

        2. It’s an ok article. I disagree that he can’t read progressions. I think that he’s shown that he can in his limited opportunities to demonstrate the skill.

          I think what confuses the issue is that this offense was installed for Kaepernick. It’s designed to be reliant on short, quick passes because the prior QB was incredibly limited in what he could process.

          So, for the record 71% of Kaepernick’s passes were dink-and-dunk (10-and-under). Gabbert’s splits haven’t been updated for Chicago. But coming into the weekend it was 63 of 95 (66%).

          Not a huge change. But short passing is fairly common. Aaron Rodgers was also about 66% short-passing when he came into this week (259/390). Yet nobody questions him as the meme is ‘Aaron Rodgers is a deep ball passer.’

          So I don’t really buy off on the premises of the article. I think it’s too early to tell and people should reserve their opinions.

          1. MosesZD,

            A well reasoned and nicely thought out post. We’ll have none of that on this blog, sir! Be gone!

        1. Seb’s 49er commentary on predictions and worthwhile wins:

          ONE EGO IN VERY GOOD CONDITION
          GOOD TEETH
          HEALTHY APPETITE
          VICIOUS BITE
          ANNOYING BARK
          NEEDS REGULAR WALKING
          LIKES TO DO THE TALKING
          PREACHES & SCREECHES.

          1. Yet, York’s decision to leap to the front of the bandwagon and Tweet-celebrate yesterday, just a few days after news broke that Paraag Marathe was getting reassigned/demoted/whatever, and a week after their second consecutive loss (their fifth divisional loss of the season), seemed peculiar. And since he hadn’t tweeted anything football-related after a game since Week 2, one was led to wonder what made yesterday’s game so danged special. Weren’t the wins over Baltimore and Atlanta at least a little fun, if not very fun? Was this a passive aggressive “how you like them apples” jab at Vic Fangio and Adam Gase?
            http://www.bayareasportsguy.com/the-jed-york-bubble/

          2. TrollD, I must really have gotten to you. Now you are shouting to the wind. Since you want to hear more from me, I will repeat what I wrote on 1-17-14.
            10 things Kaep (And now Blaine Gabbert) should do on Sunday.
            1.Run the no huddle with quick snaps to negate the crowd noise (and prevent the defense from substituting).
            2. Always put a man in motion, and read the defense’s reaction.
            3. Fake a handoff or pitch, and roll out the other way to befuddle the defense.
            4. Invite the blitz and roll away from the blitz, or complete quick pass (or target area the blitzer left).
            5. Take advantage of of Defense’s speed by doing counters, misdirections and reverses.
            6. Look off the safeties by facing one way while looking in the other direction.
            7. Consider time outs to be precious, and saved for the last 2 minutes (of each half).
            8. Shake hands, win or lose. Read IF by Rudyard Kipling.
            9. After the game, go to the Niner fans in the stands and give autographed hats.
            10. Get the ball in Frank Gore’s (playmakers) hands as much as possible.

  9. ‏@11012010Finally @timkawakami Denise hugged Tomsula in the locker room. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

    Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 1m1 minute ago

    Tim Kawakami Retweeted Joe
    Tomsula is the Yorks’ favorite coach. There’s no question about that.

      1. TrollD, since you are haunting my posts, I think I will return the favor. I hope you post a lot so I can fill up this blog with lengthy responses. I might even learn how to cut and paste and deliver an avalanche of posts and make Grant giddy with delight over all the blog hits.
        This is a little something I wrote on 12-30-13, on SFgate.
        10 ways JH can improve (and Jim Tomsula can learn from).
        1. Read Rudyard Kipling’s poem IF. Stop being so demonstrative on the side line. It seems to tick off the refs and is counter productive. Use biting humor to get your point across. Channel Bill Walsh. Study the game winning drive before The Catch.
        2. Consider time outs to be precious, and used for (legitimate) challenges and the last 2 minutes (of each half).
        3. Stop wasting 10 to 15 seconds every play. Tell Kaep (and Blaine Gabbert) he can get at least 2 more sets of downs if he stops wasting time. (Wasting time is somewhat OK while ahead, but wasting time while behind is obtuse).
        4. Run the no huddle with quick snaps. This will eliminate delay of game penalties and stop the defense from substituting.
        5. Expressly forbid Kaep to call an audible with less than 5 seconds on the play clock. (Gabbert has done a good job avoiding this problem).
        6.Use players so they maximize their talents. Stop forcing Kaep (and Blaine) to be only a pocket passer. Use designed roll outs to fluster the defense.
        7. Establish the running game, then use play action for long strikes down field.
        8. Do not run into the teeth of the defense. Hit them where they aint.
        9. Be unpredictable. Use deception. Keep them guessing.Put them on their heels.
        10. Niners will win if Kaep (and now Blaine) gets the ball in Frank Gore’s (playmakers) hands. Think screens, draws, counters, swing passes, shovel passes, (bubble screens, fly sweeps) and even the statue of liberty. (Look at how Shaw devised plays that had laterals and flea flickers).

  10. If the team is going to keep Tomsula and Baalke around because they are comfortable then we should probably accept that they’ll simply keep Alex Smith 2.0 as our starting QB and we should all settle in for another 5 to 7 years of 8-8 with an occasional 9-7.

  11. So Matt Maiaocco just reported that both Jim Tomsula and Trent Baalke will be back next year. It just amazes me how much a win or loss changes everyone’s opinion.
    If Robbie Gould misses that FG, Tomsula would have been crucified all week, probably same with Baalke. Instead, now his job is safe. But if they lose to a terrible Browns team this Sunday, then what? Back to what we have been talking about all year? How there is limited talent on this team, how Tomsula is way in over his head. At the end of the day, how can one win make the entire year of pathetic football change so drastically? If there is one thing I hate about the NFL is how one win makes everything better and a loss its chaos.

    1. FDM,

      Couldn’t agree more. It shouldn’t be surprising if this report is true because we knew or should have known, that Jed would look for any opportunity to keep things status quo. He is comfortable with these two as we have heard over and over. When he surfaced for the first time in forever on Sunday with the “fun win” tweet it was obvious he was going to make more of that victory than was deserved and it looks like that is exactly what’s going to happen.

      I don’t know how long they will stick with Tomsula as I expect him to have another poor season next year, but hopefully it’s not another John York era with results like CFC listed above.

      1. This is exactly what happened with Mike Singletary. If Tomsula deserves another year then they need to go 3-1. But to me its how well they compete, especially against a playoff team that hopefully needs to win in the Bengals in Week 14.
        Even then I don’t think you can discount the blow out loses all year. The 49ers did not play well against Chicago. Lets be very honest, they won and winning isn’t easy in this league, but its not like the team showed any real improvement. Every game from here on out I’m looking at the effort, the play calling, and the teams ability to score when they need to and stop a drive when they need to. Note: without the opponent handing it to them.

        My issue is I don’t believe Trent Baalke is the guy to restock the talent in this upcoming draft. He has been here for how many years and his offensive talent selection is awful. They will focus all their efforts on the defense once again and plug in a free agent on offense and think its all better like they did last year with Torrey Smith.
        I just don’t know how you can justify either guy keeping their jobs when you look at the entire body of work throughout the year for Tomsula, and then the drafts led by Baalke since 2011.

        1. In hindsight, we can all see that Sing was not ready, if he ever will be, to be a Head Coach. However, what did in Sing was Jimmy Raye one of the most abysmal offensive coaches I have ever seen. Sing was unable to identify and recruit even an average Offensive Coordinator.

          That is my fear for Tomsula, he might be functional as a Head Coach, but with Chyrst dragging him down I don’t see much long term hope. I don’t see Tomsula able to bring on a good coordinator. That is the parallel I see with Sing. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

          1. I think Chryst has not been fired even with the 31st ranked offense because Tomsula is loyal to him. My only hope is that Chryst starts learning from his mistakes.

            1. You should maybe offer some more suggestions. I mean you take credit for all that’s gone right anyways.

              1. Well, I DID say they should spread them wide in a 4 receiver set and then gash them up the middle….

              2. FDM, how would YOU attack the Brown’s defense? I do not have all the answers, and I think many posters are pretty astute.

        2. “its not like the team showed any real improvement.”

          I don’t know. Being able to win a game despite struggling appears to be a sign of improvement to me.

          Keep reading how they needed 2 missed FG’s to win and we’re lucky. No sh!t. People seem to have forgotten that in the great 2011 win in Philly it took 2 missed FG’s by the Eagles for the 49ers to hold on.

          If you’re pissed because of draft picks that’s fine, but the team is playing better and is finally being competitive. That’s improvement from what we saw the first 8 games.

          1. People say that without the missed FG’s the Niners lose. Well missed FG’s are part of the game. It happens. Where I do not see real improvement is the Niners defense against the run. And the Niners passing offense entirely.
            That’s on the coaches. The only true improvement I see is the players playing for one another. That could be a result of being in week 13 and the players are auditioning for their job next year. Its so much easier to play when you have nothing really to play for except your job.

              1. Compared to Seattle sure, but the fact the fact the Bears were able to run 42 times shows complete control of the LOS. There were also 4 or 5 runs on their final possession that were just meant to run the clock and gained nothing. It wasn’t a good performance.

              2. Their previous three road games they’d averaged 4.8, 4.8 and 5.8 ypc.

                The run D was not good, and I’m not trying to suggest it was. But it was better than it had been on the road for a while. And coupled with good pass coverage meant they were able to limit the damage and stall most of the Bears drives.

            1. “Where I do not see real improvement is the Niners defense against the run.”

              It’s almost the same as it was a season ago. They are a whopping .1 yard per attempt worse than they were a season ago and .2 yards per attempt worse than the last time they made the playoffs. SLIGHT REGRESSION

              “And the Niners passing offense entirely.”

              They averaged 161 yards per game and 6.6 yards per attempt the first 8 weeks of the season. They have averaged 225.8 yards per game and 7.6 yards per attempt the last 4. IMPROVEMENT

              Breaking the season down by quarters they went 1-3 in Q1 with a score differential of -62. In Q2 they went 1-3 with a score differential of -36, and in Q3 they went 2-2 with a score differential of -15. IMPROVEMENT

              Not trying to single just you out FDM, but anyone who doesn’t see how this team has improved just doesn’t want to.

          2. Different team, different Coaches, different time. That was part of a great run the Niners had in year one under Harbaugh. This game happened in week 13 of a lost season.

            The numbers you posted below to show improvement are fine, but the only substantial improvement has been the fact they haven’t suffered as many blowouts as they did to start the season. On the surface it’s an improvement, but it’s an improvement from terrible to bad. That’s not worth making much of a fuss about imo.

            1. Rocket,

              There you go again, being negative. By saying they’ve only ascended to being “bad” is selling the 49ers short. I think it’s pretty clear the knocking on the door of “a slight bit better than bad, yet not quite mediocre”. I just don’t why you have to bring everyone down with your gloomy opinions.

              1. ex,

                You should know by now that I don’t hide my opinion positive or negative. I call things as I see them and while the team has improved, the improvement lies in the fact they haven’t been blown out in awhile which is nothing to be celebrated imo. They are a bad team. 4 wins says you are a bad team. I’m not a moral victory guy, and if I don’t see improvement that can lead to competing for something other than mediocre I’m not satisfied.

              2. “[I]f I don’t see improvement that can lead to competing for something other than mediocre I’m not satisfied.”

                I would be – I predicted an 8-8 season, so rising to mediocrity by winning out, or at least three of the next four to get to 7-9, will make me look sage. ;)

              3. Rocket,

                Does “a slight bit better than bad, yet not quite mediocre” sound like a legitimate way of categorizing a team’s play? And if it was taken as a legit description, how different is “bad” and “a slight bit better that bad…”? I guess it wasn’t obvious enough of a joke. My intent was to poke fun at both myself and our back forth over the off season.

            2. Harbaugh inherited a team with a number of vets, ready to win day 1. This team is pretty young, the QB struggled, the defense struggled.

              As the season has gone on the D has improved and they made a change at QB which has helped the offense, and they’ve won as many games in the last 4 weeks as they did in the first 8.

              I don’t think anyone is saying this team is good or very good. All myself an others are saying is they look improved and the stats agree for the most part.

              1. Jack,

                I’m not disagreeing the defense has improved. The problem is they were horrible and the improvement lies in not getting blown out. The win totals would be on the exact same pace as the first 8 if Gould makes one of those FG’s. I know you don’t want to hear that but it’s a fact. They should be 1-3 for this past quarter which is the same as they were for the first two. The Offense is still struggling, the pass rush and run defense are inconsistent. So while you are correct in saying they’ve improved, the improvement doesn’t equate to anything other than they can win games against mediocre teams now if things go their way.

              2. Rocket,

                I actually think the defense has gone from dysfunctionally inconsistent to mainly competent, and that is an improvement.

                More seriously, I have been impressed that the secondary seems to have a good handle on the scheme now, as does Bowman. If the line could generate consistent pressure and the other LBs were at least consistent as well, I think the defense would actually rise to ‘good’.

              3. JPN,

                I agree that the secondary is looking better by the week and I’m not saying the team hasn’t gotten better in some areas. What I don’t see is improvement worthy of the praise I’ve been reading. To finally get to a competent level on the road is fine but shouldn’t we expect competent by this point of the season? The Niners are ranked 28th in defense and last in offense. Improvement should be expected shouldn’t it?

              4. Perhaps they just need to bring their former D-line coach back to help the dense take the next step up. He seems to be struggling in his current job, so maybe he would even be willing. ;)

              5. “the improvement doesn’t equate to anything other than they can win games against mediocre teams now if things go their way.”

                A couple of things to note here: – as Grant so astutely pointed out recently, most of the NFL is mediocre so being able to beat those teams is a good thing.

                – as bad as the 49ers have looked this season they have the same number of wins against opponents with a .500 record as the two teams in front of them in the NFC West.

                – reaching the playoffs in the NFL is all about beating the mediocre teams.

                Arizona looks great, but so far they’ve played only 3 .500/winning teams and are 2-1 in those games, they’ve cleaned house against the mediocre.

                Seattle is closer to the 49ers. They’ve gone 2-4 vs .500/winning teams and 4-1 vs the mediocre.

                SF is 2-6 vs .500/winning teams and 2-2 vs the mediocre. If they are now capable of beating the mediocre teams and can continue that next year they will be fighting for a playoff spot in late December.

            3. Why is everyone surprised and wringing their hands about how awful things currently are? Isn’t this season being played out exactly as predicted by the media and just about everyone on this board? Don’t you remember your own pre-season predictions rocket? Most knew this was a lost season from the get go (though not me, the eternal optimist). And it turned out even worse due to Kaep’s dismal play and Hyde gone for most of the season. The improvements that Hammer has documented should be reason for cheer.

              1. ribico,

                I have to disagree with your assessment that most around here knew it was going to be a lost season. I was pretty much on an island – like I am now, go figure – with my thoughts that the Tomsula hire was not going to work out and the season would be a disappointment. That is not an attempt to pat myself on the back and I feel no happiness in being right about that, but simply to point out that the view in here is often positive even in the face of evidence to the contrary. This whole discussion about improvement is par for the course.

                Kap’s failures and Hyde’s health were disappointing, but are simply small symptoms of an organization wide failure. We have a poor Coaching staff, draft picks that are not working out, continuing offensive futility and are going to finish with a losing record after a great run with the previous HC who was fired due to the fact the owner is a jack ass. What is there to cheer about exactly?

            4. Why is everyone surprised and wringing ther hands about how awful things currently are? Isn’t this season being played out as predicted by the media and just about everyone on this board? Don’t you remember your own pre-season predictions rocket? Most knew this was a lost season from the get go (though not me, the eternal optimist). And it turned out even worse due to Kaep’s dismal play and Hyde gone for most of the season. The improvements that Hammer has documented should be reason for cheer.

        3. It amazes me how much blame is placed on Baalke.
          I, on the contrary, think he has been doing a fine job and I’m glad he will be back.

          I doubt there are 5 other GMs who got much better players from 2010 on, considering the draft, trades, and FAs.

          He has his issues, for sure. Mostly on offense. But he’s definitely above average on his job of roster construction.

          People would have a totally different perception of him if not for the unexpected retirements of A. Davis and Borland, and the off field problems of Aldon Smith.

          1. Baalke’s drafts will start to look a bit better if guys many consider busts like McDonald and Ward keep playing well.

    2. I am not surprised in the slightest. I always thought it was highly unlikely either Baalke or Tomsula would be gone at the end of the year unless the team played so badly they weren’t just getting beaten, but getting demoralised.

      Which is why I’ve never been that keen on the idea of wanting the team to lose out to force a change. The manner of losses needed would have meant the team was performing so poorly that the entire roster would need to be overhauled. That would be a very bad outcome, and which good GM and HC candidates would want to walk into a situation like Jed York + talentless team?

  12. It’s hard to believe but the second season of The Leftovers surpassed Mr. Robot as the best drama of 2015. The last 3 episodes of the season alone are easily some of the best television I’ve ever watched. Not just powerful but easily some of the smartest writing anyone has every put on the small screen.

    Unfortunately it’s appearing like HBO will probably not renew it for season 3. I’ve already emailed them twice begging for them to renew it. If you watched and appreciated the show I implore you to do the same.

      1. I wouldn’t recommend just watching the second season but it’s very much worth binge watching the first, first to catch up and then watch season #2. I thought the first season was outstanding but the last 3 episodes of season two will blow your mind.

        I’m not an award show guy but Justin Theroux(Mr. Aniston) is the hands down winner for best actor in a drama.

        1. CFC,

          It’s too bad if they don’t bring the show back, but I had a feeling that it might go that way. Very few people I know stuck with it in the first season (which I can sort of understand). Others never started the show and say they plan to watch it “at some point”.

          It’s a great show, but in a lot of ways it’s not that accessible.

          Whatever you do, don’t drink the water coffee, don’t drink the water.

          1. My hope is that the producers can convince them to give it one more season and that as more buzz about Theroux builds it’ll attract more viewers.

          2. Great news! They’re renewing Leftovers for a third season. It’ll be it’s final season but one more is better then nothing.

    1. Haven’t seen the series either CFC like Rocket however I loved Mr Robot so that is lofty praise

  13. Eric Branch @Eric_Branch
    Pass plays of 35-plus yards allowed by #49ers in first 8 games: 13. In last 4 games: 2.

      1. Funny to think that a lot of people were saying Acker sucks too, because he got beat up by Antonio Brown in his second start. He’s had his ups and downs, but he’s now got a positive grade on the season from PFF after his +2.9 vs the Bears.

        If only Marcus Martin sucked as bad as Acker…

    1. I will share my brownie with Jimmy T, signifying a disillusion truce with himself and his staff for the time being….

      1. And then after his laughter subsides he gets really serious and asks “You gonna eat that?”

      1. Yeah, Jimmy Ward has confirmed that it was Bow that made the call. Even before the play according to Ward he was tipping the players off to the idea it could be a screen.

        1. And of course just after posting this I see CSN has already posted a video showing Bow making the screen call.

        2. We haven’t signed any recent Bears players to pick their brains. I wonder how in the world an uninformed 49er could have predicted that screen without insider information. {/S}

            1. Fangio was providing the 49ers with intel on the Bears offense? He must have left the 49ers on better terms than we were led to believe…

              1. I just wanted to reiterate the idea that intel on the other team should be expected, and adjustments should be made because of them.

          1. Other than Fangio’s couching of Bowman, what did he have to do with Bowman predicting the screen pass? The current staff and Bowman’s film study made the play possible.

            Seb, you spend so much energy trying to score your own points that it leads to you frequently missing the point.

            1. Ht, it is not just the idea of intel, it is what the other team will do to counter it.
              Just like the idea that Bow did not have intel, so he could not use his football savvy to smell out that screen.
              The Fangio comment was a dig, but missed since you did not get it.

              1. YW.
                Ht, since the Niners have Draughn and good intel, do you think the Browns have a chance?

              2. Seb, everything useful the 49ers know about the Browns they learned the old fashioned way. They worked for it.

  14. Disappointed that Vance McDonald got concision. I had relegated him to being just a blocking tight end after watching his first couple of seasons. It was a surprise to see him do so well in the last few games. Hope he gets through the protocol quickly and gets back on the field. I’m curious to see if it is just a flash in the pan or a real maturation. If he becomes a significantly better receiver than he has been our tight end situation looks promising for the future.

    1. Jubilee, 49ers 2 wins are just luck:
      Enjoy Coach T and Baalke for another year, hugs for Coach T because he saved the 49ers millions on a QB draftee from Cal, and millions more on a new coach search and Hire:

      ‏@11012010Finally @timkawakami Denise hugged Tomsula in the locker room. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

      1. 49ers beat the Ravens on a 76 yard kap to Smith pass and Ravens drop a couple TD passes in the endzone, drove the length of the field to attempt a Hail Mary that was almost completed…Lucky win
      http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2015/12/7/9860078/chicago-bears-robbie-gould-teaches-us-about-the-nfl

      2. Bears: One of the most accomplished placekickers in the NFL had a bad day on Sunday and what was the most remarkable thing about it was how surprised everyone was…………..

      1. It made no sense that the 49ers beat the Bears, just as it will make no sense when the 49ers, amped up still after week’s partying in the local saloons for not having one in awhile; Baalke’s character pics will shoot off their assault rifles, and Kap will get caught with another players girlfriend, further fracturing the locker room.

          1. TrollD, how’s your pal Richard Sherman ? I see you are predicting another Niner loss. Cant imagine why you post here if you hate the Niners so much. Guess you are a glutton for punishment.
            Have a nice day.

            1. Enjoy next year’s draft with the group that is 30 out of 50 running the show…
              If we could all screw up on the job that much, what a world it would be…But, Alas, Seb, I tried to throw you a life preserver at the beginning of the season when you predicte 10-6….Must I dust off your prediction for our audience to see…I see another round of Jed’s Koolaid heading your way so I’ll leave you and Trent to it…Enjoy your rounds…CHEERS!

              1. My prediction is that TrollD will prove he deserves the name TrollD, over and over and over and over……

    2. Leo, I actually think the team missed him when he went off the field too. He certainly appears to be coming along now that Davis and Celek are out of the picture and Gabbert is at QB.

      1. It’s intriguing. Could be another rags to riches, change of scenery do you well kinda situation. Gabbert, Manziel, and Connor Cook battle it out?

        1. He can’t even handle Cleveland; I wouldn’t want him in a big city. He and Aldon would have had a good time together. #TheSh#%ShowBros

      1. I’m going to need a pig, a seesaw, a 300 lbs. man, a net, and someone that can cook some ham and bacon.

  15. 49ers 1.5-point underdogs in Cleveland via Vegas Point spread.

    That big win over the Bears garnered lots of respect in the NFL world.

    1. Another way of looking at it is that the odds makers have so little regard for Cleveland that they only give them 1.5 points at home over a bad team (home field advantage is usually worth 3 points for the home team over a neutral site when setting the initial line).

      Thus, in a neutral setting, the initial line would have likely had the 49ers as a 1.5 point favorite, and the initial line for the game had it been in SF would have likely had the 49ers as a 4.5 point favorite, everything else being equal.

      However, the real issue is that the use of the line as a predictor is a study in misapplication. Anyone who believes that the odds put out by the sportsbooks are intended to be predictive of outcome are exactly the type of unsophisticated betters that the books want. The casinos have done a masterful job in convincing the American public that the information they put out is of any value other than to generate income for the sportsbooks.

      1. Yep, every time I hear someone comment that “the guys who set the lines sure know what they’re doing” I shake my head. For every game that vines in close to the number, there’s a game that was way off.

        Actually, the sports books do know what they’re doing, but that doesn’t relate to knowing the outcomes of games.

  16. http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/12/8/9854742/49ers-salary-cap-2016-projected-cap-roster-bonuses-potential-cut

    Looks like we’ll be around $43 million under the 2016 cap with 51 players signed and without any moves on CK, AB or others. It was unclear to me if this range includes the amount that the team is currently under the 2015 cap (about $13 million). I looked at Spotrac and it would seem to indicate that the $43 million DOES NOT include the $13 million. If we jettison CK and AB alone, we could be looking at another $15 or so million. It’s possible we could have up to $70 million in cap space, but don’t take this to the bank. I’ll see if I can find some clarification as to whether or not the $13 million is included in the estimated 2016 cap space.

    It will be really intriguing to see what the FO does in FA this year. I’d like to believe that they will spend the money, but the York family has a bad rap.

    1. They won’t spend any where near half that money. They will bring in a few mid range free agents. They will talk about having a plan and process of developing players they draft and sign. It will sound good and it is a good plan up to a point. But the thing to remember with this outfit is that whatever they decide to do it will always be the cheapest option.

    2. Bring in Muhammad Wilkerson! :-)

      Alternatively, if Wilkerson is re-signed by the Jets, trade for Sheldon Richardson (assuming they can get him relatively cheap)! :-)

      Also bring in some help for the OL.

      1. Release Brooks and go get Von Miller. Can see the improvement in the secondary already.

          1. In all seriousness, I expect Bruce Irvin to be very high on Baalke’s list of FA signings. There were strong rumours following the draft the Irvin is the player Baalke actually was hoping to draft in the first round in 2012.

            1. That would make us an instant top 5 defense.
              Maybe opening up the wallet on free agency is Yorks way of apologizing to us 49er fans! If we get those 2 guys,apology accepted.

            2. Falcons are expected to have considerably less salary cap space available than the 49ers. Money may talk.

          2. I like the idea of Von Miller and Lynch together. Where would Irvin fit in in this scenario? Too expensive for depth. Plus, he’s not that good. He’s a nine or ten sack guy for the Seahawks. Not bad, but not great either. Unless his responsibilities don’t allow him to get after the QB that often.

            1. It’s a pipe dream either way. I’d rather see the team invest in a LT or OG if they delve into free agency.

              1. I expect OLB to be addressed in free agency as well, but it will most likely be another one of Baalke’s bargain bin buys. Besides, the OLB position isn’t that impressive outside of Miller. Also, the team needs to be careful and avoid the Eagles syndrome, where you buy a lot of top-end free agents and expect that to fix all of your woes.

              2. I hate the idea of spending big money on Olinemen. Use the draft to develop the oline. Use free agency to get a game changer.

              3. I still don’t agree with letting Iupati walk for nothing. So no, I don’t trust Baalke to do anything right.

              4. “Besides, the OLB position isn’t that impressive outside of Miller.”

                Tamba Hali, Bruce Irvin, Olivier Vernon and JPP could all be worth a look too (and yes, I realise JPP is a DE in a 4-3, but I think he could make the transition to 3-4 OLB).

                One underrated guy I think they could look at is Vinny Curry as a pass rush specialist.

              5. Nick Perry would be one of my top OLB targets in FA. He’s underachieved so far but he hasn’t been horrible either. I think a change of venue and coaches might be what it takes to turn him into the potent pass rusher I think he can be.

              6. Hali is 32, Irvin has been linked to the Falcons ever since Quinn became their HC, Olivier is a DE, and JPP needs to show that his mangled hand doesn’t affect his play. As I said, the position isn’t that impressive outside of Miller.

              7. Just because GB has been using him there doesn’t make him a LOLB, there’s no reason he couldn’t switch sides.

              8. I don’t see him being able to make that switch so easily Coffee, and I especially don’t trust our current coaching staff to be able to make him into a pass rusher.

              9. JYDAKAMWD,

                Even you agreed with two of the positions, but 1 more makes it a pipe dream?

                Whatever you say my man.

              10. One, I believe it is a pipe dream to believe Baalke will be willing to spend money for help at any position. Miller will probably be the first free agent to sign and it will most likely be for a deal larger than what Smith was signed for; I don’t see Baalke willing to give that much money to a free agent for a while.
                Two, the OL is weak all around, and it would behoove the team to focus on at least addressing the LT and OG positions first and foremost.
                Three, it is very likely that the Broncos will slap the franchise tag on Miller, just as I foresee the Jets doing with Wilkerson, so that would make going after him a moot point.
                Four, if you’ll notice Jack, I haven’t once said that what I would prefer isn’t a pipe dream. I don’t expect Baalke to shell out money for any of the top free agents during the next off season.

              11. Mid, Olivier Vernon played a fair bit from a 2-point stance in 2013 when he recorded 11.5 sacks. He was drafted by the team when they were still using a flex 3-4/4-3. I’m pretty sure he’d have little trouble moving to OLB, and playing as a down DE in nickel/ dime.

                With Irvin, there are plenty of rumours, but its all based on because Quinn was his DC at the Seahawks. No real basis behind it other than that. Who knows if either Quinn or Irvin want a reuinion? Keep in mind that Irvin has never really been a full time player for Quinn. He may want to go somewhere he feels he will play more snaps.

              12. Also Hali at 32 is still playing at a very high level. Top 10 in pass rush productivity according to PFF. He’d be a fine addition for a year or two.

                You say you don’t expect Baalke to spend, but then you said the same thing about the idea of signing Torrey Smith last season. The 49ers had nowhere near as much cap space last offseason as they will have this year. I think it is very unrealistic to think that after a season of disappointment and ridicule that the 49ers won’t be players in FA this year when they have so much cap space available.

              13. All true Scooter, but if Miller isn’t available, then I would expect a team or two being willing to overpay for Olivier.
                I am expecting Baalke to go after Irvin, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Irvin chose to go to another team where he can not only be a starter but also contend for a Super Bowl title.

              14. You say you don’t expect Baalke to spend, but then you said the same thing about the idea of signing Torrey Smith last season.

                That signing is why Baalke won’t go for another big name free agent.

                I think it is very unrealistic to think that after a season of disappointment and ridicule that the 49ers won’t be players in FA this year when they have so much cap space available.

                Past history says otherwise

              15. Mid:

                While I’m concerned that Baalke won’t spend because the Yorks are cheap, at the same time, it does look like he was willing to pay Aldon Smith close to $10 million per year. So, I don’t think it is out of the question that he wouldn’t go after a big name DL/OLB. Ten million per year might not be enough, however.

                Also with the salary cap going up, the Seachickens might be able to re-sign Irving – although it’s highly likely that they will have to rework Chancellor and Bennett’s contracts. But if Lynch is released…..

        1. Does anybody seriously believe Von Miller will get to FA? They’ll either get a long term deal done or they’ll franchise him imo.

          Irvin would be interesting though. I like Scooter’s Wilkerson suggestion and depending on what happens with AD, Andre Smith might be somebody to look at for the RT spot.

          1. “Does anybody seriously believe Von Miller will get to FA?”

            That would certainly be a failure on Denver’s part. Miller will get Manning’s money.

            1. That’s true Grime Time. I doubt that they let what happened to Dummervill happen again. He would though be an excellent addition. Who knows, maybe he loves Eric Mangini and sunshine and the west coast. Wishful thinking.

          2. Probably not rocket. The real point was to go out and get a pass rusher to replace Brooks.

            I like Irvin. As you already know, the 49ers spent time with him prior to the draft and he could easily step in and provide an upgrade from Brooks.

            1. Yeah I think Irvin would be a good option, and could likely be had for a similar amount to what Brooks release will free up.

          3. Andre Smith is a guy I would always be afraid to pay. I agree it’s highly unlikely that Miller makes it to FA. I also think that it’s unlikely that the team would land Irvin, something tells me teams will be offering him more then the 49ers are willing to pay.

            I mentioned his name last night but I think Nick Perry is a poor mans Bruce Irvin. His sack numbers will increase once he’s on the right side.

            1. He got off to a shaky start early on, but Smith has been pretty good and reliable the past 4 years.

              1. No doubt but I would have big concerns that he’d turn it off if he got a big payday.

    3. It looks like the $43 million Hurley mentions does not include the $13 million in cap carryover. But we probably need to extend some players and probably close to $10 million for draft picks (I’m assuming we’re drafting high). So even if we subtract off about $20 million, we should be able to spend around $50 million on FAs (assuming CK and Brooks are gone).

        1. I’m gonna do this one time for ya because at this point I’m starting to feel sorry for ya. And it’s Christmas.

          My comment “ward sucks” was a jab at Grant who for the most part has been down on Ward all year. I, like many on here, think that despite a few bad plays he’s been just fine. So I was teasing Grant and of course Scooter realized which is why he lol’d.

          Don’t mess with the bull young man. You’ll get the horns.

              1. Yeah, and because you didn’t mention his name, Seb, I had no idea your comment was directed at CFC.

        1. I don’t see Baalke keeping a player who retired for one season ans recently blasted the offense.

          1. He retired to clear his head, but now will be back 100% healthy and the 31st rated offense deserves blasting.
            AD does have talent and he could really help the O line.

              1. I think the left side of the Brown’s defense is the weaker side,so a road grader like Trenton Brown would be logical if they want to run right.
                However,Pears actually had a +1 grade so Tomsula will probably keep Pears in there.

              2. Paul Kruger has 12 tackles in 12 games plus 9 assists, so he looks like the weak link in their defense.

              3. I agree, Scooter. Starting right tackles are valuable, and the Niners have his rights. Maybe they could trade him, but the CTE issue might scare potential teams away, or drive his value way down.

              4. As I’ve said before, I’d be shocked if they turn Davis away.
                ——————
                I agree. Turning him away isn’t one of the options. There would be no reason for the team to do it. If he comes back and is in football shape or reasonably close and his skills haven’t diminished then they plug him back in and have a serviceable right tackle for a few more years. If he isn’t then he’ll re-retire or they’ll try and trade him or just release him. If it’s the latter then nothing really has changed, the team certainly isn’t any worse. He’s reasonably cheap in 2016 so again there is no reason for the team to not give him a chance to play again.

                Either way it’s not a long term fix. At best I would think we would get maybe 5 years from AD. Probably closer to 3 or 4 given how soft he is. If the team thought Trenton Brown was anywhere close to being ready we would have seen more of him by now. If the team has Davis back in the line up that gives Brown another year or two to develop. If he becomes good enough they can cut Davis and get out from his contract early.

    1. I think Hodges will settle down and perform better as he acclimates to his role within the defensive hierarchy….

      1. Hodges probably will get better. It’s like a normal distribution. There are always a bunch of snap decision folks who are needed to fill out the bottom of a bell curve.

        1. I saw Hodges shoot the gap and make some tackles in the back field, but the Bears did gain 170 yards on the ground.

      2. I’m hoping you’re right, Razor. I’ve been following Hodges. It seems like he is mostly making “scheme” mistakes. Since this is a Mangini defense and most of the defensive players have had some problem with the scheme (at least through the first eight or so games), I think we should wait until the end of the season before final judgment on Hodges.

        1. If the talent is there, it’s more important how they play the scheme next year than so far this year.

  17. What is Baalke’s MO for rebuilding the team? Going cheap, to begin with. He will not overpay for a player. Some say Torrey was overpaid, but he has the talents the Niners covets, and last game showed his worth on that last play.
    Irvin, Wilkerson and Miller will probably not come to the Niners because they will command too high a price, and other teams will outbid the Niners. Also, the Niners need to win out to show they have promise of getting back to the playoffs, or they will not have any chance to snag a blue chipper. Those 3 will go to the best team they feel will win it all, and so far, the Niners are languishing in the cellar.
    Baalke will fill all holes with FAs, but this year, he has whiffed with Cook, Wright, Dockett, Okoye and Pears, even though Pears is still starting. Only Torrey and Gabbert have done well. Hayne is on the PS, but since they will not play him, he is a wasted player.
    Baalke should target FAs from poor teams who have not performed well because of the team around them, but do have talent. FAs have been in the league, and have bulked up and demonstrated that they can play, so they should play before the later draft choices who need to gain muscle and study the play book. If Baalke can select a good FA, he does not need to select a player at that position in the draft with a high pick, and he will use a high draft pick to fill a weakness. he will use his later draft picks to overlap a position in case the FA does not pan out.
    That said, I think Baalke will use the first 2 picks for a pass rusher and O lineman, both huge needs. Since Gabbert has started at QB, Kaep is more than adequate as a backup, so they will wait til the second or third day to select a QB, and have him compete with Dylan Thompson for the third spot. Since center is an important position, I hope they pick Voltz. Not knowing the exact draft position, I will surmise that Jaylon Smith will still be available so he would be a good first pick, with Voltz in the second. I bet Hogan will shoot up in the draft, so if he is still available in the third round, the Niners should grab him.
    I hope Baalke will bundle picks with a bad team who needs bodies, and move up in the draft to be able to select 3 players in the first 2 rounds. Who knows, maybe even bundle picks with multiple players to move up.

    1. To finish my thoughts, while Devey was acquired through a trade, he is Baalke’s biggest whiff because his poor play succeeded to injure Kaep, which doomed the whole season.

    2. “What is Baalke’s MO for rebuilding the team? Going cheap, to begin with. ”

      Although people keep repeating that, there’s no evidence supporting it.

      Baalke never had enough cap space in previous years and the first year he had some he already signed a mid-high priced vet.

      So now that SF has a lot of cap space, there’s no reason to believe he won’t sign any high priced vets next year.

      He probably won’t pay more than they believe it is the player’s value, but that does not mean it has to be cheap.

      He might easily sign a players for 10-12 million/year if that player (in their view) deserves it.

      1. The Niners have 13 mil of cap space now, but refused to offer Frank Gore a fair contract. He also lowballed Crab who is having a good season in Oakland. He should have kept Iupati, and will probably let Boone walk, even though to O line has directly contributed to the offensive malaise. He signed Pears who sucks, and Dockette Wright and Cook have disappeared.

        1. You do realize that he has been doing that at the behest of the Yorks.

          Bargain basement coaches and players are the York trade mark.

          Baalke was just following orders

          1. I am not going to defend Jed, but Baalke is the GM, and as GM he does all the personnel moves and contracts. Jed has not shown an inclination to meddle with Baalke, otherwise, he would be ripped up and down for that.
            As CEO, Jed gets the overall blame, and deservedly so, But he seems to let Baalke do his job.

        2. “He also lowballed Crab”

          You should try to stop making sh!t up.

          “A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” Crabtree said. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too — the Niners offered me more money than anybody did — but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”

          1. The Niners did lowball Crab. They offered a lot less than his former salary. In the end, he did accept another offer for even less, but he was not promised a starting job with the Niners since they just signed Torrey. The Niners did not want him, so they did not roll out the red carpet and beg him to return.
            Sounds like lowballing to me.

            1. “The Niners did not want him, so they did not roll out the red carpet and beg him to return. Sounds like lowballing to me.”

              Let’s take an informal survey. I vote that the above does not constitute “lowballing”. Anyone else want to weigh in?

              1. They offered him less money with no guarantee to start. Is that not the very definition of lowballing?

              2. “They offered him less money”

                What part of “the NINERS offered me more money than anybody did” do you not get?

              3. “They offered him less money with no guarantee to start. Is that not the very definition of lowballing?”

                Nope.

              4. The Niners offered less money, but other teams offered even less than that. Crab was lowballed by both teams, but one team promised more playing time.

              5. By Crabs own admission, the 49ers offered him more than any other team.

                Fair market value (FMV) in this instance would likely be the median offer he received. If the 49ers were higher than the median (if he even received more than two offers), then they offered above FMV. An offer above FMV cannot be a lowball. It may have conditions which the service provider (i.e. player) does not like, but that does not make it a lowball offer in an FMV analysis.

            2. Seb read what they are telling you and think about it. Lowballing occurs when you offer a player less than the market says he’s worth. If the Niners offered him more money than any other team was willing to give then they were actually offering him more than market value. He was not low balled. The truth is he didn’t want to be a Niner any longer. He said it pretty clearly in that quote Jack referenced.

              1. No. When Baalke offered less than what was his original contract, then uses the excuse that he has to stay under the salary cap when in actuality he had millions to spare, that is deceptive. He also did not promise him a starting job, which is denigrating his worth.
                To me, that is lowballing, and Crab did sign for less, but with more incentives. Crab has made those incentives, so he will make more than the Niner offer.

              2. “When Baalke offered less than what was his original contract, then uses the excuse that he has to stay under the salary cap when in actuality he had millions to spare, that is deceptive.”

                Nope.

              3. I don’t know why, but I’m going to give it one last shot Seb.

                Crabtree’s original contract was determined by the old rookie pay scale system. That system was changed to make rookie salaries more reasonable, but Crabtree under the old system was paid very well and truthfully more than he was probably worth.

                When that contract runs out, Baalke has to determine what Crabs value is based on production, health, importance to the team etc. It has nothing to do with what he earned in his first contract. Crabtree was given the chance to shop himself around the league and did not find anyone willing to pay him as much as the Niners were prepared too. He took the Oakland offer because he wanted out of SF for reasons he explained in that quote Jack provided.

                He was not low balled. He was offered a contract commiserate with his status at the time of becoming a FA and declined to accept it.

              4. Yes I am Jack. It’s that inability to walk away because you think he has to see it somehow.

              5. JPN,

                It’s a really close call (sarcasm), but I agree, the 49ers didn’t low ball Crabtree.

            3. One thing is sure Seb, you are impervious to reality. Maybe that’s the source of your certainty. Reality is such a drag.

        3. “[The 49ers] refused to offer Frank Gore a fair contract.”

          Since we do not know exactly what the 49ers offered, this is conjecture. What we do know is that the Colts likely overpaid given that Gore is averaging 3.6 yards per carry, has only one TD, and has fumbled four times.

          Frank Gore was a great player and he deserves respect for how he played and conducted himself, but he is currently one of the most overpaid, if not the most overpaid, running back in the NFL. Had the 49ers re-signed him and he put up the same or similar stats in SF, Baalke would be being vilified for not knowing when to move on from an aging star.

          1. The Niners were relying on Hyde to take his place, but when Hyde went down in the second game, he became a non factor. Frank Gore was and is durable.
            Gore did leave for more, but if the Niners had promised a fair competition instead of informing him they were moving on with Hyde, he might have stayed. I am sure Frank Gore would have loved to have ended his career as a lifelong Niner, but the Niners did not show much love to Frank.

            1. Love Frank Gore, but Draughn is giving the 49ers similar production to what Gore has given Indy for a lot less money.

              1. Nothing wrong with fresh legs he and can catch the ball out of the back field.
                Gore was a warrior but it was time to move on.
                The bigger concern is can Carlos Hyde stay healthy. We might need to draft another back in the the top 4 rounds next year.

              2. In hindsight, with Hyde going down, it might have been better to have offered Gore more, even with lowered output.
                Please do not compare Gore with Draughn. He could not hold Frank’s jock strap. Frank could eventually make it to the HOF with his production and illustrious career. Draughn will be a journeyman. Very forgettable.

          2. There are other factors than just dollars and cents. Frank Gore was the heart and soul of the Niner offense. He was a team leader. Too bad the Niners lowballed him and threw him away like he was a piece of trash.

            1. Maybe you are unclear on the concept. In any negotiation, any offer that is less than the original offer, is a lower offer. Hence lowballing.
              parse your semantics all you want, but I will stick to my points and defend them to death. The Niners DID NOT OFFER MORE MONEY. They comparatively offered Crab more than others, but with no guarantee to start. In the end, Crab accepted a lot less, with a contract loaded with incentives. Since he is going to meet many of those incentives, he will make MORE than the Niner offer.

              1. “Maybe you are unclear on the concept. In any negotiation, any offer that is less than the original offer, is a lower offer. Hence lowballing.”

                Nope.

              2. JPN,

                You know you’re wasting your time. It’s like trying to convince rainman to buy his underwater somewhere other than Kmart.

              3. I could repost this several times every day but I’ll do it only once today.

                “One thing is sure Seb, you are impervious to reality. Maybe that’s the source of your certainty. Reality is such a drag.” … htwaits

            1. Nice try, but you are trying too hard to prove me wrong. In the Art of War, one axiom is to choose your battles. Obviously you have not read that book.
              Denying reality is self defeating. Baalke offered less. He was not magnanimous. He is known for lowballing players to get them as cheap as possible.

              1. Prime, since you jumped in the last part of this debate, I am not directing my comment at you, but to the others who think that Baalke is super generous and keeps all his promises to use money saved from the Kaep contract to sign veteran Niners with talent.
                Baalke lowballed them with lower offers and pleaded that he was constrained by the salary cap when in reality, he had 13 mil to play with.

            2. Oh Jack, my respect for you has diminished. I see I have beaten you so badly, you have resorted to name calling. The next step for you is to degenerate into expletives, and I will have truly won. Try harder next time.

              1. et tu, Prime? Dont you guys ever learn?
                Trying to shout me down because I say Baalke is cheap just makes me wonder why you love Baalke so much.

              2. I would respect you more Jack, if you would confine you posts to the upcoming game and how the Niners should scheme against the Browns instead of ad hominem attacks.
                Maybe you do not know what they could do to devise plays that attack their weaknesses, so it would be better if you just keep quiet and let more football savvy folks do the talking.
                I actually think you do make good points, but I am not going to let me be your punching bag for your own pleasure.
                So CMON MAN, dazzle me with your brilliance. Last game, I said the Niners should line up 4 receivers wide to spread them out, then gash them up the middle. Gabbert did exactly that. This game I say they should run right. What would YOU do?

              3. Seb are you nuts? I have criticized Baalke relentlessly on here. You must be sniffing too much fertilizer lately!

              4. Prime he is nuts. He’s heard other posters using ad hominem and straw man so he’s attempting use them in his posts but has no idea what they mean. Its his favorite thing when any of us points out his illogical conclusions or off the wall unsupported hunches. He’s being “viciously attacked” by us when in reality he can’t take that the facts don’t line up with his version of events. He’s so blind that he’s giving himself “wins” when people give up wasting their time trying help him see his entrenched point of view doesn’t make sense.

                Seb is it really all of us? Or maybe its…oh never mind.

              5. OK you gutless wonders. Put up or shut up. Lets see you predict the score of the next game. If you come close, I will acknowledge your football acumen. Until then you are so butt hurt over TRYING to prove me wrong, you have degenerated into a bunch of crybaby football wannabees, who spew insults because you cant think of a decent cogent retort.
                I bet you are so scared, you will NOT make a prediction, because you all do not want to be ridiculed for being so wrong. Well, I have the cojones to make predictions. Last game I said the Niners would win 27-13. I missed the exact score by 8 points.
                So here goes. I predict Niners 28- 17.
                I am waiting with bated breath, but expect silence except for more immature screeds.

              6. “The train has gone off the rails….”

                I am not sure there were ever any rails to begin with, Rocket.

              7. I haven’t the words…

                But am I the only one that is picturing Seb driving down the freeway, dodging oncoming traffic while wondering why everyone else is going the wrong way?

              8. Scooter_McG:

                “[A]m I the only one that is picturing Seb driving down the freeway, dodging oncoming traffic while wondering why everyone else is going the wrong way?”

                You are not alone in that conceptualization, Scooter. As Rocket indicated, it is an apt analogy.

              9. Ht, since no one took me up on my challenge, I declare victory through default. Just a simple debating tactic, because I know they will refrain from making a prediction just because I want them to, but they look bad to seem afraid of even venturing a guess.
                If they do make a prediction, and it proves to be way off the mark, I get to bring it up to demonstrate their lack of knowledge to try and engender a guess. The only way how they would win is if they are astute enough to figure out how the game will play out, and come close to guessing the final score.

              10. Seb nobody’s answering because there’s no real skill in predicting a 49ers win every week like you do. Off by 8 points is a lot. Do you remember all the weeks where you were wrong by multiple touch downs? 17-13 49ers

      2. Exactly, Allan. You’d think he never handed out those big contracts to Bowman, Kaep, Willis, etc. as well. He is willing to pay the money for players he thinks are worth it. And with Torrey Smith last year he showed he is also willing to extend that beyond their own.

        This is the first time we will get to see him with significant salary cap space to make some deals.

        1. Scooter, he lowballed Kaep big time. He promised Kaep that if he would sign that lower contract, he would use the money saved to sign other veteran players, but deceived Kaep by not following through.That is the very definition of lowballing.

          1. It wasn’t a low value contract, it was just well structured to allow the 49ers to get out of it pretty easy and pay him less if he didn’t perform. And the provision of talent around him has nothing to do with low balling.

            You’re off the mark, Seb.

            1. I’ve read reports that Kaepernick made a bad deal, but Baalke did sign Smith for Kaepernick. Is it his fault Kaepernick is not accurate deep? To a degree. His culpability lies in overseeing the position and recognizing that Kaepernick needed a regimend developmental program day one, if he was to succeed at the position….

              1. Way I see it is Kaep was given a deal worth a maximum of around $120 million, which wasn’t dissimilar to what Aaron Rodgers was being paid, after just one and a half seasons and with one year left on his contract. He was given a great deal.

                That the 49ers covered themselves by letting them get out of the contract pretty easy just made sense for a player with so little experience.

            2. Scooter, I will give you a definition of a lowball deal.
              Lowball- 1. To give a very low or unfairly low offer to some one.
              2. To deceive to gain an advantage or lower price.
              In some cases, the definition of a lowball deal is predicated on the other parties reaction. If they turn it down, it is too low to them, thus making it a lowball deal.
              Crab was offered less money than his previous deal and no guarantee to start, so that was a lowball deal to him. His reaction defined it as too low, thus a lowball deal. Crab accepted less money from the Raiders, but it was laden with incentives so he had the possibility to make more. He was also offered the number 2 starting position, so he accepted it. Monetarily, it was initially lower, but since he made his incentives, he will be paid more, so the Niner deal was subsequently more of a lowball deal than the Raider offer even though initially it was higher.
              The Kaep deal was a very team friendly deal, but he signed it because he was told that if he accepted less, they would use that money to re-sign the veterans, but Baalke let them all go. The unfairness of that contract made it a lowball deal.
              The idea that Baalke does not lowball any player is specious, because in any negotiation, they always start low, and work their way higher.
              The fact that Baalke did not spend money to sign big name Free Agents just meant he lowballed the entire process by selecting lower tiered and lesser talented players, and payed them lower salaries.
              Baalke also offered less with the reason being he wanted to get under the salary cap, but when he offered less, but still had 13 million in cap space, he deceived the player into accepting less which fits the definition of a lowball deal.
              In conclusion, Baalke is cheap, and wants to pay as little as possible. The problem is- when he went cheap, he got cheap results.
              Eddie payed his players well, and they played like champions.

              1. “Baalke also offered less with the reason being he wanted to get under the salary cap, but when he offered less, but still had 13 million in cap space, he deceived the player into accepting less which fits the definition of a lowball deal.”

                Nope

              2. Seb, it is clear you simply do not understand what the concept of lowball offers are. Put simply, it is deliberately valuing something well below its fair market value. Key words there are “well below” and “fair market value”. Its similar to what you have for point 1, but also not exactly the same thing.

                If you understood what this meant, you would see that neither Crabtree or Kaep were lowballed. Fair market value is not what an individual believes they are worth. If you think it is, I honestly can’t help you. You are just plain wrong.

                I also particularly like where you suggest that everybody lowballs to start with as part of negotiating tactics. No, they simply do not. And the reason they do not is because if they were so glaringly off the mark of fair market value, negotiations would break off immediately.

                Also, I want to make something abundantly clear here. You keep talking about how Kaep was deceived because he asked for less money so they could keep and sign all these wonderful FAs. Complete baloney. Kaep when asked about the deal said he asked if the deal offered would allow them to “keep a solid team here”. He signed when they said yes. He never asked for less money based on what has been reported. And if it wasn’t for retirements, drinking problems, and Kaep not being worth his contract, this would most likely be a “solid team”.

                You really need to give this one a rest. You are so wildly off base it is ridiculous.

                Finally, what I find the most humourous about this is that you’ve been complaining about how other people won’t accept or acknowledge when they are wrong. The irony is wonderful.

              3. Scooter, we will have to agree to disagree. The whole concept of lowball negotiating can be parsed to death, but I think you mean that every contract is within a few pennies of each other. Players highball their worth, and the teams lowball their worth.
                I agree, the offer cannot be so low that it is insulting, but every single team will start with a lower number, and the player can accept or reject it. My contention is that the fact that if it was rejected, it was a de facto assertion that it was too low, not that it was way too low.
                I think you only consider it lowballing only if it is grossly unfair. I consider any rejected offer as a lowball figure.

              4. “I think you only consider it lowballing only if it is grossly unfair.”

                Yeah I do. You want to know why? Because that is the definition of low balling.

                “I consider any rejected offer as a lowball figure.”

                That has become abundantly clear. But your interpretation of low balling does not match with the actual definition of low balling. Thus why everyone is shaking their head about your comments. You are using a well defined term out of context and getting up in arms that everyone hasn’t decided your definition or interpretation of the term is more accurate than the actual definition or interpretation.

              5. Seb, I’ve noticed that your frequently use the word screed in reference to the posts of others. I find it to be an ironic choice of words.

              6. Scooter wrote:

                “I also particularly like where you suggest that everybody lowballs to start with as part of negotiating tactics. No, they simply do not. And the reason they do not is because if they were so glaringly off the mark of fair market value, negotiations would break off immediately.”

                Yep.

                Seb wrote:

                “I consider any rejected offer as a lowball figure.”

                SMH

                htwaits wrote:

                “Seb, I’ve noticed that your frequently use the word screed in reference to the posts of others. I find it to be an ironic choice of words.”

                Yep.

      1. I’d like to see him stick at ILB. He was effective blitzing inside, but that doesn’t require pass rush moves like the edge does.

        Also, he was an OLB in a 4-3 at the Vikings. That’s closer to what playing ILB in a 3-4 is than OLB in a 3-4. A 3-4 OLB is more like a 4-3 DE that occasionally has to play some coverage.

  18. -A good friend of mine who is a smart, long-time, hard-core 49ers fan compared the 49ers’ OT victory with Gabbert to events of the 2008 season, when Mike Nolan was fired after a 2-5 start and Mike Singletary was installed as the interim.
    Sounds right to me. I’ve been noting the Very Singletary nature of the current team–and the essential conservative, one-note Singletary-ness of the entire franchise–for a while now.What happened back in 2008 in the first days of Singletary? During a bad loss at home to Seattle in his interim debut, Singletary dumped J.T. O’Sullivan (OC Mike Martz’s guy) for Hill (Singletary’s guy).Then came a close loss in Arizona, to drop the 49ers to 2-7…. and then, Singletary, some very solid defense and some efficient QB play by Hill rallied the 49ers to a 5-2 close and finished 7-9, punctuated when Jed York named Singletary the permanent coach after the season finale.

    Hmm.

    1. TrollD, your “friend” may be a long time hard core Niner fan, but he is clueless if he is comparing Singletary to Tomsula. They are polar opposites. This season is diametrically opposite from the 2008 season. Singletary was handed a very talented squad due to all the high draft picks from the Nolan debacle, yet underachieved and failed to produce results. Tomsula was handed a dumpster fire, and has clawed his way back to actually give some Niner fans hope.
      You, on the other hand, actively root for the Niners to lose and delight in their woes. With ‘Fans’ like you, who needs enemies?

  19. So a nice late-kick by Gabbert & Tomsula & some good 49ers D could get the 49ers exactly what they want:

    -Tomsula keeps his job, Baalke keeps his job, everybody is comfortable heading into 2016.

    TomD’s Prediction after reading Kawakami’s post:

    You can bet Baalke is in the film room now, suggesting off-balance line runs to the power side, or even trickier, a double reverse to the weak side of that formation…Go get em.

  20. For the Mr. Robot fans I flipped on the tube last night and it was on HBO and it was Night at the Museum and guess who was playing the Egyptian guy?

    Was amusing to see him in that type of role.

  21. JPN,

    When I came back to school from the service, I was five years older than the majority of the people in my classes. Toward the end of my college days I had a philosophy class with a professor who could take a student, and his observations, down a rabbit hole until the poor soul couldn’t remember what he originally proposed, and his world was upside down and turned inside out — without regard to gender.

    Once, and I mean one time, I made an observation in a class discussion, and all the professor did was flash a small fleeting smile. That was the high point of my under graduate career. I sometimes get a distant echo of that feeling when you quote something I’ve posted. Thanks for the memory.

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