Jim Tomsula on new starting RG Jordan Devey: “He’s got the system. Love the practice tape.”

This is the transcript of head coach Jim Tomsula’s Tuesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

Opening comments:

“Good morning. The injury report; [WR] Torrey Smith with a knee contusion, we’ll keep him, we’re just going to treat that right. He’ll be out. [DT Darnell] Dockett with a rib contusion, I know there were some, what am I saying? Yeah, it’s cartilage. The crack is in the cartilage, which is treated like the contusion. It’s not the bone. If it was the bone we would be talking about something different. [CB Tramaine] Brock, a muscle strain, we are just staying smart there. He’s out at walk-thru. And then, [TE] Vance McDonald, again, he’s at the walk-thru and we’re doing good there. So, that’s what you’ve got there. The, on the offensive line, we’re going to, you’ll see it today, but [T] Joe Staley’s lining up at left tackle, [G/T] Alex Boone at left guard, [C] Marcus Martin at center, [OL] Jordan Devey at right guard and [G/T] Erik Pears at right tackle.”

 

Jordan Devey is your starting right guard for the regular season?

“Yeah, we’re not going to make absolutes. I’ve been a D-Line coach all my life, people change. But, yeah we’ve seen what Jordan’s doing and where he’s at right now, and he’s come in, and we’ve taken the time. He’s got the system. Love the practice tape. So, he’s, that’s where we’re going.”

 

Why not give him more reps? I think he only had–?

“See, you’re talking about reps, you know, game-reps. He’s gotten a lot of reps in practice.”

 

I didn’t see too many, though, in Denver with that first unit.

“Yeah, no, but he’s gotten the reps with the scheme that we’re running in.”

 

Are you going to start that offensive line on Thursday just to give them some?

“Probably not the whole group. Again, we’re weighing out, to me I always weigh out what we’re gaining there. What are we gaining at the beginning of that, going out for the ceremonial first five plays? So, we’ll keep going with that, but you won’t see everybody out there.”

 

Marcus at center, he’s gotten some snaps, obviously, all through the spring and camp. What did you, I mean, did you look back also on last year’s film and see stuff that you liked with him being the center?

“Yeah. I mean, obviously, Marcus is, there’s a lot of things at play here. And, [G/C] Daniel Kilgore is on the PUP and Daniel will be back after that. Feel real good about Marcus getting a lot of work at center. We’re trying to think this all the way through, not just for tomorrow. So, we’ve got, we have to create depth. I mean, typically what do you have, seven of those guys up on gameday? You’ve got to be able to be creative. You’ve got to have those dual guys. So, the way we’ve approached it has been that way and we’ve made sure that we’ve kept rep counts and all those things to make sure everybody is getting the work that they need. And, feel like we’ve created some depth and that’s where we’re at right now.”

 

Can you explain just what do you see in Devey? You’ve only had him for a short period of time. What are the aspects?

“And, I have watched the film on him pretty good.”

 

What are the aspects of his game that you think really–?

“He’s just a guy that started numerous games in this league. There’s a calmness about him. There’s a calmness about him in there playing the game and I’m talking about in himself. He’s got, he’s a good football player. He’s a smart guy, came in there and really got it quick. So, just like where he’s at.”

 

Just considering he hasn’t, obviously as noted, been here too long, I assume you’re still kind of in an evaluation process with him. I mean, he certainly still has to prove himself, is that right? He has not been handed right guard?

“I mean, again, and this isn’t being flipped, but I don’t know that anybody has ever been handed anything here. I just don’t see football that way. If you’re not performing at the level that we need you to perform, you’re replaced. I mean, we all know that. So, I don’t, I know it’s big news who’s the starting line, and who’s this and who’s that, and I know people enjoy that. But, quite frankly my approach to it is guys play football and we get going. We’ve got some young guys developing too. That’s the other thing, looking at that and how, there’s a fine line there between getting to a negative. A guy that you know is going to be a really good football player and you’re trying to push him faster than he can go and you get him out to there and now you’re talking about a whole new thing. Now you’re talking about ruining a guy or setting a guy back and then now you’ve got a guy that’s paranoid and a nervous wreck when he gets out there and there’s enough anxiety. So, all those things. That’s where we’re going. I feel real good about it. I feel great about it and that’s where we’re at. I don’t think that position is any different than the other ones. I mean, the one position that you’ve got your cat there that’s rolling is your quarterback position, but other than that we’re playing.”

 

You mentioned building depth and versatility, but from what we’ve seen, I think, Alex Boone has been pretty much only at left guard. Why hasn’t he worked at all on the right side at either guard or tackle?

“Because I don’t have any plans to put him over there unless we have to. But, we created depth at left tackle by Alex Boone playing left guard.”

 

Does that mean that OL Trent Brown would be your right tackle if something happens?

“Alright, now we’re getting way too deep, and we’re not going to put, the 53-man roster has not been set, so I will have no further comments on those things. I mean, I hope that’s fair enough, in fairness to the guys in that locker room.”

 

How close, not necessarily how close, but is there still a lot of things that have to work their way out before Saturday, including practices and walk-thrus this week and the game? Are there a lot of jobs still up in the air or do you have a pretty good sense about what’s happening? 

“We’re feeling good. I mean, it’s, there’s some guys this is real important for. There are, there is that, but that’s every year. But, there’s a majority of things that are set in place.”

 

You guys waived DL Lawrence Okoye yesterday. Why not wait until the final cuts for him, someone who’s been around with the team the last couple of years?

“Well, and quite honestly, with a guy, really, that was a discussion here. And, just to be frank, Lawrence hasn’t played a lot of football. So, for somebody to give him an opportunity in fairness to him, they’re going to want to, after the 53, you’re into game week. So guys, at that point right there, guys that have tape, guys that have played in this league, guys that they can, that people can go back and look at, they’re plug-and-play guys. So, when you have a guy in that situation, was my thought, that it gives him a better opportunity. And I will say he has done, what he’s done in three years or two and a half years is remarkable.”

 

Is he under consideration to come back here to the practice squad if things work out?

“Yeah, and [Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reporter] Matt [Maiocco], I will answer that vaguely, everybody that’s been released is under that umbrella.”

 

In the cornerback situation, have you guys decided on a corner? Have you decided on who will be your starting guys there?

“Yeah, we’re not going to talk as in depth there. But, yeah, T-Brock is still, we feel like everything is going to be great there, but we’re still holding him. So, I won’t get into that conversation much. I’m not going to get into that too much. We’ll find out where T-Brock is at and I expect him to be absolutely fine.”

This article has 351 Comments

    1. With Tomsula making the decision to go with Devey a “Practice Squad” player no less for the Patriots what does that say about Baalke’s Draft Selections these past 2-3 years in relation to O-lineman?

      He get’s an F!

      I’m a bit depressed now.

    2. Put a running back number, 44 or 37 on kap and change the wide receivers to running backs also….Since Kap can’t read defenses or throw accurately consistently (like an inconsistent NBA free throw shooter clanking it off the rim) we could then have Baalke’s dream team of all running backs.

      1. Baalke is deficient in anything passing (see our offensive line), so go with all he knows–running.

  1. I’m going to trust, but I’ll be watching for verification on Monday Night Football against the Vikings….

    1. Seems like I need to keep the Dramamine near by every time I hear or read a Tomsula presser. But hey, I mean that in a good way because the guy is growing on me.

      Not only does Tomsula come over as a very likable guy but I like that he is keenly aware of the O-line problems and is addressing it as much as possible. Still disconcerting that two weeks before the start of the season we are still trying to find answers along the O-line.
      Hope help comes quick!

      1. Tomsula- Well we are starting Davey because frankly we have exhausted all other alternatives.- lol. An example of desperation in respect to the lack of O-line talent. Tomsula is no fool when it comes to evaluating line talent. If you know on side you will also recognize talent on the other.

        His rambling response to the Okoye situation shows me his discomfort with the situation. He can be straight forward when he is comfortable. This seems to be a situation that he is not comfortable with. He is very rambling when he is put on script. He is not saying what he really believes. I mentioned earlier that he didn’t seem happy that the O-line wasn’t strengthened in the draft rather they drafted an unnecessary developmental DE. I suspect that if it were up to him things would have transpired differently.

        1. “He is not saying what he really believes.”
          ~ Willtalk

          Isn’t this, in a round about way what had many people criticizing Harbaugh for? Not being completely forthright in his answers.

          This year will be one of the most interesting seasons in recent memories because of all the sudden changes from last year’s team.
          With coach’s and many vital players gone – and of course the O-line depression, do we give Tomsula a honeymoon period (free-pass) this season?

          1. AES,
            I feel bad for Tomsula. Poor guy will be the odd man out in a couple of years. Baalke and Jed have set him up as the perfect scape goat when things go south, which seems like a certainty.

    2. I’ll trust him when I see him pass blocking and run blocking well in a real game.

      4th pre-season game? Nahhh….he’ll look great against the Vikings 3rd stringers.

      Should have kept Iupati.

      1. Bridgewater, Wallace, Johnson, an offensive line that can at least keep the QB mostly upright, and an up and coming D.

        I said the other day I think the Vikings are a playoff team this year. This will not be an easy game whatsoever.

        1. Don’t sleep on Rudolph either. Not that I expect the 49ers to get beaten 26-7 or whatever Casper is claiming, but they do have talent on offense…

        2. They’ll have a tough time making the playoffs in that division but that doesn’t mean I disagree that they are an up and coming team. However and I think you’d also agree to this that 99.99% of that optimism is based upon the continued success and maturation of their QB.

          1. 100% based on Bridgewater being a good QB this year. If he’s not, then you can forget about the Vikings. But I think pretty highly of Bridgewater and where he is at in his development.

  2. Either doing Okoye a big favor by letting him go now and giving him a chance to latch on somewhere else, or not giving teams more tape on him and trying to hide him one more year on the PS. Which is it?

  3. If anybody needed more reasons to be concerned…

    “Devey was benched after a rough opening to the 2014 season, and he didn’t see the field after a disastrous week 7 game against the New York Jets. Pro Football Focus had Devey tied as their lowest graded offensive guard through those seven weeks. Devey was tied with former Bills lineman Erik Pears, who also happens to be the 49ers new starting right tackle.”

    http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/9/1/9241049/former-patriots-guard-jordan-devey-will-start-for-the-49ers-patriots

    1. Yea but, “he’s gotten a lot of reps in practice…and he knows the scheme that we’re running in.”

      So he’s got that going for him…

        1. After Martin’s report on him, I actually did feel better. Now you’ve got Boone with a nasty disposition on one side, and Devey with a mean streak on the other. He is a big man….

          1. He’s looked better than Silberman in pass pro, and so long as he’s effective in the running game there is a chance the OL can do enough to keep the O rolling.

            1. He’s good at sealing, which is what you want in a ZBS, but on the other hand he’s not good on the move….

      1. I think this is one of Baalke’s best trades ever. How many times have you seen a team trade a player they were going to cut for a starter?

        1. A player we were going to cut for a player they may well have been going to cut. The fact that Devey will start for us doesn’t mean that he’s a better player than Asante Cleveland was, just that the offensive line is in trouble and he may be the best of a bad lot.

          1. I was being somewhat sarcastic, as I agree Devey is nothing special, but in the end it also true. Trading a player they were going to cut for a guy that ends up starting is a good bit of business, no matter how you look at it. Doesn’t matter if you believe the player they traded with is better than the guy they got, because the alternative was to lose him for nothing.

          1. I think both teams did trade a player they were going to cut. Only one team has so far stated the guy they traded for is in line to start week 1. There were no losers in this trade, but the 49ers are so far coming out better off than if they’d kept Cleveland.

            1. Trading Cleveland was an obvious no brainer. They had 8 TE and needed depth at O-line. Devey was excess to the Bills as well or the wouldn’t have traded him. It’s just that the O-line is so bad for the Niner’s that anyone not totally horrible is an upgrade. The reality is that he is a starter by default or they would have run him as the starting RG from day one.

  4. Fans here think practice is not related to how the team Plays during the regular season. Bill Walsh always sure they were related. That is why throughout the 49er dynasty years (and with Jeff Garcia) stories in the News recounted how the 49er QB’s completed all passes, with none hitting the ground. Then, in the real games they’d follow the practices up with blow out wins, including the Playoffs and Superbowls (excluding Garcia in the Superbowls). When the current offense goes 2-17 in passes with 6 straight interceptions and Kap and Logan looked stunned on the sideline, don’t be surprised when this also carries over into regular season games.

    1. Worrying. Davis really was wide open there. And given the way the play was designed you’d have to think Davis was the primary target too, so Kaep should have no excuse for not seeing him.

      1. No excuse, although I’m pretty sure a few will get made and the’ll probably involve the offensive line.

        Goes back to my point during the draft about needing a #1 WR. If our QB can’t see or hit a wide open target especially when the play is possibly even designed to go there then it doesn’t matter how good your receivers are. Maybe Roman stopped going to Davis because he got tired of Kaepernick constantly missing him? Who knows.

        1. Anyone using the OL as an excuse on that play is unfairly criticising the OL. They did enough, gave Kaep enough time to make that throw. And as I said, I doubt Kaep didn’t see it as he was likely the primary target given the play design. Just looks to me like an example of Kaep choosing to rely on his feet over his arm and receivers.

          1. I’m not CFCs’ Huckleberry Scooter as I did not intend for it to be an excuse, but when you’ve been under a deluge, it’s easy to feel something that’s not there and revert back to what you trust, your legs. I’ve made no bones about it, he makes poor decisions under duress, but they can win with him. I think we’d all like a pocket master like Brady, Rogers, Manning, but they don’t grow on trees, especially in the era of college football today….

            1. So I guess you can admit that if CK cannot play from the pocket effectively this year, the experiment is over?

              1. We would be lucky to get a 4th. If he can’t show improvement this year, what makes you think a team will offer a 1st? Let alone a 3rd

              2. No, I’ve said that incremental efficiency within the pocket is a realistic expectation for Kaepernick, and that’s what I’d expect from him this year. Anything more would be unrealistic, and if the offensive line can’t pass pro, it will more than likely stunt his growth in that area….

              3. I think it’s really difficult to make him play a way he is not accustomed to. But you can’t win many games being a runnin QB. It’s a Harbaugh experiment gone wrong. Kinda like Mike Martz with Alex Smith!

              4. They got 2 second rnd picks for Alex Smith! Kaep whether you like him or not is 10x the talent that Alex is.. Bills, Jets, Browns, Rams, Texans to name a few would easily surrender multiple high picks for a guy as talented and has won a lot in such short time. Stop with the Conner Cook stuff cause he wouldn’t last a quarter behind this line. Hackenburg, Goff are much better prospects. Do some research.

              5. CK=Elite, the reason the Niners got what they got for Alex was because he was playing at a very high level before his injury. If CK wins 10 games and playing at high level, we are not trading him.
                You are comparing 2 completely different situations!

              6. Prime

                You’re wrong on this one. The NFL is filled with Alphas who think they can do anything, and a guy like Rex Ryan or Andy Reid or Chip Kelly would surely believe he could do with Kaepernick what others failed to do; and he is, quite frankly, the most physically gifted athlete to EVER play the QB position. We all know this to be true. There is surely an egomaniac in the NFL somewhere who would shell out a 1st RD pick to tap CKs enormous potential.

              7. Prime, that’s a good point but if you have an opportunity to acquire a talent like kaep you do it in a second. Plus like you said if he does well then he goes no where. If he has a year like last year a bit disappointing, I see a team trading for him. I know Rex Ryan and Roman would love him with the Bills. I’m going off how Ryan has praised him in the past and admitted he wanted to draft him.

              8. Why would Roman want him for the Bills? He’s got two QBS doing just as good, and are younger. Kaep has a lot of talent and potential but he’s not reaching it. That VD play is a prime reason why I get tired of watching Kaep. He’s always going to run first. You need to keep your other playmakers involved. I bet every player not named Boldin was frustrated because they can run the route and Kaep won’t see it or throw it. Yeah you can could say the same with Alex when he was here too.

                Kaep’s a ball hog man. It’s like playing with Kobe Bryant, but Kobe is a HOF. Kaep, if he keeps regressing and not developing, will be traded and the Niners will be lucky to get a 3rd. Every year Kaep doesn’t show improvement he gets exposed. Throw the ball to VD, let him do something.

                I bet Crabs, who i didn’t care for, have a good season with Carr. Gore already loves Luck. We’re stuck with one read and run Kaep.

              9. No. He does not need to be forced to sit in a pocket when he is 100 times more dangerous on the run.

              10. There you just hit the nail on the head. He’s more dangerous on the run because he’s not a threat as a passer.

                How fast will teams figure that out, and just spy on him?

                Did you know RW ran for more yards the Kaep last year? He’s not a great pass by any means but he knew he could trust himself make a throw in crunch. Kaep doesn’t trust himself to make the right read, right throw. He rather scramble. That’s all the evidence you need — he’s Michael Vick/Kordell Steward/Daunte Culpepper 2.0

            2. That’s true razor, but the only way to change is to force yourself to change. That was a gimme pass, but as soon as he saw it open up in front of him he took off. It is what he knows. Of course, it may also be what he’s been told to do, so perhaps I should hold off on the criticism of the play a bit until I know more.

              1. When you’re on the field in real time and see defensive players backs with speed like that it’s not a bad decision to take the yards. Running big is a whole lot safer than passing downfield.
                If you’re talking about the big run play that is last weekend. I don’t know if there’s a fast qb in the league who wouldn’t pull it down open man or not and not run with that much space.

          2. Scooter- I don’t think anyone is using the O-line as an excuse or saying that he ran because he had no alternative. QB’s often chose on option over another. Why would anyone say a long gain and first down is a bad option? It was obvious that Kaep wanted to move the ball hell or high water. The vanilla offense was not doing the trick so he was going to do it with his legs if he had the opportunity.

            Fans statement that he is a ball hog because he doesn’t pass the ball is absurd. Sure on some plays there might be other options and most of the time lately he has chosen to stick with those other options. This is what separates him from other QB’s- when other options ( and that happens quite a bit ) he can make plays with his legs.

            Why does he have to do it the way you want him to? It’s this type of play that got the team through the playoffs. It’s this type of play that allowed the team to be competative against a Seattle team ( when their defense was full strength) that destroyed the pocket QB Manning in the Superbowl. This is just down right crazy. Lets criticize a QB because he brings the team down, but not how we think it should be done. Remember they were running a vanilla offense and that limited them, so they were going to get down field any way possible on their last drive of the half.

            1. Its a team game, Willtalk. And whether we like it or not, its a team game played by guys with big egos for the most part. Kaep needs to remember his teammates want to also be involved, that they consider themselves playmakers too, and that making plays is what gets them paid. If he stops using them when they are open he’ll find himself in a position where they don’t bother anymore.

              In this instance running ended up a positive play. I don’t think anyone is questioning that. But it is concerning that he had a potentially bigger play for the taking, which should have been pretty easy to identify for him, and chose to go another way.

              1. Steve Young, a fine athletic phenom himself, said his game came together when he realized that his job was to get the ball into somebody else’s hands as soon as possible every play. For a guy who won his amateur success taking the game into his own hands (Steve and Colin), this is somewhat counter intuitive. Not everybody gets it.

              2. Exactly, Brotha.

                Kaep’s legs are a weapon. But at the end of the day his primary role is to distribute the ball.

        2. The pocket was not clean, but it did look like he could have made that throw. However, it appears to me that Kap made the decision to run before he even set his feet. Maybe Razor is right, and the cumulative duress of the first half caused him to fell more pressure than was there. Or, maybe Kap saw a lane and he wanted to run the ball. Either way, I am not sure Kap ever really looked at VD as an option, even if he saw that VD was open. It seems likely to me that Kap was in playmaker mode that play.

          1. I think he was in playmaking mode that whole drive. It’s obvious when he didn’t slide that one run. It’s this type of attitude that brings out his best. That’s how he played his first starting season. When they try to limit him it takes him out of sync. and that carries over into his passing game as well. He still needs a viable pocket and pass protection because those runs shouldn’t be because he has to, rather because he chooses too. That is when he is at his best as evidenced by that play.

        3. I don’t think the play is design to get Vernon the ball early, in the flat. I’m pretty sure they want to get vernon the ball deep. It would have been big yards, possibly a TD if Kaep had stayed with it, but when Colin sees all of the real estate in front of him without the risk of an incomplete pass or INT, I say take it all day long. Colin picked up what, 35 yards, and was never even touched? Seems a bit silly to criticize that play. I have heard Cosell evaluate Kaepernick a lot, and one thing he always alludes to is his opinion that Kap is a very good QB.

    2. Better decisions under duress might occur once he develops trust in his line, but until then he’s going to run if the lanes present themselves….

      1. Razor

        A decision made under duress requires there be duress. There was no duress on this play. I’ve always been a huge Kaep fan, due to his enormous physical gifts, but I saw this play developing on the field during the telecast, and it was massively disappointing. It’s pretty clear that Kaep saw VD wide open, but also saw a wide swath of open field in front of him. Passing to VD was the right choice, because the play probably would have resulted in a longer gain, if not a TD, had it been properly executed. Instead, Kaep got tunnel vision and, and this is the worrying thing, was a ball hog. The QB simply CANNOT be a ball hog. It’s antithetical to the position. It would be marvelous if Kaep could scan the field, see everyone covered, and take off for a 19-yard gain (as in the play before), but if he keeps hogging the ball when other contributors are wide TF open, they will stop trying to contribute.

        Kaep needs to do some serious work on whatever it is inside his head that makes him so self-conscious, self-centered, self-reliant … whatever it is; he appears to have an affliction known as narcissism.

        1. You miss the point of perceived duress as opposed to actual duress. Now you might be right, maybe he does have a character flaw, but you don’t know that for sure….

          1. You failed to say “perceived” in the comment I responded to, and then injected it above, as JPN acknowledged. If he is susceptible to “perceived” duress, however, he is more akin to Peyton than Tom, Steve than Joe.

            Colin needs to be Colin, and play with real confidence. He seems to have listened to people like Cosell for too long, and his confidence appears a bit shaken. I want him to succeed, and I want him to win multiple Super Bowls, and frankly, I think he’s got the potential to retire as the 2nd greatest 49er QB ever, but he’s got to play with real confidence, which will allow him to instill confidence in his teammates; missing VD on this particular play, or rather, choosing to rely on his legs rather than his arms, was a display of a lack of confidence. He moved up in the pocket, and had an absolutely wide open lane to throw either a lofted or frozen rope pass to VD, who would have strolled leisurely into the end zone with only Denver’s #30 anywhere in his general vicinity.

            1. My response at 3:37 to Scooter is where I think I made that clear. Apologies for any misunderstandings. I think Colin is a strong willed individual who is determined to succeed. I mean he could have had a lucrative and lengthy career in baseball, but he chose football….

              1. Razor

                “No, no — you good!” (Verizon LTE commercial from 2013 season)

                Kaep is strong-willed, but that doesn’t make him confident. What will make him confident is if Logan/Chryst acknowledge phenomenal ability by catering the offense to him; no more gimmicks, just moving the pocket, designing roll-outs, and encouraging him to play free and fast.

                I would love to see him run for 1,000 yards and pass for 3,500 yards, and I don’t think that’s asking a lot, as long as the coaching staff understands what they have to work with.

                I think the real revelation of this coaching change will be the ZBS, which will keep opposing defenses playing reactively, and allow way more aggression from guys like Hyde and Kaep.

              2. E that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
                It’s this simple and I think our coaching staff thinks the same. Up north there is a short strong armed fast little sucker. He is not a pocket passer. His success comes from his defense and running back. Now when he is called upon to throw he is most successful with a moving pocket. He is always a threat to run outside the tackles. He buys time very well. And with that seems to find some scrub open when the defense breaks down.
                That is what CK is built for also. It’s what he did when they went deep into the playoffs and super bowl. Just get back to his strengths. The rest may come in time. Harbaugh murdered his confidence last year with the forcing him to pass in the pocket that much.
                And with that said. There will be no success with T smith going deep if they do that. It will have to be a hot read and he will have to connect from the pocket. that could be bad.

              3. “strong – willed” – like when the opponents always succeed in getting him unfocused/rattled..

                until he his able to back up his trash talking or stay un-rattled when opponents try getting under his skin……then he will be strong-willed…

                having muscles or doing bench pressed is not strong willed…..

              4. E- I agree with you that play was an example of lack of confidence. But I think in that instant using his legs to get his rythm and confidence back was not a bad thing. Trying to keep Kaep in the pocket is a mistake. It’s not just that he can not function in a pocket, but that it throws him out of sync and rather than helping him to be a better passer actually makes him worse.The reason he was so effective in 2012 was because he had good protection and didn’t just run when he had too, but when the lanes opened up. That’s where he gets his synchronicity. It’s a rythm and flow in his game. In early 2013 he had protection but didn’t run when the lanes were their because they were protecting him from injury. In 2014 they wanted him to be a pocket QB and he didn’t even have protection. People he is not a normal QB. He will never be a normal QB. But if he is allowed to play his game he can be more effective as a passer. This has shown itself in past season. He does need protection to be at his best. Yes he can make plays when they break down, but those types of situations are not consistent. This season they were going to turn him loose. But they still needed to surround him with good players. He has good players but the key to every offense is the O-line.

                One reason that running QB’s have a bad rep is that they seem to end up on teams with bad O-lines. It might be that those teams get those QB’s to compensate. Not saying that this is an excuse for them all but it sure helps when you have choices rather than are forced into making certain actions.

            2. I agree that Kap appears to have no confidence in the passing game, either on his part or on the part of the rest of the offense. If that is true, it is indeed worrying.

              1. That’s why if I was Chyrst, I’d come out and get Kaepernick some short throws to Bush and VD motioning out of the backfield….

            3. Kaep had eluded a collapsing pocket and ran for 19 yards. Then he sees a wide open field and runs for another 34. He gained 53 yards and people are complaining?
              VD was open because Kaep was looking elsewhere so the focus was elsewhere. There were defenders close enough to him that he decides to run in an open field and take what the defense gave him.
              Some people think he should throw the ball to somewhere that he was not looking towards. They say he should have seen it, but he saw it differently from his position and made a big gain. smh.

              1. Seb

                This is a flat out lie. Don’t be dishonest. It was obvious on Saturday night that CK and VD looked directly at each other on the play in question. And it was just as clear when I re-watched it earlier today when this whole discussion started up.

              2. No. I watched the replay many times, and Kaep had 2 seconds to decide whether or not to run. He ran towards the LOS, and if he had stopped to set his feet to throw, there were 2 defenders who could easily have sacked him. Kaep kept going forward because he saw a wide open field, so he took what the defense gave him, and VD was open for only a brief window in the beginning, and Kaep would have been planning on throwing a quick out for the completion. However, VD turned upfield so he was not thinking he would get the ball at the first down mark, and by that time, Kaep was moving forward to run because he had defenders behind him. Replay it all you want, and you may see things differently but I say that Kaep was not focusing on VD, and he made the correct decision to gain big yardage.

    3. Great. Now they are complaining when he gains 34 yards. VD was not his first read, he was covered, but had step or 2, so it could have been made, there was no guarantee he would have time to throw with that collapsing pocket, but then Kaep saw all that free room in front of him. The DBs were running with their backs to him so he took what they gave him for a big gain.
      Quit nit picking.

      1. Seb

        The QBs job is to distribute the ball go playmakers IF they’re open. VD was not open by 1-2 steps, but rather he had 10 yards of space in all directions with only Denver’s #30 trailing him. It was a TD, clear as day. If Kaep had made an errant throw, we’d be talking about his lack of accuracy, but it wouldn’t matter, because it’s only the preseason, and at least he tried to do his job, which, again, is to distribute the ball. If he had made a good pass, and VD had dropped it, we’d be talking about VD’s frying pans, not Kaep’s failure to do his job, which, again, is to distribute the ball to playmakers. If both CK and VD had done their jobs, the 49ers would have scored a TD, and not Grant nor anyone else could say that the first team offense went through the exhibition games without scoring a TD.

        Let’s think about another scenario quickly: imagine it’s the Super Bowl and Kaep makes the same mistake, running instead of distributing, and the Niners fail to score a TD. Now what? Now they’re stuck in the RZ, they have under 1 minute to punch it in, and they fail. Game over. Baltimore wins. Happy now?

        1. Crucify Kaep for not spotting a WR when he was looking in another direction, is snark. He did see he was wide open to run for 34 yards, so you are faulting him for being successful. If you want to study film, there are many many times when a WR is open for a small window, and the QB does not see him, but hindsight is always correct. Missing seeing VD is not the end of the world, but some posters think Kaep is a terrible QB, and they cite this play as proof. Kaep did not have a totally secure pocket, and it very easily could have been disrupted while rearing back to throw. At least some have admitted that he was facing in another direction, and VD was not the primary receiver.
          I would fault Kaep if he failed to spot VD, then held onto the ball for a sack, but he gained 34 yards. That to me is a successful play. Believe it or not, he did not have time in a perfect pocket to survey the field for 5 seconds. Kaep was sacked and harassed all the time. I am glad he ran untouched for 34 yards, and I hope he does it often.

        2. BTW, Ravens won that game. If JH had not called a time out, Kaep would have run the ball in for a score. I was distinctly unhappy.

          1. Seb

            As was I. The point is, Kaep CLEARLY saw VD, and decided against throwing it, depriving the team of an opportunity for a TD, and doing it with nothing at stake.

            1. No. Look at the stripe on his helmet. He was originally looking at Boldin, who was downfield going right. The window to throw the ball was small. and he saw daylight and took it for a big gain. Kaep was NOT following VD towards the side line before VD turned up field.

            2. E- You were not inside his helmet looking through his eyes so saying Kaep clearly saw him is pure conjecture on your part. This discredits your objectivity. Most fans are not watching the game from the on the field perspective rather from the camera and higher elevation of the stands. They can not see what the QB see’s. The QB also vision is obstructed by linemen and a constantly fluxuating passing lanes. Yes- You saw there eyes meet. Total BS.

              The QB’s job is to get the ball whenever possible into to the hands of the player who has the greatest chance of success on the immediate objective. Sometimes that is just a first down. And sometimes it is himself if he is a play maker like Kaep. Why did people criticize Seattle for not running the ball rather than throwing it. Because a pass play is generally not as safe as a running play. Kaep has often been criticized for going for the long pass when the short safer check down was available. Well now he is criticized for not going for the long pass instead of taking the safe gain. You people are just flat out Crazy.

              1. Judging the results of the play is the short view. The immediate gratification. The long view is to see if Kaep is growing, maturing, learning to see the entire view. Kaep has unique qualities because he can run, but that only matters if it compliments his ability to pass.

                Aaron Rodgers is mobile, many say the best QB in the league, he would have most likely stepped up, saw the open space in front of him, start to run, and if he saw VD in the corner of his eye, he would he thrown it in a split sec.

                The example of the VD play is not to crucify Kaep, but to illustrate where he is in his development and progress. At some point, maybe it’s not working for him as a pocket passer, and then we have a running QB.

    4. That’s a fair analysis by James Brady and Cosell before him. That goes back to Kaps pocket awareness issues that pop up at times. He naturally wants to use his athleticism and it comes at the expense of a big play in the passing game sometimes. Hopefully they went over it with him during film study and he continues to work on keeping his focus downfield instead of taking off.

      1. I took a look at the play a number of times trying to focus on when Kap tucked the ball to run. Although it was difficult to see exactly (even at 175% enlargement), it looked to me like he tucked it about 9 or so yards behind the LOS. For me then, the question is, can Kap move the ball back to a throwing position while he’s running at almost full speed. For him to be accurate, wouldn’t he have to attempt to decelerate, set his feet and then throw. Any forward velocity that his body and the ball still have before the throw would have to be subconsciously accounted for when he makes the throw, wouldn’t it? If instead of setting his feet, he continued to run (while no doubt decelerating somewhat), it would be a pass similar to the touchdown pass to Boldin in the end zone during the NFCCG game.

        This play doesn’t irk me. To Kap the running play was like shooting a layup in basketball and the pass play more like a three point try. He took, what is for him, the safer play. And given the speed that he was running at behind the line of scrimmage, I’m not so sure that this was as easy a throw as some suggest.

        1. After reading some more posts that I originally missed, I would agree that Kap should have made that throw before he took off running. But once he did, I think it was a safer play to continue running.

  5. I wouldn’t advise looking very closely at Tomsula’s explanation about why he’s starting Devey at RG and what ever he was saying about starting the last preseason game.

    I wonder if any of the practice tape they have on Devey includes full pads and game type contact?

    1. The Pats radio guys like him about as much as the Bills guys liked Pears. Oh well, maybe a change of scenery will revive their careers.

    2. HT, I just re watched the last drive of the first half against Denver and I will say Devey held up pretty well. Pears looked good on that drive as well. Now I have no idea if they can hold up for 1 game let alone a season. Silberman was an absolute disaster. He made Pears look a lot worse. I’m no longer optimistic until they prove other wise.

      1. I was more interested in the nature of Tomsula’s explanation than how either of them will do during the time they play this year. That part will be clear. What isn’t clear to me is what Tomsula says about what he’s doing. Everyone is so happy that he isn’t doing his Dick Tracy Mumbles act that no one seems to be worried about what his statements mean.

        1. He is in a bad situation not of his own making. He is trying to make the best of it. He only mumbles when he is on script and saying things that are not his real beliefs.

    1. Four to six weeks will tell everyone more than the first game. If we do have some surprises for week one, they may counter coached starting week two or week three.

  6. This O line situation has been a slow moving avalanche. Iupati’s departure was a forgone conclusion and have know for several months that AD would not be available. We have also known that there were several other high profile, extremely talented options available. baalke , however, decided to go with pears and devey. WTF??????

  7. Bill Walsh said that one of the most destructive things on a coaching staff was to have a very ambitious coach who was not intelligent. I think we know that Tomsula is very ambitious, but the jury on his intelligence.

    Walsh was talking about destructive assistant coaches, not head coaches. But I think the theory translates to the head coaches position. I really hope that Jim Tomsula is much smarter than he appears. I am a fan and will always support the niners, I just have a bleak fear that we are about to experience Singeltgary 2.0

    1. Not even close. Singletary had ZERO coaching experience, knew nothing about game planning, and lost respect of the players with his anger.
      If you meant not being prepared for a HC job you might have that argument.
      But JT has been a head coach before and has all of the respect of those players. I agree the jury is out on game day and planning or adjustments.
      But I’d have to believe he is light years ahead of run the ball down their throats, go crazy and kill minded singletary.
      He was by far our greatest RAh rah coach.

      1. MD

        I think Apoplectic Jim the Cleated was our biggest rah rah coach; he just hid the truth behind the success of Darth Fangio

        1. Strong case, but it’s hard to match sings intensity. If anyone could it would have been Hardballs

    2. Wrong. Jim Tomsula is a humble person. and very smart. Bill Walsh was referring to an arrogant coach, which fit JH to a tee.

      1. I don’t know if Tomsula is VERY smart. I am positive he is not stupid and was was smart enough to recognize and foresee the situation prior to the fact of the they are in now. It’s a b!tch when you are not given the proper authority to impact a situation that you will be held responsible for later. As a D-line coach I am sure he is able to evaluate the talent of the players he coaches will be going up against. If he knows nothing else he certainly would know talent on both sides of the line.

        1. He was smart enough to yell TEMPO a thousand times so the team has solved the game management problems.

    3. Maybe you should listen to what Coach Tomsula said. He said that the difference between confidence and arrogance is ignorance. Walsh was thinking about a very ambitious coach who was arrogant and ignorant.
      Coach Tomsula is confident, and smart.

      1. One thing that I like about Tomsula is that he seems to be able and willing to work with limited resources and want to wring productivity out of the same. He has done with his D line and with his limited resources in the Euro league. Hope he can do it as a NFL HC. One thing that prevents average-to-smart people in high positions from achieving to their potential is arrogance — they don’t admit mistakes to themselves and correct them quickly. They also don’t seek help when they identify their limitations. I am inclined to think that Tomsula is not arrogant.

        I am big fan of Jim Harbaugh and I will be watching him tomorrow evening (but as a Pac-12 guy, I’ll be rooting for Utah). He is somewhat arrogant but he’s very smart and confident to surround himself with the best available coaches. Where he fell a bit short, IMO, is his resistance to change game strategy/philosophy even when it was not working.

  8. While the o-line is in limbo…
    What bothers me the most is if they play this bad protecting all season how will we truly know of ck learned anything this offseason and stepped his passing game up. That’s really disappointing. I thought Baalke knew games and rings are won in the trenches.
    It’s like the Alex smith project all over again.
    At least we got to see the outcome of that after 7 long agonizing years. And I recall him not being a pocket passer either…..
    Ck has the same look of fear Alex did behind center. You would have to be a fool not to know not trusting your o-line can destroy your confidence and playing ability.
    Sucks because he is the only piece that will decide rebuild or re-tool for another run.

  9. That’s a start coach… Now it’s time to finish off the rest of the moves (if you want to give Kap a fighting chance anyway):

    Staley|Thomas|*Martin|Devey|Boone

    *Should be replaced as soon as Kilgore is healthy.

  10. All cuts cleared waivers. Those groaning about certain cuts should take note that none of the other 31 teams wanted them either.

        1. He might. Or he might end up out of football. What we do know is that no teams were so enamoured with him they felt they needed to claim him.

    1. Grant

      Surely you’re now apprised of the hullabaloo around Kaep’s missed TD throw to VD on which Kaep gained 34 yards on the ground. Was that a prime example of what you’ve always said, that Kaep can’t or doesn’t throw left?

        1. Yep, completely agree.

          No Acker in your list of stock up? Seems to me his stock just continues to rise atm. Johnson on the other hand wasn’t as good against the Broncos as he was against the Cowboys as he struggled a little bit in the slot.

          As an aside – I see Justin Gilbert is continuing to struggle for the Browns this offseason, while Johnson and Phillip Gaines have mostly impressed. A good example of how you can find big and athletic CBs later in the draft, no need to over-draft one.

        2. Exactly. He was not looking left, but saw clear field in front of him , and took the easy yards.

          1. Seems to me more like Grant was saying Kaep knew he had Davis open for the easy completion and big play, but chose to trust his feet over his arm/ receiver. And if Kaep didn’t know he had Davis open that is even more concerning than making a conscious decision to run over passing, because Kaep should know the play design against that coverage would get Davis 1-on-1, and the guy meant to be covering Davis was in Kaep’s field of vision.

            1. I’m actually going to defend Kaep, not for running, but for why he is what he is. Remember how he first got into the game? They would sub him in periodically on pre-designed runs. And then they started the read/option. Even before Alex got hurt, Harbaugh was tinkering with getting into the game in key moments. Remember the Giants game that they lost in reg season? Kaep was the mystery weapon. Is he going to run, throw? I think he had a huge run in the Jets game too.
              And then he becomes a starter and his passing success was based on the one/read, and the read/option.

              Once they shipped Alex off to KC, he was asked to not be the weapon, not just run, but run the offense. Suddenly the read option wasn’t so successful, except for when he played GB. Remember when he got squirrelly with reporters and said he had a lot on his plate? He had more to do. It was easier just to let the play break down, and he can trust his legs, and run.

              He is still stuck in the mentality that he is a weapon, the X-Factor. He hasn’t evolved into being the field general, the Point Guard so to speak, to run the offense and plays. I don’t think he trusts his arm, maybe in practice, but not in a game situation. Especially on that wheel route. It never clicked in his thinking, that when all the rushers went passed him, I have one on one coverage, someone is open. Instead his first thought is, they’re in Man to Man, I’m running. Which is fine, but the play designed worked and they might have a scored a TD. I saw someone post the end zone shot from the all-22 and the safety who pushed Kaep out was in man coverage running in the other direction. If Kaep have gotten the ball to VD, who had at least five yards, and Kaep could have fired that laser he throws and VD has nothing but space.
              Some have said, that well everything happens so fast, he didn’t have time to think. Umm. hello! Welcome to the NFL! That’s why the position is so hard and not everyone can do it.

              That’s why they have reps, that’s why they have training and practice, so Kaep can make that throw.

              He needs to evolve his thinking, his grasp of the game, otherwise it’s playground ball over again and that was last year’s offense. If Kaep had stepped up to make the throw, then that’s signs of improvement and growing. It’s an exhibition game, make the the throw.

              1. Fan 77- Every QB’ even the so called elites, often end up making the lesser of desirable choices. It seems that most are not under the microscope that Kaep is under with the fans of this team. Who tend to second guess every choice made. What is more important than ALWAYS ( which is not really realistic ) making the best choice in comparison is if the choice that was made turns out to be successful. No one can really know what the outcome of an un made choice would actually have been.

                Scooter- That is your interpretation of what Grant actually said. If he wanted to say that he would have. What he said was on that play Kaep chose to run rather than pass. No more- no less.

              2. Willtalk–
                I’m not condemming him for taking the lesser choice, I’m just commenting on his growth. Some may think his unique running abilities is enough to make he a serviceable QB. I don’t. It didn’t work last year and it’s not going to work this year.

                But if that’s what he wants to be, then he shouldn’t bother with going to Kurt Warner or any other pocket QB. He should just focus on being a runner and let’s see how far the team goes in the toilet. It is already halfway there.

              3. Fan,

                If you were this thoughtful and analytic all the time instead of going into Kap sucks mode, we would never argue. I actually agree with much of what you said here. The difference is, instead of being exasperated and wanting him out of town, I see what he can do without the ability to play consistently from the pocket and want to allow him a shot to develop that part of his game. Obviously you cannot go on for years waiting for a QB to get it, but we are a year and a half removed from him getting to an NFCCG, so I’m willing to be patient awhile longer.

            2. VD was open for a quick pass to the flat at the first down marker, but Kaep was looking downfield. He stepped up in the pocket, but if he had stopped to set his feet and throw, there were 2 defenders waiting to sack him. Instead, he kept moving towards the LOS to leave them behind and saw he had a clear field.Kaep took the easy play and gained 34 yards. There was no easy guaranteed TD if he cannot get off the throw before being sacked.

              1. You failed to grasp the concept of what a wheel route is. VD is running down the sideline with a LB trailer him. In the all 22 from the end zone you can see what Kaep sees, and he ran. He didn’t even bother to throw it. Because Kaep has no pocket awareness at all, and he has that big wind-up, he doesn’t know how to just flick the ball out to VD. He didn’t even have to throw it that far.
                He didn’t take the easy play, he broke off the play. You can’t coach and scheme random.

              2. Watch over and over and look at where the players are when Kaep decides to run. If he had stayed in the pocket, he did not have time to set his feet and throw. If he had stopped, there were 2 defenders 5 yards behind the LOS who could easily have sacked him. Kaep, by sprinting forward, avoided those 2 players and had an open field to run in.

              3. Seb, as CfC said, you are the only one seeing it like that. Either you are a football genius and the rest of us are wrong, or, well, perhaps you’re the one driving down the freeway complaining about all the on-coming traffic.

                My 2 cents – at the bottom of Kaep’s drop he has Davis wide open underneath for an easy completion if he so chooses, running into acres of space as the go routes have cleared the defenders out. As you point out, at this point he appears to be fixated on Boldin as his target. Which means he should see his receivers are being blanketed downfield, and should realise he will have Davis open on the wheel route as the defender meant to be covering him is currently right in Kaep’s field of vision near where Boldin is.

                Kaep then resets his feet as he feels pressure from the outside from Shane Ray, who is up against Pears. If he throws at this point, and he does have the time and space (though tight) to do so, he will be hitting Davis probably just beyond the 40 yard marker (allowing for the time it would take for the pass to get there), once again in acres of space. This is when he probably should have thrown the ball, if he was doing a good job of reading what the D was doing.

                This is the last chance he really has to make the pass before he has to start moving as Silberman is in danger of getting beaten and the pocket is collapsing. After that he steps up past Silberman and his defender, then takes off. He could have tried to reset for the pass after moving up past Silberman and his defender, but at this point he probably is best off running into the space in front of him.

                My guess is after he reset his feet to move away from Ray he saw Silberman being pushed towards him, and rather than trusting in Silberman to at least steer the defender slightly away from him (which he in fact ends up doing) he decided the play was busted and got out of there. A pocket-wise QB that was aware he had Davis wide open would have realised he had the space to step into a throw to the left once Ray was safely around him, with the left side of the OL doing a good job of opening up a huge passing (and running) lane.

              4. I am just watching the play over and over, trying to see when would be the best time for Kaep to throw, and MAYBE he has time to hit VD who was wide open early, but the pocket does not look secure as he was stepping up, and then he saw a wide open lane to run through, so he decided to run while he was 5 yards behind the LOS. This all happened very quickly, and he did not have time to survey the field. If he had stopped he would have been sacked, but he continued to move forward away from the pass rush into open field.
                It would be fine to criticize him if he held onto the ball and got sacked or threw the ball and got it picked off, but he gained 34 yards.There is no guarantee that VD would score, but I cannot see exactly where the other DBs are, so maybe VD could score. Still, I liked his decision since he made a first down, and he took what the defense gave him.

              5. In many plays, the WR is open for a small window or a few steps. It is hard for a QB with little time and lots of pressure to find the perfect place to make the perfect throw.I still think it is nit picking to select this play and say that Kaep is incapable of standing in the pocket and making completions, especially when it was so successful.

              6. The fact the DBs didn’t come into picture to stop Kaep until after a big gain suggests they wouldn’t have gotten to Davis for some time either, and Davis would have had a 15 – 20 yard head start on where Kaep ran from.

                Whether Kaep surveyed the field or not should be immaterial. He should know where his receivers are meant to be, and he should be reading the coverage to understand who might be open. Once he saw the RCB and slot CB follow the two WRs on the left down the field he should have realised Davis would be 1-on-1 with the safety who was in the middle of the field, way out of position to be covering Davis.

              7. “In many plays, the WR is open for a small window or a few steps”.

                True. But in this instance Davis was wide open the entire time. And as I said in my previous post, Kaep should have been able to identify he’d be open based on the play call and the way the Broncos were defending it.

              8. It is critical for the success of a play to have enough time to let the play develop. Kaep had 2 seconds. It is unfair to criticize him for not seeing his second or third read when a lineman is breathing down his neck.

              9. In the beginning, VD was wide open, but Kaep was looking down field so the defense was concentrating where he was looking.
                Maybe Kaep should have been looking out of the corner of his eyes, so then he would have seen VD wide open in the flat.

              10. Seb, you appear to be ignoring my point that Kaep should have realised Davis would be wide open based on the play call and what the D was doing. All he needed to do was read the coverage on Boldin and I believe it was Smith or Patton outside him, which is where he was looking. The CBs covering them both followed their receivers, and the guy lined up on Davis (shading to the inside) went into the area where Boldin ran his pattern to (right in Kaep’s eye-sight), leaving the flat open.

                The only way Davis wouldn’t have been open is if the DE/OLB that rushed from the offenses left side (against Staley) went out into coverage and followed Davis instead. But there was little reason to think he would. And as he didn’t it had to leave the guy lined up over Davis covering him, and out of position. I’ve never played the game, so maybe I’m speaking out of my behind and being unfair to Kaep, but my understanding is a good QB should be able to read that without having to go through each of his reads and see the guy open.

              11. I will defend my point, and never be shouted down. Kaep did the right thing to me and made a huge gain. MAYBE he should have looked left and seen VD, but he did not.
                Guess what? QBs miss seeing open receivers. It is not the end of the world. PM missed seeing a wide open receiver. Brady stunk up the joint in a preseason game. Why are they not getting pummeled by the press? Because it is the preseason, and they are good QBs. Kaep is also a good QB, and the hatred he receives knows no bounds.
                Damming him for a 34 yard run is specious and obnoxious. Why did not Cosell say that BG missed a wide open receiver for a touchdown? Because he loses no opportunity to slam Kaep.

              12. What pocket? The tenuous one where he is surrounded and collapsing ?
                Another way to look at it is he did not have time to survey the field and find the third option, so he ran for a first down and big gain. If he had stood in the pocket, he would have been sacked.

              13. Coffee- Just because Seb is not saying what you want him to say and maybe three people disagree with him does not make him wrong. Those few people you mention are not everyone. There are enough people on this site who have agenda’s that influence their objectivity in respect to Kaep that their opinions should always be put to question. I mean we are talking about a play that netted 34 yards.

                I have reviewed some plays where a large number of people stated players were open and found that in fact it was only a momentary illusion. The last play of the loss to the Ravens in the Super bowl for instant. I also saw things that everyone seemed to have missed, such as Gore’s missed blocks on the two point attempt and the forth down play. People will often see what they want to see.

              14. Yea, it’s just me and three other people that see it differently then Seb. Nice job.

                Will talk said:”I have reviewed some plays where a large number of people stated players were open and found that in fact it was only a momentary illusion.”

                Well, as long as YOU have reviewed it then I’m convinced. Thanks for clearing it up for us.

              15. Seb, you are still avoiding my point that Kaep shouldn’t have had to go through his progressions to realise Davis was going to be open.

                Gabbert missed an open receiver because he went through his progressions and took another open player. Kaep’s first read wasn’t open, but if he’d processed what he had seen pre-snap and what he was seeing post-snap, he’d have known where to go with the football.

                Davis turned his head to look back at Kaep as he was moving laterally, so there was likely an option for Kaep to throw the ball quickly to Davis if his reads took him there. And by the time Kaep reset his feet to avoid Ray he should have known by then that Davis would be open.

                If this was a one off nobody would care. But this was a typical Kaep play. He stared down Boldin who was covered the entire time. And he either didn’t realise the defense was giving him an easy completion and big gainer to Davis or he didn’t care as he took off running. We can high 5 each other about the 34 yard gain, or we can talk about the worrying aspect of not realising/ ignoring that one of the 49ers best weapons on offense would be open for a big gain (and potential TD). As I said in response to willtalk, Kaep needs to get his playmakers the ball to get them involved, or they’ll stop trying for him.

            3. Rocket,
              We argue because this is a blog and that’s what we do! It’s just opinions man! (We got into it when I was blatantly trying to shove it in BA Fanatic because he was wrong about so much!)

              Just to be clear – I don’t hate Kaep. I may have strong views on him, and I don’t think he’s that good. But I want him to prove me wrong.

        3. Grant

          That wasn’t the question. For 3 years you’ve written that Kaep can’t throw to his left. Yay. It’s great it was an example of choosing running over throwing. We all saw that. What we don’t all get to see is whatever it is that you’ve been seeing for 3 years that has given you license to question Kaep’s ability to throw left, but on this occasion, I believe maybe there is evidence. True? Can you state with any degree of authority an answer to MY question, rather than avoid it?

          Thank you.

          1. I think Kaepernick saw Davis, saw he was open and would have chosen to run even if Davis had been on the right side of the field. Kaepernick knows he’s struggling with the deep pass right now.

            1. You and I are seeing 2 different things. Kaep moved up in the pocket but VD turned to go up field and was only briefly open, so Kaep saw all the empty space in front of him and continued past the LOS. At the moment VD was most open, Kaep was only 1 yard away from the LOS, and sprinting forward. If he had stopped 5 yards behind the LOS, there were 2 defenders who would have sacked him, or at least disrupted the pass.
              Kaep also was not focused on VD. He was looking at the 2 WRs who started on the left side, but then ran upfield and to the right. Look at the stripe on the helmet, it is pointed towards AB.

            2. If you want to criticize a QB for missing an open WR, criticize BG for hitting the TE for a short gain while Ellington(?) was wide open for a score.

              1. Cosell has his agenda, and he is implacably against Kaep. Read whatever you want in that interview, but I heard it too and stand by my premise.
                Cosell then posts a scathing denunciation later that tries to show Kaep missed a wide open VD for a TD. Can you say that was a fluff piece on Kaep?

              2. You can stand by your Bias all you want. Cosell was very fair in his criticism. He defended Kap saying the offensive problems weren’t his fault but mostly on the offensive line. Then when the 34 yard run came up he said “this is where I want to know how a guy is coached” because he doesn’t know whether Kap is coached to make the throw or take off running. He points out however, that for Kap to reach the next level of quarterback play, that’s a throw he should make. Completely constructive criticism taken by you as a slam against Kap.

              3. Seb what possible motivation would Cosell have that would give him an agenda to bash Kaepernick? In what way does it benefit him to call out Kaepernicks faults?

              4. I just listen on KNBR, and he may say some nice things, but his tone is always negative towards Kaep. I may criticize kaep, but I want him to improve. Cosell denounces Kaep as if he should be cut or traded. His attacks are relentless, and scathing.

              5. They really aren’t. You’re letting your personal feelings on the matter effect your judgement.

              6. I respect Cosell quite a bit. He and Jaws break down film as well as any talking heads in the biz and they usually come up with some great info you don’t see on your own. He is fair in his criticism imo.

          2. I don’t see any evidence of a problem throwing to his left. A great example is the deep TD throw to Brandon Lloyd in the first Rams game last year. I think Grant is right in that the confidence is probably not there to take the shots right now, which is concerning, but hopefully correctable.

      1. The problem with Kaep’s run is that all he had to is step up in the pocket, and he had a clear view of the the players in front of him. The play design worked so if he was looking to throw, he would have spotted VD open on the sideline and then throw him the ball. But instead he chose to run. He made a few good cuts and moves and gained 34 yards. That was not the play design. Why practice or have plays if the QB is just going to bail on run? He will not always get 34 yards.

        He already said he prefers to play in the open field so he can make plays, and making plays to him is running not passing. That’s his mindset, and shows that he prefers to play to his strengths, which is running, not passing.

        1. He did step up in the pocket. He took the snap, went back 9 yards, then stepped up 4 yards, then took off. If he had stopped to deliver the ball, there were 2 defenders who were 5 yards behind the LOS who would have sacked him.

          1. Seb- You appear to have actually re-watched the play where as the others are mostly operating on their memories and perceptions. I have often heard people say someone was open, but it was from their perspective of the higher level of the camera. Often the player is open but only after the ball has been committed to another receiver. The only way you can really tell is to stop the video at certain points to see where everyone is at specific moments of that play. All QB’s will at time miss open receivers but Kaep’s play is always under a microscope so even successful plays like this are put under could have should have analyse. You seldom see such a polarization as has happened with Kaep when he took over the QB position from Alex. Not very rational and purely emotionally driven.

            1. I just saw it on NN on a GIF. Just looped it. Studied each player. I think he would have gotten clocked if he stayed in the pocket. I want him to use his agility to elude tacklers. He should never get touched as a goal. but know that there will be hits, like 52 last year.

              1. Instead of clocked before his throw, I think what’s more likely is a hand stripping the ball as he starts to release….

  11. Rookie fourth-round pick Mike Davis seems to be emerging as the best change-of-pace back on the team. He’s explosive, quick and violent for a smaller back. In the preseason he has carried the ball 19 times, and Pro Football Focus have given him an “elusive rating” of 64.5—a terrific rating.
    ————————-

    Who’s that guy that’s been saying since April that Mike Davis was going to be our #2 back. I dunno who he is but he’s pretty savvy and probably handsome too.

    1. I don’t know about anybody else. But I thought it and said it. Hunter is done. I also predicted he wouldn’t make it to game one die to
      Injury. Guessed wrong there. But he’s not anything special. So with a younger faster back coming in with good vision and cuts they have to make him two.

  12. This should help everyone sleep better at night. Found this article on a Pats site:

    “The San Francisco 49ers have named Jordan Devey the team’s starting right guard. The 49ers acquired Devey from the New England Patriots earlier this offseason in exchange for back-up tight end Asante Cleveland. It is unclear whether the Patriots will be held at fault for any mishaps by the 49ers offensive line.

    Devey was benched after a rough opening to the 2014 season, and he didn’t see the field after a disastrous week 7 game against the New York Jets. Pro Football Focus had Devey tied as their lowest graded offensive guard through those seven weeks. Devey was tied with former Bills lineman Erik Pears, who also happens to be the 49ers new starting right tackle.”

  13. I need one more manager for the Quest4Six league on NFL.com, so anyone interested in that spot use this info to get in.

    League ID: 2002359
    League Password: blueKollarKnightmare

    This is only for fun and bragging rights. No money will be involved.

  14. To say that I’m worried about this team is an understatement. I have a very bad feeling that we’re about to repeat the 2007-2010 stretch where we had better talent than what our record indicated.

      1. Sorry Seb, but I’m not drinking that kool-aid. Kaep has shown some improvement in his reads, but he still has a ways to go given the fact he never looked at a wide open Davis and instead chose to run a second time. It can colored any way one pleases, but it doesn’t change the fact that Kaep should have made that throw.
        Even if Kaep has improved, it’s not going to matter much if the right side of the OL continues to be leak like a sieve. You can’t improve if you’re running for life or on your backside. And no, putting a RG that was horrendous at New England and had hardly played alongside the starters is not a confidence booster.
        I also question the coaching after a game in which they sent in a play that resulted in our QB getting taken down for a safety. I don’t care if it’s the preseason and you don’t want to show too much of your playbook or not; call a timeout in order to avoid a potential injury to your QB at least. Also, our defense should’ve been laid to waste against the Broncos offense, but the three things that kept that from happening were: the Broncos abandoning the run in the red zone, Manning’s dead arm (he was reported saying before the game that he could feel nothing in his throwing arm), and the Manning/Thomas connection being out of sync due to Thomas not having participated in a huge portion of the Broncos’ off season. Had even just one of those things have been different, the Broncos would have slaughtered our defense.

        1. There’s a saying in business when someone is not seeing things that are commonly known: “You’re standing too close to the chalk board”. I would say that Midwest is standing about the right distance from the chalkboard.

          1. I hope they have a room set up with all those tapes of Bill Walsh at the chalkboard. They should put them on continuous loop, and anyone watching cannot help but improve by watching the master.

        2. I agree that the Niners have received some body blows, they have a hard schedule and a tough division and a suspect O line. Still, no team looks invincible so far this season except maybe Philly.
          I am not drinking that Kool aid. It is the doom and gloomers who want to kill themselves before the season starts. The pessimistic Debbie Downers who whine and cry over inane arcane events, and criticize the QB over a 34 yard run.On that run, I saw a QB who used his legs to avoid a sack and saw a huge hole to run through so he was untouched. Fault him for not paying attention to VD when the initial read was to AB in the middle of the field? maybe if he had all day to throw, but he was sacked and harassed on over half the passing plays he was in. I am glad he ran, and Cosell and his smarmy rhetoric will never convince me that Kaep should be forced to be only a pocket passer. If Kaep had gotten sacked, he still would have said he missed a receiver.
          Go ahead, be defeated before a game is played. I prefer to stand tall and challenge the world. Niners will never cower in fright, they will fight to the last man, and I am proud of them. GO NINERS.

          1. “I prefer to stand tall and challenge the world. Niners will never cower in fright, they will fight to the last man, and I am proud of them. GO NINERS.” … Our Kipling

            Grandiose!

          2. Good comment at the end Seb. I should however point out that I am not being a Debbie downer, just a realist. And the reality is this: we currently have a makeshift right side OL, we have a lost a ton of talent in what is currently the worst offseason suffered by a professional team, we have a first time coach that skipped over the coordinator spot (which worked out just with Singletary :-/), and an owner that needs to shut up and let the team do the talking with its play. As of right now, those negatives (especially the loss of talent) outweigh any of the current positives. I hope I’m worrying over nothing, but there is a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach that this will be a season we fans beg to end quickly.

            1. Seb,
              I appreciate your passion. But you can’t fix a problem if you don’t admit yo have a problem. If the standard is decent, and unfulfilled potential, then Kaep is right in line.
              If the goal is greatness and winning the SB, well Houston, we have a problem!

            2. It’s important to enjoy every season regardless of the wins and losses. The number you will have access to is limited. I wouldn’t have picked this situation for my 70th season but here it is. ;-}

    1. Here is my thinking…

      Our OL was horrible last season and we went 8-8. Pears is slightly better than Martin. Iupati, if healthy is better than Devey, but he wasn’t and he stunk. Boone was out of shape and terrible. He looks ready to go

      Thus, our OL will still be bad, a wash, but our D, running game and special teams should be better. Kaepernick will be Kaepernick. WR are dependent on Kaepernick, so they will be what he makes them. I would say they are both in the no worse than last year camp.

      Our NFC West opponents all have awful OL. That helps.

      Realistic Best Case: Win West @ 9-7.
      Unrealistic Best Case: Win West @ 10-6
      Realistic Worst Case: 6-10
      Unrealistic Worst Case 2-14

        1. Here’s how:

          We ranked 5th in total D with almost all of our starters out. Injuries to Willis, Brock, Bowman, A. Smith, Dorsey, Ward, McDonald, and Williams. We started rookies and backups who now have a year of starting experience. Justin Smith had his lowest production as a Niner. When healthy (and he looks to be), Bowman is the best MLB in football, far superior to Borland and Willis. Jaquiski Tart is another draft steal and should be a factor throughout the year. Ackers is an upgrade over Cox in coverage (Brock clearly an upgrade over Culliver). The only potential losses you can factor in versus last year, would be Brooks and Fangio. We don’t know how good Eli Harold, Lemonier, or Mangini will be.

    1. Ugh. I read it, and wanted to take a shower afterwards. Kawakami is such a slimeball. He is already stating that Jed and Baalke are plotting against Coach Tomsula. He tries to cover his rear end by saying it is a joke, but that trick is too obvious and he meant every word. He slams Tomsula for undermining JH to Jed, but my take on the situation was that Jed asked Coach Tomsula, and he gave a truthful answer. The game management incompetence was obvious and glaring, but JH took umbrage when JT said he could fix the game mismanagement. Guess what? JT has solved those problems, and it was a very easy fix once JH left the building.
      Kawakami just used up more space to diss Jed, and tone was unctuous, his screed was obnoxious and thoroughly predictable. And getting old.

      1. Seb, its amazing that’s the only thing you pulled from this was his one line about York? He said a lot of accurate things about Tomsula and him being a rock in a troubled time. He also accurately assessed that we don’t know how Tomsula will respond in the season. This is true, he left it open for all of us to see. I think that’s really fair.

        You have got to believe if things go badly its not JY or TB that will be on the chopping block. They may not be scheming actively, but you can be sure they do have an exit strategy.

        1. You can read whatever you want in it, I just saw some fluff so he can eviscerate Jed one more time.
          Tomsula is a rock, but to speculate on his departure before a game is played is bad form.

              1. I defend the weak and innocent , and help lol cross the street, too. Just my nature.
                I am not a Jed apologist, in fact, I have written scathing critiques, especially after Fangio was turned down for the HC job. I have written that JY should just SHUT UP. I am not a toady for Jed. I just cant stand TK and his deplorable tripe.

            1. Hmm just saw a sit down and TK was glowing towards Tomsula. The other guy had to tamp him down. It was rainbows, unicorns and lucky stars.

              1. When all the Harbaugh stuff originally started leaking out before he was fired, I was upset by Tim Kawakami. I thought he had some sort of anti-Harbaugh agenda but after time I’ve come to see things with a little more clarity. He’s just a sports journalist. He really has no agenda, but he does have a somewhat combative style. He clearly respects success while criticizing failure. He also respects those who command respect, like Tomsula. But bad owners(Jed, Chris Cohan) tend to draw his wrath.

          1. You also have to remember Jed was actively shopping JH around behind his back. His speculations aren’t unfounded. JT is a good guy and I think TK recognizes that. He could get chewed up by York.

            1. They fielded one phone call, and shot it down. Jed was not actively calling every GM to trade JH. Get the facts straight.

              1. They leaked things to the press, they let him know he was done 2 games before the season was over. Whatever Seb. Why can’t you see what it is. If things go bad JT is the only one in trouble, not the owner or the GM.

          2. “…but to speculate on his departure before a game is played is bad form.”

            Bad form?
            Like saying Foerster is on the hot seat before a game is played?

            Ha!

            Could not help myself. Sorry.

            1. Don’t apologize. Throwing previous statements back in peoples’ faces is a beautiful thing, and blog tradition.

              1. Keeps us quasi-honest (horseshoes and hand grenades), and sometimes elicits hilarious back-skating, rationalizing, flippetty-flopping, or “Oh yeah?” reactions.

  15. old view-Kaep is great he just needs to break out. New View-Kaep is simply average, will always be average and we have to build around different core competencies, not quarterback. Sorry, keeping it real.

  16. Waking up and perusing the commentary, I see that many posters have bought the singular narrative that Cosell repeats that Kaep will never be a pocket passer and that he is just a running QB who cannot find the wide open receiver, thus dissing his QB acumen.
    This is the same guy who intoned last year that Kaep will never be a good QB until he learns to deliver the ball from the pocket.
    JH, being arrogant, decided to try and prove Cosell wrong. He decided to force Kaep to be a pocket passer even if it killed him, and almost did with 52 sacks.
    Cosell is fixated on his screed, and just dissed Kaep again with photographic proof. He showed how VD was wide open for a side line pass, and condemned Kaep for not finding him for an easy score. Too bad he forgot to take into consideration that the pocket was collapsing, and if Kaep had stood still, he could easily have been sacked. Also, VD was a second or third option, so faulting Kaep for not finding him while worried about the pass rush, is just specious, because he had 2 seconds to make his decisions.
    Cosell is so adamant in his delusion, he ignores Gabbert when he threw to the TE and overlooked a wide open receiver for a TD. Why did he not criticize Gabbert for his oversight when it was glaring how bad that decision was? Because he wanted to slam Kaep at every opportunity he could.
    Cosell in his adamant denunciation of Kaep, is guilty of yellow journalism. He needs to be less skewed and more balanced if Cosell wants to be taken seriously. Otherwise, to me, he is just another hack like Killion and Kawakami.

    1. At least one has to hand it to Cossell for his consistency. He’s had the same complaint about Kap ever since Kap’s first major perceived failure, the last series in the Super Bowl.

      Cossell is useful insofar he watches lots of tape and summarize what he saw. One should just listen to that part and ignore all his conclusions based on what he saw. His conclusions changes from the obvious truisms to the hilariously silly. Here’s one of his legendary dumb conclusions from watching tape.
      http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/03/23/cosell-talks-its-not-always-luck/
      “Luck was not a special passer based on film study. …. The bottom line in my 5 game film evaluation: Griffin is a superior arm talent and natural passer than Luck.”

      I watched full three seasons of Luck in college. My conclusions about Luck were the exact opposite of Cossell. In the NFL, RG3 has been excoriated for not having exactly the same skills that Cossell saw in him, i.e., “patience and composure in the pocket”, throwing “effectively out of what we call a “muddied” pocket” and “ability to throw from different platforms, or more descriptively, arm angles, and remain accurate.” Instead, these are exactly the same skills that Luck has shown in the NFL.

      I’m hoping that Cossell will be as correct about Kap as he has been about Luck.

      1. He is.
        Kaep is a prodigious talent with amazing intangibles, but could also improve, so he is not above reproach.
        Cosell just parrots the same squawks over and over, and it getting tedious and trite.

  17. Even tho this is a Madden thing, neat article about Hayne.

    – 95 Acceleration: he gets up to speed incredibly fast, he’s on par with the elite running backs in the NFL in this category

    – 93 Carry: he’s really good at hanging onto the football, all that rugby league training has taught him how to protect the ball and not fumble!

    – 90 Juke Move: he’s able to cut on a dime and shake defenders who are about to tackle him, a tough guy to bring down in the open field.

    http://www.foxsports.com.au/us-sports/nfl/jarryd-hayne-makes-madden-16-after-being-inspired-to-chase-nfl-dream-by-the-game/story-fnp3l4e4-1227508884823

  18. If Kaep had any accuracy at all Cosell would change his view. But Kaep does not. One, just one, decently long attempt to Torrey Smith says something. Kaep is mis cast, he should be a WR.

  19. You guys are unreal, the negativity towards Kap is palpable in here…..Who does everyone want to start? Gabbert? The fact is he is running a new offense, it’s the preseason they dont want to show anything, and his Oline is horrible. I will be the first guy to tell you that he is not a top tier QB. But I do think he will have a better year than he did last year, and I think he is a guy if put in the right spots during the game can hurt a defense. Give it a few games before you start thinking he is worse than tebow

    1. andrew, the most popular guy on the team is the backup QB. Always. It was when they were calling for Alex’s head despite the team winning (just not winning “right”), and it is now with Kaep before they’ve even taken a regular season snap. Just ignore the braying of that fan segment.

    2. “Who does everyone want to start?” That says it all. IMO Kap will make significant progress at becoming an NFL elite QB, which means a good pocket passer, when the 49ers light a fire under him by having serious competition for the position. No one can predict the future, not even Seb, but Kap needs to prove he can be an elite NFL quarterback and not just the least worst of the 49ers crew. Actions, not words. No matter how you slice it, the 49er offense has been sub-par even when they were winning under Harbaugh. I don’t think our defense can carry us like they have in the past under Harbaugh. For the offense it’s either put up or shut up, and the only thing we can do is wait and see, and in some cases….well, shut up.

      1. Since you mentioned me, I will reply. Kaep will finally have a coach who will allow him to utilize all his talents. He will accenuate his strengths and hide his weaknesses. With Kaep at QB, the Niners have a serious chance to make to the big dance every year he plays.
        I do think he needs a competent backup in case of injury, and Gabbert fits the bill, but BG is no Kaep, who can put his foot on the 1 yard line and then not only outrace the LBs, he can out race the safeties and CBs untouched for a TD. Many coaches look at Kaep and just drool over the Idea of having him as their QB.
        We can talk all we want, but in the end, the team needs to play. Actions speak louder than words, and I hope that Kaep’s play will shut up the critics.

    3. When Kaep got his chance and we saw his skillset and his lack of polish we all speculated on what his upside would be. We were excited and Jaws sure fanned the hype flames. Some, even back then had questions and were skeptical, although a good bit of the skepticism came from Alex’s jilted supporters. At that time I and others wondered if CK would be Superman or maybe Randal Cunningham-Redux. If he doesn’t improve much from today, he’s still probably Cunningham and is capable of winning PlayOff games. That’s not Joe Montana, but we’re not going to get another Joe.
      Saddle up, continue the march.

  20. PFT: Lawrence Phillips charged with first degree murder.
    Of course. Even though he only had a brief and unhappy association with the Niners long ago, this would of course happen THIS year because the demons were aroused and have yet to settle back down. Purgatory. Perdition.
    Fight through it, boys.

    1. Sort of a good point to pile on…but far out there. I like it.

      As for Philips, a bad story b/c I was always hopping for him to get out and make a change for the better… then when I’m old and talking to me grand kids and I watch the LP story in movie format I can say, hey when i was your dad’s age I watched this guy come up through college and blah blah blah.

      Now he is just tragic.

  21. The 53:

    QB – Kap/Gabbert (2)
    RB – Mr. Hyde/Bush/Davis/Hayne (4)
    FB – Miller (1)
    WR – Boldin/Smith/Ellington/Patton/White (5)
    TE – VD/VMac/Celek/Bell (4)
    OL – Joe Staley, Alex Boone, Marcus Martin, Jordan Devey, Erick Pears, Joe Looney, Brandon Thomas, Trent Brown, Silberman (9)
    DL – Dorsey, IDub, Dial, Dockett, Carradine, Armstead, Purcell (7)
    OLB – Lynch/Lemonier/Harold/Bellore (4)
    ILB – Bowman/Wilhoite/Moody/Wheeler (4)
    CB – Brock/Johnson/Acker/Reaser/Wright (5)
    S – Reid/Bethea/Tartt/Ward/McCray/Dahl (5)

    K – Dawson
    P – Pinion
    LS – Nelson

    Kilgore – PUP
    Smelter -NFI reserve
    Simpson- Suspension
    Brooks – Paid Leave

        1. Razor

          …I like it even though I believe that Looney hasn’t proven his value and we’ll pick up a FA to replace him

    1. 53 looks good, but I’m not sure about the 4th ILB and 4th OLB. I don’t know who they’ll pick.

      1. Hard to know when you don’t hear a thing on Wheeler or Bellore, but they’re experienced and Wheelers’ injury isn’t serious. It’s probably Wheeler vs. Skov and Bellore vs. Rush….

    2. I still think that Niners will keep Hunter and carry 8 O linemen. Silberman to be stashed away in PS, after having shown him to be utterly incompetent in pass blocking in a preseason game. Typical fiendish cunning of Tomsula :-p

      1. I think they’ll want to develop Silberman through the course of the season. Could be they want that development as part of the 53 or not. Just a hunch….

        1. Kilgore (5th Rd?) wasn’t ready to start as a rookie, but has developed well. I’d guess both Silberman and T.Brown will develop into starters. M.Martin was a higher choice and was sketchy as a starter even late into his rookie year. I don’t hate on Silberman, he just isn’t ready yet. This is essentially Thomas’ rookie year and it seems he’s not ready either.

          1. But Brotha, everyone knows if they don’t start as rookies and dominate they are wasted picks!

          2. I agree with both Brotha and Razor. These linemen all need time to develop, as Boone did. I can see both Brown and Silberman as potential long term contributors for the Niners, even if in a backup role.

    3. With as slow as the court system is, I would probably cut Brooks rather let him sit on the exempt list for an undetermined amount of time, followed by any possible suspension. He could be gone the whole season.

  22. There’s an overarching opinion prevalent in the NFL that you can only be consistently effective on offense by passing from the pocket. But all the players coming from college are being trained in spread offenses, and offensive numbers in college football are exploding. Meanwhile stubborn NFL coaches are complaining that it’s harder and harder to find QBs, O-lineman, and other offensive players that fit their systems. Someday there will be a smart coach who defies the tired logic of the NFL, embraces the players he has for the skills they have, and sets the league on fire. But unfortunately they are still out here, coaching scared.

  23. Grimey

    …I respectfully disagree, because the speed and quality from college to the pros is immense…that is the main reason that NFL coaches have a hard time finding ‘quality’ players.. They’ve been playing this game for a hundred years, and through thousands of coaches attempting to “invent a better mousetrap”. Unfortunately, some damned DC invariably invents a better mouse. That’s at least part of the reason that QB’s are taught certain skills…IE footwork, reading progressions, making ‘all the throws’, We aren’t going to reinvent the game of football, (Walsh came the closest) so we continue to insist that QB’s learn the requisite skills….Kaep MUST learn to be a pocket-QB to be successful…

    1. Sorry, I beg to differ. Kaep does NOT need to be only a pocket passer to be successful. He needs to be a mobile QB who can throw on the run and dominate defenses. Controlled designed roll outs will attack their weaknesses and make the Niner offense unstoppable.
      Kaep is the new prototypical NFL QB, and many teams are selecting mobile QBs that can run and pass. Tyrod Taylor. Cam. Winston. Mariota. RW. The list goes on.

        1. Oregon,
          My new nickname for you is Tugg Speedman.

          Seb,
          I wouldn’t include Winston with the rest of that group. He really is more of a pocket passer.

            1. Yup. You can’t just make blanket generalizations and blatantly false statements and expect people to take you seriously.

              1. If you really want to know, there’s this new thing called Google. I mean, if you REALLY want to know. It’s gonna be a process though. You have to go a couple levels deep.

              2. Grimey

                You’re addressing about three bloggers without saying just who you are addressing….at least I know that from now on , I am Tugg Speedman…although I don’t know why….

            1. Also a pocket passer. They have some athletic ability, but those two kids want to play from the pocket. They are also both very intelligent when it comes to playing QB and have an almost instinctive feel for the game.

              1. They did. It’s clearly an advantage to have that background coming into the NFL. But I believe they also demonstrated a clear aptitude at the NCAA level.

                However with the proliferation of the spread in high school and college, the onus is gonna be on the NFL to adapt.

      1. This is where you and I agree Seb. Stop trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. An offense that takes advantages of Kap’s skill set could be(and has been for that matter) devastating.

        Of course there are gonna be plays when you need Kap to perform from the pocket, and he has demonstrated the ability to do that, but there are other ways to use Kap that make the game easier and allow him to get a rhythm. A lot of this isn’t just for Kap, it helps take pressure off of the offensive line.

      2. Already Mariota has shown a lot more composure in the pocket the Kaep.
        The only coach I think that knows how to truly tailor an offense around Kaeps’ running is Chip Kelly. Keep’s passing has a long way to go. Still……

        1. Man your filter is broken. He’s showed more composure in preseason with vanilla defenses and back ups playing without a game plan? What? Come back and talk to us after he wins a few playoff games. Its just dumb to compare a preseason posture to the real thing. You could be right, but lets see it when there’s film on him and wins and loses actually mean something.

    1. Looks like we’re gonna see a lot more single back sets this year. Particularly if, and for however long, Miller is suspended.

      1. Does that say something about Millard’s play? Seems like they were lining up TE’s in the back field more as an option too.

        1. It must say something because I always saw Millard more as a hybrid fullback/H-back and a great fit for what they were looking to do. But they cut him with very limited tape, so maybe practice squad is the end game. Or maybe I was wrong about him and he sucks.

          I saw Vernon lined up as a lead blocker in the backfield and wasn’t exactly enthused, given his concussion/back issues, and his general history of avoiding contact even when he has a size advantage.

          Heck, I’m all for spreading it out, as long as they don’t forget about the run.

          1. Seemed like we saw Vance and Celek in the back field running out for passes too. I would like either of them blocking over VD. But him coming out of the back field like said play everyone is debating is a great option. I suppose the defense not knowing if its a run or pass is helpful.

            1. Having Vernon on the move at the snap fits his skill set very much, especially in the pass game. Vernon is also good on the slice block but I don’t want to see him leading into the hole.

              All that being said, more TE less FB fits the ZBS MO.

    2. I agree with Maiocco’s picks except for Dockett. I don’t see them eating 2 mill to cut him. It’s between TJE and Purcell for the final Dline spot imo.

      I also hadn’t considered a possible suspension for Miller, but if that happens, it allows them to keep an extra Olineman or RB for however long he’s out. Ultimately I think they cut Silberman and put him on the PS when Miller comes back. If Miller doesn’t get suspended, Silberman is cut at the final cutdown date.

      1. Looks like Hunter might be favoring the knee again so there is also the possibility he goes on PUP.

        1. Since he was already activated I believe Hunter is no longer eligible for PUP. I think it’s either IR, with or without return designation, or cut with injury settlement. If his knee checks out physically they can cut him without injury settlement.

        2. And that would cement my prediction of the rb team. Cut him now and save the time. He will never be healthy for the NFL. He’s already slowed down and one cut could end it all.

    1. But they can’t release him if he’s not healthy correct? Don’t they have to reach some sort of injury settlement?

        1. Definitely bold. I guess they’re far enough under the cap to concede some guaranteed $. If that’s the case though, Shareece Wright may be in trouble too.

          1. I think the numbers work in Wright’s favor given the attrition the unit went through last year….

            1. True, and Maiocco also made that point, so I’m not saying it’s gonna happen. But keep in mind, one of our safeties is also a slot corner, so there’s hidden depth in versatility.

              1. True, but if there’s room, I’d also keep in mind, Reid is concussion prone, Bethea is getting up there, and that pseudo slot corner has had a second screw inserted into his foot to replace the first one….

              2. OK. I understand the numbers side of this, but what if they kept someone like Cromartie instead? And I’m really just spitballin here, playing devil’s advocate and such.

              3. I’d be surprised if they kept McFadden or Cromartie over Wright. Pretty sure one of them clears waivers….

              4. The last thing they need is to cut experience. The “OG’s” are gone and one is in legal trouble. Cutting Dockett would be a huge mistake. Especially on that side.

  24. Brandon Thomas is back practicing at RG with the second team so Devey is probably going to have a short leash. I can’t say I’m overly optimistic with what I’m reading about Devey.

    1. The length of the leash will be measured by the play of Devey and how fast Thomas can catch up to him….

  25. One reason why the 49ers offense under Colin Kaepernick might not be quite as bad as the preseason suggests: The 49ers offense under Blaine Gabbert.

    While Kaepernick has found pass-rushers in his face on more than half of his drop backs and has an ugly 47 passer rating through three games, Gabbert has looked far more comfortable, and his passer rating is an impressive 108.8.

    That’s partly because the 49ers have been rolling Gabbert away from pressure. The designed rollouts, sometimes with a read-option element included, allow him more time to throw, give him simpler reads and take advantage of his athleticism.

    The 49ers’ strategy this offseason has been to boost Gabbert’s confidence after an ugly 2014 exhibition in which he threw two interceptions, completed only 46.8 percent of his passes and was booed by the home fans. And in that regard, the team has succeeded.

    The plan with Kaepernick: Take him out of his comfort zone.

    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article33521934.html#storylink=cpy

  26. That rollout pass to the TE always seemed wide open. Defender cant cover while rushing the passer.

  27. Not that it is any news to you all, but I am feeling optimistic. Niners have finally set their line. I concede it is shrewd to protect the blind side with their 2 best line men, so Boone is set. I am glad Martin won the job from Looney because of the bad snaps. Devey seems like a smart pickup since he was traded for an eventual cut. Pears did seem to struggle because Silberman was terrible. However, Pears and Devey seemed to do well later.
    I hope they develop cohesion, and allow the running game to get going. Niners have very low expectations, so they will surprise a lot of teams.

    1. I just keep reminding myself that preseason is largely inconsequential, and am trying not to react wildly in either direction.

    2. Despite some of my comments, I am feeling somewhat optimistic too. But my optimism is more towards the future than this year specifically. As I’ve said previously, most other teams suffering the same exodus the 49ers did would not be in as good a shape as the 49ers are in terms of having young guys waiting in the wings. This should be a good learning year for a lot of the young guys.

      And I’m not writing off the 49ers chances this year either. The odds are stacked against them, but if a few things go right (most notably the OL plays above expectations and they find a way to generate some pass rush), and some of the young guys grow up fast, they could end up having a pretty good year.

      1. I keep reminding myself that the 49ers performed poorly in last year’s preseason as well. There was also a huge concern regarding our DBs. As I’m sure you recall, they played quite well against a good Dallas team in the opener, and the DBs lead the league in interceptions.

        1. I remember that as a game where Tony Romo was the Niners’ Defensive Player Of The Game for serving up picks. Then later brought them back a bit; a bit too much.

          1. That game also demonstrated the 1st half-2nd half disparity that was a pattern last year, resulting in 8-8.

      1. watch out two trolls holding hands.
        Hat was elementary. But then again not everyone brags about getting their football knowledge from a video game. Instead of actually playing it.
        You’re a true Canadian.
        Horrible at comedy and has that one irritating American friend.

  28. “When it comes to Jarryd Hayne — he’s tough, he’s physical, he’s relentless, he’s passionate and he’s just a special and unique player,” Davis said.
    “His ability to make guys miss and run really well with the football in his hands is, I mean, it’s amazing. It’s amazing to see that.

    Hayne could be the catalyst for Kaepernick and this offense by consistently providing them a short field to work with….

        1. Were you really gonna give them the benefit of the doubt? Look who we’re talking about here!

  29. Five Things to Know about 49ers OL Jordan Devey … 49ers.com

    1. He suffered from a debilitating knee condition as a kid.

    2. He was an accomplished tuba player.

    3. He worked as a security guard before going on a Mormon mission trip.

    4. He won the Super Bowl last year with the Patriots

    5. He has a “calmness about him.”

  30. Jim Tomsula on new starting RG Jordan Devey: “He’s got the system. Love the practice tape.”

    I am not worried about the Oline…I worry about the coach who, based on a practice tape, thinks a 3rd string O-lineman is worth a starting place in his team. Crazy stuff!

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