Reuben Foster hurt himself and 49ers with his immaturity

In this Oct. 22, 2017 file photo, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster (56) stands on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif. Foster has been arrested in Mississippi and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana. AL.com says the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrest database indicates Foster, who just finished his rookie season, was arrested Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

I’m not judging Reuben Foster morally. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy.

I like Foster. He’s intelligent, friendly, funny, almost always available to talk. Surprisingly normal and down to earth for a high-profile athlete. One of my favorite players to interview on the 49ers. And he loves to play football. And, man, can he play.

This isn’t about his ability or personality.

And this isn’t about weed. I’m not debating marijuana. That issue has been decided in California for Californians.

Foster wouldn’t even be in trouble had he stayed in California for the offseason. But he went back home to Alabama, and police charged him with second-degree marijuana possession fewer than two weeks after the 49ers’ final game of the season.

Foster wasn’t trafficking pounds of narcotics or anything serious. He had a small amount of weed for personal use. I’m not criticizing him for that.

I’m criticizing him for not knowing the reality of his job and the NFL. For not understanding grownup responsibility. For not being a good teammate, employee or adult.

Click here to read the rest of my column.

This article has 345 Comments

  1. I agree with all your points, Grant. Let’s get this kid Michael Barrow, whom the Seahawks just sacked, to help mentor him and reach his full potential….

  2. This team would be interesting on Hard Knocks. I hope it doesn’t happen, but I would watch it.

  3. “EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED”
    Bob Dylan
    It’s good for the economy, and California state taxes.

  4. Could Foster be the second coming of Ricky Williams? FIRE UP MAN!!!! I agree with Grant that it isn’t the weed. It’s the blatantly stupid judgement brought on by being selfish and immature that has lead to his decisions to continue to smoke leading up to the combine and then trying to dilute the test, and then being in possession in his own backwards state where he must know it’s illegal. Maybe he can’t stop. “Don’t bogart that joint my friend, pass it over to meeeee”!

    1. In Tuscaloosa it’s only illegal if you’re not playing for Nick Saban. Easy mistake for a young guy to make. Seriously, if anyone thinks he just started smoking weed or that there is a cop in Tuscaloosa that doesn’t know him I got a bridge for sale. I’m sure he knows that now.

  5. Moses – you had made a lengthy rebuttal to Grants article, I don’t see the post anymore?

        1. Sad part is that we do have reasons to think otherwise (obviously not this time as you clarified).

    1. Well, that’s because I was making an edit and accidently hit the refresh button. A flaw in this site causes the post to be deleted.

      It wasn’t Grant. It’s happened before.

      And I just didn’t feel like putting in the effort to rebuild it.

      1. Good deal, glad to see it was you and not Grant. I have problems with censorship so……..

    2. A tighter version of my old post:

      Basic points Grant gets wrong or doesn’t understand:

      1. Contracts — he lost the guarantee, NOT THE MONEY. As long as he’s on the roster and not-suspended, he gets paid. Guarantees only protect salary for being cut.

      2. The narrative was the SHOULDER INJURY. Not he failed a drug test or popped off at the combine. Lots of players have demonstrated plenty of immaturity and been drafted high. Rather that teams were wary of his shoulder and many were skeptical it was healing or he could play in 2017, like Myles Jack and his knee a year or two ago, was the real issue. Jack, like Foster, dropped from Top-10 because of these durability concerns.

      3. Stingers are a NERVE INJURY IN THE NECK injury, not a shoulder injury. The symptoms show up in the arms, but aren’t part of the arms/shoulders. They are actually easy to prevent, something you’d know if you played HS football: 1. Neck roll. 2. Technique. 3. Neck exercises.

      4. Grant’s premise that he weed smoking at this particular time substantially risked the 49ers organization shows he doesn’t know the drug testing program. Players are randomly tested ONE TIME for substance abuse drugs from April 20th through August 9th. After that, there is no substance abuse testing. PEDs, OTOH, are tested for year-round.

      NFL spokesman Greg Aiello (2012 – current CBA):

      “Year-round random testing takes place in the steroids program, not the substance abuse program. If a player is in the substance abuse program, he is subject to frequent testing as determined by the medical professionals of the program. If he’s not in the program, he takes an annual drug screen prior to the season.”

      A single dilute sample isn’t going to trigger the kind of invasive random testing that someone with a serious problem, like Pryor, the Cleveland WR, had. So, in fact, he was free and clear of the test window for MONTHS. The reason for this:

      “Substance abuse is treated as a medical matter. Performance enhancing drugs are a competitive matter.”

      5. WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!! REFER MADNESS!!!

      Sorry, had to do that. I have far different perspective on this.

      I was in the military. I was in the PRP program because I was one of those guys who access to nuclear weapons. During my enlistment at least half the people in my unit were busted for pot. That’s a lot more serious that some 24-year-old kid playing a kids game for way too much money getting caught with a class two misdemeanor for possession.

      Foster will, because of this, likely get a one game suspension which will cost a check (even if he had his guarantees). He’ll probably be enrolled in the pot-head program and subject to testing. In a year or two, if he remains clean, he’ll be matriculated out of the pot-head program because it’s not a life-sentence.

      Other than that, things will just keep moving forward and the fact Foster is already considered one of the best five linebackers in the NFL does prove Lynch right.

      End. Of. Story.

        1. No. it doesnt have the same cache as a star football player on a crown jewel team that is on the uprise. Infinitely more people are interested in N. Cal. about the 9ers than a bunch of golf pros.
          Foster is a teammate and what he does affects the rest of the team that he’s on.

          Rick, you differentiate by race-which is rac-ism, isn’t it? Is this Seb?

      1. I skimmed through this. I don’t read rants containing bold and all caps.

        I noticed you said Foster is subject to only one drug test per year. That’s incorrect, because he’s in stage 2 of the substance abuse program now. He’s subject to no more than 10 random drug tests per month. Players who aren’t in the substance abuse program get tested only once per year, as you noted.

        1. Moses, you seem to be having a quarrel with someone else, none of your 5 points is a response to the points Grant makes.

  6. Hopefully he won’t be another brick on the wall… Lol
    Like Ricky Williams, Aldon Smith and some others .
    Reuben Foster needs to get his act together.

  7. You sure refer to yourself a whole lot in an article about someone else. Or is it about you? Im confused. Maybe i should have gone to journalism school. Or you should have. Im not sure. Like i said, im confused.

  8. Think we need to start relaxing and not overreacting to this. Until Foster actually gets that 4-game suspensions that guys like Le’Veon Bell face every season, he’s not hurting anyone.

  9. Yes they should teach them , when they come into the league ,what is expected , after all it’s probably his first job . Full time .

    The life style that is expected ,
    What to and not too spend money on , ( cause he has more than he ever has ever .
    Let’s let him figure it out ,

  10. Hard to argue with anything in this article. EXCEPT I wouldn’t throw an Aldon Smith on Reuben Foster. With Aldon there was a “this guy is a total dumba$$ idiot who’s too stupid to function in the modern world” vibe. I don’t get that vibe with Foster. I heard a rumor that the coaches at Mizzou had a student intern they assigned to go everywhere with Aldon because they knew Aldon would get in trouble if he was left alone. Dont know if that’s true but a sportswriter who attended Mizzou at the same time with Aldon told me that and he said it was widely known on campus. The 49ers should have known the Mizzou coaches didn’t trust him before they drafted Aldon Smith so high in the draft. Hopefully, Lynch didn’t make the same mistake with Reuben Foster. Based on talent alone getting Reuben Foster with pick 31 could turn out to be the steal of the 2017 draft. Let’s hope Foster can stop blazing long enough to realize his potential.

    1. Thats what I think-overreaction. Foster is just a kid-a talented kid, but a kid. He has responsibilities now, but let him grow up.

  11. Just a real quick thought. The 49ers traded with the Bears and I would assume probably could of traded some more down and selected Lattimore instead of Thomas. Then I would of still selected Foster just because of his talent alone because he wouldn’t of been the first pick taken. Then the 49ers had a chance to select Kamara but they drafted Witherspoon instead and traded the pick to the saints. I know we drafted Joe but he also has issues of his own. Now we could of also drafted the OG the saints got with the 32 pick Ramczyk instead of Foster. The 49ers could of drafted Latimore, Foster/Ramczyk and Kamara and would of been set with a future RB starter, future CB starter and future OG or LB. The Saints drafted well and we could of had those players. Point is if we would of drafted those other players it would of made the Foster selection not be so bad for me because could of drafted somebody this year or sign a LB. Now for this year we need a OG real bad, a CB real bad and now have to throw in LB as need just in case it turns out bad with Foster. I hope Foster gets it together and that Thomas can develop more if not this draft class will not look so good even though we did get some good players but could of had the players the Saints drafted.

    1. What is interesting was the saints called foster and Said they were going to take him with their pick but the niners at the same time were trading with the Seahawks and picked him, Reuben was telling lynch it was too late the saints were picking him until he realized they did move up to snag him, I would of loved to have Kamara and the guard, Witherspoon seems pretty good though!

    2. It sounds like your saying you like the Saints draft better than the 49ers draft. Ok. Saints had a great draft. It may very well turn out the 49ers had a better draft. Its possible Lynch selected starters and the future core of a great team in the 2017 draft:

      DL – Thomas
      LB – Foster
      CB – Witherspoon
      Backup QB – Beathard
      TE – Kittle
      Slot Receiver – Taylor
      S – Colbert

      To get that many starting players in 1 draft is an absolutely fantastic draft. I didnt even mention Joe Williams who could turn out just as good as Kamara. I also didn’t mention the extra picks Lynch accumulated that helped land Garoppolo and still have a 2nd round pick next year. Even if Foster flames out, and the rest of those guys are starters on a playoff team then that is still a great draft. Give it some time before we determine whose draft was better. Certainly the Saints had a great draft and had better year 1 results but lets play the long game with the draft picks and see where we stand after year 3.

      1. Houston some of us want our cake and want to Eat it too, both teams appear to have ended up with a lot of talent, it is funny to me that Grant made it sound that no other team was going to take a chance on Reuben when Reuben himself said the saints were going to draft him with the next pick after the Seahawks picked but that was when the niners made their move, we need cbs and Witherspoon can be special , it would nice to see Kamara in this lineup with jimmy g,but I hope joe Williams can surprise this year!

        1. That’s what it really comes down to is draft needs. We needed a CB/OL/LB/RB/WR in the 2017 draft. We didn’t address CB/OL/RB in free agency. Then we drafted Thomas which wasn’t a need, I would of rather had Lattimore. Then could of addressed RB with Kamara. Either pick of Foster/Ramczyk would of been OK but Foster had his of the field issues. That’s with still trading with the Bears and getting those extra picks and maybe more if would of traded down some more and selecting the same guys we did Witherspoon, Beathard, Kittle, Taylor, Williams. Yes its still early and need more time to develop the draft class but Lattimore and Witherspoon as our CBS. Kamara with Williams as our future RBS and Ramczyk as our OG or Foster that would of been a great group. Now this year we still need all of the same things CB/OL/LB/RB/WR. Maybe free agency can help and hopefully it will.

    3. Never play the “what if” game. You know how many people the 49ers “could” have drafted, everyone from Jake Plummer to Bo Jackson to Ray Lewis to Tom Brady…and so could EVERY other team in the league, Plummer being the 42nd pick, Jackson being the 183rd pick, Ray Lewis the 26th pick (acquired from SF a year earlier who traded up for JJ Stokes) and Brady being the 199th pick.

      Fact is the 49ers had a very good (to great) draft with players that contributed in year 1, Foster is an all-pro in waiting, Thomas will be a decent dlineman, Whitherspoon looks to be a starter as well as Colbert, Beathard will be a quality backup, Kittle and Taylor look to be starters and potentially top 5 at their positions going forward (TE & slot wr), and Bourne and Breida will get plenty of playing time in this offense. You really couldn’t have asked for more, outside of Williams not getting hurt and more from Thomas as a pass rusher.

      Just because X player does well on another team in another system does not mean they would have done the same here, its very likely that they don’t scheme well or are misused or don’t get the opportunity because of entrenched starters ahead of them, re: Kareem Hunt only got the starter role in KC because Ware went on IR, he probably would not have had the breakout season and led the league in rushing if Ware stays healthy.

      1. This isn’t the what if game or could of drafted, its more of what the team needed when they drafted last year. Lattimore was a pick that many mock drafts had the 49ers taking along with other players. If he can stay healthy and that was his issue he could be an All pro or at least a pro bowl player based on his talent, Witherspoon is going to have to develop and hopefully get their one day, on most teams hes a third CB not a number 1 CB if he was he would of gotten drafted much earlier. Foster is an all pro but only time will tell if he can stay out of trouble and that was a good pick but Thomas not so much not that high in the draft. We needed to have players contribute this year because of injuries and they played good which is good for next year and beyond while they are on the rookie contracts. CB/RB are players you can play in any system its just a question if the team wants that player to be in their system and if not you better have a good reason why not especially if they become All pro players in the future.

      2. Don’t even mention the name of JJ Stokes. I still haven’t gotten over that pick. It was also because of him that they let Edd Mc Cafferty walk for chump change. Just think of the receivers that Young could have had to throw too. Ed McCafferty and T. Owens. Instead they had J J Stokes and lost a draft pick in the process.

    4. I didn’t like the Thomas selection, but I don’t see a point to the what if game.

      Looking back at it if we would have taken Foster with our number 3 pick and Thomas with picked Foster with then everything is much easier for me to swallow. Even if I think selecting a run stuffing de in the first is akin to drafting punter before the 6th round… But that’s a personal opinion.

  12. Once again lil cohn states that Foster failed a drug test because he had weed in his system.

    Not true.

    #fakenews

  13. I have to somewhat agree with this article. Foster knowingly violated the rules of his employment and the laws of AL. The legality or fairness of the rules are not at issue. We are all hoping this is a 1 timer and doesn’t turn into a Josh gordon type situation.

    Go Niners.

  14. Grant’s article, while hard to argue with, seems to summarize most of the thoughts that we commenters mused upon in the previous threads on RF’s arrest. That brings us to:
    A/ Wait to see what the League does
    B/ Watchful waiting to see what Reuben does, or hopefully doesn’t do going forward
    C/ we fans recognize that while those two play out we’ve plowed that ground rather fully in the meantime
    D/ To that end (changing the subject), how about picks for this weekend?
    I think Home Field will be a particular advantage in both games.
    Jags are very good and can pressure and cover outside, but I think Pats will get things to slots, RBs, & TEs. I think BB will find a way to bother Bortles. I also think it’s risky to bet against BB & Brady at home. Pats to win.
    Vikes get good pressure, but Philly’s OL has been solid all year. Philly has a better running game and their D has been getting it done. Foles needs to be patient and avoid mistakes. Less confidently taking Philly to win.
    As much credit as Sean McVay deserves, Doug Pederson has done a great job.

    1. The 49ers exposed the Jags defensive weaknesses. I expect the Patriots to implement a similar strategy on offense and win by at least 7 points. As for the NFC Championship game, I think it’s a toss up. You have two backup QBs, that game has the making of a low scoring defensive struggle.

    2. I think it’ll be a Pats-Vikes SB and unfortunately another trophy on the mantle for Brady and Belichick in a couple of weeks. We are in the midst of a truly historic dominant run by the NE franchise. To be this consistently good in the age of FA is mind boggling.

    3. The NFL should really stick it to Foster by suspending him for 4 games starting in August through the first weekend in September.

      1. In addition to this suspension, the NFL should implement a strict new league wide “No Bogart” policy. At least a year suspension for any vet on a lucrative second contract that refuses to pass along the good stuff to an undrafted free agent.

  15. we keep talking about player we would like 49ers to add…..what about players we won’t be happy they sign….

    my number 1 player not to sign is Jarvis Landry.

    1. lol……I am totally ALL in with JimmyG………Alex goes to the Browns and they make the playoffs next year……

      1. oneniner says:
        January 17, 2018 at 11:50 am
        lol……I am totally ALL in with JimmyG………Alex goes to the Browns and they make the playoffs next year……

        Whole in he subject of drug testing.
        They win 5 games at the most!
        You’re obviously “Fostered”

      1. “Slam and squat”…I’m hoping I get to use that line to describe our blocking next year…lol.

    1. I love Nelson as a prospect but the more I think about it I don’t believe Kyle/Lynch will take him. He is not a fit with zone running. At 6’5 and 300+ I don’t envision him losing weight like Garnett was asked to do. I fully understand that Nelson is in a different world compared to Garnett but I believe we sign 1 high priced Guard in free agency(Norwell, Pugh etc) and give Garnett a shot. Plus we might kick in Kilgore at a Guard spot if they sign Jensen… IF the Niners don’t sign a big name corner like Johnson, T I see a corner in rnd 1… If not then I see an edge player like Key or Harold in a trade down. But free agency will dictate a lot.

      1. Could be, but nevertheless, Nelson is my highest rated player in this draft. Yep, I said it.

            1. Fwiw, I love Nelson too. He could be another Larry Allen. Like Raw said though, I’m not sure he’s a fit for this blocking scheme.

              1. Larry Allen would not be OZ run blocking friendly…
                he was a road grader against lineman & ILB’s, but you could use a sundial to time him from his 1st to 2nd blocking level target…

              2. I’m not saying you guys are wrong, but I think you’re way over estimating Nelson’s size as a hindrance. Anyone that has watched Notre Dame play knows they run what they call a speed option, which is basically an outside zone, meant to stretch the defenders horizontally. They don’t run it much, because they predominantly run inside. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but I’m confident that Nelson is athletically capable of executing in a Shanny run offense. Whether he believes he’s capable remains to be seen….

              3. One problem with that line of thinking Razor is one of the OGs currently under contract with the team was ordered to work on his body in order to get it closer to the body type Shanahan expects of the OGs on his offense.

              4. Two different players, MWD. Maybe you’re right on Shanny’s preferred height, weight preferences, but I wouldn’t confuse body type with ability. That’s pretty much all I’m saying with regards to Nelson….

              5. I think it is definitely a valid point re: Nelson and his fit with Shanahan’s preferred OL. As much as I like Nelson I do agree with those that say the 49ers may not value him as highly as a team that plays more a power scheme.

              6. The play-side guard has the most difficult block to execute in the outside zone. He has to hook a three-technique in the B gap. That’s almost impossible.

              7. Yep.

                Quenton Nelson is a mountain of a man. He’s athletic, and moves relatively well for a man his size, but the key word is relatively. It stands to reason that an 6’5″ 330+ lbs OG is likely going to have his struggles with Kyle’s outside zone blocking scheme. Kyle, like his father, prefers smaller, more agile players to run his zone-blocking scheme. I could be wrong, but to me, Nelson has the look of a potential All-Pro OG, only as a down blocking Guard in a traditional power scheme.

            2. That I am definitely not doing. However, Fusco and Tomilson weighed in around the 305-315 range, so that supports the idea that Shanahan may prefer his OGs to be lighter.

        1. I agree philosophically its better to build a team by drafting cornerstone positions (QB, Edge, CB, OT) while plugging holes at spots like guard and center through free agency or later picks.

          Lets see how the cookie crumbles. Sometimes the BPA+Position Value just isn’t there. Or it is, but the player has injury or off field concerns, like Arden Key.

          I’m holding out hope a quality Edge, CB, OT will be at 9.5. If not, Nelson looks like a pretty good consolation prize.

          I’m not big on combine and pro day workouts, but if Nelson shows the hip flexibility to block outside zone in drills I’d take him.

          Talking way over my head here, but many note speed as suitability for outside zone. But from what I’ve read, the hip flexibility to move laterally in a single step is key to blocking zone.

          For example: If a run play is to the right, the guard needs to get his helmet to the right of the defenders helmet a moment after the snap. A key skill for a zone blocker.

          1. I think there’s a couple variations of how a play sided covered OL, whose responsibility is to block him, executes that block. Most times it would be an angle step, and the other is a bucket step. Both variations are based on philosophy rather than technique. At least that’s my laymen’s perspective, because I’m noooo expert….

          2. For example: If a run play is to the right, the guard needs to get his helmet to the right of the defenders helmet a moment after the snap. A key skill for a zone blocker.

            The Seahawks have another golden Ruel, as in Pat. He teaches a stretch hook concept for his covered OL to the play side. It’s predicated on eyeing the outside armpit of the defender to get upfield to the second level. Once engaged, he’s gotta stay with him until one of his OL takes over. That stretch hook is based on a 45 degree angle step, with the second step driving his back shoulder through the defender, cutting him off. If you notice, they never concern themselves with getting beat underneath, because the ball is supposed to be outside almost immediately after the snap….

            1. Razor – Great stuff. When I watch youtubes of coaches teaching the first step in zone blocking the attention to detail is incredible. The linemen’s technique in a particular drill will look identical to my eye, but the position coaches are going bananas.

              I’ve seen differing zone styles. Some zone blockers disengage defensive linemen early to pick up linebackers at the second level. Others stay engaged with defensive linemen until the linebacker is almost parallel to the linemen.

              Do you think Nelson is a good fit for zone?

              1. B2W-thanks. I’m probably watching the same youtubers as you…lol. When I watch Nelson, you see the pop, the hand strength. He can move outside, and it doesn’t really matter what angle he happens to be engaged in, because of that strength. So, even though I seem to be in the minority in here as to whether he’s a good fit, I truly believe that due to that strength, and decent movement, he can fit right into Shanny’s outside zone concepts. Now, as you pointed out, we only see what we see, and a true professional sees what we do not. So, having that caveat in mind, my vote is a yes on Quenton Nelson schematically fitting into this offense….

          3. As the league is trending away from 3-4 two-gap defenses and toward 4-3 one-gap defenses, guards are becoming just as important as offensive tackles. Someone has to block the three-technique.

            1. therefore…adding a great “OZ capable” FA center would be a good idea, yes?

              — and- upgrading guards should be high on the list of off season top priorities…Garnett and Kilgore are definite “maybe” OG upgrade solutions, but after Garnett and Kilgore, our existing options are less good– Fusco, etc.
              — do you not agree that KS’ offense, even with JG at QB, will not maintain the success that we saw in the last 5 games without a functional (i.e.- 4 ypc or better) OZ run game, let alone IZ run game ?

      1. I saw Coyle just the other day and he couldn’t stop going on and on about how he exceeded Razor’s expectations.

        Idiot.

      2. Razor…How is it that our ‘braintrust’ did not see value in Michael Wilhoite…but the Seahawks DID in playing him as a starter the last part of the season ? A real question…not sarcasm

  16. Which is exactly why my first 3 picks in the 2018 draft are:

    1. Roquan Smith, Lb, Georgia
    2. Billy Price, OG, Ohio State
    3. Chucwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

    4. Ezekiel Ansah, Free Agent, Edge, Detroit Lions

  17. https://nflspinzone.com/2018/01/13/nfl-mock-draft-2018-divisional-round-playoffs/

    This From nflspinzone.com

    “Charlie Campbell of Walter Football can be counted as one who felt that way, and went as far as to compare McGlinchey to Duane Brown of the Seattle Seahawks.”

    “Brown and McGlinchey are very similar. They are both plus run blockers who also can be solid in pass protection. While they are generally good in protection, they aren’t shut-down left tackles and will give up some pressures and sacks against good rushers from time to time, with plenty of wins mixed in against those rushers as well. Both Brown and McGlinchey are assets in the run game and are better run blockers than typical left tackles. Brown was a late first-round pick, and McGlinchey could go in the middle to back portion for the first round as well.”

    1. McGlinchey is the safest OT in this draft, and I’d compare him to Buluga, who was drafted by the Packers 23rd overall.

      1. Walter Football on Georgia LB, Roquan Smith:
        Smith has been compared to the Falcons’ Deion Jones and the Buccaneers’ Lavonte David. Early in NFL career, Smith could be on that kind of contributor for his NFL team.

        There is a lot to like about Smith for the NFL. He is a tremendous linebacker with excellent instincts. Smith has superb speed, and with his instincts, he is a heat-seeking missile that tracks down ball-carriers all over the field. Smith is very fast to the flat and shuts down perimeter rushing attacks. He also is quick to read his keys and fire to the right spot to make tackles. With his speed, instincts, and diagnosis skills, Smith is a dangerous run defender.

        Entering his playoff matchup against Oklahoma, Smith has 113 tackles with 5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and two passes batted in 2017.

  18. http://walterfootball.com/eastwest2018interviews2.php

    “San Francisco 49ers – Oklahoma State offensive tackle Zachary Crabtree, South Dakota State wide receiver Jake Wieneke, and Delaware defensive tackle Bilal Nichols.”

    Jake Wieneke is 6’4″ 205 lbs. From BearsWire.

    “Wieneke has been extremely productive the last two seasons, finishing with 16 touchdowns in both 2016 and 2017, bringing his career total to an astonishing 59 scores. He had a down year in terms of catches and yards this season (65 catches, 965 yards.). He had 13 more catches and nearly 400 more yards in 2016.”

    1. Thx, # 80.

      We’re fortunate 4 QB’s could go in the top 10. There’s so much talent this year and that’s not counting small school ‘diamonds in the rough!”

      1. “4 QB’s could go in the top 10” would be ideal. Good trade back opportunities. (Would we trade back with a division rival like the Cardinals?)

        If 4 QB’s went in the top 10 it would push down some pretty good BPA to 9.5.

    2. I called Wieneke – SDST on this blog last week #80. He’s my sleeper WR pick for the NINERS. Big, tall, fast, and great hands. Played against lesser competition is my only concern. Then again ….. Jerry Rice came out of Mississippi Valley State. Not saying he’s Rice, that’s ludacris. But he’s exactly the kind of big, red zone, vertical threat this team could really use.

        1. Either way, they need to add depth at OT. OL is probably their top priority. I expect to see this team commit to building around Jimmy G directly, in terms of OL, and the offensive skill positions (with an emphasis on improved red zone efficiency). Then comes pass rush/CB as priority #2, in whichever order that presents itself organically.

          Who woulda thunk they would already have the QB position addressed, in the best possible way, PRIOR to the offseason? Absolute gamechanger!

          The more I consider every measure of the current state of the Niners, the more I realize this franchise has suddenly found itself in an extremely fortunate position to field the rare combination of A) a talent laden roster, B) young enough to sustain success, C) top level coaching, and D) wise & trustworthy management.

          Goosebumps!!!!!!

          1. “I expect to see this team commit to building around Jimmy G directly, in terms of OL, and the offensive skill positions (with an emphasis on improved red zone efficiency).”

            You could be right. Sign TE Jimmy Graham, draft G Nelson, then trade up and draft C/G Price, then draft WR Wieneke.

            1. No to Jimmy Graham. We already have three good tight ends. A better red zone target would be Calvin Ridley or Courtland Sutton.

              1. There’s no way in hell they’re drafting Sutton in the top ten. There’s only one receiver worthy of a top ten selection, and that’s Ridley. If Nelson is gone, or they believe schematically he’s not a fit, the pick will be Ward, CB, Ohio State, Jackson, CB, Iowa, or Marcus Davenport, Leo, UTSA.

              2. Ward would play nickel in this defense. I doubt he would be the pick.

                The 49ers have to take an O-lineman first.

              3. He’d be a good pick in the third round.

                In the first round, the 49ers should consider Quenton Nelson, Connor Williams and Billy Price.

              4. If Nelson is gone, which I expect he will be, I think O’Neill is the one OT athletically gifted enough to slot inside at OG. I wouldn’t draft Price that high, and Williams I’m just not sold on. I like O’Neill better. There’s no way in hell O’Neill is still on the board in the 3rd round….

              5. Disagree Grant. While OL is an area that needs to be addressed, CB and edge rusher are bigger needs, with CB being the biggest need considering how few are still under contract.

              6. Razor,
                You and I agree on a prospect… I don’t love Sutton either. I see him as a good wideout but he hasn’t shown the ability to seperate imho. And If I’m drafting a wr that high I want one that gets open.
                I just hope the niners see it the same way.

              7. Shoup, Shanny knows receivers and it would shock me if he took Sutton that high. I wouldn’t expect him to come off the board until the late 20’s, first round. Ridley has that short area burst, and quickness that I look for in the position. I don’t think there’s a receiver even close to him in this draft. Hopefully the Bears take him, pushing more pressing position value down to us….

              8. I agree with Grant that Ward is best suited for Nickel in the Niners scheme. He projects as an NFL corner who can play either inside or outside on a lot of teams, but probably not ideal on the outside for the Niners cover 3 scheme(s).

                Ward certainly wouldn’t be my pick for the Niners at 9 or 10. Niners can stay where they are and take Nelson, or trade back, and select my man Price (or CB Jackson).

                I’d trade back in round 1 if they can find the right partner/deal.

                OL is top priority this offseason, and likely a first round target, but if Bradley Chubb or Saquon Barkley falls to them …… all bets are off.

              9. “In the first round, the 49ers should consider Quenton Nelson, Connor Williams and Billy Price.”

                Yes, definitely should be looking at OL in the first round. They finally have a franchise QB. Now they need to do everything humanly possible to keep him on the field, and that starts with giving him the best protection they can.

                As much as they need a CB and edge player, the main priority still needs to be putting themselves in the best position to keep JG healthy.

            2. I’m not so sure the 49ers are going Defense with their 1st pick. Over the past 5 drafts, 2013-2017, the 49ers have selected 18 players in the first 3 rounds of the draft. 13 of the 18 have been defensive players. Of the 13 defensive players, 5 of those players play in the secondary. In the same 5 drafts, the 49ers have had 7 picks in the 1st round. 6 of the 7 picks have been defensive players. The only offensive 1st round pick was Joshua Garnett and the 49ers dont seem to like him all that much.

              Over these past 5 drafts, the 49ers have only selected 5 offensive players in the top 3 rounds of the draft. 2 of the five are no longer with the 49ers (McDonald & Martin). The 3 players still on the 49ers are CJ Beathard, Josh Garnett, and Carlos Hyde.

              With an offensive minded head coach, I suspect the 49ers are going to try to start building the best offense in the NFL through the draft. I would personally start with the o-line but I can see the 49ers also selecting another TE or RB in the first 3 rounds. My guess is they go with one of the Notre Dame O-lineman with their first pick. I really like Nelson but I’m not sure he’s a fit with what Shanahan wants to do.

              1. The problem is there’s probably only two offensive skill positions worthy of a top 10 pick. Barkley and Ridley. I have a hard time believing Shanny would take Barkley for obvious position reasons. Maybe he would take a wide receiver, although I have my doubts. If you’re gonna force an offensive selection that high, I agree with Grant that it has to be an offensive lineman. And by force, I’m assuming Nelson is gone or ruled out due to scheme. Another corner that could sneak into the conversation with Ward and Jackson is, Hughes. Besides being a great corner, he’s an excellent returner, which we could also use and would provide some of that offensive firepower you’re looking to add in the first round….

              2. The Browns will take a QB at 1 and probably Saquan Barkley at 4. For the Niners it must be offensive line and pass rushers with the first 3 picks. I cannot seeing any resources being spent on tight ends or defensive linemen.

              3. I’m starting to think it will be defense, either edge rusher or CB. Baalke was relatively poor at drafting offensive positions. His strength was drafting defense, so that’s what he favored. KS, on the other hand, can find gems in the later rounds as we’ve already seen. The exception at this point is offensive line. The only OL he picked up, IIRC, are Williams and Magnusson which were late round/UDFA picks. I suspect KS prefers experience on the OL, so I’m thinking they will look to FA to get OL, if possible. They’ll probably draft a couple of prospects as well, but I think they will be 5th round and later.

              4. I’m with you Cubus. I think it’s CB, pass rusher or possibly even WR that they ultimately focus on with the first pick.

              5. Pretty sad commentary when we say Baalke’s talent related to drafting defensive players. Baalke had more picks than any other NFL team during his tenure as the 49er GM. He drafted a lot more defensive players than offensive players and the 49ers still had one of the worst defenses in the NFL when he was fired. Thats awful. I guess stock piling late round picks and drafting injured players was not a winning strategy.

              6. “Pretty sad commentary when we say Baalke’s talent related to drafting defensive players.”

                Yes it is. It was his strength, but compared to others he was still poor. The major exception is Buckner, but most analysts projected Buckner to the 49ers. Ward was an unconventional pick and if he could stay healthy would, I think, be considered a very good pick. Tarrt is coming into his own, but we need to see another season, imo. Reid had a great rookie campaign and, I thought, did pretty well this past year. But it was a contract season with extra motivation.

            3. #80

              IF we were fortunate enough to land Nelson, AND Price,we would be ‘fat’ in the OL for the next 10 years because Staley is going to be holding down LT until he’s 50….and Brown can train the big Tackle from OKIE STATE Garnett would figure out what Shannahan expected and we’ll build a bigger and better trophy case for all our Lombardis….

          2. They need to add depth on the Offensive Line, but given that I think Quenton Nelson will be gone by pick 9/10 (depending on our coin flip with the Raiders), I believe the Niners should prepare for such possibility by signing Andrew Norwell to a fat contract. Once Norwell is in the fold, the biggest area of need is a Cornerback over a backup Tackle who won’t see the field with Staley and Brown around for another year. I have heard Denzel Ward from both Mel Kiper and Matt Miller, but I am leaning toward Josh Jackson; there is more value at pick 9/10 to take the need at Cornerback then a backup tackle, who can be found in later rounds and groomed to eventually take over for either Staley or Brown. I am a fan of Connor Williams, but he probably won’t be there in the second round. I agree with TomD that Chukwuma Okorafor is an interesting prospect who will be available in the second round, but that means you are pushing off on taking a receiver until the 3rd (someone like James Washington, or Anthony Miller out of Memphis). I think the bigger need than a backup tackle, especially since I like Christopher Hubbard as a backup swing tackle from the Steelers in free agency, is to draft a center like Mason Cole or Frank Ragnow in the third or fourth rounds, or even Will Hernandez as a guard in the third or fourth rounds (even with signing Norwell, I am not as sold on Garnett being able to come back as a right away starter and want to give him some competition for a starting spot).

            1. Shanny likes his centers, if Atlanta is a guide. Look for Ryan Jensen from the Ravens as a possible FA pickup. Second contract, so at 26, he’s relatively young. Seems like a Newberry type.

            2. IMO both guards and center need to be replaced. I know Jimmy G liked playing with Kilgore but I’m not a fan of Kilgore in the least. I felt like the interior o-line for the 49ers was in the bottom 5 in the league last year. If the 49ers get Norwell, Jensen, and draft Nelson that would be pretty good in my book.

              1. With the browns and falcons, Coach Shannon was the reason the Center position was upgraded, What free agent Center or Rookie would you target. I believe this maybe addressed even before the skill positions or guard positions.

              2. I know it is PFF and so take the grades with some trepidation, but according to PFF Jensen may not be as good an addition as people are thinking.

                https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/2018-nfl-free-agency-tracker

                He ranks as an average player. Better than Kilgore, but not really hard.

                A couple of other centre options I also like are Richburg (in fact if it wasn’t for his concussion history he would definitely be my #1 target at centre) or Brian Schwenke. I would add Matt Paradis but I would be shocked if the Broncos don’t give him a high RFA tender.

              3. Scooter:

                Unless I clicked on the table incorrectly when sorting, I see that Jensen is the second rated center behind Paradis and only just barely (74.9 for Jensen and 75.2 for Paradis). Are you sure you’re not looking at all players regardless of position or perhaps I made a mistake.

              4. No, you are doing it correctly. But a rating of around 75 is considered average by PFF. While he would be an upgrade over Kilgore, he may not be as big an improvement as hoped as he isn’t a dominant player.

                Richburg’s rating was over 80 in 2015 but injuries have hampered him since. Paradis was the highest ranked centre in 2016 with a rating of 90.7.

              5. Cubus and Scooter-

                Thank you, you both put a lot of thought and research into this! I just hope the team is doing the same! We all know they are! They appear vey competent. Too bad an Alex Mack does not appear to be available.

            3. Well, if I’m going to use ratings, I look at relative ratings. Right now he is the second highest rated center in free agency. His rating is 50% higher than Kilgore’s (which is 51), so to me that is not even close. To know whether 75 is low for a center, we need to have 2017 PFF rankings for all centers. I don’t know how to get access to that info.

              Besides that, he has a bit of nastiness to him. I watched him intently in the last couple of Ravens games and didn’t see anything disappointing, except one time where he got beat handily (but I forget the game).

              1. I remember now, it was the Texans game. There was a play where his assignment resulted in him having to block Clowney. He looked out of position and Clowney flat out beat him.

              2. Yeah, my point though is that while Jensen is an upgrade, I wouldn’t necessarily expect him to be a dominant player and “fix” the OL. Nor would I recommend paying him top tier money. He’s no Alex Mack.

                As a point of comparison, Norwell had a rating of over 88. If they are going to sign an interior OL for top tier money he may be a better option, and draft a centre plus sign a decent stop gap for now while the centre develops. Or if Jensen can be signed without paying him top tier money then great, but acknowledging he is only a decent OL, not a great one, putting more pressure on the OGs next to him to be good.

                This of course is all based on PFF ratings, which are highly subjective and shouldn’t be considered a be all and end all. But for someone like myself who has only seen bits and pieces of Jensen its about the best guide I will get.

              3. However, Jensen’s wiki page is fantastic.

                “Ryan Jensen, (born May 27, 1991) is an American football center for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently your favorite players favorite player. ”

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Jensen_(American_football)

                Love it!

                The thing with Jensen is he is nasty. He plays with a great attitude. I would definitely like to get him, I just think it is important to appreciate he probably isn’t quite as good as the love he has been getting on this blog for the past few months.

              4. Fair enough. I’ll wait for the PFF rankings for OL to come out and then see if I can sort by center. Jensen and Norwell would be great pickups.

                No doubt FA OL will be overvalued. To me it seems tough to expect rookie OL to perform well; hence the overvaluation for experience. It seems like few rookies do, but I’m saying that without statistics in hand.

  19. Chukwuma Okorafor | OT | Western Michigan
    Height | 6-6

    Weight | 330

    Class | Senior

    A three-year starter with experience at both tackle spots, Okorafor is the most intriguing prospect in a deep, talented offensive tackle class. A massive blocker with impressive athleticism for his size.

    His physical tools are only enhanced by his use of polished technique and awareness. A strong showing during offseason workout events could easily sneak him into the first round, and he could be a huge steal if he lasts into Day 2.

    http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2017/12/31/chukwuma-okorafor-nfl-draft-profile/

    1. He is one of the reasons I would trade back a ways just to pick up an extra 2nd. There will be at least one good db and ol that falls more than expected just due to the talent in those positions.
      Price, Ragnow, Wynn and Hernandez are all interesting prospects in the second.

      1. Not a real fan of Okorafor due to demeanor. I do not believe he has that nasty, or that “slam n squat”.

            1. Their is a real good “S n S ” produce located in Chico, Ca. Good avacodos, squash and tomatoes!

        1. I like Okorafor from the standpoint that he has very quick feet and has the reputation of playing to the whistle. I dont know about him in a zone scheme as he seems to have trouble identifying who to block when on the move and whiffs a lot. (Sadly Garnet has the same issue)
          His upside is that he has barely played the game and is already this good in spite of the fact that he lacks the experience that all the others do.
          Hernandez, is also very interesting. He is excellent in Pass Pro! And is very good at run blocking but I almost never saw him on the move. Can he play in space? If the niners determine he can he could be fairly high on their board.

  20. According to Rotoworld, Smelter has been signed by the Colts:

    Colts signed WR DeAndre Smelter to a reserve/future contract.

    A 2015 fourth-round pick of the 49ers, Smelter came out of Georgia Tech with mouth-watering traits but has battled injuries and coaching turnover in his career. The futures deal will allow him to spend a full healthy offseason with Indy.

    1. Cubus

      It breaks my heart to hear this….I had been hoping that we would AT LEAST get to see him on the field in a meaningful game….It causes me concern that our HC and GM didn’t see fit to give him the shot…He WAS a 4th rounder…I guess we’ll read about him in the baseball stats…

    2. He’s barely hanging on to a spot in the league. If he could play and stay healthy he’d be a Niner, but he hasn’t been able to do either. My guess is he’s out of the NFL soon.

      1. That’s what the concern and conversation is about Jimmie Ward. That’s going to be a tough decision on what the team does there.

  21. “I’m not judging Reuben Foster morally. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy.”
    ~ Grant

    Of course not. You’re just milking the Foster incident as fodder to garner more clicks, which is quit understandable in the off-season. What’s this make – about three headline topics regarding RF in the last week now?

    None of us are psychiatrist that can explore his mindset on what caused Foster to make a poor decision.
    At this point it is in the hands of the league office and the 49ers FO.
    I only hope he can make better choices going forward.

  22. Late last spring there was much banter about creating a nickname for Foster. Did we ever arrive at one?

  23. really tired of hearing T.Brady is the greatest QB of all time……

    I still think J.Montana and Steve Young are up there before T.Brady

    1. I’d take Joe Montana everyday of the week and twice on Sundays over Brady. Not because I’m a homer, but because there was no better player in a pinch….

      1. It’s impossible to pick the best ever because the game was different in each era. It always comes down to personal preference and the team you root for.

        1. Mantle vs DiMaggio / Mantle vs Mays
          Brady’s accomplishments are such that I agree it’s debatable.
          Joe was the best of his era and among the best of all.
          Elway and Manning can Go Fish.

    2. Very difficult to say who is the greatest, in my opinion it is still Joe. The rules were such that if Brady had played in Montana’s era and he took the hits that Montana did he might not be able to walk from the Jim Burt hit alone.

      1. Good point Badger. If Joe played today, he might have had full power in both legs, wouldn’t have missed as many games and probably would have kept his job. Also, with today’s rules favoring passing, Montana to Rice would be unstoppable.

    3. SB XXXVI: Spygate.
      SB XXXVIII: Spygate.
      SB XXXIX: Spygate.

      Brady’s non-Spygate SB record is 2-2. And both wins came after some questionable coaching decisions. Carroll, Quinn, and their play callers literally threw those games away.

      Joe Montana: 4-0.
      Tom Brady: 2-2.

      1. #80,

        That’s pretty weak. There has been no evidence that the Pats did anything that would influence the outcome of the game. There are a lot of conspiracy theories, but there is nothing that can explain away the 17 year run this team has had.

        1. They have had a good run, no doubt. But the run has been aide by cheating. The cheating can’t be ignored in a fair discussion. The Patriots dynasty will always have an asterisk.

          1. I disagree. There has been no proof of cheating to the extent of affecting the outcome of a game and certainly nothing to dismiss the historic run they’ve had.

            1. “There has been no proof of cheating to the extent of affecting the outcome of a game.”

              How would you prove that though? How would you prove that the cheating didn’t have an effect on those games?

              I remember Carolina had zero yards at halftime. Was that because the Pats filmed their practices? In part, yes.

              http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/08/report-panthers-were-convinced-patriots-taped-super-bowl-practices/

              “Today’s ESPN report mentions specifically the belief among the Panthers that their practices had been taped prior to Super Bowl XXXVIII, and that offensive coordinator Dan Henning changed their game-plan at halftime.”

              “Our players came in after that first half and said it was like [the Patriots] were in our huddle,” a Panthers source told ESPN. “Do I have any tape to prove they cheated?. No. But I’m convinced they did it.”

              1. http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

                Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents’ signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots 24-17.

                “Goodell didn’t want anybody to know that his gold franchise had won Super Bowls by cheating,” a senior executive whose team lost to the Patriots in a Super Bowl now says. “If that gets out, that hurts your business.”

            2. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/report-patriots-coaches-admit-team-stole-play-sheets-during-spygate-era/

              In fact, many former New England coaches and employees insist that the taping of signals wasn’t even the most effective cheating method the Patriots deployed in that era. Several of them acknowledge that during pregame warm-ups, a low-level Patriots employee would sneak into the visiting locker room and steal the play sheet, listing the first 20 or so scripted calls for the opposing team’s offense.

              Numerous former employees say the Patriots would have someone rummage through the visiting team hotel for playbooks or scouting reports.

              1. Again former employees saying something is not proof of anything. There is also the fact that you still have to play the game. The game is not won based on play sheets or taping signals. It’s about who executes better on that day.

              2. “The game is not won based on play sheets or taping signals.”

                No, but it’s easier when you already know what play the other team is running. The Patriots wouldn’t have done it if weren’t advantageous. In a close game, cheating can be the difference.

              3. It’s not cheating if there is no rule against it. That’s the point. The article I posted above breaks it down pretty well.

                What has happened is the Pats unprecedented run of success has fueled a ground swell of jealousy and fans from opposing teams finding ways to downplay it. The reality is the Pats did nothing illegal at the time, and quite frankly, any team at any time could have done the same thing. What it always comes down to however is which team executes the best when the game starts.

              4. But we have an admission of guilt.

                http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

                “Then the Patriots’ coach, Bill Belichick, the cheating program’s mastermind, spoke. He said he had merely misinterpreted a league rule, explaining that he thought it was legal to videotape opposing teams’ signals as long as the material wasn’t used in real time. Few in the room bought it. Belichick said he had made a mistake — “my mistake.”

                We also had evidence that was destroyed. And the commissioner participated in the cover-up. According to Martz.

                “He told me, ‘The league doesn’t need this. We’re asking you to come out with a couple lines exonerating us and saying we did our due diligence.’

              5. http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

                Years later, Walsh recalled to Senate investigators that Adams told old stories from the Browns about giving a video staffer an NFL Films shirt and assigning him to film the opponents’ sideline huddles and grease boards from behind the bench. The shared view of Belichick and Adams, according to many who’ve worked with them, is this: The league is lazy and incompetent, so why not push every boundary? “You’d want Bill and Ernie doing your taxes,” says a former Patriots assistant coach. “They would find all the loopholes, and then when the IRS would close them, they’d find more.”

              6. More.

                Days before the Tampa Bay game, in Belichick’s office, Friesz was told that the Patriots had a tape of the Bucs’ signals. He was instructed to memorize them, and during the game, to watch Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and tell Weis the defensive play, which Weis would relay over the radio headset system to quarterback Drew Bledsoe. That Sunday against the Bucs, Walsh later told investigators, the Patriots played more no-huddle than usual, forcing Kiffin to signal in plays quickly, allowing Weis sufficient time to relay the information. Years later, some Patriots coaches would point to the score — a 21-16 Bucs win — as evidence of Spygate’s ineffectiveness. But as Walsh later told investigators, Friesz, who did not respond to messages to comment for this story, told Walsh after the game that the Patriots knew 75 percent of the Bucs’ defenses before the snap.

              7. More.

                During games, Adams sat in the coaches’ box, with binoculars and notes of decoded signals, wearing a headset with a direct audio line to Belichick. Whenever Adams saw an opposing coach’s signal he recognized, he’d say something like, “Watch for the Two Deep Blitz,” and either that information was relayed to Brady or a play designed specifically to exploit the defense was called. A former Patriots employee who was directly involved in the taping system says “it helped our offense a lot,” especially in divisional games in which there was a short amount of time between the first and second matchups, making it harder for opposing coaches to change signals.

              8. More.

                Several of them acknowledge that during pregame warm-ups, a low-level Patriots employee would sneak into the visiting locker room and steal the play sheet, listing the first 20 or so scripted calls for the opposing team’s offense.

                The allegations against the Patriots prompted NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson to send a letter to all 32 team owners, general managers and head coaches on Sept. 6, 2006, reminding them that “videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited from the sidelines.”

              9. #80,

                There was no need to provide excerpts. I read the article and as I posted above, there was no rule against taping signals. It was where the camera was placed (on the sidelines) that was a problem. Belichick is a brilliant guy and took advantage of an edge he discovered. The signals really didn’t help that much anyway because most of the time teams know what the other side are going to run based on formation anyway. It’s the execution that decides who wins the battle.

                No matter what you think about Belichick and the Patriots, he is one of if not the greatest Coach this league has ever seen. From the time he was the DC of the Giants until now, he’s been a winner. You don’t achieve that by taping signals. You achieve it by being smarter and better prepared than your opponent.

              10. More.

                They were also angry at Belichick — partly, some admit, out of jealousy for his success but also because of the widespread rumors that he was always pushing the envelope. The narrative that paralleled the Patriots’ rise — a team mostly void of superstars, built not to blow out opponents but to win the game’s handful of decisive plays — only increased rivals’ suspicions. After all, the Patriots had won three Super Bowls by a total of nine points.

              11. rocket,

                I’m posting excerpts because it shows that I’m not alone in thinking the Pats run is tainted.

              12. More.

                The Patriots’ primary victims saw Spygate, and other videotaping rumors, as confirmation that they had been cheated out of a Super Bowl — even though they lacked proof.

                During halftime — New England led 14-10 — Carolina’s offensive coordinator, Dan Henning, changed game plans because of worries the Patriots had too close a read on Carolina’s schemes. And, in the second half, the Panthers moved the ball at will before losing 32-29 on a last-second field goal. “Do I have any tape to prove they cheated?” this source says. “No. But I’m convinced they did it.”

              13. More. And you’re welcome for all the posts Grant.
                :-)

                The Eagles suspected that either practices were filmed or a playbook was stolen. “To this day, some believe that we were robbed by the Patriots not playing by the rules … and knowing our game plan,” a former Eagles football operations staffer says.

                The Patriots were forever branded as cheaters — an asterisk, in the view of many fans, forever affixed to their wins.

              14. I wasn’t contending you were alone. There are a number of people out there who believe what you do. I’m just countering that belief with the fact he didn’t break a rule by taping and that taping signals doesn’t win you football games. It’s been going on since the dawn of sports and I can assure you Belichick wasn’t the first one to come up with it. He just had so much success people tried to use it in attempt to discredit him. The success has continued on even after this episode took place so that should show you it wasn’t a big factor.

              15. For Jack’s amusement.

                During the walk-through, the Rams had also practiced some of their newly designed red zone plays. When they ran the same plays late in the Super Bowl’s fourth quarter, the Patriots’ defense was in position on nearly every down. On one new play, quarterback Kurt Warner rolled to his right and turned to throw to Faulk in the flat, where three Patriots defenders were waiting. On the sideline, Rams coach Mike Martz was stunned. He was famous for his imaginative, unpredictable plays, and now it was as if the Patriots knew what was coming on plays that had never been run before. The Patriots’ game plan had called for a defender to hit Faulk on every down, as a means of eliminating him, but one coach who worked with an assistant on that 2001 Patriots team says that the ex-Pats assistant coach once bragged that New England knew exactly what the Rams would call in the red zone. “He’d say, ‘A little birdie told us,'” the coach says now.

              16. “even though they lacked proof”

                There’s no way we lose if they weren’t cheating.

                Tinfoil hats are obviously great sellers

              17. One more.

                http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3396731

                “When I was doing it, I understood what we were doing to be wrong,” Walsh said. “We went to great lengths to keep from being caught. Just saying that the rules were misinterpreted isn’t enough of an apology or a reasoning for what was done. … Coach Belichick’s explanation for having misinterpreted the rules, to me, that really didn’t sound like taking responsibility for what we had done, especially considering the great lengths that we had gone through to hide what we were doing.”

              18. “I’m very confident that there was no impropriety [at the Super Bowl],” Martz said

              19. “I’m very confident that there was no impropriety [at the Super Bowl],” Martz said.”

                Former Rams head coach Mike Martz, a prominent figure in the ESPN investigation into the Patriots’ alleged Deflategate and Spygate affairs, says that he still is unsure that the entirety of a statement attributed to him by the NFL was in his own words. Martz also said that he has lingering suspicions over the actions of New England staffers leading up to his Super Bowl XXXVI meeting with that team following the 2001 season.

                “If the report is accurate and Patriots employees were allowed to watch our walkthrough,” Martz said, “then shame on the NFL, shame on NFL security, shame on our security. Then they didn’t do their job … I have my suspicions about it, but I’m not sure how you would really prove something like that now and there’s nothing you can do about it now and it’s not something I really worry about or think about.”

              20. It tarnishes their legacy in the eyes of many. Here’s a funny qoute from newest Patriot James Harrison.

                http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2017/12/26/james-harrison-used-to-hate-the-patriots-now-he-is-one-of-them/

                “I should have another ring. We were the best team in football in 2004, but the Patriots, who we beat during the regular season, stole our signals and picked up 90 percent of our blitzes” in the AFC title game. “They got busted for it later, but, hey, they’re Goodell’s boys, so he slapped ’em $500,000 and burned the tapes. Was he going to rescind their Super Bowls? – man, hell no!”

              21. “It tarnishes their legacy in the eyes of many”

                I don’t care. In fact I wish they’d cheated a little harder in the 2013 AFC Championship game.

              22. “I don’t care. In fact I wish they’d cheated a little harder in the 2013 AFC Championship game.”

                OK got it. You support cheating.

            1. this asterisk will be applied by fans of the 31 other teams, not just 9ers fans…
              and I’d say this asterisk stuff will be even more fervent in NY and FLA…

            2. Only for fans of the other 31 teams, especially Panthers, Rams, Eagles, Colts, Ravens, and 49ers fans.

              Fixed it for ya.

              1. I wonder what formula the Giants used in their 2 SB wins against the Pats???? Did they have tighter security on the run up to the games???
                anyway, I found it interesting that Sam Cunningham and Stanley Morgan are still the Pats all time leading yardage RB and Rcvr…

              2. which item is “cute”?
                that Coughlin had the formula for beating BB?
                or that the Pats have “swapped in/out” lots of offensive skill players during the BB era, (other than TB, who is the Pats all time passing yardage leader)?

    1. Unfortunately, I have to agree with this statement. It is amazing what he and Belichick have been able to accomplish in the salary cap era.

      1. Gasoline AND Cubus—
        I respectfully disagree with both of you guys, and here’s why…………….In the salary cap era, Brady has never had to face some of the real juggernauts that Montana and Simms and etc. had to face back in the not-so-distant past. If Brady had to face some of those Steeler teams of the 70’s, he would have been carted off the field. ’84 Niners, 85 Bears?? No way does Brady make it thru 4 qtrs. Some of those teams had virtually no weaknesses. And some of those Parcell Giants teams? LT would have put a very serious hurt on the statue that is Brady.
        Brady is the most successful in the salary cap era, no doubt, but he’s never had to meet a team put together by super sharp football people with no salary cap restraint.
        Brady is the most successful of his era……………………

          1. OK then, Curmudgeon, I’ll take the other side!
            Joe had a perfect record in the Super Bowl.
            Got better than perfect?
            (Rimshot!)

            1. Answer: No.
              you don’t have better than perfect.
              Jim Kelley got to 4 Super Bowls. It’s what you do!
              Jack’s arguement is specious. The data on Brady is not. Brady wins GOAT, but Bay Area fans know who Joe Montana, Steve Young and Ken Stabler are. Wanna be “journalists”trying to set their “requisites” by being Contrarians………sure, ok….But then again….Maybe not……

              1. Not being a contrarian at all BT. That’s how I feel. Said it to my brother right after the Super Bowl last year.

              2. Jack
                Make no mistake. I respect your opinion even in disagreement, but trying to discern a trend. There IS a trend

          2. how many of the pats SB wins were determined by FG’s then?
            I’t ok to lose championships if you’ve made it to more than 4 then?
            so if pats went to 3 more SB’s w/Brady, TB could lose one more, as long as he won the other 2, and so maintains status in your mind as the ultimate NFL deity??

            1. He’s been to more Super Bowls, more conference championship games than any QB in the history of the game.

              Montana was my idol growing up.

              Brady’s better.

              1. Jack, you should know better than to argue against a 49ers player as the greatest of all time.

                For 49ers fans Montana will always be the best. But if Brady was a 49er he’d be better. Because when impartiality is applied there is simply no comparison. Brady’s record is incredible, as is his longevity.

              2. Actually if normalize the performance differences in the eras, Montana is significantly better.

                For example, in 1984 Montana had a QB rating of 102.4. That was in a much tougher to pass NFL where the average QB rating that year was 73.4. * That’s 40.6% better than his QBing peers. Brady has NEVER come close to that. In ’85 it was 91.3 to 70.3* for his peers. That’s 29.9% better. And in ’87 his rating was 102.1, which was 40.6% better than the NFL.

                The greatest of all, though, was 1989. A 112.4 QB rating (which would lead the NFL even now) that was 53.4% better than the NFL average of 73.3.

                Fact is, Brady plays in a far easier and softer NFL. He does well. About 15% better than his peers. And, by modern standards, he’s a great QB. But he has never achieved the head-and-shoulders separation from the pack that Montana achieved. He’s never so dominated that you can say any one particular year is some epic, historical performance.

                Heck, I don’t even think Brady’s the best QB of his time. I think Rodgers is better and that Rodgers is hampered by a poorer team. Year-after-year Rodgers carries the Packers and when he misses time, the Packers fail. When Brady goes down, the Patriots just keep rolling.

                * These include Montana’s stats. I’ve never bothered to take them out because it really doesen’t matter much.

              3. Moseb,

                Don’t give a rats tail about the “normalization” of their numbers. What Brady is doing and has done will likely never be matched.

                He’s the greatest QB of this generation and all time.

              4. I don’t agree with the normalization of those numbers.

                In Montana’s time he was better than all the other qb’s because no one else was running the WCO for the majority of his time. Most other teams were throwing down the field and were run based. Due to this his completion percentage was much higher than most other qb’s as was his int to td ratio, that was a scheme based differentiation.
                In Brady’s time almost everyone was running shorter passing routes and WCO concepts. Take a look at what a mid tier qb is doing today and see how they stack up against the qb’s in 84 they will look very impressive.
                It also becomes more impressive when you look at who Brady is throwing to.

                With all that said, I can’t see anyway Brady’s career lasts as long if he was playing in Montana’s time. Today qb’s have a strike zone and defenders are scared of hitting them late. In Joe’s time if the defender got near him they would hit him just to let him know they were there. Also if I had one game I wanted to win, I would want Joe. However, too many numbers land on Brady’s side for me to say Montana was greater than him.

              5. Shoup,
                I was thinking of the same point you made that Brady would not have lasted ten years in the league with the beating that Montana took. Conversely,, if the Walsh-Montana partnership happened in this era, it’s not clear how many Super Bowls Montana would have won if he played as long as the Brady.
                Both are great QBs. I think most of us agree that this practice of comparing players from completely different eras is rather futile, but great for water-cooler conversations, I suppose.

              6. Interesting point about Rodgers and Brady that I learned on KNBR from a Boston beat writer last month. The latter was chatting up with Jimmy G a couple of years ago, and Jimmy G said that he just finished watching film. When the beat writer asked Jimmy G what film he had been watching, he said it was of Rodgers. That surprised the beat writer who asked why he was watching Rodgers. Jimmy G said that it was at Brady’s suggestion.

                Apparently, Brady and JG had some sort of a Rodgers’ “fan club” (beat writer’s words) where they watched Rodger’s film together. Brady apparently had told Jimmy G that he considered Rodgers to be the “most evolved QB” in the league (quoting the beat writer here).

              7. Shoup nailed it with the point about the Niners running a system different from the rest of the league that promoted higher completion percentage and safer throws. Like every other Niner fan, I hold Montana in high regard as the greatest ever, but if you are looking at it objectively, he’s not. A number of players could be given that distinction as they were the best of their era, but nobody has won or been in contention to win Championships for the length of time Brady has. He’s won the most, he’s played the longest and if you really want to name a best of all time he’s the guy you have to look at.

                The game is different from when Montana played, just like it was different from when Unitas and Graham played. While the rules changed to help QB’s on the field, there also is a lot more parity in the league than when Montana played. There also wasn’t the roster overhaul that happens year to year now. Montana got to play with the same guys for most of his career, while Brady has had a revolving door. The bottom line is how well the QB did in his particular era and nobody has been better than Brady.

              8. I was thinking of the same point you made that Brady would not have lasted ten years in the league with the beating that Montana took

                Not sure how you would come to that conclusion Mood. Brady is a bigger man than Montana and Montana himself couldn’t hold up to the punishment missing a lot of time in his career due to back injuries and then the elbow problem.

              9. chiming in on the Rodgers stuff…
                a word or 3 about McCarthy– he had some modest success back in NO with Aaron Brooks, did he not?
                then, balancing Rodgers against Farve, while beating the bad Jeff Tedford “compact throwing” technique out of Rodgers….
                and then swapping out #4 for #12…too bad his job security rests on how good a draft GB will have this year, GB being super stingy on FA $$, is it something to do with municipal ownership of team???

              10. and back to Brady vs. Joe…
                a point thinking about now vs. then…in Brady’s favor, I’d say, is countering the speed and evolution of pass defenses…
                timing throws have to be faster and more precise for Brady today, especially relying as they do on 10-20 yd. throws to the TE or Slot…
                hmmm, so with some boring morning imagination we can “ponder the significance” (zappa) of having (potentially) a QB that’s even better at this kind of thing…
                but I’d still put improvisational skills in Joe’s column, not Tom’s…

      1. My names Brady, and it might be a sin. But I’ll take your bet; and you’re gonna regret, Jack says I’m the best that’s ever been.

        Montana cooly gripped the ball and he said, “I’ll start this show.”
        And fire flew from his fingertips as he began to throw
        And he pointed out John Candy in the stands, calling out his name
        No interceptions and didn’t need a kicker to win the big game

      2. Sad, but I agree. He has proven to be clutch, has better numbers, and better numbers over time.
        I still love Joe and would love to see what he could do in today’s but based on what I have seen Brady is now the goat.

    1. Cubus

      It breaks my heart to hear this….I had been hoping that we would AT LEAST get to see him on the field in a meaningful game….It causes me concern that our HC and GM didn’t see fit to give him the shot…He WAS a 4th rounder…I guess we’ll read about him in the baseball stats…perhaps we can replace him with Alan LAZARD OF iOWA sTATE…6’5″ 220 WITH GOOD HANDS AND LOTS OF ZIP….

    1. Great athlete that was productive in college and standing out in all star practices – sounds exactly like the type of WR I think the 49ers should be looking for in the mid rounds.

      1. I’m not sure what his official height is which will likely be revealed at the combine, but if he is put in a system that plays to his strengths like Deshaun Watson was, he can have a pretty good career imo. With him it’s going to be about improving his play in a collapsing pocket because he is used to having a clean one with ample time to throw from.

        1. He still has to learn to play in the pocket. Look at all those running QBs people have drooled over, over the years. Those that learned to play from the pocket, like Steve Young, had decent to HOF careers.

          Those that didn’t, like Kaepernick, RGIII, Aaron Brooks, Michael Vick, etc. didn’t particularly fare well. Even if teams foolishly hitched their wagons to them year-after-year.

        2. OR,
          Mayfield can play, and if he can harness his emotions he likely will help out a team.

          R. Wilson and Drew Brees have not been hampered by their size because they can play the game.

          I watched Manziel tattoo the 49ers not long ago and concluded that this guy could ball but he couldn’t stay out of his own way.
          Hopefully Mayfield can use the Manziel story as a cautionary tale.

            1. Rocket

              As AES mentioned, Manziel and Russell Wilson have succeeded as ‘shorter’ QBs,,, but I would that they were running QBs …only Wilson has a long enough body of proof to be called successful….Manziel exploded before registering that success….though I am impressed with Mayfield’s abilities, I believe that his passing (that I have witnessed) is not NFL caliber…at least not yet… just my opinion….

              1. Baker Mayfield has the makeup of a Drew Brees. Now it will depend on what type of coaching he gets. Like Mitch Trubisky, the Bears did him no favors but now with a legitimate offensive minded staff, he can develop into a good quarterback.

      1. If Brady, why not Jimmy G. That doesn’t mean I’m advocating for an early round pick. But if Falk drops to the 6th round or so, maybe the team should consider it.

        1. I think Falk would benefit from learning behind someone he already tries to emulate, not just on the field but also off it.

          1. Jimmy G is often called a young Tom Brady and there are definitely similarities. So why can’t Falk learn from Jimmy instead of Tom? Again, I’m only suggesting this if he can be had in the late rounds.

            1. I would have no probs drafting Falk. I just think he would be a perfect candidate to learn behind Brady. He already molds himself after Brady off the field.

            2. Y’all think Falk is better than CJ with a year of experience? Mixed record on Falk. If Shanny drafts him, fine, I’m good.

          2. Maybe this kid from Richmond, Kyle Lauletta has more upside than Falk, and more worthy of a late draft pick for Shanny’s offense….

  24. http://www.49erswebzone.com/commentary/1779-2018-free-agency-allen-robinson-worth-four-years-million/

    Yay or Nay? I found this part interesting.

    ” Robinson’s lone Pro Bowl invite as previously mentioned came in 2015 when he posted 80 catches for 1,400 yards at 17.5 yards per catch and 14 touchdowns. The following season, 2016, he posted respectable production with 73 catches for 883 yards at 12.1 yards per catch and six touchdowns.”

    That’s a drop in production (pre injury). Is 73 catches for 883 yards at 12.1 yards per catch and six touchdowns worth 14.5 million a year? Will he even be that productive coming off of another injury? It seems very unlikely that he would return to his 2015 form. His low catching efficiency rate is concerning too. I say nay.

    1. Exactly. I like Robinson, but he isn’t the elite player some seem to think he is. I really don’t think he is much of an upgrade over Garcon, if an upgrade at all.

      1. Much bigger faster and better red zone target, he would thrive with an accurate qb, my opinion, also he is a lot younger but tearing your acl is no joke.

        1. He’s slow. And slower than Garcon. And less effective than Garcon. All this guy is, is a possession WR who had a fluke year thanks to blown coverages and missed tackles.

          2014 & 2016 are his true bill.

          Think of it this way. He’s a .250 hitter that hit .300 one year.

          1. He’s slow. And slower than Garcon. And less effective than Garcon. All this guy is, is a possession WR who had a fluke year thanks to blown coverages and missed tackles.

            Simply not true. Robinson has been more effective than Garcon scoring TD’s and also put up a better season than Garcon ever has in 2015. The last sentence here is nonsense. You don’t put up the numbers Robinson did due to mistakes by the defense.

            1. lol.

              He’s had 4 explosive plays in 2014 and 4 in 2016 ranking near the very bottom of all starting WRs in the NFL sandwiching a fluke year with 19 explosive plays in 2015 which, over the past decade, is only behind Calvin Johnson for the most explosive plays of any WR in any one season during that time frame.

              He’s no Calvin Johnson who was routinely Top-10 and frequently top-5 and could had 4 explosive wrapped up, pretty much, by the end of the first month. Rather, it was just a bunch of luck. It happens. And in the end, it’s a fluke. It’s nothing but a fluke. An outlier. A one hit wonder, like Men Without Hats or Haddaway. Like them, he came up aces one year.

              But before and after. He was a possession WR who struggles against man coverage.

              1. Again, attributing the lack of explosive plays to him is bad analysis. It completely ignores other factors involved in the success of the passing game. I don’t care how you want to spin it, you don’t put up the numbers he did in his second year by accident or because defenses are screwing up every game. That’s just nonsense. He produced at a high level and the next year the production went down. Part of that is on him, but there is a lot of that on how defenses played the Jags after his big year and the QB’s effectiveness and ability to get the ball to him in order to make plays. Not sure why you are bringing Johnson into this as no one has said he’s Megatron. What he is, is a talented receiver with good size who can score TD’s which is exactly what this team needs considering they don’t have one with those capabilities right now.

      2. He has better hands. But Garcon is better in every other way. Route running. Toughness. Catch rate. Ability to beat coverage. And speed.

    2. You’re going about it backwards when you’re looking at 2015 as his potential. He’s not a 17.5 YPC WR and never was intended to be one. Not at 6-2, 220lbs with linebacker speed (4.60).

      Rather, he’s an elite-handed, big-body possession WR who struggles against good man coverage and should be working the underneath and finding holes in the zones who, for whatever reason, had one fluke year. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really like to work the middle which, in my book, limits his worthiness.

      As for the hype. It just goes to show you these guys write articles based on fluke performances and ESPN highlights instead of putting the 15-minutes it’d take to see that it was a fluke year.

      He’s the kind of WR you draft in Round 3 if you know what you’re doing, versus the GMs who foolishly draft those guys in Round 1. The Jags drafted him at the end of Round 2, which was a reasonable place so I don’t fault them for that.

      But he’s just not worth, in my book, bringing in. There are too many possession WRs out there that offer as much, if not more, than a guy who had a fluke season and was elevated, by the media, into a far better player than he really was…

      Think Mario Manningham, Super Bowl hero. Same guy, different name.

      1. Still think he is better than Mario maningham but shocked he is as slow as you have proven, I still think he is 6’3 and a taller receiver is what the team needs . Maybe they can draft and develop their own I like your baseball analogy and it puts it in better prospective.

    3. A drop in production isn’t just on the WR. Teams likely started putting a greater emphasis on Robinson after his big season and when that happens, somebody else has to step up to stop them from keying on one guy. The Jags had two 1000 yard receivers in 2015 – Robinson and Hurns – in 2016 they didn’t have 1 and Hurns completely fell off the map.

      Robinson showed he was capable of being a true #1 receiver in his second season. His third season while not as impressive, still showed he could produce while being the #1 focus of defenses. He would be a good addition to the 49ers imo.

    1. TomD

      After ‘scoping’ the link you provided on Okorafor, I think that I would revert back to my original OT McGlinchey…the seasoning that he has over Big O, makes the difference to me…Frankly, I don’t think that we (niners) could do bad with either one….

      1. I projected a 3rd round grade in my mock Oregoniner, because he would be a project that I believe has upside value, in additon to playing him at guard.

        1. TomD

          Sorry, I didn’t pay close attention….WOW, Can you imagine Okorafor at RG beside Brown…? Getting around them would be like 40 yard dash times….LOL

    1. Through one day of practice, the 49ers have reportedly met with Miami (FL) defensive end Chad Thomas and Oklahoma State offensive tackle Zack Crabtree.

      Thomas is viewed as a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker. Shrine Game measurements took place earlier today, and he measured in at 6’5, 275 pounds. Crabtree measured in at 6’6, 318 pounds, and seems to be pushing for a tackle spot, as opposed to getting bumped inside.

      Walter Football’s, Charlie Campbell, is reporting the 49ers have met with Oklahoma State safety Tre Flowers, University of Montreal wide receiver Regis Cibasu, South Dakota State wide receiver Jake Wieneke, Delaware defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, Florida State linebacker Matthew Thomas, and South Florida running back D’Ernest Johnson.

      https://www.ninersnation.com/2018/1/16/16898186/49ers-nfl-draft-prospects-meetings-2018-shrine-game

  25. Joel Corry on quarterback market value “Matt Ryan’s 2013 $20.75M per year extension when the salary cap was $123M equates to right around $30M per year in a 2018 cap environment.”

    1. Different body of work, though. And it’s not linear. In for 2017 Carr started his $125/5 while Stafford started his $135/5.

  26. Random question. Shaquille Barrett is a rfa. The broncos would tender him. What do you think it would take in terms of salary to get him here and also compensation to Denver to pick him up. He’s only 25 and would be a huge upgrade over Eli Harold

    1. Depends on what the Broncos tender him at. They won’t want to lose him so I would guess they tender him at a 2nd round pick if not a 1st. So to sign him you are then looking at a big contract along with giving up a high pick. I can’t see the Niners going that route.

  27. This argument will never be settled its all just opinion. My opinion is Montana #1 Brady#2 and Graham #3 but the best QB play i’ve ever seen was Steve Young’s performance in the 2nd half of the 94 season and the post season. Taking passing and running into consideration he was close to perfect.

    1. “This argument will never be settled”

      It will be settled next Festivus through feats of strength.

        1. Easy way to settle this. Madden. Jack can have Brady, I’ll take Montana, and if he has a XBox or Playstation, we can play each other as soon as this evening….

  28. Hey Grant,

    Is there a Press Democrat shut down also? How about some new Niner info?

    Geez

  29. Wow, missed some good stuff!

    Nickname for Foster? “Foster Freeze” of course. (Favorite place to go when he has the munchies and what he does to opposing offenses)

    Juan’s top 10 QB’s of all time?

    1. Montana
    2. Brady
    3. Elway
    4. Manning
    5. Unitas
    6. Graham
    7. Staubach
    8. Bradshaw
    9. Aikman
    10. Favre

    There, it’s settled. ;>)

  30. Thanks tjf! That press conference was painful! Belichick is a great coach, one of the greatest, but what a prick he is when dealing with the press. Jeesh. Get over yourself Billy!!

  31. NFL draft teems with underclassmen; which could tempt 49ers?

    BY MATT BARROWS
    January 19, 2018 12:18 PM
    Updated 2 hours 22 minutes ago

    SANTA CLARA
    The NFL on Friday released a list of the 106 early entry candidates for the upcoming draft. That’s the highest number ever and doesn’t include a smaller group of underclassmen who have fulfilled their degree requirements or otherwise qualified for the draft.

    The full list of non-seniors in the draft can be found below. The highlighted names are players that are reasonable choices for the 49ers at pick No. 9 or 10.
    http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article195624694.html

    1. Hard to predict the depth of a draft. Months ago I read the NFL was trying to discourage too many underclassmen from entering the 2018 draft. I was worried that would diminish the value of trading 2017 pick 67 for the Saints 229+2018 2nd. Especially if the Saints have a good 2017 season.

      That Saints 2018 2nd pick turned out to be pick 59. Hopefully the high number of underclassmen entering the draft will bolster the talent at 59. Also a plus 229 turned out to be Adrian Colbert.

    2. TomD

      That couldn’t have been too hard for Matt B…the highlites, are an all-pro team two years from now….

      1. Yeah, Oregoniner,

        And as Brodie pointed out, Colbert at 229 demonstrated solid draft research, lets see what the 49ers do at 9 or 10.

  32. San Francisco 49ers
    NFL1000 Rankings: Garcon Was a Surprising Top 10 WR

    9. Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers:

    Before a neck injury landed him on injured reserve in November, Pierre Garcon was one of the most impressive receivers in the NFL. Playing with well-below-average quarterbacks, Garcon was thriving as Kyle Shanahan’s No.1 receiver.
    http://bleacherreport.com/san-francisco-49ers

    1. We called it H&I barrages in Nam. 4-6 155mm random howitzer shots every 90+/- minutes. An occaisional TOT “Mad 60:00!” Just to keep everyone’s adrenaline levels up.
      And then the other guys had their own initiatives. 7.6mm/12.75mm/14.7mm/37mm/
      /57mm/75mm/100mm/120mm/140mm guns
      RPGs/100mm/122mm/140mm/200mm rockets

      1. Thinks the contract might be 5 years at an average of $26 million per year with $80 million guaranteed.

        1. That’s pretty close to what I said about a month and a half ago.

          The guarantee should be around that number because that’s about what he’d get by being franchised the next 3 years.

  33. 26m per year? That’s it? How the hell am I gonna live on that? After taxes that’s a pidly 15 to 18m per year! I wont sign. That’s chicken feed. I have the leverage. I want 30m per year, guaranteed for 10 yrs, and I want and Island, maybe in the Mediterranean.

  34. Be careful Jack. Saying you predicted something a month ago sounds a lot like an old poster from Sebastopol. Sorry, being a little “snarky”!

    1. Barring injury, no way Jackson lasts until 22, they had I think, 3 CB’s ahead of him. And I also believe if the colts don’t bolster their oline in free agency, then they will draft the best olineman in the draft. I thought we were bad up front, but the colts are just as well. So they want to protect their franchise qb

  35. M. Barrows underclassman list for the 2018 Draft added draft talent to an already solid draft position for the 49ers.

    A few reasons for positivity and the 49ers making the wild card if not a 1st Rd. bye in 2018:

    1. Last season, at 0-9, folks were envious of the LA Rams head coach, suggesting Shanny was over his head w/o an OC. I stated that the front office had little time to plan their offseason program, find talent, and to judge them on 2018 when the 49er front office has a full offseason to work with.

    2. 49ers found their ‘franchise QB’ in year 1 ! Anyone want to bet against Shanny finding something easier—–A go to wide receiver in year 2 ?

    3. The draft is loaded with O-Linemen. For example, I mentioned a small school OT who is labeled a franchise left tackke above–Chukwuma Okorafor, West Michigan .
    Along with Barrows list of undrclassman declarations, this depth allows the Niners to draft their Leo, Bradley Chubb, Georgia, if he falls. Pass rusher, over an ND guard.
    A nice article about the LEO (Pass Rusher) being the NFL’s 2nd most important pos. is listed below.

    4. Trade down possibilities are over 90% due to underclassman declarations. One guard does not effect the team as much as a LEO or or 3 more talented players. If the house in Vegas gave anyone a 3-1 advantage on a bet only the fool turns it down.

    In last years draft, that fool proved to be the Chicago Bears.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2017/08/01/the-value-of-a-sack-and-why-pass-rusher-is-the-nfls-second-most-important-position/?utm_term=.58b41576fd71

  36. More like Josh Gordon as an example. No so much Aldon Smith cuz he’s an alcoholic instead but similar point.

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