49ers’ salvage plan probably far too late to matter

This is my Friday column. The San Francisco 49ers hit the iceberg weeks ago. So, why are they benching Colin Kaepernick now? What does this move say about the mindset of the franchise? We’re looking at two issues here: the Jim-Tomsula issue, and the Jed-York-Trent-Baalke-dynamic-duo issue. Although the issues are similar. Let’s deal with the Tomsula issue first. Tomsula is desperate. He realizes he’s in over his head, and probably…

November 5, 2015
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5 things to know about the Raiders before camp opens

Here’s my training-camp preview for the Raiders. The Raiders may be on the upswing. They have a quality head coach (Jack Del Rio), college football’s top offensive weapon from 2014 (Amari Cooper) and a franchise quarterback (Derek Carr). But Oakland still has a ways to go before it becomes a playoff contender. Here are five key questions the Raiders will face during training camp: 1. Do they have a deep-threat…

July 22, 2015
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Raiders’ Davis emerges as the owner with respect

This is my Tuesday column. At a certain point, Jed York had all the goodwill and Mark Davis had none. I’m talking as recently as six months ago. People perceived York as one of the best owners in the NFL, a forward-thinking young entrepreneur who had a brand new stadium, a great team and a great coaching staff. A winner. People perceived Davis as a bumbler who had no experience,…

February 16, 2015
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49ers, here’s your man

This is my Wednesday column. I don’t get you, Jed. You say you know what you’re looking for and you still can’t find it. I asked you Monday what qualities the next head coach of the 49ers should have. You were prepared for that question. Right away, you said, “I want a teacher. I think what made Bill Walsh so successful is that he was a great teacher, whether that…

December 30, 2014
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