Time for the 49ers to sweep out Trent Baalke

Before the season even started, we knew Trent Baalke would be the 49ers’ scapegoat if they needed one. Now they’re sinking fast, and they need one. It seems inevitable they’ll fire him by the end of the season.

I say get it over with. Fire Baalke during the bye week, a week and a half from now.

Click here to read the rest of my column.

This article has 294 Comments

  1. Well written.

    I agree with your premise and your suggested action plan…except for one thing…

    The Yorks don’t have any idea of how to execute this process and have no adult in the room who can hold their hands while they do it.

    They have no Carmen…they have no idea what they’re doing…

    They have real estate people in Ohio who made the Stadium happen.

    They have NOBODY to run a football team.

    1. The main change I would like to see in the next few weeks is Jed York fielding punts, with strict instructions to not fair catch any.

      1. Not bad… Second best might be having Jed line up at DT against a power running team for a couple series.

      1. waste of time read……you gave only two dumb reasons why they should fire baalke

        “He has put together the least-talented team in the NFL despite having more draft picks than any other franchise since 2013, and having more than $43 million in cap space right now.”

        injuries, retirements have had more impact on the roster …..and having $43 mil in cap space is a great thing.

        Firing Baalke will create a fresh, new perspective on personnel within the organization, and most likely will bring out more contributions and free thought from the rest of the staff which likely feels downtrodden and not listened to.

        this is your dumbest comment……fire baalke and these people turn on the switch to do their jobs……..are you serious?, you actually sat down and thought this would the senario if Baalke is fired…….

        Baalke is a genius……yes we have had a bunch of bad luck with some players…..but the truth is JH did screw us up…I blame JH for most of our problems now……..

        #7 decline in play is JH fault…….

        Baalke is the best when it comes to trade dealings during the draft…..I like his patience during FA……..blame the coaches….

        if JH was that great a coach he would still be coaching a NFL team……..

        1. if you are going to write about firing Baalke the least you can do is judge him on all his actions as a GM…….

          lets see a breakdown of all his player decisions………don’t give us flimpsy excuses and fantasy ideas.

          if i was going to advocate for “FIRE GRANT”, my argument would be based on how poor your writing and boring your articles are………not the lack of knowledge or common sense from your readers (aka Seb, TomD etc…) and definately not that the conversations on the blog would improve or be more educative……

          1. Yup attack the messenger, not the message.

            Baalke so deservedly needs to be fired, from his dealing with JH and Kaep, the mass defections, the FA shunning to the ACL strategy. The leaks and smears just makes me want them to fire him on the team bus so all the players can cheer. Whiffing on an entire draft class and zero decent FAs means that Baalke is going to fire himself.

            This last debacle that lets Kaep out of his contract is just another nail in his coffin, and Baalke is a dead man walking, because if Kaep does well, Baalke will be blamed when Kaep kicks him in the teeth and signs elsewhere. However, he probably will not do well because Baalke has assembled a team of low talent scrubs that allow 150 yards rushing per game. If the Niners keep losing, Baalke is gone for sure, because they cannot afford another drafting debacle.

            Calling Baalke a genius just means you have less than zero football knowledge. Baalke inherited a talented team built by Scott M, and has proceeded to dismantle it with predictable results. Baalke is the problem, and shills like you just turn my stomach.

            1. Oh, I forgot, Not retaining veteran talent like Crabtree, Iupati and Gore has doomed the team, but they left because of Baalke.

              Baalke is an imbecile to trade a player to a division rival, and is even more clueless to allow a good player to be poached like Garrison Smith.

          2. Time to retire to the dressing room for a wardrobe fix. YOUR posts are tiring and your cheerleader skirt has fallen down around your ankles.

            1. Sounds like you are groping, like your hero.

              I laugh at your post, and feel even more justified in my position. Sounds like your position is bending over.

          3. While I have come to the conclusion that this team needs a new face and new perspective at GM, I agree with a lot of what you’re saying oneniner.

            Grant: “What the Niners have are young role players mixed in with other young role players who have torn ACLs.”

            This type of exaggeration and conflation Grant uses in his columns really undermines the entire body of his articles, and focus of his original points.

            The 49ers have 53 healthy players on their roster, and 4 on IR with ACL tears, and 3 of those 4 were healthy when Trent acquired them. That means that when you include the 7 players on IR for with various injuries, along with the current healthy 53 man roster (not including the practice squad), ACL injuries account for less than 7% of the roster.

            Only marginally above league average.

            And again, of that 6-plus%, only 1 of those players is still recovering from an ACL injury they had suffered before they were acquired. And it’s ridiculous to infer Baalke is somehow responsible for the 3 ACL injuries that occurred during camp, preseason, or regular season games.

            In terms of role players, again, your exaggeration comes across as, frankly, silly, and only reduces the effectiveness of your larger point. I’m not going to break down every starter on this roster, but I’d love to know which starting players on the 49ers base defense are actually better suited as role players? It’s an odd way of looking at an NFL roster.

            As for whether Trent Baalke deserves to remain GM for the 49ers is far more nuanced than you want us to believe, but at it’s core, I agree Baalke has made enough mistakes to warrant losing his job, and should be fired anytime between now, and the end of the season. Not because the entire roster is full of nothing more than role players and ACL injuries. That’s absurd.

            However, Trent’s shortcomings…..specifically his inability to identify, evaluate, and draft offensive playmakers, with the exception of RB, has really hurt this franchise, and rendered this current team inept in terms of offense. Additionally, while I like the current group of DB’s, he’s been forced to use too many draft picks on CB’s, at the expense of other positions of need, like the linebacking corp. And these failures have manifested themselves in other ways. When you don’t have a franchise QB, strong blueprint, or track record, it’s harder to attract talented FA’s, or quality coaching.

            Jed York caught a break, IMO, when he was able to land Chip Kelly. He’s a credible HC, and he has a strong vision which to build a winning team around. But it’s a passing league and none of that is going to make a difference if the 49ers can’t field a team that can threaten teams vertically, or get after the opposing team’s passing game by disrupting their QB.

            And Trent has failed miserably in both of these critical areas! It’s time for him to go.

          4. What stats tell us Balke is bad?

            1) Seattle has ha 9 pro bowl appearances by players they have selected since 2011. San Francisco, 2 (and Aldon Smith is no longer with the team, Reid who is not playing well, but that may be form the overall team)

            2) SF has only 24/61 players drafted since 2011 on our roster, with 14 starters, including Kap, Garnett, Acer.

            I could go on and on — But it’s clear we have few top players from the draft or from FA that are or will be team leaders. JH was did not draft or do FA — Trent did. Time to let Trent go. If not, the team risks full on disaster with the fans.

        2. You’re delusional. You also criticize Grant for providing only “two dumb reason” yet you call Baalke a genius and blame Jim Harbaugh without giving one reason why both premises make sense which, of course they don’t..

        3. oneniner

          Hear…Hear…

          Well said, Baalke has given us a very good team…the depth has been swallowed up by injuries, bad choices, early retirements, and lawyers, agents, and half-hearted efforts by some players ‘taking plays off’ ….So just how would YOU cure the problem if god made you GM ? When Harbaugh decided to show off his brilliance by replacing Alex Smith with Kaepernick…he undid all of the work that the front office under Macloughan (including Baalke and his other scouts) had done back to Jerry Garcia (yes, I know) . He took a QB who brought us to the NFC championship game only to be undone by two fumbled punts…and he traded him to KC and turned that team over to Kaep….bad decision JH. We’ll live with that one for a long time after JH leaves Michigan….

  2. Grant had better hope the Press Democrat doesn’t use the same approach with him.

    1. How did we “know” Baalke was this seasons scapegoat? The fact his contract was extended or was it something else?

    2. No future “elite” players? Brown, Armstead, Buckner, Hyde, Robinson, would care to have a word.

    3. Why is the bye a good time to change GM’s? They don’t actually play so it doesn’t really matter does it?

    4. Firing Baalke doesn’t change the roster or coaching, so it sends no kind of signal to anyone.

    5. Who says Gamble is any better?

    6. “Firing Baalke will create a fresh, new perspective on personnel within the organization, and most likely will bring out more contributions and free thought from the rest of the staff which likely feels downtrodden and not listened to” Says who exactly?

    Yes, Baalke should be replaced but this is a poor article. All the other Niner beat reporters have written far better pieces on the same topic.

    1. You’re dumb AF. Grant addressed most of your stupid questions in his article. Are you really this brain dead?

    2. 1. Unreal fan, Baalke extended himself, then had the temerity to not know how many years he extended it. Just for being so clueless, I think Baake should go.

      Or maybe he knew exactly how long it was extended for, but thought he could lie with impunity. For being such a venal liar, I hope they fire him on the team bus.

      2. How many of those players have made the pro bowl? They sound pedestrian to me.

      3. Does it matter? Yes, if they want to win.

      4. Yes it will dramatically affect the roster, when players like Garnett and Skov get their chance to play. I also think they should promote Dujuan Harris and sit Draughn and Davis.

      5. Gamble cant be worse. Baalke has set records in futility.

      6. I do.

      No, many other writers have never even mentioned Baalke being fired. They are all drinking that Baalke Kool Aide, blaming others for Baalke Failures.

    3. “2. No future “elite” players? Brown, Armstead, Buckner, Hyde, Robinson, would care to have a word”

      Armstead and Buckner at this point are busts. The rest have shown flashes of brilliance but no consistency. Brown was trash a week ago last Thursday.

      1. Wow what an idiotic comment to call Armstead and Buckner busts. Every team in the league would want those two and would start for just about everybody.

    4. Agreed, the heart of this latest article of Grant’s is ridiculous, and poorly thought out. However, the initial concept, i.e. that the 49ers ought to consider firing Baalke sooner, rather than later, is a valid point.

      It’s just unfortunate that Grant’s exaggerated style and absurd proclamations reduce it’s effectiveness.

  3. Good read Grant.

    I agree on all points, especially this part.

    “Firing Baalke will create a fresh, new perspective on personnel within the organization, and most likely will bring out more contributions and free thought from the rest of the staff which likely feels downtrodden and not listened to.”

    I think Chip and Trent are at odds. I don’t think their relationship will get any better. Fire Baalke now so the Niners don’t have an awkward Christmas party this year.

    1. I love the 49ers and watching what has happened under Trent B getting rid of Jim
      Harbaugh and dragging this team through the dirt hurts a lot to him it’s just a job good buy we won’t miss u

  4. Why do NFL teams have a GM for all players? Baalke is really good with defense and terrible with offense. Why not have an offensive and defensive GM?

    1. Because someone has to be the final voice and have an ability to analyze both sides of the ball equally. What you just described is a Scout. Some Scouts have an eye for certain positions over others. Baalke was a Scout and a pretty good one from most reports. He’s just not adept at making the right decisions on draft day, and is uneven in the FA market as well. He’ll get a Scouting position from another team I would guess, maybe even from his old buddy Scott McCloughan.

    2. He’s not “really good” with defense. His ceiling is being an above average DB scout.

  5. I agree that Baalke needs to go Grant but firing him before the end of the season really achieves nothing imo. They can’t talk to employees of other teams without permission and nobody is going to give permission during the season. Also, the Scouts are looking at a wide range of players, not just players that fit a certain prototype or style, so it’s really not going to change the scouting dept. very much, other than they’ll be answering to a new boss. The time to change the GM and Scouting dept. was after last season. Now they are in no mans land in regards to doing anything personnel wise that can positively affect this season.

    I also wouldn’t describe Baalke as a Scape Goat. He is fully deserving of being fired with the mess he has created.

    1. The reason for doing it before the end of the season is to allow others to start evaluating the needs of the team earlier, and not be influenced by Baalke’s decisions/ thoughts.

      1. I admit that unless the replacement is hired internally this benefit is marginal at best.

      2. The sooner this moronic dictator is booted from Denise Way the better. He is a sh*tstorm.

  6. Should have never fired Scott McCloughin. Sure he had a drinking problem but who doesn’t? Work with him, bring in an intern till he got sober. That guy was great on talent evaluation. As good as John Schnieder is in Seattle, McCloughin helped draft a lot of that roster.
    The Niners/York have always made knee jerk decisions. I would expect the same.

    Great read Grant!

      1. Yeah it means you should try it, might take the piss and vinegar out of your miserable being. I asked you to try human interaction but based on calling yourself Big, that might be an insecurity into not being well endowed. I dont really care, just a suggestion

  7. The Packers just released the Callahan kid. I’d like to see the Niners claim him and dump Gabbert or Ponder.

    1. I agree rocket. We need a QB to develop. Kap is the only QB with potential, but he already has one foot out the door. Callahan looked good against us. Even if he fails, he wouldn’t be any worse than Gabbert and Ponder.

      1. Callahan would be a good pickup. They should trade Gabbert to a team that needs a starting QB. Gabbert would be happy to be starting again, and that trade would create room for Callahan.

          1. GFY, Gabbert was a starting QB, and with the attrition rate of QBs in this league, he would be better than some unproven backup or rookie.

            Granted, he is damaged goods, but some teams with no experienced QBs would be desperate enough to obtain Gabbert.

            1. seb

              What a slimey adgendized post….insult upon injury and made up in your mindmark my words…Gabbert will replace Kaep a second time….but then ‘Chip’ can say “we tried it your way…so now STFU ”

              You guys and your popularity contest QB’s

              1. Ore, I do not know why you hate Kaep with such passion. I certainly do not hate Gabbert that much. In fact, I was advocating a way that he could become a starting QB again, with a fresh start.

                Other teams, desperate for a decent QB, will take a chance on Gabbert. Like Grant says- we have seen him make throws. He just needs to be more consistent. I even think he is worth a conditional second round pick.

              2. You know why some 49ers fans “hate” Kap?
                The hype was never justified. He also never improved. The promise quickly vanished like a a passing storm!

              3. Prime, with a HC who is smart enough to utilize him properly, I expect the 2012 Kaep to emerge, especially since he has a decent O line and Hyde is healthy.

                This game will be a hard test, and I bet Ryan is going to throw the kitchen sink at Kaep. I hope they think 2 moves ahead, and set up the defense.

              4. Are you the same guy today as you were in 2012? Are any of us the same as we were 3 years ago?
                Asking a high performance athlete to replicate a performance from 3 years ago when in the past 3 years he has shown considerable decline is almost asking for the impossible.
                We’ll see tomorrow!

              5. Prime, maybe he will be older, wiser, healthy, more experienced, and has learned from his mistakes. 28 means he is in the prime of his life, and with the proper coaching in the perfect system, he will not be asked to make incredible throws. He will be asked to make the simple, easy throws that puts the ball in the hands of his playmakers.

              6. Seb you have lots of hopes for Kap. Hoping he has changed in many areas. That is a lot of variables and a lost to ask for.
                You say “He will be asked to make the simple, easy throws that puts the ball in the hands of his playmakers”
                Precision and accuracy are things he has never done well.
                We’ll see tomorrow!

    2. rocket,
      Didn’t we have Callahan (or his likeness) a few years ago in Scott Tolzien? Callahan has the same resume as did Tolzien when he played for San Diego: He looked good against us in a preseason game.
      We don’t need another QB that will take up what will probably be a PS spot.

      We will just need to bite our time and take our lumps this season and hope that (hopefully a new GM) we can find a QB in the draft that can become our franchise 7-10 yr starter. If we go first rd with a QB at this point I’ll be fine with that.
      If we can wait till the 2nd rd to find our QB I’m ok with that as well just as long as Chip has a say in the choice.

      1. AES,

        I wasn’t suggesting Callahan was the answer to our long term QB problem. We just don’t have a young QB on the roster to develop right now and I saw a lot of good things from him in the preseason – not just against the Niners – and would rather have him than one of the vets we already know isn’t a long term option for the team.

        Regardless of what they do the rest of this season, they have to draft a QB in the first couple of rounds next year. I’m leaning toward Falk in round two or trading back into the bottom of round two, because I don’t see any first round caliber QB’s after Kizer at the moment.

        1. rocket,
          I wasn’t so much disagreeing with your Callahan take, only trying to reinforce a preseason mindset (I’ve been there myself) of players that play well in preseason are many times viewed as the type of players that a team needs.

          We felt that way with players like Nate Davis and BJ Daniels and the afore mentioned Scott Tolzien. These type of players rarely stick on NFL rosters for long.

          I think we learned with the c’boys this year that we don’t need to draft a QB in the first rd (unless Kizer is available) to find a future star. But we certainly may not find one after rd 4-5 which is what Baalke has been doing of late.

        2. Unfortunately, it appears Callahan signed with the Saints. I agree we need a long term QB development. And while Watson has had his issues this year with Clemson, I think he’d be a fine choice in the 1st round.

  8. I realize we all need something to talk about, however, we all know that nothing will change until the ownership of this franchise changes. Dr. John York and Denise made their promise to field a “fiscally responsible team” in the Nineties. They have done that using our loyalty and support. The York ownership is the root cause of this disgraceful fall from a championship organization. The rest of the reasons are just fodder for weekly articles.
    Sorry it is the truth!

    1. The problem with the Yorks is they never have been able to hire the right people or work with them to get it right. Steve Mariucci comes to mind, Jim Harbaugh, Norv Turner. All sucessful coaches they employed but they could not stay out of the way, so they fired them instead.

        1. What about former GMs like Marty Hurney, Martin Mayhew, Chris Polian, Ted Sundquist or Scott Pioli?

          1. It should’ve happened last year……….. I believe Chip gets at least 2 years, and likely 3- depending upon the contract- I wanted Shanahan as he seems to game plan to exploit weaknesses vs plugging in the same formula.

        2. Shanahan is a rising star. I wouldn’t be too upset with that hire but I think Chip gets probably 2 more years. If the 9ers fire Baalke it’s an admission the FO agrees Baalke sucked at building the roster. They will give Chip time even if the results are poor since you’ve basically admitted the problem isn’t the coaching but rather the players.

        3. Big P and I have been calling for the hiring of Kyle Shanahan since Harbaugh was let go. He turned down an interview a couple of years ago and the team has jerked his Father around twice now, so I would guess the Niners job isn’t high on his list.

        1. Turner was hired in the offseason. Not during the year. It was very late in the offseason so the 9ers had to scramble to find an OC. I think that’s how they ended up with Jimmy Raye.

          1. Close, it was Jim Hostler and the beginning of the downward spiral for Alex Smith and the carousel of OC’s.

            1. Yup. Good call. I vividly remember Hostler saying in training camp he was going to mix Turner’s throw downfield offense with tenets from the Bill Walsh WCO. I knew at that point, the 9ers were doomed.

              I also vividly remember Trent Dilfer saying Hostler was one of the top OC’s in the NFL. Dilfer thought he was a genius. I knew at that point, Dilfer was an imbecile who’s favorite hobby was listening to himself talk.

        2. MT 9er

          Yes, you are correct, but that’s a fact…..what’s it doing on HERE ?

          As was Mike McCarthy by the Packers…so what do the niners do ?…Fire Mike Nolan for finding two great OC’s who got paid more by other teams.

    2. THE SKY IS FALLING AGAIN….THE SKY IS FALLING AGAIN …LET’S RESIGN DEBERG OR ANYONE ELSE THAT HASN’T BEEN NAMED ON TODAY’S BLOG….THE SKY IS FALLING AGAIN….Grant…thanks for the fresh meat….

  9. It took me awhile but I finally am on the fire Baalkie group. I would like to see in the new GM’s contract – no drafting any ACL or any other significant injury, if so immediately fired.

  10. The Mutiny On The Baalke has been imminent and I agree with the article completely. I said as much the other day. Grant’s reasoning is exactly correct and the plan moving forward is precisely what will be required….

      1. No mystery there. It will be Gamble. Jed doesn’t like hiring outside if he doesn’t have to.

        1. Rocket
          I think you’re right about Jed on that point of prefering hiring from within. I’ve tried to figure out what drives that in him. My best guess is he values loyalty to and from those he trusts in his org.
          In the NFL, he’s competing against the best in the world in a big time high stakes business, and he needs to be hiring people who are competitive at that level; not just guys from the executive lunch rooms, or the country club.
          If he were a good manager he wouldn’t be afraid to bring on a big shot and actually manage him.
          Harbaugh was difficult; so what? Do your job, put out the fires while they are small. Deal with it! Jed failed. He hired an axxho, then fired him for being one, and replaced him with………
          You’re the boss, Jed, freakin’ act like one!
          Promote Gamble if you want, but you need someone with vision and patience to rebuild this roster.

          1. Preach on Brotha. I agree with everything you said and one of the biggest problems I see with Jed, is he is sensitive to the fact people don’t view him as worthy of the position he holds. It seems he truly craved credit and respect for turning the Niners around to the point he foolishly believed he and Baalke had put together an environment and roster that could be successful with anyone Coaching it. That’s both arrogance and ignorance to the extreme and it’s a bad combination. He needs to recuse himself as President and hire somebody to find the right people to run this team. I doubt he’ll come that conclusion any time soon, but we can hope it happens at some point.

            1. you got to remember Jed did not even run a lemonaid stand as a kid.
              He was just given the key to the place cause the family owned it, not that he was deserving or capable of running it at age 27
              At 27 he should have been still picking up jock strap in the locker room

    1. I agree Baalke should have been fired at least a year ago. I doubt he’s fired during the season. That would be a huge giant middle finger from Jed York to all the players on the roster. It would basically send the message from ownership to the players that, “You all suck, and it’s Baalke’s fault he drafted you talentless bums.”

      I highly doubt thats a message Jed York has the cajones to send.

  11. I agree with most of what u say grant, except i thought he should fired. In 2012. His scouts should be fired too. Hire scouts from. Green bay, pittburg or pats. They generally pick decent players. Baalke had all these picks every year and gets no return. He use to pick fairly decent defensive player s cant do that anymore . fire him now, make interim gm. Gamble. And interview hire new Gm. York should stay out his. Let him do his job. Even walsh 1st few years we lost. But the offence was exciting. I dont think harb couldve won much with this team

    1. Too bad we cant get scott mccullough back. He signed most pro bowl players Only big mistake was taking alex. Instead of rogers

  12. I agree with you Grant,you are on point,Baalke makes me sick,the LAST 3 drafts and He passed on ALL those WRs( Beckham,Allen Robinson, Sammie Coates Bryant guy from Clemson,Jerry Rice Nephew Matthew,just sickening how he just ignored that Position and never addressed the QB position,just get his ass fired NOW!)

    1. To be fair to Baalke he didn’t pass on Odell. That was the player he was rumored to be targeting. The problem was there were multiple other options available at his selection and he passed on them then.

  13. Scapecoat? Scapecoat??? Baalke is guilty as charged and not a scapegoat. Niners are riding, and you are writing, a dead horse with him. Fire this POS, already.

  14. As long as Jed is in charge this franchise will suffer. He has no business being involved with the team on any level. The York’s are the worst owners in the NFL and it’s not even close.

  15. I have not posted on this site since prior to the Arizona game last season. Wanted to wait until Kaep was gone, just was tired of all the negativity.

    I stated early in the 2013 season that Baalke was a bad choice and would eventually oversee the decline of the 49’s. This was based on the assessment that a person who suffers from OCD is not someone you hire as a GM. He is better suited as a previous poster has stated as an underling. I can not understand how owners of sports team hire personalities that have personalities that carry internal time bombs just waiting to explode. I mean they give players psychological test before they draft them, but with their front office they don’t?

  16. Dork Please Replace Baalke with Tom Gamble and make Baalke your personal assistant for Real estate business; not football since you don’t have guts to fire him

  17. The perfect example of York fecklessness.

    “Peter asked us if we could not make the playoffs this year to make sure the turf was as good as possible,” York said with a grin. “I said, ‘OK, if that’s what we have to do, then we’ll take that under advisement.”

    SMH. Most people wouldn’t be able to destroy a franchise so quickly even if they were trying to. The trajectory of this team since year four of Harbaugh is absolutely inexcusable.

    1. BP,
      Somewhere Jim Harbaugh is thanking his lucky stars that he is far away from this dumpster fire.

      In fact, I believe that Harbaugh said after Tomsula’ dismissal something to the effect in speaking of the 49ers FO; “you reap, what you sow.”

      This team should have the same perennial winning culture as the Steelers do. Whatever the Steelers owners (Rooney’) have done over the years has allowed them to limit losing seasons over the last 20 years. They have a great culture.
      We had that at one time when Eddie D was at the helm, but these days our beloved team is once again looking for their identity.
      Sad…

        1. Just shows how little you know. JH is a great coach, and led the Niners back to relevance. Baalke just rode his coat tails.

          If JH had been provided with better talent, the Niners could have won a couple rings. But no, Baalke chose players like AJ freakin Jenkins, a nobody, just like Baalke.

        2. There are 110,000 fans that fill the Big House in Ann Arbor during home games that would highly debate that.
          But hey, to each it’s own.

          1. AES,
            They sucked pre-Harbaugh and they suck post-Harbaugh. Oneniner is still butt hurt that Smith was traded, which is why he continues with these outbursts from time to time.

            1. Lets be honest about one thing, Harbaugh is a good coach but he inherited a ready to win now roster

              1. Mariucci got the post-Young team back to the playoffs after a couple of years of rebuilding and was fired. That’s what a good coach can do. Harbaugh had a spectacular run ended prematurely by Baalke’s drafting and York’s incompetence. York hired Tomsula and thought he would be equally as effective as Harbaugh. Nobody else thought that. Baalke flat out said the team wasn’t rebuilding after Harbaugh’s dismissal. After one brutal season he chaged his tune and Tomsula was gone. It is what it is.

  18. It does not matter who the GM is. As long as the Yorks continue to own the 49ers, the franchise and fan base will continue to suffer for it.

  19. I read and hear a lot of people wishing to have Eddie D back in charge of the team.

    Eddie was great during his time, but he got lucky with the Walsh hire. Walsh laid the foundation and it was maintained for a while but by the time Eddie was forced out the team was already in decline.

    The salary cap took away his greatest weapon. Same thing with Jerry Jones in Dallas.

    1. No doubt, but at least Eddie had the passion to win. I don’t see that in the York’s. They have been making terrible decisions since they took control of the team. The York’s have ruined winning situations with two different coaches. They are business people who have consistently made terrible football related decisions and they have destroyed the legacy of this franchise.

      1. This has nothing to do with the Yorks, but don’t you think the reason that Eddie had to give up control tarnished the organization a bit?

        1. He gave up control when his father’s assets were divided up on his death. You could look it up. He didn’t have to he opted to. How does that tarnish the organization?

            1. Jack – quit trading on your reputation of being knowledgeable. You don’t know everything. Eddie D gave up ownership of the team as part of the splitting up of his father’s estate. Apparently you are too lazy to take Casey Stengel’s advice and “look it up”. The split up of the family assets had nothing to do with his personal troubles but is reflective of the fact that the Yorks are not easy to get along with even when it comes to family. Eddie got the real estate assets because that’s what he wanted under the circumstances. Cite some credible authority for your position if you want to call me stupid.

              1. You’re playing stupid because you know, or at least should, what I was getting at.

                Now, as for how the team was taken over by the Denise let’s read what Eddie had to say, “…Truthfully, the team really wasn’t taken away from me. I think it’s been a misnomer for many many years. Commissioner Tagliabue did obviously suspend me, but as I was going through negotiations with my family and we went through these negotiations and we went through them with lawyers, obviously and with a judge in Akron, Ohio. It did not come down to that team being taken, it came down to a decision that had to be made whether or not I wanted the 49ers or whether or not I wanted to take the other part of the company. And I figured at that time, and my sister Denise (49ers owner Denise York) was involved totally as was her family. I decided in that meeting in Akron Ohio, that I thought it would be best that I took the other side and my tenure with the 49ers would end then and end there. I don’t know if that story has ever been told, it may have been, it may have not been. But, it really was a choice, I figured there was more to do with my life at that time. I had succeeded and done a lot with the 49ers. It meant the world to me, but I figured with my daughters, with them getting older and obviously with all of us getting older and having grandchildren at the time, and them planning on families, that it would be best for me to do what was best to be a good grandfather, be a good husband and dad, and do what I want to do and maybe travel a little bit and spend more time with my family.”

              2. WC, I have to agree with Jack. Eddie was suspended, and the Niners could very easily have been taken away from them. However, by having Eddie cede control to Denise, it would stay in the family.

                Eddie would rather his sister keep the team, even though they have not seen eye to eye much over the team. IICRC, she was upset about how much money Eddie was pouring into it, and she labelled it -‘El Diablo’.

              3. Seb – I guess I’m too old to understand the nuances that Jack says I should. When I was young, I had had the opportunity to meet with Joe Thomas’ lawyer, Harold Dobbs, after he was fired by Eddie. There was a rather large dispute as to what was owed to Thomas on his contract as a result of the firing. Dobbs recommended a lawsuit but Thomas insisted that Pete Rozelle, the then commissioner of the NFL, be allowed to arbitrate the dispute even though Dobbs strongly disagreed. Rozelle ruled in favor of Thomas and Eddie D basically said FY and the matter moved on to ligation (or the potential which is not really much different). If you think that Eddie D was intimidated by anything that Tagliabue had to say, I have a bone to pick with you. Like I said, Eddie D decided that it was best to give up ownership of the of his 55 percent for his own personal reasons (his father had 45 percent at his death) to the Yorks. Also, my information is that Eddie did make an offer to buy the the 45 percent interest from his sister but that offer died of natural causes. Apparently Eddie believed that he either got 100 percent of nothing. My apology to Jack if I misunderstood what he was getting at.

              4. WC, I agree that it was a division of the estate, and that Eddie made the decision, but I also remember those times vividly. Eddie said the biggest mistake in his life was allowing himself to be blackmailed by a dirty politician. It did lead to his suspension from the league, and, like Donald Sterling with the Clippers, the Debartolo’s could have been forced to sell the team. Sterling only said terrible things, Eddie was convicted of obstruction by not reporting being shaken down. Eddie kept it in the family by selling his share to his sister. This is like them saying that JH was mutually parted. It was the PC way to do it and the PR optics allowed Denise to keep the team because she had done nothing illegal.

                Spin it any way you want, this is just my take on the situation.

        2. Jack,
          Sure it did for the short term. Eddie is in the HOF and is loved by his former players and staff. The York’s are hated/loathed by just about everybody. They are terrible owners that have destroyed excellent situations while cultivating a losing environment. People were heartbroken when Eddie D ceded control of the team. Those same people would be break dancing if the York’s did the same. Jed and his parents are terrible owners and universally despised by the fans. They are simply the butt of jokes to everyone else involved with the NFL.

          The York’s ran off Mariucci and Harbaugh while embracing Erickson, Nolan, Singletary, Tomsula and Kelly. Trading winning for losing is how you destroy a winning legacy, and that is the only area the York’s have shown proficiency in.

          1. So glad to see you drinking and having human interaction. Finally starting to make sense of things. Good on ya Big P!

  20. Baalke has flaws.

    – In 7 drafts his best wide drafted receiver is Quinton Patton. Even a team that’s philosophically opposed to using high picks on receivers should have done better.

    – There’s a pattern of being unable to manage big personalities. Jim Harbaugh, Anthony Davis, Aldon Smith to name a few. This doesn’t excuse their Ack-Hat behavior, but managers must have the the ability to affect behavior of others. All managers are people managers. This may not be Baalke. Baalke is a smart, grinder introvert that excels at process. The ideal scout. Maybe not the ideal GM.

    – I hated this year’s 3rd round ACL pick. I actually like the idea of drafting players with injuries as long as the prognosis is good, and there is (at least) a 3 round bump in draft value. Day three late round non trade-able comp pick on an ACL… fine. Especially if its a crowded roster like 2013-2014.

    But pick 68 (Redmond) was too high. I hope the talented Redmond proves me wrong and plays great. This draft was deep, and there were starters to be had with pick 68. Tank, Thomas and Smelter were also taken too high.

    ACL picks yes, but only if 1) the roster is already crowded with talent, 2) they are taken in the very late rounds, 3) the prognosis is good, 4) taken at least three rounds higher than their projected round before injury.

    But…

    “Having more draft picks than any other franchise since 2013”

    Some credit goes to Baalke for creating these picks despite poor draft position. Also factor all the non trade-able late round junk comp picks. As high as 4 in one draft.

    “and having more than $43 million in cap space right now” could also be seen as a plus.

    1. Baalke stays or not, I think people will be disappointed for at least a few more years. It took the 49ers seven years to build the 2011 squad. This team looks to be in about year two or three of a rebuild.

    2. “Some credit goes to Baalke for creating these picks despite poor draft position. Also factor all the non trade-able late round junk comp picks. As high as 4 in one draft. ”

      good point…….

    3. Not to nitpick (but that’s exactly what I’m about to do) but Aldon didn’t really have an issue with Baalke he had an issue with sobriety. The majority of his Acl picks while made to high, were done when we had the most talented roster in the NFL. And I think While I think Jim and Trent didn’t get along they were of the same personality and could get have worked together… I think it was Jed who pushed Jim out after Jim said only men were allowed in when Jed tried to enter.

  21. The artical had me until “Jed York and his parents need to make a list of potenal Gm canidates and start doing research and backround checks on all of them”.

    That has been the problem all along,they are incompetent.
    Almost got me Grant, but intertaining none the less.

    1. hacksaw ..

      you saw through that one .. and
      I didn’t .. it flew right past me ..
      good job ! …

      Grant …

      good piece ! ..nonetheless ..

      That makes it … what ..?
      Twice year .. I’ve
      agreed with most your entire
      column ? …

      Color me … impressed .. !

      ;-}

      “….Baalke stays or not, I think people will be disappointed for at least a few more years….”

      Brodie ..

      think of as … a …

      bus load of lawyers …
      going off … Devil’s Slide ..

      Its a GREAT stsrt !

  22. Well, no one can accuse me of loving Baalke, because of the way he has treated Kaep throughout the past year, but I do not think they should fire him in mid season.

    It would just smack of desperation, and fit the narrative that Jed does not have a clue.If Gamble does not step in right away, Jed and his quick trigger would just scare away competent candidates who would not want to come here and destroy their career.

    Jed should hold him accountable, but make the transition smooth by booting Baalke upstairs to deal with contracts and financials. Gamble will slide into the GM position, and be the point man on all personnel decisions. This would seem a lot more controlled and well thought out, instead of another dumpster fire of controversy. Granted, it sure looks like Chip is flexing his muscles, and Baalke is losing power, but abruptly firing him may be counter productive.

    Firing the scouts may be counter productive, too. It looks like they have provided good assessments, but what Baalke did with those assessments may be the main problem. Once Baalke and his ACL- red flag strategy is jettisoned, the scouts can concentrate on player skillsets and intangibles.

    Guess Grant wants to be shunned by Baalke, and I am 100% convinced that Grant will not be used as a leaker. Still, I wish Grant would build bridges instead of burning them.

    However, this scenario may play out the way he thinks it is going. Baalke is a dead man walking. When it happens is irrelevant, and maybe sooner is better. No matter what, Baalke must not be allowed to control signing FAs, because while Baalke is GM, they will avoid the Niners like the plague. His drafts need a lot to be desired of, too. Whiffing on an entire draft class is hard to overlook.

    Booting Baalke upstairs would be more realistic, and show that Jed, while making the tough decisions, can also be an empathetic person. It would almost seem classy, unlike firing him on the team bus.

    I sure will not cry if Baalke is gone, but hope they can make the changes with as little turmoil as possible.

  23. Grant

    You’re couple years late, but nice job. This guy is the NFL’s worst personality. His mental illnesses make him unfit to lead men. What a garbage human.

  24. I say again, Grant, this is a marvelous piece, probably my favorite of all time. Keep doing stuff like this.

  25. Kilgore: Gabbert my best friend on 49ers, ‘it sucks’ he got benched

    Note to Kaepernick, watch for pressure in the middle….

    1. Kilgore also has been vocal about his opposition to Kap’s anthem sit-downs. You think he might become KillKap?

      1. Chip probably squashed that notion, and Kilgore is too much of a professional to let friendships affect the way he plays.

  26. Do y’all realize how screwed the 49ers are? If Kaep plays well and the teams wins some games … then he signs with another team FOR SURE … and the 49ers have a lower draft pick in their quest to get another QB … sheesh! Too late to get rid if Baalke … inevitable yes … but too late … team MAY be decent in 2020, we’ll see … oh God another election year ….

          1. #80,

            I would guess he’d feel exactly the same. Kaaya was up and down as he has been throughout his College career, and even though he threw a nice pass for the final TD, he only got the chance because of a punt return. He didn’t play poorly, but he was facing a defense that had been torched the previous few games and was held in check for pretty much the entire second half. Top QB’s have to be better than that. I’m interested to see the game against NC this week. Should be a good one.

            1. “I’m interested to see the game against NC this week. Should be a good one.”

              Yeah, me too. Looking forward to seeing Trubisky play as much as I am looking forward to watching Kaaya again.

              Also looking forward to the Washington State vs UCLA game.

              1. Trubisky is interesting isn’t he. Great size and all the physical traits and yet he goes out and has a stinker last week after starting off so well in the first few games. I think he’ll be better this week. Kaaya should have a good game against that defense as well. the WSU/UCLA game should be good too but it doesn’t look like Rosen is going to play. Would have been nice to see he and Falk go at it.

              2. Yeah, I haven’t really seen much of Trubisky but I am looking forward to seeing him.

                I hadn’t realised Rosen was likely out. Disappointing!

        1. Brooks also sums up what I have been saying. He can be a good game manager type QB with a decent supporting cast around him.

          I get why you don’t believe that is worth a high pick, but even that type of QB can be hard to find. Just ask the 49ers and Browns.

          1. I don’t dispute that Scooter. For me it’s all about where he’s being projected. Brad Kaaya in the second round is fine. Brad Kaaya in the top 5, or 10 for that matter, is bypassing a far superior option at another position imo. He’s not the kind of QB you reach for with a pick that high to me, especially when there are likely to be similar QB’s available later.

            1. Yeah, that’s a fair point rocket. This time last year (and leading up to the draft) I was saying the same sort of thing about QBs in general. To be perfectly candid, Kaaya has not taken the next step I was expecting to see from him this year yet. If he keeps playing the same way he has been the rest of the year I will probably feel the same way you do about him.

              1. That’s why it’s so hard to draft QB’s who aren’t a generational talent. It is a position that demands continued progression and consistency and as Watson is showing us, that is hard to live up to. You just don’t know what the ceiling/floor ratio is for a 22 year old kid.

  27. Baalke’s days seem to be numbered and he has plenty of missed opportunities along the way but his exit will not mean a return to greener pastures for the franchise. They still have the same inept and caustic ownership group and front office, the coaching staff makes one pine for Tomsula’s, and the players are still the same.

      1. Seb,

        You really gotta come back down to earth man! Kap never made the players around him better. He is an extremely limited QB. At best he is better than Gabbert, but not by much!

        1. East, its OK. You may say he is only slightly better than Gabbert, but the Super Bowl Kaep may emerge.

          You are right, with the dearth of talent surrounding him, it will be a daunting challenge.

          Chip is the key. If he can put players in positions to succeed, the Niners have a chance. He should expect them to blitz Kaep like crazy. He should also attack the edges, spread them wide to stop them from stacking the box, and gash them up the middle.

          If Chip rolls out Kaep and puts a man in motion, I fully expect the Niners to be competitive.

          1. Blitz! Ha! I doubt it. More like spy Kap and dare him to beat you through the air, which he can’t do.

            Why would any team help this team become competitive?

            1. Tim Ryan has been impressed with Kaep’s deep throws in practice. GB blitzed Kaep like crazy in the preseason, so I expect more of the same.

              Cowboys said they preferred facing Gabbert over Kaep, so I guess Baalke was helping them by sitting Kaep, and refusing to playing him until he renegotiated his contract.

  28. I agree it’s time for Trenk Baalke to go ! I even hope Oregon university has a job opening and Chip Kelly goes back to rebuild his legacy as a college coach for the next decade or two. Manly because I feel is he stays the next GM would only keep him for next season then go get the coach he wants that fits a traditional west coast system then the team would have another offseason of change. To which I say do it all know General Manager and Head Coach.

  29. Grant, nice article. I’m curious if you think Baalke made a mistake in extending Bowman early or do you think that was a good move at the time?

  30. They need a mature presence that could speak well and represent the team properly & have strong ties to our roots in the seals era… I think Brian Billick would be perfect as President and Gamble as GM.
    Billick knows Football and would be strong enough to keep the little bitches Jed & Prague & Guido on their side of the building to worry about Taylor Swift concerts & turf issues

      1. Naw, ALL competent Football people have big egos.

        Billick is a Walsh disciple, so I would whole heartedly endorse him coming to this team in some capacity.

          1. If Mike Shanahan were the coach, Kaep would be long gone. Look what he did with RGIII.

            I would take Holmgren in a heartbeat over Baalke as GM, but think he should not be the HC.

  31. “I don’t think he’s going to come out and just light it up,” Davis said. “I don’t expect him to have a Tom Brady day. But I think he’s going to be better than Blaine Gabbert. I think he’s a better quarterback than Blaine Gabbert and I think that this is a system that he can play in.”

    “You don’t want to bang your head against a wall and say, ‘This is my offense, this is what we do,”’ Gannon said. “A good play-caller and a good system has the ability to adjust to the personnel. You’ll want to adjust to what Kaepernick does well, what he’s comfortable with, what he has a history with.”

    It’s quite heartening to hear former NFL players reiterate what I’ve been saying all along….

    1. Razor,

      He’s saying that in regards to Chip calling plays that Kap is comfortable with and can execute. You were suggesting Kelly run a system like Harbaugh’s. Expecting a Coach who has been hired to run a specific offense to change to something that is polar opposite isn’t realistic, and certainly not during the season.

          1. I actually got to hang out with Saxon. They’re very down to earth and totally cool. Got all their autographs. They still kick ass. Crusader alone is worth the price of admission. UFO’s latest, Conspiracy Of Stars was very good. There finishing a cover album to release next year. Schenker and Way aren’t in it but the rest are. The guitar player(Vinnie Moore), although some might consider too technical for the music, is a master and blends his style to create his own interpretations. The voices of Biff and Phil are still outstanding. Here’s my favorite song from the Conspiracy Of Stars album:

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

            1. Not bad Razor. Something comforting about these bands that are still around in one form or another producing the same kind of sound they always have.

    2. Um what does he do well again? Oh, that’s right, runs the ball well. Pretty sure that wont work all game but we will see. The storm count down in less than 48 hours, so exciting!

      1. Ronnie Lott
        Eric Davis
        Bam Davis
        Michael Bennett

        All think Kaepernick gives the 49ers a better chance to win….

        1. Well thanks for that captain obvious. Who ever said Gabbert was going to be something great? At this point, Blake Bell is a better option.

          The one thing you Kap dreamers keep forgetting is that he could not beat out Gabbert in training camp? The only reason now they are going to old wind up is because they are 1-4, they have no choice. Gabbert played better in TC so they had no choice but to go with him. Now they have hit rock bottom and they have to go to Kap. What other choice do they have. That isn’t earth shattering.

          Not sure if you watch hockey but when you pull your goalie, its because you are pretty much asking for a miracle to turn things around. This is the exact same thing.

  32. Grant…I’ve been mostly a Baalke supporter. But, I think the team needs a new GM. They hired Kelly, known as a brilliant offensive mind, yet haven’t invested in nearly enough offensive skill players to execute Coach’s O. They drafted Driskell, then cut him. Baalke drafted Smelter, supposedly to replace Boldin when he left/retired. He’s yet to see the field. I do have to give him props for resurrecting the OL…I think the group we have now is good and should get better. Another failure IMHO is at RB…only Hyde is truly NFL-caliber. Baalke could’ve drafted a dandy last April, but chose not to. It’s become more & more evident it’s very risky to have one premier RB. They take a lot of punishment, thus the need to share carries and preserve their overall health. Firing Baalke at mid-season doesn’t really accomplish much…as pointed out by other posters, the Niner FO wouldn’t get many meaningful interviews other than unemployed former GM’s. The coaching/GM carousel starts as soon as the regular season’s over. I know Gamble’s reputation as an astute personnel guy…but we don’t know how effective he’d be as a GM. One veteran I think would be a great GM is Mike Lombardi. He has tons of experience and is the only former GM who’s worked with Belichick, Al Davis and Bill Walsh. That’s a pretty impressive resume.

    1. List of Bye Week Pink Slips:

      1. T. Baalke. Reason–It’s obvious.

      2. Chip Kelly. Reason–Tabbed as the next genius, he’s zero NFL coaching ability.

      A good coach realizes a no huddle offense that can’t covert 3rd downs stresses a defense because they play more snaps. With Kelly’s offense, no huddling hasn’t surprised opposing defenses, only their own. They are surprised to lead the NFL in number of snaps played, and how quickly their turn to play rolls around again after the coach fails to adjust his strategy, game after game, to the point of causing injury.

      This is a college offense that needs a larger roster to succeed. In college, the number of players a team can dress is unlimited…BYU typically dresses 125 on game day, so if a defender goes down they can easily replace him.

      Chip relied on roster numbers in college.

      List of people who should be obvious.

      The Yorks have now hired more coaches without successful NFL careers than ones with successful NFL careers. Coaches such as Singletary, Hosler, the radio DJ, Tomsula, etc, etc.

      Now it’s time to hire a pair with at least 8 Superbowls between them, and had the referees been fair, they could have had 12 Superbowl appearances–Mike Holmgren, who was screwed by refs in the Seattle vs. Steeler Superbowl, and Mike Shannahan should be hired to run the front office until Tom Gambles successor is found.

      These two know QB’s and WR’s when they see one. It was Shannahan who tried to force the Redskin owner to bench RG 3 and play Kirk Cousins when he was first hired and was fired because of it.

      Both would defer to the eventual GM, but help with the offensive talent evaluations, and in luring Kyle Shannahan to be head coach, helping to further his development.

      Kyle could find young bright minded coaching assistants, thus stabilizing the organizations future.

      1. TomD you are making a lot of sense but unfortunately the Dorks don’t think about money only their pocketbooks

  33. I agree that Balke is a problem, but I think the Yorks are a bigger problem. Furthermore, they have no clue how to hire a GM. The only good GM they had was Scott McCloughan and he was brought in by Mike Nolan

    Yorks should just sell the to someone who wants and cares about winning

    1. Excellent Post, Hawki.

      Crediting Nolan for this hire only makes the York’s look more clueless, navigating the NFL high seas w/o a compass because they are the guiding North Star in their own minds.

  34. The future GM has to have knowledge defensively also (Supposedly Baalke’s strong suit)

    The last four years all of the 49ers 1st Round picks have been spent on Defense. What do they have to show for it besides a last place team.

  35. Brad Dauer
    ‏@sancarlosbrad
    @timkawakami Would Jed ever ask someone respected like Polian his opinion on who to hire as a GM?

    Tim Kawakami Verified account 
    ‏@timkawakami
    Tim Kawakami Retweeted Brad Dauer

    I get asked this all the time, and my answer remains: The Yorks don’t like strong outsiders who might tell them they’re wrong.

  36. Yards Before Contact Per Rushing Attempt

    Rank – Team – YBC
    1- Bills – 2.59
    4 – Cowboys – 2.21
    27 – 49ers – 1.10

    Hope Garnett in the lineup helps. More importantly we need some kind of passing game to punish defenses for stacking vs the run.

    1. I hope they bench Beadles and and put Garnett in at LG. I think Tiller has the best grades of all the O Line, and Beadles has been pushed around.

      Then Staley can help the rookie, while the Tiller- Brown tandem can keep getting more cohesive.

  37. Who will be Kaps’ go to guy? I hope it is Kerley, although they haven’t had much time together. Vance will be back Sunday, drops and all. Torrey is good for two or three catches.

    I predict Patton will be his go to guy, yes i said QP, Kap and QP have chemistry on and off the field. The Bills will be expecting deep balls to Torrey, leaving QP with single coverage throughout the game. With Kap not throwing as quick as Gabby, QP will have more time to get seperation and possibly do a double move.

        1. I hope they make Streater the number one WR, Kerley as the number 2, and Torrey in the slot.

          Then Dres Anderson as the 4th WR. Also, dial up some plays with Hamm.

          1. Seb whats your stat line prediction on old wind up this weekend?
            22/23, 285 yards passing, 85 yards rushing, O INT, WIN?

            1. I really do not know. It could range from 120 yd to 300 yards.

              I do think that he will throw a TD pass, and hopefully, does not throw a pick. However, if Hyde can get 130 yards rushing, the Niners could win.

              I think the defense will get better, and limit the big plays. Hope for at least 3 sacks, but hurries would be important, too. If the defense can get the ball back, the Niners have a chance.

              Niners, 24-23 Bills. 240 yds passing, 60 rushing, 1 TD, O picks.

    1. I think they will try and get Tory Smith involved as much as possible and Kerley will likely continue to get the most targets. The slot receiver is a focal point of the system.

      1. Exactly. During the offseason/TC, everyone expected Ellington to get the lion’s share of throws because of the position he plays in Kelly’s system. Based on that, it’s not surprising that newcomer, Kerley, has been the team’s leading WR.

  38. Dres Anderson, a Bemidji State University castoff (Baalke’s Alma Mater) or a pickup off the street just before kickoff.

    1. Thankfully, Jed’s hanging that Championship Banner at 4949 Centennial…

      He just didn’t tell the fans he purchased it bargain shopping at the Dollar Store.

  39. No, bargain basement WR’s cost too much.

    The York family motto should be: “Just give us all your money. We promise not to spend it.”

  40. If Kerley suffers and Kaep has trouble hitting him you’ll know this change was a mistake. Gabbert did have his struggles, but his running, te connections and Kerley chemistry were positives. This will then be a case of who sucks less Troy Smith or Sean Hill–the good old days:)

  41. TomD’s Buffalo vs 49er Prediction:

    Kap’s 1st start, lost weight, missed all the OTA’s and most of Training camp with a sore arm while rehabbing from 3 surgeries.

    Factor in a West to East road trip with an early start time, Kelly’s no huddle 3 and outs causing a weary D to play more snaps than all NFL teams and you have a Bill 42-14 win.

  42. John Russo Verified account  ‏@ACPress_Russo · 2m2 minutes ago

    John Russo Retweeted Ian Rapoport

    New Orleans #Saints claim @HSHS_Athletics grad QB Joe Callahan off waivers #HSLive #NFL

  43. James Arcellana
    ‏@RaidersReporter
    @timkawakami Any prediction on how the owners will vote in Jan?

    Tim Kawakami Verified account 
    ‏@timkawakami
    Tim Kawakami Retweeted James Arcellana

    Whichever way Jerry Jones tells them to. I have no other prediction on what 32 billionaires will do.

    The Mad Raider ‏@RaiderLoot · 49m49 minutes ago

    @timkawakami @raidersreporter It’s over a billion in free $. No way the owners vote that down

    1. Seb will be interested to know the billion in free money might benefit Kap in his trade to Vegas and the Raiders and, alas, one last Harbaugh nuisance out of Jed’s way..

      1. Then Seb, who relishes his attacks on me via the Raiders will have to follow the “Winds of November” as a raider fan.

  44. I don’t know how Kaep will go this week or the rest of the year, and can’t say I have high expectations, but boy do I hope he comes out and plays well, and gets the offense going. I’m sick of watching this offense sputter. The 49ers are one of the most unwatchable teams around atm.

    It might mean the team isn’t in position to get the #1 QB next year, and it might mean Kaep still leaves at the end of the year. I don’t really care. We need to see what this team can be if it gets decent play from its QB.

    1. Scooter, I salute you. That was an excellent post from a die hard faithful Niner fan. We all need a little optimism, especially in face of a daunting challenge against a red hot opponent.

      1. Good article Scooter and I appreciate that you posted it even though it conflicted with your reading defenses opinion. All of these things are important in their own way though.

        1. Yeah, I’m no expert and don’t mean to pretend I am. I know what I look for, but doesn’t mean I am right. This is a good article and I’m not going to disagree with anything they say here.

          I will also point out though that I said I like to see a college QB demonstrate a good ability to read the D because it is an indicator of their intelligence, which is what I really think is the most important attribute.

          1. I won’t argue with you on the importance of intelligence. I just know from experience that you can teach the ability to read a defense (and not everybody gets it of course), but you can’t teach many of the skills that piece described as inherent traits. As hard as it is to teach a young player to play the QB position, it’s almost impossible if they don’t have any natural instincts or poise.

            1. I agree. But I don’t think they need to excel in all those inherent traits. Need to be decent. But elite level football intelligence is a requirement for mine.

    1. I agree intelligence is more important than a cannon arm. As long as the QB has the ability to throw accurately inside the numbers and hit the deep out on occasion to keep the defense honest, he can have some measure of success. How much depends on what he has around him because intelligence doesn’t take pass protection, the running game or the ability for the receivers to get open, into account.

  45. I just read a Scout’s Notebook, Bucky Brooks take on the Anthony Lynn impact on the running game. Niners should follow that strategy with Hyde. Let him run downhill, going north-south. Use a TE as a lead blocker, and put him in motion.

    1. MW
      My two cents:-
      Raider fans will hate me, but I think the Vegas move is good for the RayDuhs and the NFL.
      Oakland/Alameda County will NOT build a stadium w/ public funds. Nevah happen’, GI. So Mark has to move. I liked Reno, but they can’t afford It. LV works.
      NorCal & SoCal Fans can swing it. Visitors’ fans will dig it.
      The Gambling Influence arguements fades. Gambling is everywhere in the internet age, there are sharks verywhere. Really, the greatest down-side is the coaches having to deal with so many off-field distractions.

      1. Good argument… BT … but ..
        .. just can’t resist the impulse to
        add one more “benefit”
        for the move … and that is …

        the players will have access to
        the services of ..
        The Property Brothers .. should
        any renos be necessary …

        1. Yeah MW. Florio has a piece today on PFT claiming that a team in Vegas will raise suspicions about game fixing every time there’s a questionable call in a game. Because, as you know, all bets are placed via rotary phones to a guy named Guido in Brooklyn, who checks with his bosses in Vegas who then dispatch their Soldiers, 4 to a black Chrysler Imperial, to put in the fix.
          Freakin’ Florio doesn’t understand the digital age. What a dork! Everybody is in gambling now. The tv networks and the league are investors in the so-called legal gambling apparatus they run and promote. FF analysts get a lot of air time. Pretty much everybody except Florio gets it, and some sources say NFL owners are about 70% in favor of the Vegas move.
          I heard yesterday on ESPN that the main impediment now is where Davis will come up with the relocation fee to the league.

          1. BT …

            Wonder where the money goes
            for such things like PSL’s and
            “re-location” fees .. ?
            (as in who’s wallet is gettin’ fatter ?)

            I’m thinkin’ … both are forms of
            extortion …

            kinda like the credit score industry ..
            ya know .. building sky scrapers from
            my personal … info ..

            where’s MY … cut ?

      2. I actually feel sorry for the Raider fans,they have a team that is finally decent, and now their team will move away.

        Maybe Eddie can save the day…….

  46. My last post didn’t go through. After I clicked to send, it said “Your comment is awaiting moderation.” and it didn’t show up on the page. I didn’t use any profane or offensive language. Does anybody know what this means. I’m not very computer savvy.

    1. You probably used a word that was flagged. I have had the same thing happen to me when I was discussing a nice Pinot, or mentioned assets.

  47. Things i would like to see from Chip.

    Hope he realizes that the Bill’s goal will be to contain Kaep in the pocket.Chip needs to allow Kaep to have a mobile pocket.

    Like in the GB game, they will blitz Kaep like crazy. Hope they can entice them to blitz, and take advantage of the area the blitzer left.

    Chip needs to play to their strengths, and disguise their weaknesses. I would hope that Chip is innovative enough to run the pistol. Zone read is fine, but they should run the read option and naked bootlegs to mix things up. Lining the RB deep in the I may be very effective. Screens, draws, counters and reverses will impress me.

    If Chip wants to win, he will unsheathe his strongest weapon, and go bold.

    1. By all means, Seb must be impressed, or he will be displeased…

      Disguising weaknesses is simply brilliant. No one in the NFL has ever conceived of that strategy. Simply brilliant. I’ve heard rumors that Seb is Yoda-like…taught Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick the ways of deception and the unleashing of storms. Seb, I kneel before you…

      1. Cassie, the problem is, they exposed his weaknesses by forcing Kaep to be only a pocket passer and did not play to his strengths by never rolling him out.

        Too bad the Niners not only cannot conceive of a strategy that works, they do the exact opposite. Starting Devey until Kaep became injured was another brilliant move., and worked about as well as not signing any decent FAs this year.

        1. At some point he will have to become a pocket passer. This is a skill and trait that will never be removed from the job description of the NFL QB.
          You can hide it periodically but at the end of the day, it’s the most important attribute a QB must be able to do!

          1. No, there you go again. If the Niners want to accentuate his strengths, they should not dwell on his weaknesses.

            I submit to you that Kaep is 100 times more dangerous while delivering the ball from a mobile platform. I am doubling down. Forcing Kaep to be only a pocket passer is like putting an Abrams tank in a pit.

            1. Seb, that’s the NFL game. It has not changed since the Steve Young days where he once was just a running QB. He had to change.
              The game is played 90% of the time in the pocket. You have to be able to stand in and deliver the ball in the pocket more than 90% of the time.
              This is not a bias or just my opinion, its the reality of the NFL and the QB position. The sooner you understand this, the better you will be able to come to grips with the idea that in order for #7 to have a sustained career in the NFL, he will have to be able to play and make good decisions throwing the football in the pocket. Sorry man, its true.

              1. Russell Wilson?
                He’s killing defenses from the pocket now. Prime when you hear someone say “they’re doubling down” it’s a waste of time at that point. He will come with excuses. Wait and see.

              2. That’s what winners do! As much as I hate Seattle, Wilson is a winner. Willing to change and be capable of becoming what the NFL game requires a QB to do. We’ll see Sunday of Seb is right

      1. I’ve had my suspicions….

        A teen with a thesaurus, quoting a famous Chinese Warlord, while mixing in Seb’s own peculiar brand of weaponry lexicon like “I shot myself in the foot”

          1. Yeah,

            We’ll get the last laugh when Kap is destroyed in that Eastern Time Zone early start time vs. a monster Bill’s D.

            Especially now that we know Seb favors Kap over the 49ers, when he’s traded to the Raiders for Las Vegas Market share and Seb’s forced to root for the Raiders!

            1. Doesn’t say much about some our posters here that allow Seb to consume the majority of their entries.
              Just say’n.

              1. I just dominate their thoughts, and they desperately attack me to try and sound relevant.

                However, when one admits to being drunk before posting, and another uses a Kaep for Tebow trade to try and sound smart, I just have to laugh.

              2. State the truth Seb. You just troll most of the time. When others try to help you move away from that aspect, you either: act like the victim, utilize the blame game, and/or DENY DENY DENY.

              3. Mid, you know me. I can be very pleasant and engaging, but just seem to bring out the worst in some posters.

                Gosh, you just described exactly what you do yourself, except for the victim hood. However, you must admit that I have been relentlessly attacked, even today. Let me defend myself, but then you whine that I dominate the posts. Maybe it would be best just to let me post in peace.

                If you have not noticed, I am ignoring TrollD, and have been very good with Prime. Seems as though he has learned his lesson, and does not go blind drunk on me anymore.

                All I want to do is discuss the Niners in a calm and civil manner with other fans. If you call that trolling, so be it.

  48. Caught SFChronicle story of Jim Harbaugh visiting Antioch High School football game last night to see nations #1 high school RB Najee Harris.
    Harbaugh took countless pic’s with fans and at one point in the game the field lights went out. Wow, maybe the Super Bowl light crew that many conspiracy people said turned the lights out on purpose to give the 49ers a chance to rest for almost 30 minutes are still following Harbaugh around (lol).

  49. Look for Leshean McCoy to have a monster game vs 49er run defense.

    He’s so p-ssed at Kelly, I can feel it from here after firing him and Deshean Jackson at Philly .

    Kelly thought his scheme could overcome little things like talent….Yeah, right…And his arrogance fits well with the Yorks who thought the 49ers made San Francisco.

    It was San Francisco that made the 49ers. People go to San Fran to dine after 49ers games.

    What are fans going to do in Santa Clara?

    1. McCoy started the whole Kelly is racist accusations (espn magazine article). But his comments towards Kelly were confusing because McCoy felt that Chip’ racism was only directed at “talented Back players” (huh?).

      And while McCoy was lashing out and labeling Kelly a racist for getting rid of him and Desean Jackson, he failed to include Nick Foles (White player) who was also shipped out.
      Go figure.

      1. AES, the way I understood how it went down was that Cooper was caught on tape using racist language. He was slapped on the wrist, and then Chip shipped out two black All Pro players in McCoy and Jackson. He retained Cooper….

        1. Razor,
          Cooper apologized profusely and the Afro-American players accepted his act of contrition.

          McCoy was shipped out because of his contract (over $11m) and monies that would cause a hit against the salary cap. Kelly brought in Murray (NFL Rushing leader) for much less money.
          Ultimately, Kelly’ moves in Philly did have a lot to do with color – Green!

          1. Murray doing well for the Titans, but was a terrible fit in Kelly’s system. Should have paid McCoy and not bought Murray and Matthews. Why keep Cooper and cut Jackson? The perception is that because he jettisoned his All Pro black receiver and kept an average white receiver, who had racial undertones within his heart, Kelly must be a racist. Not saying I agree with it, but that’s how I understood the animosity coming from Shady….

            1. Razor,
              I was not a big proponent of the Kelly hire, but the racist accusations (McCoy has since said he didn’t mean it and even called Kelly an offensive genius) were not the reason for my pause.
              When you have many Black players on the Eagles dismissing McCoy’ accusations, I begin the take those accusations with a grain of salt and file it under the “ax to grind” category.

              My pause in the Kelly hire was that he was described as being somewhat aloof from his players and many players never felt a connection with their headcoach.

              Another thing that hurt Kelly in Philly was his thinking that he could still have success after streamlining contracts and saving money by ridding the team of pro-bowl players.
              To me, those were his only two flaws, and of course enough to give me pause with his hiring – but as far as I’m concerned the guy deserves another chance.

              One thing is certain, Kelly knows that his every move will be scrutinized
              by the locker room, the FO and the fan base. I don’t think he wants to blow this opportunity.

  50. Many of us have checked in here for a few years, attracted very much by the comments section. That’s pretty much fried any more; ruint.

    1. Brotha,
      Gone are the days of Matt Maiocco. He ran a class blog when he was here.
      We still have some very good veteran posters such as yourself, Hammer, rocket, CFC, undercenter, oldcoach, MD, MW, TxtTree, Mid, Razor, B2W, Scooter, Houston9er, Big P, htwaits, hightop, among others that keep me coming back.

      Not sure how many of these posters have been here the Maiocco days but it would be interesting to find out.

        1. Sorry, Prime, You sir have been a fixture here sine the beginning as well.

          Where here during the Maiocco time?

    1. Stanford has gotten ripped the last couple of weeks by the Washington schools. They need to a positive statement in this game or Shaw may start looking over his shoulder.

  51. I’m not a “YUGE” college football watcher.
    I watch weekly to see my SOONERS “”(when favored) (or highly ranked) tear my heart out every season. I liked Mayfield last season as he came out hot. This season he still looks like a project in the making. Reminded me of a Drew Brees type. I don’t think he’s #1 worthy any longer.
    My question is to those who follow players on the collegiant level.
    Anybody out there really worth watching and is NFL ready? Because I can’t see this team (SF) not getting a very high pick next season and whoever the GM is not picking what they think will be the franchise qb we’ve been missing for decades now.

    1. I think Kizer has the biggest potential and would be the safest pick. He looks ready and can make all the throws.

    1. I’ve moved Trubisky into my number two quarterback. His accuracy is better than I thought and he’s able to manipulate the pocket efficiently. Looks like he scans the field well and finds the open receiver….

      1. I saw somewhere earlier in the season Trubisky being compared to Alex Smith, but I think Kaaya fits that comparison better.

      2. Trubisky > Kaaya. Falk > Kaaya.

        Right now I would still take Falk over Trubisky, but Trubisky looks good.

        Kaaya has really disappointed me this season, thought he would look a lot better than this in Richt’s system. I am going to have to revise my thoughts on him.

      3. I know you love Kizer razor, but doesn’t Trubisky look like the perfect QB for Kelly’s system? Goes through his progressions quickly, makes good and quick decisions, very accurate passer, and runs well.

        1. He’s better than I thought, but Kizer is more accurate imo and can run inside like Newton. He’s got a thick lower torso, unlike Kaepernick’s gazelle frame. If I had my choice, Kizer but Trubisky wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize….

          1. I watched the Alabama game. Hurts is the real deal. He did not have to throw, but his legs won the game. Kinda reminds me of Kaep.

      4. Is the Kizer hype going to come crashing back to earth? Getting pulled after two INTs… not good.

  52. So I thought Kizer would dominate the Stanford D. Two bad weeks in a row. On Kizers last drive, he threw to high on third down, leading to an unnecessary fourth down. He also took a sack late. I still think he will be the best QB in the draft, but he didn’t look clutch tonight.

  53. It starts at the top or nothing will change. Firing Baalke will NOT make them a winning team. Who got a winning coach and who fired him? Baalke???
    We had a great team when Har-Har came and who picked them? Baalke???
    Does Baalke decides who plays?
    The one thing Baalke does do is stack our team with redshirts and projects.
    I think that’s a fireable offense!

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