Tom Brady and Patriots claim the crooked crown from 49ers

This is my Wednesday column.

The 49ers are off the hook. They can thank the Patriots.

Until Monday, the Niners were the NFL team with the worst history of cheating and paying for it.

Until Monday, the Niners had received the largest fine in the history of the league. The NFL fined owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr $1 million for “conduct detrimental to the league” in 1999.

Gov. Edwin Edwards of Louisiana had been extorting DeBartolo to obtain a riverboat casino license, and DeBartolo failed to report him. That’s a felony. DeBartolo pleaded guilty and had to give the 49ers to his sister, Denise DeBartolo, and her husband, John York.

Before Eddie gave the Niners away, his ownership group was notorious. The NFL fined Eddie’s vice president, Carmen Policy, $400,000 for violating the salary cap in 1997 and 2000.

And in 1990, the NFL fined the 49ers $500,000 for violating the league’s corporate ownership policy.

In a span of 10 years, the Niners racked up almost $2 million in fines.

Who cares anymore?

That was then. There’s no indication the Niners are like that now. Their new ownership group mostly stays out of trouble. Which means the Patriots have replaced the Niners as the biggest cheaters in the NFL. Go Patriots!

On Monday, the NFL fined the Patriots $1 million for failing to cooperate in the investigation of “Deflategate” — the Patriots’ use of deflated footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship game.

The league also suspended Tom Brady for the first four games of 2016 and stripped the Patriots of a 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 fourth-round pick.

All of this just eight years after the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for spying on the Jets’ defensive signals.

Is cheating the Patriots’ legacy?

NFL vice president of football operations and former player Troy Vincent suggests the Patriots were deflating footballs even before the AFC championship.

“While we cannot be certain when the activity began,” Vincent wrote in a press release addressed to the Patriots, “the evidence suggests that Jan. 18 was not the first and only occasion when this occurred, particularly in light of the evidence referring to deflation of footballs going back to before the beginning of the 2014 season.”

Vincent addressed the following statement to Brady: “Each player, no matter how accomplished and otherwise respected, has an obligation to comply with the rules and must be held accountable for his actions when those rules are violated and the public’s confidence in the game is called into question.”

Talk about a carefully-worded statement. Vincent accused Brady of tarnishing the public’s confidence in the game. That’s serious. That’s what Pete Rose did when he bet on baseball, and that’s what Mark McGwire did when he took steroids. Vincent is calling Brady the worst kind of offender.

And just to rub it in, Vincent called Brady “otherwise respected.” Which suggests everything Brady has accomplished in his career — four Super Bowls, two MVPs, 10 Pro Bowls — all falls under the “otherwise” category, which is secondary to his primary legacy — being a cheater.

Yes, a cheater. Deflating footballs is like an entire baseball team using corked bats, or one basketball team shooting into a bigger hoop than the opponent. That’s not a game. That’s a farce.

Here is the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of a game: “A diversion of the nature of a contest, played according to rules, and decided by superior skill, strength, or good fortune.”

Of course, teams are supposed to look for edge over the opponent. That’s where skill and strength come in. But the Oxford English dictionary doesn’t say anything about breaking rules.

The key phrase in the definition is “played according to rules” — rules both teams must agree to. The 49ers have abided by the rules since York took over the team. They don’t seem to have a culture of cheating.

Well, there was that tampering thing back in 2008. Allegedly they contacted Lance Briggs’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, during the 2007 season when Briggs still was under contract with the Chicago Bears.

The NFL did not fine the Niners for this — they merely took away a fifth-round draft pick. Gave them a slap on the wrist.

And the man who tampered no longer is with the 49ers. Scot McCloughan was the general manager at the time, and he was the offender. Now Trent Baalke is Niners’ GM, and McCloughan is the GM of the Redskins.’

During Baalke’s tenure as GM, the Niners have not tarnished the league’s integrity. They’ve only tarnished their own. Since 2012, the 49ers’ players lead the league for the most arrests: 11.

It’s the Niners’ business if they want the public to perceive them as a bunch of criminals. To the Niners’ credit, they’re taking steps to change that perception. They say they want to win with class and, as far as we know, they didn’t draft a single criminal this year. That’s progress.

The 49ers are striving to be above reproach. The Patriots aren’t. They’re seem to be striving to cheat and get away with it.

The Niners don’t seem to seek an unfair edge over the opponent. They seem delighted to win simply by being bigger and stronger.

That’s the Niners’ edge, but only time will tell if it becomes their legacy.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for The Press Democrat’s website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.

This article has 266 Comments

      1. x1000

        Jr. comes off as Petty once again. Not only is it Predictable but it’s Boring now like Beating The Dead Dog (49ers) Once Again.

        1. I am going to state the obvious here. No matter how many times it’s pointed out, we all still bite. You want the Niner bashing to stop, stop commenting. Stop writing. Shake your head and type out your disgust on MM’s site or any other Bay Area Site. Simply don’t comment here. That is how you bring about change.

    1. Yeah, the 49ers lived by that saying, “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying to win,” back then, and now the 49ers are trying to win by being bigger than anyone else, as mentioned by Grant. But the triggerman is just as important as the wheelman in a bank heist–have to have a calm, cool demeanor while dispatching your opponent. Kaepernick is the opposite because he ridicules tweeters who mention that working on his Abs won’t help him find an open receiver, and he’s right. Kap is from an option school where the system is one read then fire the football. Until he learns the nuances of the position were going to play bigger and tougher than other teams, hoping they don’t stack the box, and get to the 50 yard line before we punt the on those endless 3 and outs!

      1. “The 49ers by that saying, ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying to win,’ back then”:

        Excuse me? Is this just piling on the insults without anything to support them? Where and when did the 49ers ever say or imply they believed cheating is trying, let alone that they ever actually cheated? DeBartolo’s indiscretion with a governor had nothing to do with football.

  1. Grant You are a Judas in the Highest,It amazes me How you and your dad have jobs,it ought to be against the law to write for the 9ers,you guys need to work for the patriots,you will fit right in,along with “tiny tim k”you guys are the worst of the worst 9ers beat-writers. I know that you ,your dad, and tiny tim k have no friends in the 9ers organization you guys need to go and hugg CryBrady`s nutts like the nutt-hugger you are.I wish there was a way to band you from reporting on the 9ers since you talk like a Seahag nutt-hugger.

    1. I don’t know you but I love you for writing that. I hadn’t read a article by these idiots in over 2 years but I couldn’t resist when I saw the headline. Him and his father have such a you know what for the 49ers I’m embarrassed for them. The little guy wishes he could be a scout for an NFL franchise or at least.writes like he is one. We were doomed two years ago because we didn’t draft a slot corner. What happened? Ended up in the NFC Title Game and lost not because of a slot corner. Moron. The old man thinks he’s a genius and try to play like he’s the morale police. Jokes. See ya in another 2 years.

      1. I hadn’t read a article by these idiots in over 2 years but I couldn’t resist when I saw the headline.

        When we read it, they win.

        1. Exactly. So why don’t you and all the other crybabies on here ranting against Grant and Lowell and any other writers for that matter, just fricking leave. I am SICK or reading your endless gripes. STOP READING HIM and I promise life will be better for you and those of us who want to.

            1. PhD…

              I am very much in agreement with you…You can poke all the holes you want in the messenger, but it won’t change the message. Grant’s just pointing out a lot of things that some don’t want to hear….not everything about the 49ers is perfect…we just hope that it will be….

          1. This long time reader has, for the most part, fricking left. I only come back from time to time to take in the excellent postings from the many posters, some of whom can write rings around Grant when it comes to commentary and analysis.

    2. His daddy Lowell can actually write, come up with his own ideas, ask the tough questions, and explore player and coaching levels of incompetence that no one else has the cajones to write about. Grant’s writing is a highly inconsistent agenda for shock value.

  2. Grant, you’re once again reaching to jab at the Niners by saying the Niners have the “worse history of cheating.” What Eddie D did had nothing to do with winning or losing. The salary cap stuff was happening all over the league and the successful teams paid the price for it. When are you going to ween yourself off your father’s misguided footsteps and think on your own?

    Also, you might want to hire an editor to proofread your blogs before you post them.

    1. This was the point I was going to make. What Eddie D did on his own time had nothing to do with the team and its approach to the game, ethical or otherwise. God knows what any of the owners do outside of football. As they say, power corrupts.

      When Grant first broke in to this medium I found him a bit brash (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree) but entertaining. He at least comes well prepared and makes compelling arguments. But his recent non stop bashing of the 49ers shows more than just a little prejudice. Yeah, they’re probably not going to have a banner season this year, and maybe not next year either. But some of us are secretly hoping that Tomsula and company make fools out of Mr.Wet Behind the Ears and his Papa. Always remember, the more you stick your neck out to attack when writing or posting (this works for all of us) the more of a fool you look when you are wrong. Go Niners.

      1. Ditto! Grant is trying to rewrite sports history with falsehoods and name-calling. Where and when did the 49ers ever say actually cheat in NFL football? DeBartolo’s lone indiscretion with a governor had nothing to do with the game of football. It was entirely about a corrupt governor trying to extort money from DeBartolo. His crime was that he did not immediately report the governor to authorities. Somehow not reporting someone’s crime amounts to committing a crime. The FBI and the police often expect citizens to help them with their jobs by snitching. For not calling the authorizes to snitch, DeBartolo was fined big $$$. Frankly, I disagree that it was a fine since Mr. D. himself did not do anything wrong. Grant’s pathetic attempt to create innuendo where a story does not exist is pretty pathetic.

  3. You’re post is an incomprehensible theory concocted to give yourself something to talk about. Eddie didn’t cheat the game like the Patriots have on multiple times. Please articulate your opinion and provide some sort of actual reasoning as to why the Niners were cheaters? I am guessing you will be unable to!

    1. @Anthony,

      You are correct on your Take. Jr. only posts these Maniacal articles to simply get us to post on his Blog so it looks good. So from that standpoint he wins.

      We got HOOKED again!

  4. Cheaters? The salary cap mistake could be considered cheating but it’s not because at the end of the day it can be accounted for by a simple audit of numbers.
    the lousiana incident has nothing to do with football do it’s not cheating the sport or integrity.
    contacting Briggs was dealt with accordingly and I bet more teams have been caught doing it too. Still wouldn’t affect the outcome of a game.
    you’re just throwing poop darts at the 49ers hoping they stick.
    Grant, someone must have stolen your girl or really upset you at 4949 49er way.

  5. You never fail to surprise me Grant! I have listen to your father and read all your comments about 49ers, regardless of what this organization accomplishes it will always be doom and gloom. Sr. Cohn is straight up anti niner and the apple did not fall far from the tree. I am shocked to see you with a job covering 49ers. You are condescending, disrespectful and your articles are bias based on your personal views not facts. I wished they would promote you to another gig and leave this site for good. What a shame to have you as a 49er insider.

  6. Grant,
    Wow, thanks for digging up an old ugly skeleton that quite frankly, I had forgotten about.
    Your negative slants on the 49ers are starting to sound more like sour grapes vs stirring up interest among your readers.

    Btw, I never knew an actual “crooked crown” was infamously awarded to the 49ers until this article.

  7. Eddie DeBartolo’s sister, the team owner, is known to all as Denise. When offering a history to set the stage for an article it’s helpful to….oh, never mind.
    Louisiana: Eddie was trying to do a deal. The Gov hits him up. Everybody knows about the corrupt Cooties in the Bayou so Eddie shrugs it off as the cost of doing business and keeps mum. The weasel Gov, solely to save his axe in a corruption investigation, gives up Eddie who is a high profile trophy for the investigators. Factions at NFL HQ (& perhaps some of the other owners) exercised their bias against Eddie and his Dad for perceived bad connections.
    Eddie danced with the devil and paid a high and painful price. Let’s just acknowledged what happened and not just mold the narrative to support some conclusions.

      1. Actually it’s who the f@$! cares, but I didn’t want to waste the energy typing it.

  8. I didn’t choose to criticize this poor excuse for writing solely because of the 49er aspect. The whole thing is a lazy, biased incompetent job and the publisher of the newspaper that supports this blog should be ashamed.

    1. You’re right on the money. I’d slam Grant too but I stopped reading this hack piece 1/4 of the way through.

  9. All this brouhaha about deflated balls and nary a word on the atrocious, blatant cheating by the Ravens in their last Superbowl appearance (against the 49ers). Seems like selective indignation in the football world. And until that is addressed, I take no other allegations of “cheating” seriously by the NFL.

    1. Are you referring to when two Raven players almost pulled bruce miller’s jersey over his head, and moved him out of the hole so Jacoby Jones had a clear lane to take that KO to the house?

      I hated that, and still do. It was one of the many plays that cost the 49ers number six, but it’s not really “cheating”.

      1. Yes, along with the Raven player who pushed a ref and not only did NOT get ejected, but didn’t even draw a flag.

        Or the holding on Crabtree in the end zone.

        Or the holding of the entire 49ers defense on the punt play by the Ravens to run out the clock where not one ref found the holding and tackling of ten defenders by ten Ravens warranted throwing a flag.

        I will never accept that game as a “legitmate” loss.

        1. I agree with all of your points there, except the holding on the punt. I believe the holding was called and beyond that, there wasn’t anything the refs could do about the time that ran off the clock.

          I’ll add one more bad call by the refs that proved to be huge. The 4th quarter drive extending PI on Culliver (? I think) against Boldin. There was way less contact than what happened to Crabtree and PI was called, giving the Ravens a drive extending first down and they ultimately kicked a lead extending FG.

          1. Actually, there were no flags thrown on that ten-man-holding-fest on the attempted punt.

            And even if it wouldn’t have changed the time on the clock, it was still obvious and the refs ignored it.

            It was very, very disappointing to see how blatantly that game was rigged and it left a bad taste in my mouth with the NFL.

  10. I think you guys are to hard on Grant !
    He puts the Nines at the top of the league with his observation; “Since 2012, the 49ers’ players lead the league for the most arrests: 11.”
    AND he never mentioned the mob connection of how Eddie got all his start-up money….

    1. Which you can substantiate, right?
      You did bring it up and all…….. Whatchyougot?
      Hmmm…..?
      Dude, I grew up around the Mafia, and if you thought you knew what they were up to, you didn’t. What you thought you knew was what they wanted you to think you knew. I’m Anglo, I was allowed to be plausibly ignorant.

        1. ” Between 1952 and 1954, DeBartolo and members of his company were subjected to six bombings of their offices and shopping centers. No one was killed and the bombing spree was never solved.”

          Brotha, do you know who might be involved in this…….

          1. “In March 1977, the elder DeBartolo purchased 90 percent of the stock of the San Francisco 49ers for $17.6 million and made it a subsidiary of his corporation. The team was then given to his thirty-year-old son. “Eddie Jr. bought it from me,” DeBartolo told The Pittsburgh Press. “Everyone thinks I gave it to him, but Eddie financed it and paid for it.” However, the senior DeBartolo personally secured his son’s purchase.”

            Should I just keep going or stop while I’m ahead?

            1. OK last one!
              “Soon after the DeBartolos bought the 49ers, an FBI wiretap picked up Los Angeles mobster Jimmy Fratianno discussing a meeting with New Mexico criminal lawyer William Marchiondo to be held in San Francisco. The transcript of the conversation stated:

              “Fratianno: Hey don’t forget now: when the Miami Dolphins play, you’re going to come over here. See, I got it arranged so you’re going to sit with this guy, the owner of the 49ers.

              “Marchiondo: Well, I want to talk with this guy, but that’s a bad time for me to leave…”

          2. If I did, I sure wouldn’t say I did, right? Like Philly and Providence, the Cleveland boys were known as Wild West; bad for business.
            Those rumored ties were what gave the NFL good old boys heartburn. The La. case gave them an excuse to boot Eddie.
            I’m not sure how much is digitized now since it was a while back, but if you like conspiracies look into Carroll Rosenblum; his NFL ties, his business interests and a host of questions about his mysterious death circumstances.
            NFL owners are big bucks guys and there’s likely shenanigans around all of their fortunes. JFK’s dad made a lot of his fortune as a bootlegger.

            1. Oh, but Dee, credit for providing the insights and back-up to your statement. Not much for a court room though. I just think really rich folks are used to getting their way. The financials disclosures of our politicians are generally distastefully revealing. They just scrub them as best they can.
              Sometimes we don’t want to know all those answers that some don’t want to be known, and it’s not just organized crime that poses the threat; government, big business, those who wield power.
              #Karen Silkwood.

  11. Is this guy serious with this article? Most of us are well aware of what transpired with Eddie D. Comparing those events to the cheating of Brady is like comparing apples to oranges.

  12. Grant

    This piece is all over the place. That is, it reads as though you published it without knowing exactly what you wanted to say. While the 49ers have topped the NFL in criminal rosters recently, they have not led the league in cheating culture for some time, if ever.

    “Until Monday, the Niners were the NFL team with the worst history of cheating and paying for it.”

    This just simply isn’t true. Until Monday, the most recent egregious cheating scandal was Bountygate, in which Saints coaches were caught emphasizing the intent to maim players on other teams to gain competitive advantage. Before that, it was the Patriots who were known to be cheaters, as their personnel were known to have filmed opponents practices/stolen opponents signals to gain competitive advantage. By the “competitive advantage” standard, you could argue that 49ers salary cap violations were incidents of cheating, but you certainly can’t claim that DeBartolo’s failure to report Gov. Edwards, nor a violation of corporate ownership policy, qualify as cheating.

    You seem to advocate that the Patriots actually perpetuate a legacy of cheating.

    “All of this just eight years after the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for spying on the Jets’ defensive signals.

    Is cheating the Patriots’ legacy?”

    In closing, you invoke Michigan coach Harbaugh’s “above reproach” mantra to identify the 49ers new identity. But you’ve lost your direction, because while the Patriots don’t give a hoot about criminality or cheating, the 49ers haven’t ever really been cheaters, just criminals.

    “The 49ers are striving to be above reproach. The Patriots aren’t. They’re seem to be striving to cheat and get away with it.”

    I think you just got your title wrong. Or maybe you wanted us to click on your link curiously, wondering what cheating you meant, and then call you out.

    1. If you “take away” Grant’s body of, um, er, work, then this is a pretty good article. In the context of the gobbledygook that Grant normally writes, I’m looking of for the hidden fishhooks in the article.

    2. Is it just me or does the tone of Grants writing change drastically when he writes for Bleacher Report as opposed to his writing for the P.D. blog? His BR writing seems more balanced, mature and professional. Has anyone else noticed this and if so why do you think it is?

      1. Anymore, I only gloss through his posts on this blog and read the ones on BR. The commenters are the reason I come here. I’m sure Grant knows that he is writing in these divergent styles. He has his reasons, but it’s good for the commenters to let him know what they think.

  13. “Cheating” is rule violations that provide a competitive advantage. Did DeBartolo’s failure to report extortion provide a competitive advantage?

    That leaves Carmen Policy’s fine for violating the salary cap as the only payment for an incident that (might have) provided a competitive advantage.

    Before Monday:

    – Carmen Policy’s $400,000 fine for salary cap violations

    – Bill Belichick’s $500,000 fine + the Patriots $250,000 fine + a 2008 first round draft pick for Spygate.

    The Patriots clearly had the worse record of “cheating and paying for it” well before Monday. That first round pick had far more value than all the cash fines listed in this article combined.

    If the NFL called Jed and said “if you give us a measly $2M, we’ll give you an extra first round pick” I think he’d gladly go for it.

    1. The Niners received almost $2 million in fines from the NFL in 10 years. Which team has been fined more in a 10-year period of time?

      1. The Patriots first round pick for Spygate and the Saints two second round picks for Bountygate make the $2M look like chump change.

        Both incidences were “cheating”… rule violations that provided a competitive advantage.

        Only 20% of the $2M had anything to do with gaining a competitive advantage.

      2. Grant,

        Come on, you can’t possibly be so dense. You have to look at what the fines are for. Good god, man.

      3. The only problem with this piece is that it assumes fans care if teams cheat. You might as well pen a piece talking about corruption in politics.

        1. Oh, we care, but only when it’s the other guy. We have a remarkable ability to turn a blind eye to our own transgressions, while blowing the other guy’s out of proportion.

          That said, comparing the Louisiana issue with things that actually impacted the games is more than a little silly.

    2. “That leaves Carmen Policy’s fine for violating the salary cap as the only payment for an incident that (might have) provided a competitive advantage.”

      How is that a “might have”? Exceeding the salary cap is a clear competitive advantage, as you are paying more than the allowed amount on your players. This allows you to hold onto better talent than you would otherwise be able to. One could argue this is a bigger “cheat” than letting some air out of footballs.

      The tampering charge re Lance Briggs was also providing a competitive advantage, as it conceivably could have given them a leg up in signing him (even if it didn’t materialise).

      1. OK… That leaves Carmen Policy’s fine for violating the salary cap as the only payment for an incident that (really did) provided a competitive advantage.

  14. I’m disappointed in you Grant. How could you go on about the 49ers cheating during the glory days and not bring up Bill Walsh? It’s well known that he faked having problems with his headset a time or two against the Giants.

    Belicheck has done a good job of applying the lessons he was taught by the “genius”.

  15. Both you and your Dad, always has to compare, most of your columns are like. Eddie D issue had nothing to do with football, and don’t think Brady image will be that tarnished.

    1. Brady’s image will not be tarnished because any fan who had high school physics understands Ideal Gas Law. This is just the NFL trying to convince the public that it is okay to bet on games because they make sure nothing is amiss, when nothing could be further from the truth.

  16. To me the NFL’s biggest cheats had nothing to do with rule breaking. They’re typically eastern establishment teams that use influence to (subtly but consistently) change rules, policies and schedules to favor their teams.

    For example… In the 2013 off-season every member of the competition committee was from teams with pro set pocket QBs. They ruled that it was OK to hit “read option” quarterbacks a few ticks later than a pocket QB after hand offs… even when the hand off was ran from the same play and pro-set formation.

    Same play. Same formation. Different level of protection. All because the QB had the nickname “read option.” Drove Harbaugh nuts. He demanded (and got little) clarification. Bill Walsh used to complain bitterly about nonsense like that.

    Today all eight members of the competition committee are still from eastern establishment teams.
    – Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons (Suspended till June 30, 2015)
    – Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams
    – Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys
    – Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
    – John Mara, New York Giants
    – Mark Murphy, Green Bay Packers
    – Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens
    – Rick Smith, Houston Texans
    – Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

    Not to excuse the Patriots or anyone else, but with advantages like that, who needs to break the rules?

    1. Good point Brodie. By not having an independent committee it is set up to favour those that can exert the most influence on the rules.

      1. What is the height of irony ..?

        I read somewhere that …
        while the Pats were fined a whopping $1 Million ..
        they will save about $1.8 on Brady’s salary
        (during his 4-game hiatus) ..

        Bottom line …

        The Pats are making $800 k on the deal …

        Now .. izzit just me … or is there really
        something wrong with this picture .. ?

        1. Does the fine come from the salary cap or from Mr. Kraft?

          (Did he ever get his super bowl ring back from Putin?)

  17. I usually enjoy your digs at my team, but nothing you mentioned about the Niners compares as none of it was on the field. Nice try, stretch.

    1. Tartt and McCray have similar tool sets. I’m guessing that’s the Baalke prototype. Big, rangy, athletic, covers ground in a hurry, hits hard. The depth behind Reid and Bethea is looking pretty good.

    2. Sure would make for a pretty cool story if Ward and Tartt end up the starting safeties for the 49ers down the road. The unlikely duo, back together again.

      In saying that, I kind of hope it doesn’t happen. If it does it means Eric Reid hasn’t worked out for the 49ers!

      1. Best case… Reid has good health, Tartt eventually takes over for Bethea in a few years, Ward remains at slot.

        1. If all three guys end up delivering on their promise, that’ll be a heck of a middle of the defensive backfield. Not many teams can boast two first round picks and a second round pick at the two safeties and nickel back positions. Big if of course…

      2. Scooter,

        I would love to see what Tartt can do as a hybrid ILB/SS. Jeff Fuller, anyone?

  18. Grant,

    Do you really think the other NFL teams aren’t up to shenanigans themselves? It’s no excuse for any individual rules violation, but, please, don’t act as if it’s only the 49ers and Patriots breaking rules. It’s patently ridiculous and you know better. Although, I’m starting to wonder if you’ve been given too much credit. Or maybe it’s just that you’ve been repeating this type of nonsense for so long, you’re starting to believe it.

  19. Sorry deflation of footballs don’t determine who wins or losses.arron Rodgers over inflates his footballs so why doesn’t he get suspended?

    1. That’s because no one, especially the NFL, has ever actually cared about control of the air pressure in a football until it became a public relations problem.

  20. Grant, you should have taken about 5 seconds and just googled cheating teams in the NFL before you went and made an ass of the establishment that hired you. A quick search showed that the true NFL cheat is the Denver Broncos. They’ve been found guilt of 49 offenses. The steelers are right behind that with 46. Then the Jets with 40. Washington and Indy both have 37 incidents. NY Giants and Baltimore have 35. Then the 49ers have 31. The patriots for all their efforts only have 25 which is 16th in the league.
    Link will follow in a follow up post.

      1. “Ex-Bengals and retired Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Blake confessed in an interview that removing air from footballs was common when he played in the NFL from 1992-2005.

        “I’m just going to let the cat of the bag, every team does it, every game, it has been since I played,” the ex-Bengals QB said Wednesday in a radio interview on the “Midday 180” show on Nashville’s 104.5 The Zone. “Cause when you take the balls out of the bag, they are rock hard. And you can’t feel the ball as well. It’s too hard.

        “Everybody puts the pin in and takes just enough air out of the ball that you can feel it a little better. But it’s not the point to where it’s flat. So I don’t know what the big deal is. It’s not something that’s not been done for 20 years.”

        Blake says that he’d order ball boys to let air out of his footballs just before the start of games during his entire NFL career, which included time with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1994 to 1999.”

        Isn’t Blakes college coach now in Santa Clara? Maybe the 49ers can reclaim the crown.

  21. I think it’s more fun reading the comments than the actual articles these days. Sure, the Cohn’s are critical and can be extreme sensationalists, but have you stopped to think, that usually the most critical and disgruntled are the biggest fans? Can’t fool me, Grant is obviously a disgruntled fan, over analyzing, and underwhelmed by the 49ers decisions. Sound familiar? His Dad, well, his angst is more with baseball and boxing, a real old schooler. But God bless ’em, they both know how to pi$$ us off.

    Good times… Go Niners!

  22. The point is, The pats cheated and they should have to forfit the SB Trophy.
    Who is the biggest cheater? Of course it is the NFL. They take money from your pocket under the pretext of playing a FAIR game. This is rigged Game!

  23. Not cheating as far as the game..
    But anyone see the article about the NFL teams taking money from the government to basically recruit troops through the smokescreen of troops being honored at games?
    Talk about low life owners. Look at the list of teams who TAKE money to honor our troops. Where’s the big headlines on this story? Smh

    1. I beg to differ. They altered the only object that the game has the friggen Ball!

        1. Jack, are you implying that the rules are only for the ones who get caught?!?!?!?

    1. Baalke also mentions that Ellington is working through an ankle injury right now.

      1. Yea saw that, and Maiocco reported a couple days ago Anthony Davis isn’t 100% yet either. They need him to be back to playing angry….

        1. AD makes a big difference. Just look at how the run game perked up when he returned late season.

          The 49ers had three long post seasons on a row. The 2013 post season was brutal. In 2014 the 49ers had 12 starters on IR, and several more injured 2nd stringers.

          Now we have a full offseason of rest and recovery. If the 49ers use all the depth at D-line, OLB, RB, TE this will be a dangerous late season team.

    2. I just commented on that article hoping they implement facets of the 1984 Forty Niner offense, where they utilized Tyler/Craig on those swing passes out of the backfield to destroy the Dolphin defense. They literally carved them up and moved the ball at will….

        1. Yep, ole Wendell. They were a dynamic duo, but yea Tyler was prone to cough it up every once in awhile….

          1. All of his fumbles combined will never be as big as Craig’s on the goal line destroying any threepeat. Uhhggg still mad at that play.

            1. You’re so mad about the Craig fumble that you don’t even remember the part of the field that it occurred.

              1. I wish that fumble was on the Giants goal line. If it was, I don’t know if the NYG’s could’ve moved it well enough to kick the FG. Damn!

              2. That fumble prevented the only 3-Peat in football history creating a traumatic memory lapse to compensate for the pain….

              3. Don’t know why I said goal line. Smh.
                I’ve watched that play twice in my life and refuse to ever watch it again. It’s been a good 15 years or so. Like the Kirk Gibson home run.
                If I remember correctly it was somewhere near the 40 and they were running to get into FG range and were close.
                Ehhh…. Whatever I don’t mind being wrong about that play.

      1. Hyde’s running style is alot like Craig. He was great catching out of the backfield at Ohio St.

        If Colin can improve his short passes, the offense will be much more dynamic.

    3. Takinh all this optimism with a grain of salt. We’ll know what the offense looks like with these new weapons once they start playing the games that matter.

      1. Steve Logan influences this offense and the optimism may be justified….

        1. Maybe so, but I’m still waiting until I see the product on the field.

          1. If Anthony Davis is critical to the offensive line, I think IDub is that critical piece on the defensive line. He seems to be very adept at getting pressure straight up the gut, and I believe that is extremely disruptive to a quarterback like Wilson. Part of the methodology behind Stinky Petes’ order to have him taken out of the game IMO….

    4. That CSN site – good informative article, annoying set of commenters – is the inverse of here.

    5. “Quinton Patton has had an excellent offseason”.

      What does that even mean? Does it mean he’s gotten bigger, stronger and faster? That he’s looked good running routes and catching the ball?

      1. Scooter,

        I believe he’s leading the Appalachian Off Season Workout League (AOSWL) in catches, yards, yards per catch and TD’s.

        I’ve heard he also has a very low drop rate this off season (7,845 balls caught out of 7,847, but one of the drops was affected by Patton having the sun in his eyes).

    6. George,

      I love how you’re continually trying to get the conversation back to actual football.

      Well done!

  24. Not crazy about this article but Grant and Kawakami are the two best 49ers beat writers we have. They know football and they scrutinize every move our team makes. They don’t care about being popular, they care about insight and analysis. I for one, as a die hard niners fan, love their brutally honest write-ups. If you want feel good articles, you have MM and Barrows and many others. Those writers are good to get updates and to get pumped up. And they wants fans to like them, because that’s how they keep their jobs. Kawakami and Grant tell it like it is, and that’s what makes them so good.

    1. These two don’t speak on football facts. They have butthurt opinions. There’s a huge difference.
      They couldn’t hold MM or MB jock when it comes to writing facts on this team. And I’ve read MM’ blogs and he does keep it real. He doesn’t sugarcoat his opinions. You’ve got a lot of learning to do

    1. Oooops, forgot the paste the link. George beat me to it anyway. Scroll above for info. Mods, feel free to delete.

    1. Ghost…

      I just wasted about 35 minutes reading before reaching your post…This is a trophy bellyaching exercise….Hell it’s Grants blog, ….way too much homerism They’re our team….not some Diety

      1. Moving to Jacksonville Oregon in two years when I retire. What a great area of the world — Oregon.

      1. Razor – What’s new in here? I’ve hardly been in here the last 7-8 weeks. Did I miss anything good? Any good fights/debates?
        I started a Michigan football twitter account 2 months ago. Niners and Michigan were always my 2 favorite football teams since I was a little squirt. I couldn’t lose with Harbaugh :)….I was just goofing around with the twitter thing and somehow I have 89 followers already. Most are legit lol. My twitter handle is TheBIGhouse@capacity109901 ….If anyone in here is on twitter hit me up.
        Go Niners!!! F the Seahawks!!

        1. The world is constantly changing but in here, not so much. It’s been pretty mellow for the most part. My wife’s a long time MI fan, but I grew up loving ND. I don’t tweet or twitter, but sounds like you’re off to great start….

          1. Thanks for the update Razor! Your wife has good taste….She chose you & Michigan…..Tell her “Go Blue” for me. :)

  25. It sounds like somebody is upset that Jed York is benefiting from nepotism more than they are.

    1. BigP – Hope all is well bro…..This is a painfully long offseason. I miss football. Hell, I’d watch an arena football game at this point. Even an XFL game if they were still around. Remember that league?

      1. Welcome Back, Crabs ..

        or .. how ’bout a USFL game ?

        (Thats where Bobbie Hebert and Steve Young came from)

        1. MWN – Are you too young to remember the World Football League? I grew up in Anaheim and they had a team called the “California Sun” their RB was Anthony Davis from USC. I still have an unused bumper sticker….they had orange & white colors like the old Tampa Bay Bucs uniforms.

      2. Crabs!
        Yeah, the offseason sucks. I’ll never forget watching the first ever XFL game. My expectations jumped out of the window about 10 minutes before kickoff. It was really, really bad. The one awesome thing to come out of the XFL? Rod “He hate me” Smart. It didn’t even make sense, but in hindsight, that was part of the charm. Hope all is well bro, you are one of my favorites on this blog. You are an enabler, and I mean that in a good (Vegas kind of) way.

        1. BigP – “He hate me” ….hilarious man! I forgot about him.
          I was pumped up for the XFL too. I thought it might work. I actually obtained the one and only XFL California license plate…lol, it’s on a wall in my garage (embarrassing)….NFL plate was already taken.

      3. Crab15,
        Only two things I remember about Vince McMahon’ XFL are the on-field camera guys and the “He Hate Me” name tag on a player’s jersey.

        This past week in Big Blue football – Harbaugh suspends a senior player and the director of football op’s is also suspended for a DUI.
        Sounds about right.

          1. Crab15,
            Interesting tibits:
            1. The Demons played at Pac Bell Park (now AT&T Park).
            2. Their home attendance wasn’t all that bad.
            3. Saturday football games in March (just didn’t feel right).
            4. Vince McMahon was considered a business mastermind until he tried his hand at football. Can’t blame the man for trying.

            XFL Game Box Score Report
            Date: 03/24/01 Day of Week: Saturday Starting time: 5:10 PM
            VISITOR: Memphis Maniax vs HOME: San Francisco Demons
            AT Pacific Bell Park
            Attendance: 35,109 Time of Game: 2:57

      1. “Their new ownership group mostly stays out of trouble.”

        “They say they want to win with class and, as far as we know, they didn’t draft a single criminal this year. That’s progress.”

        If those weasly backhanded comments are what passes as praise to you, who are we to argue.

  26. All this brouhaha about deflated balls and nary a word on the atrocious cheating by the Ravens in their last Superbowl appearance (with collusion by the refs against the 49ers).

    Seems like selective indignation in the football world. And until that blatant cheating is addressed by the NFL, I can take no other allegations of “cheating” seriously by the NFL.

    1. I think its a bit harsh saying Dontae Johnson is no competition for Wright based on his rookie stats. Not many guys play their best football in year 1. I expect all the rookies from last year will be improved this season. In saying that, Wright certainly has a good shot at winning the spot.

      I’d also be surprised if Armstead wins the LDE job solely because Baalke tells Mangini he wants him to start. I don’t think Baalke would do that if the coaches think he’s not ready. However, if it is close between him and Dial (or someone else), I imagine then Baalke might put some subtle pressure on.

      Wheeler and Lynch could well win their respective battles. I’m thinking the incumbents will win those jobs, but could easily go as you suggest.

      I completely agree with who you have winning the RDE job. I see my arguments regarding Dorsey have at least been persuasive with one person. :-)

      1. Dial LDE, Williams NT, Dorsey RDE will be a pretty tough group to run on. Aldon and Lynch are big for OLBs and can set the edge quite well.

        1. With all three interior linemen having experience at NT, this will be a group that understands play direction, leverage and pad level.

          With a little health luck at ILB, the front 7 just might be killer.

        2. I’d say so Brodie. Getting back to what made the D so tough to face in 2011 through 2013. Last year they were still good, but the run D wasn’t quite as dominant.

    2. The signing of Smith and Bush along with Foerster and Logan indicates to me an offensive tune up….

      1. Zone or man drill? I have no idea. The 2nd group’s sudden lateral movement suggests zone. Any O-line knowledgeable out there care to clue me in?

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW1c6yZDxeQ

        In a chat the other week Maiocco thinks the offense won’t change that much. Less shifting. More passes to backs. Maybe a little more zone mixed in.

    3. – I think Dorsey will start RDE too. At least at the start of the season. He’s the great overlooked D-lineman.

      – I don’t see Armstead starting LDE. There seems to be general acknowledgement Armstead’s a developmental player. If he did start, I’d take that as a sign he’s supremely talented.

      – Lynch at LOB makes total sense.

      – I agree re Shareece Wright. He doesn’t have the most talent, but the CB group lacks game experience.

      My hope is that Mangini will rotate players more often, making many of the starter designations moot.

      – Brandon Thomas by a hair. They are both talented and smart.

      1. – Brandon Thomas by a hair. They (Martin and Thomas) are both talented and smart.

      2. “He’s the great overlooked D-lineman.”

        Dorsey is one of the best draft “busts” I can recall in recent history. Completely under appreciated by most Chiefs fans, and unfairly criticised in the media for his “lack of production” while performing his role very well in KC’s 2-gapping scheme. Its no wonder Baalke was so happy to sign him in 2013.

        The funny thing is his stats for the 49ers in 2013 were down from his 2010 and 2011 stats for the Chiefs, yet he was widely praised for turning his career around. He was basically doing the same thing he did for the Chiefs but at a position that has no expectation of putting up gaudy stats with the media and fan base.

        1. He’s a bust because as you’ve said numerous times in the past couple weeks, you don’t need to spend a first round pick on a run stuffing end. Especially the 5th overall pick. And regardless of what he’s become he was expected to be the next Warren Sapp and so given those expectations and his 5th overall selection he truly is a bust. Is he a quality NFL defensive lineman, no argument but he’s also a first round bust.

          1. Yep, but like I said, one of the best draft busts around. He’s a very good player.

            Expecting Warren Sapp like production from a guy tasked with being a 2-gapping lineman was both ridiculous and unfair on him. Even Warren Sapp didn’t put up Warren Sapp like production when the Raiders tasked him with being a DE in their 3-4 defense in 2004. Actually, you could argue Dorsey put up superior stats to Sapp in that role, as he recorded 60+ tackles in 2010 and 2011.

            1. The Chiefs were a 4-3 when they drafted him and after appearing in 16 games that first season, while still in a 4-3, he had 1 sack. Not exactly the production you’d expect from the 5th overall pick playing his College position.

            2. I’m just going around with you on this one. I don’t disagree that he’s a quality player in the right system. He never should have been a first round pick but that’s a different argument.

              1. I agree with you that he hasn’t had the type of impact you’d expect from the 5th overall pick, even when he was playing in a 4-3.

                However, worth noting that even Warren Sapp only had 3 sacks as a rookie. Not trying to suggest that if Dorsey had stuck as a 3-tech in a 4-3 he’d have developed into that type of player, but just putting some perspective on the rookie stats for Dorsey.

              2. Sapps tackle total that first year is laughable.

                I digress, in regards to Dorsey and to our previous discussion as long as they keep him on the ball side of the 4 spot he’ll be effective.

              3. Warren Sapp article in the NY Times touches on his difficulty two gapping with the Raiders.

                http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/guide-to-n-f-l-defenses-part-1/?_r=0

                I agree with both. Dorsey may be the very best “bust” out there. I also agree that the 5th overall should do more then run stuff. They should pressure and disrupt too. That might be KCs fault for misjudging traits. Not Dorsey’s.

                Not sure if I remember correctly, but KC ran a straight 3-4 for part of the time Dorsey was there. The 49ers under fronts allowed Dorsey to shade strong or weak side just a little. This allowed Dorsey to be more aggressive off the snap.

                Not exactly “shooting” single gaps like a 4-3, but at least he could hit first… occupying one gap while pressuring the other… then read where the play was going.

                I think the under front is more fun system to play in. The D-lineman gets to strike the first blow instead of seeing/reading/hitting at the same time. It takes advantage of Dorsey’s explosiveness.

              4. I remember when Baalke signed Dorsey, he cited versatility as one of the main reasons he wanted him. There’s a lot of hidden value in that. Not just for subbing, but getting the best match-ups too.

                Like I said above, Williams, Dorsey and Dial have all played NT… which means they’re all good at leverage, pad level and gap discipline. This will be a hard D line to run against.

        2. Dorsey is a great example of a guy who would be viewed as a successful second round pick but is a disappointment as a first. That is why Armstead was a disappointment for me. As a second round pick based on the talent and the need for development, it would have been more appealing.

          I don’t think Dorsey will be the starting RDE though. I think that will be between Carradine and Dockett, and if Carradine is not a factor this year, it will be a major disappointment.

          1. Rocket,

            Far be it for me to try to influence your opinion, but don’t you want to see Armstead, you know, actually play in the NFL before determining he’s a disappointment as NFL player? I can understand being disappointed with the pick, but how do you know what Armstead is going to be in the NFL?

            If he turns out to be 80-85% of what Justin Smith was, will that be ok? Justin Smith doesn’t have a lot of sacks or tackles.

            Also, while we all want the 49ers first round picks to be immediate contributors and pro bowlers (or better), that’s just not a realistic expectation. The reality is that there is more than a 20% bust rate (started one year or less and played 40 NFL games or less) for the 17th pick, and only about half of first round picks end up being pro bowlers. I would guess that number is skewed towards top ten picks, meaning there is less than a 50% chance of the 17th pick being a pro bowler.

            This leaves lots of room for players taken with the 17th pick who become marginal starters or key back ups that have long careers, but never really live up to their draft status.

            So, even if all Armstead ever becomes is a good run stuffing DE (3-4) or DT (sub package), he still would meet or exceed the average expected value of that pick, IMO.

            Not the result I would hope for, but not a terrible result, either.

            1. Ex,

              It’s mostly about the fact that Armstead went in Round 1. If he had gone in round 2, wouldn’t have been there in my opinion, the pick and the player would be viewed differently.

              Oh well, can’t wait for camp and games to start. The extended offseason has been enough already.

              1. Armstead has played the 5 Tech, 3 Tech and even NT in college. He also was used from the “amoeba” formation. His middle name is versatility….

              2. He played some snaps at positions other than 4-tech/ 5-tech, but he was primarily playing 4-tech/ 5-tech. I don’t expect to see him getting a lot of (any?) snaps at NT for the 49ers. I imagine the 49ers will be expecting he can play as a 3-tech in addition to his 4-tech/ 5-tech role, a bit like Chris Canty.

                I don’t see him as versatile a DL as Dorsey is.

              3. I would think it wise for Mangini to utilize his versatility, to include looks at NT where his size and length could pose difficulties for a quarterback trying to throw….

              4. I’m not really on board with that. The 49ers have some very good NTs already. Of all the DL positions the NT is the hardest to win the leverage battle, especially for a guy as tall as Armstead, as it has the shortest distance between the players.

              5. However they decide to use him, I think he’s going to be a monster….

              6. I still don’t see Armstead being utilized that much until 2017 at the earliest. He can be a decent pass rusher when he gets off the snap on time and has the frame needed to be a menace, but he’s too raw in technique right now to expect much out of him right now.

              7. Armstead can slot right in at 3-4 end and do his job stopping the run, but the potential is there to move him inside as a pass rusher and that’s where it might take time to develop the consistency you’d like to see….

              8. Actually the couple of instances where he got off the snap on time and delivered a decent pass rush was when he was at DE.

              9. It’s more that Armstead needs to harness and refine his technique before being utilized that we disagree on Razor. I see the potential, but I’d rather he not go on the field based on just that.

              10. He’ll get on the field because he earned it, which I fully expect him to do. Rotation early working for more and more snaps….

              11. Jack,

                I get that people would be more accepting of Armstead if he had been taken in round two, or later in the first round (supposedly, Baalke turned down a second trade back opportunity). I was decidedly in that camp initially and I’m still thinking that Marcus Peters might’ve been a better pick (if he’s not going to be a problem child).

                What I don’t get is the predetermination all he can be is a run stuffer in the NFL.

              12. Jack,

                Are you saying that some have trouble understanding that part of Armstead’s lack of production might’ve come from scheme?

              13. I think a lot of people’s concerns with the pick was based on taking a developmental player at that position in the first round. A lot will depend on how quick he develops into the player that reflects his draft position. A draft pick represents more to a team than just his abilities on the field. The major advantage to a draft pick over a free-agent or resigning is the amount of time the team has a top quality player on their relatively cheap rookie contract. That is why it is essential for teams to make the most of the draft to keep the cap down. The best use of the draft for teams would be to get the most long term bang out of their buck. If a player develops slowly then the teams draft value is diminished. If they have to resign that player they will pay full value. Logically a players draft value would decrease incrementally in proportion to the time lost in his development.

                I think that is the reason that some people would have rather had a player who would be able to contribute right away. Time will tell if he will turn out to be a value pick. That would depend on his final top end multiplied by years on his rookie salary.

            2. Ex,

              It’s all about the position and value for me. Drafting a 5 technique in the 1st round doesn’t make much sense to me. A first round pick should offer more. Whether the pick pans out or not is another story, but I think you have to shoot higher than that with a pick in the middle of the first round.

              1. Rocket,

                I think by the time the 17th pick rolls around, you take the best player available, regardless of position / assignments, with need breaking ties.

              2. Rocket,

                Of course, certain positions are more valuable than others, which is central to your argument. What I’m saying, is if Armstead is good enough as just a run stuffer, that will justify his selection with the 17th pick, IMO. Plus, he has the upside provided by his raw athleticism.

          2. Rocket, do you think Anthony McFarland was a disappointment as a first round pick? He was a very good primarily 1-tech DT/NT for the Bucs. He didn’t put up big stats.

            I understand why Dorsey is considered a bust by many. He hasn’t had the impact people envisaged when he was drafted 5th overall. However, it is not his fault he only got to play one season (and his rookie season at that) in a defense that would have allowed him to put up big stats. Since then he’s played as a DE in a 2-gapping 3-4 and as a NT in a 3-4. I wonder if we’d be saying the same thing about him if he’d spent his career playing in a 1-gap 4-3 defense?

            Armstead I see as a bit different to Dorsey, as unlike Dorsey he would appear to be ideally suited to the 3-4 DE role. I don’t really see him as having the same kind of versatility that Dorsey has to play right across the 3-4 DL positions, or as a DT in a 4 man front. Armstead might develop into a good 3-tech DT, I don’t know, but for now I don’t see it. I really see him as 4-tech/ 5-tech. The reason I’m not excited by the pick is because unless he develops as a pass rusher I don’t see first round value in a run stuffing 4-tech/ 5-tech. Of course if he develops his game and becomes a guy that can generate pressure in the passing game while being strong against the run, maybe play some 3-tech in 4-man fronts, then I’ll change my opinion.

            1. Scooter,

              Booger was a very good player for what he was able to do. Was he worth a first round pick? A Bucs fan would be a better source but I’d say yes because he was pretty dominant physically for a period of time. Dorsey has been solid, but hasn’t shown that elite level ability imo.

              I agree 100% re. Armstead

              1. No, he hasn’t, but he also hasn’t had the opportunity to play in a system like McFarland did (aside from his rookie year). As I said, I wonder if we’d be having the same discussion if he’d been able to play his career in a 4-3?

              2. Yeah I see where you are coming from. I’m glad to have Dorsey though. 1st round caliber or not, he’s been a good addition.

    4. In a 3-4 it’s called defensive end, how can you be so sure they’ll still run a 4-3 under with new coaches? If they ever really did in the first place.

  27. Will the real Geep Chryst please stand up?

    Recent unverified scuttlebutt rumor mill might be BS but who really knows “reports”… suggest Kaepernick’s very happy Geep Chryst as OC. When Chryst had the most unfettered influence on Colin (and play calling) was 2012. Colin thrived. In latter years, Colin’s development was spread out among other staff… including Harbaugh himself.

    That makes me wonder… Its generally understood the Chryst family knows quarterbacking and offense. Had Jeep been hired as OC in 2011, I’d have been very happy. I really liked his brother Paul’s passing attacks at Wisconsin. Pro set timing offense. Lots of WCO concepts. Touch passes. Passes to backs.

    So why was little of this reflected in the 49ers passing game? Is Jeep fundamentally different than his brother Paul? Could it be Colin’s limitations in the types of throws he can make? A mismatch with Harbaugh/Roman’s scheme? Limited input (after all, Jeep was the QB coach, not OC)?

    We will find out in September. As the OC, the real Jeep Chryst will stand up. The guessing will (hopefully) end.

    1. The only non rumor info we have to go on is Geep’s previous time as an OC, and that was a disaster. I truly hope he succeeds this time around, but it is nothing but hope because there is no record of success with him, or Mangini for that matter.

    2. I remember after that amazing playoff win against the Saints, it was revealed that Geep was the mind behind Vernon Post. There were many calls on this blog and others from fans, already sick of Roman, for Chryst to replace Roman.

      Although such calls all but disappeared over time (no one I know wanted him for OC now), we’ll soon know what we have. I’ll have my fingers crossed that Kaepernick’s reported happiness will be for good reason.

  28. that moment when half of the comments are better articles than the article….. :0

    the only reason to come here is for the posse. pd please fire or promote this dude

    1. This bodes well. Hyde’s supposed to be faster this season (weight loss) and, I assume, stronger (weight room). Also, if they really do rotate in Davis, Hyde should have more juice. Arrow is pointing up.

    1. Its going to be fun to see how different Mangini’s system is to what Fangio ran.

          1. Anything in particular give you cause for concern about Mangini not being successful?

            1. With all the new ‘potential’ and old broken-in ones, it will be a bust or a boom.
              I think it hinges on how they work as a group. If there is discontent, I don’t think it will be a fun year on D, regardless of the talent.

            2. Nope, I’m actually quite optimistic about the D this year. Just acknowledging that it may not be successful, you never know how well a new system will go.

    1. Bethea, Reid, Tartt, Whitehead is one hell of a depth chart upgrade at the safety position. I’d love to see it….

      1. Dres Anderson has a football pedigree I was unaware of:

        Four-time Academic All-Pac-12 honors. Leaves Utah ranked top-six all-time in receiving yards (2,077), 100-yard games (seven) and touchdown catches (17). Football bloodlines as the son of 10-year NFL WR Flipper Anderson, who won a Super Bowl with the 1997 Denver Broncos and still holds the NFL record for receiving yards (336) in a single game – his uncle, Paco Craig, also played in the NFL.

        He may surprise some people. I predict he’ll make some impressive plays in the preseason , enough to get noticed, then Baalke will cut him and Seattle will grab him off waivers. He’ll provide Carroll our playbook and then he’ll help Russell Wilson annoy the crap out of us twice a year for 3-4 years.

        1. Flipper Anderson had a great nfl career. I remember him owning deion sanders several games.

    2. “Anderson caught 53 passes for 1,002 yards in 2013. That same year, Nelson Agholor caught 56 passes for 918 yards. Agholor was the 20th pick this year, and Anderson outplayed him in 2013.”

      No mention that Agholor was a sophomore while Anderson was a junior in 2013? Anderson has some talent, but he wasn’t as good a college player as Agholor. Agholor had much more production than Anderson in his junior year. Probably part of the reason why he went in round 1…

    3. Grant, great UDFA breakdown. My UDFA crush this year is Darius Davis.

      The 49ers will find out if his footage is an optical illusion vs small school DBs… or if he’s a gifted RAC artist.

      The 49ers had some luck with a small school WR with a slow 40 time back in the 80s. Some bricklayers kid. “Rerry Jice” or “Berry Wheat” or something like that.

      If Darius can do even a little of what he did on school he will fight his way onto the 53… or get grabbed like Winston did during 24 hr waivers.

      I’m putting over-under for PS players grabbed during 24 hr waivers at 4.

    4. Maiocco answered a question the other day about who the team values the most of the udfa and he pointed to the signing bonuses as a clue. Anderson and White got the biggest bonuses. They probably hold the most interest to the other teams at cut-down time.
      As usual, I get intrigued by the longshot under dogs, but there’s a reason they went undrafted. This year Day and Rush have my attention. Can Day perform with the big boys? TBD.
      Grant’s analysis of Rush speaks to his limitations, but the guy is just a Football Player to the bone. In attitude reminds of Borland. Grant tried to think outside the box, but as he pointed out, FB is not a position of need. I’m guessing they just let him run around out there on defense and see if he too can play with the big kids.

        1. Bro Tuna

          Apparently you’re having the same problem as I am. I had to leave fiirefox and go to G-chrome to get it through

      1. Maybe the coaches will try him at ILB. Don’t know if he has coverage skills. Also, he needs to get a bit bigger and keep what speed he has, but he will have to get bigger anyway. But would nice to have an ILB with pass-rushing skills.

    5. Grant once again I really enjoyed one of your Bleacher Report posts. As to DiAndre Campbell you wrote “How will he produce in the NFL if he could’nt produce during 4 yrs of college?” See Dwight Clark.

  29. “He can run the rollouts and read-option plays Colin Kaepernick does, meaning Thompson is a good fit for the Niners offense.”
    We run the read-option because Kaepernick is a rare athlete that has the speed and athleticism to not get himself murdered running the read option in the NFL. We only started running the read option because of Kaepernicks presence on the team. If Kaepernick goes away I’d bet dollars to donuts so does the read option. The 49ers offense isn’t a read-option offense it simply offers it to cater to the strength of it’s current QB. Would the 49ers truly run the read-option with Dylan Thompson behind center?

    “To make the final roster, all he has to do is outplay Blaine Gabbert during the preseason.
    How difficult could that be?”

    Let me rephrase; To make the final roster all he(an UDFA) has to do is beat out a veteran whom the GM clearly has a penchant for. How difficult could that be?

    Probably pretty hard.

  30. I’m embarrassed to admit but I only just got around to finally watching Birdman tonight. Been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a movie this much. If you have a HD screen the PQ is amazing.

    Birdman gets a rare 5/5. Loved it.

    On a side note we watched Gone Girl the other night and I nearly broke an ankle tripping over the plot holes.

    1. Thx, CFC. Been waiting for Gone Girl. Loved Birdman a while back. Liked ‘Theory of Everything’ a lot more than expected..
      Have you watched climbers’ documentary “Cerro Torre”? Special interest, but I enjoyed.

      1. In regards to GG, despite my comment I tell most people that they will enjoy it. I didn’t hate the movie but I bet the book does a better job of making the story more believable.

        I’ll probably lower my Birdman score to a 4.5. It’s a great movie, not perfect but pretty great.

        1. I’d highly recommend Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. Much more enjoyable than Gone Girl.

            1. I’d seen where he’d gone into hospice care. Irreplaceable.
              “Put the hammer down, Full speed ahead.”

    1. The stats credit Kaep with 21 ( Houdinis) escapes behind the line of scrimmage. The most of any QB in the league in 2014. While there are certainly many variable factors involved this is something that could help bring more perspective in respect to the amount of pressure vs sacks that Kaep experienced in 2014. It implies that he did a far better job of escaping sacks than any other QB. This would imply that he decreased his sack rate because of his athletic ability. Kind of flies in the face of those that say he increased his sack rate by running into them. While that might be true for a few, all QB’s will often not take the best escape route. It’s all just part of the scrambling game. It’s just that on this site the Kaep detractors have used every potential mistake to run him down. I am sure they have not done the same with or held other QB’s to that same standard. In one of the few Colt games I saw, I observed Luck run into two sacks himself in one game when better options were available. I am sure that was not a typical game for him. It’s just that most fans watch more of their own games so they get to see more of what they want to use to promote either a negative or positive case for any specific player.

  31. In a different twist on a familiar but unfortunate storyline, Britney Griner and Glory Johnson of the WNBA, (different teams) and married partners, got into a brawl at their home that lead to both their arrests and convictions for DV Assault and Disorderly Conduct, and to 7 game suspensions by the League.
    Equal protection under the law prevails. Inappropriate conflict resolution persists.

    1. Tomsula also saying that Moody is a guy that is standing out; but it is just OTAs.

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