Top 5 questions facing the 49ers

These are the top-five questions currently facing the 49ers.

1. What can the Niners expect from Frank Gore? From Week 7 through the playoffs last season — 221 carries — Gore averaged 3.7 yards per attempt. Is that what the Niners can expect from Gore next season?

2. If Vernon Davis holds out and misses training camp, will he have a bad season? You can’t get into football shape without playing football. Getting into football shape is more strenuous than running gassers and ladders and running routes against air or some junior college DB. Los Angeles Raiders’ tight end Todd Christensen caught 95 passes in 1986 when he was 30 years old. He held out through the 1987 preseason. He caught just 47 passes during the 1987 regular season. And then he caught just 15 passes in 1988. And then he retired.

3. Will Chris Culliver make it through training camp healthy? Culliver tore his ACL during a light, minimum-contact special teams drill last August. He planted his leg to cut and his knee just gave out. Can that knee handle a strenuous cut? If the knee holds up, can Culliver learn to find the ball when it’s in the air?

4. Will Colin Kaepernick improve or not? Will he remain near the bottom of the league in red-zone-passing efficiency and completion percentage? Or will he become an all-around outstanding quarterback?

5. Will Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman become more creative and aggressive in the red zone? They say they’re focusing on the red-zone offense this offseason. So will it actually improve?

These are the questions.

This article has 110 Comments

  1. 1..if we are over relying on Frank again this yr..imma be angry..it’s time to pass the baton..

    2..I think Vernon will have less impact..more targets..more options.

    3..Culliver is a big question mark..hopefully he recovers..lot of question marks at cb and secondary

    4.I think Kap will..but in order for kap to improve as a passer..he’s gonna have to pass more..

    5.they need to be more aggressive and creative period..including redzone.

    ..

  2. 1. I think they will end the regular season with Hyde as the primary runner. Whether they start Gore in the playoffs depends on how good Hyde has become.

    2. I think the answer has to do with how much Carrier shows in pre-season. If he’s ready, they can start him and alternate with Vernon once he’s ready. Actually, I hope Carrier is so good that he keeps Vernon on the bench. The classic Wally Pipp syndrome. If Carrier isn’t ready, Vernon would probably start and work himself into shape.

    3. I think Culliver will be healthy. Will he learn to find the ball in the air? Sounds like a vision discrimination problem to me, so I say no.

    4. I think Kap’s on schedule for that “break-out” year.

    5. This question is the hardest to answer of the bunch. My answer: They won’t get more creative but will be more successful due to Hyde, McDonald, and Johnson.

  3. Blog Fantasy Football League:

    Sent out 5 invites so far and with me that makes 6. I’ve created a 12 man league so we still have 6 spots left. I can drop it to 10 if we don’t get enough but I don’t like to do less then 10 or more then 12 man leagues.

    No fee to enter it’s just for bragging rights.

    The live draft is scheduled for Sunday August 24th at 1030am.

    I believe if you click on this link you can sing up for the league: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/102823/invitation?key=3be6bcd409816b22

    Please reply below if that is not the case. Otherwise send me your email at bretly88@yahoo.com and I will send you an email invite.

    1. I never got an email invite.
      .
      I’ll resend my home email address.
      .
      Thanks!
      .
      .
      .
      *ALOHA*

    2. One thing I did leave off is that your team name needs to be the same name you use on the blog.

    3. If you have requested an invite I have emailed them, if you didn’t receive it first try clicking on the link I’ve provided in the post above and if that doesn’t work then please resend me your email and I will send another invite.

    4. 4 spots left.

      Once we’re full I will make sure I can identify who the team owners are, please remember to make your team name your Blog name. If I can’t match up a team owner or if you don’t respond when I ask who you are then I will be forced to remove you and open the spot to someone else.

      1. Sure, pick on the dyslexic guy who doesn’t have an edit button. You feel good about yourself you big bully?

        ;)

        1. C4c
          Though I’m up to speed on your joke, there’s an interesting take on highly successfull dyslexics who over compensated for their disability with excellent results described in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “David & Goliath.” the guy who wrote ‘Tipping Point’ “Blink” and “Outliers.”
          This is who Grant, IMO, might want to emulate. He loves to use numbers to find the truth. He explores familiar issues in new ways and hopes to get to the Truth. Sometimes Grant is more like a Trial Lawyer presenting a (non-inclusive) pitch, irrespective of The Truth.

  4. I don’t know if these are the top 5 but they are 5 questions I have:

    1) How much time if any will Chris Culliver miss and who will take his spot in his absence and how much of an effect will that have?

    2) Can Kaepernick progress as a pocket passer.

    3) Will the 49ers 2nd year rehab projects; Lattimore, Tank & whomever else be productive and stay healthy?

    4) Will our offensive line take a step back with everything it has to deal with; Iupati recovery, Kilgore learning center position and Boone holding out?

    5) Will Jimmie Ward be effective as a slot cover man? If not we could be in trouble.

  5. Grant, this question is more along the topic of your last blog post but I’ll ask anyways. What 49er rookie, if he won ROY honors, would almost guarantee another trip to the super bowl?

    My choice, after tossing between Carlos Hyde and Jimmie Ward, is Hyde. If Hyde wins ROY of the year that means he would have had a near 1,000 yard season. That means Gore got a lot less rushes than normal and I imagine that the other RBs contributed too. If the 49ers have a huge season by their RBs then they would be very dangerous which means Kap and the playaction would be very dangerous.

    Someone else make the case for Ward or the other picks. I would like to read your ideas.

    1. For Hyde to get RoY, Gore needs to get injured early in the season. Not a good scenario.

  6. #1. 1,150 yds, 7 TD, 4.0 YPA
    .
    #2. N/A (He won’t hold out)
    .
    #3. He’ll be fully recovered. BTW… you wrote, ‘He planted his leg to cut and his knee just gave out.’ FYI…most ACL’s happen this way. Mine did too. Nothing unusual.
    .
    #4. Our choices are either near-the-bottom OR outstanding, huh? In that case, I’ll go with outstanding.
    .
    #5. It will improve. Can it get much worse???
    .
    .
    .

    *ALOHA*

  7. 1) Gore will get about 170 carries in the regular season, and average 4.3 yards per carry.

    2) Davis will be fine. His number will likely drop a bit, but that will be due to scheme.

    3) Culliver will be fine, but Chris Cook will beat him out.

    4) Yes. Kaepernick will have an improved first half.

    5) It will be about the same as the last 2 years.

    1. You think they will finally start to use more of a RB by committee approach, Jack? A drop in carries from around 270 to 170 would be quite a change – he’d be averaging around 10 carries per game. I hope you are right, as Gore could benefit from less carries, but that is quite the shift.

      I agree about Cook. I expect he will win the starting spot opposite Brock.

    2. ‘Gore will get about 170 carries in the regular season, and average 4.3 yards per carry.’
      .
      .
      Is that based on a 16-games season or are you expecting for him to get hurt?
      .
      That number seems waaay low to me–as if he a Hunter are switching rolls.
      .
      He’ll get at least a 100 more touches than that.
      .
      .
      .
      *ALOHA*

  8. 1. How will the secondary look and how will they perform?
    2. Is there enough depth and talent the RB position in order to keep Gore fresh enough for the Quest for Six?
    3. Will Kaep take the next step?
    4. Can Crabtree actually stay healthy?
    5. Harbaugh and Roman have both said that they want implement more three WR sets, but will they actually do so or are they just blowing hot air?

  9. This looks suspiciously similar to The Five Burning Questions, presented by Jack Hammer. You might have a plagiarism case Jack. I’ve found Bill Handel reputable…

    You’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers:

    1. Like a fine wine, savor and conserve to get you through winter….
    2. Every minute VD gets weaker, while in the NFL Jungle they grow strong….
    3. CC will have to prove it on the field. Cris Cook wants his job. Early reports indicate he has a legitimate shot. I confess I had more than a few hyperventilation attacks into the paper bag the day they signed him, but may the best man win….
    4. Colin Kaepernick is a worker, and workers improve to their ceiling when surrounded by talented Coaches, and Players within the right system. This should be his biggest statistical year as a player in the National Football League…..
    5. Their jobs depend on it. You’ve got to cash the check, the offense just worked to write….

    I’ve Got Questions, Do You Have Some Answers?

    1. How does this new Secondary perform with all the new parts?

    2. How many games will AD be suspended and can he check the criminally N/A box at the end of the year?

    3. Will the 49ers carry Six Wide Receivers?

    4. Can Fangio increase sack production?

    5. How effective can Dr. Lattimore/Mr. Hyde be from the Shotgun in the NFL?

  10. 1 – Will Gore’s age/high mileage be a factor for a power running team? If so, when and to whom will he lose carries?

    2 – Multiple questions in the secondary… Will the rookie safety be ready for nickel corner? Is Culliver healthy enough let alone his other issues? If not, can Cook or others step in? Bethea fit in? Brock a starter?

    3 – Kapernick – will he be ready to take over the world now that he finally has healthy weapons at WR?

    4 – Will Bowman’s absence significantly hurt the defense or will Wilhoite and committee step up? Can Bowman come back from that devastating injury?

    5 – When will Justin Smith slow down? Can Carradine and the others step up their game when father time takes over?

    1. Jack’s number 1 2014 season prediction:

      “After starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick goes down to an injury at Levi’s Stadium against the St. Louis Rams in Week 9, backup Blaine Gabbert takes over the reigns. Behind a strong running game and a defense that once again is among the top groups in the league in points given up, Gabbert leads the 49ers to the NFC West title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.”

      My take: Wow. That Gabbert prediction is excellent for blog shock value but in reality, if Kap goes down in week 9 with a knee injury, the 49ers are screwed. Gabbert is not going to beat the Seahawks, let alone the two game road swing at the Giants and at the Saints. Any lead we would (very likely) have going into the week 9 contest against the Rams will evaporate quickly if Gabbert has to start.

      1. On June 30, 2012 many 49ers fans still thought they had made a mistake drafting Colin Kaepernick. Many thought that even after he was the QB in victories over Chicago and New Orleans.

        If Harbaugh can coach a team to victory over a #1 ranked USC team in the Coliseum with Tavita Pritchard at QB he can win games in the NFL with Blaine Gabbert.

        1. 1. The people who thought CK7 was a mistake were reacting out of loyalty for Alex or dislike for Colin’s style of play. Anyone who objectively watched that MNF game against the Bears and objectively analyzed Colin’s stellar play realized Colin was ready and (unfortunately) Alex was done in SF.

          2. The Tavita Prichard analogy would work if Harbaugh were coaching another college football game with a poorly regarded QB. In my opinion, it is a false analogy if utilized to suggest Harbaugh can start a cast-off in the NFL against SB contenders such as the Seahawks and Saints, or for that matter 8 games against NFL competition and expect to win. Backup level QBs are the ones who falter after a few games replacing the starter and the league figures them out. That is what would happen with Gabbert.

          1. Actually I wanted continuity at the QB position and still feel like that is one of the reasons that we didn’t win the Super Bowl against the Ravens. I didn’t care who the starter was, but he needed to start from day one.

            1. Alex Smith got schooled against the Giants in the opening of the season and got trounced straight to the bench against the Rams. No way does he come back from an injury and win some of the games that Colin managed to win.

              If Alex came back, I don’t think the 49ers even win the division that year – and we probably have a lot of very disappointed teammates/receivers/fans who were happy with what they were seeing with Kaepernick.

              We just needed to see more Gore in that final red zone situation…

              1. and got trounced straight to the bench against the Rams.

                He suffered a concussion yet still threw a TD before taking his self out of the game. How exactly is that a trouncing?

                If Alex came back, I don’t think the 49ers even win the division that year – and we probably have a lot of very disappointed teammates/receivers/fans who were happy with what they were seeing with Kaepernick.

                I’m not even going to try to figure out how you came to that conclusion.

                We just needed to see more Gore in that final red zone situation…

                That wasn’t the only thing that cost the 49ers a sixth Super Bowl title.

              2. @Rev, if Alex Smith was the QB our team the 49ers would’ve won it all. Stopped advertising your boy Kaep he still not great, he still sucks in the pocket. If kapepernick can’t run with the football he will just be a below average Qb. That’s why coach Harbaugh went after Blaine for insurance. In case Kaepernick doesn’t improve and stays the same

        2. For the record, I don’t see Gabbert as an Alex Smith. For your bold prediction to work, you essentially have to assume Gabbert is a very underrated, strong game managing QB, capable of making quick decisions in the Harbaugh offense, who has otherwise been previously untapped by injuries/poor coaching/poorly managed supporting cast.

          1. The 49ers won 5 straight with the QB throwing on less than 35% of the plays.

            Far weaker teams led by Kellen Clemens and Mike Glennon almost took down the Seahawks last season so it’s not quite the stretch you might think.

            And yes, I think Gabbert is a talented QB who was stuck on a horrible Jaguars team.

            1. Ah, that’s the difference in our points of view – our opinions of Gabbert’s long-term value.

              Question: does this bold prediction and your opinion of Gabbert being a talented QB reflect what your opinion of Kaepernick is? How good is Kap now? How good will he become (in your opinion)? Do you think Gabbert is a better long-term option?

              1. It reflects what i think of the strength of the 49ers team as a whole and their philosophy on offense.

            2. Jack, when the trade for Gabbert was made, weren’t you one of the people saying it was a bad move?

              1. If Gabbert did come in halfway through the year and lead the team well, what would the 49ers do in the offseason? In that scenario, Gabbert could likely command a pretty decent contract in FA. Would the 49ers look to trade Kaep and re-sign Gabbert?

              2. I don’t think so Scooter, especially if Kaepernick starts the year well. Instead it would be a Trent Dilfer in Baltimore type of situation.

              3. It would make for an interesting scenario if Kaep struggles early this year, gets hurt, and then Gabbert plays well the rest of the year. Certainly not hoping for that to happen though.

            3. “And yes, I think Gabbert is a talented QB who was stuck on a horrible Jaguars team.”

              Whoomp, there it is!! I concur!! However. The 49 million dollar question is …. did you see what I did there? ;) …. is Gabbs damaged goods? Can he (mentally) come out of the slop he was thrusted into in Jacksonville and play at a high level?

          2. Adusoron:

            … who has otherwise been previously untapped by injuries/poor coaching/poorly managed supporting cast..

            That’s certainly a very real possibility.

        3. Jack, you know that the 49ers made a mistake drafting Kaep. Will see if he can be a good pocket passer with all the arsonal the 49ers got him in the off season. This up coming season will determined how good your boy is or he’s just a joke in the NFL. Don’t forget our defense had a big factor on all the 49ers wins.The jury is still out on Kaepernick. Even thou they say he’s contract is what it is.He still just going to make less, even if the niners decide after 2014 to cut ties with him, the 49ers will not owe him anything..

      2. If kaepernick goes down with a knee injury, Not only he’ll be a below average QB but his NFL career most definetly be over. Long legged players like Kaep when they get leg or knee injuries they don’t recovered from it.

    2. “Blaine Gabbert will lead the 49ers to the playoffs.”
      —————————————
      Unless you mean they’re going to start Gabbert and rest Colin for the final regular season game of the year the only other way this happens is if Kaep get’s hurt and the 49ers only need to win one game to make the playoffs.

    3. If your predictions come to pass, your followers will look back on them as prophecies for your greatest prediction of all. The defeat of the 49ers at the hands of the Packers in the playoffs…..

  11. The team is still built on defense. I also don’t expect much dramatic change in the offense. So I mostly have defensive questions.

    what about the secondary as a group? Not one starter left from the 2012 Super Bowl losing team.

    How much left in the tank does Justin Smith have; can he lead the Niner’s defensive line back to dominance? And speaking of tanks, will Tank Carradine be able to make an impact…because you know Smith or McDonald will probably go down for some period of time this year.

    Can Skuta and Lemonier continue to improve enough to mitigate the loss of Aldon Smith for however many games he will be suspended? And will Aldon Smith be able to make a come back and make an impact early enough in the season?

    How is the Nickel defense going to fair without Bowman? And who will cover the slot? and how well will they do it? Will Nickel defense be any stouter against the run?

    1. I agree, If the 49ers defence don’t play to their expectation, the 49ers are doom. It’s doubtful that Kaep will carry the 49ers on his back. It’s the other way around our defense carried the offense.

  12. Other Jack Hammer bold 2014 predictions:

    1. Darryl Morris will start the season as the Nickel CB.
    2. Eric Reid will win Defensive Player of the Year.
    3. Bruce Ellington will be the slot WR and more catches over Steve Johnson.
    4. VD ends the holdout before training camp, but Boone does not.

    I agree on VD and Boone. I also concede Morris could possibly win the nickel job depending upon how long Ward takes to learn the job in training camp. Maybe Ward supplants Morris by week 4?

    I am high on Eric Reid and think he’s one of the best free safeties in the league (already). However, DPOY would be a major surprise with so many sack-meisters out there.

    Bruce Ellington is a nice pickup, but as a rookie, he is likely to get a few snaps here and there, and play special teams. Johnson barring going on the IR or getting old overnight is going to start and play well.

  13. It would be a longshot, but could Lynch contribute as a rookie situational pass rusher? We won’t know until late August, but a possibility….or pipe dream on my part. TBD

  14. 1. F.Gore is ‘the man’ until someone can convincingly usurp his job in TC. IMO, his closest competition will come from K.Hunter. LMJ could still find his way on the field as well.
    Gore, Hunter, Hyde, LMJ, and Lattimore is my pecking order.

    2. VD will play and have his typical very good year. But if VD choses to sit VMac will take his catches and blossom into a good system TE.

    3. I have no ideal about Culliver’ health and thereby hi ability to play. My guess is that if Cully can’t go and no other player steps up in TC, the team will scour the waver wire for
    help.

    4 and 5. Kaepernick, Harbaugh, and Roman are lumped together here. If Harbaugh can give CK more freedom this year it will improve ALL aspects of the offense.
    CK absolutely MUST show improvement in reading defenses, pocket passing, and quick decision making this season if we want to close the small gap between us and the c-hawks.
    If CK only manages the same numbers as 2013 this season will be considered a failure imo.

    I love CK, but he has to improve in the areas I mentioned above. But having said that, CK has to beat Seattle whether as a pocket passer or runner.

      1. Oregon,
        Ha!
        My new meds must be clouding my thinking (lol).
        JK, all good Oregon.

        We’ll just have to see how it all shakes out throughout the season.

    1. Grant admit he was wrong? No! Never! Deny, deny, deny, that’s the ticket. To slightly change a George Costanza quote, it’s not wrong, if you believe it. That seems to be Grant’s MO.

      1. exgolfer,

        “The sea was angry that day my friends. Like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli.”
        George (marine biologist) Costanza
        Classic!

      2. Yeah. The Kuechly won’t be drafted in the top 10? also. A lots of them. The fella is a slave to his misleading mind.

  15. The top question for me is the Kaepernick one. Quarterbacks have so much to do with a team’s success.
    If Kaepernick can improve gradually during the season and then possibly get close to being elite by playoff time, the 49ers would be tough to beat.
    He has to pass more often and more effectively to keep defenses from ganging up on Frank Gore and his backups.

  16. I would make Kaepernick #1.
    #2 is the front 7 on defense. It used to be the best in the league but there are major changes. Will Willis be able to handle Bowman’s role. Who will step in as the other LB. How will suspension for Aldon play out. Will Carradine make an impact. Is Justin Smith on the decline.
    For #3, I wouldn’t focus on Culliver but raise it to the level of – can this secondary compete in the NFL. As currently constituted, I think the 9ers secondary is bottom tier in the NFL. I don’t like it at all.
    #4 is the Harbaugh/Roman creativity question
    #5 is the RB question. I think this is the year Gore has less carries than other RB’s.

    I’m not worried about Vernon Davis in the least. He is consistently one of the best conditioned athletes on the field. He has great work ethic and he will be ready when it comes time to strap it up for the regular season.

  17. Re Jack’s prediction that if Kap gets injured, Gabbert will be capable of leading the offense, he might have nailed it again. Read some of the pro-Gabbert comments below this article:
    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/21/gabbert-strengthens-his-grip-on-the-backup-job-in-san-francisco/

    There’s one in particular that caught my eye:
    “Jim tried to recruit Gabbert to Stanford ahead of Luck in 2008. Blaine missed his entire senior high school season with injury, walked into the Army All America camp cold, and beat out Luck for the starting job that year.”

    We might have a legitimate QB controversy coming up the road in a year or two. I’m a big Kap fan, but my mind’s open. Is it possible the 6th round pick for Gabbert will go down in Niner lore?

    1. Hammer’s Gabbert prediction was so close to the Florio’s that I think it’s pretty clear where he plagiarized his bold prediction idea from.

      I think if Gabbert has had the hidden talent and potential it would have at least shown flashes at some point in the last 3 years. I haven’t been watching any Jags games, other than when they played the Niners, but I’ve sure not heard of ANY positive reports on Gabbert.

      1. No quite. The link from George is the first time I’ve seen it.

        “I haven’t been watching any Jags games, other than when they played the Niners”

        So you’ve watched them once in the last 4 years, and Gabbert didn’t even play in that game.

        1. Nope, that’s why I didn’t say I haven’t seen anything positive, just that I haven’t heard anything positive. I have heard, actually mostly I’ve just read, a whole lot of negative things regarding BG’s 3 year NFL career. Mostly that he hasn’t yet come anywhere close to justifying his #10 pick in the 1st round of the draft. I truly hope Harbaugh can coach him up enough to where he can game manage his way through any games Kap might miss, but if he were to perform at a high enough level to actually challenge a healthy Kap for playing time, I think most football fans would consider that a major miracle. And as for your bold prediction, I guess you and Florio must just have the same messed up crystal ball, Jack. Maybe next it will tell you that Grant’s going to win the Pulitzer Prize.

        1. Nope then all of his blog articles would be about how great and amazing the Steelers are? Haven’t you ever noticed that Florio is a shameless Pittsburgh fan?

          1. I don’t pay him much mind, because he seems to hate the 49ers for some odd reason…..

      2. “The guy ran a spread offense at Mizzou, got drafted the year of the lockout and had no off-season to prepare. He had three different head coaches and three different OC’s with three different systems in three years with Jax, got hurt with legit injuries, and was there for the demise of MJD and his best receiver, Blackmon, was never available.”

  18. Well, since this seems like the place to post amateur opinions, here are the areas I think present the most significant questions.

    1. Kaepernick – Does he show the necessary improvement in reading defenses and decision-making?

    2. OLine – With a new starting center (and possibly a rookie at that) potentially a new starting RG, how long will it take to OLine to jell?

    3. Offensive philosophy. How much will the offense really change? How will the coaches incorporate all the talent at RB and WR?

    4. Secondary – With all the turnover, who will emerge and how long will it take them to effectively communicate with each other? Who will cover the slot receiver?

    5. Defensive front 7 – How much will the loss of Bowman hurt? How long will he be out? How much will the team get from Carradine, Dial and Williams? How many games will Aldon Smith miss? Can Lemonier and Skuta adequately cover for him during his absence? How focused and effective will Smith be upon his return?

    1. You MUST have copied some of mine. If not, I’m terrified at the implications.

      1. Houston:

        No, I stopped reading the comments before I got to yours. Now that I have read it, I realize that I was completely wrong.

        1. Focusing on where we may differ, I’m not worried about the starting safeties. As for the corners and overall communication, however, I have some concerns.

          1. I’m worried for all of mankind. At least, if all we’ve heard about matter and anti-matter mixing is true.

  19. My top 5 questions:

    1. Will Colin Kaepernick take the next step?

    This is really THE question for 2014. I think he’s on pace to, and he has enough weapons at his disposal to do it. It’s on him and the coaching staff. He certainly has the physical, mental, and motivational tools you’d need from a QB to become truly elite. If Kaepernick can demonstrate the ability to win a high scoring game against an elite defense with his arm, this team is going to win a pile of Super Bowls.

    2. Can the defense survive without Bowman?

    He’s out for at least 6 games and likely won’t be himself at all this year. In watching last season’s games, he was an absolute monster – a true gamechanger. He was everywhere and did everything. In watching his performances, unfortunately I have the same sinking feeling I had a year ago when watching Crabtree in 2012. He was critical to the offense, particularly on 3rd downs, and I knew he’d be a huge loss. And he was. Hopefully the rest of the defense can compensate more for Bowman’s absence than the offense was able to without Crabtree.

    3. How will the new secondary fare?

    I believe in the talent they have there, but it’s absolutely a question mark until they show it on the field consistently. Obviously, the play of the front 7 will go a long way toward determining how the secondary looks, but there are a lot of fresh faces back there and it will be interesting to see how they perform. I think a critical piece is Eric Reid. He was excellent last year. Can he take a Year 1 to Year 2 jump and become a true star? That would be helpful. Speaking of which…

    4. Who is going to be the next star?

    This is an optimistically framed question. I have a feeling that the roster has several future stars on it. Will Tank Carradine end up being the beast that we hope he can be? Will Carlos Hyde be the next Frank Gore? Can Quinton Patton take the Year 1 to Year 2 jump and seize on the potential he showed in brief glimpses between injuries last year? Is Bruce Ellington for real? Jimmy Ward? Vance McDonald? Corey Lemonier?

    5. Can they get over the hump?

    Getting so close three years in a row and not making it takes a psychological toll. In my opinion, this team has been the NFL’s best in each of the last three seasons and doesn’t have a single SB trophy to show for it. The NFL is fickle. A fumble here, a slow start there, the occasional bad call. The better team losses the game pretty often. I just assume luck isn’t on this team’s side, and that to win the Super Bowl they simple have to be so much better than everyone else that it’s not close enough for a play here or there to make the difference. If there’s a year to be that team, it’s probably this year.

  20. Our defense will be fine. I think we will add another CB before all is said and done. It will end up being another teams cast off. I’m not sold on Cully. Even if he’s fully healthy, I believe he was exposed by teams throwing deep on him. Someone needs to step up in Aldon’s absence. Brooks? Lemonier? Tank? The British guy lol.

    On offense the most important detail for us to take a step forward is making a commitment to tweaking our offensive philosophy. In 2011 we brought in Moss who still ran a 4.3 40. We used him as a decoy. In 2012 and 2013 there were several games in which Vernon was used strictly as a decoy. In 2014, if the Niners continue to run the ball 52% of the time, then all of our new additions will also be just that, decoys.

  21. Anyone seen a photo of Bill Belichick recently? He’s put on a significant amount of weight.

  22. Grant has Tyler Wilson and Jack has Blaine Gabbert. If they both want to live in a world of denial and fantasy about these players who are we to stop them.

    1. Give the Gabbert project a chance, Coffee. I’ve started to view it as Alex Smith 2.0 with more upside. Our front office rocks.

  23. 1. Expect much of the same from Frank Gore. He’s proven he takes care of his body. I’ll also take that 3.7 ypc avg on any given day. Expecting more than that based on how many carries he had is asinine. I do expect him to carry the ball less for a few reasons. One, to save his legs. Two, sharing carries with other backs. Three, Kap can’t improve if he’s not throwing the ball.

    2. I don’t expect Davis to hold out, if he does – next man up. Who wants the position more. I expect them to treat Davis accordingly. I also expect our coaches to create plays that don’t involve Davis and get the other WR’s and RB’s involve. But I expect Davis to be back with something to prove.

    3. Chris Culliver, I’m not sold on our DB’s completely until I actually see it. This has been our Achilles heel. Honestly if we can get some major improvements on offense(scoring more touchdowns that field goals, especially in the red zone) I will be okay with a slight drop in defense.

    4/5. These two go hand in hand. If the coaches continue to baby Kaep, he will continue to make those mistakes. It’s time for him to sink or swim. Call plays that will put us in winning positions. If he carries them out great, if not – we’re in trouble.

  24. Check out “The Leftovers.” New show on HBO. 2% of the worlds population suddenly disappears without explanation. The shows takes place 3 years after the event and still nobody knows what happened and you see how the world is dealing with it.

    It’s was a shaky start but the premise is intriguing and I’m gonna stick with it and see where it goes.

    1. Have you seen the new series “The Last Ship”? Naval vessel leaves Richmond for secret assignment in the Arctic. Radio silence for four months. Establishes contact to learn a virus has killed just about the whole human race.

    2. I’m not really intrigued by it Coffee. Maybe if the pilot had concentrated on the lives of each person before 2% of the world’s population disappeared and developed from there I would be. I’ll keep with it for a few more episodes to see where it goes.

      1. It’s only a pilot, expecting what you suggest would be a bit much for a single episode.

        1. Not really Coffee. I’m saying that they should’ve shown maybe the day before the people vanished. Prehaps show a main character get into a heated argument with a loved one and when they try to apologize the next day to that person, they notice that their loved one has disappeared. Or maybe show the mother whose baby disappeared choosing her child over the baby’s father because he wanted nothing to do with the kid. Something to build a emotional connection that you witness get shattered by the sudden disappearance.

  25. @cityattorneyla 22m
    “No charges will be filed in incident at LAX involving #NFL #49ers @Aldonsmith. A City Atty Office hearing will be set to address the matter.”

    1. tracey kaplan @tkaplanreport · 1m
      Instead, La City Atty on july 30 will hold “office hearing” in which Aldon Smith will apparently be advised on how…
      tracey kaplan @tkaplanreport · 34s
      …to better handle it when tapped by TSA for a secondary search. Good news for #niners #49ers

      Smh at all the people who overreacted to this.

      1. tkamB,
        Why?
        Given his previous brushes of ill-behavior some of the overreaction seemed to fit the initial report of his actions at LAX.
        The initial reaction is always misconstrued because all the facts have yet to be revealed. It’s a human tendency.

        I’m glad that no charges are being filed against AS, but it still does not excuse him from making foolish decisions.
        And on top of that, he could still face suspension when the dust finally settles on his bad choices.

        The team has made a strong commitment in their support of AS and I certainly hope that he returns to TC with a mindset to prove himself worthy of the commitment the Org has shown.

  26. More concerning then Will Chris Culliver’s ACL is how he comes to an almost complete stop when he turns to locate the ball. Cully has two major things to fix this off season.

    Also, re Maiocco Aldon Smith won’t be charged in the airport incident.

    1. It’s too early, but I can see Culliver losing the job, even if the Cook experiment fails. Tough to trust a coverage guy with Culliver’s liability, besides the fact he’s a loose cannon off the field. How’s this as a possible development: Morris plays the slot (Jack’s prediction) and Ward’s the right corner.

  27. 1. Frank Gore needs to take half as many carries as last year. he was in the bottom 1/3 of the league in yards after contact, indicating that the success he did have was due mostly to the offensive line and blocking schemes. Hyde will be better than him as a rookie, there is no doubt in my mind about that. However, I highly doubt the coaches will play him accordingly, because they really don’t like playing young players unless they have no choice.

    2. Vernon isn’t going to holdout, his comments pretty much state that. Even if he did, his production will be fine because he has ALWAYS been the focus of opposing defenses, and if anything changes with the offensive philosophy it should only help open things up for him.

    3. Im no worried about Culliver or the secondary. Brock already proved he is a quality starter, Reid was a Pro Bowler as a rookie, and Bethea will fit in just fine being a productive veteran. I think there is a huge overreaction going on about the secondary. Cook or Culliver will be sufficient if we get a good pass rush on a consistent basis.

    4. No one knows whether Kaep will improve until we see it. I don’t care about his completion % even a little bit. We are a downfield throwing team. His yards/completion are high, which is what the coaching staff is looking for. He must go through his reads more effectively though.

    5. ill believe Roman and Harbaugh when i see it also. they are conservative by nature, being more than happy to win a game by the skin of their teeth. I would prefer they step on the other teams throats when they are down, instead of taking their foot off the gas like they often do.

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