49ers add slew of assistant coaches

Posted By on February 7, 2019

Houston Texans offensive/special teams assistant coach Wes Welker watches warmups before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The 49ers are shaking up their assistant coaching staff.

Out: Defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina, quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive assistant T.C. McCartney. All of these coaches left on their own except Zgonina. The 49ers fired him.

In: Defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Joe Woods and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Plus, quarterbacks coach Shane Day, wide receivers coach Wes Welker and offensive quality control coach Miles Austin, according to published reports. The 49ers have not yet officially announced the hires of Austin, Welker or Day.

In most cases, the 49ers hired assistant coaches with significantly more experience than the assistants they let go.

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This article has 433 Comments

  2. It’s not the glamorous coaching positions. But to upgrade with at least experience right now should produce better results.
    Felt like Shanahan had to piece together some coaches at first with having no HC experience.
    This is a big part of a winning foundation.
    Hope they pan out nicely.

  3. I like the moves. Especially that of adding experience to many important positions.
    I’m all for the youth movement in coaching, but as we witnessed last Sunday experience still matters.

  4. I like the fact that Joe Woods was the Broncos DC for 2 years. He will help Saleh a lot.
    .
    I like the fact that Day coached the O line and TEs. Maybe KS should promote him to OC, since he has knowledge of many aspects of the offense, then make LaFleur the QB coach.
    .
    I hope Wes Welker can impart some of that Patriot Mojo with JG.
    .
    Glad they got rid of Zgonina and Hafley, because they need to upgrade the pass rush and DBs.
    .
    KS initially stated that he did not expect any coaching changes. Guess he was wrong about that.
    .
    KS should fire his OC, hire a new OC, and concentrate on becoming a full time HC.

        1. Seb,
          I believe that KS has 2 asst. OC’s. He just happens to call the positions run game coordinator and passing game coordinator its just semantics.

          1. Old Coach, KS should stop with the silly titles and just hire an OC.
            .
            Belichick has an OC. Bet McVay wished he had one, too.

              1. Flores was listed as the LB coach, but called the defensive plays. Now he has Schiano as the DC, who will also call the defensive plays.

        3. Sebs-

          Would the person who he’s already delegated his share of these duties be more effective if he had the title “OC”?

              1. You sure have a crush on Seb, very apparent. But you’ll come up with some excuses you’re not.

              3. Hey Will…

                If you check my Pro Football Blog Focus (PFBF) numbers, my interactions with Sebbie are down this year when compared with the last three years. Some say PFBF methods are bogus, but I believe they have merit.

              4. The raw data on post entries, length, use of certain phrases is valuable but their grading of individual posters is bogus!

    3. I think Kyle was referring to his top coaches, (ie) dco, special teams. Everyone was calling for Saleh’s head in 2018 and Kyle refused to budge

    4. Hugs her Seb from Bryn Mawr College. I thought that Grant’s comments on the Superbowl were well thought through.

  5. OT, but with great sadness, I learned of the passing of Frank Robinson. Legendary Hall of Famer, MVP in both leagues, first black manager, 2943 hits and 586 home runs.
    .
    May he RIP.

    1. Some of Krukow and Kuipers greatest stories are about their time playing for Robby he was old school in the best way.

  7. I’m sure all these guys will be fine but it sure seems like a lot of turnover in 1 year. I find the Day hiring the most interesting. Probably reading too much into it but my first thought when I heard about Day’s hiring was that Shanahan didn’t move LaFleur or McDaniel over to the QB Coach position because he expects to lose them after next year. The other thing that caught my attention was Zgonina’s firing. Solomon Thomas has not improved even slightly as a pass rusher. He still attacks the middle of the o-lineman and just gets swallowed up even by poor lineman or even TEs. It seems like Zgonina may have taken the fall for Thomas’s lack of improvement but what exactly is Chris Kiffin’s job?

    2. Kiifin’s job is teach the DL how to work effectively as a group. He wasn’t hired to replace the DL Coach. It’s the DL Coach’s job to teach individual technique and individual responsibilities. Kiffin has a somehwhat unique job of working with the DL as a group, and teaching them how to work as a group, whether it’s pressuring the QB, or stopping the run …. collectively.

      Hope that clears it up.

  8. Saw this picked up by Rotoworld:

    “NESN’s Doug Kyed expects impeding free agent LT Trent Brown to cost too much for the Patriots to re-sign him.

    Brown is the No. 1 tackle heading to the open market as a soon-to-be 25-year-old (in April) coming off a strong postseason en route to the Super Bowl. He started all 19 games at left tackle after coming over in a trade from the 49ers last offseason. However, Pro Football Focus graded Brown as one of the worst tackles in the sport Weeks 1-17, finishing 68-of-80 qualified tackles.”

    1. Pro Football Focus really graded Brown that low. Tells you everything you need to know about PFF.

      1. ??? lets see, PFF years of great focus on grading nfl players on aspects of football… Grant… years of funny Opinions. Tells you all you need to know about PFF, and Grant.. The nerve of some people. But thanks I needed that laugh???

              1. Von Miller: “He’s the best right tackle in the National Football League,…And he may even be a top-five tackle, period, in the National Football League. There’s not another tackle who’s that tall, that big and can move the way he moves…He’s great. He’s got a big future ahead. He’s going to have one of the biggest (contracts) for an offensive lineman…He’ll be as good as he wants to be. When he’s on, there’s not another tackle in the National Football League that’s as good as him.”

                Yup, subpar because PFF says so…

              3. Yet only the Patriots were willing to give up essentially a 4th round pick. You’d think the Giants would have offered at least a 2nd for the Great Trent Brown!

              4. I prefer Miller’s assessment of his capabilities than your dull ones.

                You have no way of knowing if the FO simply called up the Patriots and took what they offered without any other calls. They gave him up for a song.

              5. Trent Brown’s market value was set as a 4th rounder by all 31 teams. Millers “assessment” appeared to be way off except to those with Brown colored glasses.

                You have no way of knowing if the FO simply called up the Patriots and took what they offered without any other calls. They gave him up for a song.

                Ha! ?

              8. Von Miller clearly had an agenda.

                Along with the other 31 teams. We’ll call it the Brown Conspiracy. Get Geragos on the phone.

              9. Von Miller was right. He was the best tackle drafted in the 7th round playing in scrimmages against him in those joint practices before the pre-season games when he made those pronouncements.

                Brown again played ok in his contract year after being traded by the team that drafted him. Let’s revisit this after a couple of years from now. By that time, Grant will be mum like he’s on David Fales.

          2. “PFF has poisoned the minds of today’s youth. Terrible.”

            Oh geez, here we go again!

            PFF farms more NFL data in one day, than you likely have over the span of your entire life Grant. And PFF utilizes this advanced data to inform their grades. Yet somehow we are to believe that you’ve managed to develop a superior grading system?

            Do tell us all about it Grant. Like I told you the other day, I am all for a better mousetrap. I’d love to hear the basis in which you’ve managed to come up with a superior grading system despite having access to far, far less advanced data and analysis. After all, PFF employs hundreds of people in order to provide advanced data to every team in the NFL, as well as over 40 FBS level college football teams.

            Please tell all of us precisely how you’ve managed to outsmart PFF, and while your at it, maybe you can also give us the name of the bridge are you going to try to sell us tomorrow as well?

            SMH!

              2. The problem with this argument is …. grades are subjective. I am arguing less about the accuracy of PFF’s grades as a whole, and more about whether their grades are likely more accurate than yours. Seeing that they have much more data to support their grades than you have to support yours, I’d be an idiot to take your word over theirs, especially when you can’t even articulate to us why your system is better, despite your obvious disadvantages.

              3. And that’s really the point. PFF uses vasts amounts of advanced data in order to form their grades. Data of which, BTW, we know has a lot of value, because every team in the league uses this data, and pays a lot of money in order to access it.

                I’m just curious …. how much advanced data are you using Grant to form your opinions? Or is it just your wealth of God given ability that allows you to use your gut in order to outsmart PFF and the 32 NFL teams who use their data?

                I know – when you read what you are selling in black and white, it sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

              4. Grant’s an expert. Like Trent Brown, he doesn’t need the tools the average writer or player does.

              3. Bingo my arse!

                “Anyone with a GamePass subscription is as qualified as PFF”

                True, only if they have hundreds of hours to invest in recording and analyzing the amounts of data each game can provide.

                Something tells me neither one of you guys have hundreds of hours a week to dedicate yourselves to mining the amount of data PFF is able to mine, and provide every team in the NFL and 40 plus FBS teams, if for no other reason than that there aren’t enough hours in a day, not to mention having a so-called life.

                Here’s another little tidbit involving Chip Kelly, for PFF haters to chew on:

                Whenever Cris Collinsworth entered an NBC pregame production meeting with Chip Kelly, he knew what to expect: criticism, and lots of it. In 2014, Collinsworth had become the majority owner of Pro Football Focus, a site whose granular NFL analysis and sometimes controversial grading system has been pouring into mainstream coverage. Kelly, one of the NFL’s bluntest coaches, wasn’t a fan.

                “He would just wear me out over the PFF data,” Collinsworth recalled. “He disagreed with this, or that, or whatever.”

                Kelly didn’t confine his critique to those meetings, either. Late last season, when a reporter covering the 49ers suggested that one of San Francisco’s offensive linemen was statistically superior to another, citing PFF data, Kelly let loose. “I mean, I’ve said it all along: How can they grade an offensive lineman when they don’t know what the play is?” Kelly asked. He went through the standard complaint: An outside analyst can’t know what play was called, or who had what assignment, and thus the grading process is unreliable. “I think there’s a lot of players and coaches that feel the same way,” Kelly said. “You can do whatever you want with it. It’s like me going into a bank and grading a teller because they gave me a lollipop. I gave them a 94.3.”

                After the season, though, Kelly did what the company has invited its critics to do: He studied its process. He met some of its analysts — who watch every player on every snap — and watched them make evaluations. And then what he did next, more or less says it all –

                Chip Kelly bought a share of the company.

                BINGO!

              4. A bottom line…. Money is flowing to PFF. Why? What does the football ‘intel’ market look like? Evidently there’s a need, and some are beginning to fill it. And it matters little if we like it or not.

                Grant, perhaps you could do a piece on what that market demand is and how it’s being pursued.

              5. Let’s put it this way Jack,

                do you literally record nearly 3 dozen pieces of information for each and every play, whether it’s a pass, a sack, or a 3 yard run, when you watch a game on NFL GamePass?

                When you do, we’ll call it a good starting point!

              6. That’s exactly right Cassie. PFF has been around long enough now (since 2007). If what they supplied to the masses was considered bogus, useless information, they’d have gone belly up as a company a long time ago.

                Instead, as of 2018, PFF provides customized data to all 32 NFL teams, 40+ NCAA FBS teams, 4 CFL teams, national/regional media (i.e. Washington Post, The Athletic, ESPN) and sports agencies/agents. And they make a lot of money doing it!

                How much customized data do Jack and Grant provide the NFL, FBS, as well as national/regional media companies?

                Enough said!

              8. “Should I take your word or Bill Belichick’s? Hmmmm.”

                Come on Grant, you’re smarter than that! It’s easy to explain why Belichick would publically argue against the accuracy of PFF’s grades, even if he thought they were a valuable asset.

                Does Belichick always tell us exactly what he’s thinking, or does he often tell us what he wants us to believe? I’ve been following Belichick for a long time. I’ve studied his style of dealing with the media as much as his style of coaching. Bill Belichick is never going to give media the upper hand. Sometimes he’s straightforward and blunt. However, anyone who has dealt with him in terms of public relations over the years will tell you that BB is as cagy, calculated, a media savvy as any HC who ever was. He’s never going to agree with something if it puts him at a disadvantage. That’s simply not the way he operates, and it’s one of the many reasons he’s such a successful NFL Head Coach, perhaps the greatest of all time.

                So with this in mind, what kind of advantage would he gain by admitting that PFF’s grading system is more or less accurate, or at least as accurate as the team’s internal analysis? Imagine the amount of second guessing he would open himself up to by openly admitting to the accuracy of PFF’s grading system?

                For the sake of argument, let’s use Trent Brown as an example:

                Pro Football Focus graded Trent Brown as one of the worst tackles in the NFL during the 2018 regular season. According to PFF, Trent Brown ranked 68 out of 80 qualified OT’s during week 1-17 of the 2018 season. Here is more of what PFF had to say about big Trent: “The talk about Brown being ‘transformed’ by Dante Scarnecchia in New England is vastly overblown. He allowed nearly the same amount of pressures he did in his last full season in San Francisco (35 vs. 39 in 2016). While he gave up half as many sacks, his 12 hits allowed were the second-most of any tackle in the league. Brown pretty much is what he is at this point; an incredibly large man who will alternate whiffs with dominant blocks”. In fact, according to PFF, Trent Brown missed a lot of blocks, especially in the run game. Even in the postseason, while he stepped up his pass protection, the Patriots struggled to run the football over the big LT, because Brown has a habit of lunging at his defender, thanks to a lack of mobility in the run game, where he is far less nimble moving forward, than he is moving laterally. He holds up a little better in pass protection because he’s improved his lateral agility, and the technique of jump setting and kick stepping. But even with his improved lateral agility, when your as big as he is, and have a history of having problems keeping your weight and conditioning where it needs to be, he’ll always be at risk of regressing athletically.

                With all of this said, wouldn’t it be a serious disadvantage for Belichick to acknowledge PFF’s grades as accurate, or at least as accurate as possible? For instance, what if they decided to re-sign Trent Brown (which I doubt they will)? How bad would he look to give Trent Brown a huge contract, while PFF’s 2018 grade suggests the Patriots would be overpaying for Brown? And then, what if the Patriots did give big Trent a huge contract this offseason, only to watch the Dolphins DE Robert Quinn go right around a lunging, overweight Trent Brown, drilling Tom Brady on the play, fracturing a couple vertebrae in Tom’s back, and jeopardizing not only the Patriots chances of repeating in 2019, but possibly ending his career?

                How would Belichick explain that, if he openly acknowledges PFF’s grading as accurate? Wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier for Belichick, or any other HC or GM to openly question Pro Football Focus’ grading system, even though we know PFF provides the Patriots, and every other team in the league, most of the advanced data they use while making their own analysis?

                Come on Grant, you’re smarter than that!

              9. You clearly didn’t watch Trent Brown in the playoffs. Not surprised you rely on PFF to tell you what your opinion is.

              10. “True, only if they have hundreds of hours to invest in recording and analyzing the amounts of data each game can provide.”

                The grades are sent out within 48 hours of each game generally. It’s becoming increasingly clear that you don’t have any idea what they’re actually doing.

    2. No, no! Grant said the Patriots will resign Brown. They can’t afford to let a future HOF’er get away. Trey Flowers is the one that will leave via F/A, and we should swoop in and scoop him up!

      1. Yup. Tom Brady will insist on retaining his blind side protector, and Brown will take less to stay on a SB team.
        .
        I, too, hope that Trey Flowers becomes available.

        1. The average NFL career lasts around 3 years, there’s no way Trent Brown is going to take significantly less money to stay with NE. Besides that Seb, he’s already got a ring. He’ll never likely have a higher value than he has now.

          If he doesn’t cash in now, while his value is likely at its apex, then he’s a fool. And nobody wants to be a fool!

          Either the Patriots franchise tag him, or they open up their wallets and pay him a fortune. Either way, he’s going to cost them a lot of money to retain.

          1. 400 lbs. stressing those joints could play a factor in the Great Trent Brown’s longevity in the NFL.

            2. Brown has missed a total of 6 games since becoming a starter at the end of 2015. None of those were due to lower body injuries, which is the area that would be a concern with carrying that weight.

              1. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but your argument seems to be since he hasn’t yet suffered a lower bodily injury, he’s not at a higher risk than someone in better shape.

              2. If he’s been heavy his whole life his body should be used to the weight. He’s also 6’8” which helps by spreading the weight out.

                He’s more likely to suffer a lower body injury from being rolled up on than his lower half just breaking down.

              3. Mike McGlinchey is 6′ 8″ tall and weighs 300 lbs., and looks much better. If you’re trying to convince me that being overweight your whole life makes your joints stronger and less susceptible to injury; color me cautious….

    3. Yup Cubus and he would be too expensive for the Niners to resign so they got a third rounder for him, doggone our dumb coaches. Whoever ends up signing Brown I expect that team to win the SB next year. After all he is the greatest tackle to play the game and led the Patriots to the SB. Yup should not of let that man go, he is the greatest. Who knows if we kept Brown this past year all of the Niners problems would of been gone and the Niners would of been in the SB.

        1. That’s how I read your stuff Grant, you go over the top and expect no one to react. You are the one who is making him out to be some sort of God.

            1. Grant, sorry for my grammar, you and Jack and SY have turned Brown into almost a mythical character, I haven’t done that nor has most other posters have done that. I have no problems with the criticisms for the most part but I do have problems with an agenda, and a agenda you do have whether you think so or not. As far as proof reading sometimes I do sometimes I don’t. Attack, what I say not how I say it otherwise it becomes personnel.

              1. No worries, Grant occasionally lets a proof read boo boo pass through. Yup, he’s human, just like the rest of us.

              2. Mythical character, lol!

                If Weston Richburg is worth $9.5 million per, Brown is easily worth $10 million.

                Instead of having their tackle spots locked up they will now need to go after one in the draft/free agency and hope that guy is as good as what they already have.

                With regards to the dumb coaches/front office comment, they’ve won 10 games in 2 years, and haven’t shown they can get it done. They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt.

              3. If Weston Richburg is worth $9.5 million per, Brown is easily worth $10 million.

                We’re paying by the IQ, not by the LB.

          2. Not a god, just an Ogden except he’s yet to make a pro bowl one year let alone 11 of his 12 years in the NFL.

          3. UC,
            Grant may have issues with your grammar, but you said one word that rings loud and clear: Agenda

            Grant and Hammer have laid out their agenda throughout the season regarding the TB move.
            I doubt that they even care about Trent Brown. He’s only being used to highlight their hit job on Shanahan and Lynch.
            UC, thanks for the word of day: Agenda

              1. I’ve stayed out of this Trent Brown nonsense because it’s a silly argument. I will say however that Brownies is funny. Careful on what you label Hammer though. He’s sensitive.

              3. Razor,
                It’s a tradition around here.
                We’ve had the Smithers, the Kaep-ologist and now the Brownies.
                The only question is, who’s next?

            3. Agenda. That is funny. Keep defending the moves made by a team that has 10 wins the last couple years. They’re doing amazing.

              1. Yea, nevermind they took over an expansion team. If only we had asked ourselves, what can Brown do for us, we would have been super bowl bound baby!

              3. Hammer,
                Stop using Brown’ SB success as your tool to throw shade on Shanahan / Lynch.
                Your agenda has not only been exposed, but it’s old and tired.

                If you and Grant are going to continue your assault on Shanahan at least come up with a new reason.

              5. Agenda, phew!

                I was talking about Brown for a while. The dude is a very good player. The 49ers moving on from him resulted in a net negative for the team this year. Using “scheme fit” as the reason they moved on is laughable.

                When Shanahan and Lynch put a winning product on the field they will have earned praise.

                Many 49ers fans have become far too used to losing and defending a losing product. The NFL is about winning and losing and the last 2 years they’ve put the 9th worst and the 2nd worst product on the field.

              6. Hammer, you think McGlinchey becomes a Pro Bowler this season? Hate to change the agenda subject, but he is on the team. He plays RT.

              7. Jack…

                Are you equating everyone who disagrees with you on selected 9er matters as defenders “of a losing product”……?

              8. “you think McGlinchey becomes a Pro Bowler this season?”

                Not unless it’s as an alternate.

              9. @Jack,

                “Hick” is the best you can come up with? That’s so weak. Born and raised in the Santa Rosa area but I will say my family is definitely country. They are California country but still they are very country. I prefer “Luffa Boy” for you because it describes your entire online persona. I guess “Brownie” works too since it clearly illustrates your allegiances. You can only come up with some silly dig related to geography. It’s really weak minded on your part. Be better.

              12. Hammer,
                I’ve never slammed Brown and happen to agree that he may be the next Great Wall of pass protection, but he did not fit Shanahan’ run game pholosphy.
                Brown could block very well at the LOS but he cannot block at the second level.

                I’ve seen McGlinchey reach the second level and even down field was his blocks.
                Kudos to Brown for his success in Boston, but he no longer matters around here.

                That is unless you want to keep using his success as a flashpoint against Shanahan – which is by all standards an agenda.
                When are you going to let that ship sail?

              14. Trading Brown was a horrible move. It’s not my job to let the organization off the hook.

                This is an example of a subjective employee that’s gone fishing. Why you ask? For starters, Tarvarius Moore will have a say in that, and the Great Trent Brown has some work to do before he gets inducted….

              15. So Grant….

                When? When are you planning to interview Densie? Don’t let her off the hook.

              18. Jack I am not defending this administration, in fact I side with you and SY quite a bit. I enjoy your’s and SY’s critique and take, its this Brown thing has gotten blown way over the top and I just felt it was time too bring it back to where it should be. I think most of us understand what you guys are trying to say – you question the move and you think it has a bearing on the quality of the Lynch/Shanny administration. You could be right,Brown is a good pass protector and it looks like his run blocking is improving. Its just way too much. As far as our center is concerned I agree with you up to this point – overpaid.

      2. They got a third round pick, but gave up a 5th round pick. Niners ended up with what was essentially, a 4th round pick. So, by moving back 43 spots, Brady got his blind side protector. Brown also did well in the SB. I wonder what his PFF grades were in the SB, and the playoffs.
        .
        Why would Brown be too expensive, if he would have moved to protect JG’s blind side once Staley retired. We all saw how an injury to the franchise QB will doom a season.

        1. I put Brown’s value at around $8 million a year, but he’ll be looking for $10-$12 million a year. BB has Wynn in the wings, and will scoff at that price tag….

    4. Nobody doubts Brown has the talent.
      However his will is what’s in question.
      Remember this is a contract year.
      This is the guy who was lazy in practice, thought about hanging them up and was out what?? 8 weeks with a concussion?
      I’d sign him to a one year deal forever to see if it would motivate him. ?

  9. I can’t access Grants post it keeps taking me to a page that says I have to sign up for and pay for access??????

  10. Feels like we’re entering the ‘beat the dead horse’ zone once again, this time with the Trent Brown matter. For Grant and a few others, it’s clear evidence of Lynch/Shanahan stupidity. Brown has been weaponized–another bundle of arrows in the quiver.

    1. The starting OTs on the 1984 SuperBowl winning 49ers were:

      RT – Keith Fahnhorst 6’6″ , 273lbs
      LT – Bubba Parris 6’6″ , 300 lbs

      Trent Brown – 6’8″ , 359 lbs

      The evolution of the size and speed of NFL players always amazes me. Randy Cross was 6’3″ at 259 lbs playing offensive guard in the NFL. Both guards for the 49ers last year were at least 40 pounds heavier than Cross. Crazy.

      1. 359 my ass! Looks like a twinkie under 400 lbs. from my layman’s perspective, but let’s ask the expert. Grant Cohn was the first to break the news on Solomon Thomas’ weight issue. If anyone can get us an accurate reading, he’s the one to do it!

  11. PFF ranked Kittle No. 13 overall, marking the highest ranking of a 49ers player since Patrick Willis was No. 10 back in 2012.

    In my Jim Carrey Grinch voice, The impudence! The audacity! The unmitigated gall!

  13. Anyone know if PFF does anything specifically with combine data leading up to the draft?

  14. ESPN is predicting the 49ers will sign Earl Thomas. I’m predicting it will make Jack Hammer’s head explode.

    2. I saw that. It also said LeVeon Bell would be playing for the Texans. I highly doubt any of those things really happen.

      1. Exactly. I think Thomas is likely a Cowboy. Though I think we will be in the hunt. Would like to have him though he isn’t a panacea that some here might think (anymore than Sherman was).

        LeVon? Your guess is as good as mine.

        1. Le’Veon is looking to break the bank. He’s going to the highest bidder. IMO he will probably be playing for the Colts next year.

          1. Not to mention his style of running may not be a fit. I’ve never watched a player run with as much patience as Bell.

    3. To be fair, it would be a poor move. Should go get Eric Reid back and admit picking Tartt over him was a bad choice. Not that Reid will silve everything, but he’s a good player. Talented and consistent.

        1. Why? Reid wouldn’t be the long term answer, but he’ll be cheap. Thomas will not be, and he’s what, 4, 5 years older than Reid?

          1. Reid lost his job to Tartt, just like Kaepernick lost his to Gabbert’s. Neither one will return. Earl Thomas is the answer at FS, which requires a unique set of skills not easily acquired, in order for this defense to run on all cylinders. He’ll hold it down until we identify his successor….

              1. Tells you all you need to know about Reid. I mean if he couldn’t beat out Tartt…

                Anyhoo, Harris vs. Tartt has the makings of a competition brewing. I’m just saying….

              2. That isn’t really fair, Razor. The choice between Reid and Tartt was essentially “do we take Reid, who is currently the better player, or Tartt, who is a little younger and whose upside seems to be higher than Reid’s”. They went with the younger option, the idea being that when Tartt finishes his fifth season he would be better than what Reid is now. This clearly backfired, because not only did Tartt seem to regress this season, he again was injured halfway through the season and on IR. It was clear that going younger in this case didn’t work.

              4. I agree. They even moved Reid around, so he was versatile. Tartt takes bad angles.
                .
                If they had kept Reid, the defensive backfield may have had a better season than last year. He signed a 1.4 mil contract last season, so he was totally affordable, considering the Niners had 43 mil in cap space.

              5. Reid was a different story…
                I wanted to keep him for the right price and thought he was a good player. However, Tartt outplayed him and lest we forget, he was another often injured player.

                In his last 2 years in SF he missed 8 games and I’m guessing that’s a big reason the team chose to move on from him… why keep an oft injured backup?

          2. The 49ers didn’t like Reids fit in the scheme when they had him. Why would they resign him?

            1. Because Reid is a much better player than Tartt will ever be. Sometimes, you need to adjust your scheme to fit what you have.

              1. I think you’re correct. Reid is better than Tartt. But if you’re going to sign a Safety, don’t you think the 49ers are probably going to sign someone they think is better than they guy they already had and didn’t like?

              2. It’s less what I think they are going to do, Houston, and more what I think they ought to do. I believe the team can be successful with Reid at FS. They would then ideally draft a safety high next year or so and develop him to take over.

              3. IIRC, they had Reid playing linebacker for a number of games in the 2017 season. They didn’t seem to know what to do with him.

                Expectations for Reid were high based on his rookie season performance. But the multiple concussions seemed to make him more timid (and I’m not blaming him for that). My feeling is that Reid was consistent in 2017 whereas Tartt was up and down in 2018. I hope we can get Thomas at around $9 to $10 million. The team paid Ward $8.5 million last year. Get rid of Ward and replace him with Thomas. Simple with minimum overall impact on salary cap.

              6. I think they could have used Reid as a nickel LB, which would help the defense be more flexible.

    4. I was saying Thomas is already a niner for months now. Did they Seb me and take my prediction to heart? ?

    5. Razor:
      * Reference your concern about a backup to 9er C, Weston Richburg. (2019 salary @ ~($9.3Mil), here’s a “fairy tale” even you should like. Or will it make your head explode?
      * Do NOT draft NC St. or Texas A&M Center, (NOT a 9er 2019 draft position of need), The 9ers could sign KC F/A, Center Mitch Morse @ ~1/3 of Richburgs salary.
      * Rather than providing nothing to back up for your subjective “amature opinion” (your words, not mine), here’s some tape on Mitch Morse for your enjoyment……http://insidethepylon.com/film-study/film-study-nfl/offense-film-study-nfl/2016/08/08/under-the-microscope-chiefs-center-mitch-morse/

  15. Razor, I could be wrong but wouldn’t Earl Thomas take DJ Reed’s spot at FS so the 49ers would still need either Tartt or Harris at SS? I was under the impression Thomas plays that deep safety and the Tartt/Harris position was closer to the LOS. Clear that up for me.

    1. No you’re absolutely correct. Reed was playing for Ward, who was playing for Colbert. Tartt saw some action at FS, and I’m not sure how interested the 49ers are about moving him there, but it may increase if Harris gives him a run for his money at SS….

  16. Rams could be losing another coach. Aubrey Pleasant has received permission to interview for the DC position with the Bengals.

  17. Gotta say, I find this argument around Trent Brown all pretty silly. He just won a SB playing LT. He obviously can play. But he’s also not a guy that can’t be improved on – he’s a good not great OT.

    His issues keeping his weight down are well documented. It is very understandable why a team would be leery of giving him a big contract, especially one trying to rebuild. And the 49ers obviously had concerns with his attitude. They clearly wanted to build the OL around guys they thought were solid, hard working characters. It made sense for them to trade him.

    The Patriots needed a starting LT last season. They weren’t worried about the long term, they needed a guy to start straight away. So they drafted one guy and traded for Brown as a short term rental. Typical BB move. Made sense for them.

    I highly doubt BB will re-sign Brown. That was never the plan. Spend a 3rd rounder for a stop gap, let him leave and likely get a decent comp pick for him later. Shrewd.

    The trade made sense for both parties.

      1. What’s fascinating is the Brownies know this, and in that knowledge they become the agenda.

    3. While I understand that McGlinchey should, soon, be better than Brown, my problem is that when you have a slew of holes to fill, it doesn’t make sense to get rid of talent at that position and then make it a priority position to fill, especially when the team has shown patience in this regard in other areas (Ward, AA). What it has led to is this coming offseason, where Corner, Safety, Edge rusher, line backer, wide receiver, left tackle and offensive guard are all areas that need to be addressed.

      2. That’s because you were looking at last offseason as being the year they focus on adding talent to immediately make them a contender.

        49ers clearly weren’t in that mindset. They were still in rebuilding mode. Given how bad the team was without JG this year (heck, even with him), they made the right call. Brown wasn’t in their long term plans, so they were going to need to find an OT at some point. They really liked McGlinchey. It made sense for them to take him, and once they had him, it made sense to trade Brown.

          1. And what, exactly, did I do to you Razor? I thought we were having a perfectly fine discussion about the safety dilemma, and now I’m wallowing in nostalgia? I think I have shown, multiple times, on this blog to not be immune to reason. Most recently, where I conceded I was misusing the term “bust”, as it is understood, to refer to Pettis.

            1. You’ll learn not to be so sensitive in here. Speaking for myself, it’s nothing personal. It’s all in good fun.

              1. It’s not about sensitivity. No offence was taken on my part. I was just unsure as to why you were characterising my engagement like so. I, too, enjoy banter. It’s all cool.

              3. Renas, I agree with you. Baalke and now JL have let talent walk away. The league is full of Niner castoffs. Brown is only the latest. Iupati, Gore, Looney, Delanie Walker, Vernon Davis, Ted Ginn. Crabtree, Reid, Macdonald, Lynch, Tukuafu, Lockette, Ellington, Hodges, Hyde, Bethea, Robinson, Davis, Dawson, Lee, Foster, Harold, Kilgore, AS and even Kaep, but he is being blackballed. They are all talented enough to stay in the league, so they were not ‘busts’.
                .
                The Niners should look to the future, and retain home grown talent, or at least garner more draft picks so they can be replaced. Trading away Brown for what amounted to a 4th round pick was a gift, and helped the Pats win another SB. That is regressive thinking.
                .
                Niners need to take some criticism, because they should have thought of Brown as Staley’s eventual replacement, and since he was still under contract, and they could franchise him if they had wanted to, this ‘Bad scheme fit’ did not turn out well, looking at it in hindsight.
                .
                BTW, I am used to posters hurling expletives at me, so I hope the mild digs at you do not drive you away. You bring an international perspective, and you seem to be able to present a cogent argument backed up with facts, so I hope to see more of your posts,

              5. Hayne? He is out of the league, but he is also the player Baalke was happy to cut on the team bus. Sure am glad the stench of Baalke is almost all gone.

        2. Getting rid of decent talent and creating new holes to fill isn’t a way to rebuild a team. It is a way to implode a team.

          It wasn’t just Brown, but Reid. Again we need a safety even though we had a decent one. Meanwhile we ignored an area of true need for several years (Pass rusher).

        3. It didn’t make sense to trade Brown. He was under contract for another year at a cheap rate. And he’s young. He should be Staley’s heir apparent.

              1. Didn’t he say something to the effect that McGlinchey reinvigorated him, and they’ve formed a brotherly bond?

              2. Here’s what Staley said on Dec. 26:

                “I have one more year on my contract. It will be the first time I hit free agency, so that’s exciting. I might go somewhere else. You never know.”

                Q: Have you thought that far in advance? After next season, is it just wait and see how you feel?

                “Yeah. I’ll be 35 next season. I’d like to tell you I’m going to play into my 40s, me and Tom Brady, and possibly past that, but I’m not dumb. Offensive line is a very physical position. I’m 35 years old, so I’ll play next season and give it all I have, be ready to go for that entire season. Like I said, I’ll be a free agent for the first time in my career. I’ll be year-to-year after that.”

                Q: Would you consider playing for another team?

                “All options are open. Yeah, I would. I’m just focused on coming back for one more year. After that, we’ll see.”

              3. Thanks. Wasn’t sure but I assumed that since people weren’t saying anything about the Tackle position that he was returning.

              4. Perhaps Staley would have retired had not the bromance with McGlinchey manifested itself.

          2. The 49ers brass had already determined they didn’t trust Brown as a long term option. You can argue against the wisdom of that determination, and that’s fine, but once they had made that decision it made perfect sense to trade him.

            1. They didn’t have to give him a long-term deal. They could have given him the transition tag or the franchise tag in 2019. Or, they could have let him walk in 2019 and collected a comp pick. What they did instead was terrible.

              1. They weren’t going to tag him. He wouldn’t have been the starting OT last season anyway, McGlinchey would have started no matter how much better Brown looked in TC. They had already decided to move on from him. No way he then gets tagged.

                If Brown wasn’t starting, he wouldn’t be likely to get a big deal in FA like he is expected to now that he was the LT for the SB champs. And the 49ers will likely be spending big in FA this offseason anyway, so Brown would likely have bee offset in the comp formula. By trading him they got something.

                I understand the argument that they evaluated Brown poorly. That’s a valid argument. But once they had decided he wasn’t in their long term plans the right move was to trade him.

              2. Yes, they evaluated him poorly, just as they evaluated lots of their players poorly in 2017. They have lots to learn.

              3. Similar to the argument against the grades by PFF due to the notion they do not have a clue as to the players responsibility on any given play, no one has a clue if the 49ers determined Brown’s locker room culture was anathema to what they wanted to establish and whether or not it played a role in their decision….

              4. “Yes, they evaluated him poorly”.

                Well, as I said, this is a valid argument. But it is too soon to tell how poor their evaluation was. Keeping in mind the evaluation was whether he was a good long term investment, not whether he could play per se. There are a number of factors that go into that eval, including attitude (especially once he gets his pay day) and scheme fit. We’ll see in time whether they made the right call.

              5. There was absolutely zero reason to get rid of Brown after 2017. They could have kept him one more year and learned more about him. Instead, they evaluated him incorrectly and sold low.

              6. They didn’t get rid of Brown until after they drafted McGlinchey. Once they did that there was no reason to hold onto Brown. They wouldn’t be able to evaluate him properly as he wasn’t going to be starting anyway.

                You can argue they shouldn’t have drafted McGlinchey and taken another year evaluating Brown. But at the same time, if they truly thought McGlinchey was the ducks n#ts at a very important position that they had reservations about the long term prospects of their current guys, it made sense to take him.

                And honestly, I don’t think the evaluation they made on Brown was based purely on talent. I doubt another year would have changed their minds regarding his attitude and whether they felt comfortable giving him a big contract. Fact is, you have no way of knowing how he will handle that either. Anthony Davis didn’t handle it well.

              7. I find it funny that a bottom-five organization in the NFL decided Brown’s attitude was not conducive to winning, but the best organization in sports thought his attitude was just fine and won a Super Bowl with him. The 49ers need to check themselves.

              8. No, they should have drafted McGlinchey, and put him at RG. They should have kept Brown for the future, because Staley may leave or retire next year.
                .
                Now, they may be forced to use one of their 5 picks as a replacement for Staley.

              9. Grant, the Patriots thought Brown was fine to have for one season. Not the first guy with a questionable attitude they have added to be a short term solution. They rarely hold onto those guys for long. I doubt Brown will be a Patriot next season.

                If they extend him long term, sure, then feel free to question why the 49ers didn’t feel comfortable giving him a big deal.

              10. If they wanted to trade a tackle, they should have traded Staley, not Brown. No brainer.

              12. Yea because Staley has a poor work ethic, is overweight and doesn’t study tape. The antithesis of the type of culture the 49ers are attempting to instill….

              13. “If they wanted to trade a tackle, they should have traded Staley, not Brown. No brainer.”

                Only if they were convinced they could trust Brown long term. Obviously they didn’t. And we have no way of knowing just yet whether that concern was warranted.

                This argument is now becoming pretty circular. You are arguing Brown was the obvious long term option to retain, but this assumes his noted poor work habits don’t become an issue. I am arguing the 49ers clearly didn’t think those questionable work habits were worth trusting, which was likely exacerbated by an internal belief that Brown’s game also wasn’t best suited to Shanahan’s offense. Risk didn’t outweigh the reward for them. We don’t know whether it was the right call or not, but once they had made that call the best option was to trade him once they drafted McGlinchey.

              15. This argument ignores the bromance which developed between Mike and Joe, and it’s influence on his desire to play a couple more years. Of course the 49ers had no idea that an intangible like that would develop, but it certainly was a positive byproduct of the move….

              17. Staley, “Mike has been huge for me”. I understand why you’d like to dismiss that intangible because it isn’t a part of your Brownie movement….

              19. I don’t think it’s about getting anyone, but realizing that there are many moving parts to this argument. Some of which we are not privy to, and some that have yet to play out….

        4. Okay but that still leaves a lot of holes in the roster after this draft and FA (unreasonable to expect them to all be addressed). So is year 3 a wash? When is the point where we start asking when the wins are coming?

              1. Giant Drinking Jenga is a favorite at the house for get togethers.
                Oh the hilarity that follows when drunk people are serious about taking wood pieces out of a stack.
                Loud when it falls, but worth the fun.

            3. Yeah pebble by pebble. Trouble is I doubt I live long enough to see a pile. Maybe pile was a poor choice of words – they are already a pile of excuses. What do you call enough pebbles to win in the NFL.

              4. I was just wondering if you were smart enough to think of a way to do something 2 workers with bars could not. Obviously, you cannot.
                .
                Still trolling. Getting desperate, I see.

            4. Pebbles are a far cry from what Hammer has been throwing at the 49ers brass of late.

              It’s been a while since I’ve seen so much separation anxiety over a player who is no longer here.
              What was TB going to give us if he were still here, 5-7 more wins?

              Since the Hammer disciples hang on his every utterance, perhaps they should follow his solemn declaration from last year: what happened last year is “meaningless.”

              1. A right tackle now, and a left tackle once Staley retires after this year.

                The team also blew it with McDonald. The tandem of Kittle and McDonald could have been the best Coast version of what NE had with Gronk and Hernandez, minus the murders.

              3. Ha! Yea, it’s time to look forward and put the past behind us. We will move forward, and plant our flag of victory on the backs of our adversaries….

              4. Well, any 4-12 HC should expect some shade throw his way, considering KS admitted he should have won 3 more games last season.
                .
                Niners had plenty of cap money to extend Brown, but chose to take the profits instead.

              5. Hammer/Grant
                Strange isn’t it that you don’t have patience with the 49ers brass, but you wanted to patiently wait for Brown to develop into a run blocker and VMac learn to catch.

                Stop it already, we get it, you don’t approve of any moves the 49ers make. Now McDonald is your new flavor of the day.
                I can’t wait to see who else you come up with tomorrow.

                And Grant agreeing with your comment, gee, that’s a first.

              6. Brown was already a good run blocker, and McDonald was already a better TE than Celek.

                I know this takes time, but instead of buying the company line do some research. The 49ers run blocking was marginally better in 2018, while the pass blocking was far worse. The added yards gained on the ground were less the the extra yards lost due to the poorer pass protection.

              7. I remember that catch and run down the left side line. MacDonald stiff armed the DB and rumbled into the end zone. Niners could have used his running style last season.
                .
                He even reduced his drop rate.

              9. Its quite obvious Sebs is right, his argument in effect being neither KS OR his father know much about this sport. And anyone with a brain knows KS has never used his father as a sounding board for any football issue.
                And, as Sebbie once said, if either one of them crosses swords with the Mighty Quinn, “they will rue the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

              10. KS should hire his father as OC. I never said MS knows nothing about football, because he has won SBs.
                .
                However, KS dropped his starting QB because he was not a ‘scheme fit’, while Hoyer and CJB, KS’s declared best QBs in the building, go 1-15.

              11. AES we would have been lucky to have seen 5-7 games he played in.
                He’s a quitter IMO.
                One of the best moves they made was to cut that cancer.

          2. Whether they replaced Brown last offseason or this offseason made no difference. They were looking to replace him. By trading him last offseason they got a better return.

            1. Not to mention they had probably identified a player and/or position they wanted to target near that round in the draft.

              1. Razor:
                * Reference your concern about a backup to 9er C, Weston Richburg. (2019 salary @ ~($9.3Mil), here’s a “fairy tale” even you should like!
                * Don’t draft NC St. or Texas A&M Center, (not a 9er 2019 draft position of need), The 9ers could sign KC F/A, Center Mitch Morse @ ~1/3 of Richburgs salary.
                * Rather than providing nothing to back up for your subjective “amature opinion” (your words, not mine), here’s some tape on Mitch Morse for your enjoyment……http://insidethepylon.com/film-study/film-study-nfl/offense-film-study-nfl/2016/08/08/under-the-microscope-chiefs-center-mitch-morse/

            2. Also, I can imagine a scenario that was discussed is that if Brown was with the 49ers in 2018 with the idea of probably not holding on to him in 2019, what happens if Staley retires in 2019? Two starting tackles to replace in one season. They had just inked a $137.5 million dollar deal for a franchise QB. At that time last year, they probably felt they needed to get a start on the tackle transitions.

              1. This is the better of the arguments to move from Brown, actually. I don’t buy it and for a team that has been battling injuries it was a most egregious move. But yeah, I get it. It’s the past.

                Unfortunately it is also the present because this front office hasn’t been stellar since they got here in the draft or FA. It is one thing an “expansion” needs to do. Get out of the gates fast. They haven’t. We will have to see how this year goes, but there are lots of blue Chip player holes. In addition they need to upgrade many backups.

              2. No. If the team had kept Brown it would have been set for 2019 should Staley have retired. If push came to shove the team still held the cards with the tag for Brown.

          3. There were going to be roster holes regardless. If they drafted a different position than OT last year, they would need an OT this year.

        5. Scooter,

          Some here seem to wrap their mind around the possibility that while Trent Brown is a very talented left tackle, his work ethic and discipline (or lack thereof) is sufficiently questionable that few, if any, front offices will make the big-money, long-term commitment to him that is commensurate with his talents.

          Additionally, Grant and his fans question the trade without offering any meaningful reason why Niners should have kept a player around for a year in a rebuilding team when they had no intention of offering a massive contract extension and who was no role model for the younger players.

          1. Yeah, some team will give him a big contract this offseason, but I think you are right that many teams will be hesitant to do so.

      3. Renas,

        Trent Brown was on the last year of his contract. Why is this such a hard concept to grasp? The 49ers were never going to re-sign him. And if they had simply let him walk this offseason, they would get nothing in return. They would be going into 2019 with a rookie RT, and probably without Tarvarius Moore, whom they expect to compete to start at CB opposite Sherman.

        How would holding onto Brown make them better? I don’t know any executives who would rather have Brown on an inflated contract, as opposed to McGlinchey on a rookie deal. Not one. So how would the Niners be better off holding onto Brown?

        ShanaLynch are responsible for doing what is best for the team, not just in the short term, but also the long term. If they didn’t feel like Brown was worth a long term investment, then why wouldn’t they deal him before he became a UFA?

        1. They may receive a compensatory pick. That’s not noting. Instead we got a rehab project which also might be nothing. If ifs and buts…..

    4. As a former 49ers head coach once said, “it’s about getting the 5 best guys”.

      Brown is better than McGlinchey, and he’s better than Staley. In the near future they will be spending another high draft pick on a tackle and guard unless it is expected that Staley and Person will be re-signing.

      For all the talk about Brown’s weight, he was always productive on the field. For those that bring up the stress on joints etc due to his weight, how many lower body injuries has he lost time to?

      The net yards with Brown and without Brown on the field are negative. This was a move that didn’t help the 49ers offense.

      It’s not a win/win either.

      If the 49ers had held onto the player for 2018, and still let him walk it would have been them getting the comp pick at a time when they could use it. The Patriots won this trade.

      1. Since we’re speculating, I think Brown was just too good for the 49ers. He didn’t need to study tape or exhibit the same work ethic, which prevented him from bonding with Staley. This was not the culture the 49ers were looking for, and decided Brown needed to be challenged. So they sent him to BB and Scarnecchia where he could realize his greatness, and become a future HOF’er!

      2. The 49ers didn’t want to spend big $$ on Brown. They either lost him last offseason or this offseason. Those were the options. Argue all you like about whether Brown should have been re-signed to a big contract, it wasn’t going to happen. They clearly didn’t trust him.

        And now I’ve basically said the same thing in reply to 3 different people on this thread, so clearly I need some coffee!

            1. I just inhaled a Culver’s double burger deluxe, onion rings and a turtle sundae.

              Burp!

              2. No sir! I’m a Kirby guy all the way. Just change out the belt once a year, and eventually replace the power cord, maybe change out the rotating brush if you’re so inclined, and it’ll last you a lifetime. I’ve never had a Hoover last more than a couple years….

      3. Seems like this is just another subject that people will argue endlessly about. Personally, I agree with Jack’s analysis. There’s been entirely too much giving up on players and getting everyone all excited about the future talent we will be getting down the road. I don’t understand it but KS, JL, and Jed sure seem to be in no hurry to show any real progress. They do have the excuse angle pretty much nailed down though. Only one player on the roster now could in any serious way be considered a difference maker – and that’s Kittle. The entire rest of the roster is – well….there’s a good chance they’ll need more excuses next year. The 49ers will have to be getting rid of some of their FAs this year because they need a lot of cap to fill in the 49 or so holes in the roster. That’s when we’ll hear how so and so was never really as good as he was expected and yada, yada – let’s get someone better. If this is really a team getting better, I’d hate to see what one looks like when they’re self-destructing.

      4. Hammer,

        The last paragraph in your post is False.

        The amount of money spent in free-agent acquisitions this year will negate the comp pick for losing Brown

      5. In what world is Brown better than McGlinchey, especially considering the cost? This kind of short sighted thinking would absolutely ruin the 49ers Jack!

        All I can say is ….. Hallelujah that you and Grant aren’t calling the shots!

      6. “Brown is better than McGlinchey, and he’s better than Staley. In the near future they will be spending another high draft pick on a tackle and guard unless it is expected that Staley and Person will be re-signing. ”

        While I disagreed with the the decision to trade Brown and thought the right move was to keep him even when selectin McGlinchey due to the flexibility it would give them going forward. I also believe Staley and (surprisingly to me ) McGlinchey were better than Brown last season.

    5. When the trade for Brown was made by the Patriots they were in the same situation as the 49ers having just spent their 1st round pick on a tackle the day before, so they needed Brown about as much as the 49ers needed him.

      1. Nah, they were a SB contender that lost their starting LT and didn’t want to risk their season on a rookie with question marks around whether he should be an interior OL rather than OT. Brown was insurance for if Wynn wasn’t ready/ capable.

      1. Lang graded out a pubic hair greater than Brown (71) with a 72, which is slightly above average.

        1. Razor, sounds like you have the agenda.

          This article predates these grades you’re referencing.

          1. I don’t care. Those are the grades. Just the facts, Sour. You don’t like the facts? Not my problem.

            1. Those aren’t facts. They’re opinions. And your “facts” are irrelevant to what Lang was talking about.

              1. Grades are facts of opinion. Now if I were to report the grades incorrectly, that would be disingenuous and likely part of an agenda.

              2. Your agenda is propping up a service whose grades are opinions. Also a fact!

                Razor, opinions aren’t facts. You may have represented what PFF posted accurately but it doesn’t make it a fact.

              3. Not propping up PFF. I’ve stated years ago when Grant and Hammer used them religiously that they were a tool in the kit.

                When someone or some entity goes on record with an opinion, it’s there for all to dissect as they see fit. The facts lie in the discussion that ensues.

              4. Doesn’t change the fact your posting wasn’t germane to what Lang was saying. Your choice of what you put and timing speak to your thinking.

                And like I stated an opinion isn’t a fact.

              5. It wasn’t germane to you, but I bet it could be germane to Lang’s agent.

                Can you state it again? I didn’t quite get it. ??

      2. They are majority owned by Chris Collinsworth. Part of the problem is that we dont know much about the graders and their background.

  19. “As of 2018, PFF provides customized data to all 32 NFL teams, 38 NCAA FBS teams, 4 CFL teams, national/regional media (i.e. Washington Post, The Athletic, ESPN) and sports agencies/agents.” [source is PFF].

    Okay, Chris Collinsworth is a major investor. The PFF funding stream doesn’t stop there, it includes $$ from services and products provided (see above), and member subscriptions. And there may be other sources–dunno. Point is, PFF is pulling in dollars–likely a bunch. In the case of the NFL and NCAA FBS alone, SOMEBODY has decided to buy PFF services and products. Why?

    So, will PFF collapse in the near future because of their bogus hooey? Will PFF evolve, refining is services? Will we wake up and find this was simply a bad dream?

    It’s likely PFF will be in serious competition soon with others providing similar services–the market place principle. Today’s PFF playground will become much more competitive and diverse. And we don’t have to like it.

    1. Your quote has been posted several times, along with what coaches from NFL teams say about the grading portion of what PFF provides. They’re going more for the other data. The statistical and analytical data that they provide teams is much different and more advanced than what they make public.

      I know this, because I’ve asked them.

      1. Jack:

        The point has been made that we don’t know the true qualifications of the PFF guys grading players. But even the data that you say is of good quality is not purely raw data. A lot of that data includes some judgement calls. A simple one is dropped passes. Was the pass dropped due to inadequacies of the receiver or was it a poor throw. A judgement call has to often be made.

        1. Another judgment call: “Pressures.” How in the world do you define that and track it uniformly? Not possible. That’s why I prefer quarterback hits as a stat.

          1. Agreed, Grant. I was just thinking about that one. Still, what else is there? Like I said earlier, it takes a great deal of time to study every play from every pass rusher in every game. At least PFF attempts to provide data. If they are right about a player even 80% of the time, that’s probably pretty good.

          2. A “pressure” should be defined by Altering the QB’s throw.
            And QB’s react differently when it comes to pressure.

            Brady stands up well against pressure. Rarely are his throws altered by people coming at him.
            Now Goff on the other hand… He’s a magnet for the pressure stat.

        2. “A simple one is dropped passes.”

          Yes, this is totally a judgement call as we’ve seen even in discussions here. Now take that by 11 players on both sides of the ball and 32 different teams. No way in heck that what they’re doing is uniform across the board.

          That’s not really what I’m getting at. They have a tone of down/distance, tendency data and stuff like that which is provided to the teams.

          1. “Tendency” by definition involves some judgement. The stuff we are talking about is not player grades. But it is “data” used to come up with player grades.

            1. Not at all. Every team looks for tendencies. On 3rd and 5-8 in this area of the field they do x 45% of the time, Y 30% of the time and Z 25% of the time.

              This is what every team is already doing on their own anyway and the PFF stuff is a good way to cross reference.

              The player grades are guys trying to figure out if the player performed their job and to what level, made worse by not having a clue what the players job was on the play.

              1. Cross reference. That sounds like a tool.

                Speaking of grades, what happens when the grade matches the grade by the firm that has all the clues about what the players job was on the play?

              2. Hammer,
                There was no reply option on your 5:11 pm comment so here I am.

                Hammer
                “McDonald was already a better TE than Celek.”

                Yeah, I agree with that. McDonald is better than Celek.
                But here’s some numbers from your favorite stat site: PFF (ha)
                “He (McDonald) missed 16 games over four seasons, and his 15.8 drop percentage was worst among tight ends with at least 75 catchable targets since 2013.
                McDonald had 64 catches for 866 yards and seven touchdowns in his four years with the team.”

                I’ll add that he only had 24 catches in 2016 his last season with the 49ers.
                All I can say about McDonald is that he would have only slowed down Kittle’ progress and that would have been shameful.
                Sure, VMac had a good year with one dynamic straight arm run and catch in Pitts, but if would have put up the same numbers that he had as a 49er, he’d be playing on another team.

                You could reminisce over former players all you want, but had they played the way they have on a different team there’s a good chance that they would still be here.
                Hey, at least I gave you another bone to pick with PFF, right?

              3. Not sure I agree with this Hammer. If I wanted to use tendencies, then, in your example, I want more info than just that a team does something X% of the time on 3rd and 5 to 8. I would want to know what the percentages are against certain defensive lineups and whether or not the defense was showing blitz (but actually did or didn’t blitz), etc. I think you need more context than the simple example you provided, although the results of that simple example are better than nothing. Some of that information would probably require some judgement, but some of the simple stuff, as you point out, wouldn’t necessarily require judgements.

                But for compiling data on players, I think a lot of that data would be subject to judgement and that’s what Grant and I were discussing (dropping passes, pressures, etc.).

              4. “would want to know what the percentages are against certain defensive lineups and whether or not the defense was showing blitz (but actually did or didn’t blitz), etc.”

                This is correct, and what they get. I was using an extremely simplified example.

  20. Niners, starting this off season, should be looking at the draft prospects. fortunately, the Niners got to coach players in the Senior Bowl, so they have an advantage over many other teams.
    .
    They also need to be establishing parameters with the new crop of FAs. I hope they retain several players, but would not mind if they let players like Person Nzeocha, Morris and Ward walk away.

  21. There seems to be a lot of ridiculous comments being made on players that were allowed to walk in free agency, released, or traded by the 49ers.

    2. Dismantling a SB team can lead to losing. Retaining veteran talent and leadership can lead to winning.
      .
      Seeing only 2 players from that SB team, and 8 from 3 seasons ago, and wondering why winning is so hard, may just be the hard reality. 13 rookies and 18 first year players make up three/fifths of the team.
      .
      Not too much cohesiveness and continuity, with such high turnover.

            1. Well, Buckner is a keeper.
              Tartt will be given every chance, once he returns from the IR.
              Blair has done well, to earn a spot.
              Garnett will be given one more chance before he is declared a bust.
              Armstead is on the bubble. They may trade or extend him.
              Celek is probably on his way out.
              Ward will be allowed to walk to save money.

          2. Your right, Sebs! And how many of those 7 are playmakers? Out of a 53 man roster?

            So your going to quit your pissing and bitching about how long a full team rebuild is taking-of course, along with an injury or two at the same time-right?

            Please dont ramble on about how Walsh never made a few mistakes on his rebuild, because he did. When he recognized it as such, he moved on quickly.

            1. Saw, I will stop pointing out their shortcomings when they let go their starting QB because he was not a scheme fit, their number 3 draft pick has more than 4 sacks in 2 years, their second first round draft pick does not disappear like a puff of smoke, their 3rd round draft pick wins more than 1 game, their 4 round draft pick does not get cut, and their other 4th round draft pick actually plays a game.
              .
              Yes, Walsh did fail his first year, but at least he did everything in his power to try to win, instead of saving 43 million and being content to lose.

              1. ………….”Let go their starting QB because he wasn’t a scheme fit………………..”

                And their, ladies and gentlemen, is the REAL genesis of Seb’s constant downer!!!!!!! Seb’s wants that 20-30 year K for ‘ol wind-up…………..who didn’t do squat his last 3 yrs. Didn’t he throw for 4 yards in one game? Or was it 40……? Missed several wide-open receivers consistently? I distinctly remember one of them was out their doing jumping jacks for 5 seconds!

                But that’s all somebody else’s fault.

                HASTA LA VISTA, BABY! (says your boy Arnold).

          2. The dismantling of that Super Bowl team started happening well before Shanahan and Lynch were hired Seb, so your statement has no merit.
            Kaepernick was (and most likely still is) a phenomenal athlete, but a below average to average QB who was figured out by the NFL and failed to adjust his game.

            1. Mid, KS and JL inherited a dumpster fire, but it was still torn down to the studs. Baalke did most of the dismantling, but JL and KS did a lot, too.
              .
              3/5ths of the team is less than 2 years. Only Celek and Staley are left over from the SB team, and the defense is totally new.
              .
              Too bad KS deemed Kaep to not be a scheme fit. He decided Hoyer and CJB were the best QBs in the building, and went 1-15 with them. Fortunately, JG fell into their laps, until he fell down, and Mullens exceeded expectations.
              .
              When you say the league figured Kaep out, you must think the Butt fumbler and many other QBs are superior to Kaep. I do not. If given a chance, with an O line not stocked with turnstiles, he could take the league by storm, again.

              1. sebnynah says:
                August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
                If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed.

              2. IF. Too bad he pulled a Gabbert, and benched himself.
                .
                While I think the persecution and blackballing of Kaep is blatantly unfair, I am resigned to have to abide by their hate. Fortunately, I expect Kaep will win his lawsuit, because they are not too bright, and left a paper trail. That is why a judge deemed his lawsuit had merit, and is allowing it to proceed. When Kaep wins his lawsuit, the malfeasance will void the CBA, and Kaep will become even more of a hero, and the players and courts will demand the owners allow him to play. Considering all the government money helping subsidize the league, they have to abide by the rules, and not conspire unfairly against an individual exercising his First Amendment rights to protest for social justice.
                .
                Counter intuitively, people who are against Kaep, must be for police brutality. Fortunately, there has finally been a conviction of a policeman of second degree murder, so the thin blue line has been broken. Cops will now be held accountable, and cannot use his badge to shield himself from justice. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but at least they are turning forwards, not backwards.
                .
                Thanks for bringing up another opportunity to expound upon the injustices and persecution of Kaep.

              3. Hahaha…

                Yeah right. Hoyer was playing well that night. You came unhinged with glee. So you blurted out…..(read the infamous Sebbie quote).

                Kicking Kaep to the curb for Hoyer’s great performance that August evening. Some beacon of justice you are. Shame on you Sebbie.

            2. Once again, you present a fluffed up comment that fails to explain one of your comments Seb. Exactly what Super Bowl team did Shanahan and Lynch dismantle?
              You are also assuming my belief on Kaepernick. I do think he can play in the NFL, but the thing that separates Kaepernick from the likes of Sanchez, Gabbert, Barkley, and other backup NFL QBs is that he is so polarizing. Most will point to his kneeling, but his wearing of sock with pigs in police uniforms and comments about Fidel Castro that were not taken kindly by the Cuban American population are also examples of how controversial Kaepernick has been. If he had the talent needed to excel as a starting NFL QB, then he would be on a team right now. But the talent is not there for Kaepernick to be a starting NFL QB, and no one wants a polarizing backup on any part of their team, which is why he is not on a team.

              1. I gotta laugh. Savage, Peterman, Hundley, Osweiler, Siemian,McCoy, and the Butt Fumbler prove my point.
                .
                Barkley and Josh Johnson were out of the league for years, and won games, so Kaep can do the same.
                .
                I do agree that Kaep is a polarizing figure, and I sure hope he registers to vote, and votes, because that is the best way to peacefully effectuate change.
                .
                I even think he should declare that he has made a difference, so he does not need to kneel any more during the anthem. He should channel his energies into more productive methods, and stop angering a segment of the fan base.

              3. I gotta laugh. Savage, Peterman, Hundley, Osweiler, Siemian,McCoy, and the Butt Fumbler prove my point.

                Each one of the backup QBs you have mentioned also prove my point because not a single one of those QBs have any type of controversy attached to their name.

              4. Kaep , by being controversial, is being blackballed. Kaep is a SB QB who has set playoff records, so he does have talent.
                .
                The others, by lacking talent, do not need to be blackballed, in order to not play in the league.
                .
                Big difference.

              5. That is the absolute dumbest and worst argument yet that I have seen in regards to Kaepernick. Because Kaepernick is controversial, he is being blackballed? Give me a break. ?

              6. If a team would just let Kaepernick play, the world would see why they’ve been apprehensive.

              8. Kap was nothing more than a flash in the pan. The great ones sustain their greatness. Kap didn’t want to put in the necessary head-work to keep growing.

                Those who would tell the truth will admit that Grapps throws the ball ever so slightly quicker and more accurate than Kap……….reads defense’s much better………..more often than not hits the open man…………..and I could go on and on…………….

                FINITO, Sebs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              9. Since the 3rd game. Kaep would have been far superior to JG, since he tore his ACL.
                .
                Actually, I am happy with JG, from his first TD against the Seahawks. I consider JG as the 49er franchise QB, and wish Kaep well, where ever he plays.
                .
                The only major problem with JG, is that he may not be durable enough, and the lack of good O line protection will doom any QB. JG got hit 9 times in the Viking game, and sacked 6 times in the Lions game. I am thinking that Kaep would do best on the Jags. With that defense, he could beat the Pats, unlike Bortles 2 years ago.
                .
                Kaep will play again, he is just too good to be blackballed forever. One good landing spot may be Denver. John Elway almost signed him 3 years ago. Fangio practiced against Kaep, so he knows how difficult it is to defend against the run or pass, every play. I believe Fangio is so focused on winning, he will accept Kaep.
                .
                Maybe Kaep only needs to declare he will not kneel, since he has already engendered positive results and effectuated change. He has created a dialogue, Innocent civilians are asserting their rights, and a policeman was finally found guilty of police brutality. Kaep should just say that he could make more of an impact if he can play, and that there are better methods of protesting, ones that do not anger a segment of the population. Then I hope he registers to vote, and casts a ballot, because good people have died, fighting for the right to vote. It is so important, and the best way to peacefully change for the better.
                .
                Getting back to Denver, Kaep with that defense, may get to the playoffs. Elway made a mistake passing on Kaep, and his QB selections have fallen flat. Osweiler, Seimian, Lynch, now Keenum. Signing Kaep would atone for and rectify his mistake. One possible landing spot for Keenum may be Washington. Eagles will not allow Foles to go to Washington or NY, so Jax may be an option. Cincy, Miami or Denver may also be options for Foles. Obtaining a second or third round pick for Keenum will help mine the sweet spot of the draft, and Hogan is an acceptable backup.
                .
                Thanks for letting me talk more about Kaep. You seem to get excited about the possibilities.

    3. Yeah, you could put together a pro bowl team of all those ex-players by reading some of the commentary here.

      1. A lot are still in the league, and many are starters. Cowboy, Willis, Bowman and Boldin have all retired.

    4. +1. I just went through 200 comments about former players that haven’t been on the team for a year. Movin’ on…

    2. What are these guys going to spew about when the 49ers start winning?
      Oh, I know, bring back Aaron Lynch.

      1. “What are these guys going to spew about when the 49ers start winning?”

        That would be a welcomed change, no?

        1. Yes, winning would be a welcomed change.
          Will you be able to handle it?

          You are the top poster here Hammer, always a good source for information. But your weekly haraunging gets old. Makes me wonder if you have it in you to ever put down your “hammer” and bring something new and fresh to the table instead of the Shanahan condemnation.
          Now that would also be a welcomed change.

          1. Maybe once the Niners start winning, I will sing their praises, instead of pointing out their shortcomings.
            .
            A 4-12 team is not above reproach, whereas a 12-4 team will have solved most of their problems, so I will not have to suggest ways to improve.
            .
            I can handle winning, a heck of a lot better than I can handle losing.

            1. I’m sure you can, but what you can t handle are the mitigating factors that bring about losing.

              The 49ers have gone through 4 head coaches in the last 6 years. Stability from such a turnover does not come over night.
              The team roster doesn’t bare any resemblance to the team of a few years ago.
              Why? because Shanahan has a vision that involves choosing players that best fit his scheme.

              Many people have said that the Rams lost the SB because Gurly wasn’t on the field that much. Isn’t that ironic. We lost our QB and starting RB but according to some here we still should have won.
              Make up your minds folks, do injuries matter of not?
              Sheesh!

              Hey, I’ve got no problem with people venting over a loss, I certainly have had my hair pulling moments when we lose. I could never get used to that. But a build from the ground up situation is going to take time.
              It’s not like Shanahan walked into a Rams SB ready team.

              The winning will come, and yes, fickle and complaining fans can jump onboard.
              The Faithful have never left, win or lose!

              1. ‘Mitigating factors that bring about losing’? Sure, injuries are part of it, but one cannot absolve the coaching for having any part of the losing.
                .
                This last SB showed explicitly why coaching is so important. BB took a lot of cast offs and under performers, and built a juggernaut. In the 2 games before the SB, the Pats ran rough shod over the Chargers and Chiefs. Trent Brown was panned for being a poor run blocker, and was declared a bad fit for KS’s system, but he sure showed his run blocking prowess. Additionally, Brown was a big factor in keeping Brady essentially untouched.
                .
                The hypersensitivity towards KS is over the top. KS has a vision? It is more like a hallucination. Getting rid of Kaep, and going 1-15 with Hoyer and CJB, just does not instill confidence in his assessment skills. Getting rid of Trent Brown, then see him help win a SB, makes me question why Brown was expendable, when Staley is more than likely gone next season. Maybe with Brown, and McGlinchey at RG, JG might not have gotten smacked around in the Vikings game, and better protection could have helped JG avoid his injury.
                .
                ‘We lost our QB and starting RB, but according to some here, we still should have won.’ Do not blame me, blame KS. He said they should have won 3 more games, even with those injuries. Injuries do matter, but so does coaching.
                .
                Trading up for Foster, CJB, Joe Williams and Pettis, just smacks of desperation or hubris. The Niners should have been patient, saved those picks, and still could have gotten those players. If they had missed out on Foster, all the more better.
                .
                Some may say that I hate KS. I do not. I want him to succeed. I want him to learn from his mistakes, so he does not repeat them, over and over.
                .
                Winning will cure everything. Maybe you should wait until the Niners are winning, before accusing me of continuing ripping KS.
                .
                ‘Winning will come’, but only if KS learns from his mistakes, and stops repeating them. Maybe the first thing KS should do, is swallow his pride, and hire an OC. Belichick is smart enough to have an OC, and won a Super Bowl. McVay thought he was smart enough not to have an OC, and left with a bludgeoned look on his face.

  23. “If you can dodge a brick ? , you can dodge a ball!”

    Don’t know where the thread went but I was responding to a Grant post on PT.

    1. Hmmm, I thought posters want to avoid Kaep discussions.
      .
      Once his biggest detractor who called Kaep an SOB, is found to have accepted foreign aid to steal an election, which will invalidate his legitimacy, and is removed, will Kaep be allowed to return to play.
      .
      Thankfully there are emails and a long paper trail, so the collusion and conspiracy will be exposed, so Kaep will win his lawsuit. I am patient, and if Brady can play at 41, Kaep should play for years since he is only 30.

      3. Posters protested your (tautologous–from Seb’s thesaurus) and numerous Kaep postings and the overuse of the 4 syllable word while posting them.

        I don’t think quarerly update is asking too much?

      4. Seb
        “Once his biggest detractor who called Kaep an SOB, is found to have accepted foreign aid to steal an election, which will invalidate his legitimacy, and is removed, will Kaep be allowed to return to play.”

        Ha! And this comment incapsulates how people here “reach” for any off the wall excuse to bash Shanahan and now Kaep.

        Another flavor of the day from our resident Kaep-ologist.
        Let’s count the flavors so far:
        Trent Brown
        Vance McDonald
        Reid
        Kaepernick
        And now the POTUS.
        Will the wonders ever cease!

        All the names mentioned here are nothing more than “meaningless” props used by the Shanahan detractors.
        Can’t wait for the new flavor of the day guy’s.
        Keep reaching for the stars my friends!

          1. SY – Seems like many of the posters here need an interpreter to translate Shanahan’s record into English. Funny thing is that those posters will focus our attention to the fact that they were and are always open to the possibility that he may be a complete failure. But, right now they want to give him a little more rope to hang himself. This avoids ever having to admit they were wrong.

            1. That might be a nice psychological analysis Whine, except that its completely off base.

              No one needs to translate the win/loss record it’s painful to look at. I’ve never seen anyone here say that they are satisfied with losing.

              And the only benefit that I’ve given Shanahan is that he took a dilapidated dumpster fire of a team (which the majority here agreed with) without any semblance of direction and limited talent and is forging his own stamp and identity.
              That my friend does not happen overnight.

              I wonder if any other potential head coach would have done with the team had they faced the same circumstances.
              Shanahan has made his fair share of mistakes but I won’t doubt a man that took such a challenging job that some didn’t want to touch and passed on.
              I’m riding out the storm.

          2. SY,
            Yeah, I guess it’s much more convenient and vogue to defend McVay these days.

            Grant should change the “Inside the 49ers blog” name to :
            Inside the 49ers/Trent Brown blog.
            Or is it the Inside the 49ers/McVay blog?
            While we’re at it, there’s alway the Inside the 49ers/Vance McDonald blog.
            And before I forget, gotta give some love (Ha!) and throw the Inside the 49ers/Kaepernick blog in the hat.

            I’m sure some players no longer here will find there way on the blog soon enough.

            SY, also, I’m finding it quite difficult to show humility and respect to McVay. Hope you can help me out with this.

        2. AES, I am just expressing my opinion. It is hard to explain the context of the blackballing without talking about the guy who called Kaep an SOB. Funny, I thought I was defending Kaep.
          .
          Brown was getting pilloried by posters, so I just wanted to point out that he was moved to the most important position on the O line, and helped win a SB. I wonder how many sacks Brown allowed in the playoffs. Zero? That lack of a scheme fit, and poor run blocker helped his team rush for 155, 176 and 151 yards in the playoffs.
          .
          I have called VM- Stone hands many times, but he seems to have stopped the drops. That one catch, with the crushing run over the DB for a TD, was very impressive.
          .
          Reid was signed for 1.4 mil, so he was very inexpensive. The Niners ended up with musical chairs, dealing with the safeties. Reid would have provided continuity and veteran leadership, and he showed his versatility.
          .
          With Kaep, he is intrinsically tied in with the blackballing, led by the guy who wants him permanently fired. KS determined that Hoyer and CJB were superior to Kaep, and were the best QBs in the building, but I did not make them have a 1-15 record.
          .
          The ‘reach’ is equating my opinions with more KS bashing. KS is 4-12, and you are defending him like he went 12-4.
          .
          ANY 4-12 HC should expect criticism.
          .
          ANY HC who wants to play OC, should emulate Belichick, instead. Belichick just whupped and humiliated another HC who did not think he needed an OC.
          .
          If KS starts winning games, I will be the first to praise him. Until then, I hope he learns from his mistakes, and gets as much help as possible.

          1. Seb,
            “Brown was getting pilloried by posters, so I just wanted to point out that he was moved to the most important position on the O line, and helped win a SB.”

            Really? Who on this topic has ever pilloried TB?
            Have I?
            I’ve been on record as saying that he’s had a very good year.
            Delanie Walker has had some years since he’s been gone but nobody is crying for him.
            The Org had the money to keep him but they let him walk.

            But it’s obvious that some are only using TB, VMac and Kaepernick as stage props to take digs at the Org and Shanahan.
            I would venture that these players are not looking back at us, as some are looking at them.
            But that’s just me, I have a hard time getting sentimental over former players now on different teams.

            1. AES, just read the posts. ‘Brown is overweight, will not study, is a bad scheme fit, graded out poorly, was going to be too expensive, McGlinchey made him expendable, cannot run block and quit on the team over his shoulder issue.’
              .
              I am just pointing out players who left the team and were productive on other teams. Letting veteran talent walk is counter productive, especially if they are cut, or given away. Brown did not cost a pick. The Pats essentially moved back 45 spots to obtain Brown.
              .
              I think it is perfectly fine to grade KS’s assessment skills, when he preferred Hoyer and CJB over Kaep, but then went 1-15 with them. I will take digs at any 4-12 HC, but will refrain if he is 12-4.
              .
              Yes, I get it. They want to clear out the stench of Baalke. I just wish they would have adequate replacements before getting rid of a player.
              .
              Sure, with hindsight, those moves did not turn out well, but KS has to own them. He is the HC, so it is part of his job description. He is responsible. Maybe he could blame his OC. ;p
              .
              Do not get me started on the money. They went cheap, and got cheap results. Sure, Jed got to pocket profits, but a a cost of wins. They should be spending every penny of the salary cap, if they are doing everything in their power to win. They should buy talent, instead of pocketing profits, and being content to lose.
              .
              The main man I get sentimental over, is Frank Gore. Baalke did not even offer him a contract. Gore still played at a high level, and now will be a shoe-in to be a first ballot Hall Of Famer. Frank Gore was the heart and soul of the Niner offense, and they did not even try to retain him. I do not expect Kaep to return, and wish him well, but I hope Frank can retire as a Niner. I hope they sign him, and give him a chance to compete for a spot. He would automatically be the best blocking RB on the team.

      5. Oh for cryin out loud, Sebs………..your politics are like………..”Round-Up” to a Rose Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. I believe that teams that are looking at AB as a possible landing spot are waiting for the leagues investigation to play out.
      If he passes with flying colors than yes, he is an option. But if he is suspended for 6 games I would weary of paying him for an entire season.

        1. Don’t want to beat a dead horse again but what were Trent Brown’s red flags? Sorry, couldn’t help it.

          2. No red flags. He had weight issues, and refused to play while injured. He is now listed at a svelte 380 lbs.He had off season surgery, so he was justified in shutting himself down. Some say his study habits were lacking, but Scarnecchia changed his preparations, so he now studies a lot. Some said his run blocking was deficient, but I did not see any of that in the playoffs.
            .
            Guess KS deemed Brown to be a bad scheme fit, so they let him go cheap.

  26. NFL mock draft 2019: Two QBs projected to go top-10, pass-rushers prioritised
    WRITTEN BY
    VINNIE IYER

    With Super Bowl 53 in the books and the Patriots celebrating another championship, every team’s attention is now on trying to “win” the offseason.

    That gives us a pretty good jump on how the top 32 picks will play out, based on team needs and position values at the moment. The Senior Bowl was a key step in the prospect evaluation process…

    https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nfl/news/nfl-mock-draft-2019-first-round-raiders-jets-giants-jaguars-broncos-dolphins/1bfhy0e2qhxco1xer3klqzxwca

  27. Seb,

    Two years ago you were the one who posted that Shanny would mesh the 49er and Patriot offensive playbook.
    Does the signing of Wes Welker as WR coach + JG’s return signal that ?

    Also, you mentioned an OC is needed to help Shanny, but remember, sometimes the best OC is the one who invented the playbook, in addition to the other offensive assistants who signaled the defensive alignments to Shanny from the eye in the sky on gameday.

    San Francisco Ranked 16th in offense in 2018, a gargantuan jump from # 32 prior to Shanny.

    16 San Francisco 5769 360.6 3867 241.7 1902 118.9 342 21.4

    http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total

      1. Whine

        Like you, I’m waiting , anxiously for the Ws and Ls to reverse themselves, but experience tells me that …it might have already begun… When KS and JL took over the reins, I was, and remain optimistic that we would soon see that gargantuan jump in wins….remembering those first 6 games that were lost by a total of (9 ?) points, a modern day record if I remember correctly…that a field goal could have been a win in each or any of them is still a heart breaker to any 49er fan….The hiccup that was Jimmy G’s injury last year was just the final payment, and once again, I am optimistic….It’s playoffs or bust for this, the 2019 season…Hang with me my friend…It’s gonna’ be fun….

        1. O – I definitely will hang in there and I hope, like you, they figure it all out. The place where I part company with most of the gang is where they feel that the have to constantly be cheerleaders and excuse makers for a group that is performing poorly. I didn’t grow up in the self-esteem era and believe it to be bunch of crap. When I played football in the ’60s (high school and college) excuses were absolutely forbidden. And when we played poorly and made mistakes, there was no mercy as to the criticism that rained down on us. Also, 49er fans were notoriously nasty about the players and coaches when they felt they did not perform up to snuff. Do you think they built a chain link roof over the entrance to the tunnel to the locker rooms at Kezar because the fans were being overly nice to the players when they came and went? This Kumbaya spirit of today is unprecedented to me when it comes to 49er fandom. Seb goes off on how nasty Lowell Cohn was to the 49ers and Walsh in particular. Lowell was one of us. He wrote about things we were thinking and saying only did a much better job of it. Raining criticism on the 49ers (only when they play poorly and make excuses) is a tradition that still exists for my family and friends who support the team. With no offense to the people who are inclined to make excuses, I think you all are Silicon Valley types and have very little in common with the typical long term Bay Area fan. I love the fact that Grant is keeping up the tradition of being tough on them and, like I’ve said before, believe he is a closet fan who can’t admit it publicly – and one of the principal reasons I say this is because he is more like the true 49er fans I grew up with and still associate with personally, and not like the new version of excuse manufacturing robots of today. Saying how poorly the team is playing now has nothing to do with disliking the team and hoping they succeed. My father used to say: A true friend is one who will tell you when your fly is down and not ignore it like those who pretend to be a friend. I won’t pretend, just to be popular with some of the posters here.

    2. Tom………

      You just spoke logic, not part of Seb’s mulch-pile………..

      Just a suggestion, for what its worth………………….speak about players and issues as if they were landscaping issues.

      “SEb, you put so much fertilizer (B.S.) in the soil (this blog) that the weeds (complaints about your nonsense) keep coming back”!

      He’ll understand that.

  28. I sure hope the addition of Wes Welker as WR coach and JG’s return will help install some of the Patriot offensive concepts. Of course, seeing the use of the fullback just reminded me of the WCO. Belichick just has evolved and refined the concepts and strategies.
    .
    I just think that having a run game coordinator and pass game coordinator is inefficient, especially if they try some RPOs, Read options, Naked bootlegs, and Play action passes.
    .
    Yes, the offensive ineptitude could be correlated to the defensive ineptitude by not allowing the offense on the field. With the defensive improvement, the offense will have more opportunities. Still, at 16, there is lots of room for improvement, which makes this Free Agency and the Draft so important.
    .
    Improvements in coaching will also be critical. Getting former DC Joe Woods will help Saleh. Shane Day has called plays, and has coached QBs, WRs, TEs and the O line, so he would be a good candidate to become OC.

    2. Sorry, I have seen enough backup QBs struggling.
      .
      However, I wonder how the officiating system performs. Sounds like they are putting a man in the booth.

          1. Agree…

            Just watch… Over the course of the AAF season a few players will emerge big time. All of a sudden ‘we’ gotta have so-and-so. And then some will be furious when Lynch and Shanahan didn’t pick one or two up.

            1. The most intriguing aspect of this endeavor for me is if/when will college athletes that are prohibited from leaving early for the NFL, decide they’ll earn a paycheck in a league that doesn’t put those parameters on them. One player that immediately comes to mind is, Trevor Lawrence….

              1. Will be fascinating to see what the AAF brings in 2020 after a year’s experience. These aren’t rookie HCs and GMs running these squads. And Polian knows what he’s doing.

              8. Spurrier needs to challenge that TD!

                The replay official worked her way through the decision and ultimately made the right call! Fun to watch.

            2. Except it is more likely that some here will talk up a player more than any one of the critics are likely to push them.

      2. Seb

        Remember that the Ram’s SB was engineered by a guy who was stocking and bagging groceries…

        1. He also had Isaac Bruce to throw the ball to, and got the ball into Marshall Faulk’s hands.
          .
          I wonder why the Arena League has toiled in obscurity.
          .
          Who won the Grey Cup this year?
          .
          Those small market cities better have full stadiums. or it will end in a whimper.

    4. It’s an NFL product which is why we’ll see some games on NFL Network. Something like 90% of the players have spent time with NFL teams previously.

      Unfortunately former 49er Lawrence Okoye will not be able to make his debut tomorrow after getting busted on prostitution charges.

  30. Mike Lupati’s contract was voided. He’ 31, had injuries and is probably better suited for a power scheme. So, I’ve probably answered my own question. Still, he might not command more than $3 mil per year. I’m not sure if he could transition to a team that primarily runs outside zone scheme. Still, power running near the goal line is something to consider and Lupati might fill in well there. But probably a pass.

      1. The AAF wasn’t too shabby. The level of play kinda reminded me of watching the 49ers/Cardinals games from this season.

  32. The Fleet’s field goal kicker, Hageman looks like he’s got some leg to go with accuracy.

  33. agenda – smh – you cant even figure it out can you Grant…you might be a UCLA grad but you certainly don’t impress me in the last few months, you have become almost Ann Landers like. Criticizing is one thing constant hacking is overdoing it. Jack and SY I enjoy your comments for the most part and agree with some of them and I for one can appreciate criticism, imo its just going too far. Everyone in here understands your positions I see no need for the constant barrage of negative s–t.

      1. Grant, do not apologize. You are just doing your job, and doing it well.
        .
        The hypocrisy runs deep. They can slam you and be so negative, but heaven’s forbid that you have the teensiest bit of constructive criticism. Well, I come here for the truth, even if it hurts. I am tired of the rainbows and unicorns, the dross pablum bereft of content, the sickenly syrupy sweet Saccharine spam I find on other sites.
        .
        Compared to your father during the Glory Years, your writing is calm, logical and mild. Remember, during the Glory Years, Bill Walsh was winning SBs, and Lowell let him have it, with both barrels. I fully admit he made me grind my teeth, but I now realize those challenges were master strokes of motivation, daring Bill to prove him wrong.
        .
        They are whining that you are being mean to a 4-12 HC. Some would be calling for pitchforks and torches, but they expect the sheep to take it without a bleat. Personally, I am sick of the losing, and many decisions do not shine under the glare of hindsight. I consider a little constructive criticism a good tonic, instead of drinking the Koolaid. At 4-12, KS should expect to get fired, and the only reason he is not being fired is his 6 year contract. KS needs to work on his assessment skills, and especially his organizational skills, they are deficient.
        .
        I have expected some basic competence, but have had to endure poor game management, lack of focus and preparations, shooting themselves in the foot, red zone impotence, and backward clock management. I want to be proud of the team, but get hikes over the QB’s head on 4th down, and throwing the ball out of bounds on 4th down.
        .
        Maybe they should take Bill Walsh’s advice. Expect the slings and arrows, but ignore it. Never, ever, let them see you sweat. Even by acknowledging the criticism, they are being successfully trolled. Walsh lived in the era where 6 newspapers were the main media.- The Chron, Examiner, Tribune, Bee, Mercury, and PD. With the advent of the internet, and the proliferation of the blogs, there are dozens of media sites. Back then, there were giants of the industry like Herb Caen, and we were blessed by having fine sports writers like Ira Miller. Glenn Dickey, Lowell Cohn and Bob Padecky.
        .
        Walsh would never let a player on twitter, much less read a paper, but weak minded people let the criticisms get into their head, which should be the last thing they do. The best strategy would be to not acknowledge any criticism, but that is easier said than done. KS himself whines about how negative stories seem to upset his players. JG said it best when he declared that he generally stays off the media, and does not let the negative media influence him in any way.
        .
        So keep up the good work. I appreciate good writing, even if it is a little edgy, and come here for the comments, too. You are leading the way, identifying the salient areas of discussion. Ignore the whining from the peanut gallery, they are not worth a response. They should just grow a thicker skin, and try to keep up.
        .
        I am a die hard Faithful Niner fan. I will hope for the best, but expect the worst. However, like WC, i am losing my patience, and expect marked improvement. With smart management and innovative thinking, I think they can become relevant again.

        1. Just short of 600 words. C’mon Sebbie, you’re slipping.

          Don’t cry for us Sebbie-Ny-Na….

          1. I am truly amazed you can count that high.
            .
            Yup, weak minded whiny peanut gallery, with thin skin.
            .
            Sounds like Baalke lost his binky.

        2. …………”Sickenly serupy sweet sacharine……..!!!!!!!!!!

          Love it, Sebs! Helluva tongue twister!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          Now………..say “TOY BOATS” five times as fast as you can!!!

          (couldn’t do it, could ya!?!?!?!?!?)

      2. Are you sorry for your call to bring back Kaepernick? Gonna be tough to ever live that one down.

        1. Naw, he was just throwing me a cookie.
          .
          I know what he had written previously about Kaep.
          .
          Glad to hear you advocating for him to play, because you think he will be an utter failure. However, with the right supporting cast, he could take the league by storm, again.

  34. Hey Grant… Catch any part of the two AAF games last night? More today.

    Curious what your thoughts are concerning the concept behind the AAF.

    1. My question would be, how do you reconcile the NBA having lower TV ratings last night for its prime time game than a JV football league?

        2. Busting your chops because a while back you wrote about how the NBA was becoming more popular than the NFL.

          The benefit the AAF has is that the broadcasts look and feel just like an NFL game, and there’s a number of guys fans can recognize from NFL rosters.

          1. The NBA is popular, but the games are boring. People love the drama. “Do KD and Draymond like each other??” “What if KD and Kyrie team up on the Knicks???” The league is a lame reality show.

            I’ll watch some AAF today.

            1. Maybe boring to you, but I love the NBA, will watch about 60-70 Warrior games. and then the NBA playoffs of most series.

          2. The initial game of a new league has football junkies seeing if it is worth watching.
            .
            We are spoiled, looking for a 3pete with the Warriors.
            .
            Spring training is around the corner.
            .
            Once baseball starts, and the NBA playoffs begin, the JV football ratings will tank.
            .
            I will pass on this league, and expect it to not last more than a couple seasons. European football would intrigue me more.

      1. More games today so check one out.

        1) Ref uniforms suck.
        2) San Diego has a strong kicker (so it seems after one game); Atlanta’s QB earned a 116.6 QB rating.
        3) Bill Polian (co-founder) emphasized giving players reps–lots of reps. Reps for players who’ve been on the fringes of the NFL. Reps combined with decent coaching will improve player performance for some, and those some will find themselves in NFL camps where they can better compete. Strong on the player development side. Hines Ward is head of (player) development.
        4) Rule wrinkles are interesting–no kickoffs, etc. Watch a game to experience the nuances.
        5) Play was entertaining/creative. Clearly evident many players are going balls out.

        By the end of the third week’s games we should see a few players begin to separate themselves from the rest.

        The AAF–should it remain viable through 2020 (I suspect it will given it’s ‘affiliation’ with the NFL)–will demonstrate the imperative of sustaining a developmental league.

        1. I haven’t seen any of the games, but very much agree that having a league like the AAF is important to allow fringe NFL players to get playing time, experience and exposure. I wonder how long it will take for teams to start releasing players on their roster/ PS to go play in the league to gain experience?

      2. RB Ja’Quan Gardner (49ers training camp, 2018) ……..is going to be on a NFL team next season

  36. When I think of Wes Walker, I think of the Super Bowl game when Brady threw him the ball and he botched it up.

    1. I think short……… evasive, slippery, deceitful, shifty, crafty, cunning, tricky, sneaky, artful, sly, scheming….. WR…..

  41. Back to football.
    .
    Indulged in a little football watching, just to see what they are doing. 90% of the players may have had NFL experience, but I did not recognize a name. Only the coaches and announcers.
    .
    I could see why those players are not in the NFL. QBs with inaccurate arms, and players with drops. The defenses seems to be ahead of the offenses, but that is to expected. Offenses need time to get down their timing, and gel into a cohesive unit.
    .
    Whenever there was a shot of the stadium crowd, it looked kinda sparse. This may be a feeder system for the NFL, so they need to schedule games before Training Camp, not now. I was kinda reminded of the 4th quarter in a preseason game, so this initial game will probably be my last. I wish them luck, but think football is becoming over saturated.

  43. Gonna take a Sentimental Journey. Gonna set my heart at ease. Gonna make a Sentimental Journey. To renew old memories.

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