49ers make cuts, then lose starting running back Jerick McKinnon to ACL tear

San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon (28) runs between Dallas Cowboys defensive end Tyrone Crawford (98) and cornerback Byron Jones (31) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Jerick McKinnon, the 49ers’ starting running back, tore his right ACL Saturday and will miss the entire season.

Three hours before head coach Kyle Shanahan got the news about McKinnon, Shanahan was already fearing the worst.

“I’m not trying to make it the darkest moment in the world right now,” he said on a conference call with Bay Area reporters. “We hope we’re wrong.”

They weren’t.

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This article has 131 Comments

  1. It really sucks to lose McKinnon. With him on the field it really opens up what the offense can do. Hopefully Breida can develop into more of a pass catcher out of the backfield. Morris will probably start and it was very fortunate that he was available. Otherwise, we could have been looking at a disaster. I’m guessing that the projection for wins is trending south.

  2. Do they bring Williams or McNichols back . They need to have someone who can play at least on the practice squad. Right now they are very thin at RB. Williams was knocked out more by injury than anything else.

    This injury is very similar to the one that knocked out Crabs in 2013. A non contact injury in practice making a cut. It threw the teams Wr corps into a tizzy. At least this team has backups which the 2013 team never arranged for.

  3. This is just an unlucky break as without a strong running game Shanahan’s offense is limited. Just ask his father Mike. Their offense is predicated on “wearing out the defense”. The defense has not improved this year and no impact players were drafted. The changes at RB, RT and C are now a wash at best. Still expect a fun season but agree with Grant that this is a 7 win team.

    1. The defense has improved dramatically with Day and Jones as well as in the secondary…a possible option is using James in that position on occasion. He was a QB in high school and gained 564 yards on 61 carries in college averaging 9.1 yards per carry with 5 rushing TDs. Add that to his 243 receptions for 3249 yards and 23 receiving TDs and he may become our Swiss Army Knife…

  4. Day and Jones and both situational players who were with the team and contributing last year. Agreed the team will get a continued boost from Shanahan’s offensive genius and playing another year together in the system. Downside is the surprise factor is now gone and defenses will be prepared. There is nothing wrong with being close to 500 with a rebuilding team!

  5. The Jet has been grounded, but the pilot has enough runway to get this offense in the air. Fasten you seatbelts, because there will be some turbulence. Go Niners!

  6. This really shouldn’t be that huge of a loss and if it is then the team wasn’t very good to begin with.

    1. It is a big loss because a pass catching RB is a core piece of this system. They still have guys who can run the ball but no receiving option on par with McKinnon. They’ll still be a pretty good offense but this limits the ceiling on what they ultimately could have been.

      1. Breida and Morris can catch, but they don’t present the match-up problem that Jerrick would’ve to LBs, nor the run after catch Home Run threat. Despite the Pooh-poohing here as to McK’s running ability, having him as a run pass option without tipping the hand would’ve been useful. If Mostert comes in, the D has a clue what’s coming, as they will in 4WR sets.
        If Alf and Breida can be nominally productive running, Kyle will still have his shot plays available and manageable 3rd Downs.
        Disaster? No. Need to adjust the tactical plan? Yes.
        “The first casualty in battle is The Battle Plan.”

      2. Wasn’t Juice supposed to be the offensive weapon?

        I get that it limits options but I fail to see how he was really going to be th impact player everyone thought he would be.

  7. If this was Garoppolo , Staley , Buckner then you have a problem , RBs are disposable, don’t understand why they gave him so much $ , they bid again themselves

    1. No, Jet had other offers, and took less to come to the Niners.
      .
      One cannot predict injuries, and football is a game of attrition.
      .
      I listened to Mike Lombardi on the KNBR Podcast, and he stated that Tom Brady would not tolerate a RB who could not or would not block for him. TB would send him off the field. Steve Young should have done that to Lawrence Phillips.
      .
      Who in the league has a reputation for being a good blocking RB? Frank Gore.
      .
      The Niners should contact the Dolphins and offer an expendable Niner player to them, that would fill a big need, for Frank Gore. I am not advocating giving up 2 firsts for him. Maybe a 4th or 5th round pick. I am confident that Frank Gore would be able to protect JG. With Kenyan Drake and Senorise Perry, the Dolphins may feel they can move on from Frank Gore.
      .
      Personally, I like 14,000 yard running backs, and this way, Frank Gore can play for the team he loves. Eventually, he could retire as a Niner.
      .
      It was one of the worst thing Baalke ever did, throwing away Frank Gore like a piece of trash. He did not even officially offer him a contract. Ballke refused to retain veteran leadership, and we all saw how that turned out.

  8. I dont understand why people are factoring his salary into this. The Niners have tons of cap space so this should be only be about the impact McKinnon would have on the offense. I believe not having the weapon out of the backfield that was Shana-hand picked, is definitely going to hurt us.
    Is our season over because we lost one player? No.
    Is it the biggest loss we could sustain ? No. It is a bit of a setback scheme wise. But hey this is the NFL, Next man up.

    1. Agreed Electric Eells, McKinnon’s contract was a moot point this season as the team had money to burn, and is still well below the cap. ShanaLynch could afford to outbid the competition for the one RB they felt could take this offense to the next level.

      What a shame we won’t get to see it this season, and who knows, we may never see the Jerick McKinnon we thought we would see this season.

      1. I sure hope this doesnt end the kids career. I definitely want to see the fireworks he can bring to this offense next year

  9. My dang auto draft picked up McKinnon, anyone think Mostert is worth a stash? Who else is going to catch out of the backfield?

    1. No on Mostert. The answer to your second question depends on who is still available in your fantasy league.

      1. Its 12 team non-PPR, so there’s very slim pickings. I meant who will catch passes out our backfield, since Shanny loves throwing to RBs.

        I’m probably going to have to work a trade.

  10. I like the idea of possibly bringing back Joe Williams if he is still available.
    He was hand-picked by Shanahan as a RB who could be a “fit” for the offense.

    I’m sure that there will be some RB’s who have been cut to choose from if the Org is leaning this way, but I’d feel better if they went with Williams or McNichols as a second choice.

  11. To bad for the kid. Recently (last year) had a college soccer playing daughter do the same thing, tearing her ACL making a cut in practice with nobody around her. The rehab is extremely difficult, though he’ll get the best of care and attention and probably come back stronger. They don’t fillet you open anymore, rather doing it arthroscopicly in most cases (My daughter had one of the Warriors team orthos) so the post op pain is much less. Still a pain staking process! Best of luck to him. See ya next year Jerick. Stay strong!
    As Seb said, “Next man up”!

  12. Waiver claims should start showing up today. I’m not expecting that there will be wholesale changes to the roster from waived or released players.

  13. I wonder if they even replace McKinnon with another RB. Niners opened up last season with only three RB’s, Hyde, Breida, and Mostert. Now they have Morris, Breida and Mostert.

    1. — they certainly won’t replace McKinnon with Frank Gore…no matter what “the Legend” says…
      — actually, McKinnon had yet to prove he could be productive in the stretch run game…didn’t see much evidence of this is preseason…OL issues notwithstanding…
      -IF- Morris and Breida can produce good YPC averages thru a productive IZ and OZ run game– keeping drives going and making the play action threat a real concern for DC’s…then we’ll all be a lot less concerned with what McKinnon might have done for the O…
      — and maybe…just maybe…Joe Williams clears waivers and re-joins the team with a new mindset after getting the “message” after being cut…

      1. tjf, what did McKinnon play, 2 series this entire preseason?

        Kyle aggressively pursued McKinnon because he felt he was a perfect fit, both as a runner in this outside zone scheme, and a pass catching halfback, who runs routes and catches the football like a WR. He was a guy Kyle was hoping could take his offense to the next level.

        That’s gone now. Up in smoke a mere 8 days prior to the season opener.

        Sure, we don’t know for certain if McKinnon really was the guy to take Kyle’s offense to the next level, but I can assure you, Kyle thought he was. And Kyle has been meticulously game planning for Minnesota, and at least the early portion of their schedule, with that trick in his back pocket. And now, poof, all of those schemes just went out the window, a week before they start the season, on the road, in Minnesota of all places.

        I think this injury is a killer for the early portion of the schedule, which means the Niners probably dig themselves a hole they can’t climb out of. And that’s the problem. It’s a huge blow short term, for what was already a tough early road to hoe.

        I hope I’m wrong, we’ll see!

  14. Coffee pointed out that losing McKinnon wasn’t as big a deal as others are making and if it was then the team really is not very good.

    I think this is insightful as the team isn’t really capable of mounting great offensive production without some key pieces. McKinnon clearly was supposed to be one of them.

    Personally, I thought they reached. Will Morris be effective? Who knows? I do know Hyde was, even with a cruddy line.

    As for pass rush, it is an Achilles heal and was inadequately addressed. I think the team and fans will pay for this shortsightedness.

      1. They didn’t just ignore it, they released two pass rushers – Pita and Jerry. While these guys may not be that good at least they provided some depth. As it stands now, the pass rush is not only poor but thin. If they don’t sign some new players, then it would seem that the strategy is to try tackles at the position and probably Dekoda Watson. Sounds like a shot in the dark to me. Hopefully, they have a plan. I think Elvis’ retirement ended the only contingency plan they made, though.

        1. Great points Cubus. I think this is what Grant should be talking about. Wasnt Pita in contention for Harold’s old spot as well. Honestly not sure what FO is thinking here. Are they setting up for some kind of trade? They have to do something

        2. The QB sacks will need to come different D alignments/packages and other players not labeled Edge Rushers.

          I saw a nice pass rush in preseason. Our D was getting pressure on the QB’s but were either a tick late or were not able to finish a QB tackle.

          Our defense is young and getting better. I believe that we’ll a good improvement from last year.
          Yes, we could use a great Edge Rusher, but he will come next year.

          As a team sport every player will need to play at a high level for the team to win. Like one great head coach put it: “just do your job.”
          Btw, Belichick has built a perennial winner with virtually no-name players except for Brady.

          1. Sounds a lot like the plums from the beginning of the year of having to be pretty good to beat Marsh. That was a huge laugh then and now I think the team is in poor position to generate pass rush with the same personnel (save last year’s sack leader).

            1. EC9,
              Our biggest issue on defense over the last couple of years was stopping the run.
              There was improvement in that area last year and believe we’ll see more this season.

              Everyone seems to believe an Edge Rusher (ER) will make us better and yes, I agree, but it takes
              great play for the entire from Dline
              to win consistently.

              Aldon Smith would never have been as effective in his rookie year without the great play of Justin Smith.

              Also, are we placing too much hope on an ER?
              I know age has something to do with this, but I can’t remember which Patriots defensive player has been a great pass rusher.

              1. Stopping he run and stopping the pass has been a problem for the team. You can force the opponent to third and long with decent run protection, but if you can’t force them off the field, what good does that do? A decent Edge Rusher is necessary. We don’t even have that.

                When we can have coaching, quarterbacking as good as NE then, yes, your point will be valid, until then…

                And yes, AS needed Cowboy, but you’re telling me you wouldn’t want AS in his prime? Minus the head case and addictive personality, of course.

      2. As good as Pettis may be, he is a luxury pick on a team that cannot afford luxuries. That pick could have been used for an immediate impact player. Trading T. Brown may also have been a misstep.

  15. Anyone who thinks this isn’t a devastating blow, especially considering the timing, well, then they don’t understand why the ShanaLynch courted Jerick and paid him so much money in the first place.

    He’s a quintessential dual threat HALFBACK, which Kyle has been seeking to take his offense to the next level. Having a great dual threat FULLBACK is not the same thing. While Kyle’s playbook is extensive, Kyle has geared his playbook with the idea of having McKinnon, a halfback, available early this season. McKinnon is a halfback who runs routes and catches the football like a WR. Richie James is simply too small to fill that role. Morris just joined the team, and has never been much in terms of a favorable matchup in the passing game. Breida is nowhere near the same caliber receiver, and Mostert is severely limited as both a runner and receiver.
    .
    Kyle will adjust, but he’s just lost his best offensive chess piece, and a big chunk of the plays the team has been practicing this offseason. While I expect Kyle and Jimmy will have this offense humming along at some point in this season, it’s going to make the early portion of the 49ers schedule that much harder. And it was already brutal. How many teams make the playoffs starting the season with a 1-5 record?

    I know this: The Vikings game is going to set the stage for the first half of the season. Good luck with that game now.

    SF: 16
    Minnesota: 34

    1. I’ll say this:

      If Kyle’s able to rally this team, and keep this team afloat during the first half of this season, despite the brutal strength of their schedule combined with the loss of his starting dual-threat tailback whom he aggressively pursued this offseason (a mere 8 days before the season opener), well then, he really is a genius, and Jimmy G really is a top 5 QB. Especially when you factor in the huge question mark in terms of defensive pass rush, and young, unproven secondary.

      We’ll see.

      I think the world of Kyle as an OC and HC, but this injury, combined with this being only the second season of a complete roster overhaul (aka rebuild), and a brutal early schedule, makes asking for a winning record in 2018, probably too much to ask for.

      Just saying! Maybe they will prove me wrong. Thank goodness Morris was still available as late in the offseason as he was. Let’s hope he can stay healthy, because they lose him or Breida and, well ………

    2. Yes the offense is based off having dual threat running backs. The problem is so far McKinnon has only proven to be a good receiver. The past 2 seasons, when on a good team he couldn’t eclipse 4 yards a carry so why is he a dual threat?
      Yes the team loses something in the pass game without him, but they also gain something in the running game. It’s less like we lost Todd Gurley and more like we’ve lost Duke Johnson.

      1. You keep going back to that like your bread and butter when it is full of flaws Shoup. Let’s start with the fact that McKinnon transitioned from college QB to NFL RB.
        Next, let’s go to the fact that (sans 2015) McKinnon has managed to rush for more than 500 yards three times despite that transition and never being higher than two in the RB pecking order with the Vikings.
        You also keep going back to McKinnon being more of a WR than a RB, but his stats fail to match your assessment since receiving numbers only steadily climbed in his first three seasons before jumping by close to 200 yards in 2017. In total, McKinnon has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards while catching for close to 1,000 yards whilst not being g the go-to guy during his time with the Vikings. That is impressive and an excellent example of a dual threat looking to break out.
        Finally, I will leave a link to Zimmer’s thoughts on the 49ers signing of McKinnon.
        https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Minnesota-Vikings-coach-Mike-Zimmer-Jerick-McKinnon-worth-it-for-49ers-116812178/

        1. Ok lets unpack this a little bit.
          “Let’s start with the fact that McKinnon transitioned from college QB to NFL RB.”
          Yes, he was a college qb who had 66 passing attempts and 430 rushing attempts and now that he has been a running back in the league for 4 years, that transition holds no weight for me.

          McKinnon has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards while catching for close to 1,000 yards whilst not being the go-to guy during his time with the Vikings”

          Yeah that’s true, he has done that over 4 years as a running back in the NFL.
          However, its also true he didn’t improve as a runner and that, the more carries he was given the less efficient he was a runner. Additionally, while he wasn’t the “go-to-guy”, it must be noted that when the viking’s starting running back went down last season, his rushing totals did increase significantly but it was Latavious Murray who took over as the primary runner not Jerrick.

          That is why I keep saying not to panic about the loss of McKinnon. There are strengths and weaknesses to his game.

          1. However, its also true he didn’t improve as a runner and that, the more carries he was given the less efficient he was a runner. Additionally, while he wasn’t the “go-to-guy”, it must be noted that when the viking’s starting running back went down last season, his rushing totals did increase significantly but it was Latavious Murray who took over as the primary runner not Jerrick.

            Where do I even start? First, he did improve in the rung game because Zimmer said this in the article:

            He became a much better runner last year. I think [running backs coach] Kennedy Polamalu did a really good job with him. He hit the hole much better last year and accelerated out.
            Second, of course Murray took over as the primary runner. He did have more starting experience (which is why he was handed a three year $15 million contract) and had recovered from his ankle surgery.
            However, none of this matters because the fact is that McKinnon was in high demand in free agency, which means several teams saw him as a potential dual-threat starter because his numbers showed production in both facets of offense.

      2. This is something that has perplexed a bunch of us for some time. How did the team properly evaluate this guy. Lots of people thought he would put up impressive numbers but there was no reason to think this was the case (save Garoppolo or Shanahan) but I think this is over inflated expectations.

        Williams was such a severe disappointment that he was cut one year after trading up for him and CJB doesn’t look better than some other backups. Evaluation of personnel is still somewhat suspect.

        1. How did the team properly evaluate this guy.

          Look at his stats; it’s not exactly rocket science.

          1. He has a very poor yards per average on a very good Vikings team. Those stats do not purport to give you the information you think they do Mid.

              1. Oh my, you mean he was a backup? Glad we gave him starter money! Lol. There were plenty of backups that had better per average rush than him.

              2. When you have to revamp 80% of your roster, you are going to overrate some players.
                I think Shanny amd Lynch have done a pretty good job making this team able to compete this year. Would you disagree?

              3. Prime,

                I think they have done an okay job. The fact is this team would be pretty bad if it wasn’t for the Garoppolo windfall.

                I do think they evaluate hands talent pretty well. Not sure about OL, DL though and that is fundamental.

              4. I agree East that the draft and some free agent signings have not been great. But looking back, it was always a 3-5 year rebuild before we even thought about the playoffs.
                I think everyone thought that once Jimmy G got here, that rebuild plan got minimized to 1.
                I still think we are 2 drafts away from winning the division.

              5. What I am concerned is the evaluation of talent is not putting the team in the position to do what you and I both want. I think we may be more than 1-2 years away. The FO seems to waste some good opportunities. I do hope I’m wrong though.

              6. The fact is this team would be pretty bad if it wasn’t for the Garoppolo windfall.

                I think it’s much better than the 2017 season opening team. All those rookies who contributed last year, they have another year of maturity under their belt. Several squads are improved from last season – WR, OL, secondary. KS is adjusting as the HC. Even without Garropolo last year’s team was in nearly every game. This years team, even with Hoyer and Beathard as QBs, I think they would have taken last year’s infamously close games.

              7. So, I think I’ve addressed the shortcomings before but not addressing the Edge Rusher for the last two years is certainly one. The OL wasn’t adequately addressed last year and this year the crew is arguably not as good as last year. I will say that Kittle and Taylor turned out to be pretty good pickups and the WR group is substantially better. Moving up and trading away picks (when you have so many holes) for certain players was not a great idea.

                Prime, I don’t think that forgoing in Mack was a bad choice. But I don’t think paying what we did to certain players who are here (Juice and McKinnon) or gone (Attaochu and others) was good either because the team lost opportunities to get or prepare young talent.

              8. Oh my, you mean he was a backup? Glad we gave him starter money! Lol. There were plenty of backups that had better per average rush than him.

                You aren’t even making an effort here East. For his career, McKinnon has averaged four yards per carry, and he averaged 3.8 yards per carry on 150 rushing attempts in 2017, with his attempt total ranking 30th in the league. Add on another 50-100 rushing attempts and then call me if his yards per carry remains the same. But until that happens, harping on this stat is nothing but a poor excuse for fans that did not like the signing of McKinnon to justify their reasoning.

  16. Not to be too repetitive, but I’d still be searching for a veteran backup QB for this team. To rely on CJ to carry the team in the unfortunate circumstance of a JG major injury is foolish in mho.

    1. 4 QBs the Niners should evaluate are-
      Joe Webb- Niners practiced and played against him in the preseason.
      Kevin Hogan- Smart Stanford grad who is mobile.
      Joe Callahan- Small college QB who is some what accurate.
      JT Barrett- Good instincts and played at a high level in college. May not be as accurate as I want, but he can pressure the defense with his speed and mobility.
      .
      While I admire CJB’s toughness and tenacity, he is just not accurate enough. He also holds onto the ball too long and takes sledgehammer blows.

  17. I know we’re all focused on the 17 weeks, but looking ahead to next offseason, this injury really concerns me. McKinnon looks quite fragile but we still go into next offseason with no aim to sign a big free agent RB or go after a big name draft pick (i.e. Love) because of this signing. $3.7 million guarantees for 2019 in April 2019, and who knows if the FO can even decline due to the injury.

  18. Feel bad for McKinnon. 27 year old running backs coming off ACL tears don’t have much of a market and his contract makes him a potential cut going into next season if he’s not back to where he was prior.

    As for the effect on the team, they now find themselves in just about the same situation as they were last season. Offense moved the ball well with Garoppolo under center last season and the running backs were not a featured part of the passing game.

    Think Morris is the best RB for this offense anyway so could still see an improvement in the running game which in turn will help bleed clock and reduce possessions against this defense.

    My take on the early season schedule has always been that if the can go 3-5/4-4 they should get to 8-10 wins. Thinking they’d be a playoff team this year has always come with the caveat that everything would have to break right for them.

    1. Jack, Hammer,

      what does it say, if anything, about Kyle and John if you’re correct that Alfred Morris, who was available as a FA as late as 8/13/2018, and signed for $790,000 for 2018, is a better RB for this offense than Jerick McKinnon, whom the team pursued aggressively during the offseason and signed in March, for a whopping $11,700,000 for 2018?

      Just curious?

      Also, any thoughts on Kyle & John ending up with 0 (Zero, Zilch, Nada) successful waiver claims today?

      1. “what does it say, if anything, about Kyle and John if you’re correct”

        I think the jury should definitely still be out on both of them. They’ve done some good things in the draft, but FA hasn’t been very productive. Their biggest win so far was being gifted Garoppolo last season because the Patriots wanted him out of the AFC and there really wasn’t anyone else in the NFC looking for a solution at QB at the time.

        As for no waiver claims. If you need to pick someone else’s scraps at this point it shows that you didn’t do a very good job up front.

        1. True dat and the team still has plenty of challenges besides injuries (penalties, dropsies).

  19. KS has a great reputation for creativity. He has good to very good receivers and a solid RB in Morris. So we have a few more WRs in the field than we normally would- we’ll be ok! Come on Kyle, come up with something exciting! The darn line better be great in pass protection though…

  20. Yea your right b4 it’s slim pickins when I looked at the available free agent list in the off season and before camp. Let’s wait and see who’s released and available after roster cuts, and I’ll give you my best suggestion. What I do know is you need experience to succeed in this league consistently. CJ certainly doesn’t have much, and even JG doesn’t, though he was able to sit and watch and learn from one of the greatest of all tinme combined with his own very good talent. The drop off between JG and CJ is dramatic.

  21. I’m also not saying th demote CJ before he’s even had a chance, rather I’m saying bring somebody with experience in as insurance just in case he doesn’t work out. Their going to have to anyway, right? If JG gets hurt, CJ gets to step up and you need someone to back him up. I think going in to the season with only two QB’s on the roster in itself is foolish. Get someone in now! If they wait until a JG injury mid season, who’s gonna be left then? JMHO

  22. After looking at the first 4 picks on the practice squad being line men (O/D) I wonder if there isn’t an issue on the O line more so than what we think there is. AS far as running backs one would of though the first PC players would have been a RB.
    Comment on not signing Mack. Granted he was a great edge rusher but even with that Oakland wasn’t in the playoffs, it still takes a team of 11 men (O/D) playing together in order to win consistency. Since I live in the Chicago area and being ” punished ” having to put up with the Bears, Cubs and Bulls hype All Losers most years I still like Ninners chances of making the playoffs better than the Bears, other than a running back we still have a far better O than the bears do.

    I’m glad that Lynch didn’t give up the farm for one D player like the Bears did.

    1. Defense wins championships. Mack was the best player on the Raiders.
      .
      Fangio is salivating, just thinking of the ways of building a defense around Mack, the Bear’s best player.
      .
      I agree. for a rebuilding team, first round picks are precious as gold bars. Bears did not overpay, they are shooting for the moon. It is a gamble, and the meeting with the Niners gained importance. I was counting on a Bear loss to get the Niners to 9-7. The Bears with Mack make that game a toss up. Niners could very easily go 8-8, because of this schedule.

      1. Also, Bears can afford Mack because Trubisky is under a rookie contract. Maybe the Bears can reach high in the playoffs. Then their first just becomes as valuable as a high second. Maybe they are betting on the Raiders tanking, so that Raider second can be used to leapfrog back into the first round. Bears are taking a huge risk, but if Mack can help them get back into the playoffs, it will pay off. Sounds like they are doing everything in their power to win. Glad the Niners are doing the same thing with Lynch being prudent in his negotiations.

    1. I had my breakfast long ago. I will stop in at various times because these last roster moves are intriguing to me. It is almost like a 32 team checkers match. Lots of hopping.

    2. I like watching sundown from my front poach
      Poaching is illegal. Since when is signing a udfa or making a waiver claim ‘poaching’?

  23. BT, it is an alliterative simile. A comparison. I did not know this is a court of law and I am compelled to be precise.
    .
    I will claim first amendment, just stating an opinion.

    1. I did not know this is a court of law and I am compelled to be precise.

      Sez the guy who’s the blog grammar nazi.

      1. Rib, you of all posters should not be throwing around that epithet. There are enough real ones at large.
        .
        Call me grammarian, librarian, word smith or verbose, please. Not that.

  24. I come from a long line of poachers. My great great grandfather was a poacher, my great grandfather was a poacher, by grandfather was a poacher, and my father was a poacher. I was born to poach! Luckily I raise my own chickens.

    1. Dang. Seahawks just poached Joe Williams and Tarvarus Mcfadden. I do not suppose they will divulge any intel, especially locker room dynamics.
      .
      Don’t the Niners play them twice, this season?

    1. Interesting story regarding Golditch…

      “One of the young offensive linemen trying to stick with the Chargers is Zack Golditch, who played at Colorado State. Golditch was in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater at 12:30 a.m. on July 20, 2012 for a midnight showing of “The Dark Night Rises” when a gunman opened fire in the auditorium next door, where the same movie was playing.”

      More…
      https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/25/zack-golditch-survived-aurora-shooting-nfl-draft-prospect

  25. Damn, Jimmy was trying to keep the boxers, not brief decision under wraps. That could weigh significantly in the two matchups. I think all players should have to sign a NDA. ;-)

  26. The other day, KS was talking about all of the tough cuts the Niners would be making and he was anxious to see how many of the released players would be claimed by other clubs.

    Well, as of noon today (Sunday), NONE, NADA, ZIP……several clubs had 3 or 4 players claimed, but the week still is young.

    on the other hand, I am shocked the Niners did not put in a claim for a pass rusher.

    Seahawks picked up one.

  27. They should either bring back Williams (higher ceiling than McNichols) or sign Mike Gilislee, who is now in New Orleans talking deal.

    1. If Joe Williams was truly making the progress Shanahan said he was making earlier in the off-season they should bring him back if he’s willing.

      I’m doubting they will. Shanahan’s had a long close up look at Williams’ motivation, durability, ability to function within the system.

  28. Don’t forget Bartkowski Seb. He was one of my close childhood friends teammate and friend at Cal. I’ve drank beers with Steve! Great guy and a pretty darn good QB!

      1. Just looked him up. Did not know he was a 2 time pro bowler, and had an 11 year career. He was the first client of Leigh Steinberg. I will include him with Rodgers and Goff.

        1. Your snotty remark aside, he was a somewhat successful Cal QB. That was the point.

          Seems you forgot he spent the last few years of his career in a positive way with Denver. Let me guess, you hate Broncos too…

          Jumping for joy Sebbie?

          1. Looking up his stats, yes, he did play for the Broncos. I kinda like the Broncos because they are division rivals with the Raiders, and i applaud every time the Broncos defeat them.
            .
            ‘Snotty remarks’? I was being kind. I did not state he sucked.
            .
            Cassie, you need to get thicker skin, if that is possible.
            .
            Morton had 183 TD passes, but 187 interceptions. He had a 5-5 playoff record. That is pretty mediocre to me. He also had 9 playoff TD passes, but 16 playoff interceptions, so that is less than mediocre in games that mean much more.

  29. Seb, I believe he led the Falcons to the playoffs in the early ‘80s for probably the first time I’m sure! I just did the same thing Seb! Some interesting stats’s and side notes.
    On another side note, when I was in high school (70-74) and just after, we used to go to the Camel GT car races at Laguna Seca every May and October. One year my friend showed up with Bartkowski. We camped overnight for the Sunday final races. It was a real s**t show with about 15 guys! Bartkowski showed up in overalls and a straw hat and partied like a drunk sailor! He never acted like a big shot and was actually very humble. Not long after that he would be drafted No. 1 I believe! Pretty funny stuff thinking back!

    1. That’s a pretty funny story about Bartkowski. Kinda reminds me a bit of one regarding Jeff Garcia. On the eve of 49ers training camp his first season he decided to go to his hometown Gilroy Garlic Festival. Problem is, instead of just paying his way in he and some buddies decided it would be better to sneak in by hopping a fence. Was a good idea until he sliced his hand on the fence. As a result of the gash he ended up needing to wear a glove on the hand through camp and preseason.

    2. Nice story.
      .
      One year I went with my father in law to Laguna Seca. He positioned himself at the bottom of the hill near a sharp turn. There was some mangled metal and flying rubber! They sure were exciting. Glad there were no serious injuries.
      .
      I went once, and that was enough. I am not a gear head, and it was just too noisy. If I wanted to ring my ears, I just went to a Grateful Dead head concert.

  30. I’m glad Mullen’s made the PS. He impressed me with his accuracy and athleticism. He’ll do a good job of duplicating our opponents QB. I thought he showed better than Beathard in PS but he was playing with and against mostly scrubs so it’s tough to measure. Either is ready for prime time unfortunately. I like Beathard’s toughness. Who wouldn’t? But his skill set is limited.

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