As we begin to rev up the engine for training camp, here’s some food for thought: A tentative depth chart. This is how I think the roster stands as of today. OFFENSE: LWR: Randy Moss, Kyle Williams, A.J. Jenkins Analysis: Moss starts at split end. Kyle Williams backs him up and backs up Crabtree in the slot, but mostly plays as the second slot receiver in four-wide receiver formations. A.J….
I was reading a Greg Cosell article this morning called “The Evolving Chess Match” and I found it interesting, so I’m passing it along to you. Here’s the key excerpt from the article: “There are always exceptions, but defensively, if you expect to beat the top passing games, you must be able to stop shotgun offenses with five receivers than can align at any position. That’s the next frontier.” The…
Who are the top-five athletes on the 49ers? This is an interesting question – people ask me all the time who is the Niners best athlete. My answer is a little subjective because we don’t have access to the data the team has. These are my sideline impressions from hours and hours watching the team. I base my rankings on speed, quickness, strength and endurance. Patrick Willis – One of…
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly ruled in favor of the 49ers on Tuesday to put a temporary restraining order on the disputed $30 million which the Santa Clara County Oversight Board is denying the team. The 49ers insist they’re entitled to the money because Santa Clara voters specifically earmarked the money for the stadium project. Judge Connelly said the 49ers have “a powerful argument, and one that might prevail.”…
We often talk about the same few guys around here – Jim Harbaugh, Trent Baalke, the Smiths. But for the most part, the entire organization is thriving, and many 49ers don’t get the credit they deserve. So let’s address that. Here are five unsung heroes. Joe Staley – He struggled at the beginning of last season, but so did the entire 49ers offensive line. They didn’t have an offseason, so…
In the wake of Aldon Smith’s stabbing – and the frightening possibility they might have lost him, it appears they didn’t – let’s rank the players the 49ers can least afford to lose for next season’s Super Bowl run. This list is highly subjective. I’m open to your ideas. It’s hard to quantify value. Aldon Smith –I recently ranked him as the Niners’ third-best player behind Justin Smith and Patrick…
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayarea.com and Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee are tweeting that Aldon Smith was stabbed at a party Saturday morning. Barrows tweeted two people were shot and one was stabbed, and Smith’s injury is not believed to be serious. I will give you more details as they are forthcoming. Here’s a statement from Trent Baalke: “The San Francisco 49ers are aware that Aldon Smith incurred minor injuries…
The 49ers just released this statement saying they are suing the Santa Clara County Oversight Board for $30 million. (SANTA CLARA, Calif.) – The San Francisco 49ers filed a lawsuit yesterday to prevent a Santa Clara County Oversight Board from reneging on the commitment to fund $30 million for the new NFL stadium under construction in Santa Clara. The investment of RDA funds for the project was approved by the Santa Clara…
This is the final quintile of the Niners 25 best players. To read the previous quintile, click here. 21. Bruce Miller, FB – a Pro Bowl alternate in 2011, his rookie season. A very good blocker and a surprisingly good receiver for a fullback. 22. C.J. Spillman, ST – Led the team with 19 special teams tackles in 2011 (tied for fourth most in the NFL). Perhaps the best gunner…
This is the fourth edition of my series ranking the Niners 25 best players. To read the previous edition, click here. 16. Chris Culliver, CB – Targeted 50 times in 2011 and allowed just 4.9 yards per pass, fourth best of all cornerbacks in the NFL (Carlos Rogers allowed 6.5 yards per pass – 19th best). Culliver played left cornerback in the Niners nickel defense, which is a tougher job…
Some of you may be wondering why I did not rank Alex Smith in the top 15 of all the current Niners despite naming him the team MVP last season. There’s a difference between value and best. Smith plays the most important position on the team, and last year his backups were two rookies. If he got hurt, it’s reasonable to wonder if the Niners could have made the playoffs…
This is the third installment of my series on the Niners best players. To read the first two installments, click here and here. Today I’m ranking the 11th through the 15th best players on the roster. I’m eager to read your lists. 11. Ted Ginn Jr., PR. – Averaged the 2nd most yards per punt return in the NFL last season (12.3) of all players with more than 25 returns….
I’m following up on a blog I previously posted about Santa Clara County withholding $30 million from the 49ers stadium project. The San Jose Mercury News, which is doing a very good job on this subject, followed up with its own article indicating the entire funding for the Niners project may be at issue. Here’s what the article says: “While the money is a tiny fraction of what’s needed for…
Let’s rank the Niners best players. Since we’re killing time before training camp, this is the kind of mind doodling we do. I already wrote a blog on the top five Niners. I ranked them like this: 1. Justin Smith 2. Patrick Willis 3. Aldon Smith 4. Vernon Davis 5. NaVorro Bowman. In a way the next five are more interesting than the top five because they’re less obvious. You…
This interesting article appeared this morning in the San Jose Mercury News. There is a dispute about Redevelopment Agency funding for the 49ers projected stadium. Santa Clara County officials have taken away $30 million from the 49ers stadium project. It was earmarked for little televisions on the back of the seats, but now it’s going to schools, among other things. The 49ers were counting on redevelopment funds, but in December…
Jed York, the young CEO of the 49ers, got off to a rocky start when he took over control of the team in 2008. Right off the bat, he made a two-part mistake. He hired the wrong head coach – Mike Singletary. He rushed to hire him. As you may recall, York signed Singletary to a four-year contract extension after the Niners came back to beat the Redskins 27-24 on…
Here is a list of every player Trent Baalke has acquired since he became the Niners general manager in 2010. I categorized the players by offense, defense and special teams. Is there a pattern in how he acquires players? OFFENSE Mike Iupati – 17th pick in the first round of the 2010 draft. Pro Bowl alternate in 2011. Randy Moss – signed in 2012 to a one-year, $2.5 million contract….
Some readers have expressed concern regarding my minicamp analysis of Niners rookie wide receiver, A.J. Jenkins. I called him the biggest letdown of minicamp and one of the worst wide receivers on the field for those three days. Some readers said those statements were hyperbolic and lacked evidence. Below are my unofficial stats from last week’s minicamp. Hopefully, they clear up my statements from my minicamp review. Keep in mind…
What makes Jim Harbaugh so good? Two things jump out right away – preparation and assistant-coach selection. Last season, the Niners were arguably the most prepared team in the NFL after the lockout. Harbaugh willed his team into shape in a way no other coach could. It was a remarkable feat and he was certainly worthy of the Coach of the Year award. Harbaugh also thrived thanks to a good…
Here’s my minicamp review. Keep in mind, it was a non-contact minicamp. No pads, no tackling. It was basically two-hand touch. So I’m focusing on the players involved in the passing game – quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, cornerbacks and safeties. BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYERS Vernon Davis: He got open almost every time in one-on-one drills. He caught a few touchdowns every scrimmage. After he scored I often heard defenders say…
