Ohio St. hires former 49ers DB coach Jeff Hafley

Posted By on January 7, 2019

San Francisco 49ers Jeff Hafley during an NFL football game against the, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Former 49ers defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley will leave the team to join Ohio State as their co-defensive coordinator, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Hafley will work under Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, who was the 49ers quarterbacks coach in 2016. Day and Hafley both worked for the 49ers that season. They know each other.

Hafley was one of the worst position coaches on the team. During his three seasons with the 49ers, none of their young defensive backs ever improved. The 49ers are better off without Hafley.

This article has 552 Comments

  1. Well finally….a definitive take on a 9er (now ex-9er) position coach. Good.

    How about takes on the 9er offensive and defensive line coaches?

    Thanks in advance. Not holding my breath.

  4. “Day and Hafley both worked for the 49ers that season.”

    Now if they can get Jim O’Neill…

    Haskins declares too. Harbaugh having a good day.

    1. « Harbaugh having a good day. »

      His D-line coach is the guy who will be Co-coordinator with Hafley next season.

      1. Haskins declares. Good for Jim.
        Hafley to OSU. Good for Jim.
        Mattison to OSU. Not good for Jim.

        2 good, 1 not good. Haskins leaving will have the most impact next season. All things considered, I still say Harbaugh had a good day.

              1. He probably assumed Haskins would do the smart thing and declare. I don’t think he would be starting if Haskins came back.

            2. The rules state he has to sit out a year but he’s hired a lawyer to challenge it based on a Baseball player shouting racial slurs at him during a game in Sept.

              2. Yep although Patterson’s case was different. It will be tough to make an argument that he’s leaving for anything other than getting stuck behind another young QB.

  5. Hafley actually has a good reputation in coaching circles. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be going to Ohio St as a co-defensive coordinator. I can never figure out why anyone would agree to be a co-coordinator. You’re either the guy or not the guy. I would never split leadership like that in my organization. Anyway, Even if Hafley is the next Ray Rhodes his position group has not played well so a change for the 49ers is probably a good thing.

  6. Very curious on the surface at Levi’s for the national championship game tonight. It seems there were issues with the surface especially late in the day or at night where it got very slick. Hope it holds up. I did very well on the wild card round in the NFL. Picked all 4 games correctly on moneyline, over/unders, and a win. I have Bama tonight to round it all off.

  7. I actually hope the field is terrible. Maybe the national embarrassment will force Jed to address the situation.

    2. I’m curious how many of the 49ers many injuries over the last 3 years have happened at Levi and how many on the road? After watching a # of players go down during the national championship game I began to wonder whether the field at Levi is part of the problem?

  9. I suspect Hafley was tapped on the shoulder that he’d be getting fired anyway. Obviously the DBs have not developed under Hafley as hoped. Hopefully the next DB coach can do better.

  10. Seb, sometimes my humor gets the better of me. I would like to congratulate California for allowing citizens (and Seb) to grow their Purple Querkle or marijuana for medicinal use and/or other. No doubt the skyrocketing health insurance catastrophe played its part for citizens to demand such an obvious solution to the logjammed telephone lines and insurance forms.

    In consevative Utah, we have a much tougher battle. Salt lake City itself has been blue for years, however the state has red rural areas .
    We sometimes have alcohol related problems and realize marijuana isn’t a perfect panacea, but is better, recreationally, than alcohol

    Citizens just passed a medicinal marijuana initiative that lasted all of two days before conservative state legislators overturned it with a compromise bill.

    Currently, citizens are suing this legislation, asking themseleves: “Why vote when legislators imperialism wins the day–what’s the use. However, common sense citizens will keep up the ‘good fight’, realizing the insurance industry is so out of control we have to take matters into our own hands.

    You probably think we are very backwords, what with your 6 plant allowance, but we have to start somewhere, right ?

    Group of voters asks Utah Supreme Court to strike down new medical cannabis act, reinstate Proposition 2: https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/12/10/group-voters-asks-utah/

    1. TomD, I have a soft spot in my heart towards Utah because in those hard years during WW2, the Mormons fed my family. Utah is a beautiful state, and I spent a summer near the 4 corners, on an anthropological survey. I found a pottery dumpsite, and a camp site that was excavated and studied. The majestic sunsets on the red sandstone cliffs were sublime. They actually have a better outlook on alcohol, because the heart ache and pain caused by alcohol. We should severely restrict its use and excesses, along with tobacco.
      .
      The hypocrisy between pot and alcohol is so telling, because it is documented that 10,874 people died due to drunk driving in 2017 ( MADD), yet the stories about pot fatalities are anecdotal, and not well documented. Many times, both drugs were used. Sure, some people do drive while high, but the level of impairment is negligible compared to alcohol. I have been in only one accident in my life, and my vehicle was stopped, and run into. Don’t get me started with legal drugs, because the opioide epidemic is a major health crisis. I fully believe that meth and crack pose way more danger, and should be taken more seriously, also.
      .
      Some day, I hope we have safe and sane drug laws in this country, where the deadly drugs are severely restricted and controlled, while the harmless drugs have sane regulations that reap the bounty, tax equitably, and help the general economy.
      .
      Some day, I hope I can light one up with Razor, and we can cheer on the Niners to victory while sampling different strains.
      .
      Thank you for being civil, and I will try to reduce my ripostes, since everyone is sick of them. Glad I drove away Prime, he brought nothing to this site. Yes, I think Jed is part of the problem, but I cannot do anything about that, so I will just hope he grows up. So far, by not saying much, he is being smart.

      1. Sebs—While I recognize the hypocrisy with respect to alcohol and pot, it makes me puke at how people wrap themselves in the flag…the last refuge of a scoundrel……..simply so they can increase their self-indulgent behavior. If the laws are obeyed-at least the intended spirit of the law-such that “a duty of care” is recognized with the use of these drugs, fine-no worries.
        But that “duty of care” that we all owe each other, the responsibilities that come with the rights……….thats part of the equation thats never heard of-until someone is hurt.

        i’ll have to plead ignorance here-none of these drugs are the panacea that people make them out to be.
        Your not impressed?? When I see some bozo passed out at a public bus stop, and I see the remnants of the drug he used to get that way laying right next to him, then I am not impressed.
        Those “responsibilities” sure as he_l aren’t enforced in San Fran……….I’ve seen that many times with my own eyes.
        Other side of the coin…………..

        1. ‘We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.’
          .
          ‘We hold these truths to be held self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’
          .
          Lofty goals, but achieving them is the conundrum. Maybe those people are getting wasted, pursuing happiness, to dull the pain. Maybe we need housing for all so they can do their thing off the streets. Maybe if they had jobs, they would be too busy to be self destructive. I certainly do not have all the answers, but I agree, something should be done. We need better ideas and innovative thinking.

  11. Hafley was one of the worst position coaches on the team. During his three seasons with the 49ers, none of their young defensive backs ever improved. The 49ers are better off without Hafley.

    And yet he’s been hired as a DC at a Major program. Stupid Ryan Day.

    1. Hafley is a big time recruiter with ties to the Notheast much like his predecessor had.

        1. Seems our collective sarcasm quotient is close to being exceeded. Imagine the cry if he were headed to Middle Tennessee State.

          1. No such thing as too much sarcasm and Shanahan wouldn’t be good enough for Middle Tennessee State never mind Hafley.

        2. It’s a big reason for him getting that job. Similar to the DC at Alabama.

          Just because Hafley went to OSU doesn’t mean he was a good position coach in the NFL. His new boss wasn’t good in Philly or here either.

          1. I didn’t say he was, also didn’t say he wasn’t and that’s the point. No one here including Grant has any idea whether this guy is a good Coach or not but it doesn’t stop them from pretending they do.

    2. Ryan Day: “Jeff is a rising star and highly regarded as one of the best secondary coaches in the country. …”
      Clearly Ryan Day disagrees with Grant.

  12. Major program so what!!!!…its freaking college….

    Thank God we can finally get a new face and voice coaching DB’s….

      1. No, Sun Tzu would welcome any age of HC, just as long as he shows competence, and the ability to defeat the opponent.

        1. I think you’re missing the point. It’s not about age…… Another instance perhaps of the HC being the OC. Gasp!

          1. Sun Tzu would advocate delegating responsibilities, and his organizational systems are utilized even in the modern age. He would not see how having an OC would hurt. He would actually see how having an OC would help defeat the opponent.
            .
            Sun Tzu did not like commanders full of hubris.

    3. So with Matt LeFleur as the Packer HC, do we now have the first two branches of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree (McVay and LaFleur)? :)
      Three Matts coaching NFC North!

      1. Aren’t those elder Shanahan branches? Kyle wasn’t a head coach and they only worked alongside with him, not under him.

    1. ….. trade down to 6 or 7…..pick cornerback Greedy Williams……..trade back in 1st and pick Burns/Polite….

      1st rd picks on Greedy and Burns/Polite won’t be bad at all.. …

      With a young and above average FA pass rushing OLB…..

    2. Yeah, I think this must be the plan. I think there might be some quality FA pass rushers out there this year. As usual the 49ers draft will be significantly impacted by free agency. If they can land Clowney and Long then Greedy Williams or Quinnen Williams might be the best 1st round options.

    1. Big difference between stats and grades. PFF does a very good job with their stats services.

      1. Their grades are numbers that they get by compiling their stats. The guys that write their articles are the ones that give their opinions about the players, the numbers are fixed.

        Do you Jack, think that PFF has a personal bias against Mullens? Why would they?

          1. PFF’s grading system is flawed? As compared to what Jack? Is there any such thing as a perfect grading system? If so, please enlighten us.

            Grant Cohn is especially fond of Passer Ratings. He has consistently used it as “evidence” to support the idea that Mullens is as talented as Garoppolo. Are we to believe passer ratings, which take only the basic core elements into account, is somehow a better system? Because I know for a fact that you would be hard pressed to find even a single NFL scout, or NFL executive who believes Nick Mullens is anywhere near as talented as Jimmy Garoppolo. And I know for a fact that, while his teammates certainly respect him, and love his competitive nature, there is likely nobody on the 49ers roster who would chose to roll with Nick Mullens over a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo.

            Around the NFL at this point, Nick Mullens is widely considered a marginal starting NFL QB who will most likely carve out a roll as a reliable backup, rather than a full time starter. That’s a fact Jack, and you will know this as fact when you see what other teams offer in return for Mullens this offseason.

            1. « PFF’s grading system is flawed? »

              Yes.

              « As compared to what »

              They’re the only ones doing this for public consumption so there’s no other source to compare it with. Multiple NFL coaches have called their grades bogus.

              « Is there any such thing as a perfect grading system? If so, please enlighten us. »

              The grades that each teams coaching staff gives their players on a weekly basis. They’re the only ones who know the play calls and responsibilities for every player on every play. Problem is that information doesn’t get out to the public.

              1. Oh come on Jack, you’re smarter than that. Has it ever occured to you that those NFL coaches might simply be shooting the messenger, because they don’t like the message? It’s usually the case that, when you resort to attacking the messenger and not the message, you have lost the debate.

                Pro Football Focus has value when used as an addition to other relevant data, and that’s why they continue to build premium membership. I don’t know anyone who thinks they are the be all and end all in professional football analysis, but when it’s used in conjunction with other statistics and analysis (Football Outsider’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), and Pythagorean expectation for instance), I doubt there is any argument to be made that in-depth analysis is somehow worse than simply reading off of a stat sheet, and that’s the whole point really, isn’t it?

              2. PFF jumped on the fact there are a lot of people who want to win arguments about football stats. As was mentioned, they don’t know what the responsibilities are on a given play, so they are essentially basing grades on what they think should have happened which makes everything they produce an opinion; not a fact.

                I like PFF for some of the stats and info they put together, but you have to take the grades with a grain of salt.

        2. The whole notion of a personal bias against Mullens does more than just border on the absurd.

        3. « Their grades are numbers that they get by compiling their stats. »

          This is completely false. The grades are based off someone, like you (don’t take this personally, it’s not meant that way), who guesses at what a players responsibility is for a play and then assigns a number based off whether they think the player performed their job properly.

          They try to have a standard process in place with checks and balances, but there’s no way that multiple people will see it the same way.

          1. It is not false. They assign numbers for different things like run defense and pass defense, and use those numbers for their game grades and their season grades. Of course how they get some of those numbers can be subjective, the “turnover worthy” stat is one of them. But they have a formula that they adhere too, it’s not a bias against anyone. Right or wrong, they’re scoring it as they see it, they’re not out to get Nick Mullens.

            PFF had Mullens in the unluckiest QB catergory, that was the point I was making to Grant. No bias.

            1. Yes they are compiling numbers, but those numbers have nothing to do with their stats.

              For every play they give each player a grade ranging from -2 for worst case scenario to +2 for best case scenario. Those grades are based on a subjective diagnosis of what the players responsibilities were for the play and if they were performed properly.

              As for the « luckiest/unluckiest » qb report, it’s pretty easy to see when a QB throws a pass that bounces off his receivers chest and is then intercepted or if a QB throws a pass that bounces off a DB’s hands and is incomplete instead of intercepted.

              That’s a lot different and less subjective than what they’re doing with grades, but yeah their could be some subjectivity to it I guess.

              1. “As for the « luckiest/unluckiest » qb report, it’s pretty easy to see”

                We had discussions on here about whether Pettis was to blame for an INT in the preseason, it’s not always clear cut.

                “Yes they are compiling numbers, but those numbers have nothing to do with their stats.”

                If a player gets an unblocked sack, they get graded higher than a unblocked sack. They get a positive grade for that play regardless, raw stats (numbers) are used. QBs don’t get credit for RAC YDs, but they do get credit for the air yards, air yards are numbers.

                It’s flawed, but I don’t see a bias against Mullens.

              2. There were at least 2 interceptions thrown by Mullens that hit guys between the numbers, bounced off and were intercepted. Clear cut.

                « We aren’t grading players based on the yardage they rack up or the stats they collect. Statistics can be indicative of performance but don’t tell the whole story and can often lie badly. Quarterbacks can throw the ball straight to defenders but if the ball is dropped, you won’t see it on the stat sheet. Conversely, they can dump the ball off on a sequence of screen passes and end up with a gaudy looking stat line if those skill position players do enough work after the catch.

                PFF grades the play, not its result, so the quarterback that throws the ball to defenders will be downgraded whether the defender catches the ball to notch the interception on the stat sheet or not. No amount of broken tackles and yards after the catch from a bubble screen will earn a quarterback a better grade, even though his passing stats may be getting padded.

                The same is true for most positions. Statistics – as we saw with Beasley earlier – can be misleading. A tackle whose quarterback gets the ball out of his hands quicker than anybody else may not give up many sacks, but he can still be beaten often and earn a poor grade. Receivers that are targeted relentlessly could post big time numbers, but may offer little more than the product of a volume-based aerial attack. »

                They aren’t basing their grades off stats.

              3. “They aren’t basing their grades off stats.”

                Yes they are in part.

                https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-how-we-grade-offensive-and-defensive-linemen

                “Each snap a defensive lineman rushes, he receives a fraction of a negative (based on leaguewide expectations in that situation)”

                Based on leaguwide expectations.

                “Pass rushes can vary from +0.5 to +1.0 to +1.5 depending on how quickly a defender defeats the block and gets to the top of the pocket in order to pressure the quarterback.”

                Pressure is a stat.

                Go back to what I said initially which you said was completely false. “Their grades are numbers that they get by compiling their stats.”

                “After the game is over, the grades are tallied and a normalization factor is applied.”

                So their grades (their specific PFF numbers) are compiled, as I said. Note that I said THEIR stats.

                Good job deflecting the attention away from Grant saying PFF is biased against Mullens.

              4. I don’t care about the Mullens stuff. I was talking about the difference between their stats service and their grades.

                Their stats are really good with how they can break them down. Grades, not so much unless they decide to have the same person grade every game, and even then they won’t be accurate because they don’t know the play call or responsibilities.

              5. I think the point is …. using PFF’s grades exclusively, is hardly the best way to evaluate NFL player performance. However, it can be a very helpful tool when used alongside other forms of analysis.

                I think we can all agree that ESPN’s revamped quarterback rating system dubbed Total QBR is hardly perfect either, but it’s certainly superior to the the archaic Passer Rating, which is a shallow, bare bones “formula” comprised of only the most basic of QB statistics.

  16. Niners should look at the Bengals (12), Jags (14) and Jets (16) secondary coaches, and poach one of them, since they all are probably gone with the HC firings.
    .
    They should probably stay away from the lower ranked secondary team coaches, since they might have helped fire the HCs.

    1. I think the 9ers should offer Grant a 5 year, $26 million package to coach the DBs, with an accelerator clause that plops him in the DC position if the defense has given up more that six (6) points total by game 3 in ’19. Grant is that good–very football savvy AND a proven leader of young men. He has the latter in spades.

      1. So, you would say Gruden wants to win?

        Kaep could have Dan Pastorini’s old number.

        1. Niners should be looking at Ziggy Ansah an UFA. Do not think Gruden will sign him due to durability issues. If he did not want Mack, he will not want ZA.

            1. When healthy, he has pro bowl material. Maybe he will thrive in a different system.
              .
              Still think they should draft Bosa, Ferrell or Allen.

          2. Ansah not only is a cupcake, he disappears often during a game. I would rate at least 6 defensive ends above him in free agency (assuming any of them are actually allowed to hit free agency): Clowney, Lawrence, Frank Clark, Graham, Ford, Fowler, and Trey Flowers (not even a true pass rusher, but can do everything at end). Hell, I’d prefer Dante Fowler over Ansah…

            1. Yes, but out of all those FAs, Ansah may be the only one available. Most teams will want to retain their pass rushers. Fowler may want to take less to stay with a playoff team.
              .
              Yes, Ansah may be a big risk, but the reward may make it worthwhile.

              2. I liked him when the Broncos had joint practices with the Niners, but I think he has been injured a lot.

    1. Mr. Lynch, John Elway line 7. Patch him through, Joan. John, how are you? Good, are you interested in Von Miller?

      2. While it makes sense, I can’t see Elway doing trading Miller as he needs to right that ship, and w Rivers, Carr and Mahomes in his division, the last thing he can do is surrender Miller.

  20. Jonah Williams getting blown up by Ferrell was a nice play by Ferrell. But it also showed why I think Williams is overrated. Really good technician, but only decent athleticism and longer DEs like Ferrell can give him trouble. He’s basically a shorter version of McGlinchey.

  21. In 2013 Hafleys secondary with Tampa was 3rd in the league 21 Ints. He duplicated that in 2014 with the browns having 21 ints. In 2015 with their Ints went down to 11 and he has done nothing since coming to the Niners in 2016 with Chip Kelly. He had a good reputation due to his previous success but I personally welcome the change. Marquand Manuel would be a good replacement. He knows Salehs system and worked with Shanahan in Atlanta.

    2. +1. Given their familiarity with each other, I fully expect Marquand Manuel to be the choice.

  22. So far both defenses are getting manhandled. Ferrell has looked fairly good, but I would like to see more from him. Williams is about the same, but the Tigers are having to double team him, so I am currently tipping my hat to Williams.

    2. Ferrell is going pretty well so far. Had a few pressures. Just made a nice stop on the goal line there. Bama are primarily running away from him.

  23. I don’t see Aaron Donald potential when I see Williams. Without that ceiling, I can’t justify taking him at #2 when we already have Buck and either Bosa or Allen will be available.

    2. Quinnen Williams is an absolute beast. Could easily be the #1 pick. Not sure if he’s Aaron Donald but Williams does have All Pro talent.

  24. The Niners should look at Daronte Jones, Robert Livingston, Joe Danna and Dennard Wilson as DB coach.
    .
    Former DCs Todd Wash and Kacy Rodgers, along with Assistant HC/ LB coach Mike Caldwell could be candidates, along with possibly providing additional help for Saleh.
    .
    I have not seriously researched them, but am just throwing out coaching names from the Bengals, Jags and Jets.

  25. I am not seeing enough from Williams or Ferrell to justify taking either one with the second pick.

    1. Ferrell has beaten J Williams multiple times while Williams has gotten through a few times despite almost constant double teams. The QBs are getting the ball out of their hands quick which is making it look like neither DL is doing a good job. Same thing the Eagles did to the Bears yesterday which had some people questioning how useful Mack is.

      1. That is not enough for me. Both look like top 10 picks, but neither look like the second best NFL prospect.

      2. “despite almost constant double teams.”

        “The QBs are getting the ball out of their hands quick”

        As evidenced by the below quote, those things happen at the next level too.

        “Same thing the Eagles did to the Bears yesterday which had some people questioning how useful Mack is.”

        Teams gameplan against Aaron Donald, but he still manages to make an impact throughout games. Will Williams and Ferrell be able to do the same? Tbf, will Bosa and Allen be able to do the same?

        1. You answered your own question to some degree. Easy to watch this game and say the guys aren’t making a big enough impact because they haven’t gotten any sacks or QB hits, whatever. But who would? Are there any players that would be making such an impact in the same circumstances?

          Comparing Williams to Donald is completely unfair. Chances are there won’t be another Donald for a very long time. Question is, is he going to be a guy that is dominant at the next level? You don’t need to be Donald to be dominant.

          1. As I said above, I can’t justify taking a DT at #2 unless he has a Donald ceiling, that’s why I’m comparing the two. It would take a generational DT prospect for me to use #2. I don’t see that with Williams.

            1. Donald wasn’t what he is now at that point in his College career. He didn’t even go in the top ten. You have to remember that these are still kids growing into their bodies and gaining strength. I’m not saying Williams will be Aaron Donald, but he’s shown enough to believe he can be an elite DT in the NFL moving forward and that is certainly worthy of a top pick.

              1. “certainly worthy of a top pick.”

                He certainly is, for some other teams. Not teams that already have a Donald or a Buckner.

              2. He and Buckner together would be a force. I understand the resistance on taking another interior DL, I have had the same feelings myself, but I think it would be a mistake to pass on an elite talent in favor of a lesser one simply because of position. I’d be fine with Josh Allen if it falls that way, but he’s not the talent Williams is. While he’s put up some good numbers, a lot of his sacks are effort plays which are great but in the NFL there has to be a plan and the ability to do a lot of different things during a pass rush. Allen is a speed guy most of the time and that will be nullified by a lot of OT’s in this league. The great thing about Allen is his versatility. He can cover as well as rush so there is some value there, but I’m really not sure he’s going to be a double digit sack guy in the NFL. He might be, especially after adding some muscle and getting Coached like a pro, but he’s no sure thing by any means.

              3. “He and Buckner together would be a force”

                No doubt about that. But QBs like Wilson and as we saw, even Winston can roll out and extend the play. I’d only be open to drafting Williams if we add an Edge in free agency.

              4. If they don’t add at least one decent edge player in FA I will be pretty annoyed and surprised. Surely that has to be a priority in FA given there looks likely to be a few decent options available.

          2. All true Scooter, but I would like the one who is the second pick up to be a talent that cannot be passed upon, and I am not seeing that.

  27. Stunt by Ferrell shows his lateral limitations. Stiff hips. He can’t help us against Wilson.

    1. “He can’t help us against Wilson.”

      Neither can Williams, unless we have something on the outside.

      1. I would have to disagree about Williams. Having two guys in the middle that may both need to be double teamed would open things up for the guys on the outside.

  30. I asked the question in an earlier thread regarding whether Bosa, Williams or any prospect is a transformative talent (I would say on par with Chubb).

    I don’t think they are and the difference is somewhat marginal between them and others. That’s why if they can move down they ought to. To be honest, I am liking Allen more and more each day.

    2. I would put Bosa on par with Chubb and Williams has that type of ability he just hasn’t played enough to put the numbers up yet.

  32. That last TD is why i want a tall WR. He high pointed the ball where no DB can contest it.
    .
    Smaller WRs, while fast and talented, are incapable of making that catch.

  33. I saw the safety slip, but other than that, the turf looks good. Glad they had the field covered well.

  36. Overall, I have been impressed with Ferrell tonight but not enough to justify seeing the 49ers take him with the second pick. Same with Williams.

    1. If you were basing decisions just on this game, I would agree.

      Despite Williams not dominating like he can, he’s still had 3 TFLs. Clemson has done a good job getting bodies on him in the passing game though and he’s not been able to make much impact against the pass.

      1. Don’t get me wrong Scooter. Based on what I have seen tonight, their tape during the season, and what I have read on them, I would not be opposed to the 49ers trading down a little bit and taking either guy because they are easily top 10 material.

        1. What you see with Williams is that you have to double and even triple him at times to keep him from pushing the pocket. While the numbers won’t jump off the page in last nights game, he commands so much attention that it frees others up to make plays. It’s a strange year for Alabama because they don’t really have a great DL like in the past and didn’t even rotate that much this year, but Williams still had a monster season.

          1. Again, all true, but I did not see enough out of him to justify taking another DT over an edge rusher. Based on what I have seen and read, Josh Allen makes the most sense at the second pick if the team is unable to trade down. I agree that drafting him with the second pick may be overvaluing him, but his ability to rush the passer and drop back in coverage is what fits the 49ers defensive scheme the best. The only way I would be okay with the 49ers taking William’s is if the 49ers sign the needed edge rushers in free agency, they are unable to trade down, and Bosa is off the board.

  37. Ferrell has been in that pocket a lot tonight. Sacks didn’t come but Bama is getting rid of the ball quickly with those slants and he has whipped one of the best Tackles coming out all night long.

  38. If anyone’s stock has risen tonight for the upcoming draft, it is the one for Wilkins.

    3. I believe that some Clemson Olinemen may have risen their stock as well.
      The vaunted Alabama defensive line was put in check for the most part tonight.

      Levi’s did not embarrass itself with poor field conditions. They resodded the field for tonight’s game and it held up well.

        1. And against Tua, the Cowboy fan, who dislikes In and Out Burgers.
          .
          Bet Dwight was smiling down upon his alma mater.;p

    1. Yup, and teams will be salivating over Lawrence, even though he is a freshman.
      .
      Trevor was as cool as Joe.

  43. Haskins goes #1 overall. Bosa goes to SF at 2. If Bosa goes #1 Niners trade out of 2 to a team that wants Haskins. Ferrell is an option on a trade down. Not at 2…..

    2. 8 out of 10 on the top will probably go defense. Why on earth would SF test the waters and not get the guy they need at edge? I think the hype of Bosa is outweighing the reality of this draft.
      What has he shown after the injury?

  44. I keep seeing all these good folks saying Allen and Ferrell aren’t worthy of the number 2 pick.
    Who is then? Without a trade down. That’s not happening IMO with good edge rushers on the board.

    1. Due to a lack of top QB depth in this draft class. Haskins will go either 1 or 2 overall. NY, Den, Wash, Jax are desperate for a young QB. QBs always rise to the top of the draft. If the Niners take a DE at 2 it’s Bosa. While Allen and Ferrell are good there in the same ball park as Polite, Burns etc. Bosa and Williams are Elite talents. There is a significant drop off after them. If Bosa is off the board the Niners can get a very nice haul in return. I expect the Cardinals to trade out at 1… That’s my guess. There a rebuilding team that needs a lot. Plus they have there young QB already. Bosa falls to #2 is my guess in January.

  45. The game reminded me that these two teams are head and shoulders above the rest of the college teams. NFL must look proudly at its D league of “student athletes” getting ready for graduation to the NFL. Glad that someone other than Bama won. I was reminded by Dabo repeatedly that God helped him and his boys win the NT — and don’t you forget it. God no doubt is also rewarding Dabo with his annual salary of $7M.
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakewilliams3012/2017/12/29/regardless-of-this-years-outcome-dabo-swinney-is-the-biggest-winner-of-the-cfp-era/#fa5a2d35256d

    1. Why would God help Clemson defeat Alabama? That’s such a ridiculous notion. Clemson beat Alabama tonight because they played a better football game tonight …. PERIOD, End of story.

      The notion that God cares whether Clemson beat Alabama in a game of American Football, all the while hundreds of thousands of pure, innocent children are literally dying of starvation all around the world, is nauseating to me!

      But hey, the Clemson Tigers are National Champions, and Dabo Swinney is due for a big, fat, multi-million dollar payday ….. woo hoo!

        1. Yah, you are right, I probably shouldn’t have gone there ninermd.

          Even though I didn’t bring the subject up though, I was merely responding to Moods post. I’d erase that last post if I could, I realize it doesn’t belong on a football blog, so I am sorry if I offended anyone with that last post.

  46. Early January draft scenario.
    .
    Gruden uses 2 of his first 4 picks, and trades up with the Cards, who need picks.Arizona does not want Bosa to fall to the Niners, so they pull off this deal. Gruden gets Bosa, his pass rusher, to replace Mack. Arizona gets the 4th and 36th draft picks, or maybe the 4th and the Cowboy/Raider pick. Arizona gets Wilkins/Williams at 4, their interior DT.
    .
    So with Bosa gone, the Niners let the Giants and Jags get into a bidding war for pick number 2. Both want Dwayne Haskins. One Mock has Jags leapfrogging the Giants with a trade with TB, but then the Giants could leapfrog the Jags with the Niners, so the Jags go all out and trades with the Niners. By moving up 5 spots to number 2, the Niners receive the Jags first, second and 4th round picks, along with a 2020 second round pick. This works out in the trade value chart if the 2020 second round pick is equal to 488 points.
    .
    Going off the Jan 6 Draftek trade value chart, the Niners end up with the 7th, 36th, 38th, 67th, 97th, 102nd, 162nd, and 221st picks. 8 picks total.
    .
    In my mock draft, the Raiders get Bosa at 1. Jags get Haskins at 2. Jets get Greg Little at 3. Cards get Quinnen Williams at 4. TB gets Jonah Williams at 5. Giants get Daniel Jones at 6. Niners at 7, could get Josh Allen, Clelin Ferrell, Greedy Williams or Deionte Thompson.
    .
    Using the Draftek Big Board, and trying to pick within 5 spots of each ranking, the Niners could select-
    .
    7- Josh Allen EDGE, or Clelin Ferrell if Allen is gone.
    36- Trayvon Mullen CB
    38- N’Keal Harry WR
    67- Brian Burns OLB
    97- Connor McGovern C
    102- Kaden Smith TE
    162- Kendall Joseph ILB
    221- Jordan Fuller S

    1. Seb……… Raiders have too many holes and won’t be moving UP- they’ll b looking for value where they’re at or sliding back a couple of slots- while everyone speaks of the 49ers having an interest in A Brown, he makes perfect sense with the Raiders – and Pittsburgh probably isn’t threatened by them to fear a trade within the AFC.

      1. I cannot fathom how Gruden is thinking or what his plans are, but Bosa would be the ideal player to replace Mack. The consensus is that he is the best pass rusher in the draft. Gruden says that elite pass rushers are hard to find.
        .
        I also do not think Arizona will allow Bosa to be drafted by the Niners, and have to play against him twice a year. However, they do want to trade back and get more picks to fix their team.They should trade back with a team that wants Bosa.
        .
        I agree, Brown will not be coming to the Niners, and the best thing Pittsburgh should do is mend fences and Pay Da Man. Didn’t they learn from Bell? They lost Bell, and they are out of the playoffs.

    3. I actually agree with Seb here. Gruden obviously sees this as a long rebuild, and has good picks next season to fill the holes.
      If Bosa is truly this can’t miss monster. Why wouldn’t Gruden who’s in the best position to move up not do it.
      I can totally see the Raiders picking first and getting their cornerstone to a rebuilt defense.

    4. SEB

      THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT…

      I love your Early January draft scenario…It is clean, clear, and informative….You worked hard on it and it shows…Good stuff….

      1. TY, Ore, I tried to cover all the bases.
        .
        Of course, I still think everything will change with the Senior Bowl, Combine and Free Agency.
        .
        Luckily, the Niners are poised to have a good draft. It is very deep in pass rushers, and at number 2, the Niners have a ton of options.

  47. Wont have to worry about the Packers for awhile. Rodgers will probably bail before they dump LaFleur so this is likely the end of their window. Oh well cheese heads.

  50. Several player related takeaways from the game last night.

    Quinnen Williams was the best player on the field. He’s worthy of the #1 pick or the 49ers pick at #2.
    Clelin Ferrell trended down for me. He doesn’t have the agility to play on the edge. He may end up being a great interior d-lineman in the NFL but he won’t be a great Edge Rusher. He’s a 2nd round pick IMO but he’s still better than Solomon Thomas.
    Jonah Williams trended down for me. He’s a guard in the NFL. He got man handled by Ferrell, especially in the hand fighting dept. I can’t see him as an NFL tackle.
    Josh Jacobs is an absolutely perfect fit for Shanahan’s offense. I wouldn’t mind the 49ers using a 2nd round pick on him.
    Deontay Thompson is overrated. He’s not a 1st round pick.
    Barring injury Trevor Lawrence and Justyn Ross are future top 5 picks. Amazing duo.

    2. Didn’t see it that way with Ferrell, Houston.
      I saw him getting pressure a lot in this game. Sabens offense gets that ball out quickly on those slants, and runs a lot. It was tough to get in there with no time, but when there was pressure without the stunts and blitzes he was in almost every play there.

      I’m thinking Williams is a tad overrated. He’s a very good run stopper but hes not the bestpass rusher coming out this team needs badly. Stubby and Young were great, but they had edge players that could sack QB’s. When they lost those guys they didn’t disrupt as well anymore. This team needs an edge rusher.

      Bright side is the Niners get him is maybe he will take some attention off of Buckner. But I’d rather have pressure coming a lot from two angles instead of the middle only.
      I still prefer Allen because he is more versatile and can play two positions well.

      Should be interesting but I’ll stick to my guns and say they can’t miss with any of three edge rushers coming out at two.
      And with 8 of the top 10 going defense more than likely it’s not a year to take chances that the guy they like will still be there. Can’t miss year. They stay and pick Ferrell or Allen if Bosa is gone.

      1. I agree. Q Williams did not touch Lawrence. Wilkins was the best DT on the field. If he can do that against the Bama O line, he can do that in the pros.

        1. Seb,
          Agree that Wilkins was the best defensive player on the field last night.
          Ferrell ran down Tua on a QB run around the sideline that was impressive.

          Ferrell also looked good last week. Some may not be high on Ferrell but he gets the job done.
          But #2 is a little high for me.
          I’m sticking with my top 3 players :
          1. Bosa
          2. Q. Williams
          3. Josh Allen
          In that order.

      2. Great thing about opinions is that everyone has one. Ferrell is a really good player. IMO, On a few occasions his lack of quickness, lateral dexterity, and flexibility were exposed. Best case for Ferrell is he starts out his career on the Edge and then moves inside sort of like Justin Smith and grows into a really good player. IMO Ferrell will at best be an average Edge rusher in the NFL. He’s big and strong but not athletic enough.
        I don’t look at Quinnen Williams as a pass rusher. WIlliams is a critically important pocket pusher that makes the Edge Rushers much better in the passing game. People are looking for the next Aaron Donald which is the wrong way to look at it IMO. Donald is a great pass rusher from the d-tackle position but the Rams have the worst rush defense in the NFL. Plus Donald has a unique skill set of quickness, agility, and strength on the interior of the d-line that hasn’t been seen since maybe Howie Long. There’s not going to be another Aaron Donald for a very long time so stop comparing draft picks to him. Think more like Haloti Ngota or Akiem Hicks who are line of scrimmage controlling beasts that can be a cornerstone of a defense for many years.

        1. First off thanks Houston for not taking a different outlook personally.
          I agree Williams would be dominate inside, but as of now we don’t need that as much as edge. Unless the plan on signing a FA edge rusher that can or has produced 10 sacks. I’d be all for that.
          But we have no clue on how Lynch thinks. And I really don’t think he’d care that they have blown top picks on the d-line lately.

          It will be an interesting draft and FA this offseason. I think it will be more clear after FA as to what path they’re looking at in the draft.
          Should be a fun one and after the combine I’m positive a lot of opinions with be subject to change.
          And the ones who nailed it will have bragging rights for the rest of the year. I mean isn’t that what we are aiming for? The I told you so’s? ?

    3. I pretty much agree with this. Tbh, I think Williams is getting some unfair grief about his game. He dominated in the run game like usual and despite almost constant double teams also managed to get a couple of pressures and a hold. Put a guy next to Buckner that teams need to constantly double team and just watch how good Buckner can be. Unfortunately for the Tide they just didn’t have anyone else on that DL able to take advantage of Williams getting the attention. Much like the 49ers and Buckner. Williams looks like a perennial pro bowler to me.

      Ferrell made life tough for J Williams all game. Showed how length can really trouble Williams, and how he struggles to recover once beat. But yeah, Ferrell is a bit too linear for my taste. Can’t see him going top 10. I think at least Allen and Polite will go before him.

      Wilkins had a really nice game. I think there is a real chance five or more DTs could go in the top 15 picks.

  51. So far my thoughts are as follows.
    Allen is the most versatile player, who could man the Leo with a worst case scenario of playing the Sam backer who rushes opposite theLeo.
    Polite is more of a raw prospect that depends on is speed and bull. He is the most explosive player off the edge but is a bit risky given that he’s a bit of a one trick pony at this point.
    Burns is a no go for me… he’s too light and speed dependent… he’ll be rode out of the pocket by most nfl linemen. If he’s there in the second fine but I wouldn’t touch him inside of the top 20.

    1. Burns has dropped like a rock on the draft boards. However, I have him at 67, because he was very productive in college.
      .
      I hope the Niners trade back, and still get Allen. Several teams will be going for QBs and OTs, early in the first round.

      1. Seb

        Not to disagree about QBs, but how far down will teams go to be in the market to want to trade draft spots for CJ B or Nick Mullins…?

        1. Second round for Mullens, but 5th for CJB. imho.
          .
          I had advocated for a double trade back, the second time with Washington, but I think that may be unrealistic. Washington may have set their sights on a veteran QB. Flacco may be their target.
          .
          Niners, by trading back 5 spots, can garner more picks, and still get a player like Allen or Ferrell. If they move back to 15, they might miss out on both of them.

  52. This game amply illustrates how important coaching is. Bama had more talent, but Swinney out coached Saban.
    .
    Dabo sure knew how to finish off that game.

    1. Sebbie….you are a cornucopia of insight–rare, focused insight. You go!

        2. Horn o’ plenty.
          .
          Mood, you just wish you could think of things like that.
          .
          You should just stick to corn pone. ;p

  53. I don’t think there is any question at this point who the Patriots plan on being Belichick’s heir.

  55. Way too much focus on pass rush. The lack of White’s name in the discussion shows that people are trying to fill a position rather then draft a player.

    1. IMO, and LB just doesn’t have the positional value at top 5. The best rookie LB (and probable DROY) was drafted in the second round.
      While I understand fan anxiety for a pass rusher in the draft, I think the fans will be disappointed if they expect Bosa or Allen to rack up double-digit sacks in the first season or two. From my limited knowledge based on youtube clips, I don’t see either as physically imposing at this stage to blow it up in the NFL right away. Niners may be better served by plugging the hole with a decent FA and have the rookie in more a supporting role.

    2. Not sure I’d pick White at #2 but I agree with this sentiment. White is an elite talent that has All Pro written all over him. The other thing White has is elite leadership abilities. Think Ray Lewis and Ronnie Lott. This guy is a change agent for the team that drafts him. Immediate winning attitude and championship culture with this kid. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more impressed by a young man’s leadership ability than I was when I saw White play a few games in person this year. His leadership ability is not something that shows up watching a game on TV. You have to see him with his teammates in person.

        1. Not the same thing Seb. A prospect being on a draft board does not mean he has declared.

    4. N O Coffee. There are positions that need to be filled to reach a winning culture.
      This team has a huge need at more than one of those positions. The secondary that will have Sherman and Thomas next season will absolutety need a pass rush.
      Sorry this team is in need of position first over best available player anywhere on the roster. Olayoff teams have that luxury. Losing teams with needs and holes don’t. And sadly that’s where we’re at right now.

    5. The lack of White’s name in the discussion is because he’s a mid first round prospect on most boards I’ve seen along with not being a need. Really good player, but there are pass rushers ranked ahead of him and they fill a much bigger need which is why they are the focus and not White. If they traded down and he was the best guy then sure, but I can’t see them going that route with all the talent at need positions available.

    6. I can’t get on board with White as a top 5 pick. Its partly the position, as Mood said, but also partly the player. You posted previously that if you liked Jaylon Smith as a prospect then you would like White. But I didn’t see a player like Smith when I watched White. I saw a LB with great size, movement skills and passion, but only ok instincts. Smith’s instincts were (and are still) awesome. His ability to read and react is really what makes him a good player – his athleticism is what made/ makes him potentially great.

      When watching White I saw a guy who’s biggest plays looked like they were often more due to play design – run blitzes, pass rush, etc. He’s really good athletically with good size and could take advantage if he beats the OL to the spot. His other really good plays came from running sideline to sideline, which is another great asset of his athletic ability. But yeah, I didn’t see him making lots of great plays from reading and reacting post snap. Just my opinion, but yeah, not a top 5 prospect in my eyes. More a 10-20 range player.

            1. Though in saying that, there was still a fair bit of growing pains involved. He got a lot better as the year progressed.

              1. “Though in saying that, there was still a fair bit of growing pains involved.”

                True, and I expected that too.

                https://www.buffalobills.com/news/why-bills-veterans-see-all-the-signs-for-tremaine-edmunds-to-emerge-into-a-defen

                I mentioned last year that he had good work ethic and seemed coachable. This was one of the reasons I felt his growing pains wouldn’t be a prolonged issue.

                “He’s a guy who displays the right habits,” said Williams. “He works hard. He plays hard. He does the right things. He wants to be better at everything.”

                “His preparation is off the chart when he’s away from the building, because he’ll come back with great questions about things he’s seen and then you go like man this guy’s been studying,”

                Scary that this kid will probably be even better in the future.

        2. Similar type of thing. Though I don’t think White is the same type of physical specimen, his understanding of the game is a little further along.

        3. The guy who really reminds me of Edmunds is Josh Allen. Similar physically and in their versatility. Only difference was Allen stayed for his Sr. Season and blew up in sacks. That’s part of my concern about Allen. He hadn’t come close to the sack totals he put up this season previously.

          1. Yeah, Allen is a guy that seriously helped himself by staying his senior year. I would feel a lot better about him if he had been able to put really good film together as a junior as well. But he was really only ok until this season.

            I really like that he showed an ability to learn and get better. I don’t like that it took him so long to put together great play.

          2. Back in early April (2018) the conversation surrounded Harold Landry, Roquan Smith, Tre Edmunds and to a lesser degree, M. Davenport (not an Edge player).
            These were Edge /DE players that were being touted leading up to the draft.

            The best defensive rookie turned out to be Darius Leonard. I believe he received some love from Razor.
            Now the kid is an All Pro. Not bad for a 2nd rd pick.

            Just goes to show that the draft analysis and mocks are just mocks.
            Btw, the closes player to Darius Leonard in this years draft imo, is Josh Allen. By this time next year we will have a better lens on all the top rated DEs and Edge players.

            As much as I like Bosa and Q. Williams, Allen provides greater playing range imo.

  56. A couple of folks who attended the game yesterday remarked how surprised they were at the loudness at Levis. Apparently, it’s not the stadium but fan enthusiasm (or lack thereof). Once the wins start coming I can see Levis being a real disadvantage to the visiting team.

      1. Yeah, turf looked OK to me. I think saw just one slip by a player (a sharp in-cut by a RB, IIRC)

    2. I’ve been to Levi stadium a lot. A lot
      And in the “early years” ? when Harbaugh was still coaching and it was before us fans knew the run was over. That place got really loud. Heck in fact last season the Titans game was defening at times.

      I will say I agree with the field last night it looked at first like they finally just went and paid for that fake grass everyone is using now. Until the slip.
      Hope it holds up

  59. Hope to see Grant’s hot takes on this National Championship. Bet he would say that Dabo would win 10 games if he led the Niners!
    .
    I know he said it was too early to speculate on the draft prospects, but we saw many players who will go in the first 2 rounds of the draft.
    .
    Justyn Ross is SICK. That one handed grab is exactly why I want a tall WR. Too bad he is only a freshman.

    1. Lynch respects Dungy… a lot. I don’t think Niners will risk it with Brown — they are still smarting from the Ferrari Foster Fiasco.

  61. According to OTC, the 49ers have $62 million of cap space with 56 players signed. Other teams like the Colts have $117.6 million in cap space, but they only have 40 players signed (I haven’t taken the time to see if they need to re-sign expensive players). I just like to remind myself that the amount of cap space available is generally dependent upon how many players are currently signed.

    As I look at the 49ers:

    1) Not following through with Armstead’s option will save the team $9.05 million in cap space
    2) Releasing Garcon only saves the team $1.075 million in 2019 cap space
    3) Releasing Malcolm Smith saves the team $1.25 million in 2019 cap space
    4) However, releasing Gary Gilliam saves the team $5.05 million in 2019 cap space. Gilliam is a marginal backup, who according to PFF only played 85 snaps in 2018. Why are we paying him so much?
    5) Releasing Earl Mitchell saves $2.95 million in cap space.
    6) Cassius Marsh is one of those players that people are split on. Releasing him would save the team $4.2 mil in cap space.

    Barring any trades, I would release Armstead, Gilliam and Mitchell. Armstead is better than Thomas, but Thomas would carry a $8.96 mil dead money hit. Since the two are fairly redundant, in my opinion, I would release the guy that saves me the most money (again barring a trade). Just releasing those three adds $17 million to the cap. The team will need to replace Gilliam, but, at the very minimum, rework his contract to reflect his value (which in my opinion isn’t that much).

    1. That cap number is based off the top 51 contracts.

      4,5,6 are the most likely to happen.

      1. “That cap number is based off the top 51 contracts.” Yes, you are correct. That would mean that they are applying a “correction factor” for a team like the Colts who currently only have 40 players signed. Seems to me they could be “way off” once the Colts begin to sign players.

        You think they’ll retain Armstead at a $9 million cap even with the emergence of Julian Taylor and Street being available? Plus they have Day, Thomas, Blair……..

        1. « That would mean that they are applying a “correction factor” for a team like the Colts who currently only have 40 players signed. Seems to me they could be “way off” once the Colts begin to sign players. »

          No. The Colts actually have only 41 players signed to contracts for 2019.

          « You think they’ll retain Armstead at a $9 million cap even with the emergence of Julian Taylor and Street being available? Plus they have Day, Thomas, Blair…….. »

          Armstead is the best big end on the team and I doubt they move on from him before March when his contract becomes guaranteed.

          Think this is similar to the Jimmie Ward situation.

          1. OTC says 40 players, but it’s not material to the point I’m making. The definition of “Effective Cap Space” on the OTC site is “represents the maximum cap space a team will have when it signs at least 51 players to its roster for that season.”

            Since the Colts only have 40 (or 41 signed), how did they “prorate” the cap space to a theoretical 51 signed?

            1. They didn’t. That’s the amount with the contracts they have in place.

              For a team like SF with 56 players signed they take only the top 51, per NFL rules.

              1. Yeah. I just downloaded the Colts data. For the 40 players they have signed, the total is $115,082,752. OTC lists this amount as the “Top 51”, which is misleading. My original point still stands.

        2. Yes they will be dumb to give up on Armstead now….he is the 2nd best DT on the team and finally played a full season…..if they could keep Ward on that salary in 2018….they can keep Armstead who plays a much important role in defense on the 9mil salary

          A reasonable long term deal with Armstead should be on the table

          I would caution any idea of anointing 1-2 yr players starting positions or major roles…especially after the “mission accomplished” premature celebrations of the rookie class of 2018……

          Julian Taylor, Street, Day have to earn their spots…..

          Thomas, Blair…are already carving out their niche….let them perfect it and produce consistent numbers before we starting depending on them to replace consistent vet.. ..

        3. Cubus

          I posted last week that Armstead led all except Buckner in tackles, QB hits, sacks, etc…..Why in the name of Pete would you release your #2 Dlineman, betting that Street and /or Jullian Taylor, Day, or Thomas could fill in the vacancy….Aren’t you tired of ‘betting the house’ on unproven rookies ?…I sure am….

          1. Makes sense to give Armstead the Ward treatment on his 5th year option. Still waiting to hear whether or not he’s gonna need surgery on his hand or not. It’ll be interesting to see if the 49ers will want to give him a long term deal, because they’ll be giving Buckner a monster deal in the not too distant future. Probably don’t want to have too much of the financial pie in the defensive line, but who knows?

      2. 4,5 for sure. Shon Coleman probably brought in for the swing tackle role.
        I think Hammer’s right about Armstead being next season’t Jimmy Ward. Even after they have shored up the pass D with an edge rusher (or two) and new DB(s), stopping the run will be a priority to winning Division games. Armstead has suddenly learned how to bend lower and is virtually immovable in the run game.

    2. Sweet that will make up one year if they trade for Browm. Wouldn’t lose any real cap space for next season. ?

  62. Interesting Coaching hire by the Cards. Kingsbury could be very successful in the NFL if he can put together a good defensive staff. The gap between College and Pro offenses is growing closer with a hire like this.

    1. I have this feeling it has a lot to do with QBs. Something like the lack of good pocket QBs in college has lead college coaches to be more creative with the dual-threat QBs they do have. When the QBs reach the NFL, it takes a long time to make them good pocket passers, if at all. Hence, the offense gets adapted to the QB.

        1. One big difference is that Kingsbury does not have NFL coaching experience prior to being named HC. Shanahan, Mcvay and Nagy did.

          1. He coached Mahomes, and has an exciting offense. They’re hoping he can get that going with Rosen and a defense that isn’t too shabby.

    2. The past few years have really shown how important it is to pair an imaginative offensive HC with a young QB. I expect the Jets will do the same. Josh Allen is in trouble.

      Time of course will tell whether Kingsbury is a good enough offensive mind in the NFL to make it work for Rosen. But it can only be better than what he had to deal with this year.

      1. Keim seems to be pushing all his chips to the center of the table. First he hires a defensive coach with good leadership capabilities but inexperienced and out of sorts as HC. Then he fires him after one year and hires an offensive mastermind, but who is inexperienced in the NFL. We’ll see how this pans out, but I don’t think Rosen will complain.

        Josh Allen is in trouble.

        I doubt Allen will be a NFL starter — he may cost the GM is job.

        1. Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold all got the AS treatment, when they would have benefited from the Aaron Rodgers treatment. They should have sat behind a savvy veteran for a couple years. Instead, they got thrown to the wolves.

      2. Josh Allen was in trouble before he was drafted. He is inaccurate and doesn’t process the game quickly enough. Not having an offensive minded Coach will hurt him but his lack of ability in key areas hurts him more.

    2. Is that a surprise?

      Is the terrible secondary a mark of how bad they really were or are other factors at play: strong run defense, teams realizing that the best way to beat this team was not through ball control but airing it out, injuries, Witherspoon withering on the vine, or something else?

      1. After watching every game this season, of course, it isn’t a surprise. However, I think we all expected Sherman to be player-coach. I’m beginning to wonder if that was really the case.

  64. For fans who complain about Hafley not sufficiently developing young CBs in three years in two different schemes– who was the last CB drafted by the Niners who developed to be a Pro Bowl player? I think it was Eric Davis drafted in 1990 and whose first Pro Bowl was 1995. Been a while since a Pro Bowl-caliber CB was drafted, and it takes a while to develop the talent into a Pro Bowl player. Even this blog’s favorite all-world rookie from last season, Lattimore, had a bit of sophomore slump this year.

    1. What about safeties? Aren’t they part of the duties of the DB coach? We’ve had a few there. Selecting CBs drafted is a bit of cherrypicking imo.

      1. What about the safeties?
        Are you referring to that 8 combinations of safeties that played in 16 games (probably an NFL record).
        Did it surprise you that the safety play improved towards the end of year? It didn’t surprise me since the same combo played together four games in a row for the first time this season.
        Courtesy Barrows at the Athletic, here are the week-by-week alignments:
        Week 1: FS Adrian Colbert, SS Jaquiski Tartt
        Week 2: FS Colbert, SS Tartt
        Week 3: FS Colbert, SS Antone Exum
        Week 4: FS Reed, SS Exum
        Week 5: FS Colbert, SS Tartt
        Week 6: FS Colbert, SS Tartt
        Week 7: FS Colbert, SS Tartt
        Week 8: FS Jimmie Ward, SS Tartt
        Week 9: FS Ward, SS Tyvis Powell
        Week 10: FS Ward, SS Exum
        Week 12: FS Ward, SS Tartt
        Week 13: FS Tartt, SS Harris
        Week 14: FS Exum, SS Harris
        Week 15: FS Exum, SS Harris
        Week 16: FS Exum, SS Harris
        Week 17: FS Exum, SS Harris
        No one in their right mind should expect good communication and consistent play from such a revolving door of safety combo comprising mostly of rookies and second-year players. Scapegoating coaches is the easy.

        1. Great post Mood. I’ve been saying it all season, criticism of the Coaching staff is fine when warranted, but criticizing without acknowledging the obstacles they faced is just looking for scape goats. We saw a similar situation on the offensive side of the ball at the QB, WR and RB positions. It’s hard to consistently move the ball at the best of times, never mind when you are playing with different players every few weeks.

          As much as this team needs Edge rushers and better secondary play among other things, what they need most is health. You can’t develop consistency when players are constantly being shuffled in and out.

          1. Yeah, the #1 need for improvement in defense is continuity by having league-average injuries which allows the young players to develop. I do not recall such a injury-ravaged situation for a young defensive backfield in over three decades of watching NFL football.

            Yes, and the #2 need is a competent edge rush threat (not necessarily an elite rusher) who can complement Buckner’s inside rush. Suddenly other players in defense will look much better!

            I think that Saleh-Hafley-Sherman team did a pretty good job with what they had. I say that from the performance they got out of Exum-Harris duo in the last 4 games. Exum is a borderline NFL player cut both by the team that drafted him and by the Niners. Harris has just played a handful of games in the league.

        2. I think you missed my point. We have had safeties go to the pro bowl. This year I don’t think the DBs were very good, bit it can be a combination of factors including injuries (and yes, coaching). One can say the players are young, inexperienced, unstable lineup all the while still thinking that perhaps the coaching wasn’t up to par either.

          1. Apologize if I missed your point.

            …still thinking that perhaps the coaching wasn’t up to par either….

            I don’t see how any negative opinion can be formed based on the situation. On the contrary, based on the improvement in the last month when using a stable group of DBs that has two rookies (Moore and Harris), one of whom is learning a new position, I’d say the coaches have done a good job.

            1. Because coaches improve the people around them. With an all pro corner we shook so better than dead last.

  65. Plz NO to the A. Brown trade…..big fan of his game…but niners can do without the drama…

    1. I agree Oneniner. Trading for AB is a bad idea. He will cost a very high draft pick and is a locker room cancer. I believe it would be a colossal mistake to trade for him. We need to either sign a WR 1 in FA or draft one in the first 3 rounds.

  66. Armstead is a free agent, so he could sign elsewhere. Niners may bring him back, maybe at a lesser salary, but another team may want to give him more. Ward should also be allowed to walk.
    .
    Both Garcon and Mitchell may be released, and the Niners should move on from them.
    .
    The Niners should trade away Mullens, CJB, Smith, Marsh, Gilliam, Coleman, Day, Wilson, and/or Tartt. They should bundle them to get as high a draft pick as possible, and try to get as many draft picks in the first 4 rounds as possible.They should shop Thomas to a 3-4 team.

    1. « Armstead is a free agent, so he could sign elsewhere. »

      No. The 49ers picked up his 5th year option. He’s under contract with them.

  67. I think Robbie Gould may re-sign with the Bears. He kept his family in Chicago, and the Bears will throw money at him, after the Parkey debacle.
    .
    They should keep Pinion, because he has a strong leg, and is versatile enough to kick field goals. Seahawks losing Seb J and losing their playoff game, is a good reason why the Niners need a decent backup.

        1. Guess you don’t understand how much power a team has when it comes to franchising a player…..

          Playoffs?……they could lose fangio the main reason they made the playoffs

          1. They did lose Fangio, but the defense is still very talented.
            .
            Didn’t the Steelers franchise tag Bell? How did that work out.?
            .
            Niners will probably respect Gould’s wishes if he wants to go back to his family.

  68. Hmmm, Arians is HC at TB. he is bringing Bowles and Leftwich with him.
    .
    Wonder if Winston is still their QB.

    2. Small wonder.

      Arians will reunite with Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who served as the Cardinals’ vice president of player personnel in 2013, and quarterback Jameis Winston, who attended Arians’ football camps in Birmingham, Alabama.

      “Jaboo was a Birmingham legend,” then-Cardinals coach Arians said prior to facing Winston and the Bucs in 2016. “He would be fun to coach, there’s no doubt about it. He’s a winner and a great leader and obviously a heckuva young quarterback.”

      http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25715886/tampa-bay-buccaneers-finalizing-deal-make-bruce-arians-new-head-coach

      1. ‘He is a winner and a great leader.’ -Coach speak.
        .
        He was benched for Fitzpatrick and won only 3 games.

        1. Coach speak

          Right. Yet you’ve referenced his coach speak praise for Kaepernick how many times?

          He was benched for Fitzpatrick and won only 3 games.

          Tied with Kaepernick!*

          *though it took Kaep two seasons for that total.

            1. It’s not a discussion, Kaep or otherwise. It’s a throw Seb’s hypocrisy back into his face but he is too oblivious to realize it statement.

              2. OK. Kaep did take the league by storm, but his subsequent struggles were not solely due to only his regression. Baalke dismantled a SB team, and gave Kaep turnstiles for O linemen. Bellore did not actually jump out of the right gap, he also blocked his own players. That led to the Niner defense allowing third string RBs to gallop for 200 yards. Blame those factors more for the Niner losses. Kaep in 2015 was injured in his first game, and the team physicians told him to just ice his shoulder, so he tried to play until he was benched. Then he got a second opinion, different from the team quacks, and they discovered a significant tear. Dissing an injured player is just the type of class you exemplify. Baalke kept stabbing Kaep in the back, and did not allow Kaep to compete. This allowed Gabbert to start, until Gabbert pulled a Gabbert, and benched himself. Kaep did have a 90.7 QBR, even with Stone Hands dropping passes, and a 16-4 TD to pick ratio. So, looking at the ratings, Kaep is better than half the starters and almost every backup in the league.
                .
                Then the haters claimed Kaep could not possibly play again because he was out of the league for too long. Too bad that screed was blown up when Matt Barkley led the Bills to a victory after being out of the league for over 2 years. Josh Johnson put an exclamation point to that when he won a game for Washington after not throwing a pass in the league for 4 years.
                .
                Sure, coaches do employ coach speak. They are just following the wise, sage advice of Bill Walsh. Pete Carroll also effusively praised Kaep and said he was a starter in the league. That does not mean their praise is totally false. Arians made his comment in 2016, so he did not see Winston struggle in 2018. JW threw 19 TDs, but also 14 interceptions. That is not a good ratio. JW was so bad, he was benched for Fitzpatrick, until RF pulled a Gabbert, and benched himself, again.
                .
                I still think Kaep can play in this league, but the blackballing is too strong right now. However, once Kaep wins his lawsuit, he will void the CBA and become a hero to the players, and the league will be forced to allow him to play.
                .
                Detractors just show how much they hate Kaep, and show how little football knowledge they have, when they think that scrubs like Fitzpatrick, Bortles, J Johnson, Barkley, Seimian, Osweiler, Savage, Hoyer, Mccoy and the Butt Fumbler are better QBs than Kaep.
                .
                Arians may continue to keep praising Winston, but he may change his mind when JW wins only 3 games again. Maybe QB desperate teams like the Giants, Bills, Dolphins, Washington, Jags, and Broncos may want to win so much, they will choose a SB QB that was 5 yards from winning it all, one pass from returning, and set playoff rushing records. Maybe Arians and others will be content to lose without Kaep, than win with Kaep.

              4. Arians should go into TB with both eyes wide open. He will be facing a daunting challenge. Both the Falcons and Panthers played in a SB recently, and the Saints have the best record in the NFC.
                .
                Very easily, if Arians does not turn things around, he will be staying in the NFC South cellar. Improving the QB situation may help, but he needs to improve the O line and defense.
                .
                Winston, under Arians, may not be enough to win the division.

              5. Rib, I take every statement of a HC with a grain of salt. It is their job to be effusive with praise so there is no locker room bulletin board material.
                .
                KS found out how dissing Russel Wilson can lead to a loss, because he did not parrot his talk when they played 2 weeks later.

          2. Rib, I guess your point is that no one should ever take what a coach says as the truth. However, when I agree with his statement, I feel perfectly fine citing it.
            .
            You think I will only do that when that praise is false. I only do that when I think it is true. I refrain from mentioning it when some coach disses Kaep, because I think it is a false narrative.
            .
            I refute his praise for Winston because it was 2 years ago, and we have seen him struggle.
            .
            You cite Kaep’s record, but do not tell the whole story. When the Niner defense becomes historically bad, even Joe could not win with that defense. When surrounded with talent and support, Kaep took the league by storm. Solely blaming Kaep for that 2 win season is specious.

  69. I remember an interview that was preseason or very early in the season. When Jeff Hafley eas asked about the possibility of Eric Reid re-joining the team, he seemed almost choked up. Couldn’t really answer the question.

    It was clear he’s a big Reid fan. I wonder if that was a factor in Hafley’s decision to move on. (Assuming he was not asked to leave)

    I won’t pretend to know of he was a good position coach, but there were so many injuries this year I’m giving most coaches a Mulligan.

    Witherspoon was clearly disappointing but came around later. Tarvarius Moore had to be a huge challenge because of the position shift.

    1. Yeah, I won’t pretend to judge Hafley’s competence either, but clearly three head coaches have seen sufficient value to hire him in the last three years — the last move being a promotion. He’s a young coach and should potentially improve with experience.

  70. Ronnie Lott on Josh Allen.

    “He’s someone I know for a fact he’s going to make a team better.”

      1. Ronnie is probably my 2nd favorite Niner all time, before Jerry Rice. I know you think I don’t like Allen, but as long as we get him, Polite or Burns or Sweat; I’ll be happy. Just as long as they don’t take one of those players over Bosa, and add a F/A edge vet….

    1. Will Rice be around in the locker room to calm down Brown when he goes from borderline-TO to full-TO mode after not getting 10-12 passes thrown to him per game? :)

    2. No, Cassie, you are ignoring the qualifier- IF.
      .
      If Mullens had managed to beat the Rams and Bears, the Niners may have gotten a boatload of picks for him. Now, with Mullens throwing the ball out of bounds on 4th down, and throwing picks during the Rams game, Mullens could only garner a second round pick.
      .
      However, Vic saw Mullens play week 16, so he may deem Mullens superior to Keenum. Maybe the Niner could get a second round pick, and a conditional 2020 third round pick for Mullens.

      1. You weren’t so clear a few weeks ago with the IF qualifier when you first gushed the boatload of picks assertion.

        1. So, stop putting words in my mouth.
          .
          Ideally, I want the Niners to get a boatload of picks. I do not say that they will do that guaranteed. Only if Mullens had won those last 2 games in a convincing manner. Too bad he lost the last 2 games.
          .
          Mullens does have worth, but maybe they would not have given JG his big contract if he lost his last 2 games. Mullens, by losing his last 2 games, will not command any first round picks.

            1. Bingo Sebbie! Mullens for every Raider 1st rounder in ’19, and a 3rd in ’20 and ’21. Brilliant!

              1. No, Cassie, I was referring to Fangio as ‘he’. Keenum is inferior to Mullens.
                .
                Carr, like Kaep, lost support around him, but Carr is a decent QB, and Gruden should retain him.
                .
                Your wild assertions just remind me of the stench of Baalke.

  74. I’m happy for him. Long overdue for the Godfather. He should have had a shot long before now but he finally got it.

    1. I’m interested to see the staff he surrounds himself with, and if Donatell follows him or accepts the DC job in Chicago. If they have the pragmatism to offer it to him, that is….

      1. Yeah it will be interesting for sure. I could see them hiring Gregg Williams if they don’t promote Donatell. Different philosophy to Vic, but attacking aggressive mindset is a good match for the personnel in Chicago.

  75. Now, the Browns, Jets, Bengals and Dolphins need a HC.
    .
    Bradley, Phillips, McCarthy, Jackson, Gase, Joseph and Caldwell are still available.

  76. I wish the best for the evil Lord Fangio (to quote Shayne Skov who was impressed with Fangio’s devilish scheming and personnel use at Stanford where he spent the 2010 season with Harbaugh).

    Over the last decade or so, head coaching track record of longtime DCs with excellent defensive minds is not inspiring. A lot will depend on him finding the magic QB-OC combo that is the pixie dust for success in modern NFL. Wonder if Gary Kubiak will come out of retirement. I heard that he wants to be back but not as a HC.

    Ed Donatell spent 6 years of his long, distinguished career with Broncos and should be in the running for his DC. Fangio and Donatell work very well as a team.

    1. Given that The Godfather wanted Shanny as his OC, I’d be very surprised if Kubiak isn’t named as his OC.

      1. I’d be surprised if he picks Gase as his OC, Sebber. In addition to Kubiak being versed in Big Shanny’s system, you don’t have to worry about him getting hired away for another Head Coaching gig….

        1. Gase used to coach for the Broncos, but it sounds like Elway wants Kubiak. Gase is also in the running for the Jets job. Still, it would be a strong combination, but they are going in another direction.
          .
          Jack Del Rio may be a good DC candidate, since he used to coach for the Broncos.

          1. I’d be surprised if Gase gets another head coaching gig this year, and JDR is offered another DC position.

              3. Actually that is a pretty good move by the Jets imo. They get a guy that knows the division and can develop Darnold. He got Miami to the playoffs in his first season but had to deal with Tannehill missing games the past two years. He’s a good offensive mind who has shown an ability to win with a middle of the road roster.

              6. Razor,

                Gase was 10-8 in the division and beat the Jets regularly which is probably why they sought him out. I agree the overall record isn’t impressive, but there are always mitigating factors involved and I still think this guy is one of the better Offensive Coaches in the league. Whether that translates to success with the Jets remains to be seen, but I like his chances.

              7. The Jets didn’t seek out Gase. He wasn’t their first choice. It wasn’t Mike McCarthy either. It was Baylor University coach Matt Rhule….

            2. Sebber:
              Gase’s Beached Dolphins (2016-2018):
              *Slowest functioning offense
              *25th in red zone efficiency (Jets ranked 30th in 2018)
              *24th in total rushing yards

              1. Gase still had a 7-9 season, even with Tannehill being injured. The Dolphins had to play against the highest ranked defense in the league, the Bills, and the Patriots twice.
                .
                If 35 year old RB Frank Gore was their best RB, and there were no dominant receivers, it is no wonder the Offense struggled, with RT injured so much. Osweiler was not the answer.

  78. Wonder if the 9ers are getting any requests from other teams to interview assistants. Seems a bit unlikely.

      1. Hey Seb, what are the chances the Broncos new Head Coach – Vic Fangio, hires a Defensive Coordinator? Would you put it somewhere between zero and none?

        1. No, I consider Fangio to be smart. As HC, he would welcome all the help he can get.
          .
          As DC, he looked down from a booth onto the field. As HC, he would have to be along the side lines.
          .
          Fangio would look at McVay with Phillips, Lynn with Bradley, and Pederson with Schwartz, and see the results of having solid DC help.

            1. Good point. If they’re a losing team it won’t be the coaching. Time for Elway to pick up his end.

          2. Wow, that’s an amazing stroke of fortune for Fangio if it happens. From what I’ve heard and read, that’s hardly a done deal though Jack. Do you have an inside source?

            I didn’t realize Ed Donetell’s Bears contract ended this season. I figured he would most likely be in line to replace Fangio as the Bears next DC.

            But …. the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs is reporting that: “Donatell is out of a contract, so it might not be as easy as a simple promotion. Perhaps he leaves with Fangio and becomes Denver’s defensive coordinator? With that said, it sounds like Fangio might not get to make many personnel decisions after all.”

            Mike Florio is also reporting that: “while Mike Munchak may be the favorite in Denver, Vic Fangio is “so hell-bent” on being a head coach, he’s willing to do whatever John Elway wants, including letting Elway pick his staff”.

            But the fact of the matter is that, if it does happen, it would be a very, very unique situation considering Donatell has been working under Fangio for the last 7 seasons, and Donetell is also an experienced NFL DC. If Kyle Shanahan had been working with an offensive coach who also had experience as an OC for 7 straight seasons prior to becoming the 49ers HC, I’m sure he would consider bring that coach aboard as his OC. And he may hire an OC in the future.

            But come on Seb, McVay with Phillips is irrelevant. McVay is his own Offensive Coordinator, Phillips is a defensive coach. You can make an argument that Kyle Shanahan should have hired an experienced DC, but the fact that ike Kyle, McVay refuses to hand the offensive keys to someone else, and has been very successful acting as his own OC, only hurts your argument. Besides, there are significant differences between play calling, and installing offenses and defensive systems. Kyle Shanahan (and Sean McVay) is an innovator. His offensive system is regarded as one of the most complex in the history of the NFL. Vic Fangio is a fantastic defensive coach. He has a wealth of knowledge that comes with his incredible amount of experience. But Fangio is hardly an innovator, nor is his system considered complex. In fact, the beauty of his system is in it’s simplicity really, and how it allows his players to play fast, because they can rely more on their natural ability, athleticism and instincts, rather than having to think too much due to the complexity of the system and schemes.

            1. Godfather Fangio runs a 3-4/4-3 hybrid, and he usually mixes up his coverages, playing both man and zone principles with his underneath and deep defenders. His calling card is how adept he is at adjusting on the fly to counter the opponent….

              1. Yah, yah, I know who he is Razor. I had the privilege of watching his defense on a weekly basis, sometimes up close and personal, for years while he was a Niner. And I was VERY disappointed that Jed didn’t make Vic the HC when Harbaugh left. In fact, I thought Fangio was the heavyweight of that coaching staff!

                Most defenses are running some form of a hybrid these days, in order to adjust to their personnel, and Fangio is no different. But Fangio’s base defense is a “30” front, with 2-gap responsibility, at its core. When he was playing under Harbaugh, his defense lined up in a traditional 3-4 alignment on early downs, and a 4-3 under scheme most of the rest of the time. In fact, I thinke ran a 4-3 under more often than anything else. In coverage, Fangio prefers to run man, but will often combine man and zone concepts, mixing his coverage schemes. He’s known for being good at disguising coverages, and that’s one reason he likes his Safeties to be interchangeable.

                The most important positions on his defense are usually the OLB’s and ILB’s. And perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t like to blitz, so while he does like to disguise things a lot, he doesn’t run a bunch of exoctic blitzes. That’s why 49ers defenders would always rave about how fast they could play, because they always knew exactly what their assignments were, and didn’t have to think too much. And that’s why you rarely see a defender out of position in a Vic Fangio defense.

            2. 49, Sean McVay does have an OC. Jedd Fisch. Mcvay is too smart to not have an OC.Mcvay is so innovative, he saw the need to have an OC. The OC probably helps diagnose defenses, help instill discipline, aids in the play calling, and helps manage the clock. The OC probably stresses ball security, and reducing the unforced errors.
              .
              I was merely pointing out that a Coach that is known for being an offensive coach, also has a competent defensive coach. Phillips, along with Bradley and Schwartz, all were head coaches before. Phillips won a SB as the DC of the Broncos.
              .
              Fangio is smart, because he is getting Kubiak, who used to coach Keenum.
              .
              Yes, Fanfios allows his defenders to make plays, but he is the guy putting them into positions to have success. You wonder why none of the Bears opponents had receivers wide open and uncovered? Because Fangio covered all bases.
              .
              KS deems it unnecessary to have an OC. He is 4-12. Sean McVay deemed necessary to have an OC, and he is 13-3.

              2. Sebs-

                This idea of yours………..”McVay has an OC and he is 13-3. Meeaan and stupid Kyle, he has no OC and he is 4-12.”
                Implying that one is directly related to the other, when you know there are a myriad of reasons why 9ers are 4-12.
                Rams have more talent on their roster, period–but after pointing out the obvious, would you have any of the people on this blog believe that if they lost their starting QB and starting RB, they would still have a 13-3 record????? Do you ever read what you’ve said after you’ve put it down on paper, so to speak?????
                Ya know, Neil Young even admitted all that pot smoking addled his brain as he got older, took away his song-writing ability…………

              3. Saw, even KS admitted he should have won 3 more games. An OC may have helped him finish games.

    3. Actually CFB,

      sources have recently told Matt Barrows that the Arizona Cardinals were among multiple teams which asked permission to interview the 49ers current Run Game Coordinator Mike McDaniel for their OC openings, but have been denied by Kyle Shanahan, which shows just how valuable he is to Kyle and the 49ers. McDaniel is one of Kyle Shanahan’s right-hand guys. In fact, McDaniel is probably THE guy Kyle leans on the most when it comes to game planning, and if Kyle ever does decide to bring on an OC, Mike McDaniel might be the most likely candidate, by way of a promotion.

      In fact, if Kyle does decide bring on an Offensive Coordinator, I think it would have to be someone Kyle has a history with and has worked under him in the past, like Fangio and Donatell (if that happens).

  79. Some have wondered about whether it is the case of talented players or smart coaching being the factor between success and failure.
    .
    There can be very talented players, but if they have poor coaching, it might be hard to overcome the coaching.
    .
    If there is marginal talent, only smart coaching will allow them to succeed.
    .
    With marginal talent, poor coaching will doom them to failure.
    .
    With talented players and competent coaching, that is a recipe for success.

  81. Reports Kyler Murray will enter the NFL draft. Will this affect pick #2 in any way?

    It’s not (supposed) to be a hot draft for quarterbacks, but we’ve been surprised the last three years with quarterbacks rated late first to second round picks going high, with teams aggressively trading up to land their man (Wentz, Mahomes, Trubisky).

    1. Considering most scouts think Murray would be better off playing baseball, or changing positions at the NFL level, then the answer is likely no.

      1. Maiocco said that Kyler Murray changes everything. A QB hungry team will covet him, and his 4.38 speed. A true dual threat QB.
        .
        MM even said the Cards may want him, they may not be sold on Rosen, so Bosa may fall into their lap.

      2. Yah, it was a gross exaggeration when I said most scouts think Murray would be better off playing baseball or changing positions in the NFL, but I have a hard time believing any team would be willing to trade up to #2 to draft a 5’9″ QB. I think Murray is going to have more trouble as a pocket Passer at the NFL level, and we all know that running QB’s have auch higher risk of injury, especially when they only weigh 190 lbs. I’d put a 2nd round grade on Murray, but crazier things have happened.

        1. No wonder Grant did not want to speculate on the draft, because new players declaring will change all the rankings.
          .
          Brees and Wilson seem to do just fine. Murray is like Wilson because he has baseball skills.
          .
          Running QBs? I think that most QBs should be able to deliver the ball from the pocket, but also have enough speed and mobility to avoid the pass rushers. It would be a smart tactical move to restrict a mobile QB during the season, to lessen the possibility of injury, and then turn him loose during the playoffs.

          1. This reminds me of our debate regarding the Ducks’ little QB a couple years ago, Vernon Adams. Remember him Seb? The kid who, like I predicted, went undrafted. Adams never even got a shot in the NFL.

            I’m not saying Murrqy isn’t a better prospect than Adams, but boy is he tiny. We’ll see how big he is at the combine, but from what I understand, he’s closer to 5’9″ than 5’11”, and I certainly wouldn’t use a first round draft pick on a 5’9″ QB, and I think when the hype train slows down, he’ll go late round 1 at the earliest. We’ll see.

            1. 49, I remember your touting Connor Cook, too. You wrote lengthy tomes over him, and predicted stardom. How did that turn out?

          2. For the record Seb, I don’t know where you get your information but JEFF FISCH is the Rams’ Senior Offensive Assistant, and NOT the Rams’ Offensive Coordinator. HC Sean McVay is in charge of gameplanning, and calls all of the offensive plays on gameday, making him the de facto OC, just as Kyle Shanahan is the de facto OC for the 49ers, even though he has assistant coaches.

            1. So, does KS have a senior offensive assistant? Some one who could possibly help him win games?
              .
              KS has Mike Daniels as the run game coordinator, and Mike LaFleur as the passing game coordinator, but no senior offensive assistant, and no OC.

              2. Well, after watching him implode in the SB, and his inability to finish several games, I am not too impressed with KS.

  82. I wish to propose a trade. Niners should bundle players and get the 24th pick in the draft.
    .
    Raiders need DE, CB, WR, S, LB, RB and TE help. They will possibly pick up Allen or Ferrell at number 4 , because the Jets will probably go for an OT at number 3, since that is their biggest need to help Darnold.
    ,
    The Niners should offer 4 players for pick number 24, a 4 for 1 deal. They should offer Ahkello Witherspoon CB, Trent Taylor WR, Jaquiski Tartt S, and Jeff Wilson RB, for pick number 24. All of those players have been starters, and could upgrade the Raiders, or at least give depth.
    .
    it would be a win/win for both teams. Raiders could fill 4 needs, and the Niners would get another later first round pick. if not 24, then the Cowboys/Raiders pick.

  83. “I don’t think it’s possible to not be a fan of Isabella. His tape is just littered with excellent plays.”

    This is from Jonah Tuls twitter feed (he used to be with NDT Scouting which is now part of The Draft Network). Completely agree with him. One of my favourite WR prospects in this draft.

    Unfortunately I believe he has been assigned to the North squad for the Senior Bowl. Was hoping the 49ers staff would get to work with him.

    49ers will get to work with Deebo Samuel though. Looking forward to that.

      1. Geez Sebbie… If you want to see him, just Google him–or for something more personal ask the UCD Athletic Department for a meeting.

        1. Cassie, I want to see Doss play with the other Senior Bowl players.
          .
          I already googled his highlights.

    3. Isabella is small and not all that fast and yet he puts up ridiculous receiving numbers. I think he’s likely a slot only in the NFL but could be a guy to look at on Day 3 as he fits the Shanahan criteria of running good routes and being able to get open.

        1. I’ve checked a few sites and they have him in the mid 4.5 range. He says he’ll run in the 4.3’s we’ll see I guess. Either way his speed hasn’t hindered him. He’s a playmaker.

          1. He seems to have no problems running away from people from what I have seen. I think he’ll at least be in the 4.4s.

            Worth noting he was an elite sprinter (state champion 100m, 6.72s 60m dash). I think the 4.5s 40 is off.

            1. Depends on the film really. What really stands out to me is his quickness in and out of breaks and his body control. As I said no matter the 40 time, it certainly hasn’t stopped him from making plays. He looks a lot like Amendola when I watch him, but quicker.

              2. Yeah, agree with that. I really like him. I have said it before and will say it again, I think he will be one of the most productive WRs in the NFL out of this draft class.

  84. Generals walking out. Politicians going to jail. Stock market in the tank. Government shutdown. Damn are we great yet?

    1. I think Free Agency may be just as important to the Niners, in their rebuild, as the draft.

    2. Don’t even bother with the political stuff. It’s far too depressing to see what is happening and we aren’t going to solve anything here.

    3. Politicians SHOULD go to jail–for malfeasance, mis-appropriation of funds, perjury all day long, etc. etc.
      Thats a few of the 100’s.

  85. In regards to Armstead, I hope the team resigns him and extends him on something like a 3 year deal. That would limit his cap hit this season and keep the one strength of the team in place.
    However, if that is done Williams is an absolute no go as he would only provide a marginal upgrade to that unit.
    If the team stays at 2 Allen is the pick for me. He provides upside as a Linebacker and as Edge rusher in passing downs and the team needs help in both areas. Oddly enough if the team is looking at filling both needs he might be a better fit than even Bosa (I am not saying he is).

    That said if the team is only looking for an edge rusher they would be better off trading back and grabbing Polite if Bosa is not there IMO.

    1. Shoup, I agree, Armstead graded out well and he played while injured, so he is tough. He is a good team mate, and keeping him will help retain cohesion. There are more pressing needs than interior line with Armstead signed to an extension, and Allen or Ferrell are the logical choices. Bosa may still fall into the Niner’s lap.
      .
      I also agree about QW. They would have to trade Thomas to a 3-4 team, before drafting QW. 4 straight years of drafting an interior lineman is overkill.

    2. Shoup,

      I don’t disagree with the idea so much as I do with your belief of how much of an affect Williams would have on the unit. Williams would be a huge upgrade to what we have alongside Buckner. Armstead stayed healthy which was good to see but does not provide the push or force double teams the way Williams does. My first choice by a mile is Bosa, but failing that I’d see what I could get for Armstead or Thomas and take Williams or take a trade down if someone wants to move up for a QB.

      1. Armstead stayed healthy which was good to see

        He may require surgery on his broken hand.

          1. Point taken, however he sustained the same injury on Oct 15, 2017. That’s a concern, and I’d put his chances for injury in 2019 at 56% with 3 games missed. That’s why I think he’s in a similar position as Ward was this year. We’ll see….

            1. He’s shown he’s an injury risk, no doubt about it. I’d be surprised if the Niners extend him and there is a chance they could still cut him if they feel the depth is there to let him and his 9 mill go.

        2. He still played, so it showed his toughness. Kinda reminds me of Lott. He played in pain.
          .
          Hands heal. At least it is not and ACL.

      2. Rocket,

        I think that’s where we disagree. In my opinion Armstead is actually one of the better pass rushing DT’s in the NFL, as he provides a lot of pressures from the interior which have not yet translated into sacks.
        As I don’t see Williams being much of an upgrade (if not possibly a downgrade, at least initially) in terms of pass rush, his real value to this team would be as a run stuffer. That’s where my problem is… I do not believe in drafting run defenders early in the draft. I believe you can easily find someone that is a great run stuffer later on for far less money, and as such I would not allocate such a high value pick towards that end.

        Pass Rushers affect the game more, and thus are in higher demand, are harder to find, and cost more. So having one on a rookie contract, with the ability to extend him for an additional year, along with the franchise tag rights gives the team far more bang for the buck.

        Additionally, if the team doesn’t believe in Armstead they should not have bought out his option year and thus the pick would make more sense.

        1. Shoup,

          We can agree to disagree because I see Williams as a much better player than Armstead right now, never mind where they were coming out of College. It’s night and day to me, but I agree with the rest of your post here as far as not drafting run stuffers too early and the need for an outside rusher more than another interior DL. It’s the player that sways me in this case as I see Williams becoming a dominant DT who can do everything at a high level. Maybe the Cards will make it a moot point and take Williams #1 leaving Bosa for us or they trade out of the spot with a team who wants a QB. Could happen, not likely but there’s a chance at least.

  86. I have to laugh at the irony.
    .
    Steve Young on a podcast, said that they tied his legs together so he could not run. He intoned that a QB must be able to deliver from the pocket. He totally discounted any worth in being able to run. He says it is a pocket passing league, and will never change.
    .
    Steve Young does not comprehend that a player can be able to deliver from the pocket, but also be able to use his mobility to avoid the pass rushers, buy time to let his receivers to get open, and then deliver the ball on the run. He discounts the value of being able to convert third downs with his legs. He is so brainwashed, he forgets who he is.
    .
    Steve Young should think back, and understand why Bill Walsh traded for him. It certainly was not for his passing prowess. Steve Young himself will fully admit he stunk at passing in TB. Bill Walsh traded for an under performing, undisciplined QB with a 61 QBR, 11 TDs 21 ints, considered a bust.
    .
    Bill Walsh traded for Steve Young because of his LEGS. He saw that mobile QBs who can still deliver the ball from the pocket, will eventually change the league. Steve Young is dissing himself. Steve Young will be forever immortalized by that Lon Simmons call of his epic TD run. Sure, he also threw for 6 TDs in a SB, but running and passing should not be mutually exclusive. Having both attributes is a positive. Having only one is limiting.
    .
    Steve Young was fortunate. He got to sit behind a legend and learn for 4 years how to hone his craft. Bill Walsh said he had to beat out all of Young’s bad habits, then forge him into a totally different passer. Steve Young was blessed because Joe would build up a lead, and Walsh would let Steve do mop up duty, so he got to play with no stress.
    .
    Steve Young needs to change his tune and acknowledge mobile QBs like Kaep, Wilson, Luck, Mahomes, Watson, Jackson and now Kyler Murray, are the wave of the future, and dinosaurs like Brady, Rivers, and Brees are going extinct.
    .
    Steve Young needs to stop parroting Cosell, and be proud of the fact that he was following in the footsteps of Fran Tarkenton, another master at scrambling. Young will never be known as a pure pocket passer. He will be known for his scrambling ability, being a dual threat QB.

      1. Steve Young needs to stop listening to Sebbie and realize that he has far more football knowledge in his nail trimmings than Sebbie can ever hope to imagine!

        1. Steve Young just dissed himself. Declaring running QBs passe’ is just parroting Cosell.
          .
          Steve Young should be proud of his running skills. That skill is what made him so dangerous, and helped win a SB.
          .
          I just listened to a podcast, and that was my reaction to it. It is just my opinion, and just my interpretation.
          .
          Guess you think that tying a QBs legs together is smart. I do not.

            1. Steve Young can take it. I did not diss his abilities. I pointed out his own hypocrisy. He is known to be a mobile QB with scrambling abilities, not as a pure pocket passer. He did not earn his money solely from the pocket.
              .
              ‘Young in trouble. He gets away! He gets away AGAIN! He dives! Touchdown 49ers!’

          2. What could you teach Steve Young, Sebs?

            Your returning to your roots, Sebbs………….You know, …..”the earth is flat and whoever disagrees is filled with hate”. Then,….”like a moth to the flame”.

            I’m thinkin your bored and trying to stir it up—for a few chuckles of your own.

            1. I did nothing of that kind. Bill Walsh saw the potential of Steve Young, and Young’s career proved he was right. He also saw the flaws, and corrected them. Bill Walsh nurtured Steve Young, and he eventually supplanted Joe.
              .
              It was not Bill Walsh who tied Steve Young’s legs together. Listen to the podcast.

            2. Yeast,

              Some guys just doesn’t understand what Steve is saying.

              Steve isn’t against scrambling qb’s, he’s against scrambling qb’s that can’t play from the pocket… he understands that playing from the pocket is a necessity while scrambling is a luxury. Every great qb can play from the pocket, not every great qb can scramble… meaning that every great qb that is/was mobile can/could play from the pocket, and every mobile qb that couldn’t function in the pocket wasn’t great…
              (younger)Montana, Young, Rogers, Wilson, Tarkenton, McNabb etc… all were/are good in the pocket.
              While Aaron Brooks, Vick, Vince Young, Kaepernick, Kordell Stewart… were guys that struggled to function from the pocket.

              Steve, tied his legs so that he could learn to operate Walsh’s offense; to get the ball to Rice, Waters, Owens, etc. He wanted to be great… not just OK.

              1. ‘Where do you make your money? From the pocket.’
                .
                I submit to you, that many QBs can deliver from the pocket, but they can also get crushed in the pocket. Pass rushers can tee off to a spot and get to the QB if he is immobile.
                .
                Sure, it is safer to be protected in a pocket, and if a QB can make it to the playoffs safely by not rolling out or using his legs, fine. However, during the playoffs, a mobile QB can use his legs to avoid the pass rusher, buy time to let his receivers get open, and deliver the ball on the run. A mobile QB can extend drives by converting third downs with his legs.
                .
                Joe Montana set a record by throwing for over 300 yards, but also running for over 50 yards to win a SB. Steve Young became great because he used his arm, and his legs. Russell Wilson used his mobility to win a SB, and lost his next one by trying to make one last pass.

    2. ah the hubris now the sebster knows more than a hall of fame qb. how ever did the world turn before the mighty seb gave it direction

    3. Steve Young is aallll F’d up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He must dance to the tune that I am singing!

      You aint foolin nobody, Sebs!

      Heres another one you can use down the road…………”Rice was a VERY over-rated receiver, and here’s why……….”

        1. Gosh it disturbs me to see you, Gaston
          Looking so down in the dumps
          Every guy here’d love to be you, Gaston
          Even when taking your lumps
          There’s no man in town as admired as you
          You’re everyone’s favourite guy
          Everyone’s awed and inspired by you
          And it’s not very hard to see why
          No one’s slick as Gaston
          No one’s quick as Gaston
          No one’s neck’s as incredibly thick as Gaston’s
          For there’s no man in town half as manly
          Perfect, a pure paragon!
          You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley
          And they’ll tell you whose team they prefer to be on
          Who plays darts like Gaston
          Who breaks hearts like Gaston
          Who’s much more than the sum of his parts like Gaston
          As a specimen, yes, I’m intimidating
          My what a guy, that Gaston
          I needed encouragement
          Thank you, Lefou
          Well there’s no on as easy to bolster as you
          Too much? Yep
          No one fights like Gaston
          Douses lights like Gaston
          In a wrestling match nobody bites like Gaston
          When I hunt I sneak up with my quiver
          And beasts of the field say a prayer
          First, I carefully aim for the liver
          Then I shoot from behind
          Is that fair?
          I don’t care
          No one hits like Gaston
          Matches wits like Gaston
          In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston
          I’m especially good at expectorating
          Ptoooie
          Ten points for Gaston
          When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs
          Every morning to help me get large
          And now that I’m grown I eat five dozen eggs
          So I’m roughly the size of a barge!
          Ooh
          Who has brains like Gaston
          Entertains like Gaston
          Who can make up these endless refrains like Gaston
          I use antlers in all of my decorating
          Say it again
          Who’s a man among men
          Who’s the super success
          Don’t you know, can’t you guess?
          Ask his fans and his five hangers-on
          There’s must one guy in town who’s got all of it down
          And his name’s G A S T…
          I believe there’s another T
          It just occurred to me that I’m illiterate
          And I’ve never actually had to spell it out loud before
          Gaston

  92. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2814994-cam-newton-kirk-cousins-named-most-underrated-overrated-qb-in-defensive-survey

    “Newton received the most votes as the league’s most underrated quarterback, while Cousins topped the list of the most overrated ones.”

    “One Houston Texans defensive back provided an amusing answer when asked which QB was the most overrated. Per Aaron Reiss of The Athletic, when he was reminded the survey was anonymous, the DB responded: “Man, I don’t give a s–t. Blake Bortles.”

    1. That was a lot of money to pay someone who went 3-4 down the stretch and put up a measly 10 points in must-win Week 17 game against the Chicago Bears.

      This is news to Rocket…….

    2. Cousins will get some votes because of his contract, but he was not the reason for the Vikings problems. Their OL was a mess and they couldn’t run the ball. For the first half of the season the defense was porous as well. Cousins wasn’t perfect by any means – he really needs to protect the ball better in the pocket especially – but he had a pretty good season in spite of poor protection and being put in obvious long passing situations.

      1. At the Redskins he was always given a pass for the team’s record because it was always the fault of other facets of the team as to why they didn’t ever really get past mediocrity. The narrative at the beginning of the year was if Cousins can’t make it work with this Vikings team he won’t make it work anywhere. They were a pre-season favourite for a good reason. Now that they didn’t perform, it again is the fault of others? Case Keenum was able to make it work with pretty much the same supporting cast. At some point the arguments that Cousins is a stat filler start to ring true.

        1. I disagree. He was actually given the blame in DC more often than not much like some are doing now in Minnesota. Facts are facts though and Cousins numbers have been good while other facets of the teams he’s played on have been poor. Case in point is the defense in Minny giving up 90+ more points this season than they did last. The rushing game gaining 500 less yards and the Oline being far more porous due to having 3 different starters from the previous year due to injury and retirement. They also tragically lost their OL coach right before the season which didn’t help.

          Each season is it’s own entity and has no bearing on the previous or following one. It was not the same Minnesota team on the field or on the Coaching staff. Cousins had his struggles at times, but he played well enough for them to win a lot more games than they did if other areas of the team had been better.

  94. Just doing my part to add to this thread and get it up to 500 before Grant’s next post. Oh yeah, teams have inquired about hiring Mike McDaniel from the Niners. Could be a nice article there Grantster.

  95. Wow – My oldest son flies the military version of the Boeing 707 which was first rolled out in 1958. Still in service after all these years. But a professional stadium only has a life of….well….not so much! What a country. (meant to be a response to MWD’s interesting post above)

    1. Hell…the Pontiac silverdome had a better environment when it was abandoned then Levi’s does now!….Ha

  97. Hmm, looks like Zac Taylor, the QB coach of the Rams, may be the front runner for the Bengals HC position.

    1. It’s done. Taylor is the next HC of the Bengals. That leaves only the Dolphins without a coach. I think older coaches better start coaching their ass off, or they’re going to get sacked in favor of coaches under forty. Mike Zimmer, Bill O’Brien (way overrated), Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn are on notice. Win, or some whiz at Madden 2018 will take their gigs.

  98. Giants changed their stadium name today to Oracle Stadium from ATT Park. Ugh. Maybe Larry will buy us a home run hitter. :)

    1. They should poach a Japanese National Team player.
      .
      They should not look for switch pitchers, they should look for switch hitters. ;p

  99. With all these jobs being divvied out, I am absolutely shocked and dismayed that Coach/GM G Cohn, considering his unparalleled grasp of the sport, has not been offered a job in the NFL. Coach, GM, draft specialist, president of operations, assistant, football blower upper, water boy, jock strap collector, gatorade dispenser, anything. Were talking about someone with “infinite” knowledge of the sport. Very puzzling. ;-}

    2. I think if Bill Walsh was alive, he would create a fellowship program for talented-yet-overlooked sports reporters aspiring for coaching and front-office positions…..

  100. Say it isn’t so.
    Did Josh Allen really ask who Ronnie Lott is?
    That might bump my like for him down a bit.

    1. IIRC, Allen was born after Lott retired. But maybe colleges should create a “Football studies” major for their student-athletes where they can earn about NFL greats?

      1. I was born after The 70’s and I knew who the greats were. Playing football your whole life you’d think you know who Ronnie Lott is. There were greats and then there were legends. And legends are never forgotten. Even if you never seen them play. IJS

    3. Josh Allen thinks he should be the first pick of the draft, so maybe he is basing that on his miniscule knowledge of other players.

  101. Hey Sebbie…

    Interested in what you’re thinking about recent coaching changes across the league–many new coaches being young(er) offensive types, some with decent credentials, some with ‘OK’ experience. It seems many owners want the next McVay….like, NOW! Couple this trend with your brilliant dissertation on today’s emerging QB stars–mobile gazelles with (mostly) rocket arms vs. dinosaurs like Rivers, Brees, et al…

    Consequently, what will the NFL look like two-three years from now, and where will the 9ers be in that mix? Mind you, the 9ers aren’t likely to bend to your will. You know, the York thing and all.

    What say you Sebbie? Feel free exceed the 1K word threshold.

    1. First of all, the Good ol’ Boys Club is following the political climate, and 5 black coaches were fired with 4 white coaches replacing them. Yet, the league is 78% black. Of course, the ownership is 97% white.
      .
      Bill Walsh had a minority mentoring program, but that is being dismantled. They had the Rooney Rule, but that has become a farce, and is largely being ignored. 81 out of 85 defensive players think Kaep should be allowed to play.
      .
      Racism, intolerance and homophobia is alive and well, but if a player is talented enough, they allow him to beat up women. What a profile in courage.
      .
      Kyler Murray, with his skillsets, should be the number one pick in the draft, but they diss him as being too small and pontificate that he should switch positions. Typical black QB bias. They even tell him to stick to baseball. Can’t have black QBs dominating the league, that would look bad.
      .
      So now, they are giving HC jobs to LB coaches who were interim OCs for half a season, and fired Head Coaches who were college OCs, ignoring the many other more qualified coaches who deserve consideration. Gase was fired, then quickly rehired, prolonging the coaching merry go round.
      .
      Matt Lafleur has never won anything, has a short experience as an OC, and was handed a Head Coaching job. KS flamed out spectacularly in the SB, but gained a Head Coaching job, and has proceeded to go 10-22.
      .
      So, what will happen in a couple years? the Ownership, Front Office, and coaching will be getting more lily white, while black QBs will be told to become WRs, or even change sports.

      1. Sebbie… Remind me again, who was the head coach for Atlanta in SB LI? Too, who coached the Falcons defense?

        1. Ks should never have called that play where Ryan took a 7 step drop, and was strip sacked, giving the Pats a huge break and shifted the momentum. If KS had just called for running the ball, both Dan Quinn and Richard Smith would have won a SB ring.

          1. Oh that’s right. Thanks! The Falcons DID have a head coach, and they DID have a defensive coordinator.

            1. AND KS imploded in the most important game of his life. Then doubles down and said he would so the same thing again.
              .
              Yup, his inability to finish games shows he will do the same thing again.

              1. Yup. Shovel as much blame as possible on one individual when others had their fingers in the outcome as well.

                Still blaming Nessa for diverting Kaep’s attention from football?

              2. Yup, she is the one who bought him the Castro shirt and pig socks.
                .
                She is the one who compared an owner to a Django Unchained character.
                .
                She is the one who told him that voting was useless, and a waste of time.

              3. Thanks for your honesty Sebbie. Your conclusion: Kaep can’t think for himself.

    2. No team will end up with the next “McVay”. He walked into a ready made offense.. No new head coach has an offense like the rams had. They already had the pieces. off the top of my head, the best player out here that’s gotten a new coach this year is Aaron Rodgers. Yes he is a great an, but his RB isint on par with Todd Gurley, Adams is comparable to Woods but Cooks is way better than the packs 2nd receiver. Bottom line there is no next mcvay this year.

      1. McVay has greatly benefited from Wade Phillips. None of the new young HCs will get the talent, or the savvy veteran coaching help like McVay did. They will get the KS treatment, with similar results.
        .
        Only Fangio, who will get former HC Kubiak, will have a solid coaching staff.
        .
        I agree, Rodgers is great, but there is a paucity of talent surrounding him.

  102. Be careful what you wish for Cas! Last time I read one of those Seb authored diatribes I knodded off and hit my forehead on my coffee cup! ;-/

      1. Think about the possibilities!

        Kaep backs up Jackson. Jackson takes the Ravens to the AFC Championship game where he’s injured. Kaep steps in and wins the game.

        At the Super Bowl, the Ravens square off against the 49ers who are leading by a field goal at the end of the fourth quarter. With 30 seconds to go, Kaep marches the Ravens to the 5 yard line where Roman instructs him …to throw four consecutive fades to …. Crabtree in the end zone!

        1. Or, JH does not call a time out just before Kaep strolls into the end zone, and he takes the league by storm, again.

  104. Naw, 81 out of 85 players say that Kaep should be allowed to play. 20% of those think Kaep should replace Bortles.

        1. If Gruden ‘wants to win’ (your phraseology), Kaep would certainly start, no?

  106. “If I were Lynch, I would sign Jadeveon Clowney, who is a fantastic run defender along with being a good pass-rusher. He would be a great asset to defend against Todd Gurley, David Johnson, and the Seahawks’ rushing offense while also helping to rush the passer. The 49ers should then draft Bosa for the other side to sandwich the excellent DeForest Buckner. That combination would suddenly leave San Francisco with a defensive line capable of handling the Rams and the Seahawks.”

    Read more: http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2019charlie.php#ixzz5cKEfxswf

    For the 3 games a year that both are actually healthy enough to be on the field together it would be a potent combination. Too bad it would likely be mostly one or the other out there playing from game to game.

    1. Before this season Bosa had missed one game in two seasons. and the injury he had this year is not a long term problem. Clowney has missed 3 games in the past 3 seasons. You are doing a great Trump impression here.

        2. It happens. Nelson is a hell of a player and he flattened Clowney on the play. Doesn’t change the fact Clowney is a very good player and if available – which I doubt – would be somebody the 9ers would have to consider signing.

  107. Sorry to hear that Bryce Love tore his ACL in the Big Game. It may be a blessing in disguise. He’ll probably fall to 5-6th rounds and be hopefully picked by a team with an OC who can really use him optimally, rehab for most of the first season.

    It will be easy to second guess is return to the Farm for another season where the O Line performed well below expectation. But he did improve as a back this season, especially in pass pro. He also completed his pre-med studies and graduated. Good luck to him.

    1. I feel bad for him and it’s a shame, but it underlines why players and RB’s especially, should go pro as soon as they are eligible. Love wasn’t going to improve his stock this season. He was highly regarded after his Jr. year and going back was just putting more wear and tear on the tires while also putting him in position to suffer an injury.

      Hopefully he recovers and has a great career.

  108. Sebbie…

    You’ve established an interesting class of NFL QBs–dinosaurs. Of the four games coming up this weekend, which teams are led by dinosaurs, and which are led by freshly-anointed wunderkind? Are any QBs somewhere in between, or just dinosaurs and wunderkind?

    1. Cassie, you seem to want to troll me. Maybe you should just answer your own questions and let me comment on your screeds.

      1. C’mon, who are the dinosaurs? And technically I’m not a dinosaur so don’t include me.

  109. Cassie, you keep reminding me of the stench of Baalke. That stench seems to linger, even on the Niners.
    .
    Paraag was a willing henchman of Baalke. JL even had to apologize for his continued leaking of smears against Kaep.
    .
    This upcoming draft, JL should banish Paraag from the draft room. Paraag, who manned the phones, fomented those bad trade ups. Paraag was probably the instigator of the Foster trade up, and let the Seahawks, a division foe, take advantage of Paraag’s desperation to get any deal done. Paraag wanted to be a kingmaker to show how powerful he was, but in hindsight, just looked like a clueless twit, making terrible trade ups. Foster, CJB, Joe Williams? The Street ACL pick? How does Paraag still have a job? He should be kicked out of the draft war room and told to stick to the contracts. I would rather have Joan in accounting in there, over Paraag.
    .
    From the start, Paraag started the negotiations from a level of weakness. Jed’s toady was trying to be on equal footing with other team’s GMs. JL should let Martin Mayhew, a former GM, talk with the other GMs, on a level playing field. He should stress that he wants to facilitate win/win situations. He should make full value of that second pick, and deal from a position of strength. Luckily, there are several teams desperate for a QB, so by trading back, the Niners may garner a boatload of picks, and still get the player they originally coveted. Other GMs would respect Mayhew, and he would be hard to be taken advantage of, unlike Paraag, who was so desperate to make a deal, he made terrible ones. The Niners need to stop making so many unforced errors, and they should begin by negating Paraag’s influence.
    .
    Paraag and his ANALytics should be used as a tool, but JL should go with his gut, and not let some flunky dominate the decision making process. Drafting is an inexact science, and JL should emulate Bill Walsh, and his methodology. Look at Bill Walsh’s last draft. Dr York went with Paraag and his anal lytics over Walsh, and they have not won a SB since. JL should rely on his many years of playing, watching drafts unfold in Denver, his experiences in the booth and going into team’s locker rooms as an analyst. Then, maybe JL could find another Joe or Jerry. Some may blame KS for CJB and Joe Williams, but I think Paraag convinced KS that those players graded out so well, they were worth trading up for. Paraag was certainly responsible for Street, a Baalke ACL player.
    .
    JL should rely more on Martin Mayhew, and Adam Peters, because they are shrewd, savvy personnel men. Kittle, Trent Taylor, Colbert, Pita, and Julian Taylor were all late round picks, so JL should rely more on his scouts, too.
    .
    On draft day, Jed and Paraag should take Kawakami to the French Laundry, for a nice, relaxing meal. On the second day, Jed and Paraag should go fishing for suckers. On the third day, Jed should be allowed to pick the second to last pick in the draft. His Uncle Eddie got to have input with the last player of the draft in the 7th round, IICRC.
    .
    Some day the stench of Baalke will dissipate. Remove Paraag and remove the stench. Hope this is long enough for you, Cassie.

  112. Looks like the blame game arrow has squarely landed on “injuries” for the lost 2018 season.

    1. Well they were a very big reason. Not sure if Ferg deserved to lose his job, but it seems like a few teams have been firing their training staffs lately.

      1. Yeah it was. But making the athletic training staff culpable for it is an interesting move. Same with Hafley re DB issues.

        Makes me wonder if this is borne from a belief they can do better… or a feeling they need to make some changes for the sake of optics.

  113. Scangarello is being interviewed for the OC position at Denver. Maybe KS should give him the OC position with the Niners to retain him.
    .
    Guess Kubiak did not like the offensive philosophy of Fangio, and wanted his cronies.

    1. Scangarello is limited to coaching up dinosaurs Sebbie…thus becoming a dinosaur himself.

      Fangio? Yes, I agree. You’re guessing.

      1. Elway may be targeting Mullens, because Fangio said that he saw Keenum while at Minnesota, and did not give praise. Getting Mullens and Scangarello would be a coup for the Broncos.

        1. So, what do the Broncos give up for ‘I’m not a dino‘ Mullens? Maybe the 9ers should throw in another 7 or 8 players and get the entire Denver draft, plus V. Miller.

          Does Fangio read your posts?

          On your 5th Lagunitas this afternoon?

          1. Fangio is too busy to read blogs. Maybe after he assembles a coaching staff and makes assessments, watches the Combine, makes more assessments, then strategizes about free agency.

      2. And…………….my sources tell me he’s filled with hate!!!!!!!!!!!! (Scranymello, that is)

  114. The Cardinals just hired Vance Joseph as their defensive coordinator. General manager Steve Keim had said he wanted a veteran defensive coordinator to pair with Kingsbury, who has no NFL coaching experience and will focus on offense. Hmm. The only difference between the 49ers and the Cardinals is that Shanahan has had no NFL HEAD COACHING experience but then I just might be splitting hairs. Hard to believe that the Cardinals FO can see what some here think is a very obvious problem with us. Too many moving parts. (moving up the learning curve)

    2. You are splitting hairs and logic for that matter. Kingsbury has never Coached in the NFL. Shanahan had Coached a long time in the NFL. Not only does Kingsbury not have NFL experience, but he doesn’t have a lot of Coaching contacts either which is why Keim likely hired Joseph.

  117. I still think Gruden will up 2 firsts for Bosa, so he will get his replacement for Mack.
    .
    Then, the Niners will take advantage of the dire needs of QB hungry teams, and trade back. Jax will want to leapfrog over the Giants, TB, Cards and even the Jets to get the QB they covet. Niners at 7, still get the pass rusher they covet. Maybe Haskins, maybe even Kyler Murray.
    .
    Jax trades up to number 2, and give up number 7, their second, 4th and a 2020 second round pick.
    .
    Then, the Niners make a blockbuster trade. The Niners trade away Mullens, Trent Taylor, Jeff Wilson, Ahkello Witherspoon, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas and Sheldon Day. They receive a second round pick, and Von Miller, Bradley Roby and Shaquill Barrett. A ten player deal, so that should make Cassie happy.
    .
    Von Miller and his mother have burned some bridges, so it is best to move on. Fangio will get his QB, and 2 offensive weapons to help the running and passing game. Solomon Thomas is the replacement for Miller, and I expect Fangio to be able to utilize him correctly in a 3-4 scheme. He would also receive 2 interior linemen to shore up the run defense, and Witherspoon would replace Roby.
    .
    Both teams would benefit from this trade, and that second round pick will help the Niners in the draft. It would be a win/ win situation for both sides, and a bold move that may propel them into the playoffs.
    .
    Niners would end up with pick number 7, 3- second round picks, a third, 2- fourth round picks, a 6th and 7th round picks. They would also have a 2020 second round pick.
    .
    The Colts traded back, got 3 second round picks, and are poised to possibly play for the title. Niners would get Von Miller their pass rusher, and a boatload of picks.
    .
    Just some rainy day ruminations. No beers yet, too early, Cassie.

      1. Puff, Puff.
        .
        Huffing? What is that? You sound like an expert at it.
        .
        Maybe that is why you have such bad breath.

  118. The 49ers have denied permission to talk to Scangarello. Not a good look to deny assistants the chance at advancing their careers.

    1. I would be shocked if Shanny didn’t talk to these guys before making the decision. And if they really wanted the opportunity I would be surprised if Shanny would deny them. But, I guess it is possible.

      As one of the beat guys tweeted, if the team is successful next year these guys will be in demand for more than just OC roles.

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