On the 49ers bye week to-do list: rest, heal up and for God’s sake fix the offensive line

Posted By on November 16, 2020

Here’s a familiar sight. Nick Mullens getting hit by an unblocked Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty images.

While it is always fun (and easy) to pile on the quarterback after a loss, I’m sure they are plenty of people doing that. So I’d like to go in a different direction.

Following the sound thumping the Saints put on the 49ers Sunday, the team gets some R & R. With the bye week, they will have time to heal up, take a break, and re-commit to the season.

And, hopefully for God’s sake, to do something about the offensive line. Everyone understands this is a patchwork group that has lost not one, but two, starting centers and has been rotating players in and out all year.

But just take some numbers from the Saints game (per Pro Football Reference). The Niners gave up nine tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, two sacks, a quarterback pressure that led to an interception, and a failed fourth and one.

Or go back to the Green Bay game where Nick Mullens was hit five times, sacked once, threw an interception under heavy pressure, and gave up a fumble on a strip-sack.

And stay with us here because we’re building up a point. It all goes back to the Seattle game that started this little three-game, 0-3 march of misery. That game says a lot about where the 49ers are now and where they are likely to end up.

A little background . . . you remember that coming in, Seattle was one of the least effective pass defenses in the NFL. A big reason was a lack of a pass rush.

And as you will recall, the 49ers started out relatively well. The defense made some stops and although the offense didn’t capitalize right away, it looked like a reasonably close game. With about two minutes left in the half, the Seahawks were ahead 13-7 and Jimmy Garoppolo was 9-14 for 84 yards and an interception.

According to The Athletic’s David Lombardi, from that point until he left with a recurrence of his ankle injury in the third quarter, Garoppolo dropped back to pass seven times and Seattle blitzed on six of them. Garoppolo was sacked once and Lombardi calculates the plays accounted for -18 yards.

That was the game that set the pattern. Knowing they had a poor pass rush, Seattle started to blitz and struck gold. They had three sacks — two by Bobby Wagner who came up the middle untouched on one — eight QB hits and according to ESPN stats, “put pressure” on the quarterback(s) on 17 of 45 dropbacks. Sop over a third (37.8 percent) of the times a San Francisco dropped back, he was under pressure.

Since they are no dummies, other teams watched the video and got the message – put the pressure on the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan knew what was going to happen after that Seattle game.

“When you don’t make them pay for blitzes,” he said, “guys are going to keep bringing it.”

And not only are the 49ers not making them pay; they are handing out free tickets. It had to be galling to watch the tape from the New Orleans game and see Chauncey Gardner-Johnson get to Mullens untouched on a safety blitz – on two consecutive plays.

No one even accounted for CGJ as he sacked Mullens on one play and then got in Mullens’ face to force an incompletion.

Full pressure shouldn’t be a surprise at this point. Mullens and Garoppolo are averaging a little over eight blitzes a game according to Pro Football Reference. Stats say they’ve been hit while passing 46 times.

That’s got to take a toll. And if you’d like some numbers, interceptions are always the by-product of successful pressure. The 49ers have thrown 11 picks, tied for the third most with New England and behind Eagles (12) and Broncos.

Not that you need to be told, but good teams throw fewer interceptions. And, no surprise, there’s a correlation between good teams and giving up fewer sacks. The Steelers have only surrendered ten sacks, the Packers 11, and the Saints 13.

And just to be clear. This isn’t a matter of “hanging in there” or getting a pass off quickly. OK, there are some times when they could get it off quicker, but an awful lot of the time the rusher is on the QB before he has a chance. And it seems once a game it is a blind-side, head-snapping shot from a full-tilt defender.

When we say those hits “take a toll,” it isn’t bumps and bruises. Mullens earned two roughing the passer penalties and one was direct head-to-head contact. What happened to the NFL’s enforcement of targeting? Disqualification is still in the rule book. Why isn’t it enforced?

And not to throw any shade, but it almost looked like the Saints were OK with the 15-yard penalty if they had a chance to put the quarterback out. The Saints were called for five penalties in the game. Two for illegal shots on the quarterback and another for helmet-to-helmet contact with head lowered on Kendrick Bourne.

You know what they say Saints  –  you’re either coaching it or you’re allowing it.

Besides, no need to break the rules. You can get to the 49ers’ quarterbacks the old-fashioned way. Just bring the heat.

 

This article has 388 Comments

  2. The Saints would never cheat!!! And yes, the Niners front line is porous making any QB, not of the new mobile breed, susceptible to severe punishment making it Breatherd Time. The issue is exacerbated by injuries in the run game limiting the ability to scheme and hide the flaws. Once behind when reliant on the passing game we revert to the weakness in the offensive line.

    Love the drafts but anyone who thought Wesburg back is an idiot, and I fault Lynch for not addressing an issue clearly below NFL standards. This mistake reveals who runs the team and the draft, Mr. Shanahan thought he could address the issue by the scheme, and Lynch, unfortunately, bought into it.

    It looks to me like the NFL is anathema to kicking players out of the game unless the player could be charged with mayhem. Long time fan, good to see you around.

  4. I was frustrated to see 3-4 saints defensive players waiting for our running backs when they tried running up the middle. On a couple of replay shots, our Olinemen weren’t even in the picture.
    We definitely need to draft a Center next year and maybe a FA as well.

    We need to find another hidden gem like Mostert at the RB spot. The Shanahan scheme requires RB’s with an explosive first step which has been sorely missing this year.

    We also need to draft our next QB to take the wheel if Garoppolo struggles early next year.
    But, Health is our greatest hurdle.

    1. Health and now being predictable. Shanny called a great 1st quarter then became so one dimensional. I know this scheme is predicated on the run but lately, he takes zero shots in the 20-30 yard passing range.
      Some of have said it’s because of the QB. Well now you have made it that much easier for the defense to defend.
      You still got to take some shots. When was the last time we hit a home run throw and catch?

      1. Prime, what a classic post!

        I love the fact that, when Kyle doesn’t lean on the run game, and the Niners lose, he gets blamed for not sticking with the run game. And when he sticks to the run game, and the Niners lose, he gets blamed for sticking with the run game.

        Armchair QB, anyone? lol

        Could the fact that teams can scheme to take way our run game because, due to injuries at RB and poor QB play, even a novice armchair Defensive Coordinator can look like a genius?
        I mean, if you don’t fear an opponents passing attack, it sort of makes things harder on your offense and easier on opposing defense.

        1. No balance. Sure it worked last year against Minnesota and Green Bay in the playoffs but what happened in the Super Bowl?
          No one loves the running game more than me but it’s a passing league. You have to take some shots downfield if you have the personnel or not.

        2. BTW, actually Beatherd and Mullens both took shots downfield …. unfortunately they were both doing their best Jimmy G. impersonation!

          In 2020, a good coach can do a lot to mask his team’s deficiencies, even with injuries, save for one position … the all important QB position! Unfortunately, if you have an offense decimated with injuries, and you also don’t have a very good QB, you end up with the 2020 version of the 49ers.

          1. “ BTW, actually Beatherd and Mullens both took shots downfield …. unfortunately they were both”

            2 total! That’s not enough. Honestly I’m starting to think Shanny has mailed it in and the tank is on.

              1. Honestly I don’t care who we get. As long as it’s a guy who can make all the throws, stay healthy and get better every year and compete against Murray and Wilson.
                Trask checks all those boxes from what I’ve seen against SEC competition.
                I think Wilson does as well just not against tough competition.

              2. It’s gonna come down to what Shanny wants. Does he still believe this is a pocket passing league or does he believe as I do that it’s trending towards a hybrid passing league. A guy that can stand in the pocket and deliver throws with accuracy and timing from under center, and a guy that can threaten with his legs and throw from different angles with pinpoint accuracy off schedule….

              3. I agree Razor. What I don’t believe is all this hype around Kyler Murray.
                Once defensive coordinators figure out how to contain this guy and start hitting him(Street’s clean hit on Brees type) tackles, he will not be running free and throwing without concession.

              4. Razor,
                Not any slight against you, but the word “tank” is one that I’ve come to dislike on many levels as it relates to sports.

                A team (though they won’t admit to it) that tanks for the sole purpose of netting a high draft or specific player, sets a damaging precedent to the current culture of winning.

                I can’t help but to wonder how players that go out every week and give 100 % and sacrifice their bodies to win feel about their respective teams taking on a tank approach.
                Lynch and Shanahan have built a culture of winning. I’d hate to see it dismantled by tanking. But, this is just my personal view.

              5. No ones going to admit to “tanking” per se, but when you see the rotation at RG, Brunskill taking over the pivot, Moore starting at SS, Harris at LB; it means they are evaluating for next year. The reason players cannot allow that to eat into their culture is because every snap is a resume moving forward….

              6. Yep, 49ers are now in evaluation for next season mode. As you say they won’t admit it, and to be fair they probably are still hoping to make the playoffs this year, but deep down they know this season has gotten away from them and they need to start giving guys live reps to see what they have moving forward.

              7. They have to be convinced that the quarterback they’re choosing in this draft can make an average team or an above average team better not only by their play but by their leadership as well….

            2. There are a few problems with this narrative.
              1. We don’t know how many shot plays were called vs attempted. In the past Garcia ripped Jimmy for not throwing to the shot play receiver who had single coverage. (I think we know he didn’t feel confident making that throw with his ankle.)
              2. We Don’t know the route combinations that were called and if/why deeper routes were not targeted.
              3. For longer developing routes qb’s typically need time… and we know that is something our oline has not been giving them.
              There are too many unknowns to simply blame the play calling on.

              1. Considering the complexity of Shanny’s offense, my guess is that on each play with 3 WR sets, one of them has to be running a route 20 yards from the line of scrimmage.
                I would think to spread the defense if anything else.
                If it’s Shanny not calling them
                or the QB not taking the chance, either way this offense is becoming too easy to defend.

  5. This isn’t opinion, this is factual information. With Jimmy Garoppolo starting, Kyle Shanahan’s record is an impressive 24-7. When any other hand-picked Shanahan QB is behind center, the 49ers are 5-23. That level of failure is enough to get most coaches fired. Thankfully, Kyle Shanahan has had Garoppolo around to keep him afloat. Before the 49ers dump Garoppolo, GM John Lynch should have a real conversation with Shanahan about what a fresh start would mean for him and this organization

    1. It is crazy to talk about dumping JG. He has been good and they have won a lot of games with him. Their biggest need is the o line. This should be obvious and dramatically affects the QB. If we get enough players healthy we can win some games but in the off season they need to fix the offensive line.

      1. This blog is past peak craziness which it reached when Grant was honing his hot take artistry …

    1. Farewell to the NFL
      Dear NFL, I have loved you my entire life. The joy and happiness you have provided to me and my family is immeasurable. Game days were much more than just football for us. Our Sunday routine my entire childhood consisted of waking up, going to church, and then going to my grandparents, aunts/uncles, or them coming to our house to have lunch together and watch 49er games. During my early childhood, the 49ers were absolutely terrible – but we still cheered them on every game. One of the happiest memories of my life was enjoying the 49ers win over the Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship game. I still remember jumping so high I almost hit the ceiling when Dwight Clark made The Catch. I still remember all of the cheering and screaming and my aunt crying when the game was finally over. I remember no one giving the 49ers a chance to win against Marino and the Dolphins in 1984 and how happy I was when the 49ers absolutely destroyed them. I remember my heart falling when Montana threw a pass that should have been picked and then coming right back and hitting John Taylor for the game winning TD against the Bengals in the Superbowl. I remember my intense dislike for Deion Sanders when he was with the Falcons and then loving him when he joined the 49ers. I remember the beauty and artistry of the 49ers offense under Steve Young in 94. I remember the horror of the Terry Donahue, Dennis Erickson, Mike Singletary 49er years and then the return to prominence under Harbaugh. I haven’t seen every game live but I have watched every game for at least 25 years and probably more. I’ve passed my love of the NFL on to my kids and we routinely enjoy the games together. It is because of my love and all the memories that I hung on to football even when football left me. The NFL and 49ers allowed Colin Kaepernick to kneel during the National Anthem because they claimed he had free speech rights in a move I found highly offensive and disrespectful to our flag, our service members, and our country. Yet when 5 police officers were assassinated at a BLM march in Dallas the NFL refused to allow the Cowboys to wear decals honoring the slain officers. So much for free speech. I’m ashamed to admit that I was forced into a position to pick the NFL or my love for America and I chose the NFL. I continued watching even when many family and friends chose to tune out the NFL. I am no longer able to continue being a fan of the NFL. The straw that finally broke the camels back are the rules that are making NFL football unwatchable. Against the Saints, Kentavius Street was flagged for a personal foul for tackling Drew Brees. The call entirely changed the momentum of that game. The call was an absurdity that is now common in NFL games. NFL rules have removed common sense from officiating and made one position almost untouchable. NFL Football is now 10-man football with one all time QB that is 2 hand touch above the waist. The rule book is so complex it’s impossible for any person to be consistent in the application of the rules. NFL games are now more about the referees than the players. I no longer find NFL football enjoyable to watch. So it is with tremendous sadness that I must say farewell to the NFL. I now choose my patriotism over your grotesque product and your political support for a movement I find highly exploitive and damaging to our country. Goodbye NFL.

      1. Houston, I feel your pain. I know longer devote much time to the NFL. Use to be Sunday was NFL day, ‘do not disturb’ is no longer the case. I hear what you are saying, lots in my family have already tuned the NFL out, I only watch the Niners now. The fake crowd noise and the fake people in the stands does nothing but diminish the product further, its almost like a sitcom. Later bud.

      2. I’m ashamed to admit that I was forced into a position to pick the NFL or my love for America and I chose the NFL

        who forced you? – lol

        this is madness – anytime you bet against America you lose – ask your daddy Trump

        78M strong Mf’er

        1. 78M, of which a large portion are weak minded people who need hand outs instead of self reliance to function and support themselves. That makes up 90% of your 78M.

          The other 10%- Mega Billionaires and Hollyweirds that have lost all sense of reality of the common hard-working middle to upper middle class family that really supports this country.

          It’s great these 1%ers want to hand out everything to everyone- they wouldn’t even know it if 25% of their wealth went missing.

          That leaves the backbone of America squarely in the middle. You know- the ones who make 1 cent above the median income in their area. Guess what? Studies show that anyone making a penny over the median income in their area is overwhelmingly probable to be a Republican. Yeah this group includes those who started a business at their own risk, or alternatively were the ones you morons referred to as “nerds” back in the day in school. They now make up the hard working backbone of this country and in a sense have been abandoned by both parties.

          Ever wonder why that is?

          1. 90% weak minded needing a handout? 10% mega billionaires ? i call bs. i am a 40 year union member who has always voted democrat . i am neither weak minded or a billionaire i just don’t agree with you.but rather than resorting to name calling i will just call your remarks bs

            1. Isn’t it time for another “Union Break”?

              If not, at least you morons are great at breaking the backbone of California’s economy.

              Let’s talk after your unionized pensions are costing each of us an arm and both legs and our children have to pay for it all.

              Moron.

              1. you ass my pension is from the private sector .every hour i worked i contributed to my plan.no taxpayer money involved. before you call someone a moron look in the mirror

          2. Another troll burner account, spewing nonsense.
            .
            Democrats believe in democracy. The Republicans have become a cult.
            .
            As a proud Democrat, I have worked hard all my life, raised a family and paid my taxes. I believe in honor, truth and justice, and hope America can get back to being a shining beacon of hope, not a cruel, ignorant hate filled oppressor, putting children in cages. You think Nazis are fine people.
            .
            You think Dems love handouts, but the Republicans love them more, especially corporate handouts. Looks like Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall, so his last desperate ploy is to give away more national resources to the Republicans. Talk about stealing. Ike was right.
            .
            Yes, you should associate with this cut and run rube. Withdrawing troops because Putin ordered him to do that. His legacy of cowardice and venality has hit a new low.
            .
            So, there is a new sheriff in town, all of Trump’s crimes will be exposed, and Don the Con will have to flee or be locked up. Thankfully, 78 million patriotic Americans have stood tall, and have stopped the narcissistic megalomaniac loser from ruining this country. Democracy works, and the majority have spoken.
            .
            Then, hopefully, all the decent Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, can work together to build a better tomorrow. All of the cons will be exposed, and many Republicans will finally wake up and see how they were appeasing a dictator, working against their own self interests.

            1. You’re such a freaking moron. You do realize that United States had the fourth highest corporate tax rate on the planet don’t you? Higher than all but one socialist European countries.

              The 2017 corporate tax cut, if you can call it that, finally brought the United States down into the middle of the pack, and on par with Europe’s average corporate tax rate.

              What an idiot you are! Do you think Corporations are people? That money has to change hands again to get into a human’s wallet, at which point it can be taxed again.

              Idiot.

              And don’t stop there. Your argument as a Democrap complaining about pulling troops and stop policing the rest of the world is rich. I thought you were consistently complaining about defense spending and warring with other nations?

              Seems to me all the wars you thought Trump was going to start never happened. Instead he pulled us out of conflicts.

              Read your comments from 2016.

              Idiot.

              1. Posters who call others morons and idiots, are just self defining.
                .
                Trump is cutting and running. He left the Kurds, our allies, hung out to dry, twisting in the wind. Cowards flee. Brave people fight for freedom and justice.
                .
                Believe it or not, the United States had huge economic growth, with the old corporate tax rates, so there was no need to lower it. Trickle down does not work, no matter how many times you insists it does.
                .
                Bush lowered the tax rate, and the economy tanked.
                .
                Since you probably love Ronald Reagan, I propose setting the tax rates at Reagan era levels.
                .
                Your simplistic arguments define you as a simpleton. Taxes are necessary to fund important, crucial social services. No taxes, no services. Taxes help fund the police and military. They fund schools and hospitals. They help fund roads and infrastructure. No taxes may be preferable to you, but you will be the first to whine and cry when society collapses, and roving mobs steal you blind.
                .
                If you think education is too expensive, try ignorance.
                .
                Do I think corporations are people? No, and that is the problem. Corporations have way too much influence on our elections. Uber spent 200 million dollars to defeat a proposition. We need to get corporate money out of politics, because corporations do not care about people, they only care about the bottom line.
                .
                You really do not have a clue about wars. War should be an option of the last resort, but if one goes to war, total victory should be the only goal. Destabilizing a whole region is counter productive.
                .
                All wars are not equal. The Revolutionary War was just, because the United States wanted freedom and rights to self determination. The Civil War was just because it ended slavery. WW2 was a just war, because the United States fought against fascism. The Vietnam War was not just, because the United States meddled in a civil war, spending billions and causing 5 million casualties. In the end, the United states had 55 K deaths and a million casualties. They declared victory, left, and the regime collapsed within months.
                .
                Bush broke it, so now Biden will have to fix it. Cutting and running will not promote peace, because Russia wants to destroy American leadership, and extend Russian influence. Trump was salivating to get into a war, because he saw how Bush went to war, and won re-election. Thankfully, there are a series of checks and balances, so Trump could not use the US military as his own private army. Thankfully, there were patriotic Americans like Esper, who would not order the US military to attack civilians. Even now, Trump wants to bomb Iran.
                .
                ‘He pulled us out of conflicts.’ No, he kowtowed to Putin, a guy who has recently threatened the United States with nuclear weapons. Pulling troops in times of peace is noble. Pulling troops while there are conflicts is cowardice, something you can relate to.

              2. Except morons like you don’t want tax for any of those things you mentioned- military, police.

                Instead you want to defund them and the taxes to go to people who don’t achieve, or have any desire to.

                One thing is certain, you people want to take take take from people who strive to achieve, and give to those who don’t.

                Get back on your lawn mower.

              3. Nice trolling, but you just exposed your total lack of knowledge.
                .
                What I wrote from 2016? You are so desperate, and just told me that you dote on every word I write. Glad I am living in your head. It seems so vacuous.
                .
                ‘You people’- nice dog whistle. No, I like people to achieve a good life, with family and friends, careers and accomplishments. I want liberty and justice for all, and think that helping the poor is a noble cause. I believe in the American Dream, where hard work is rewarded, and people can go from penniless immigrants to millionaires.
                .
                You like to put children in cages. One thing I am proud of, is that I helped build a school for my children. Guess the school administration and parents appreciated it, because they gave me a hard hat with Superman printed on it, during the opening ceremony. I am content. I have built beautiful landscapes that past clients still rave about, while enjoying sitting in their beautiful and functional back yards.
                .
                I do not want to take anything away from you, I just want you to pay for your fair share, like I do every year. Meanwhile, your hero said he was a billionaire, and paid 750 dollars in taxes one year. Some years, that deadbeat paid nothing at all.
                .
                You think I want to perpetuate a Welfare State. No, I want a robust middle class. Meanwhile, your greed and selfishness knows no bounds, and you seem to get off by oppressing others. If you want to whine and cry about welfare, maybe you should attack Corporate Welfare. That is where the big bucks lie.

              4. Hey moron. Why don’t you go free some of those kids in cages? Yeah, the ones whose parents by a wide margin are refusing to have returned to them. Look it up. Some criminal parents these kids must be having. Much like Thomas’ daddy, wouldn’t you say?

                You don’t know the first thing about the situation at the border. Our border personnel are quite mindful of families being separated. My sister was just reassigned from one of these detention centers.

                You’d be surprised how much these criminals south of the border throw their own kids under the bus.

              5. Yep, insatiably vicious and vindictive, like your name. Admit it. You do like putting children in cages.
                .
                Too bad the Trump clowns deliberately avoided paperwork, so there still may be some children separated from their parents.
                .
                Fortunately, this has all been documented by outside sources, so just expect a deluge of exposures, and I truly hope some people go to prison for their heinous acts.
                .
                You paint with a big brush, but only a tiny minority is composed of who you describe. Cartel members have the smuggling expertise, so they do not subject their children to such abuse. Poor families, yearning for an opportunity, make desperate decisions. Confronted with being deported together, a mother makes the painful decision to leave her child, with a hope that her children can build a better life. It is not an act of throwing their children under the bus, it is an act of love. Thankfully, some wise judge realized the horror and pain inflicted on innocent children, and stopped the cruelty.
                .
                Maybe Stephen Miller should be sentenced to a nice long term in a cage. He was the architect of this travesty.

              6. Yep I have no pity to those who would criminally cross into my country. And I am Hispanic. Who would have thought?

                You on the other hand- a worthless POS who couldn’t even accomplish what Frank achieved. Instead he sees you sitting on a riding mower. Great results from your exposure to academia.

                Can you just mow my lawn this weekend? It’s getting a tad too long. Get on it!

              7. Yes, being Hispanic does not make you immune to racism.
                .
                In fact, some of the most vitriolic hate I have ever witnessed, came between Latino and Black gangs.
                .
                In one video along the border, a Hispanic officer was taunting crying children, so I have no illusions to the depth of hatred and cruelty you will sink to.
                .
                Are you related to Stephen Carillo? He is the Boogaloo Boy who killed 2 police officers, in a vain attempt to falsely blame BLM. Another Latino dude was caught lighting fires in Oregon, trying to get backlash against the protests by falsely blaming Antifa.
                .
                Before you accuse me of being racist against all Latinos, I want to say that one of my best friends was named Joaquin, who was everything you are not.

              8. “One of my beat friends was named Joaquin”…

                LMAO what???

                That’s the best anti-racist argument yet!

                Did you “Also knew a black guy once” Sebbie?

                LMAO what a MORON!

            2. Also, just this last Halloween I dressed up as a BLM rioter so I can understand what the black man experiences while looting in a big city.
              .
              You on the other hand must have stayed home handing out candy to friends you don’t have.

              1. I certainly did not go out dressing up and partying. That would be against the Covid 19 protocols. You must have mistaken me for the right wing terrorists, who set buildings on fire so they can blame Antifa.
                .
                Every year, we would put out a bowl of candy, but kids do not go trick or treating out in the country. Kids are too smart for that. They go to Sebastopol so they can load up their bag quickly, not walk miles in the dark.
                .
                Thankfully, I got a big treat this November, while you were tricked again. You really must be feeling the burn.

              3. Hmm, you seem to be easily fooled by my catfish, Mental lightweights are so gullible. I bet you voted for Trumpty Dumpty, too.

              6. I always said you were a
                cancer and I’m 99.9% sure it’s you anyways acting as your catfish. That’s why you won’t change it.

              7. Wouldn’t be the first time.

                Remember when he threw his wife under the bus when he himself revealed his true identity?

                I’ve known this guy since my childhood when we were neighbors up in Davis.

                He’s still the arrogant thick-headed mofo he’s always been. Gotta love it.

      3. Houston, I agreed with this approach in 2013 when Brooks him him, and I agree with this approach you’re taking now. NFL has made it soooo hard for fans to enjoy when every play, and especially fundamentally sound big plays, are highlighted with a yellow flag icon at the bottom of the TV screen. Out of control. And they are losing lots of fans because of this.

    2. Farewell to Inside the 49ers Blog
      Considering the direction this blog has taken, it’s only fitting my final post here is related to politics. I went back to try to figure out when I first started posting on this blog and the best date I can come up with is around 2005 back when Maiocco was running it. 15 years is a long time. I will miss the football related dialogue and interacting with many people in the 49er fan community. I especially enjoyed the disagreements with others whose football opinions I respected. Making me consider points I hadn’t considered and even occasionally changing my mind on certain topics was the best part of this blog. This has now devolved into partial football and way too much politics. I recall the hell Maiocco caught for posting a political story on a football blog about the 49ers players reaction to Barack Obama being elected president. Definitely not the case any longer. For what I’m about to say, I urge you all to consider me a fellow countryman rather than a political enemy to hate. I know that’s not possible for most of you but please try. I sincerely pray you all consider that maybe conservatvies with differing views than you are not people for you to hate. I don’t understand liberal ideology and I believe Democrats policy goals are a path to financial ruin but I don’t hate liberals. 70 million Americans feel the hatred directed at them by liberals. They see the outright evil schemes to defame Brett Kavanaugh, the constant accusations of racism, the abuse of kids like Nick Sandmann for the crime of wearing a political hat they don’t like, the insane tactics to accuse people of being Russian spies, and the constant assault on the integrity of our elections. Liberals have total control over the information passed through social media, news organizations, entertainment industry, and academics. The future of our country is undoubtedly on the Road to Perdition. History is littered with societies as divided as ours and in every case the path forward is destined for misery, pain, suffering, and tragedy. I have the financial wherewithal to withstand the coming storm but many people aren’t as fortunate. When the economy crashes and millions of Americans are out of work in the totally predictable and inevitable coming global crisis as a direct result of the actions and policies of the Kamala Harris administration I want you to remember this post. You chose to elect a temporary figurehead and then install a politician who couldn’t even win 1 state in the Dem primary because you listened to Democrats words rather than consider their past actions. Liberals are dancing on the graves of conservatives because you are easily influenced by dishonest people exploiting your emotions for their own political agenda. I pray you will someday realize one sided ideological control over all the information consumed by the vast majority of Americans is harmful to our society. Goodbye and Good Luck.

      1. Honestly you could direct this exact same spiel at conservatives. If you truly believe your side is right and the other is wrong you are part of the problem. Both sides have good and bad actors but there has to be a meeting of the minds to find path both can agree on. Being sanctimonious pointing fingers and accusing opposition ideology of being evil is so unproductive and achieves nothing. Enjoy sitting in yotur ivory tower.

      2. ha ha ha- what a moron ?

        When the economy crashes and millions of Americans are out of work in the totally – that is TODAY…NOT WHEN — its happening now under Trump

        when Donald Trump was questioning Obama citizenship where was all this ?

        I don’t understand liberal ideology – but you take handouts from the government – you ok with colleting social security and bailouts

        fcking hypocrite – plz go away

      3. What a bunch of whiny bollocks. And they call us liberals snowflakes. Crash the economy? Dude it’s the Democrats that have to clean up the sht houses left by Republicans, time and time again. This time is no different. Or have you missed the mobile Trump-villes of your fellow Texans in food lines?

        and the constant assault on the integrity of our elections

        There’s only one group doing that and it sure as f isn’t the Democrats so f right off. Good riddance.

      4. No, I as a liberal progressive American, do not hate conservatives. In fact, even though he won only 43% of the popular vote, I abided by the electoral vote, allowing him to be president. Too bad he took his minority win, and acted like he won the majority in a landslide. Now, Biden won by more than 5.5 million votes, but the conservatives are sore losers, claiming the election was stolen. Yes, 70 million people voted Republican, but 75.5 million people voted Democratic. I had hoped the minority would graciously concede they had lost, but they seem to want to wage war and burn down everything. The Dems won, fair and square, even though Trump tried to steal the election, AGAIN. I have not called on anyone to rise up, or stand up to be ready. I have not called on anyone to stop counting votes. I have not called for anyone to stop counting military votes. According to Trump, Houston is a sucker. I certainly have not done interviews for Russian Television, an official propaganda arm of Putin’s, like Atlas did.
        .
        When conservatives allow Trump to thumb his nose at the law, his bloviating and bullying, and his daily lies, do I object with their enabling. Conversely, I wonder why it is OK for conservatives to think that putting children in cages is a good idea. Why do they think that Nazis are fine people? The Senate Intelligence Committee did not draw conclusions, but also presented concrete proof that the Russian interfered in the 2016 election. This is like Covid 19 patients denying they had Covid 19, just before being intubated.
        .
        Conservatives think that by building a wall, they will stop immigration. Too bad this pandemic showed that the low wage immigrants, were the unsung heroes, providing food and services while most Americans hunkered down.
        .
        Conservatives think that by supporting Trump, they will stop abortions. Too bad, all it will do is drive it underground, so women will die because they do not have access to proper medical care. They want to stop abortions, but it will just force poor people to have children they cannot afford to properly raise, so the societal cost will be greater. It will also force minorities to have more babies, which white conservatives are totally against. I, as a liberal progressive, do not want any abortions. This can possibly be done by allowing contraception and the morning after pill, to be available over the counter.
        .
        ‘I don’t understand liberal ideology and I believe Democrats policy goals are a path to financial ruin, but I don’t hate liberals.’ Yes you do. Democrats like Roosevelt pulled us out of the great depression. In 2000, Clinton actually had budget surpluses with a path towards paying off the national debt in 15 years. Gore could have helped accomplish that. Instead, Bush barely won the Electoral College, lost the popular vote, then proceeded to destabilize the Middle East and tripled the national debt. Then came the financial crisis. Obama won in a landslide, and inherited a fiscal crisis left by Bush. By 2016, he had produced 8 years of steady growth. Trump stole the 2016 election with Russian interference, then proceeded to act like a tin pot dictator, while destroying American prestige and leadership around the world. Trump’s incompetent handling of the Covid 19 Pandemic, showed he had the empathy of a squid, and now we are in the middle of a second spike, that dwarfs the first spike. More people will die because he will not cooperate with Biden, so his infamy grows.
        .
        ‘Liberals are dancing on the graves of conservatives because you are easily influenced by dishonest people exploiting your emotions for their own political agenda.’ This is projecting. Trump is the one who is conning the gullible for his own political agenda. Trump is the dishonest one, who will cheat on his taxes, not pay his bills, and thumb his nose at the Emoluments Clause. He is the one who accepted Russian interference in the 2016 election, openly disclosed state secrets to Russian diplomats and has consistently kissed Putin’s rear end. He is doing Putin’s bidding by ordering troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq. I do not mind, because Biden can order them back, and it just cements Trump’s legacy of being a coward, cutting and running, doing Putin’s bidding. The irony is rich to hear conservatives accusing the Dems of being commies, when they are kowtowing to Putin, the biggest commie of them all.
        .
        Houston whines like he is being persecuted, and acts like a poor sport, declaring he is leaving, and never coming back. He did not even have enough character to condemn Stephen Carillo, a radical militant Boogaloo Boy, who wanted to create a race war, by shooting policemen, while framing the BLM.
        .
        ‘When the economy crashes and millions are out of work,’ – Remember that it was Trump’s fault when he let that happen, due to his total incompetence.
        .
        Personally, I am glad he has left, and hope that with this new administration, things will become more civil, with less intolerance. He whines about politics in football, but his hero advocated to ‘fire that SOB’, so politics and football collided.
        .
        Is football unwatchable? He decries the hit Street delivered to Brees, saying that the refs are making the wrong calls. That hit broke multiple ribs and punctured his lung, so there was definite roughing of the passer. The Saints may whine about that injury, but maybe they should not have led with the crown of the helmet, striking McKinnon in the head, and topping it off by ripping off his helmet as he landed. Maybe if the Saints had not angered the 49ers, they would not have wanted to hit Brees with every ounce of force they could deliver.
        .
        I am glad he left, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

      5. Oh and Houston, as we know you are checking the responses to your jeremiad, just this. Wear you fing mask bro.

      6. so oo? liberals=bad conservatives=good do you even read what you write? there is no evenness to your post. you see one side only. one question are you on medicare,do you collect social security? think about it

      7. Houston,
        I feel your frustration. You don’t like liberal politics. There is no real conservative party left in the US for you to be a member of and even your (in the past deep red state) of Texas is slowly turning blue and liberal. I hope there will be a new conservative party that will follow true conservative values like McCain and Goldwater. hopefully a new conservative leader like Reagan who was the last great compromiser. A little known fact one of Reagan’s best friends in Wash?………Tip O’Niel.

        1. There is no real conservative party left in the US for you to be a member of

          Houston never voiced any misgivings about what the Republican Party has morphed into. In fact, he was all in.

  7. I don understand why people feel that a football blog is a good place to post their political views.

    1. People flounce from internet boards all the time to draw attention to themselves. He’ll likely be back.

    1. Makes sense. He’s a high end talent and they need CBs for next year. I assume if he signs a deal for the rest of the year then he would be an ERFA next year.

    2. He’s definitely a first-round talent: #30 pick, IIRC. I believe 4-5 other teams are also interested.

    3. Seems like it would be worthwhile. He would provide some future insurance, has talent and shouldn’t cost much… though I’m not sure about the specifics of how his contract would work.

        1. Cincinnati Bengals
          @Bengals
          We’ve made the following roster moves: Waived DE Takk McKinley (failed physical) & released OT O’Shea Dugas from the practice squad.
          3:00 PM · Nov 17, 2020

          This should be interesting.

  10. Jeez, I guess some people are super sensitive and more than a bit snowflakey. LOL. Anyway, I’ll be around to restore honor and dignity to this blog. VIVA BRUCE LEE.

    1. Imagine his strength and hand technique next year after many more sessions under NFL trainers & Bosa’s tutelage.

      1. He still has problem shedding double teams on run blocks. He’ll learn — he has the physical tools and the work ethics it appears.

  12. The black 49er hat Shanahan has been wearing is sold out on most sites – lids, fanatics, NFL shop. Hopefully it will be back in stock soon.

  13. So Matt M has said for the second time in a week he can see the 49ers moving on from JG, this time highlighting a key reason will be that JG doesn’t provide the type of QB play he wants and that he has too many negative plays while playing a conservative style of football.

    Matt M is well regarded as an insider. While I believe his view on whether they stick with JG is only his opinion, I don’t see him making statements about how Shanahan feels JG fits his offense without having some knowledge of the situation behind closed doors. And his comments line up with what a few other NFL media people were saying at the end of last year.

    1. They’ll come to the conclusion that the position can be upgraded through the draft. Do not hesitate to move up to get your guy. Just make sure you get it right….

      1. If you are targeting one guy it has to be Lawrence, but I doubt they will be willing to do everything it takes to draft him. Assuming they move on from JG, what they need to do is identify which guys they believe can be their franchise QB and put themselves in position to have at least one of them available when they draft.

        1. I think what we’re talking about here is perceived value of the quarterback class. Gonna cost a lot more to move up for Lawrence than it did for Goff. The Jets paid more for Donald at #3 than the Eagles did for Wentz at #2. The Redskins paid 210 points over to get RG3 at #2. I’m guessing Lawrence at #1 would require a 15% surcharge over it’s worth, and pick #2 a 10% surcharge. Pick #3 is where it could get interesting for the 49ers if their top guy after Lawrence is still on the board….

        2. Lawrence will likely cost 3 firsts at minimum as he’s in that Luck, Manning tier of qbs to come out.
          That said, if you get a Peyton Manning… what would he be worth? An entire Draft class? 2 firsts and 2 seconds? 3 firsts and 2nd?

      2. Getting it right. That’s the hard part. He’d better have the potential to be way better than JG or it’s not worth the gamble.

  14. Shanahan says he expects JG to be the starter in 2021. He also says they haven’t made any decisions about the future. Basically, leaving everything open.

    1. If Lawrence goes #1 followed by Fields, I’d encourage Shanny to greenlight a move up to #3 and select Zach Wilson.

      1. Razor,
        They have far too many needs to trade up and give up picks. With the cap either going down or raising slightly over the next 2 seasons the 9ers need quality and quantity of relatively cheap draft picks. At least 10 this year and 8 the next. We can worry about a new QB for 2022 when we have rebuilt the O line, defensive back field and pass rush along with a healthy cap situation. I do like Wilson , I hope to see him in the playoffs.

        1. Sign Trent Williams. Bring back Coleman to compete with The Glinch. Brunskill is improving at pivot. If that continues, RG will be all that’s left to sort; and they’re in the process of doing that now by rotating McKivitz. If you believe as the Chiefs did with Mahomes that you can get a franchise quarterback; you go get him. You don’t wait around until 2022 hoping you’re back in a position to get one. As for the defensive backfield, that’s being sorted as well by rotating Moore in at SS, and Verrett stacking games. I don’t see any problem in resigning or extending these guys….

          1. Razor,
            Your’e not taking the cap into consideration. You talk signings not how many players will have to be released to get under the cap. This off season, I believe will be much like the off season after the 95 SB where we had to release some where around 6 good to great starters all who wanted to return.

            1. Jimmy, Sherman, Dee Ford, Tartt are all coming off the books. That’s a $hit ton of cheddar.

              1. Razor not enough to cover the drop in the cap and you have to replace Ford and Sherman. What is Jimmy G’s cap hit next year?

              2. I looked at 3 different web sites and all 3 of them say JG and Ford will still be big hits on the cap in 2021. We are at approx 174 mill after releasing Williams, Juice and K. Williams

              3. I looked at 3 different web sites and all 3 of them say JG and Ford will still be big hits on the cap in 2021. We are at approx 174 mill after releasing Williams, Juice and K. Williams

              4. Jimmy is a 3 million dead cap hit.
                Ford is the big one at 14 million. You draft a speed rusher in a class that doesn’t have elite talent at the top but is a deep class.

              7. The 49ers currently sit at about $19.5 million below the lowered 2021 salary cap with 39 players under contract. By cutting Garoppolo and Ford they would free up more than $30 million and get them to just over $50 mil. They can get more if they choose to make Ford a post June 1 cut. That’s a good starting point to get Williams re-signed along with a number of other key guys with expiring contracts.

        2. The main reason for the needs though is the lack of cap space to re-sign or replace all the guys coming off contract. If JG’s contract was off the books they could supplement the loss of draft picks through FA.

          The easiest way to get the team back into a healthy cap situation is by having a QB on a rookie contract.

          If getting their QB through the draft means giving up boat loads of high picks for the next few years then sure, that is problematic. But then if the team is worrying about a new QB in 2022, the same issue will apply except it has been pushed back a year. And there is no way of knowing if 2022 will be a good year for QBs, while the 2021 draft is looking like it will be.

      2. I’m starting to look more at Trey Lance.
        I think Wilson will be drafted early and would cost a boat load to land… which at a certain point doesn’t make sense as you would logically start asking how much more will it cost to go up for one of the top 2. I still think a small move up is possible but I’m not sure they have the ammo to go up to where it would require them to get to in order to get him. A move into the top 10 is likely and will still cost a lot if it’s for a qb.

        That said, I’m starting to think Jimmy might have a chance next year due to the potential costs for a move up, the depth at cb, ol, and edge, and therefore how many holes they can fill on the cheap.

        1. Yes, there is definitely a chance JG is around next year, especially if they don’t believe they can get in position to draft a QB they like without giving up a lot.

          Part of it may just come down to where they end up finishing and draft slot they get. If they start in the top 10, it is a lot easier to move up for a guy they want.

    2. Lol. Didn’t take long for your Maiocco theory to get blown up did it? Still can’t bring yourself to accept it. Gotta keep the dream alive by reading between the lines. Garoppolo will be the QB next year the sooner you accept it the easier it will be .

      1. This Matt Maiocco is working hard to reposition himself away from his insider image with warm, if not hot, takes.

        Many fans seem to have convinced themselves that Shanalynch has thrown in the towel on Jimmy G. There is no proof of that happening. I can totally see them drafting a QB even in the first round as a BPA. But I cannot see them trading up. The cap situation and the number of FAs dictate that they draft as many players as possible in this draft.

        1. It’s fantasy GM venting in a season that has been destroyed by injuries. Garoppolo isn’t going anywhere but that won’t stop the theories and reading between the lines. I agree they will likely draft a QB, but I don’t see it happening in round one. They have to get a combination of Pass rusher, Interior OL and DB with the first two picks or trade down and get all three.

  15. Raz,
    I see the logistics of your point. But aside from that, it’s important to note that aside from perhaps Goff, none of the above mentioned have really made an impact on their team. In fact, QB’s chosen above the top 10 picks have seemed to fare better.

    That’s one of the reasons why I propose keeping Garoppolo for one more year and analyze him based on what he can do when healthy.
    Trask could be a good pick that could possibly be available in the mid 15-20 range of the 1st rd, without selling the farm.
    Maybe Lance drops out of the top 10 as well.

      1. Special? Not sure what that means when you play against average competition.
        I think Trask is a guy you know who can fit it in tight windows against some of the top upper echelon defenders in college football.
        He’s a big man so you know he can take some NFL punishment.

        The last part is which guy can be ready in a year? That’s what Shanny has to decide in their interviews.

        1. “He’s a big man so you know he can take some NFL punishment.”

          Yet he basically missed two seasons due to injuries.

        2. Arm angles off platform. Smooth as butter, almost Rodgers like. Lightning quick release. Pinpoint accuracy on the move. Sunday timing throws from the pocket along the sidelines. Strong arm and is anticipatory. Heady player and the game means something to him….

      2. I have to be honest Trask scares me a bit.
        He’s a big bodied qb, that is not mobile, doesn’t have a strong arm, or great footwork, and has an injury riddled history.

        With those physical traits he will need to be extremely special in some other areas in order to overcome his deficiencies. Is he special in his ball placement? Quick release? Elite mental processing with anticipatory throws?

        Basically he needs to be something like Manning or Rivers to succeed in the NFL.

        1. Is he special in his ball placement? Quick release? Elite mental processing with anticipatory throws?

          No.

  16. The 49ers brass said the same thing about Alex Smith when he was selected over Aaron Rodgers. I believe that they chose Alex because he opened the car door for his mom in one interview.

    I would not take Wilson because of his size going up against the fastest and biggest defensive players in the world. I would shore up the Oline that could keep our QB upright and go for Kyle Trask or Sam Howell who could be available in the mid 1st rd range. If the team wants a dual QB, then I would go with Trey Lance. These guys are very good QB’s that have the potential to be productive in the pros without the use of heavy collateral.

    2. Aes,
      They took Smith because they had zero trust in Jeff Tedford developed QB’s. They believed that it would take years to change his mechanics (which it did) and they didn’t have years for the #1 pick in the draft to develop.

      1. Tedford was somewhat of a QB Whisperer at Cal. Aaron had to wait his turn in Green Bay because he was playing behind a future HOF.

        Rodgers had great skills coming out of Cal.
        Sure, like every rookie QB coming into the league he needed some refining, but nothing major that I know of.

        I was being a little facetious by including the AS car story, by Mike Nolan.

        “April, Nolan explained to NFL Network (via CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco) that San Francisco opted for Smith because he was a “good kid” and a “safe choice” while Rodgers was “very cocky, very confident, arrogant.”

        I would choose Alex if he was running for government office, but Rodgers would have been my 49ers QB.

        1. Aes,
          Tedford coached Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, David Carr and Kyle Boller in college they were all 1st round picks and all terrible busts. Their problems were all mechanical and many scouts felt Rogers would be the same. Earlier this week on G. Papa’s show they were talking about this.

          1. Coach,
            “Tedford coached Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, David Carr and Kyle Boller in college they were all 1st round picks and all terrible busts.”

            I not so sure that Tedford gets the blame for developing 1st rd QB’s. Teams that drafted these guys either did not do their due diligence or may have felt that their QB coaches could tweak areas that the young QB’s needed.

            But, the proof is in the pudding and unfortunately, these guy’s were not able to translate their college success in the pros.

            1. The main problem was Nolan. He just is the epitome of an empty suit. He had the opportunity to draft Rodgers, who grew up a Niner fan, and played locally at Cal.
              .
              Nolan wanted Rodgers to do ridiculous things that were not related to quarterbacking, and Rodgers refused, so they called him arrogant. Nolan should never have asked Rodgers to do non QB things, and he should have concentrated on assessing his touch and accuracy. Rodgers was clearly superior to AS, and their careers in the NFL confirm that.
              .
              In the end, Nolan said he gave the nod to AS because he was a half inch taller. He just assessed physical parameters, and ignored a player’s heart, drive to succeed, and his mental make up.
              .
              Imagine, if Rodgers had become a Niner, they could possibly have won a few more rings.
              .
              Nolan is an empty suit, and the Cowboys are pathetic because their Nolan led defense just does not have a clue.

      2. I had heard a different story regarding this.
        Basically it went that Nolan brought them both in and gave them a bunch of really stupid non qb drills to run… jumping over bags, rolling footballs between his legs. Alex just did them and didn’t complain or question it… this essentially meant he was coachable.

        I must say, I think that was terrible logic on the coaches part. If you are going to liken football to war, the qb is like a general. You (the leader or coach) don’t treat them like a common grunt, they need to be in the command tent listening and giving feedback on your orders, understanding the logic and overall objective. This can be problematic, as they might poke holes in the plan but it also allows them improvise better should something go wrong and things always cockup at some point.

        *Note* I also think this is common with defensive coaches… they just want a qb they can control who wont lose them game. Herm Edwards was a prime example of this type of coach… I always joked that wherever he was the coach, that is where offenses went to die.

  17. Joe Burrow went number one, and he has 2 wins. Kyler Murray went number one, and won 5 games his first season.
    .
    Sam Darnold and Trubusty went number 3 in their drafts, and they have struggled.
    .
    There just is no guarantee that a rookie QB will automatically start winning games.
    .
    Even if the QB is selected, if the Niners continue to have a turnstile O line, even Joe Montana would find it hard to win.

    3. Those guys got selected high by teams that were talent deficient, thus the reason they were picking high.

      49ers have a talented roster, they’ve just been hit by injuries. Will be much easier for a rookie QB to step into and be competitive.

      1. Like WRs, I think it is best to sign battle tested and battle hardened Free Agents, in those 2 positions.
        .
        I still like JG and he possesses all the qualities I like in a QB. He is accurate, and a leader who makes the players around him better. He also got the 49ers to the SB, so he is close to achieving greatness.
        .
        I whole heartedly agree, no matter what, JG needs adequate support. I am not counting on Bosa until mid season next year, and Trent Williams may want to go to greener pastures. The starting defensive backfield does not have any players locked up under contract, so that may also be an area where a quality Free Agent may be obtained, for the right price.
        .
        It is more prudent to use that first round pick on a slam dunk Offensive Lineman, especially considering the struggles and deficiencies the present O linemen have demonstrated.
        .
        Too many times, the pass rush has a player build up a head of steam, then come in untouched, to blind side the QB. That may also be the fault of the coaching. Chauncey Gardner blitzed 5 times, and every time had pressure. Benton had no clue about how to make an adjustment. McKinnon was ineffective, because even if he did get into position to block, they just threw him aside for a straight shot at Mullens.
        .
        Wilson looks good, but consider his level of competition. Trask beat Georgia, so he excelled against a quality opponent. Considering the present drek NFL QBs, there may be 5 QBs taken in the first round. Maybe it would be optimal to trade back, garner more picks, and get a QB in the third round. Then, history may repeat itself.

  18. OT, but I had postulated one possible trade scenario with Jrue Holiday, but he just went to the Bucks.
    .
    His next best case scenario may be trading Wiggins and the Number 2 for Ben Simmons. I would rather have Embiid, but the Simmons trade may be more feasible.
    .
    Warriors are sitting pretty, because Lamelo Ball may go first, so Wiseman may be available at number 2.

  19. Interesting comparison in Shanahan’s comments re player’s futures – Trent Williams he sees as very important and they want around for years to come.

  20. Tony Pauline top ten:

    9. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
    If there’s a faster-rising prospect in the nation than Zach Wilson, I’m not aware of him. Except for the fact he’s short, Wilson checks all the boxes you want in a quarterback at the next level — smart, tough, athletic plus the arm strength necessary to make all the throws.

    1. Raz,
      Perhaps the 49ers moving in to swoop Wilson would be a good ideal.

      Just having the defense chasing him around in practice could be a valuable asset when having to face Murray and Russell. But aside from that, the kid looks pretty good.

      I just can’t go all in right now due to his thin body structure and lower conference competition.
      I’ll wait until I see him in the post season to make a better judgment.

      1. Aes,
        I’m with you I would love to see Wilson in the college playoffs but with that idiotic committee chossing we will end up with 4 sec teams regardless of #3 and 4’s record. My pick right now. #1 N.D./Clemson #2 Alabama or Sec Champion Ohio St. or big 10 champion #4 BYU/Cinn

        1. Coach,
          Unfortunately, that is likely the way it will play out.
          At least, Wilson will be playing in a Bowl game somewhere. Because of Wilson’ growing interest I’m pretty sure that one of the networks will come calling.

  21. Regarding drafting a CB in early rounds, Eric Davis had an interesting comment on his interview on KNBR last week. He was strongly against drafting a CB on day 1 or 2. He observed that the average NFL lifespan is 4 years while that of a NFL CB is 1.7 years. They take a lot of punishment relative to their size and are often injured. Davis likes the idea of drafting athletic CBs in later rounds like he was drafted by the Niners.

      1. Revis and Sherman are exceptions in longevity at very high level of performance. Most quality CBs spend very few seasons at Pro Bowl levels, e.g.,, Slay and Lattimore who had been Pro Bowl level performers for the past two seasons are not having a good season so far despite being healthy.

        Emmanuel Moseley is not an exception. Here’s the background of Rams’ Williams.
        https://twitter.com/LindseyThiry/status/1329186270090846208

  23. Dang. The Niners put Mayden and Cyprien on the IR.
    .
    Maybe JL should only sign healthy players, because now, there is more salary on IR than on the active roster.
    .
    JL should pass on Takk McKinley, because he just failed his physical.

    1. Seb,
      I read in this mornings Chron that the 9ers are going to try to claim McKinley again. What the hell what difference does it make if he gets injured? We need rotation at DE Hyder leads the team in plays from scrimmage with 411.

  24. AlbertBreer:

    Worth mentioning: 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has a no-trade clause for the 2021 League Year only. That means the Niners can’t trade him w/o his consent between now and March 2022. Kyle Shanahan said yesterday he expects Garoppolo to be his starter ’21.

    1. Well, won’t be getting any draft pick compensation for him then, unless he agrees to be traded.

  25. Adam Schefter
    @AdamSchefter
    49ers claimed former Falcons’ first-round draft pick Takk McKinley on waivers, per source.

    Bengals initially claimed McKinley, but he failed his physical, putting him back on waivers.
    4:13 PM · Nov 18, 2020

    1. Good move. Even if he doesn’t suit up this year, which I expect he will, he will now add to the 49ers compensatory pick formula for the 2022 draft if they don’t re-sign him. And tbh, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do look to re-sign him if he shows anything the rest of the season.

    2. wonder if Takk Mc will go off on another Twitter rant to celebrate his return to the Bay Area….

      With him, Niners now had had 8 first round picks on their D Line this year and have a grand total of 4 sacks between them…..

  26. Not sure if anyone has already reported this here, but Kinlaw goes on the Covid list. Hopefully, he’s ready to go for the Rams game.
    49erswebzone

  27. Shame on Trump. He hides in the basement crying while covid deaths reach new records. He’s not the first to lose the White House but he’s the only one to act like a baby instead of a man.

    He lost the presidential election days ago. Since then, he’s done next to nothing at least publicly to suggest he plans to continue doing the job in any serious manner through January 20.

    What has Trump filled his days with, you ask?

    1. Golf
    2. Tweeting
    3. Controversial military decisions
    4. Firing people

    These past two weeks have proven that Trump does not care about the America people, he only cares about the winning (and the losing) much more than the job itself. He likes being president. Just not the stuff you have to do to, you know, be the president.

    250,000 people dead from Covid – unnecessary lives lost due to his incompetence……really sad

    Please wear your masks and social distance – missing Thanksgiving is not the end of the world

    1. Dude, no one asked, no one cares. I thought you were renting a car and coming up here?
      What happened?

      1. You asked what Trump could have done to prevent this –

        1. A botched public health response
        The Trump administration failed to take the coronavirus outbreak seriously. In late February, while other high-income countries were ramping up testing and developing tracing procedures, President Donald Trump stated that “the Coronavirus [was] very much under control.”

        2. A failure to help workers retain their jobs
        Since the beginning of March, the United States has seen 23 percent of its February labor force—37.6 million workers in total—apply for unemployment insurance. The enhanced unemployment insurance provisions included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act have no doubt made a huge difference for the unemployed, but there are also meaningful nonmonetary benefits that come from staying formally employed, including health care for 49 percent of Americans.

        3. Three years of slashing critical safety nets
        Each of the administration’s four budget proposals has recommended slashing funding for the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In 2018, the CDC cut its epidemic prevention activities, which help “train front-line workers in outbreak detection and work to strengthen laboratory and emergency response systems in countries where disease risks are greatest,” by 80 percent; moreover, it significantly scaled back its focus on emerging infectious diseases in several of the world’s hot spots, including China. Despite calls from the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Security Council to increase funding in the fiscal year 2020 budget, the Trump administration proposed a 12 percent cut to the HHS and a 10 percent cut to the CDC.

        4. A failure to prevent layoffs of state and local workers
        In the weeks following the coronavirus outbreak, it became clear to state governments that they would have to increase spending to unanticipated levels. Yet a lack of aid from the federal government forced states and localities, who have much stricter budget requirements than the federal government, to cut payrolls for more than 1 million employees, representing a 5.2 percent drop in the total nonfederal government employment level. Without strong guidelines from the White House, states were forced to fend for themselves, often bidding against one another to provide their frontline health care workers with protective gear. This, coupled with the drop in state and local tax revenue, has led to budget crises across the country that could result in significantly deeper layoffs over the coming months.

          1. Oh Prime, you would not recognize good writing if it hit you in the face. He assembled facts and figures, and presented them in a logical and concise manner.
            .
            Your childish tantrums are amusing, if it was not so sad……

  28. OT, but I am very happy that the Warriors finally drafted their big man.
    .
    Wiseman is a Wise decision.
    .
    However, I am very concerned about Klay, and hope he is OK.

        2. I suppose that can be viewed as modicum of good news.
          Warriors reporting that they fear Klay may have suffered an Achilles injury.

  29. Seb,
    I love Wiseman. I don’t think we will see him on the floor a ton this year at least not early in the season. I think they can play Looney and Chriss and wait on Wiseman but I believe he will keep this franchise relevant for the next 10 to 12 years. Now they need to sign/draft a backup swing SF/SG and a backup PG.

    1. I agree. Fortunately, I think they have 3 second round picks, so I hope they can find a diamond in the rough.

  32. My offseason predictions…
    FA’s that are gone.
    Tartt, Juszczyk, Sherman, Thomas, Gould, T. Coleman.

    FA’s most likely to be brought back. (at least 3 of these players will return and they won’t cost much)
    K’waun Williams, J. Verrett, Mosely, Brunskill

    FA’s that are questionable to return.
    T. Williams, T. McKinnley,

    Signed players that are likely gone.
    Ford and Richberg

    The big question of course is Jimmy, however I think the decision regarding him will be made after free agency and the draft.
    SF, is not going to just let Jimmy go, but he has a no trade clause that he would need to waive… which means, what direction they go will depend on what deal they can get for him from the teams that he is willing to go to. Additional factors are, what will the cap be, what holes are they able to fill in free agency and how competitive they expect the team to be prior to the draft.

    1. To summarize – a flash in the pan followed by another complete rebuild. Where have we seen that before?

      1. Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.-GS
        .
        Maybe they should have kept their SB QB, and given him adequate support, like better coaching.
        .
        In fact, Kaep is available, and he would be a superior QB to the present healthy Niner QBs. Of course, that would be doing everything in their power to win, and they just seem to be content to lose.
        .
        Some will be telling KS that the third time is the charm, but he may be going for the trifecta.

    2. If those are the guys they re-sign then that leaves a LOT of positions to fill. For mine T Williams isn’t questionable, he’s a lock. If he leaves they either need to sign a different very high price LT or draft a LT round 1. He will be the #1 priority to re-sign.

      After that, signing a centre/ interior OL. Or, if they stick with JG, maybe a centre is looked at round 1.

      After that, K Williams, Verrett and Moseley. At least two of. Tbh, they probably need to sign at least 4 CBs in total, through some combo of own guys and from other teams. At least. They only have Tim Harris signed for next year, and he’s done nothing. And they don’t want the CB room to mostly be rookies, though some rookies will no doubt be added.

      Then DL. Pretty much everyone other than Bosa, Armstead, Kinlaw and Ford are FAs. And Ford is probably done. Need to re-sign guys like Jones, Hyder, Blair, Takk or find suitable replacements.

      Then safety. Tartt and Harris are FAs. Ward and Moore can start, but need depth. Same with LB. Same with TE. Same with RB. Same with QB.

      Draft picks will obviously fill some of those holes, but will need to fill a lot through FA too.

      1. Scooter,
        I have been saying this for a while now (and maybe i’m wrong) but I don’t think they have the money to sign their own FA’s little own outside FA’s. I think the most important signing they can make is Juice. I believe Williams price tag will be way to high. The only way out of this mess that I can see is, keep JG one more year and trade down multiple times and collect as many as 10 picks and restock the shelves on the cheap. I believe they need 2 straight drafts where they collect extra (cheap) draft picks and save the big FA signings for resigning their own, Warner, Bosa, Samuels Etc.

        1. What you are proposing is basically a rebuild. I’m not convinced they need to go that far, but it will be a challenge given the cap situation due to COVID. And I think T Williams can be re-signed while keeping his 2021 cap hit reasonable.

          If they do what you suggest the support cast around JG is going to be a lot weaker than it has been the past two seasons, and they will be relying on a lot of rookies to fill key spots and depth. Is JG the QB to elevate a weaker team and keep them as SB contenders? I’m not convinced any more he has the ability to be more than a good QB when he has a good supporting cast. One can argue we still haven’t seen enough of him yet to know for sure, and I can understand an argument for keeping him one more year just in case he can get it all together and be a consistently very good QB. But given the cap situation I don’t believe the 49ers best course of action is to take that wait and see approach given the implications for the rest of the roster from such an approach.

          To me, if they aren’t going to be genuine SB contenders in 2021, and they aren’t convinced he is their QB of the future, they are better off going a different direction, and put some of his cap number towards keeping a stronger overall roster. Tbh, I’d even consider trading for Darnold if they move on from JG and can’t get in position to take one of the top QBs without giving up heaps of draft capital.

          1. Haha, you are entertaining ideas of adding a quarterback that sees ghosts? Please no. Have a draft day trade with the Patriots for their 3rd round compensatory pick all lined up, and draft your franchise quarterback in round 1.

            1. If they can do so without giving up an exorbitant amount of draft capital, definitely draft your QB. But looks like a lot of teams may be looking to draft a QB this year. You can’t guarantee you will be able to put yourself in such a position unless your record is so bad you start off with one of the top handful of picks.

              Darnold has talent, but he’s stuck on a bad team. If they can’t get the QB they want in the draft, and they determine that JG isn’t the guy/ the cap savings are too important to pass up, then Darnold becomes an option imo. Not the preferred option, but definitely an option. Though I suspect if they don’t believe they can get their QB through the draft they will just stick with JG for another year.

              No matter which way they end up going there are going to be a lot of tough decisions being made this offseason.

              1. When you go cheap at the QB position or young and developing a guy, you are basically telling your team we are not in win now mode.

                Not saying they should or should not move on from Garoppolo, but you sure as sh$t better have a plan that says to your very good team, we can still win with this guy.

                Everyone keeps talking about saving the money on Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract but if you don’t have a quarterback you don’t have nothing.
                Point is plan B better be a guy who can take you to the playoffs. So if you don’t have that guy or can’t find that guy by the draft or at the draft, you start selling off all your high-priced players with bad contracts.

              2. I just think putting a guy that’s seeing ghosts this early in his career behind our offensive line is just asking for trouble. Besides, what are you paying Shanny Inc. for if not for this opportunity? Odds are they’ll be sitting right outside the top 10 at 12. If they want Wilson they’ll need to have a deal done with the Cowboys(#3), because I feel like the Redskins at 5 will take him. They’ve got the ammo to make that deal don’t they?

              3. That’s true Prime, which basically means they will probably keep JG if they don’t feel they are in a position to draft a QB they like. Might be a case of holding onto JG until draft day and see what happens.

              4. Guys does he even want to come back to what’s been allegedly reported “Shanny’s distrust”

                I mean there seems to be a disconnect there so maybe a trade is what’s best for his career.
                It’s just difficult to give away a guy who has won a lot of games.

              5. When Shanny uses verbs like “expect” him to be back, and says that they haven’t made a decision on him going into next year; to me that’s doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement for a guy you’re paying $27 million a year to….

          2. I’m not saying my idea is the best idea its just the only way to go with our cap problems (which we had pre covid Covid has only made it worse. I don’t know how many here remember how many good to great players had to be released when Dwight Clark was GM because of salary cap hell. It led to the Erikson, Nolan and Singletary era. I don’t think we need a full rebuild we need a reload and maybe we might have to live with 2 wildcard years before returning to the SB. I will take a couple of wild card years to get back to the SB. I just dont want 10 years of futility because we dont do a cap reset. imho My ideas are almost 100% cap driven.

        2. OldCoach,

          I understand your sentiment and reasoning and I agree with most of what you say. That said their is no way they can justify bringing Juice back at anything near his current salary.

          While some would use the term OW with him, it only makes sense if they were to use him as such. He is getting paid 1.45 X the next highest paid FB which would make sense if he was still getting around 40 receptions per year, but his receptions and targets have been dropping for 5 straight years, and now he is just a 20 some touch a year guy.

          With that in mind SF has to either reduce his salary or find a way to get more production from him as he is a good not great blocker.

          1. Shoup,
            I think it is hard to judge whether Juice is still a great blocker with him blocking behind this offensive line. The amount of penetration this O line gives up on run plays makes a lead blockers job next to impossible. The RB’s are being tackled behind him before he can make a lead block to spring the RB. I believe they will sign him to a team friendly contract. He is not a young player anymore and so few teams use FB’s. I wonder what the team thinks of the Kid from Fresno St. they had in camp this year?

            1. I would argue that he never was a great blocker but a good one. His real value was that he offered more than other fb’s as a receiver. But he is not used enough in that area to justify paying him so much than the other fb’s, especially when we have to shore up other areas to even see his value as a blocker.

      2. Scooter,
        The reason I put Williams as questionable is because of his likely cost. He’s on track to be all pro this year and his market value in normal circumstances would be in excess 20M. That is a huge percentage of cap space to throw at one position in a year when cap space is a premium… It will likely take a combination of Williams willingness to give a discount, creative accounting, and how much SF is willing to backload his contract.

        1. I expect they will give him the Armstead treatment. They can sign him to, effectively, a 3 year $60M contract and have him count under $10M next year. And to keep his next two years reasonable they can add extra years to the deal to push the signing bonus cost out, or even a voidable year at the end.

          1. That would be a majorly backloaded deal and, I don’t know that you can get him for less than 15 mil in his first year even if you backload it.
            The problem is, even after cutting, Ford, Richburg, and Gould… if they were able to make Williams only cost 15 mil, SF would have around 19 mil in cap space if the cap is set to 178mil. Additionally, they would need to sign 21 more players to fill out the roster which would include two starting corners, a fb, and I am assuming an OG or C, not to mention resigning Warner to a long term deal.

            While I love T. Williams, I think I would favor having more flexibility in the draft by holding onto Jimmy at least until that point and I am not sure that resigning him would allow for it.
            A small positive in letting him walk is that SF might be able to have a more balanced Oline that might give either Jimmy or their qbotf a pocket to step up into.

            1. Getting it under $10M would be easy. Let’s say they want to, effectively, give him a 3 year deal, worth $20M a year on average. Pay him $20M signing bonus with basically vet minimum salary year 1. Plus $20M in salary each of the next 2 years. The signing bonus is spread over 3 years, making his cap hit year 1 around $7M, and hits of around $26.5M the next two years. Now, if they want to also lower the hits of the next two years, make it a four year deal, or even a five year deal. Can then even have a bit more in salary in year 1 so the salaries aren’t as high the next few years. At the end of the three years that would push a bit of signing bonus as dead cap if his play declines and they don’t want him anymore, or he retires. But the dead cap hit wouldn’t be exorbitant at that point, and it would also be when the cap should be much higher so it isn’t that big a %.

              End of the day, getting his cap hit in 2021 below $10M shouldn’t be an issue.

              You don’t want to do that with too many players or future years will be a problem. But for T Williams you do it.

              1. I hope you are right… If they do choose to resign him, I would prefer for 5 year contract with an opt out after 3 or 4 years.

              2. I guarantee you Trent Williams is our LT for the foreseeable future. Our capologist, Dr. Marathe will see to that….

              3. No, Paraag will try to lowball him by not communicating with him, like he did with Mostert.
                .
                Heck, they traded away their best defensive player who won the Len Eshmont Award in 2018.
                .
                That will anger TW, and he will go to the highest bidder.
                .
                Since the Niners may have to win 5 out of 6 games to make the playoffs, TW may want to go to a playoff team, so he may leave to try to get a ring. Unfortunately, several teams with large salary caps will throw money at him. TW could take a team discount if he is content here, but he knows his contract may be the last in his career. Remember, he is an UFA next season.
                .
                If they move on from JG, the Niners will be in a full rebuild mode.

              7. I estimated that the Bloviator in Chief would have conceded by November 4th, but he is being a poor sport and a sore loser, so he is still clinging to power.
                .
                Its OK, I have been wrong before, and I will be wrong again. Nothing to sweat over like Rudy did.
                .
                In fact, I was wrong about the election. I thought Biden would win by 4 million votes. Actually, with final tallies being updated, he is winning by 6 million.
                .
                Go ahead, try to troll me about Kaep. Since you brought up his name, and it pertains to football, I certainly think that Kaep would be able to lead the Niners to victories, if given a chance. I still want JG to be their franchise QB, but since he is injured, and may not return this season, Kaep could be the spark that propels the Niners to the playoffs.
                .
                You think both NM and CJB are drek QBs, and do not think the Niners will win another game. Maybe you should become a Cowboy fan, since it seems you are rooting for the Cowboys to defeat the Niners.
                .
                Thank you for giving me another opportunity to talk about Kaep. He is a SB QB, who tied Joe Montana’s record by passing for over 300 yards and running for over 50 yards in a SB. Kaep set the QB playoff rushing record by galloping for 181 yards against the Packers. He is such a dangerous QB, he can put his foot on the half yard line, then sprint upfield untouched for a TD. That means that every time Kaep touches the ball, he can score. Even Joe Montana and Steve Young do not have a 4-2 road playoff record, so Kaep has talent, and skills. Even with his struggles his last season, Kaep had a 16-4 TD to Interception ratio, and had a 90.7 QBR. In his last game against the Rams, he made a stirring comeback, and converted a last second 2 point play to win the game. Kaep willed his team to victory. I like QBs who can do that.
                .
                You may deny this, but Kaep has ben unfairly blackballed, but with a new sheriff in town, things will change. Heck, with Brees out, Sean Payton may want to win so much, he could sign Kaep. Since the Saints are playoff bound, Kaep would be surrounded with enough talent to achieve greatness. All he needs is for the blackballing to stop.
                .
                Now that your hero will take his binkie and slink off to flee prosecution for being a rapist, Kaep will get another opportunity to try out for another team.

              8. Seb you have a flashing green light to discuss Kaepernick whenever you want.
                Every time you do it brings a grin to my face to see how incompetent you are.

                Thank you!

                Prime Time says: 
August 22, 2020 at 7:59 am 

                He did take the league by storm. But when will he return?

                Seb says: 
August 22, 2020 at 9:16 am 

                November 4th.

              9. Bah, you have no leg to stand on. Some noob predicted the Niners would draft Trubusty. He bloviated and pontificated that he had inside information. He bet 200 bucks that the Niners would draft Trubusty. What happened? They followed my advice and traded back to garner more picks. I think that was a smart move, because they used one of those picks to draft Fred Warner.
                .
                Meanwhile, Razor said he would take that bet, because it would be the easiest 200 bucks he ever made. Trubusty was not picked, so you claimed some previous stipulation to welch on your bet. An honorable man would honor that bet, but you tried to slither away from your obligation.
                .
                To top it off, you salivated over Trubusty, and 8 picks later, the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes. So go ahead and scream about Kaep. You preferred Trubusty over Mahomes, so your QB assessment skills are non existent.

              10. Seb I appreciate the recital but you left out a few important facts and stipulations to that bet I had with Razor. How convenient.

                And yes I predicated a lot of things on here but you, you’ve blown the Kap horn since being on here. And now 4 years later still can’t swallow your pride.
                But I’ll keep reminding you in your own words, with proof. Here you go:
                Prime Time says: 
August 22, 2020 at 7:59 am 

                He did take the league by storm. But when will he return?

                Seb says: 
August 22, 2020 at 9:16 am 

                November 4th.

              11. I said claimed stipulations, but you were badgering me to bet with you, and Razor interjected by writing -‘I will take that bet.’
                .
                After that, you added stipulations, but I think he accepted your bet with no stipulations.
                ,
                Guess you do not mind being called a welcher, but then again, you have never admitted you were ever wrong.
                .
                Too bad you are defined by being wrong. Wanting Trubusty over Mahomes. You expose your ignorance and hate, every post. Bloviating about wanting to meet up to get into fisticuffs, just cries out to me that you would cower and cry if some one laid a finger on you.
                .
                Welchers are craven and cowards at heart. Pay up, you deadbeat.

              12. Buwhahahahahah!!!!!!!

                “ just cries out to me that you would cower and cry if some one laid a finger on you”

                Someone else or you? Do you have it in you?

  33. We live in an age where you can just make up cr@p -over and over and over and then file frivolous lawsuits to muddy the water giving a sliver of credence to the cr@p for the people who so desperately want to believe the cr@p in the first place. Sadly and embarrassingly LOL.

  34. Klay out for the year. I just thought it was a 9er injury curse but i’m beginning to think it is a Bay area injury curse.

    1. Maybe result of overcompensating for the ACL leg? Coming out of serious injuries can be tricky.

  35. Per Sando on the Athletic: “Man-Games Lost had the 49ers with a league-high 163 games missed by injured players heading into Week 10, far more than the runner-up Eagles (127). “

    1. It’s been a horrible season for sure. The injuries have decimated this team and led many writers and fans to lose their minds and start coming up with ideas and theories that could land the team back in purgatory. What the Niners need to do is continue on with what they were doing coming into this year building around some very good talent on both sides of the ball. The cap is a problem for most teams for the coming season, but we know new TV contracts and a return of fans to stadiums will be coming in the next year or two so they can sign players to backloaded contracts. That doesn’t mean they do that with everybody but a lot of the FA’s the Niners have are low money depth signings so they should have the ability to bring back a lot of the players they want without going too crazy with money being pushed off into the future.

      2. Notanexpert,
        Back loading contracts is what got them in trouble in the late 90’s and help lead the team thru 10 of its worst years. They back loaded contracts and when it came time to resign their own and sign a couple of FA’s they didnt have the money they were spending cap space on retired players and players playing for someone else

        1. You can’t do it with everyone, but given the circumstances they should do it to keep their star LT. If they don’t keep Williams then they either need to spend big money to replace him anyway, draft a guy high round 1, or watch their QB get killed for another year.

        2. Very true old coach but things are very different now. The cap number is going to jump a massive amount when the things I mentioned happen. The only way they’ll get into trouble is if the players can’t last on the roster for the majority of the deal and that is the case no matter what the cap number is

          1. What has Trent Williams shown this year to be considered a “star” or a “all pro left tackle?
            Maybe it’s because the other 4 guys have been awful and his play gets shaded but to me, I haven’t seen enough to say this guy is better than Staley and that he is one f the best LT’s in football. I just doesn’t see it.

            1. Disagree with their system or not PFF has him graded as the best tackle in football. He’s allowed 4 sacks which while not good for him, is tied still for 6th best in the NFL… and his real strength is in the run game.
              The real question isn’t if he is elite at the position but rather if the niners oline can be built better by allocating more money across the line or investing in an elite LT like him.
              If Kyle’s track record says anything, he will be back.

  36. All this off season speculation should be done after the season.
    .
    Right now, I am more interested in what they will do these next 6 games. Rams will want revenge, and the Bills are leading their division. However, the Niners beat the Rams before, and the Bills have given up about as many points as they have scored.
    .
    Both the Cowboys and Indigenous People games should be winnable, so it may come down to winning the last 2 games against the Cards and Seahawks. Hopefully, by then, attrition will hamper those teams, while JG is expected back.
    .
    Hopefully, the Niners could be 5-1, and end up with a 9-7 record. That will only happen if KS can prepare the team well enough, so they do not make unforced errors, and they make solid game plans. Still, even if they end up at 8-8, the Niners may be able to squeak in as the last Wild Card.

      1. BTW, what do you think of the Warriors trading to get Kelly Oubre? 19 points a game is good. I do not think he will slack off defending, if he has Draymond screaming in his ear when he does. He will learn to hustle on defense, every second he is on the court. Hopefully, he will be in a system that allows his strengths to shine.

        1. Seb,
          I like Oubre but he is no Klay. I’m afraid the only way the Warriors get a top 4 seed in the West this season is if Wiseman has a breakout rookie of the year season and I don’t think he is ready. It usually takes big men longer to develop.

          1. Of course, nobody else is Klay. He is one of a kind.
            .
            I agree with your assessment of Wiseman. However, now, the Warriors finally have solved their center troubles for the next 10 years, so he will be a foundation stone when Steph and Draymond move on.
            .
            Losing Klay is a real bummer. It was hard to celebrate about Wiseman with Klay’s injury looming over the team.
            .
            I do like Nico Mannion. His father played for the Warriors, so he is like family. He has good instincts passing the ball, and a non stop motor.
            .
            Jessup sounds like a developmental project.

            1. Seb,
              You can’t replace a player like Klay, but if Oubre can average 15-18 points per game and play good D, it might be enough to make a post season run.
              I’ve always liked Oubre and respect his game. He should be a good fit for the Warriors.

              1. The only silver lining in this disaster is- at least the Warriors had time to change their draft philosophy, when selecting their second round picks.
                .
                I am happy they moved quickly and decisively traded for Oubre, he suffered playing on bad teams, but on the Warriors, he may shine. I watched his highlights, and I liked when he picked Hardin’s pocket.

    1. Thanks for the link Shoup.

      Lance is a guy I really like. He’s not perfect, but what he showed as a RS Freshman was really good. Experience in a pro style offense which Shanahan will love, especially given they run a lot of the concepts Shanahan runs. All the athletic talent you could want and good in the pocket. Showed the ability to read and manipulate the D and go through progressions. If it wasn’t for Lawrence and Fields he’d be in the conversation for 1st overall imo.

      1. Experience? He’s got a year of starting experience. Any team drafting him must have a veteran in place as the starter for his first year. No way around that for mine….

        1. Have you watched him? It may only be a year of experience (which is more experience in a pro style offense than most draftable QBs will have btw), but what he was doing was very advanced. As a RS Freshman. I absolutely would be fine drafting him and starting him. He’ll make some mistakes as any rookie QB would, but he has shown a lot of refinement in his game in a pro style offense.

          1. Yes I’ve watched him. He’s boom or bust depending on the situation he gets drafted into. Teams like the Vikings(Kubiak), Colts, Steelers that have an established vet and a good surrounding cast will undoubtedly be the best case scenario for him. If you’re going to break The Parcel Rules you’d better make sure you don’t Euck it up:

            1. He must be a senior because you need time and maturity to develop into a good professional quarterback.
            2. He must be a graduate because you want someone who takes his responsibilities seriously.
            3. He must be a three-year starter, because you need to make sure his success wasn’t ephemeral and that he has lived as “the guy” for some period of time.
            4.He must have at least 23 wins because the big passing numbers must come in the context of winning games.
            5. Started 30 games.
            6. Post a 60% or better completion percentage
            7. Post a 2:1 or better TD-INT ratio

            I had his game against Oregon circled on my calendar to see how he’d fare against their secondary, but it never happened. He wasn’t asked to carry the team. I think they ran the ball over 700 times, and threw the ball just over 300; 287 of which were thrown by him. You say he ran a pro-style offense but it’s one of the simplest I’ve seen, and it didn’t require him to come off his primary read. The games I watched it was half field reads, and if it wasn’t there he’d tuck it and run. He’s got it all but experience. The “refinement” as you put it, of his mental acuity is critical, and as a GM I wouldn’t want to throw him into the NFL fire without the kind of plan Reid implemented with Mahomes. It’s just too much of an investment to not give him the best chance of reaching his full potential, which is off the charts. Would I be ok with Josh Johnson as the starter and Lance sitting a year behind him? You bet your sweet ass I would just as long as he fell into our lap and Wilson was off the board….

            1. I actually hope that Rivera takes a page out of Reid’s draft book and takes Lance. Alex Smith is probably the smartest quarterback in the league, and he’s proven his worth in developing a rookie’s mental acuity….

              1. **Meant in response to Prime below**

                Wilson is a 3 year starter with tons of experience. I’d have no reservations about him starting day one, and I believe he’s tailor made to run Shanny’s offense….

            2. Yeah, well aware of the Parcells “rule”. But the game has changed so much. Parcells never would have drafted Murray or Burrow, for instance, but he would have been wrong not to.

              As for half field reads, etc, yes, he had plays like that. As does every college QB. Heck, every NFL QB. But he also had plenty of examples of full field reads, manipulating safeties and going through progressions. Stuff some NFL QBs struggle with.

              Lance is a very good prospect and I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him. Atm I would still take him over Wilson, and I like Wilson a lot. And I wouldn’t be afraid to start him early. Sure, have a veteran QB you can play and feel you can win with if he isn’t ready, but I would say the same for any rookie QB.

              As far as siuation, what better situation would Lance have than Shanahan’s offense? With the weapons they have locked up? Fix the OL and he has everything around him to succeed. If you are terrified of putting him in too early then either keep JG for a year or bring someone in to be a bridge, though as I said above, I don’t have the same reservations around starting him early.

              1. What is Shanahan’s track record with rookie QB’s?
                I know he had to revamp his entire offense for RGIII. And his reputation for being hard on his QB’s is well documented.
                Is a rookie QB and getting him to play week one a realistic expectation?

              2. As you say, he’s done it before with RG3. He’d no doubt need to water it down a bit, but I feel confident he could pull together a decent offensive plan a rookie can execute.

              3. These new age QB’s seem better prepared for the NFL game these days as well.
                I think Shanny also has to be able to develop these young guys. Sure he is an exceptional play caller and has a ton of coaching experience. But unlike Harbaugh, at some point you were hired to be an offensive coach and develop a QB. Harbaugh did everything right except develop a QB.
                If indeed the Niners draft a QB, Shanny will have to show patience and develop a scheme around him, not the other way around.
                I don’t think Shanny has done much to develop Jimmy G’s game.

              4. After Lawrence, I’d argue Wilson would be the next quarterback that could handle the biggest serving of Shanny’s offense day 1….

              5. Lance only checks 2/7 boxes from the Parcel Rules. Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Dwayne Haskins, Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, and Patrick Mahomes are the most recent to fall into that same category. Mahomes averaged 42 throws a game, Murray 27 and Lance 18 in their respective one year seasons as starters. Mahomes got to sit behind Smith. Murray could have benefited from sitting because his shortcomings of post snap processing and pocket awareness carried over into his rookie season. Trubisky and Kizer were thrown to the wolves. Even Cam Newton took years before he had an MVP season. Inexperience comes back to bite you more often than not, and if I’m drafting a player like Lance, I want to have an established veteran quarterback that allows him to sit a full year before turning over the reins to him….

              7. Razor to be fair Mahomes wouldn’t have checked the Parcel rules either. I wouldn’t rule him out because of this.

              8. Mahomes got to sit behind the smartest quarterback in the NFL for a year.

                If you read what I said I’m not counting him out, but I’d want to draft him into the right situation.

              9. Razor let’s say the Niners move up to hypothetically #6, they take Wilson. Does he have the capability to start week one and does Shanny have the capability to get him ready for week one?
                Or are you of the belief that a rookie QB sit for a year regardless?

            3. “The games I watched it was half field reads”

              That’s what about 3/4 of Shanahan’s offense is

        3. Yeah, he needs a bit more time but I think that’s why he will be available when the others won’t. And that wouldn’t discourage me with a 12-15 pick or from moving up to 8 to 10 for him.
          Wilson, I believe will be gone at 6, 7 at the latest and he will cost a lot more to get.

      1. I like Lance quite a bit, he has every trait you look for from a physical standpoint and has won a lot in lis limited time at QB. That said, I’m really only looking at him because he’s the only elite QB amount the big 4 that could fall to SF.
        I think the other 3 are likely to go in the top 6, and the price tag to go up for them would be too much for SF.
        His strengths are.
        – He has a Big time arm can make every throw.
        – He is accurate and has showcased anticipatory throws even on outs and come backs.
        – He has an NFL body and can still add muscle.
        – He has played under center and carries out very good ball fakes.
        – He has shown the ability to go through multiple progressions.
        – He has very good footwork.
        – He is the most elusive of the top Qb’s.
        His questions are.
        – He is young and lacks experience
        – He hasn’t played against elite competition.
        – He endangers himself when running ( ie no sliding)
        – He doesn’t always trust his eyes.
        – He has questionable pocket presence.

        1. Shoup,
          Thank you sir.
          I’m a big Lance fan as well, especially given your keen analysis of him (which I trust).

          The top 3 QB’s (Lawrence, Fields and Wilson) will likely be off the board when the 49ers pick. That scenario should give us a possible shot at Lance.
          I really like this kid, and I love the fact that he’s a passer first and foremost and a good runner when the need arises.

          1. Trask, has been a little underwhelming today against Vanderbilt, but the entire Gators team looks sluggish.

            I did see a couple of things from Trask that gave me pause in the 1st half.
            During one play when he went back to pass, the defense had a nice pass rush and Trask stutter stepped then forced the throw to his receiver who was closely covered. It was a pass that could have been intercepted.
            Also, he seems to throw the ball in many 50/50 situations hoping his receivers can make a play on the pass.

            That habit may not work on the next level and could put the team in precarious situations.
            Trask is still in my sights, but he needs to really pick up his game in the 2nd half.

  38. The Deseret News reports that Wilson will “almost certainly” enter the 2021 NFL draft, and BYU quarterbacks coachAaron Roderick said almost every team called him during BYU’s bye week for information about Wilson.

    “I think it was just about every team,” said Roderick. “They make their own decisions about his play. That’s their job. They’ve got scouts and evaluators and they are good at what they do and they make their own decisions about what they think of him as a player.”

    The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Wilson is a junior who started most of both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He looks ready for the NFL.

    1. The Niners cannot catch a break. In other news Carlos Dunlap looked great last night for Seattle.

      1. bro – how old are you?

        you really think I will waste my time to come to you – and you repeating this moronic thought makes you some how look tough on a blog of anonymous posters?

        Dude – you are on some real PG reality – seriously – me drive to Canada cuz of u – are you insane?

        your dumbzz needs a job or some real friends ….wtf – dude is really on me coming to canada !!!!

        1. Just like Seb, big talker Betty Crocker.
          Internet tough guy likes to beak but when the chips are down, he waffles like a bioch!

          1. lol – so if I leave my life and decide to drive or fly to canada to confront you on sum dumb stuff that makes me not a waffling bioch?

            ha ha ha – wtf – what are you? – how do you exist? – this stuff is real comedy

            ok on a serious note – I am going to guess you were bullied in school or abused when you were younger – so you are pretty much deranged for life – cuz this is really insane stuff coming from a suspected adult.

            1. Hey man, those were your words. You said you would come here. Not me.

              But once again, like a bioch you talk tough behind a key board and now denying you ever said that.

              Oneniner says:
              November 15, 2020 at 3:21 pm
              Lol….I rather use a rental car to travel long distance ……what’s ur address…I can come to u

              Fyi – I have family in canada

              1. OMG – this THING is SICK – ????

                you were actually dumb enough to believe that B.S – ???? – you even quoted it -???

              3. Who is the bigger coward? The guy who is afraid to pay his debts.
                .
                Prime sounds tough on the internet, but if he was really brave, he would not need to bully and threaten others. His profane screeds just tells me he is not too bright, either.
                .
                The biggest coward of all is the big guy picking on smaller people, but in the end, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

              4. “ The biggest coward of all is the big guy picking on smaller people”

                Are you a small man Seb? Feeling sorry for yourself, playing victim again?
                Sorry POS!

  43. During his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017, Trump praised the Obama administration for its help during the transition.

    “Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition,” Trump said. “They have been magnificent.”

  44. Looks like the writings on the walls of the quarterback room. The 49ers have worked out Anthony Gordon, QB, WSU.

    2. Just due diligence.
      .
      Remember, KS chose Hoyer as his QB. The guy who throws like the DBs are the intended receiver.
      .
      He drafted CJB. He even moved up in the draft to pick him, so his assessment skills are not flawless. Look at how CJB has performed. His 1-9 win loss total says a lot.
      .
      Saying they will draft a QB, then declare he will be automatically become a starter, just belies reality. His best path is to sit a couple years, study a lot, work out hard, then play.
      .
      JG knows the drill. They contemplated Tom Brady as a replacement, so no player is safe. Heck, they traded away their best defender, which was a total surprise to Buckner.

    3. Razor,
      What do you think of Penix the kid at U of I. Is he draft eligible? I’m looking foreward to this mornings game. I believe he will answer a lot questions this Morn.

      1. Is he draft eligible? Hell yes he is. If it wasn’t for the injuries he would probably be in a discussion of 1st rounders. This “mornings” performance is critical for him as far as being talked about in the upper tier….

          1. Master Teague(really cool name)4.31 40-yard dash time, a 40.7 vertical leap, and a 4.00 three-cone drill. Doesn’t look like he’s that fast after that achilles injury; looked more like 4.45….

              1. Wilson would have completed that 4th down & 1 pass for TD near the goal line. No question about it.

              2. Regardless of what order you have them, this is looking like a really excellent class of QBs. I think there are 5 guys that are legit first rounders, and some others that look like good day 2/ early day 3 options and could rise.

              3. Yep, another reason why I’m confident we’re taking one. I’ve got 6 quarterbacks coming off the board in the 1st round, 4 of which will go in the top ten….

  45. Checklist :

    Get groceries.
    Take dogs and kid to the park
    Buy hair spray spray-on-hair.
    Buy non-runny spray-on-har. Don’t want it to run down my face during a press conference. LOL

    1. Instead of “concede” or “lost,” what if Trump was allowed to say, “My second term has filed for Chapter 11.”

  46. KS may have a quick hook, but at least he is just making an adjustment. However, with the QB position, messing with his head will not instill confidence in the QB. Then, the QB is worried about being yanked if he makes a mistake.
    .
    The most important thing is not to make a move, until a superior alternative is in place. Assuming a rookie QB will step in and master the pro system right away, may be a lesson in futility. Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow were number one picks, were thrown into the breach and both struggled their first season.
    .
    Joe Montana sat behind DeBerg. Tom Brady was Bledsoe’s backup. Kaep had AS. Wilson was a third round draft pick. Rodgers sat for years behind Favre. Steve Young sat for many years behind Montana. Mahomes sat for a year.
    .
    I will say it again. Cap restraints may force Trent Williams to leave, so the Niners should use their first picks on Offensive Linemen, because they also need interior help, too. Lawrence, Fields, Trask or Wilson will just get bludgeoned, if the Niners do not shore up the pass protection.

    2. I am not sold that the JG era is over, however as you know I am a great fan of Alex Smith, I would be okay with another season of the Smither’s.

    4. Jack: How do you see the “no-trade” clause impacting the decision. It would be a bummer if we can’t get something for Jimmy?

      1. The only way Garoppolo makes $25.5 million next year is if the 49ers find a trade partner. If he decides he doesn’t want to waive the no-trade he’s costing himself money.

          1. To restructure the 49ers would need to push a large portion of the $48.3 mil in base salary that Garoppolo is due to future years. It’s not really a good business decision for the team.

            1. Exactly JP. JG is unlikely to just accept a pay cut – why would he? On the open market he’d have his suitors and would find a team willing to pay him, even if it is somewhat incentive based. Which means if the 49ers want to keep him they either keep him around at his current salary, or rework his deal to reduce the cap hit in 2021 and push it to future years, making the cap hit larger to release him after 2021.

            2. With so many other guys coming off the books, it looks like it can be done.
              How private are these contracts? I mean we just heard Jimmy G has a no trade clause which leads me to believe this contract is not as bad with the 49ers having a lot of options.
              Praage is the king salary cap guru! He will find a way.

              1. They aren’t private at all. Anyone can see the details.

                Right now the 49ers have about $19 mil in cap space for next year with only 37 players under contract. The rookie pool eats up about 10 of that so you’re looking at only 9. The 49ers have some really bad contracts right now that limit their ability to move money.

                The best move is to move long term would be to move on from a mediocre QB instead of tying themselves to him for even more years.

                Move Garoppolo through trade or release, and move on from Ford. This would get them to around 50-59 in space depending on whether they want to use the post June 1 designation on Ford.

              2. Private in the sense of no one knew he had a no trade clause till 2 days ago. How many more little things in his contract allow the 49ers more flexibility.

              4. In terms of outs for SF all of that is public and known from the beginning.
                Scooter and I were both questioning why SF refused to give Jimmy some guarantees in trade for some cap space last year, instead they chose to restructure Alexander and Richburgs deal (maybe Ford’s too but I don’t want to look it up now). Those turned out to be bad deals and even if they cut them both they are out over 10M. In restructuring Jimmy they would need to do the same. Tbh, if I’m Jimmy I would force the release… then I’ll have my pick of places to go, they will need to bid against each other and they would still have their draft picks to help me in the long run. He likely wouldn’t make as much next season but he could make that up.

              5. “ I’m Jimmy I would force the release… then I’ll have my pick of places to go,

                Where is there a better place for Jimmy to succeed other than SF? He won’t win in Chicago or NE as their rosters are not near as good or deep as SF.
                If I’m Jimmy restructure the two remaining years on my deal, show the NFL I won all those games for a reasons and possibly win a SB in 2021 with a stacked roster.

                Meanwhile the Niners draft a successor and have 2 years to develop him.

              6. Prime,
                The point is if you’r team asks you to take a pay cut and isn’t willing to give anything in return then they don’t really believe in you.

                A team that doesn’t believe in a player, also doesn’t have a vested interest in them. So a better place for him would almost literally be any team willing to invest in him.

              7. Shoup’s got it right. Trade, release or soldier on with a quarterback that’s not the answer. I’d attempt to trade him back to New England for their 3rd round compensatory pick they’ll get for Brady….

              8. I don’t think the Niners dislike him. I think they need more from him. It’s not like Jimmy has played a lot of games in the NFL. We have said ourselves we still don’t know what Jimmy is capable of.

                The contract doesn’t have to be structured as a pay cut. They can get creative through incentives and deferred money. I’m not a cap expert but there has to be ways to spend $180 million in multiple ways.

                If they restructure it “creatively” it allows them to sign other players. It allows him to stay in a place where he can win and develop further with a coaching staff he knows and knows him.

                The idea of going with a rookie, or stop gap vet for next year makes no sense to me. You have a team who can win it all and now you are going to try and win with something you don’t know? Bad idea.

                And as far as a trade goes, no team will trade for him possibly knowing they will just end up cutting him.

              10. I don’t see them doing anything with JG. He played great last year and I don’t see any option for getting a better QB. This year he was injured and played behind a very poor line. If anything needs fixing on this team, it’s the O line. They need to start by using a top pick on a center. I think that’s critical.

              11. There’s no way in hell Shanny is drafting a center with the 12th pick. I doubt he’d do it in the 1st round period. Looks like they believe Brunskill has a chance to be the guy in the pivot. We’ll know for sure by seasons end. RG is where it gets interesting. McKivitz looks like a decent pass protector but his technique in the run game needs work. I think if they can straighten out the RG position it’ll help out the center and RT….

              12. “You have a team who can win it all”

                They really don’t. For next year they need to sign a LT, have zero CB’s with experience under contract, their best pure pass rusher has a bad back, and the interior of the offensive line is not good. Garoppolo is not worth $25 mill next year or redoing his contract and being stuck for the next 5 years.

              13. Jack they have a very good team & have built a solid foundation.
                They’ve won 4 games this year on a riddled roster. They have a back up QB playing who has cost them 2 more wins.

                Yes there are holes to fill but it is a very young squad with so much room to get better.
                They will have to have a solid draft and be very resourceful in their contract structure and free agency.
                This isn’t the Harbaugh/Baalke scenario with aging vets and bad contracts.

              14. It’s an ok team but not a team that can win it all, and with the guys they have coming off contract they have a lot of work to do.

              15. Since their arrival, Richburg, Ford, and Sherman, have been more hurt than helped/played.
                I’d say losing those 3 guys and contracts is an advantage.
                Who else coming off the books is a tough replacement?

              16. On JG’s contract, the only “creative” way to reduce his cap hit next year by restructuring his contract is by pushing the cap hit to later years or somehow convincing JG to take a pay cut. And yeah, any deal that converts salary to incentives is a pay cut, as he then has to hit certain performance targets to earn his money.

                As far as the team goes, they had the team to win it in 2019. They just didn’t. But the 2021 team is going to be very different. Saying they have the team to win it all is assuming the guys they bring in to replace the guys they have lost since 2019 (which by next season will be a lot, especially if they keep such a high % of their cap tied up in JG) can be as good or better. Maybe they can. But it’s no certainty by any stretch.

              17. Prime, in terms of who else is coming off contract, T Williams, both centre replacements, almost the entire DB room, almost all the depth along the DL, and the best FB in the NFL. To name a few.

                As for guys being injured, the team made the SB on the back of most of their key players being healthy in 2019. Sherman was excellent. Richburg played most of the season. And the team started 8-0 in large part due to the D, and Ford was a big part of the pass rush in the first half of the season.

                You don’t just get rid of those 3 and think the team won’t miss them. The team has missed them this year. Especially with the other guys coming off contract.

              18. It’s amazing isn’t it Jerry? Most of this board now has JG gone with no indication the team has any other plan than going with JG next season. I think we need to bookmark these opinions and bring them back when that happens.

              19. Would you guys say they are closer to winning it all or the other end of rebuilding?
                I’m saying riding with Jimmy G another year or two and having a top 10 pick in each round next year, makes this team closer to contender. We will be the best 4-12 team at the draft.
                Sure, lots of luck needs to happen but considering the luck we had this year, next year will be a cake walk.

              20. Well said NTE. What’s the contingency plan? Take a ready to win team and add a rookie QB or other veteran QB and expect a winning season? Wow!
                Never knew winning was so easy by just swapping out the most important position in all of sports.

              21. Prime/ Notanexpert, just a question to help me clarify where you are coming from, what was your opinion of JG after last season?

                And Notanexpert, no need to pretend, we know you’ve been bookmarking these comments already ;-)

              22. Scooter I thought he was good. Good enough to win the SB.
                But then December came around and the defense didn’t play well and Shanny put the shackles on Jimmy G and throwing the ball.

                He totally went away from the downfield passing attack and stayed with running the ball exclusively.
                Now was that because of Jimmy G or was that because he was trying to control the game too much.

                We keep blaming and pointing the finger at Jimmy G. But maybe we need to start looking at the type of offence Kyle Shanahan is running.

                I mean if Shanahan doesn’t know what he has in Jimmy G already, then they should have drafted a QB in last years draft.

              23. Thanks Prime.

                I thought he was pretty good, though a bit inconsistent, and a bit limited in what he offered. He had some brilliant games, and some bad ones, and in general KS gave him a lot of easy yards and throws. Overall, I thought the team made the SB on the back of a great D and running game, supported by a mostly efficient passing game. You say KS went away from the deep ball late in the season, but it was all year. And it wasn’t because they didn’t dial up opportunities- JG didn’t take many deep shots.

                I genuinely thought he would be better this year, but for a variety of reasons that hasn’t played out.

              24. There definitely is a disconnect between head coach and quarterback. I’m not sure if it’s philosophy or if it’s a distrust between letting his quarterback throw the ball in crucial situation’s.
                Ultimately I think it cost us the Super Bowl by being too conservative in the 3 to 4 weeks leading up to it.

                Now they had a full season with Jimmy at the helm. If they didn’t believe in him after last year, why didn’t they address the QB position in the offseason?
                Yes they flirted with the idea of Tom Brady but I think a lot of teams did that. They just didn’t make it public.

              25. My opinion was that he was a perfect fit for this system and nothing has changed. He is inconsistent at times but he stands in there and gets the ball in the hands of his playmakers. Trying to gauge anything regarding his future on this season is foolish imo. Between the revolving door of players around him and trying to play through an injury there was no chance of sustained success this year. Dumping him would only make things worse for this team moving forward.

              26. Thanks Notanexpert.

                I think therein lies the main difference in our opinions. If you went into this season thinking he was really good last year and perfect for the system, then really nothing should have changed.

                I didn’t feel that way. I thought this was a prove it year for him. And for a variety of reasons he has not.

                You may well be right that they go with him again next year, but I don’t think it is silly to think they will move on either.

              27. Prime, the reason they didn’t address the QB position last year is, imo, they believed they should have won the SB last year and wanted to recreate the same team as much as possible. They saw their SB window as open right now, and didn’t see any QB that would give them a better chance in 2020. As simple as that.

                But that doesn’t mean they believed in JG as their best bet at QB for the future, beyond 2020. As I have said before, and I understand not everyone agrees with this thinking, if they believed in JG as their QB for the future there was absolutely no reason not to extend him and create cap space this past offseason.

                Now I get your belief that the same thinking they had for 2020 should apply for 2021, in that it is unlikely they will find a better QB to run the team in 2021 than JG. It is probably true. But the problem is there is almost no way they can come close to recreating the same calibre of team around him next year. So the question becomes more than being about whether JG is the best QB to run it back with a great team around him – because the team probably isn’t as good next year. The question has to become about whether JG is the right guy to keep the team as a SB contender long term.

              28. Good point Scooter. Maybe the plan was that in year 4, when a lot of these contracts are up, they will need to decide on whether a rebuild is necessary.
                Kinda like what the Rams did after their SB run.
                Only thing was they kept Goff and loaded up on some expensive personnel.

                I like the direction and culture Lynch and Shanny have developed. This next offseason will be critical to the organization for the next 3 years if they want to win a SB. Especially when deciding what to do at the QB position.

              29. Jack: It’s an ok team but not a team that can win it all, and with the guys they have coming off contract they have a lot of work to do.

                Let me fix that for you.

                When healthy, they certainly have one of the most talented rosters in the league, last season proved that. That said … with a large number of talented players set to hit free agency during the upcoming off-season, ShanaLynch definitely have a lot of work to do if they want to remain in the mix when healthy next season, and that work starts at the quarterback position.

                There you go Jack, fixed it for you.

              30. My opinion was that he (Jimmy G) was a perfect fit for this system and nothing has changed.

                Nothing has changed? Simply NOT TRUE!

                Here are 4 aspects of Jimmy’s skill set and intangibles that have, in fact, changed:

                – Injuries: Jimmy has an injury history going back to 2016. He lasted less than 2 full games as the Patriots starter, before he got hurt. He lasted less than 8 games as the Niners’ starting QB before he blew out his knee (non-contact), and here we are again, Jimmy lasted less than 2 full games in 2020, prior to suffering a rather serious injury on yet another fairly innocuous play. It’s not a stretch to call Jimmy injury prone at this point, and we all know a QB’s best ability is his availability.

                – Mobility: His mobility, or lack thereof, has changed. He’s lost some of his mobility, including his mobility within the pocket. Jimmy is basically a statue these days, and that’s something that has obviously changed as a result of his knee injury (and likely his clunky knee brace). Just watch the film and compare how well he moved in 2017. His mobility, not as a runner, but in terms of his mobility within the pocket, and his ability to get outside of the pocket and extend plays once the pocket starts to break down. That was actually a strength of his prior to his injury, and now it’s a weakness, and that’s a fact.

                – Mechanics: My goodness, what a mess. Happy feet, poor passing mechanics (improper weight transfer, not setting his feet, not squaring his shoulders – to name a few), telegraphing his passes, misreading coverages, and a lack of pocket awareness – these are all areas where Jimmy’s game has clearly regressed. Even a novice can see this much!

                – Confidence: Anyone who thinks that an athletes confidence is simply a minor factor, likely hasn’t played professional sports. When Jimmy took the filed in at the end of 2017, he was brimming with confidence, and his confidence was contagious. That confidence is gone, and the question I haven’t been able to answer definitively is the question of cause and effect – is Kyle’s lack of confidence in Jimmy G (post injury), actually causative or resultant. In other words, it’s the classic paradox of what came first …. the chicken or the egg? Was Kyle’s lack of confidence in his QB in 2019 and early 2020, the result of his perception of Jimmy’s play, or did Kyle’s lack of confidence have a causative effect on Jimmy’s confidence? Either way, the fact of the matter is that it’s a lot easier to lose confidence, than it is to regain it once it’s been lost.

              32. Even without the injuries, the 49ers would not have been as good as last year.

                You say that as if you know for certain, Jack. Guess what …. you can’t be certain! All you can do is speculate based on likely statistical regression to the mean, which only works on a macro basis, not on a season-to-season basis.

                I do agree with you in the sense that Garoppolo has regressed, and I am not buying that his regression is purely based on poor health. He hasn’t been the same guy post ACL injury, and his regression was likely to catch up to the team in terms of their record this season. But, even if that was the case, it doesn’t mean the 49ers weren’t going to make the playoffs this season, nor does it mean hat they couldn’t make a run through the playoffs similar to last season. It also doesn’t mean that they are doomed in 2021, although I do believe they likely need to take a step backwards in order to take two steps forward. The 49ers are hardly the only team who have to deal with the consequences of the lower salary cap, however I do believe they need to make a change at the QB position, even if a change at QB means their next run at a Super Bowl needs to wait until 2022.

              33. “Even without the injuries, the 49ers would not have been as good as last year”

                Opinion or fact?

              34. I think therein lies the main difference in our opinions. If you went into this season thinking he was really good last year and perfect for the system, then really nothing should have changed.

                I didn’t feel that way. I thought this was a prove it year for him. And for a variety of reasons he has not.

                You may well be right that they go with him again next year, but I don’t think it is silly to think they will move on either.

                I guess we just won’t see eye to eye on this then because I think it would be foolish to move on from a QB who took you to the SB in his first full year as a starter and put up top 5 numbers in multiple categories while doing so. Not sure what he had to prove coming into this season other than continuing to improve with experience as every QB does. Too much was made of his playoff performance imo. He didn’t have to throw much against GB because they were gashing the Packers on the ground so badly and it became an opportunity for the Florios and Cohns of the world to twist the narrative to make it seem like Shanahan didn’t trust his QB. That was proved false in the SB when he had JG throwing the football from start to finish and until the final 7 minutes that performance was pretty good. This season was compromised from the beginning with a revolving door of players onto IR and Garoppolo suffering an injury that usually takes 6-8 weeks to recover from. To his credit he came back and toughed it out, but in doing so brought more criticism on himself for his inability to play at the level he had shown the previous season. I’m pretty sure Shanahan will look at the big picture and not just how things played out so poorly this year because he’s seen what things look like without a QB he can win with.

                Prime Time actually made a point he didn’t intend to make I believe when he brought up the Rams and that is you don’t overreact to a disappointing season when you know you have a good core of players. The Rams are right back in the hunt one year after most of the talking heads left them for dead due to cap problems and roster turnover. What the Rams have done should be a lesson to all of us. If you have a good core of players, which the 49ers do, you can change depth players and even lose some decent starters and still be successful as long as that core stays intact. The worst thing you can do in my opinion is try to make big changes when your season was negatively affected by things beyond your control.

              35. I’m going to try and make this as brief as I can 49reasons:

                -In between the injuries you mentioned, Garoppolo started 19 games in one season. That doesn’t happen to a player who is injury prone. Period.

                -He’s never been a guy know for mobility and his mobility was affected greatly because he was playing on a high ankle sprain. Also I highly doubt you were mentioning this last season when he was standing in the pocket and dealing.

                -His footwork has never been great and yet he was very accurate anyway. You are again overreacting to his play suffering from playing on a bad ankle. Anyone knows you don’t look or play the same if you are playing through a painful injury. Well most do anyway.

                -Your last paragraph is unsubstantiated BS. That’s about the nicest thing I can say about it.

              36. The difference in your comparison to the Rams situation is they’re handcuffed to an overpaid quarterback, and the 49ers are not….

              38. The difference between the Rams situation and the 49ers is that they invested heavily around their high priced QB. Yes they gave him too much money and he is a system QB, but they reloaded in areas of need.

                The Niners might be in a predicament in one of two ways. Let Jimmy G walk and put the hopes of a very good team on another veteran or a rookie QB

                Plan B, keep Jimmy, build around him and still draft a successor on day two.

                Which plan will the 49ers execute?

    5. What is this, Back To The Future 3? The quarterback the 49ers need to sign is Jacoby Brissett if they want to draft a Kyle Trask or Trey Lance….

  49. This is perfect. AS almost lost his leg, he almost died. JL, and his tendency to sign injured players, should be excited about the possibilities.
    .
    AS has a huge desire to get back playing, but is downplaying the risks. I want AS to live a long healthy life. He really needs to do a cost-benefit analysis.

      1. Speaking of Kaep, he is available right now. He is a superior QB to NM, CJB and JJ.
        .
        And guess what? He is fully healthy.
        .
        Now that the Bloviator in Chief will finally have to concede, Kaep should have his blackballing lifted. Actually, there are several team other than the Niners, who should look to upgrade the QB position.
        .
        If they do move on from JG, they should expect Jamal Adams type of compensation. NE might cough up 2 firsts and a second round pick for JG, since they like him so much. Cam is too inaccurate for Belichick, and Stidham has that deer in the headlights look..

            1. 2, 1st round picks and a 3rd for Jimmy G?
              Looks like you’ve stopped smoking weed and are now on crack.
              Good for you!

              1. JG is a SB QB, and with better coaching, could have achieved greatness.
                .
                Believe it or not, Washington sent THREE 1st round picks and a second round pick to the Rams for RG3. Jamal Adams, a safety, garnered 2 first round picks and a third round pick.
                .
                Of course, the Niners should treasure JG, and treat him like a precious ruby. You just want the Niners to lose, and throw away their best chance to succeed. I fully expect that JG, as a team leader, will help the team retain talent by renegotiating his contract.

        2. I’m sure that Kaep is a much better QB now after a 3 year hiatus than when he got benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert (lol).
          Seb, sorry bud, but that ship has not only sailed, but has been grounded.
          Let it go my friend.

          1. Its OK. I hope you have noted that I have generally refrained from mentioning Kaep, until Prime tries to troll me about him, or Kaep is in the news.
            .
            However, now that his main blackballer is leaving office, Kaep may actually get a tryout.
            .
            I certainly do not think he should be handed a job if his skills have dissipated. Maybe a tryout will show his regression. I just see the drek QBs playing right now, and think other teams should try to improve. However, they may all be tanking for Trevor, or Trask.

              2. Remember, a storm is coming. Keep bringing up November 4th. It gives me a perfect opportunity to crow about November 3rd, now that Kaep’s blackballer just got fired.

              3. Don’t worry I never need a reminder to show you how wrong you were.

                Here you go:

                Prime Time says: 
August 22, 2020 at 7:59 am 


                He did take the league by storm. But when will he return?

                Seb says: 
August 22, 2020 at 9:16 am
                
November 4th.

              4. Yes, this last election just shows how wrong you are, all the time.
                .
                Kaep now has a good opportunity to return to the NFL, because all vestiges of this last travesty will be erased.
                .
                Trump is his own worst enemy, because he is claiming that an election stolen by fraud is illegitimate. This just means that once Biden is in power, he will unload a flood of information, including the Mueller Report, showing blatant acceptance of foreign interference, so it will prove that Trump stole the 2016 election. Hopefully, that will invalidate all that Trump inflicted on this country, and with a stroke of a pen, Biden will undo all the malfeasance.
                .
                I wonder what will happen to Assange, once Biden is in power. Extradition, and he will sing like a canary.
                .
                Putin is trying to get immunity for all the crimes he has committed. Too bad Trump cannot pardon himself, even though he will try.
                .
                Kaep was called an SOB by the biggest one in the world. Kaep will still be a hero, but now, he will get another chance to play.

              8. No, Prime, you have been laughing up to this point, but there is a new sheriff in town. Like you said, Kaep took the league by storm. With Brees out with 11 rib fractures and a punctured lung, maybe Sean Payton will want to win so much, he will sign Kaep. Hill just does not inspire confidence, but he is still better than Winston.

              12. Did you see in the news? Kaep is claiming the NFL is denying him the opportunity to work. Goodell apologized to Kaep and said the blackballing was wrong because Kaep was not denigrating the flag. He was protesting peacefully and silently, against injustices.
                .
                Kaep just presented a video, showing him working out throwing. Looks like he can make all the throws, and especially the deep balls, because he has a cannon for an arm.
                .
                Now that some ‘SOB IS FIRED’, Kaep will get another opportunity to play.
                .
                Remember, a storm is coming.

    1. I love the kid. I also love Trask. I’d be happier than a pig in sh$t if we got either guy.
      We need some swag at the QB position!

    2. Razor,
      If Penix slips into the 2nd rd I would love to see the 9ers draft him but after yesterdays game (and if he stays healthy the rest of the way) I don’t see him as a 2nd rounder.

      1. Yea, he put himself into 1st round conversation with that performance against a top defense. Still, his injury history is a concern. We’ll see how his medicals come back at the combine….

  52. Speaking of the Harbaugh’s, I have to wonder how much longer the Michigan Athletic Dept will stay with Jim.
    JH’ shelf life has already run it’s course, IMHO.

  53. Joe Burrow just got wrecked by Chase Young. Rookie QBs try hard, but it was an unwise move, that could have lead to injury.
    .
    With little NFL experience, Burrow just made a bad decision, like many rookies do.

    1. Ouch. They threw him into the breach, and now he has a knee injury.
      .
      This is why it is better to let a rookie QB to sit, study a lot, and work out to get stronger so he can take the hits delivered by people paid to sack him.
      .
      I wish him well, but now wonder who will be the QB for the Bengals. Ryan Finley went 3-10 for 30 yards and one interception.

  54. Woke up this morning, checked marketplace and dude duct taped a PS2 and PS3 together; posted it for sale as a PS5.

  55. Scooter,
    “I genuinely thought he would be better this year, but for a variety of reasons that hasn’t played out.”

    With all due respect, are we going to measure JG on the year from hell?
    How do we get a precise grade on a player who has been injured and has also had his key offensive players injured?

    I’m starting to think that the possible move on from Jimmy talk has more to do with finances rather than his abilities.

    I respect everyones take on this, but I’m still a firm believer that the Org should weigh Jimmy’ play on health vs injury.

    1. Did I say we should? That is not what I meant. I mean I believe the team wanted to use this year to make a definitive call on his future, to see if he can improve on the areas they had lingering concerns regarding. And for a variety of reasons they aren’t going to be able to. Problem is, they are now in a cap situation, largely due to COVID, where they may have to. And if they don’t, they all but guarantee the rest of the roster is weakened.

      I have said multiple times now that my rationale for why the team would move on this offseason is primarily cap related.

      1. Scooter,
        I was merely working off your comment. Sorry, if I came across as blaming you for anything.
        Personally, I want to see if there’s any growth and progress in Jimmy’ performance based on him being healthy.

  56. The Pack/Colts game is a hell of a game. I hope the Raiders and the Chiefs can put on as good of a show tonight.

  57. This week’s games gave the Niners hope. The NFC North all lost, so the Niners are in the competition for the last wild card spot. If the Niners win out, they are in the playoffs, where anything can happen. They may even lose one more game, and still be in the playoffs, with so many NFC teams struggling.
    .
    I am hoping that history repeats itself. In 1988, the Niners were 6-5, and in danger of not making the playoff. They handled adversity, pulled up their bootstraps, and marched to the SB.
    .
    Of course, KS needs to channel Bill Walsh, in order to achieve greatness. If he can get his team to stop making crucial unforced errors, and if some important players return from injury, they can win.
    .
    Yes, I am the eternal optimist, but that is why I am a die hard faithful Niner fan. Tanking for a QB is for losers, and like this pandemic, losing is deadly contagious.

    1. The Niners are not winning another game and are not making the playoffs.

      Save this post Seb so you can remind me how wrong I will be, okay dip sh$t!

          1. No, I rejoiced when the Raiders lost. I may not like the Chiefs, for obvious reasons, but I prefer them over the Raiders, every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

  58. Lets hope that the Tampa Bay D brings their A game tonight. The Rams coming off a short week and beat up by a physical defense may be just what the 9ers ordered.

    1. I am concerned, because Ramsey and Donald seem to be playing well.
      .
      Maybe the Saints showed how to defeat the Bucs.

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