Tomsula: “when you want to point a finger or blame, just point them all at me. OK? Nobody has full autonomy.”

Here is the transcript of Jim Tomsula’s post-OTA press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ public relations department.

Pretty up tempo practice out there. Is that the goal here to emphasize a faster pace environment?

“Yeah. We’re just going to go at a pace. We’re just working on the clock.”

 

When you say working on the clock, you’re talking the practice clock or the–?

“The play clock and the practice clock. Just moving.”

 

Is the aim there to put pressure on defenses so that they can’t substitute or to put pressure on them stamina wise?

“I mean, just the way we’re practicing for us, not anybody else, but for us, number one you are getting your conditioning part of it. Number two, trying to add the pressure to it so you have to think in a fast paced, stressful environment offensively. And defensively, that helps you in these critical times in games, the two-minute stuff. So just everything having to operate at a fast pace.”

 

How much of an adjustment period is this for the offensive linemen with a new coach? Are they learning different things? Is this point in the offseason pretty critical for their coming together?

“Yeah, I think it’s for all of us. I don’t think you can say O-line. I think everybody’s getting a lot of great work. The guys, the players are really, really going after it. It’s been a lot of fun.”

 

Specifically for the O-line, are they getting more, is there kind of a change in the scheme that they’re doing?

“Yeah, well, I mean you’re blocking and tackling but I’m not going to get into schematics and all that stuff. Yeah, the guys are working their fundamentals pretty hard and we’re trying to make sure we’re getting the carryover into the team periods.”

 

How’s this transition going for you, from going from hands on per each defensive guy into techniques to supervising all these players at different positions?

“I think’s it’s going good. It’s a great locker room. It’s a great group of guys. And then the coaching staff, it’s a really good coaching staff. I think you can all see that. It’s been enjoyable, but, I mean, it’s a lot of work.”

 

I think former 49ers DL Justin Smith on the radio the other day cited DT Ian Williams as a young guy that probably a lot of people in the NFL don’t know about but who he sees a lot of potential in. That seems to be a theme along the defensive line. Which guys are you eager to see step into perhaps a bigger role than they’ve had in previous years?

“The defensive line specifically?”

 

Yeah.

“All those guys. That’s a really, I mean, obviously I’ve worked intimately with those guys. But to watch what [defensive line] coach [Scott] Brown and [defensive assistant] coach [Aubrayo] Franklin are doing, it’s really cool, you know. Specifically, coach Brown, that’s a guy that I used to study a lot in terms of some of the pass rush moves and some of the stuff he was doing. So it’s a neat deal. And then Aubrayo obviously playing here, but those guys working with them, just watching them all, it’s a really good group. And there are some talented guys there that have worked really, really hard.”

 

When DL Glenn Dorsey, I guess in 2013, had his first season here and people thought well that’s his home in the middle at the nose. I mean, is he a guy you’re looking at, maybe moving outside?

“Yeah, he can play both. Everybody in there is cross training. We were talking the other day, I think we’ve had six different guys, well I mean, Dorsey started at nose. Ian started at nose. [DT Quinton] Dial started a game at nose. [NT] Michael Purcell started a game at nose. [DT] Tony Jerod-Eddie started a game at nose. It’s all cross trained, so they can play them all. It creates a depth at that position. Glenn did a great job at the nose position, but Glenn’s also, I mean, it’s a D-line group. We kind of stay away from ‘you’re the nose’ and you know, Ian can play edge, you’ve seen Ian on game days two years ago playing the defensive end position. So, we’ve got all those guys that can move around and play that spot.”

 

Is Glenn all the way back from his biceps?

“The biceps? I mean, he’s doing wonderful. You know, the lifting is all getting good. He’s looking really good too. ”

 

With LB NaVorro Bowman, is today just a maintenance day for him?

“Yeah, Bo’s been doing a great job. It’s been awesome watching Bo. It really has. He’s doing really, really well.”

 

There’s so much talk about this team losing so many players over this offseason. Did you have to address that early with these guys and say forget about that and you’re here and move on?

“Never spoke a word of it to be honest with you. I mean, other than, obviously some guys have retired and things. Justin, who just recently and again, Justin Smith’s gotten me a pay raise. Let’s not hide the facts. The guy’s, he was just an unbelievable football player. And the key is, one thing I do want to say about that is that I know a lot of people compare him, and the comparisons, that’s the big thing we do. Justin Smith, you don’t compare him to anyone. The bar that he’s reaching, or the bar that he was always going after was the bar he set. So he was always competing against himself. All the talk with he can still start in the National Football League, absolutely. But that’s not, where he’s at and all the stuff, I don’t have anything but awesome feelings for Justin Smith and where he’s going.”

 

What have been your impressions of WR Torrey Smith so far, watching him work young receivers and just overall what you’ve seen from him?

“You know what, the first impression, everybody goes out on the field and you see how fast he is. But my first impression of Torrey Smith is more about the man than it is about the ball player. He is a unique guy. And the way he carries himself and the way he talks to people, he’s one of those multipliers. He’s just a really, really good person. Obviously extremely talented and works his tail off, but yeah, he talks to everybody. And it’s not just receivers, it’s, you know, and that’s the thing you’ll find in this that’s been exciting me with my office being in the locker room and all that. You get to see these guys and just the way they interact and the decency and the respect and the kindness that they treat each other with is really, it’s pretty cool.”

 

What’s RB Carlos Hyde’s status?

“He’s working through the leg. It’s nothing. I mean we got no big, but we’re going to wait. We want you 100 percent. We’re doing this offseason thing and we’re doing things fast and we’re doing all those things, so we’re not going to push. It’s not the season, so we’re trying to treat that the right way.”

 

Did TE Derek Carrier re-fracture his foot?

“No, he didn’t. Don’t have an exact status but I do know the x-rays or MRI, I’m not even sure which that was, there was nothing broke there or anything.”

 

What are you seeing from G Brandon Thomas working with the first team? Didn’t get the chance to play last year but obviously a good opportunity for him to compete.

“Again, we watched him all year. You see him. Again, you talk about a wonderful guy but you talk about a guy who’s really worked hard. And when you come back off the legs, it’s not like everything, you’re medically cleared but now you’ve still got, now you’ve got to get football going. You got to get stepping on that thing and getting running and getting moving. And there’s a period of time there, and just to watch him, and you see it now, those little hitches in the giddy up, they’re going away day-to-day. Every day, it’s just getting better. He’s doing really well.”

 

Does defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, and I might have a follow-up to this, does Mangini have–?

“Just a warning. He’s got two, he just let you know [vice president of communications] Bob [Lange].”

 

Does Eric have complete autonomy or do you insert yourself in and have your thumbprint on this defense as well?

“Well, I’ll say, the entire thing, when you want to point a finger or blame, just point them all at me. OK? Nobody has full autonomy. We’re all in this together. And I have a comment on offense, defense, special teams, player engagement. So if it’s on the field and you don’t like it, you don’t need to, you can just come see one guy.”

 

The reason I ask this, S Antoine Bethea was talking about how the defense, it appears from his standpoint, is a little bit more complex, maybe trying to create a little bit more confusion for the offense. That’s got to be a balancing act as far as trying to be complex but not overly complex.

“Certainly the ideas and thoughts of Eric has going, make no mistake on that, Eric’s doing a wonderful job in this part of it and the things we’re doing out on the field and the defense that we’re learning. But now you also talk about [senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach] Jason Tarver and you talk about [secondary coach] Tim Lewis and [linebackers coach] Clancy [Pendergast]. I mean, you get all those guys together in there and some of it, we’re trying. Who exactly are we, you know what I mean? And looking at some different things in coverage and looking at some different patterns and stuff like that. That’ll all settle down once we’re in, and again, it’s not like that’s something new. You’ve seen that here, You’ve seen that everywhere you go. OTAs, you put things in, you’ve got that time to put things in and kind of see what guys do better, so there’s a lot of that going on. But all those guys, that entire coaching staff, is really some good stuff.”

This article has 135 Comments

    1. “And Kaepernick finally has a deep threat, one of the best deep threats in the NFL—Torrey Smith.”

      http://i.giphy.com/LoGh1t5iGxFOE.gif

      In yards per route run he’s never been ranked higher then #26. In 2014 he had a catch rate of 38.1 for passes over 20 yards, in 2013 it was 24.4 and it 2012 it was 29.5. 38.1 was his best and that was #15 out of 35. His drop rate was 2nd highest on the list.

      What makes Torrey Smith one of the best deep threats in the NFL?

      1. Over the past three seasons over 25% of Torrey Smith’s passes have gone for 20+ yards. Last year he set an NFL record for defensive interference calls drawn with 12. He also had 10td’s last year.

        2012: 16 catches for 20+ yards/49 receptions = 32.5%
        2013: 20 catches for 20+ yards/65 receptions = 30.7%
        2014: 13 catches for 20+ yards/49 receptions = 26.5%

        1. Those numbers mean that he is a deep threat receiver they don’t make him one of the best in the league.

          1. Well who is one of the league’s best? I would have Torrey and DeSean for sure in my top 5 deep threats in the game. Who else do you have

            1. The top NFL deep threats;

              Demaryius Thomas
              Julio Jones
              Dez Bryant
              Jordy Nelson
              T.Y Hilton
              Antonio Brown
              Emanuel Sanders
              Desean Jackson

              I’d put those names plus a few more before I’d list Torrey.

    2. Grant, great job! I loved the positive tone of the article but I’m wondering why all of your “positive” upbeat writing is reserved for Bleacher Report while we PD readers for the most part get the doom and gloom, negative, Sky-is-falling Grant most of the time.
      Did your BR editor instruct you to take a more positive approach to your articles? This isn’t criticism, I really enjoy your BR work, it’s just that the contrast with your PD work is so obvious. You have even guys in the comments section calling you a “Niner Homer”, while others are praising the positive tone of your work. Again I’m not complaining, I’m just amused that you would ever be referred to as a Niner Homer!
      Keep up the positive thinking, it’s good for you.

      1. Bleacher Report is national.
        PD is local.
        Grants heel gimmic works much better on the local level.
        Keep up the good work Grant.

    3. Grant WOW that was a very positive post. I think if Hyde leads the league in rushing, CK makes the Pro Bowl, Dial, Carradine and Lynch all have breakout years the 49ers would very likey win 10 or more games this year. Would you concur?

      1. I’ll go farther than that, OC. If Hyde leads the league in rushing AND CK goes to the pro bowl, the 49ers will probably win the division and maybe even have home field throughout the playoffs. Unless, of course, the defense is a complete mess, which I don’t see happening.

        For CK to win a pro bowl berth this coming season, he’ll have to have a great season, IMO. This is because of last season being so bad for him. Often pro bowl voting for a particular season, is heavily influenced by a players performance the year prior.

    4. The same ol’ 49ers…When coach T was asked, Mangini has complete autonomy, Coach T responded, “we’re all in this together.” Same old BS line, just ask Harbaugh when asked if he had any say in the draft, Baalke responed: we’re all in this together.”….Where’s Harbaugh now?…Just Like the 49er fans who feel Kaepernick is the superior QB to Jeff Garcia…When Kap. makes several Pro Bowls and throws for over 4000 yds. in a season (for all of you mathemetitians, thats almost 300 yards per game0, and as you know Kap has a hard time not staring down wide receivers, meaning he’ll be lucky to throw for 300 yards twice/per season.

      1. 49ers 0-16 for 1st time in team history with the liar Baalke, “were all in this toghetr” or tomsula stealing harbaugh’s job, all the retired players, a new coaching staff who does not know how to adjust when go to plays are shut down, to all the draft picks with torn acl’s and a qb who stares down wr

        1. I forgot to mention the 49ers yearly parade of new WR corps that have to rely on simplistic pass routes for the first half of the season because more complex routes takes an adjustment between QB and WR, so richard sherman and other will be waiting to jump those simple routes

          1. BY CBS SPORTS: ….Carlos Hyde has leg injury and Davis our new running back hand is injured from a Kaepernci rocketball on a swing pass from 5 yards away. Kap sure learned touch at Warner’s camp…It’s not even summer and we have injuries

              1. I’m not going negative, and having Kaepernick throw outs on every play to protect kap from staring down receivers is not the answer either. Being real is which you can’t do with blinders on. Stated simply, a new stretch blocking scheme, a new coaching staff, all the upheaval, new receiving corps is impossible for the best football coaches. 0-16. it takes 1/2 a season just to develop chemistry here, don’t you realize that?

      2. TomD- I suspect Tomsula knows the buck will stop with him irregardless so props for making that quote even if he doesn’t really have the final say about most things pertaining to the Niner’s. I suspect he has little autonomy under Baalke. Everyone should take responsibility for the things they have control over, but I suspect if things go south Tomsula will end up getting blamed for a lot more than he was actually responsible for.

        1. Willtalk….I don’t need a math teacher or reading glasses, but you do….If you read my post I said over 4000. Your math only gets you to 4000 yds.

          1. And almost 300 yards per game gets you to almost 4,800 yards on the season. That’s a fair bit over 4,000 yards on the season…

      3. Tom,

        Apparently, you needed to consult a mathematician before you posted. A QB has to average 250 yards a game to rack up a 4000 yard season. Or maybe 250 is “nearly” 300 to you.

    1. “leader of Men?’ The only thing Tomsula will lead this team is to a 4 or 5 win season –and he will lead himself out the door before the second year of his tenure is up.

      1. @hallinanstreet

        Can we stop the Nostradamus Garbage with people like you?

        It’s Lame

        You don’t know Jack, none of us do at this point in time otherwise you would have won the Lotto & be sitting on your own tropical island sipping on a Cuban Breeze.

        So how about this for a bit of Common Sense….

        Why don’t you shut your Pie Hole and wait & see with your own eyes what transpires in the Month of September. If things go off the cliff like you said they would then I’ll come back & call you a Genius. Until then stop the Absurdity.

    2. Tomsula has always been impressive to me since he arrived. Very detail oriented and stellar results. He’s always had that down to earth demeanor that envelops you 30 seconds into your conversation, making you feel comfortable and relevant. He keeps it real so when the drama hit center stage and he wasn’t portrayed in a good light, it surprised me and kind of hurt. It simply didn’t jive with the character of the coach I grew to love. My other concern was his knowledge and Justin Smith put that to bed. I liked the answer about full autonomy, and probably one of the reasons that defensive scheme won’t be too complicated….

      1. And I’ve often wondered if Razoreater actually IS Jim Tomsula and has been all along. Who else would’ve used a photo of a completely random, mostly unknown except to real Niner Fans, Dline coach, as their Avatar all these years? Lol, it explains alot doesn’t it?

        1. Bar None & George-
          That’s not Tomsula, Razor’s avatar is Ron Jeremy!

      2. All good points, Razor, but of course your avatar looks a hell of a lot like him . . . But seriously, what he had to overcome was that creepy press conference when he looked like a deer in headlights and, of course, Jed’s endorsement. Time passes, giving perceptions a chance to change. Now the underlying guy is coming through. Yesterday, for the first time in my eyes, he looked like a head coach of an NFL team. Now we have to start winning again. After they let Harbaugh go, I said I was concerned more about the defense than the offense, because I believed the offense had an off year (e. g., Kaep’s regression, OL injuries) and it would be hard to replace a DC like Fangio. The off-season developments have reinforced that view IMO, so we’ll have to see.

        1. Written before I saw Bar None’s comments, above. Not trying to step on your feet, BN.

      3. Razor,

        You are one of my favorite people on this site, but I have to call you on this Bro. You were one of the most vocal critics of this hire and called Tomsula a rat along with some other disparaging insults. You’ve obviously changed your mind as you did with Armstead, and that’s fine, but you can’t rewrite history.

        1. “He keeps it real so when the drama hit center stage and he wasn’t portrayed in a good light, it surprised me and kind of hurt”.

          I explained my initial sentiment, and it by no means excuses my behavior, however it does give some insight as to how I react when I’m hurt by people with whom I’ve grown to love….

      4. Glad to see you are warming up to the idea of Tomsula in charge again razor. You had me worried with your negativity the first few weeks after he was named…

  1. Thank goodness some football news. Tomsula actually does a good interview. He has come along way from that first interview. I am on board with this team, I expect the Niners to do well and to surprise the NFL with their performance. CK here is your chance to take a team, make the players around you better, and get them into the playoffs once again. I have faith in Tomsula and I hope he makes us forget about this past year.

    1. This is Kap’s first true test.

      He was previously working with a well-established, winning team. Like you said, now is the time to put his own stamp on this team.

  2. Local and National media, as well as some fans reacted rudely and a bit ignorantly IMO to Tomsula’s hiring. Sneers and snickering and eye-rolling. I’m a Homer so I obviously want SF to do well, but they’ll be the added satisfaction as the “rube” of a Coach grows his team and gets wins.
    I’m not predicting how many wins, nobody can, but there are plenty of geniuses running around who feel like they can predict how many losses.
    In regards to Grant’s comments on Dial and Carradine, I’d offer the reminder that good play at those DE positions is not always reflected in stats.
    RayMac was a good example of that. Not saying the team doesn’t need more sacks; it does.

    1. I don’t think that they acted rudely, there was quite a bit of disbelief that the franchise was letting Harbaugh walk after three NFCCG’s in four seasons. They were terrible for a decade before that. Harbaugh made them winners and was inches away from making them champions.
      I like Tomsula but he is the best coach for York and Baalke, not the 49ers. That is what upsets people. They wanted somebody that would kiss the rings that neither of them have earned. Be careful what you wish for.
      I wish Tomsula the best but I don’t envision this team going to the NFCCG in three of the next four years with him at the helm. I hope he does well. I knew Harbaugh would do well and he did. He undersold and over delivered, which is the exact opposite of what York does.

      1. Well stated Big P, and a view shared by many. Personally I think the ‘kiss the ring’ theme is being projected on them and may be an exaggeration. Do Jerry Jones’ employees have to kiss the ring? You bet!
        I was focused on the hire. Jed’s non handling of Harbaugh’s style is not something I defend. He was juvenile and unprofessional, and if I knew JH was pretty rough-edged at Stanford, JY should’ve also before he hired him.

        1. Brotha,
          Jerry Jones also ran off Jimmy Johnson, who was the architect of those championship teams, because he wanted the credit. I agree that Jed knew about Harbaugh’s personality before hiring him, which is why I feel like Baalke and York’s ego got the best of them in dealing with Harbaugh. I don’t mean it as a slight torwards Tomsula, I just don’t agree with their handling of the whole situation.

          1. Big P- I suspect Baalke had more to do with it than most people might suspect. The GM is the intermediary with the HC. I think it was mainly about Harbaugh justifiably wanting more imput into the roster than Baalke wanted to give up. Baalke is slicker and had Yorks ear, were as making friends is not Harbaugh’s strong suite. Well that and some of the head scratching things Harbaugh would do. But Baalke also had plenty of headscratchers but it doesn’t seem to count against him which suggests he made sure to buddy up with York.

      2. BigP,

        I agree with you 100%. I don’t recall many around here being very happy about the process used to hire the HC, and even less enthusiasm when it wound up being Tomsula. I agreed with that and still do. I like Tomsula, seems like a great guy to sit around and have a beer with, but as an NFL HC? I’m not going to write the guy off and I’ll always hope for the best, but it’s all hope and a prayer here because on paper it doesn’t look like a good hire.

          1. MWN,

            Yes we will. That’s the great thing about predictions, we all have them and we get to see how they turn out eventually.

            1. per-zact-ly ! .. rocket ..

              I was royally bummed when Jed fired
              The Harbs .. and saw nothing but doom and gloom
              for this team during the coach’s selection process..
              and, not to mention, the way this off season has gone ..
              .. but, I dunno .. what I’ve been reading, and from
              everything said, here, has restored my hope, again ..

              And, no matter what .. that’s a good thing

              1. I think the team will be better this coming season than most expect. The real key to Tomsula’s effectiveness as a head coach will be the following season. I do think that some of the coaching staffs are an improvement over those under Harabaugh. Wr’s, TE, special teams for example.

        1. Rocket,
          Harbaugh was an elite di#% head but we already knew this. He was also an elite HC despite his flaws. He simply did not flinch and loved competition. He is a rare talent as a coach but he just doesn’t have a personality that is conducive to sustainable relationships. You could feel the opposing coaches desire to beat Harbaugh after his first season. Lmao, they hated him. It’s hard enough to win in the league without your HC providing extra motivation. I don’t know how tangible that will prove to be, but it felt tangible last season.

          1. BigP,

            No argument with most of that, but Belichick is one of the biggest aholes that has ever walked a sideline along with his mentor Parcells and they seemed to do ok. My view is and will always be: you don’t get rid of a successful HC because you don’t like the person. That immediately drys up most of the pool you have to choose from.

            1. No u don’t get rid of a successful coach because you don’t like the person…

              U get rid of him because his flailing and broken offenses prevents the team from winning Lombardi trophies and he’s hard to get along with on top of that..U can deal with a person that’s difficult to work with.When it translates into success..But in the NFL that success was a championship.We were good enough to..should have won it all..But…he fell short every time…3times is too many..4th year in the balance..short of playoffs….it’s not working anymore

              ..If u think they got rid of him just solely on personality…U haven’t been watching these games very closely Rocket lol.

      3. Big P,

        Do you think the 49ers would be going to the NFCCG three of the next four years had Harbaugh stayed?

    2. My only problem is that people tend to look at Tomsula like he’s never seen a football before. Not necessarily the posters on this blog, but just folks in general. People treat him like he’s some kind of alien from another planet who doesn’t have a clue about the game. His football knowledge was acceptable to most when he was the d-line coach, but now that he’s the HC it’s like everything he knew about the game has somehow vanished.

      And I get it. Tomsula wasn’t anyone’s first, second, or third choice. He’s not witty with his media sessions the way Harbaugh was, and his promotion is being perceived as the front office hiring a “yes man”. But the guy knows football. He’s coached it for over 20 years and he actually does have HC experience (albeit in NFL Europe, so I know it’s usually discounted anyway).

      Plenty of people will be skeptical, which is completely understandable considering the circumstances of how the hiring process went down and the whole Harbaugh experience, just to name a few. But Tomsula isn’t some guy who just showed up one day and decided to give football a try. He’s been around the game for a long time and hopefully his past experiences (yes, those meaningless NFL Europe ones) will serve him well in his new position. Should make for an interesting season.

      1. Ninergang,

        Good points and I understand where you are coming from. I can’t speak for anybody else, but here’s my point of view.

        It’s not about Tomsula’s football knowledge. Everybody at this level has a ton of football knowledge, and most have been Coaching in some form or another for many years. I don’t care about what he says at a PC although I cringe when I watch him sometimes and hope he gets better at it. I know he’s a good Dline Coach and players like him.

        That’s all well and good, but to be successful as a HC in this league takes a combination of traits that few men have, and if you find one who has them, you don’t fire him because of a personality conflict. Now I’m not going to rehash the Harbaugh stuff again, I know everyone is tired of that, but we have to look at what transpired here through clear eyes and not ones diluted from fandom.

        Tomsula has little experience as a HC period. That is a big deal to me. You can be the best position Coach in history and not be a good HC because the jobs are very different. The HC is an administrator, a strategist on game day who makes the final decisions. It’s not easy, and many people fail because they don’t possess that ability. It’s not just about getting guys fired up and liking you, in fact sometimes it’s better if they don’t.

        Then along with Tomsula we have two Coordinators who have no record of success.in the roles they now occupy. Chryst didn’t have great talent to work with but he didn’t make his players any better. In the case of Mangini, his one year as DC in NE was a disaster, sandwiched by much better years under other coordinators.

        There are some good position Coaches on this team, but the guys at the top are question marks at best, and when you look at some of the teams they have to match wits with, you come to understand that the Niners are going to be over matched in the Coaching ring quite often on game day.

        That is not to say Tomsula can’t make me eat my words and excel, anything is possible of course, but if we look at this without bias, the chances of that are unlikely.

        1. “we have to look at what transpired here through clear eyes and not ones diluted from fandom.”

          I see this “fandom” thing brought up quite often when folks express a positive outlook about the 49ers. I think it’s a bit of a cop out.

          What has happened with the roster this offseason is very similar to what we saw prior to 2011. Many were very upset with the front office for not bringing certain players back, they didn’t think the draft was that strong, yada yada yada.

          One thing that I liked about Harbaugh that I also like about Tomsula is their coaching history. College coaches, Harbaugh in 2011, deal with a lot of roster turnover each year and must manage that to stay on top. Harbaugh did that very well.

          Tomsula dealt with that at both the collegiate level, and to an even greater degree in Europe where the rosters changed each year.

          1. I agree with Jack, both on the above, and on the 49ers chances (barring injury) of having a successful season, and I am not known for putting emotional above reason (and neither is Jack, for that matter). ;)

          2. Jack,

            I see this “fandom” thing brought up quite often when folks express a positive outlook about the 49ers. I think it’s a bit of a cop out.

            I don’t see it as a cop out at all, and there has been plenty of evidence of it on this board with Tomsula and Armstead as prime examples. Most of the people who occupy this board hated the idea of both of those guys, yet once the moves were made, the feelings turn the opposite way. That’s fandom taking over because we want to believe the team hasn’t screwed up and sentenced itself to poor results due to bad moves. It’s normal and I don’t begrudge anyone who feels that way. I simply don’t see the reason for optimism others do. I want to, but as I’ve pointed out many times, I’m a realist and outside of the fan pool of the 49ers, nobody will be predicting an 11-12 win season for this team as you did. The reasoning is pretty overwhelming: New Coaching staff, personnel losses who also brought a lot of leadership, unproven replacements for those losses, coming off of an 8 win season. There’s probably more, but you get my point I’m sure.

            What has happened with the roster this offseason is very similar to what we saw prior to 2011. Many were very upset with the front office for not bringing certain players back, they didn’t think the draft was that strong, yada yada yada.

            No I think the losses, especially the Coaching staff, are much more severe this time around. Nobody was shedding a tear for Singletary on his way out the door, or for most of the players who weren’t brought back.

            One thing that I liked about Harbaugh that I also like about Tomsula is their coaching history. College coaches, Harbaugh in 2011, deal with a lot of roster turnover each year and must manage that to stay on top. Harbaugh did that very well.

            Tomsula dealt with that at both the collegiate level, and to an even greater degree in Europe where the rosters changed each year.

            You may have separated your shoulder with this reach. Tomsula was a HC for one year in his career with the Rhein Fire. I don’t think being an assistant at Cawtawba College gives him much he can use this coming season either.

            JPN001,

            I would not include you in the group I described, and I’m not going to single people out, although predicting an 11-12 win season is clearly putting emotion above reason imo. It’s my general view based on the mood swings that take place around here on a regular basis. My question for you is: what would you consider a successful season?

            1. Maybe that’s my problem. I didn’t have a problem with the Tomsula hiring or the Armstead pick.

              I am a huge Harbaugh fan, but I don’t share your view of the new coaching staff.

              As for separting my shoulder, last time I checked they’re both fine.

              I understand that Tomsula’s experience is limited as a head coach, not arguing that. I was getting more at how he has been forced to get the most out of a new group of players every year while working at those levels, particularly in Europe.

              Also, his experience at Catawba and in Europe, combined with his time in SF gives him a lot that he can use in terms of managing his players.

              1. Jack,

                He hasn’t gotten the most out of a new group of players every year. Even the year he was a HC he was 6-4. Other than that and a couple of years as a DC in Europe, he’s been strictly a position Coach. You’re trying to connect dots that don’t exist.

              2. Even as a position coach the players are different.

                His diverse background is appealing.

            2. Rocket, I think with regards to Tomsula’s hiring the majority of reactions were more negative than warranted as fans were still coming to grips with losing Harbaugh. It didn’t matter who the team hired, there was going to be a large section of the fan base that wasn’t happy.

              As you’ll recall, I wasn’t that unhappy with letting Harbaugh go, and I’m still ok with it. I wasn’t thrilled by the Tomsula hiring, but I also wasn’t upset by that either and was more than happy to see how it played out. Still am. After his initial press conference and interview I tried to tell people to relax, but the axes were out in force. Based on two media outings where he wasn’t doing anything related to what he was primarily hired to do (coach the team) he was being trashed by large sections of the fans as a bumbling fool.

              Now, as we get back into football and people are starting to move on from Harbaugh, and starting to see Tomsula in his more natural setting, people are starting to calm down and just let this thing play out, see what he can do as a coach. As it should be. And naturally, when people aren’t looking for the negatives, they start to find some positives.

              With Armstead, the same sort of thing is happening. I’m on record as saying I don’t think he should have been a first round pick. I still believe that. I do however acknowledge he could end up being better than I suspect. I am also willing to acknowledge, as Jack has said a few times, that now he’s been drafted, it really doesn’t matter what round he went in. It just matters whether he can help the team.

              1. Scooter,

                There was some angst over losing Harbaugh and some were ready to see him go, but even more over the process that took place to replace him. I don’t recall many who were in favor of Tomsula becoming HC and for valid reasons imo.

                I also understand that we have to let it play out. That is obvious as we have no control of the situation. All I’m doing is giving my opinion on it as others have done. The difference is, most don’t like my opinion preferring the positive outlook instead which I completely understand.

                I have become the board downer, I get it, and I don’t like being that guy, but if I’m going to be truly honest with my views and opinions, this is how I see it.

              2. Rocket, feel free to be the board downer! And give your opinions, as everyone else does – yours are always pretty well reasoned too.

                My comment was more in response to your questioning why others are changing their opinions, not about whether your opinions are valid. I think rather than it being all about “fandom” as you suggest, I think a large part of it can be accredited to an overly negative reaction to start with by many fans, that is now being corrected. If you like, one could argue that fandom was in fact responsible for such a negative view in the first place.

              3. Scooter,

                My comment was more in response to your questioning why others are changing their opinions, not about whether your opinions are valid. I think rather than it being all about “fandom” as you suggest, I think a large part of it can be accredited to an overly negative reaction to start with by many fans, that is now being corrected. If you like, one could argue that fandom was in fact responsible for such a negative view in the first place.

                I can see that and there is probably some truth to it, but I think a lot of it is simply wanting to focus on the best outcome for the team we cheer for. Niner fans are no different from other fans around the world in that we wear rose colored glasses when looking at the prognosis sometimes. I have done that as well. The difference I see this time, is that relationships/egos took precedence over winning, and when that happens it rarely turns out favorably.

            3. I was neutral on the Tomsula hiring, but I am cautiously optimistic about him as we obtain more data for what he will be like as a head coach. No, he does not have a great deal of experience as the ‘big boss,’ but neither did I before starting my new(ish) job (as of January of this year), and so far, so good, at least I think. Sometimes people need new challenges into which they can grow.

              I think status quo (8-8) is the baseline for success baring any major injuries. However, I would not be surprised by 9-7 or 10-6. 11 wins would surprise me, but not shock me. Any more than that would be 2011 all over again (and I was shocked by that team).

              1. JPN001,

                Your view of what constitutes success differs from mine, but we agree on what we see the team accomplishing in the win column. 6-9 wins was the range I gave earlier, but I wouldn’t consider that win total a success. When you have come off of a run like the Niners have, and inflicted change the way they have, then anything less than a playoff berth can’t be considered a success imo.

              2. And some people will think success only comes with a Super Bowl win. I do not believe that you would subscribe to that measure and more than I would. Where we differ, I think, is that I see the changes as a mitigating factor, allowing for a lower threshold of success in 2015 vis-a-vis expectations going into 2014, whereas you seem the see the changes as aggravating factor, requiring results similar to the results prior to the coaching staff change (excluding 2014).

              3. JPN001,

                I don’t really expect the results under Tomsula to equal those under Harbaugh. That was more a shot at the ownership and front office who are feeding us that line of thinking based on their belief that anybody could win with this roster due to it’s talent.. The Coaching changes are one piece of the equation. The Personnel losses are equally daunting.

            4. Rocket- I dont see what the problem is with predicting a 12 win season. If it doesn’t happen we can always blame the QB.

        2. I hear you Rocket. You make some good points as well.

          “That’s all well and good, but to be successful as a HC in this league takes a combination of traits that few men have, and if you find one who has them, you don’t fire him because of a personality conflict.”

          I agree to some extent. But I don’t know if I can say all the HCs in the NFL who are successful (or have been) have those rare traits. For example, would you consider someone like a Jason Garrett to be one of those men with traits that few have? Or what about Gary Kubiak? I agree that it’s not easy and not everyone can do it, but I don’t if it has to be a guy like that. I get what you’re saying though.

          “Then along with Tomsula we have two Coordinators who have no record of success.in the roles they now occupy. Chryst didn’t have great talent to work with but he didn’t make his players any better. In the case of Mangini, his one year as DC in NE was a disaster, sandwiched by much better years under other coordinators.”

          Can’t argue much with that. The only thing I’ll say in that regard is that the body of work for these guys in those roles is pretty small, so it’s a little difficult to make a judgment either way.

          “There are some good position Coaches on this team, but the guys at the top are question marks at best, and when you look at some of the teams they have to match wits with, you come to understand that the Niners are going to be over matched in the Coaching ring quite often on game day.”

          Remains to be seen. I think people in general tend to look at question marks as predetermined negatives. We’ll definitely find out for sure this season though.

          1. “I think people in general tend to look at question marks as predetermined negatives.” BINGO

          2. Ninergang,

            I agree to some extent. But I don’t know if I can say all the HCs in the NFL who are successful (or have been) have those rare traits. For example, would you consider someone like a Jason Garrett to be one of those men with traits that few have? Or what about Gary Kubiak? I agree that it’s not easy and not everyone can do it, but I don’t if it has to be a guy like that. I get what you’re saying though.

            The successful ones usually do. Garrett would have been fired awhile ago with the records he achieved, but he’s working for an owner who gave him extra time because of their past history together. He’s grown into the job over time, but it’s taken quite a while to get there. Kubiak was very successful in Houston and I believe he has most of the qualities I’m talking about. He also did his time as an OC for a number of years before he was given a HC job.

            Can’t argue much with that. The only thing I’ll say in that regard is that the body of work for these guys in those roles is pretty small, so it’s a little difficult to make a judgment either way.

            I don’t think you can form a conclusion, but you can form an opinion that has more relevance than believing they will be successful. There is no evidence of them having success, while there is evidence of them failing.

            Remains to be seen. I think people in general tend to look at question marks as predetermined negatives. We’ll definitely find out for sure this season though.

            Some do, and in the case of Kaepernick, they overlook everything positive and focus on the negative, but that’s not what I’m doing here. I’m simply giving an opinion based on the information I have, and in this case it’s not appealing to a lot of people. In the past I’ve argued positive positions in the face of negative opinions to the contrary. Each case has it’s own info to decipher and make a comment on and in this case, I see it differently than others who believe that everything is going to be work out great.

            1. Rocket,

              A lot of good points. It makes sense and I can agree with most of it.

              “I don’t think you can form a conclusion, but you can form an opinion that has more relevance than believing they will be successful. There is no evidence of them having success, while there is evidence of them failing.”

              That’s true. Again, I can’t agrue with that. But as Jack stated earlier, Mike McCarthy didn’t have much success in his lone year as the 49ers OC. Wasn’t an indictment in him, just didn’t have much to work with. Now, I’m in no way, shape, or form comparing McCarthy to Geep as far as coaching ability. But at the same time the circumstances were less than ideal for him the first time around. A coach has to get the most out of his players, but they can’t perfrom miracles on guys with no talent either. And that’s not me endorsing the hire or expecting people to be comfortable with him in the position, just pointing out the difficulty for me to have a strong opinion either way.

              “Some do, and in the case of Kaepernick, they overlook everything positive and focus on the negative, but that’s not what I’m doing here. I’m simply giving an opinion based on the information I have, and in this case it’s not appealing to a lot of people. In the past I’ve argued positive positions in the face of negative opinions to the contrary. Each case has it’s own info to decipher and make a comment on and in this case, I see it differently than others who believe that everything is going to be work out great.”

              That I can agree with. I’m pretty much in the same boat as you are: giving an opinion based in the info available. I think you’ve been fair with your assessments in the past and the fact that you’re less than optimistic is understandable. I just think that in general, some of the things people talk about as “concerns” are more about the fear of the unknown, which in turn leads to more of a negative vibe. I’m not suggesting you’re doing this at all, again just talking in general terms here.

          3. Ninergang, particularly agree on your point that many are prone to stating that the question marks = automatic negatives.

            I am wait and see on Geep Chryst. I remember talk of Harbaugh replacing Roman with Geep if Roman got a HC job in 2012. Geep had crappy talent in SD, and it is known that he designed the Vernon Post play and I believe he called all the plays on the final drive in the 2011 divisional round vs. the Saints. Also, Steve Logan’s input can’t be ignored here. That guy sounds like a technician and is going to help a lot.

            Mangini has positives and negatives. As the Pats DB coach from 2000-04, he designed secondaries that flummoxed Warner and Manning. His 2005 stint as Pats DC was mixed, but he dealt with significant injury losses including Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law (released in offseason), Richard Seymour. The second half of the season the defense got much better. Mangini didn’t do so well as Jets and Browns HC and was criticized as a poor communicator and alienating his guys.

    1. Jack I certainly hope you are right but I’m not going to put my money on it.

    2. I was wondering what you were thinking. There are a number of question marks about this team, like how will they do without Iupati, Boone (if he goes), Justin, and MacDonald. Will Kaep improve. Will Bowman stay healthy. Will Mangini be up to the challenge. Nevertheless, Baalke’s been proactive as far as the talent is concerned. And I’m an optimist. So I’ve thought to myself that 11-12 wins is not out of the question. Glad you’re inclined the same way.

      1. I see where you’re coming from. I think the addition of Torrey Smith should lead to improvement from Kaepernick.

        Boone will be the starting RG.

        The top questions for me are:

        Is Anthony Davis healthy?

        Can Hyde replace Gore’s production?

        Does Aldon Smith get his groove back?

      2. I am with Jack and George I can see 10+ victories baring a rash of injuries or the loss of CK. My question marks are can CK elevate his game, can we pressure the QB, can we defend the pass?

        On a side note, if CK plays elite football, deep in the playoffs will happen.

    3. I hope you’re right Jack, but I think you’re predicting with your heart instead of your head.

      Personally I see 9 wins max if everything goes well in terms of health, and the Coordinators perform better than they have previously.

      1. Let’s hope Geep coordinating Kap and Gabby works out better than him coordinating Ryan Leaf and some crazy old qb, what was his name?

        1. Those Chargers teams were full of talent. Kind of like the 2005 49ers squad that Mike McCarthy ran.

      2. A range of 6 to 9 seems realistic to me with a 5% chance of either 5 or 10. As for Tomsula in a press conference, he reminds me of a jovial Jim Harbaugh. His players are all world beaters.

        My concern for the offense is what will happen when the holes have to be a bit bigger and stay open longer than they did for Gore?

    4. Jack, can you detail the top 5 reasons you think (barring injury) the 49ers will win 11-12 games in 2015?

      What did Harbaugh “fail at” that Tomsula will do differently to “succeed”?

      What makes Tomsula different as a HC than Nolan and Singletary (all defensive assistants before being hired)? Why did Nolan and Singletary fail and why will Tomsula succeed?

      I welcome others’ thoughts on these three questions too.)

      1. Adusoron,

        I missed this earlier. The short version is this:

        The offense will have a better mix of receivers/backs in the passing game. Smith on the outside to stretch the defense will help open up the field. All of the running backs on the roster have shown an ability to make plays as receivers out of the backfield as well and this seems to be a point of emphasis.

        This should all lead to improved play by the QB and an improvement from 8-8 to 11-5/12-4.

        Harbaugh’s only failure was that he didn’t get along with York and Baalke. Tomsula seems to be the opposite. In the end though it really comes down to the players executing.

        The big difference for Tomsula from the other two you mention is experience. By that I mean the experiences of coaching in Europe, at Catawba and with the 49ers.

    5. Hammer,
      That is a lofty expectation and I hope it is realized. A 11-12 win season would certainly validate and justify Tomsula as a headcoach, but would it be to early to say that 11-12 wins sans a Superbowl victory still falls short of young Jed’ expectations?

  3. For me, it’s can this new coaching staff put together a game plan that gives the team the best chance of winning game in and game out. Just as importantly, can they make in-game adjustments.

    1. Bingo, cubus …

      As much as G-Ro frustrated me… I still
      have some question marks about “The Geep”
      .. but then, something Reggie said about the
      check down out of the backfield .. being ..
      “.. an understatement ..” .. was
      very encouraging …
      We haven’t seen that, as of late .. and
      could be an important weapon
      for Kap

  4. Interesting news out of the 49ers OTA’s, Reggie Bush wants to return punts again.

  5. Mention of GRo reminded me of a trend I’ve been hearing in what some HCs are feeding the media: that they want to go with the Jim Harbaugh model of field position-ball control-time control behind good Defense. Certainly JimT has said SF will continue the approach but also added TSmith and RBush to open things up. The Seahawks subscribe to that and have been doing it better than the Niners of late. Tbd.
    But I’m also hearing that from the Rams, Jets, and Bills; loudly. Rams may have found the RB to compliment their D. The Jets & Bills have defensive minded coaches and not much choice due to QB issues.
    I expect the Browns to try that approach too, for the same reason. I think John Fox hiring Vic Fangio suggests he’s pointing to D + Matt Forte as a way to pull the reigns in on Cutler who he’s stuck with, and who could be good again.

    1. Somehow .. BT ..

      the words ..“Cutler” .. and ..
      ” could be good again” .. have
      a funny ring to them

    2. The 49ers have enjoyed “contrarian advantages.”
      – A scheme most teams aren’t used to playing
      – A power system most pass stopping defenses aren’t staffed to counter
      – Players that fit their scheme can be had with lower draft picks.

      Now not so much. Todd Gurley going at pick 10 says loud and clear a change is underfoot.

      Its also been speculated that the shortage of pocket passing QBs coming out of college leaves teams with no choice. They have to build running teams that chew clock.

  6. I’ve been the biggest optimist this offseason, but the absence of Anthony Davis has me concerned. The run game suffered big time without him.

    Boone’s a certified yo-yo. Its a contract year. A perfect time to showcase on field skills and off field attitude. He’s costing himself money. Even Vernon gets it. Not Boone.

    1. B2W, I hear you. It’s annoying to read this. However, he’ll be back for mandatory minicamp in June. I think this whole thing (as well as Boone’s thing) will blow over after we see them at minicamp and training camp.

      1. I agree. I just hope its soon enough to get used to the new, up tempo system.

        Last summer the 49ers were installing more sweeps, reverses off sweeps and play action off sweeps. Vernon and Boone’s holdout (and Hunters injury) trashed the whole project. That wasted alot or precious training camp reps and other preparation.

    2. Brodie,

      I agree with you. In Boone’s case I get it; I don’t like it, but I get it. He isn’t signed beyond this year and is exercising his right to show his disdain for the situation he’s in. In the case of Davis however, I see no excuse for not being here for these workouts. He’s got a large long term contract, he had an injury riddled season and the blocking systems have changed. Yes the workouts are voluntary, but the high paid vets should be leading these workouts; not skipping them. It’s about setting a tone for the young players and showing leadership and Davis is failing in that area by not being here. Even if he’s there and can’t practice due to rehab is better than not showing up at all.

  7. Despite the offseason losses its a deep team in most spots. Alot of good players will be snatched from the PS 24 waiver period.

    I wouldn’t cry if a bold trade deal was made before cut down day. But who? And what kind of draft picks could the 49ers get?

  8. One thing that should be stated is that most fans biggest issue has little if anything to do with Tomsula.
    First fans don’t understand the firing of Harbaugh after success he had with the 49ers. So regardless of who was brought in to replace him, there was going to be an initial sour taste in their mouth regarding the replacement coach.
    Second, and most frightening to me was the overall turnover of the staff. I like Tomsula and think he is a very capable replacement but I must admit this staff leaves a lot to be desired. Losing almost everyone on the defensive staff terrifies me, especially when we are replacing Fangio with Mangini. Among the replacement staff Mangini has the best reputation nationally. This is troubling as everywhere he has every defense he has coached was statistically worse after his arrival and better after his departure.
    The perception is that the 49ers couldn’t field a decent staff because of a meddling management that wouldn’t allow the necessary autonomy to make a name for themselves. This in turn set the narrative that Tomsula (fairly or unfairly) was a yes man and not a respected figure throughout the organization.
    Sadly, when looking at the schedule and the remaining players on the roster, it is going to be very hard for this team be above .500. They are more realistically a 4 to 6 win team this year when looking at the roster and matchups and its highly likely that the coaches will receive the blame for such a record when the reality is the team is lacking talent in key areas.

    1. Regarding Mangini, you should take a look at how his Patriots D went in the final 8 games of the 2005 season vs the first 8 games. Night and day. By the end of the season they were playing at an elite level, and were a big reason the team ended up making the playoffs after a so-so start.

      1. Thanks Scooter, I’ll definately look into that. I fully expect the defense to have a very different look than it previously did.

      2. Stop it Scooter. This staff is a band of misfits. Mangini stinks. Chryst stinks. Tomsula’s never made anyone better.

          1. The coaching staff is a big reason why many think this team is destined to be sub .500.

            1. Every coach we now think of as a good coach, was an unproven newbie at some point.
              “Who? George Seifert, who? A secondary coach is going to be the new D Coordinator? Stewpid.”

      3. Scooter, I posted this above, but I’ll repost a snippet to add to your point.

        Mangini has positives and negatives. As the Pats DB coach from 2000-04, he designed secondaries that flummoxed Warner’s GSOT and Peyton Manning’s high flying passing offenses. The NFL had to change the illegal contact/holding rules because Mangini’s DBs exploited the vague rules and thugged the Colts’ WRs into submission in the 2003 AFC championship win.

        His 2005 stint as Pats DC was mixed, but he dealt with significant injury losses including Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law (released in offseason), Richard Seymour. The second half of the season the defense got much better, as you identified.

        Mangini didn’t do so well as Jets and Browns HC. He was always touted as a very smart tactician, but treated his players badly. I don’t know how harshly I look at his defenses numbers as Jets/Browns HC because his responsibilities as the gameday CEO are different than just handling the schemes.

        1. I’ll also remind everyone that when Harbaugh brought Fangio in, the main worry was that Fangio’s prior history as DC was to have defenses that initially performed well, but regressed each year. Fangio disproved this notion in each of the 4 seasons he coached the defense in SF.

          So it’s hard to totally rely on past history as a sure indicator of future results.

            1. Fangio’s defense did regress as it went along based on points allowed.

        2. As you point out Adusoron, at the Jets and Browns he was the HC, not the DC, so hard to use those years as a guide to how he’ll perform as DC this season. Based on what has been said about his time as a HC, it sounds like he is a guy that is better suited to a coordinator role than HC role, as he struggled with the leadership responsibilities of being a HC.

        3. Mangini likes to get into the complexities and when your players aren’t smart enough, problems arise. That’s why I’m glad he doesn’t have full autonomy like Fangio had….

          1. Are you suggesting the 49ers D players are not smart enough to operate a more complex system?

            1. Nope, but from my studies, Mangini likes a hybrid defense that predicates itself on the football acumen of every defensive player at a high level. Given this is a defense he inherited and one that was pretty straightforward, it’s comforting to know Mangini is on a leash….

              1. Could be why they didn’t try too hard to keep Culliver and Cox – neither of which were known as the sharpest tools in the shed.

    2. The lack of talent in specific area’s and the idea that the coaches will catch the blame is probably the main reason that they had to settle for an inexperienced staff.

      1. Hmm… I thought he was injured during a portion of last year. I guess I’m mixing up last season with the season before last.

      2. He wasn’t on the field much either. As I recall, he was inactive often….

  9. There’s a Home Brewers’ event at the Vets’ Hall in Petaluma today. The overflow parking goes for blocks into the surrounding neighborhoods! Apparently not just butter & eggs & cheese and wine country, LOL.

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