49ers 2015

[DrG 94]

1. Harbaugh - not sure they replaced him adequately, but his 'look at me' persona has worn thin. His image is bigger than the team's and if he really wants a Super Bowl, stay in the NFL. This and the regression last year, along with key mistakes at critical moments have convinced me the 49ers were right to let him go.

 

2. Patrick Willis - unfortunate end to a great career. That said, for all the flaws with the front office, the team has shown itself adept at drafting linebacking and defensive backfield personnel. Effort to shop Wilhoite appears short-sighted.

 

3. Team needs a media manager. York and Baalke are inept with the press.

 

4. Torrey Smith sign makes sense.

 

5. Saying good bye to a player like Gore is never easy, but this is the right time.

 

Right now, this looks like something between a re-tool and a re-build. Time will tell.

 

If Chicago (Fangio) called and inquired about Kaepernick and then leaked this, they join Cleveland as another loose-lipped team you cannot discuss trades with.

 

 

[roroco 75]

A re-tool would usually be accompanied by filling in the pieces you are losing. These weren't players traded away from prospects or future picks. These players are just leaving and the holes aren't being filled in.

[Reality 2,710]

A re-tool would usually be accompanied by filling in the pieces you are losing. These weren't players traded away from prospects or future picks. These players are just leaving and the holes aren't being filled in.

Hyde, Dockett, and Borland, try to keep up.

 

Anyway, rough weekend for 9'er fans. Sad to see a few of my favorite players of all time leave or call it quits. There is no replacing guys like that.

[BufordT 371]

The 49ers are turning into a big sloppy mess as an organization. I don't see them winning, as long as Kaep is the QB.

[Marshall 98]

Hyde, Dockett, and Borland, try to keep up.

 

Anyway, rough weekend for 9'er fans. Sad to see a few of my favorite players of all time leave or call it quits. There is no replacing guys like that.

 

It's hard to watch what's currently happening. : (

[browns16-0 30]

and there goes Iupati...

[Marshall 98]

and there goes Iupati...

 

Indeed:

Report: 49ers Mike Iupati will sign with Cardinals

by Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(7:14 pm ET) 49ers Mike Iupati has told people he plans to sign with the Cardinals, when he becomes a free agent on Tuesday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Iupati chose the Cardinals over the Niners, Bills, Jets and Raiders.

 

[DrG 94]

Iupati going is not really a surprise to many 49ers fans. If he can get back to being what he was, he should help that AZ line and will give Ellington someone to hide behind on inside runs.

 

The Bay Area media has a penchant for histrionics. They went crazy when the Warriors fired Mark Jackson. Again ... I don't have the vibe that 49ers ownership has the same acumen, but it is a little premature to judge 2015 at this point. We shall see.

[Reality 2,710]

Iupati leaving isn't news to 9'ers fans. Not even a little, let me also save you the trouble of breaking the Crabtree headlines.

[Natetradomus 0]

Iupati going is not really a surprise to many 49ers fans. If he can get back to being what he was, he should help that AZ line and will give Ellington someone to hide behind on inside runs.

 

The Bay Area media has a penchant for histrionics. They went crazy when the Warriors fired Mark Jackson. Again ... I don't have the vibe that 49ers ownership has the same acumen, but it is a little premature to judge 2015 at this point. We shall see.

Crazy for happiness haha. I couldn't stand MJax. I was saying it for 2 seasons they won't get far with him. Great motivator though!

 

Niners are pretty right now. They have some pieces to fill the void lost but their best bet is to retool and rebuild through the draft. Or free agency with young talent. Not sold on Kaep, maybe he has trade value. Honestly, offensively who do the niners have that jumps at you. Hyde is about it. Niner fans don't want to admit it because the team has been really good for the last few years, but it's not going anywhere ANYTIME soon. Best to dump the big salary guys and try to rebuild asap. I'm sure losing Smith and Willis would not have happened if Harbaugh was around. They need fresh meat on the team who weren't so loyal to Harbaugh unfortunately. I foresee the niners being bad another 5-8 years easily. They don't have a lot of good young talent right now.

[roroco 75]

Bruce Miller had now been attested for spousal abuse.

 

I don't think I have ever seen such an odd off season for a team. And FA hasn't even started.

[IMMensaMind 459]

9ers next year: 6-10.

 

If they're lucky.

[Voltaire 4,556]

Santa Clara look like the worst team in that division. I don't trust that the front office cares about winning , nobody wants to coach there, and players are all leaving.

[Marshall 98]

I tuned into Patrick Willis' retirement news conference just now...but had to leave.

 

York and Baalke were putting their sticky fingerprints allll over it. : /

[Saint Elistan 106]

On paper, it's terrible. In reality, it's really not all that bad...and impossible to judge until Free Agency and the Draft concludes.

[DrG 94]

There is talent on this team. Keep an eye onThomas and the o line as a whole. The ? Is the coaching. I don't like all the drama but nobody's played a down yet in 2015.

[Marshall 98]

I don't even know what to say anymore (my italics added):

 

9ers re-sign backups Blaine Gabbert, Garrett Celek
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com
(3:56 pm ET) The 49ers have re-signed quarterback Blaine Gabbert to a two-year deal and tight end Garrett Celek to a one-year deal, per the team's official website.

 

Gabbert, the No. 10 overall draft pick of the Jaguars in 2011, was the backup quarterback to Colin Kaepernick last season. He has 4,395 passing yards, with 23 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his four years in the NFL.

 

Celek had two catches for 53 yards in an injury-plagued 2014 season. He has eight catches for 142 yards since joining the league in 2012.

 

Also - they just cut Stevie Johnson (after toying with it an inordinate length of time).

[e-factor 13]

I think they wanted to keep Johnson, but not at 6 million for a #3

 

Still think they will go WR at 15, so that plays into it too.

[DrG 94]

^{They could go WR at 15, but w. Torrey, Bolden, Bruce Ellington, won't be surprised if they don't. I guess this primarily a defensive draft. They are looking to add to O line depth and a 3rd down RB via free agency. Torrey Smith was the big news on the offensive front. More important for the team to fix the O line issues they had in 2014.}

^{WR/RB - possibly 2 later round picks.}

[Dueces Will Be Wild 15]

RIP

[southcarolina 166]

^{Bruce Ellington}

[Reality 2,710]

OMG, they resigned their backup QB and cut an overpaid WR. To the pitch forks!

 

Good God man, hold it together.

 

[e-factor 13]

^{They could go WR at 15, but w. Torrey, Bolden, Bruce Ellington, won't be surprised if they don't. I guess this primarily a defensive draft. They are looking to add to O line depth and a 3rd down RB via free agency. Torrey Smith was the big news on the offensive front. More important for the team to fix the O line issues they had in 2014.}

^{WR/RB - possibly 2 later round picks.}

 

You could be right, but if Parker is still on the board, I think they will have a hard time passing him up. As good as Boldin has been the last two years, he won't last forever and while I like Ellington, they need a receiver with some size.

 

As far as the O-line, they have spent high picks in the last 3 years and they need to let these guys see the field this year. Kilgore looked good last year at center before he got hurt and they only need one of Looney, M Martin or Thomas to step in for Iupati. They definitely need an OT since J Martin is really the only back-up on the roster right now and he was pretty awful last year. I think the OL will be fine if Davis stays healthy and Boone returns to form.

 

Would like to see them take a CB early, especially if Cox signs elsewhere.

[worm 34]

Would like to see them take a CB early, especially if Cox signs elsewhere.

Yep, Cox is signing with Tennessee

 

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/576843124913283072?s=09

 

Losing him and Culliver puts CB at the top of the list of needs in my opinion. Not sure if Waynes will be there at 15, but I would think first or second pick will be CB.

[Bishop82 61]

4-12

[e-factor 13]

Ah crap, I was hoping they could keep him at a friendly cap number. Looks like they signed Wright from the Chargers at about a million cheaper. Don't know much about him so hope it's at least a lateral move.

 

Pears at two years to be a back-up tackle. Meh. They do need depth at OT and he has to be better than J Martin.

 

Like the Bush signing. Think he can still be effective in the passing game. Would be nice to see backs utilized again.

[Voltaire 4,556]

Yep, Cox is signing with Tennessee

 

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/576843124913283072?s=09

 

Losing him and Culliver puts CB at the top of the list of needs in my opinion. Not sure if Waynes will be there at 15, but I would think first or second pick will be CB.

With Borland the latest hit, suddenly inside linebacker looks like another hole on defense. This defense is looking less like Seattle's and more like Atlanta's with each passing week. They've got more holes than Spongebob Squarepants.

[DrG 94]

49ers need a strong defense draft or Baalke's days will be numbered.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Why did they sign celek? Dont they already have davis, mcdonald, and carrier?

[tanatastic 2,061]

Losing Crabtree is addition by subtraction, hes terrible. Torrey is a vast improvement. Losing gore is a deceptively positive move. Now Hyde can step in and they can get a cheap backup also with fresh legs. The offense got better. The defense however...is in shambles. Nothing a good draft cant fix but their real problem is replacing the leadership. Scheme and coaching can make a defense more than players can, but they need veteran leadership to tie it together.

[Voltaire 4,556]

For how much I enjoy bashing the front office for their handling of their coaching situation, they've proven they can find good bodies on defense (and made spectacular misses in offense but not always). Borland in the third was looking like a great pick until this happened -let's be fair- not their fault.

[e-factor 13]

49ers need a strong defense draft or Baalke's days will be numbered.

 

Well, drafting D is his strength, so that's a positive.

 

I think Baalke has taken way too much heat over the past couple years. While he didn't necessarily get along with Harbaugh, I think they could have co-existed. A GMs job, like a head coach is to win, so I don't see his motivation to work towards getting rid of Harbaugh. Baalke doesn't strike me as that much of an egomaniac that he wanted the limelight on him. The person who couldn't co-exist with Harbaugh is York, and unfortunately, he's the owner, and the GM works for him. Even during the train wreck press conference, Baalke looked like he wanted to slap York, not embrace him, but as an employee of the owner, you don't criticize him publicly or you're out of a job. Whenever I read that Baalke is a "yes man" for York, I have to laugh. Look at York's reaction to when they signed Jerome Simpson. Baalke wants to win period, but now he is hamstrung by some of the free agents they can't sign because of Yorks "win with class" nonsense. Baalke is no yes man.

 

Baalke gets a lot of criticism for his draft record, but most of that is from fans that hate him because they blame him for Harbaugh leaving or people that don't really follow the team and look at the 2012 draft only, which was a disaster with Jenkins and James. 2010 was a very good draft, 2011 draft was great from a perspective of talent delivered (I don't blame him for Aldon Smiths behavior that has caused his recent lack of playing time), 2013 has only yielded Reid as a major contributor at this point, , but Dial looks like a good player, Moody looks solid and Carridine will finally be healthy and given a chance to show what he can do. Also, Lemioner and Patton could be solid reserves, so kind of wait and see on 2013. Sometimes you can't grade a draft for 3 years afterward. 2014 was excellent based on the first years performance, although I'm sure the Baalke haters will say he should have seen the Borland retirement coming.

 

Fans expect every high pick to hit, but that's not even close to reality in the NFL. The draft is a huge crap shoot and every GM misses top picks. Overall, I think Baalkes done a really good job landing talent.

 

He loaded the roster with talent, which is why they were able to have a top 5 defense last year even with all the injuries. Now, if he can only figure out how to draft receiving talent.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Yeah an owner isnt going to keep around a coach if they have serious issues coexisting, no matter how good that coach is.