The Niners as of now have 12 free agents on their team. I’m not counting Brandon Jacobs or Billy (wrong way) Cundiff fior obvious reasons. They are:
Randy Moss
Ted Ginn
Delanie Walker
Leonard Davis
RJF
Ice Soap
Tavares Gooden
Larry Grant
Clark Haggis
Tremaine Brock (RFA)
Dashon Goldson
Darcel McBath (who?)
The shoo-ins are L Davis, RJF, Gooden, Brock, and Grant. They are all solid backups who look to stick around and won’t cost too much. Haggins and McBath I have no idea. They are deep on the depth chart, so sure, why not? Keep ’em.
The drops are fairly cut-and-dried as well. Randy (I guess I’m NOT the greatest WR in history) Moss and Ted Ginn, mos def.
The three biggest questions revolve around Dashon Goldson, Delanie Walker, and Isaac Sopoaga. Goldson, whose worth has been debated fairly regularly around these parts, is the lynchpin for this offseason. What they decide to do with him affects many other moves. Franchising him will a) piss him off, b) cost a lot of money ($7.4 mill), and put off for another year the quest to find a cover FS. Signing him will cost in the range of 5 years and $40 mill +. That’s a lot of scratch for a guy who, to me, has played very hot and cold for a long time, and is reachng the end of his shelf-life.
If they sign Goldson, then they have the option of tagging Delanie Walker. Another guy who has nearly as many fans a detractors. Walker is a great blocker and a big ST contributor. But he’s got poor hands. His 30% drop ratio was 2x as bad as any other TE in the league. If they tag him, it’ll cost close to $6 mill. A pretty penny for what amounts (to me) as a role-player. If he wants to be mroe valuable, catch the damn ball.
If they don’t tag either (by releasing or signing), there’s always the option to franchise Ice. Ha ha. Just kidding. He’d garner $8.3 mill as a tagged DL. He’s on the other side of the hill at this point, and since most teams in the NFL are passing teams, he’s barely in. He gets somewhere like 30% of the defensive snaps. he’s the one to go in the nickel. Not gonna happen. I don’t see the Niners signing him either. Unless he takes some kind of hometown deal.
Here’s a crazy thought. I don’t think the Niners tag anyone. The Niners have endless (14) draft picks in this draft and can easily replenish what they lose in Goldson and Walker. There will be some interesting FAs out there. Hey, mabye Tony Gonzalez would like to play closer to home for one more year.
Forty Niners Forever 
Again, Spitty, Lott and Craig were at the end of their contracts. These guys aren’t. They won’t get very much for either anyway They certainly don;t need draft picks. So, why bother when they are worth more here?
I don’t think they’re worth more here. Smith is 8 million in dead cap space if you ask me. That’s not worth more here. Frank could be traded for a first if you confuse the issue by packaging up Frank and Alex for Revis and a 1st. The Niners don’t need more picks, but a first is always welcome unless you’re on Neptune. The link I provided above shows the Jets have the room, especially if they unload Revis. And think about what the Jets got last year out of Stephen Hill? Not much. He’s good, but he also got hurt. So Jets fans wouldn’t cry about giving up a first, especially for a couple of Super Bowl players. It could be done.
Sooooo, Tannenbaum is fine with paying Sanchez $12 mill to warm the bench while Smith starts?
Good one. Even if they lose Revis they are in cap hell. Losing Sanchez is the ONLY way they get Smith. NO ONE is going to take on Sanchez’s contract.
By your estimation the only option is to trade Sanchez? Good thinking. How about a restructure or even a benching and just let him sit and bite the bullet? The Jets are clearly in a bad situation, but they need to put something competitive on the field.
Frank and Alex for Revis and a 1st? Tannenbaum would be tarred and feathered, then drawn and quartered.
You must be smoking some good shit.
New York knows Revis is gone. Revis has held out once before. He’ll play for someone else in ’13. The GM would be praised for getting something for Revis.
According to you, Smith ain’t worth 4 mill. Now he’s worth either Revis or a 1?
Welcome to short attention span theatre.
Smith is worth Revis because Revis is hurt, going to holdout, and he’s only got one year left on his contract. However, I doubt anyone will pay Smith 8 million. Smith would have to agree to restructure. And honestly, I think he would.
I could see a situation where the Jets restructure Sanchez, then trade for Smith ….. letting them both compete for the starting job. Despite what Unca is saying, the Jets have the cap space, and need the help.
Yeah, the situation is if John Idzik turns into Mike Tannanbaum II. Not gunna happen.
So, Sanchez restructures his contract to the Jets can sign his replacement? Doubtful.
No…. Sanchez restructures to help his team and he gets a chance to compete for the starting job….. which he should do anyway then Jets fans don’t hate him so much.
Spitblood’s fables.
You are the guy putting down Alex Smith because he previously gave the Fortyniners a home team discount. Guys like you in fact derided him for not being coveted by other teams in the NFL.
Fans don’t give a shit when a player helps his team with salary so you’re just dreaming.
Your stupid comment on trading Gore and Justin Smith shows how much you know football.
Rule of thumb to trading players is to have a better player in place to replace them.
Without Gore and J Smith the Fortyniners would struggle big time to make the playoffs next year.
Right!
Sorry Spit, your whole line of “reasoning” of Gore and Smith to the JETS makes sense only to you and I don’t think you really buy it either.
Depends on what the Jets want. I don’t think trading Smith and Gore for Revis and a 1st is beyond reason. It would be great for both teams if the Jets have a win now with Rex approach (‘because Rex is on the hot seat). The old GM certainly would have pulled the trigger on this deal. But the new GM probably won’t because the smart thing to do for the Jets is to cut guys, have dead cap space due to poor contracts for a year or two and let the young guys play – meaning draft choices would mean everything to the team and they wouldn’t part with a first. But that’s logic and most of the time logic and New York don’t belong in the same sentence. If Woody, Rex and the new GM want to make a splash with a “win now,” attitude, Smith and Gore for Revis and 1st is a great trade. But if the Jets want to build the right way with a more long term approach, this deal isn’t for them. Like I wrote earlier, when trading you’re lookin’ for a sucker. To find the sucker you need to understand the sucker.
Jets are stuck with Sanchize and cant afford smith, end of story, even yours.
Anyone think the 49ers might make a play for DT Henry Melton Chicago?
6’3 295 FA.If he’s not franchised.
Dude.is a beast,6 QB sacks,25 tackles for losses,couple force fumbles.etc etc.
Never even heard of the guy. Sounds good, though. However, the Bears are saying they “fully intend to use the franchise tag on Melton” so it probably won’t happen. Maybe they’ll take Gore and Smith in a trade and then we sign him.
Fer Crisssakes Chuck, how the hell is da bears gonna make a trade for smith and gore when the jets already did, jayzus h.
Yeah, yeah. Sometimes sarcasm doesn’t translate across the internets.
I’m bagging on Sptty’s spit-take of Smith/Gore and the Jets.
Maybe your right, sarcasm doesn’t translate well, i was bagging on his take too…
Smith goes, Gore stays.
And in other news, Justin Smith had successful tendon reattachment surgery yesterday. Rehab ahould be quuick and Cowboy will be back to his old self.
Old being the key word there, . . .
first I think you are right smith goes Gore stays. I expected gore to have a down year this year with Hunter taking a lead role and LMJ getting spot duty. Gore turns 30 this year, RB’s usually show signs of decline around 28 and usually hit a wall at 30. Niners used Gore more wisely last season and the results were another strong year for him but how many more can he have left? Gore is due 6.5 mil this season in total, none of it performance based except that he needs to be active for 13 games and includes a 400,000 workout incentive to stay at team facilities. His 2014 contract is identical for 2014 at least that’s how it is broken down here:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2012/12/20/3789642/frank-gore-contract-what-the-future-holds-for-the-49ers-all-time
RB position is a bit unknown now due to Gores age and injury history, Hunters recovery and LMJ’s size as a featured back. They do have Jewel Hampton, described as a bowling ball with legs and Dixon.
Spit posits trading Gore and certainly Gore is at the twilight of his career but since he had another very strong year it’s hard to estimate when he breaks down. Spit is also right that to get anything for Gore they would trade him now as his value only decreases. I think with Hunters productive return uncertain the team will keep Gore for this season but he is probably gone next.
Hunter’s injury plays into this, as you said. If he was healthy, I’d think there would be an outside chance to trade Gore. As it is, I doubt it heavily. Gore is under contract, so they’ll let him play out his string. Depending on how things go, you figure it from there. If he has another strong year, well, then it gets dicey. It would be bucking the odds, but who saw AP nearly breaking the rushing title after his nasty injury? Thing is, they’ll play him as they did this year. He’ll get his rest breaks and he’ll break off some big games.
The biggest change in Gore’s productivity is the huge difference in catches under Nolantary compared to Harbaugh. He doesn’t get asked nearly as much to catch passes out of the backfield as he did under the previous two coaches. He still gets his 1,200 but doesn’t catch 40-60 balls like he used to. He’s down to 25. That has certainly paid off on the wear and tear on his body.
Still and all, what would they get in trade? Nothing like what they would lose in leadership and guts and game smarts. No chance they trade him.
New thread is up . . .
Gore no longer can take it to the house, he gets caught from behind and as you say his pass catching opportunities are far less now but last season he was very productive and he has been the face of the franchise up until Kap took over. I would say there is no chance he goes this year, but the odds are he is gone before the 2014 season starts. It was just an interesting titbit that Spitty put out there for debate.