Well, the once overabundant amount of running backs has been waylaid by the injury bug in 3 short days. First, Marcus Lattimore was placed on the PUP list last Wednesday, due to a combination of his previous knee injury, and a more recent hamstring injury. Then on Thursday, Kendal (endzone) Hunter blew his knee out in a non-contact drill. Then of course, on Friday, LaMichael James, a guy who would have likely gotten more looks with the other injuries, turned his good fortune into a dislocated elbow, and he’ll be out for a month.
Other than that, C Marcus Martin, Bruce Ellington, OLB Aaron Lynch, and DL Kaleb Ramsey were also PUPed. Martin and Ellington both suffered minor ankle injuries, and they should be back pretty quickly. No idea ’bout the other guys. I really want Ellington on the field as much as possible.
Anyhow, who among you think this is a bit of a blessing in disguise? Sure, Gore looks to be the starter, and Hyde the backup, that was pretty much set in stone. But Hunter was a good change of pace guy, but not as elusive as LMJ, but that’s a different can of worms. Either way, the lack of depth could force the coaching staff to look to the passing game more than they might have. Having a healthy corps of WRs certainly is a change from previous years when we had scrubs and decoys.. This could be looked at as the next step in the growth of Colin Kaepernick as quarterback as well. Give him more options to evaluate, and have him read the field more rather than the one-read-and-run that was apparently the usual play design.
I’m not too concerned with these injuries, other than Hunter. For his limited role he brought a different skillset than Gore. Either that, or we have a Jewell in the rough . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
For me, one stat that stood out for Ward was 320 tackles in College.
Deone Bucannon was my preferred S with 384 tackles.
Once he came off the Board, Baalke likely sought Ward as the next best option, if he sought a sound tackler, as I suspect he does.
Ward’s 4.47 40 and a 38″ vert were outstanding as well.
By comparison, everyone’s concensus #1 Safety, Clinton-Dix had a mere 100 tackles at ‘Bama, and he ran a pedestrian 4.58 40 to boot.
As with any Rookie, especially a small school guy like Ward, it comes down to effort when transitioning to a complex NFL level Defense.
By all accounts, Ward is a baller.
Stats are fun, they give you something to evaluate but, when all is said and done, it always comes down to the guys that WANT IT, vs the guys that think getting to the Pro’s is all that matters.
We’ll get a good opportunity to compare Ward and Bucannon too, since AZ snagged Deone a few Picks ahead of us.
You should enjoy the thrill of starting a blog, NoFear.
I originally thought Ward was too small for SS. But as a slot CB? Sure. It’s not like Rogers was ANY great shakes these past couple years. Getting Culliver and his legs back will be good. Provided he doesn’t go all rogue.
Whitner and Bethea aren’t very tall guys either Chuck.
Simple answer for me is, can they tackle?
I actually think Ward has CB coverage skills too, which sure isn’t a problem.
Don’t sleep on Dontae Johnson either, he’s another of those CB/S-types with a little more height. Good wheels as well.
I actually think Baalke grabbed a good group of DBs this year.
Time will tell of course but, there’s reason to be optimistic if they all put the work in and develop.
I’m not talking height, I,m talking weight. He seems a little light and may get beat up trying to lay the wood. In the slot he’ll be matching up Against smaller guys. As an SS he’d be going up against guys like Marshawn Lynch. Could get ugly.
Yeh, he’s no Cam Chancellor size-wise but, he isn’t afraid of being physical either.
We could conceivably groom Moody as a SS too.
He’s a ‘tweener LB with some College S experience.
Always fun to see who develops in this game.
Look at TBrock, a guy that worked his way into the starting lineup.
Very few guys do that in the NFL.
Looks like the guy Jerruh selected to replace the departed DeMarcus Ware, (DeMarcus Lawrence), broke his foot in Camp today.
Sean Lee and now DeMarcus II.
Dems DeBreaks.
At some point the NFLPA is going to realize that players get hurt in practice as well as games and go back to a 6 game preseason without any camp at all.
Be a fucking boon for the owners.
Right not Boone is sitting there asking himself if his experts are really experts.
To err is to be an expert.
I don’t know about his experts, but Boone’s agents are idiots. Then again, I don’t know that the hell you are talking about, Spitty.
All Boone is doing is possibly missing out on his shot for a ring.
BLEEP!
This is the tactic The Mevis Agency specializes in Chuck.
It’s soooo Old CBA however.
There will come a point in this process where Boone will literally forfeit his current salary or, lose a year of eligibilty toward FA.
If he’s a no-show for the Season opener, I’d predict he’s as good as done in SF.
Team still ‘owns’ him no matter what his depraved representatives attempt to sell him.
This ain’t the Darelle Revis/NYJ scenario anymore.
Ownership has swung the momentum away from this ‘Old School’ tactic of holding a Team hostage over a Contract by holding out in this current CBA.
Revis carried a ton of leverage in a way but, as solid as Boone is, he’s an OG.
Underpaid? Absolutely.
As with any Contract, it was agreed upon by both parties.
There’s better ways to go about asking for it to be recast, in the proper business sense.
That’s always been the rub. There’s Looney and Kilgore in the background. Jonathan Martin could conceivably get his spot. Boone’s good, but he needs to bide his time. You look at Ahmad Brooks reworking his deal for the benefit of the team. Kappy’s deal. Willis has done it. Some players put the team in front of themselves.
That’s why I think both Crabs and VD are gone when their contracts are up.
If he doesn’t practice til the season opener, he’ll be buried on the bench all year. Barring injury, he won’t play at all.
Read recently that the other death knell Boone has to be wary of is an injury, of any sort, while holding out.
Teams hold the rights to basically sequestor players, in all sort of manner, to minimize Contractual obligations in situations such as this.
He could easily be NFI’d and lose out on time played toward eventual FA.
Again, the current CBA favors ownership in situations like this.
I loved Boone as an OT in College, very talented guy.
But, he cooked his own situation with the alcohol related offenses he put himself in.
No one disagrees with his Contract situation, just the fact that he’s attempting to change course in the middle of the deal.
Had he gone about things as Staley did, chances are he would have been taken more seriously?
I have no doubt the team would agree with his value being below market threshold but, other guys are closer to the finish line, in terms of expiring deals, that also need to be addressed.
Trying to jump to the head of the line just makes him look stupid.
It’s all due to The Mevis Agency.
Adding to the fun of the Contract Games, is my old pal Jerruh, handing OT Tyron Smith the fattest OL deal in the League.
Now he’s got to deal with Dez coming off his Rookie Contract.
And, to further lube his own anus, he and/or Son Stephen are already telegraphing their intentions via the media, to make Dez a Cowpattie for life.
Way to negotiate in the spotlight.
Dumba$$.
Yeah….. Jerry Jones is driving that organization not only into the ground, but through the mantle and down into the earth’s core. Gotta love it. It’ll take years to rehab that team after Jerry dies, and then if his son or family takes over (alla Mark Davis) the ineptitude will continue for years longer. I laugh, but really the 49ers aren’t much further away from Jerry’s Raiders….. I mean Cowboys. Harbaugh should have a deal in hand right now. Not locking up Harbaugh is Jed’s mistake. If Harbaugh leaves, the Yorks will look like Jerry Jones post Jimmy Johnson…. but worse yet, it’ll be without the rings. Jed will really have egg on his face then.
Jerry Jones thinks he’s smart because he’s putting an emphasis on his O line, which the pros and scouts and people in the know will say is a good move, but the reality is that Dallas needs a locker room clean-out to dump the half-ass players who don’t know how to win and aren’t extremely motivated to win. How is an 8 year deal for 100 million motivating to anyone? That’s ridiculous. Jerry Jones is worse than Daniel Snyder…. and that’s saying something.
Spit I don’t think Jed is low-balling Harbaugh as much as I think Harbaugh is just playing the system.
Does Jim deserve an extension? Absolutely.
I agree, it would be a tremendous loss to have to restart this process all over again, given the success Harbaugh and Staff have had since they arrived.
Where Jerruh fails miserably, beyond the lavish overspending, is talent evaluation.
He falls for the Kiper-hype that preceeds the Draft process, year after year.
Morris Claiborne is a prime example.
Dealing with us to pass on Reid was another.
He’s a meddler of gigantic proportion too.
Always seeking the big splash headlines.
Personally, I enjoy the comedy he provides.
Perfect analogy too, The Dallas Raiders.
As Al was to the Raiders, Jerruh is to the Cowpatties.
Meddling owner surrounding himself with ‘Yes Men’.
At least Al was a self-made football guy.
Jerruh’s ego and inability to coexist with Jimmie has cost him years of football anonimity too.
Hopefully Jed and Jim can agree to keep this thing on the tracks.
Jim has suggested that his Staff being compensated is just as important to him as getting a Brinks truck in his own driveway.
If Jim delivers the hardware this year, all the rhetoric will cease.
That’s when Jed just signs the check and, allows Jim and his Agent to fill in the numbers.
I do have to backstep a bit regarding the Tyron Smith deal.
I got distracted by the $110M Contract value before I realized that it was spread out over 10 years.
That will allow Jerruh some room to thin it out over the term.
Maybe he finally got one right.
And another angle to consider with Jim is a College gig.
Look at Saban in ‘Bama.
Some of these big football factories can throw a trainload of cash at a guy like Harbaugh.
Could it be possible Michigan is in the cards for him?
He’d be a king if he returned and, they’ve got the bank to pull it off.
BLEEP Michigan. Too damn cold.
BLEEP football factories.
BLEEP the Giants sorry pathetic season.
Hey, they won yesterday Nipp.
Better look out. Giants win two in a row they might give Uggla a 2-yr extension. Whoa them horses. Schefter tweeted earlier this morning that Aldon is facing a “significant” suspension when he meets with Goodell next Friday. I don’t know what Adam’s definition of significant is, but significant sounds like 4-6 games to me. Maybe Roger will indeed make Smith the “Escaped Goat” after his Ray Rice wrist-slap.
I’d give him 8 games if I could make that decision. Of course, I hate stupid fools so I’m not even handed.
Uggla’s already gone, skippy. Schefter’s wishful thinking notwithstanding, I still think it’s only 2 games.
Uggla was only 0-11 w/ 6 K’s while committing 3 Es in only 4 gms. Giants should’ve shown some patience.
Yup. Wiat til he’s 2-75 with 12 errors.
Up there with Ryan Garko. Or Scott Hattiesburg.
If Aldon gets 4-6, Goodell is a bigger idiot than I originally imagined.
Dan Uggla had an OPS this year of .442 The only thing the number 442 should be associated with is an Oldsmobile.
Every once in a while you say something right . . .
But do you know what the 4-4-2 designation means?
Aaaand in other news, Marshawn Lynch will soon end his holdout. Seattle to add incentives to his deal, but not renegotiate it. Whatever the fuck that means. It’s from Adam Schefter.