Well, the Carlos Hyde dilemma was solved rather quickly in free agency as the NFL saw about 10,000 players switch teams. Hyde went to the Browns, who if nothing else have turned over about 75% this offseason. But enough about them. The 49ers in turn signed the Vikings 2nd string RB in Jerick Jet McKinnon. A guy I don’t know that much about other than he’s fast, catches well out of the backfield, and looks to share time with Joe Williams.
Works for me. Hyde is a good tough back, but he didn’t fit in with this system as it calls for RBs to be pass catchers, and Hyde isn’t as good as he should be. We’ll be getting Jet to the edge and the flat I’m sure to maximize his speed as opposed to slamming him into the line. Hey we made Matt Brieda look pretty good, so this should work out.
In other news, The Vikings got the services of Kirk Cousins to the tune of 3 years, $84 mill. Wow. Seeing as they made the playoffs with the three-headed waiver wire guys last year, they look to be very happy. Shit, KC and the Sunshine Chiefs look like a brand new team as well, what with their backing of Pat Mahomes and the acquisition of Sammy Watkins. These are two playoff teams that look much improved.
Shit, even Green Bay, the antithesis of free agent pickups went out and got Jimmy Graham. The bad news? Well, good for us, the Cardinals signed Sam Bradford to a ridiculous one year/$20 mill deal ($15 mill guaranteed!). Between injuries and so-so play, the guy is middling personified. He’s missed more games than he’s played, and in those games, he’s .500. That gets you the same money as Tom Brady? Wow.
Looks like the Niners and the Rams will be fighting for the NFC West crown this year. Az is fading, and Seattle is imploding their team for a rebuild. Bring it on!
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Dominoes are falling fast
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2018-nfl-free-agent-tracker-an-updated-list-of-where-the-top-50-players-have-signed/
Case Keenum to the Broncos. Nuts. They got someone on the cheap rather than do what they did with Osweiler. Elway is learning, but they look like they are falling rather than rising.
Mckinnon is a better receiver out of the backfield than Hyde and fits the system better. Chuck don’t count Breida out , the coaches are pretty high on him.
“Carlos Hyde was a deliberate, physical runner. In that sense, he wasn’t a great fit for Kyle Shanahan’s outside zone scheme that thrives with explosive, one-cut-and-go running backs.
That’s what the team got by signing former Viking Jerick McKinnon.”
Oh, I’m not, Rob. Brieda will back up both Williams and McKinnon.
Eric Reid is still a free agent. Not sure what happens with him.
Holy crap Chuck ! http://www.forgotten5.com/2017/04/24/nfl-draft-profile-matt-breida-georgia-southern/
Breida is a true burner. So is McKinnon and so is Williams, though I believe Williams would be considered the power guy of that group. Could be a very interesting triumvirate in the Niners backfield in 2018.
Carlos had to go. Anyone fretting about him leaving? Of course not. A good back but nothing to write home about. He had good numbers on a losing team…….big deal. Lynch wants to bring in new faces not tied to the old regime. Sherman signing could be a big deal if Sherman’s health holds up. Will he have the same speed he had a few years back……will he be the same player. Probably not. The Niners better draft well again. The need for younger players are always a requirement in football.
He’s no Frank Gore, but Hyde IS similar in running style. In the end, he’s not a fit with the new running scheme, or the new regime. Very few guys left from the Baalke years. And it has only been 14 months.
Then again, most of the Baalke guys were gone when Baalke was HERE!
Filling Gore’s shoes was a no-win proposition for Hyde, no doubt. Now he gets a fresh start.
I liked Hyde and wish him well in Cleveland, a team that may finally be putting together a winner. With a solid line in front of him and the right scheme, I believe Hyde could be a 1,200 yards per year guy at around 4.5 yds/carry. If the Browns also nab Barkley in the draft, that will be one lethal backfield.
I think Carlos took some undue heat around here while playing on some pretty crappy teams. Be that as it may, fare thee well, sir.
From 2010 on there is:
Kilgore in 2011
Reid in 2013 (as of now)
Jimmie Ward 2014
Armstead Tartt Brown and Harold from 2015 (oh, and our PUNTER)
Buckner and Garnett from 2016 ( and some cannon fodder)
The 2014 draft, which netted 12 picks, there’s one guy left. That’s some serious suckage.
Crazy
Hyde would break one off now and then but 9 out of 10 times when you needed 3 yards he got 2.
Once again our FA signings look very solid and will make our team stronger.
Armstead is a guy, to me, who’s teetering on the brink of being a bust. He has a lot to prove. Staying on the damn field is job #1. Buckner is already a beast who’d greatly benefit from having a legit edge rusher on the outside. Harold did show flashes, but I’m not sold on him yet. He’s very athletic.
I expect significant improvement from Thomas this season, and Ronald Blair remains intriguing, another guy who has shown some solid play and figures to be a nice rotational piece on the D-line as he gains experience. With the aforementioned edge rusher, this line could start moving into elite territory at some point in the near future.
Day number one of the new league year! Whooohoooo!
Interesting take on this
Broncos sign CB Tramaine Brock (1 year, $4 million): A- Grade
The 49ers cut Tramaine Brock after the 2016 season because of domestic violence charges. He was cleared of those, but didn’t play very much this past season in Minnesota. I have to believe that the NFC Championship would’ve been a closer contest had Brock been on the field because he’s a skilled corner. The Broncos should take advantage of his talents, as they need a replacement for Aqib Talib.
I like this contract quite a bit. There’s no risk involved, and it’s all upside, as Brock will play hard for a new deal next offseason
I am probably wrong but on my count of our current roster there are only 8 players left from the Baalky era. That is a hellova purge. I didn’t count the IR and PS and I know there are some there.
Baalke’s drafts are all listed here ! i count about 11 players still here.Nobody saw what happened with Borland and Aldon Smith coming but most of Baalke’s picks were off the roster even before the new GM got here !
There was not really anyone left to purge lol
Seeing as we are about 14 months removed from the Baalke era, that is stunning.
Rob- there were 53 plus the practice squad of em when Shanny and Lynch were hired. They got rid of em all.
Brock had good days and bad. Like Chris Culliver before him, he picked the worst times to have bad days.
I counted 11 on the current roster. 12 if you count Eric Reid.
Armstead, Arik
Beadles, Zane
Blair III, Ronald
Brown, Trent
Buckner, DeForest
Celek, Garrett
Harold, Eli
Kilgore, Daniel
Pinion, Brad
Tartt, J
Ward, Jimmie
I thought we’d sign Brandon Fusco as a backup but Atlanta grabbed him ! Brock Coyle is back tho , I was hoping we’d re-sign him .
Are we happy with our safeties or do we make a run at Mathieu? He’s only 25.
He’s a good player and probably pretty expensive, he would definitely make our backfield better. But I am with you on Armstead, Blair, and Tank. They have to play better or else they are just wasted space. Injuries have made it hard to evaluate and if they can’t stay on the field we should just move on.
Looks as though Ward will be sticking in the scheme as they’ve made good on his 5th year option.
He gets his money this year guaranteed.
I think he’s pretty valuable in terms of his ability to play in the Slot as well as FS.
Colbert will likely slide in to replace him at some point.
It’s a very good year in terms of depth in the Draft for DBs too. No need to panic IMO.
I’d like to see them grab BPA at 9 or, slide back for an extra 2nd, if an opportunity arises on Draft Night.
Edmunds/Ward, (OT?) would make sense at 9.
Still think an OT would be a reach at 9 too. Several guys I’m high on could probably be had lower in RD1, maybe even RD2?
If I was any good at slotting these guys, I’d have a job in the FO 😀
They could likely even move down a bit and, still get guys like Vea or Hernandez too.
Can’t wait for the Draft to start.
I’d also like to know just what the deal is Sam Bradford?
Has a QB EVER been paid as much for so little?
He’s the goods on someone I guess?
Hey, I’m just glad someone read to the bottom of the post!!
Think a lot of us were thinking the same thing Chuck.
Dude should be playing in a tutu and ballerina slippers.
Shows the state of QB play and, the importance of finding one that can actually play the position.
Obviously demand is much higher than the supply.
Hence he continues to get rich for being better than average I guess?
Bradford sold his soul at the crossroads.
Been trying to figure out if Terrelle Pryor ever got to play for Shanny?
Seems from the timelines I’ve found, they appear to have missed one another in Cleveland and DC.
At the right price, I’ve wondered if he might be a serviceable addition to the roster?
Also whether Maclin would be too overpriced to consider as well?
Stay tuned I guess, it’s time to wait out the Market now.
Big rush is over, the wait for the bargains phase begins.
Followed by the older more expensive Vets being dumped.
I don’t think we’re desperate for a WR in FA anyway. A good bargain? Sure.
Great link to keep up on the various FAs –
Here’s the WR portion –
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/wide-receiver/
These guys also keep a running tally on the Cap numbers as well –
Good place to stay informed in general.
Enjoy 😀
NJ- that is a really nice site, thanks!
Happy to fuel your knowledge for stats and facts Winder.
I’m still crunching Combine numbers myself 😀
Also read that Jimmy Ward gave his number to Dick.
No mention if $$$ was involved however.
Ward ain’t hurt’n at this point with his 5th year option getting picked up today.
Easy CB Sherman
FS Ward
SS Tartt
CB Witherspoon
The secondary just went from being a concern to a strength !
Yeah, Reid is as good as gone, I guess. He had a good year filling in for everyone who got hurt.
Reid is likely enjoying the fruits of his labors:
http://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/114583-safety-eric-reid-drawing-interest-free-agent-market/
Very deep DB Class coming next month too 12th.
No need to go big on a FA S IMO.
Probably find good DB talent in RDs 2 & 3 this year.
Can’t wait 😀
I am surprised nobody picked Reid up yesterday. Must be he either wants to much money or his political views are a concern.
It also looks like we are going top heavy with our cap #’s this year so the hit next year won’t be so bad. McKinnon got a hellova nice contract from us so we must really like what he brings to the table.
In reality McKinnon got a really nice 1 year contract. They can cut him next year with no further losses. This has been the MO of the Niners front office for a while now, almost all FA signings are essentially on year to year contracts, even Jimmy G is on a 2 year with a small penalty if they cut him at the end of year 2.
Interesting, I didn’t know that.
Yeah, all those injuries to the secondary got the team the ability to see Colbert and Witherspoon in action. They did good. I’m really liking the youth of this team.
New thread is up . . .