Well, football season is in full nothing-but-hype mode as teams position themselves for the draft and the upcoming free agency period. The 49ers got off to a roaring start (*urp*) with the signing of C/G Nick Zakelj, he of the 47 point word score in Scrabble. Not bad in and of itself, unless they really think he is starter material. Funny thing is, though, Ben (owwww!) Bartch and Spenser Burford are free agents as well. Barth is a walking injury waiting to happen, so I don’t see him as a priority. Burford? No, not really as well.
So, we look to be replacing a center and 2 guards. On top of already needing to find Trent Williams’ replacement, and finding a swing tackle.
I really hope they look at the draft AND free agency. We need a lot to fix this line.
Among our lengthy list of free agents, the guys to sign are Eddie Dinero Piniero, Skyy Moore, Clelen Ferrell, and Kevin Givens. The dumps are Bartch, Bourne, Burford, Gross-Matos, Pinnock, Curtis Robsinson, TTaylor, and PTaylor Jr.
I’m iffy on Jennings, Brian Robinson, Morstead, Wallow, and Weeks.
My only issue with these guys is their backups ON the team aren’t beating them out. Jennings brings a ton of balls and swagger to the WR room, and he carries a lot of weight. If he goes, we have one guy who is hurt a lot, and diddly squat. Cowing and Watkins are following the trail blazed by AJ Jenkins and Danny Gray.
Brian Robinson didn’t get a chance to play that much, but his backups were invisible. Given a decent O line, I think he could really be productive, but 99% of that is on Shanahan and his reluctance to give CMC rest. Morstead and Weeks could be fairly easily replaced, but we might as well keep them since they are known commodities. I guess I’d keep Wallow as he played well despite his depth in the depth chart.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Hennessy’s a free agent? I thought he signed a 2 year deal at the end of 2024.
Huh. He’s a free agent. But he’s in the same boat as scrabble-boy. He’s a fine backup/depth guy. We need starters at C and LG and backups at LT and RT.
Tried to post this up there.
If you have about 4 hours to kill, you can listen to that playlist. There’s about 150 songs on it.
I listen to a lot of old beat club stuff some of it is really good.
If it wasn’t for ST this would be the deadest time of year. I don’t watch the combine stuff except when the athletic downloads it and even then I get tired of it quick.
Things look rosy then reality hits. LV Raiders have very high draft capital and 90 million in salary cap space. Here is another kick in the head.
They have pick #1 Fernando Mendoza. Their oline is ranked the worst in the NFL. Along with no good WR’s. They will be competing with us and bidding up the two position group prices.
Last draft the two picks before us before Upton Stout were both LV and they took the last two decent OT at end of 3rd Rd. At the time I believed we were targeting one of those and we’re stuck taking the consolation prize of a 180 lb CB.
#98 Caleb Roger’s, #99 Charles Grant
#100 Upton Stout
Stout was one of our better players.
Well, we are picking 5 spots in front of LV after they take Mendoza.
So, they’ll be chasing us.
Has anyone heard from loco to see how he weathered that freeze that hit NC?
Haven’t heard anything either way. I don’t know his FB hande so I haven’t seen anything there.
I find it interesting that both Rourke and Mendoza were on the same team yet they used Rourke as the starter even with a bad knee. I have a feeling that Rourke might be something special if he is completely healed.
If that is the case then we are definitely gonna trade Jones
They did open his practice window for 3 weeks at the back end of the season so he could take valuable full offensive team opposing snaps against their own D.
That would give them a decent gauge on his skillset and team fit.
Like you said Winder, he played hurt over a good bench warmer, it does say something about him.
I think the 49ers can get some good picks for Jones. A low-mid 1 isn’t out of the realm of possibility as this is basically a one-QB draft and that’s the ex-Cal Bear Mendoza.
And hey, they can always sign Zack Wilson and rehab his career. Rourke could be something as well.
I see a lot of talking heads saying he is worth a 3. They will get a comp pick 3 the next year so what’s the gain?
I just don’t think thats true at all. He’s a 2 plus a late round or a player IMO and to your point, it is possible the need of a decent starting QB could push his value even higher. That would not be a shock to me.
Garoppolo was a 5 start guy who got a 2nd.
Jones has a better track record. I’m with you. 2 is the floor I’d think.
Just read where Maxx Crosby bought into Leeds united as a part owner. And you know who owns them. You can bet the rumors will be flying.
Just looking at the Giants site and it listed our top 30 prospects and not one of them is in AAA. they have some guys listed at the MLB level that will surely be taking the bus now and then but to me that is mind boggling.
Jake Tonges was a revelation last year and I think they really found something in him, far superior to Farrell blocking and catching. I cant for the life of me figure out why they refused to play Kittle and Tonges together, it’s a major miss match. McVay would have had Tonges on the field in a major way.
Take a look at his end of year grade:
Tonges caught 40 passes for 366 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games, despite playing eight contests with fewer than 10 total offensive snaps on the field. Like Kittle, Tonges is a strong run-blocker, compiling a 74.4 PFF run-blocking grade in 2025 — the fifth-highest among tight ends. Tonges registered four games with a PFF grade over 80.0, and he also compiled a 90.3 PFF grade in the divisional round against the Seahawks.”
Kittle scored 7 TD in more games.
The only problem with that is Tonges is a FA and can sign anywhere he wants.
No hes a restricted FA Winder.
Doesn’t that just mean he will go to the highest bidder? Or that we get a draft pick?
Kind of. It means Tonges can negotiate a deal with whoever but he can’t just sign, the Niners have the right to match it and keep him and if they don’t decide to keep him then the Niners get a pick.
In essence the Niners have the last say over what happens to him.
They need to lock him up asap. Shanny is too stubborn to change his ways. He rides CMC too hard. He doesn’t adjust well mid-game. He drafts WRs and doesn’t play them. It is really why I don’t think we can get all the way with him.
Unless the defense really improves to the point of bing top 5.
Hard to argue with you Unca. Their drafted and signed TE are all bums, they finally landed on a productive guy and don’t meaningfully play him unless Kittle is hurt. Kittle comes back and it’s Farrell time, thats just dumb.
CMC gets ridden until his body gives out in the second Seahawks game and finally they let the rookie James get a few snaps once the game was lost.
Year after year, with just 1 exception, they draft WR and don’t play them. The only rookie WR I remember getting meaningful snaps was Deebo.
Tonges score 5 TD, one was a game saving and game winning TD against the Rams IIRC.
Just like a salad you need a good pair of Tongs to start with.Im definitely in getting him locked in long term.
I have a real bad feeling that Tongs is on his way to Seattle. After all his TE coach is now the OC. Hope I am wrong about that.
They have an ex Niner TE Eric Saubert on their squad. I doubt the Niners will let them have Tonges too
If they let him go they are immensely dumb.
And Shanny needs to learnnew tricks around the guys he has.
2 TE sets. Spelling CMC. Using speed on the outside.
He never used Gray on deep routes for fuck’s sake. Or Cowing.
I don’t think it’s gonna be a Shanny decision I think it’s more likely a Paarage decision. i think we are gonna be outbid for for Tonges.
They should have locked him up before the season ended.
I doubt the Niners let Tongs getaway they can match any offer I believe from any team going after him..What they should do with Kittle not going to be ready is make a strong bid to get Likely who’s both an excellent blocker(better than Tonges)and a solid receiver they could use not only in 2 TE setups but in the slot/ wideout are even in the backfield and he’s only 25 just hitting his stride and you can move on from Juice at 35..Love the guy but it’s time, like Bill Walsh would say and have done even earlier..
Juice starts his 2nd year of a 2 year deal. he’s sticking around.
new thread is up.