Forty Niners Forever

Tay Martin, WR, Oklahoma State – 6’3″/186
Segun Olubi, LB, San Diego State – 6’2″/220
Jason Poe, OL, Mercer
Leon O’Neal, S, Texas A&M – 6’1″/210
Taysir Mack, WR, Pittsburgh – 6’2:/190
Dohnovan West, C, Arizona State – 6’4″/300
Kevin Atkins, DT, Fresno State
Qwuantrezz knight, CB, UCLA
Sam Schlueter, OL, Minnesota
Jeremiah Gemmel, LB, UNC
Taylor Hawkins, DB, San Diego State
Jordan Mason, RB, Georgia Tech

The steals apparently are Poe and West, the offensive linemen. No idea.

It’s hard enough to make it in the NFL as a draftee, but exponentially harder as an undrafted free agent.

Here are last year’s guys:

LB Elijah Sullivan, Kansas State
WR Austin Watkins, UAB
LB Justin Hilliard, Ohio State
TE Josh Pederson, Louisiana-Monroe

Hilliard is on the IR with the Giants I think. The rest? Crickets.

For good, ill, or otherwise, here’s our haul:

Round 2 (No. 61 overall) – Drake Jackson, LB/DE, USC:The Niners join the draft party and take the Trojans pass rusher. San Francisco values a deep group up front, but the 6-3 Jackson needs to figure out what his ideal playing weight is – 255? 275? – before he’s able to serve as a nice change of pace opposite Nick Bosa. Draft tracker

Round 3 (93) – Ty Davis-Price, RB, LSU:At 6 feet, 211 pounds with 4.48 speed, he was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Tigers in 2021 and could slot in for RB2 duties for the Niners behind Elijah Mitchell with Raheem Mostert gone. Draft tracker

Round 3 (105, special compensatory) – Danny Gray, WR, SMU:At 6 feet, 186 pounds, he’s no Deebo Samuel clone. But Gray’s 4.3 speed could obviously add a new dimension to the Niners offense. Draft tracker

Round 4 (134) – Spencer Burford, OT, Texas-San Antonio
Round 5 (172) – Samuel Womack, CB, Toledo
Round 6 (187, from Broncos) – Nick Zakelj, OT, Fordham
Round 6 (220, compensatory) – Kalia Davis, DT, UCF
Round 6 (221, compensatory) – Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State
Round 7 (262, compensatory) – Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State

I like Jackson and Gray but not clear why RB with the 3rd round. Burford is a possible steal, and the rest? Who knows? We will see when we see.

So, now that the twitter verse is down on our draft, we are poised at the brink of where the Niners get their good players. The hidden gems, the steals of the draft. Who knows? The braintrust certainly seems to have better luck finding gold at the bottom of the barrel rather than finding the cream at the top.

Anyhow, we have picks 135, 172, 187, 220, 221, and 262.

OK with the DE pick Drake Jackson. He looks to be a find as USC fucked with his development, and we can get a lot from him when he puts some weight back on.

RB? Ty Davis-Price seems awful high for a position that Shanny can seemingly fill in with any available body. Maybe this is a message to Deebo that we are gonna decrease his run workload.

The WR pick Danny Gray looks pretty good as well. Size and speed can’t be taught and he has both. 6′ 2″ and 4.33 speed.

This draft is pretty much a bright neon signpost as to why the Niners pushed all their chip in for Trey Lance last season. There was ONE QB selected in the first 2 rounds.

Anyhow, day 3 is about to start.

Not much to say about the draft. Not with the Jimmy/Deebo saga playing out. But it appears as it is going according to the clock, not to the Twitterverse. The Panthers will make a deal in mid-June for Jimmy G. The 49ers brain (fry) trust will sign Deebo to a 3 year $75 mill ($40 mill guaranteed) deal in late June.

Day 2 of the draft see us with one 2nd round pick (61) and two 3rd round picks (93 and 105).

What do we need? A CORNERBACK!!!!!!

(stealing this from NJ [thanks, again]!!!)

Yusuf Corker S/CB 6-0 197 Kentucky
Verone McKinley FS 5-10 196 Oregon
Jalen Pitre FS 6-0 197 Baylor
Dane Belton FS 6-0.5 205 4.43 Iowa
Nick Cross FS 6-1 215 4.34 Maryland

Tariq Woolen CB 6-4 205 4.26 UTSA
Percy Butler CB 6-0 191 4.36 Louisiana
Alontae Taylor CB 6-0 193 4.36 Tennessee
Zyon McCollum CB 6-2 202 4.33 Sam Houston
Cam Taylor-Britt CB 6-0 205 4.38 Nebraska

Not listed is Andrew Booth, Clemson; 6′ 0″, 195, 4.5 40.
Mental toughness issues along with double-hernia surgery early 2022. Projected as a late 1st-early 2mr rounder, he’s still available. Could even drop to 61.

Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington: 6′ 0″, 200, 4.52 40.
Another prospected laste 1st-early 2nd rounder. No picks, but a lot of defensed passes.

Roger McCreary, CS Auburn: 5′ 11″, 189, 4.5 40
Possible nickel corner due to smaller size but great at going after the ball. 6 picks in 35 games

 Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Height: 6-2. Weight: 200 Official 40 Time: 4.53.
Like the size on this guy, but only one pick in college. If coachable, he could be a steal.

The next two picks? DE and Center.

Let’s do it!

Hoping for us to trade Jimmy and keep Deebo. NOT the other way around. Here’s what Deebo himself said about the situation:

In other words, the media is blowing smoke, as usual.

I think we do keep Deebo. And trade Jimmy G to the Panthers.

Sung to the tune of Jocko Homo by Devo.

Story is, he wants $25 million per year. Curiously enough, the amount that would be freed up by the dismissal of Jimmy Garoppolo. Not saying that will happen, but what I will say is this likely doesn’t get resolved till well after the draft and more toward the start of OTAs and all that shit.

In other words, a holding pattern. As far as I know, and can glean from the medias and interwebs, is that Deebo is happy here and wants to stay. The 49ers certainly don’t want to let Deebo seek greener (and boy, it WILL be greener either way) pastures and dear old Kyle was a wide receiver himself and surely doesn’t want to let this gem go.

Are we not fans?

We are Niners!

This is all wind and sails. Deebo will sign a 4 year, $100 mill extension in June.

Weird shit inside the Niners gold mine. Deebo Samuel has removed his 49ers profile picture on Instagram, unfollowed the team, and deleted over 80 posts from his account. Does it mean anything?

Well, probably not. Other than as a bargaining position, I don’t think this means much. But who knows? I haven’t heard a peep out of the team or Deebo that there are anything other than good feelings between them. But who knows? We’ve lost a bunch of coaches, and he stands to make a huge payday, so maybe there is resistance behind the scenes.

Hard to say. Just another monkey wrench in the works. It would be disastrous to lose Deebo after his breakout year last year.

Nice move by the 49ers to sign Frank Gore to a one-day contract to retire a 49er. He will forever be remembered as a tough, no-nonsense player who gave his all every season, every game, and every down. He ran like his life depended on every play, he blocked anyone and everyone in his path, and he gave as much as he got. He’s the leading rusher in 49er history with 11,703 yards, and #3 all-time with 16,000 yards and 99 touchdowns. He’s 5th all time in all purpose yards at 19,992.

He gained yards even when our brilliant head coach, aluminum Mike Singletary, told our opponents Gore would get the ball 25+ carries. He gained 1,000 yards 7 times with a career high 1,695 in 2006. It’s too bad Harbaugh insisted on using Gore mainly as a blocker in pass plays, because under Nolan Gore was solid catching passes out of the backfield. Over 400 yards 4 times, including 61 catches for 485 in his breakout 2006 season.

He was a 5 time pro bowler, and all-pro that 2006 season with 2180 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns.

First ballot Hall of Famer to me. He was a joy to watch on some awful teams early in his career and he never complained, he always gave it his all, and if not for a goddamn delay of game, would have scored the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 47. Love me some Gore. One of my definite all-time favorite 49ers. Hell of a career.

Still lots of free agents to deal with. Still a lot of holes to fill.

Still got Jimmy. Funny, he’s all over the airwaves doing ads suddenly.

Here’s who we have lost, who we got, who’s still unsigned. As I said earlier, Tomlinson is the only one I really didn’t want to see go. Jones is a drag, but we should be able to fill his role between Givens and Willis.

UPDATE: The Niners sign ex-Niner and Seahawk-last-year Kerry Hyder to a one-year deal.

Will not Return

RB Trenton Cannon (UFA, Titans)
OL Tom Compton (UFA, Broncos, 1-yr)
DT D.J. Jones (UFA, Broncos, 3-yr, $30M)
RB Raheem Mostert (UFA, Dolphins, 1-yr, $3.125M)
WR Trent Sherfield (UFA, Dolphins, 1-yr)
DL Kentavius Street (UFA, Saints)
OL Laken Tomlinson (UFA, Jets, 3-yr, $40M)
CB K’Waun Williams (UFA, Broncos, 2-yr, $7M)

Restricted Free Agents – I’m sure we sign these two

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (2nd-round tender, nearly $4M)
OL Daniel Brunskill (tendered right-of-first-refusal, $2.43M)

Returning 49ers

OL Jake Brendel (RFA, 1-yr extension)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ERFA, 1-yr extension)
DL Kevin Givens (ERFA, 1-yr extension)
RB JaMycal Hasty (ERFA, 1-yr extension)
DT Maurice Hurst (UFA, 1-yr extension)
CB Dontae Johnson (UFA, 1-yr)
DL Jordan Willis (UFA, 1-yr)
RB Jeff Wilson Jr. (UFA)

New 49ers

LB Oren Burks (Packers, 2-yr, $5M, Burks)
DE Kerry Hyder (Seahawks, 1-yr, $1.5M, PFN)
WR/RS Ray-Ray McCloud (Steelers, CBS Sports, ESPN)
S George Odum (Colts, 3-yr, $10.95M, PFF)
DT Hassan Ridgeway (Eagles, 1-yr, $2.5M, ESPN)
CB Charvarius Ward (Chiefs, 3-yr, $42M, $26.7M guaranteed, ESPN)

I like the C Ward signing, but like their baseball brethren, the Niners are not making a big splash in free agency. For all the turmoil of last season, we were a couple plays away from the Super Bowl.

That being said, they better nail this draft. DB, DE, and O line depth are still big concerns.