Forty Niners Forever

The NFL did some kind of hype show around the release of the schedule yesterday that was even a little too obscure for me to get jazzed about, but here you have it. Our 2020 schedule. Whether it comes to pass remains to be seen, but hey, it is proceeding as if it will happen. Curios is the 2-game stretch in week 2 and 3 where we play 2 different teams in the same road stadium. The Gints and the Jets.

Weird at best, but NJ gets a chance to see 2 Niner games in a row. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Another notable game is the return of Jimmy G to Massachusetts to face the Brady-less Patriots.

Anyhow, without further ado . . .

1	Sept. 13	Cardinals	4:25 p.m.	FOX
2	Sept. 20	@Jets	1 p.m.	FOX
3	Sept. 27	@Giants	1 p.m.	FOX
4	Oct. 4	Eagles	8:20 p.m.	NBC
5	Oct. 11	Dolphins	4:05 p.m.	FOX
6	Oct. 18	Rams	8:20 p.m.	NBC
7	Oct. 25	@Patriots	4:25 p.m.	CBS
8	Nov. 1	@Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	FOX
9	Nov. 5	Packers	8:20 p.m.	NFL Network
10	Nov. 15	@Saints	4:25 p.m.	FOX
11	–	BYE	–	–
12	Nov. 29	@Rams	4:05 p.m.	FOX
13	Dec. 7	Bills	4:25 p.m.	FOX
14	Dec. 13	Redskins	4:25 p.m.	FOX
15	Dec. 20	@Cowboys	8:20 p.m.	NBC
16	Dec. 26 or Dec. 27	@Cardinals	TBD	TBD
17	Jan. 3	Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	FOX

Joe Staley, a stalwart on the offensive line for the past 13 seasons, had his retirement presser Tuesday. The argument is there for his HoF creds, and I think he’s gonna make it. Made the all-rookie team, 6 time pro-bowl player, 3 time 2nd team all-pro, and a member of the all-decade 2010s team. A great player on some not-so-great teams. But a stalwart behind Frank Gore for tons of Frank’s yards with the 49ers.

Everyone in the league has nothing but good things to say about him. And Staley himself credits Frank Gore with instilling the drive to become the best.

“Frank was a guy that I watched. I was a huge sports fan growing up, and he was a guy that I watched and not idolized, but he was a superstar. So I came in the NFL, and he had just got done rushing for 1,600 yards, and he was a guy that was the leader of the team and he was a San Francisco 49er. To watch him work and the way that he approached every single day was special for me as a rookie just being like ‘This is what it takes to be a stud in the NFL.’ ”

Very bummed he didn’t get a Super Bowl victory to cap his excellent career, but so many greats didn’t even reach a Super Bowl. Here’s a nice article on him.

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/Default.aspx

2007 seems like a looooong time ago.

Shula? Hey, we all know the accomplishments, and shit, the dude lived to 90 with most of his faculties intact. That’s a pretty damn cool thing. Happy trails, coach.

The 49er roster as of now is full. They signed 11 undrafted free agents to fill out their roster. Their UDFA’s are (thx Winder):

JaMycal Hasty, RB, Baylor
Chris Finke, WR, Notre Dame
DeMarkus Acy, DB, Missouri
Jared Mayden, S, Alabama
Ronnell Perkins, S, Missouri
Chase Harrell, TE, Arkansas
Broc Rutter, QB, North Central
Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State
Salvon Ahmed, RB, Washington
Josh Hokit, FB, Fresno State
Darrion Daniels, DE, Nebraska

We should be thanking Daniel Snyder as well, as the 49ers tried to trade for Trent Williams last year, and they wanted a 1st round pick for him. Getting him for a 3 and 5 is relative peanuts, even if for only one year. But I think we’ll be able to work out a deal for a few more seasons.

For all intents and purposes, the 49ers nailed this draft for their particular needs. And I’m not the only one that thinks so.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2020/4/27/21237994/king-no-franchise-manager-of-a-playoff-team-had-a-better-weekend-than-lynch

Granted, Kinlaw could be an injury risk with his knee tendonitis, Aiyuk could flame out a la AJ Jenkins, and Trent could be just a one-year rental, but as of now we are looking pretty good.

Well, for team that was depleted by last year’s moved to shore up the defense, the 49ers did a shitload of wheeling and dealing to spice up this Stay-At-Home 2020 draft. The trade of DeForest Buckner was a pretty big risk, but the reward was the 13 pick in the draft. One in which we chose Javon Kinlaw, a stud of a defensive tackle who should be able to step right into our vaunted defensive line. So he replaces DeFoBu and is younger and cheaper.

Pick 2 in the 1st round, who we traded up for to get at 25, is Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver from Arizona State. He was, according to word behind the scenes (at least from what I’ve read), not going to last till 31. Miami apparently wanted him, and this brought about the move to 25. When Miami didn’t get Aiyuk, they traded out of the 26th spot with Green Bay, so that answers my questions about why they moved up. What the 49ers got was a true X receiver who is a beast after the catch and looks to step right in as a starter. He can line up at any WR spot and is a solid pass catcher who would seem to fit perfectly with Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He steps right into Emmanuel Sanders’ role, and is, yes, much younger and cheaper.

In the days leading up to the draft it became apparent that Joe Staley was going to retire, so the 49ers packaged up a current 5th round and next year’s 3rd round pick for a guy that is Staley’s peer in tackle Trent Williams. He of course ran afoul of daniel Snyder and the Washington Redskins medical staff as they misdiagnosed a tumor on Williams; head. Prompting his holdout for the 2019 season. So we get a younger version of the same guy. He however won’t be cheap as his contract runs out this year. That is a worry for another day.

The rest?

5	153*	OT Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
6	190*	TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia
7	217*	WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee

McKivitz is an undersized lineman that Shanahan likes to work with, Woerner is a plus blocker who only had 34 catches in college. Sounds a little familiar as that was George Kittle’s resume, but I don’t see that much in him other than special teams, and Jauan Jennings, a big but slow WR who is a solid possession type guy, but he has some guys to get through to make the squad.

So, the 49ers trade Matt Breida, DeFo, and Goodwin, get some draft capital and turn it into 3 starters. Not a bad draft weekend’s work. I’m curious tht they didn’t really address cornerback, but I assume more moves will be made to address that down the line.

In somewhat shocking news, the Niners trade for Trent Williams of the Washington Redskins for next year’s 3rd round pick, and this year’s 5th round pick. Joe Staley, citing health concerns, has decided to retire. At least the timing was right. Williams, who held out last season with the Skins due to his feeling that the Skins medical staff misdiagnosed treatment of s growth on Williams’ head.

Williams is one of the top-rated tackles in the league, grading out as 3rd best in the league for the past 3 years, behind Joe Staley and David Bakhtiari. So we get a fresh 31 year old tackle who should be able to fit right in and pick up where Joe left off.

Joe Staley of course has been a mainstay for 13 seasons with the 49ers. He led the way for Frank Gore, protected a lot of mediocre quarterbacks, wnet through both of the recent resurgences, was a 5 time pro-bowler, 3 time all-pro and part of the All-decade team of the 2010s.

Should be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame in 5 years.

Say what you will about it, but the 2020 NFL draft-from-the-basement was actually pretty fucking cool. It was great to see the players looking and acting like the very young adults they are instead of hanging with their possees, sporting $5,000 suits, and acting like hot shots. Of course that excludes Unjolly Roger. Goodell has all the personality of a tree stump, and the stupid booing from random fanbases was a nice touch to get fans involved (fucking NFLN didn’t call ME!) but a stupid premise that didn’t add much. Telling people how to act is never a good look, and the fans didn’t really give a rat’s ass either way. Most were just happy to be involved in an actual sporting event that wasn’t a rerun of sports past.

My immediate reaction to Javon Kinlaw was a bit confusing as they gave up a guy to get a pick that they used to get the same guy. Point being, though, they have a younger cheaper version who they control for the next 4 years at a relative bargain. A very savvy move. One that the LA Rams didn’t make as they threw giant contracts at a few star players while the rest of the team crumbled and tumbled from NFC Champs to also-rans in the very competitive NFC West.

Brandon Aiyuk was a big surprise to me as well. He wasn’t even on my WR radar as I thought they would go with a guy like Mimms or Higgins should they be looking for a late-round wide out. Good news is he’s a true X WR that can go deep, but also is a great route runner who beat out Ruggs for yards after catch. No small feat there. He is a perfect fit for Shanahan’s offense, and looks to be a solid addition next to Deebo.

My only issue, as I’ve said, is that I think we needlessly traded up to get him. No one took a WR between us at 25 and Minnesota at 31. And I seriously doubt that Aiyuk was that high on anyone else’s draft board as Mims, Higgins, and Claypool were available, but no one bit on them.

Still and all, a successful day for Lynch and the 49ers.

Round 1 NFL Draft:

1st pick – Cincinnati Bengals select Joe Burrow, QB, from LSU.

2nd pick – Washington Redskins select Chase Young, EDGE, from Ohio State.

3rd pick – Detroit Lions select Jeff Okudah, CB from Ohio State.

4th pick – NY Giants select Andrew Thomas, OT, from Georgia.

5th pick – Miami Dolphins select Tua Tagovailoa, QB, from Alabama.

6th pick – LA Chargers select Justin Herbert, QB, from Oregon.

7th pick – Carolina Panthers select Derrick Brown, DT, from Auburn.

8th pick – Arizona Cardinals select Isaiah Simmons, LB, from Clemson.

9th pick – Jacksonville Jaguars select C.J Henderson, CB, from Florida.

10th pick – Cleveland Browns select Jedrick Wills, OT, from Alabama.

11th pick – NY Jets select Mekhi Becton, OT, from Louisville.

12th pick – Las Vegas Raiders select Henry Ruggs, WR, from Alabama.

13th pick – Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade up one spot (San Francisco 49ers) and select Tristan Wirfs, OL, from Iowa.

14th pick – San Francisco 49ers select Javon Kinlaw, DL, from South Carolina.

15th pick – Denver Bronos select Jerry Jeudy, WR, from Alabama.

16th pick – Atlanta Falcons select A.J Terrell, CB, from Clemson.

17th pick – Dallas Cowboys select CeeDee Lamb, WR, from Oklahoma.

18th pick – Miami Dolphins select Austin Jackson, OL, from USC.

19th pick – Las Vegas Raiders select Damon Arnette, OL, from Ohio State.

20th pick – Jacksonville Jaguars select K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, from LSU.

21st pick – Philadelphia Eagles select Jalen Reagor, WR, from TCU.

22nd pick – Minnesota Vikings select Justin Jefferson, WR, from LSU.

23rd pick – Los Angeles Chargers (traded pick with Patriots) select Kenneth Murray, LB, from Oklahoma.

24th pick – New Orleans Saints select Cesar Ruiz, C, from Michigan.

25th pick – San Francisco 49ers (traded pick with Vikings) select Brandon Aiyuk, WR, from Arizona State.

26th pick – Packers select Jordan Love, QB, from Utah State.

27th pick – Seattle Seahawks select Jordyn Brooks, LB, from Texas Tech.

28th pick – Baltimore Ravens select Patrick Queen, LB, from LSU.

29th pick – Tennessee Titans select Isaiah WIlson, OL, from Georgia.

30th pick – Miami Dolphins select Noah Igbinoghene, CB, from Auburn.

31st pick – Minnesota Vikings select Jeff Gladney, CB, from TCU.

32nd pick – Kansas City Chiefs select Clyde Edwards Helaire, RB, from LSU.

Strange and weird as it will be, we have an actual sports related event that hasn’t been cancelled. The NFL Draft! As with most drafts, there are a lot of teams that need quarterbacks. And most are near the top of the board. The Bengals, Chargers, Dolphins, Jags, Broncos, and the Brady-less Patriots. The guys likely to go in the 1st round are: Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love.

All but the Broncos and Pats draft in front of us, so that should give us the ability to get a wide out. The good news for us of course is that this is a huge draft for wide receiver. The top 4 there are Jerry Jeudy, Cee Dee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, and Justin Jefferson. All of these guys look like they could step right in and be productive.

At 13 though, JJ, CD, and Ruggs could all be gone. If that is the case, we could very well drop out of the 13th spot, and still get Justin Jefferson. An intriguing idea, but if we do that we very well could pass up Florida corner CJ Henderson. Cornerback of course is our other glaring need.

Still and all, i think we are in a position to fill a spot of need rather that trying to get more picks. As I said, I could see us trade down to get more picks and still get a top-flight WR in Jefferson, but the haul for 13 would be the determining factor.

A risky move, and we can still get a corner with our 31st pick, so it is one that is surely on the table, but we will see. So, the team is in great shape, we look to fill holes with our 2 first round picks, we have a boatload of talent, and with the recent success under our belts the team stands to get better.

Can’t wait.

The last shred of normalcy in sports is upon us in 5 days. The NFL draft. It’ll be interesting to see how this goes, but for those of us that are still working, it’ll look like the last 50 Zoom meetings we all run, or sit through. I guess they will have around 50 college players on hand who project out to be 1st rounders to get their reactions, and I’m sure the coiffed head of Mel Kiper has been dusted off and polished up. For all the weirdness going on, I really haven’t seen much about the upcoming draft.

That being said, I’ve seen Caddyshack, Blues Brothers, Eraserhead, Soylent Green, Planet of the Apes, and the Omega Man in recent days. Got a real kick when my daughter, who is binge-watching Community, said when we were watching Caddyshack, hey, that’s the guy from Community! That guy being Chevy Chase.

I still think this team needs an impact WR above all else. This team hasn’t had a true #1 WR since the days of Terrell Owens back in the early aughts. That being said, I think the only guys that should be on the table at WR at 13 are JJ and CD. And we have drafted for defense a lot lately.

If they are not there, try to get Javon Kinlaw to replace DeFoBu. I think we can address the cornerback position in free agency. No need to use our 1st pick on a CB. Darqueze Dennard is available, but he is hurt too much. Vike Mackensie Alexander is worth a look, but the rest are middling guys who can be signed to push Jason Verrett out. If that don’t work, trade Solly Thomas for picks or a CB.

In breaking news, Von Miller has tested positive for the Coronavirus. He says he isn’t feeling very bad, burt with his asthma, he is taking this very seriously.

Here’s the story:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-broncos-star-von-miller-quarantine-after-testing-positive-coronavirus-n1185856

No, this year’s draft won’t be the glitz of Vegas, but the dankness of Jolly Roger’s basement. I can hardly wait.

The story is here:

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/roger_goodell_to_announce_nfl_draft_first_round_picks_from_his_basement/s1_12680_31757927?mb_edition=20200413&mb_loc=left_h

I guess all the owners will send homing pigeons to Goodell’s place to announce their picks.

The league will have 58 draftees participating in the virtual draft, so there’s gonna be something going on. Cutaways and such, but hey, it’s happening so I’m happy about that.

Nothing has changed for us in all this. Still think we get Cee Dee or JJ. I’d be fine with either one.

For all the shit given to Jolly Roger Goodell, I don’t see what the huge deal is around altering the draft to fit the situation. All that needs to be working is the commissioner being able to get the picks from the GMs of the various teams.

Sure, it won’t be the magnificently gratuitous greed-fest that this has turned in to, but them’s the breaks. Goodell’s only other option is to postpone this, and have the domino effect of the draft delay affecting the OTAs, and that pushing back training camp, that pushing back the pre-season, and of course this postpones the regular season.

This is the likely outcome anyway, but Roger is one to never hedge a bet, so he’s going full steam ahead with the draft. I’m interested to see how it actually goes, and if everyone stays connected through all this, and it works, but in this age of online meetings and the myriad platforms available, it shouldn’t be too bad.

He will still get the advertiser money for commercials, and this should be as greed-fed as they can make it, but hey, to me, it’s the only thing in sports that is still going on schedule, so it’s a great diversion.

For the 49ers, of course we are:

a) Drafting a WR
b) Drafting a CB
c) Drafting an O lineman
d) Packaging our two 1st rounders and Nick Mullens for Chase Young
e) Trading down out of 13 for more picks

Let the fun begin. I’m of a mind to get a WR. Jerry Jeudy would be well within our sites, if not for the Raiders. They will guaranteed take him. Unless they pull a Darius Heyward-Bay and take Cee Dee Lamb. I like Lamb as well, so we should be able to get him, because I really don’t think Prince Curdling doesn’t pass on Jeudy.