Forty Niners Forever

Cue David Byrne. Say what you will about sports being cancelled, the NFL is chugging along with a very active free agency period. Beyond our own trade of DeFo for the 13th overall pick in the draft (a necessary evil in today’s NFL), the Tampa Bay Buccos signed 43 year old Tom Brady to a $30 million deal, the Colts signed 38 year old Philip Rivers to a 1 years $25 mill deal, and Drew Brees gets $50 mill for 2 years to stay with the Saints. The Bears get Nick Foles from the Jags for a 4th round (hah!) comp pick. His stock has dropped dramatically, and the Jags will stick with Mustache Minshew. Foles gets a new start for a team that hasn’t had a bona fide QB since the mid 80s. Trubisky is a man without a team, and he likely goes to the Saints as a backup? The Panthers have moved on from Cam Newton by signing Teddy Bridgewater to a 3 year/$63 million deal. Teddy parlayed his stunning subbing into a starting role as Drew Brees was on the mend last year.

Beyond that, the dumbest team in the NFL (hello Bill O’Brien), the Houston Texans, traded DeAndre Hopkins for a worn out David Johnson of the AZ Cardinals. O’Brien went so far as to compare Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez because Hopkins liked to have his kids around the facility. This could very well cost him his job, except that the owner of the Texans, the dead Bob McNair famously said that his fellow NFL owners “can’t have the inmates running the prison.” The Buffalo Bills gave Minnesota a 1st, 5th, and 6th pick in the 2020 draft, and a 4th in 2021, for disgruntled WR Stefon Diggs. Quite a haul for the Vikes.

As for our DT search, Linval Joseph is off the table. He signed a 2 year $17 mill deal with the Chargers.

So, we all may be sequestered in our houses, but at least there’s some actual sports news out there.

Signing Arik Armstead is a great move. He gets 5/$85 mill. Love it. He’s the true quintessential down and dirty defensive lineman that does the hard work in the trenches who often takes on double teams and keeps the linebackers clean to make plays. The fact that he got 10 sacks is a testament to his guts and determination.

That being said, trading DeForest Buckner makes no sense to me. He’s the heart and soul of the defense, and has been a mainstay since he got here. The only way it makes sense is that we don’t have to dole out a giant deal to him after the season ends. We do get a high 1st round pick, so there’s the caveat.

I wrote last week that this is how they could have dealt with AA, but they got a pretty good pick for DeFo. These are the tough decisions that guys like Lynch and Paraag have to make to keep the team competitive for more than a year or two. We get a high pick in a year of not many picks, and I feel like we are just getting started in the trading department. Guys like Goodwin and Witherspoon can garner us some more picks, so we’ll see what the future brings. Or if there IS a future. Commence zombie apocalypse . . .

And I’m NOT very happy about DeAndre Hopkins going to the Cardinals. He is a stud of the highest order, and he’s a guy I would love to have on our team. He’s gonna be a major pain in the ass for the next few years.

Bye bye, Miss American pie. Drove my Lexus to the nexus but the nexus was dry.
Them good ole’ boys are drinking whiskey and rye singing this will be the day that sports died. This will be the day that sports died.

Looks like this virus shit is getting very real as a couple NBA stars, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, test positive for the Coronavirus. The NBA’s response was swift and decisive as they have suspended the NBA season immediately and indefinitely. I’d think the NHL will follow suit, and baseball probably isn’t too far behind, depending on what happens these next couple weeks.

Spring training games have been rolling merrily along, but I’d think with the travel and close quarters conditions they they deal with, someone will test positive for it. As far as the NFL goes, they got their combine in, and there’s not too much scheduled for them now anyway, so the impact should be fairly minimal. And if it came down to getting rid of the insane hype around the draft, so be it. That would actually be a blessing. Bring back the days where Pete Rozelle stands at a chalkboard and writes down who picks who and the whole thing is done in an afternoon.

As far as social distancing goes, I’m of the Charles Bukowski school of thought.

I don’t hate people, i just don’t seem to like it when they are around.

What looked like the deepest position on our team at the start of the season, the defensive line, has some major problems to iron out. Elk Grove High’s own Arik Armstead, the guy who grinded away in relative obscurity as De Fo shined, and the rest didn’t, is suddenly on the edge of either being franchised, franchised and traded, or given a hefty deal to remain with the team.

After a flat start to his NFL career under DCs Eric Mangeniuos and Jim (who?) O’Neill, Robert Saleh saw enough in AA’s ability to hold off linemen and set the edge that he was signed to his 5th year option despite only playing 6 games in 2017. The gamble paid off in spades as AA anchored a defense that wasn’t spectacular, but was making headway to being respectable. He went from little production to 48 tackles, 12 QB hits, and 3 sacks. With the addition of Bosa, Ford, and Alexander, among others, AAs sack total jumped to 10 with hios 18 QB hits and 58 tackles.

Thing is now, the rest of the line is banged up pretty bad. And those that aren’t banged up are free agents. Ronald Blair amd Jullian Taylor are both likely to remain on the sidelines as they deal with their ACL tears. K Street, who has been a ghost with his knee injuries, doesn’t look to be much more that a spot back-up, and Damontre Moore, who looked great coming in for Blair isn’t under contract. DJ Jones at least is under contract one more year, and looks to recover from his ankle injury, so there’s that.

So, the interesting thing to look at now I suppose is, do we go after edge rushers when the free agency market opens up next week? If we go hard after some guys, I guess that means we aren’t looking to keep Blair, who is a free agent as well, and may not get the deal he wants while he rehabs.

Armstead? He played such a pivotal role last year, that it would be hard to replace him. Then again, he benefitted wildly from the guys we added around him. Like Aldon Smith with Justin Smith in front of him, there’s a point to be made that we could tag and trade AA for much-needed draft choices. Simply plug in another guy who can benefit from our other superior linemen.

Sounds good, but I’d rather lose Blair, find another backup, and keep AA.

The rumor that won’t die apparently is the rumor that Jimny G and Tom Brady will switch teams. Tom gets a 2 year deal while Bill Belichick gets his QB back that he didn’t want to lose in the first place, and laughs his way back to prominence with a young stud QB while we have a 43 year old guy who is at the end of his run.

Great idea, amirite?

Jesus, please don’t do something this ridiculous. If this comes to pass, I’d put John Lynch in the front of the CTE line. This makes absolutely no sense on any level. Jimmy G’s first full season, one where he took a lot of hits, faced a lot of pressure, and brought the team back in the 4th quarter a bunch of times. So, yeah, let’s get the 43 year old to replace him.

If this comes to pass, I’d have to rethink my fandom. Seriously. This would set the team back at least 3 more seasons, and we’d have to hope BD Nick Mullens is really the guy to take us somewhere for the next 2 seasons.

The draft is a couple months off, and the combine (woo hoo) is coming up. Showcasing a bunch of guys who we don’t have a shot at. We have one pick in the first 2 days, so that sucks the life out of the hoopla. Hard to fault their strategy of pushing all their chips in to get who they got, as they were 3:30 from 6-1.

Round 1, Pick 31
Round 5, Pick 139 (via Denver)
Round 5, Pick 159
Round 6, Pick 191
Round 7, Pick 195 (via Detroit)
Round 7, Pick 223

Here’s the schedule FWIW:

Thursday, April 23: 5 p.m. PT
Friday, April 24: 4 p.m. PT
Saturday, April 25: 9 a.m. PT

The fun is in Vegas this year, to commemorate the landing of the good ship Raiders I suppose. Jolly Roger and all that.

On all your favorite NFL wall to wall stations. ESPN is busily digging up Mel Kiper’s head out of the cryogenic chamber to mount on an animatronic body for his appearance this time of year.

Since the draft is a long way off, and time will march slowly toward September, the 49ers announced that George Kittle won the Len Eshmont award, an award for the most inspirational player voted on by the players. DeForest Buckner was awarded the Bill Walsh award, one that is voted on by the coaching staff.

Both of these guys of course are looking at the last year of their rookie deals as well. Both look to make a lot more money as the 49ers will almost certainly work contract extensions for both of these guys as waiting until the deals are done would hit the cap harder for the team, and not sit well with either of them besides.

Both are at the top of their positions in the NFL, and certainly Kittle, who is the pre-eminent tight end in the league now, looks to blow past Jimmy Graham’s $10 mill a year mark with something approaching $14 mill if you believe the scuttlebut floating around. But Skittles is way down the pay scale as he wasa 5th round pick and makes around $2.15 mill on the last year of his deal. Buckner however, is already going to make $15.5 million on his 5th year option. He’s hit the bank this year, but looks to get a long-term extension done.

Bucker is in the Fletcher Cox, Grady Jarrett range of dominating interior linemen, and they both make $17 mill per. You have to think something in the $17.5/ $18 mill 4 year extension is in the realm of possibility. One would like to think they both work out team friendly deals that allow other players to be signed as they try to keep the train on track, but time will tell. And we have a lot of that.

Well, maybe not. The cupboard is bare this season as the 49ers cashed in hard on getting defensive help and speeding up attacking the ball. Hard to argue with the results as Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford (and #1 pick Nick Bosa) tore up the league and got the 49ers oh so close.

Our meager pickings are:

Round 1, Pick 31
Round 5, Pick 139 (via Denver)
Round 5, Pick 159 
Round 6, Pick 191
Round 7, Pick 195 (via Detroit)
Round 7, Pick 223

The good news is, unlike the last 3 drafts (and the Baalke debacles), the Niners aren’t trying to fill numerous holes. They have a well-rounded group of starters and backups as evidenced by the many injuries they overcame throughout the season to get where they got. I’d like to see more O line depth, more speed at the WR spot, and of course, secondary help.

Jimmie Ward may go, and even if he doesn’t, the 49ers can do well by shoring up the defensive backfield. The most obvious way to do that would be to trade out of the 1st round and get a couple lower picks. Or bundle up all those 5 picks in the lower rounds if they have their eye on someone specific.

And, huzzah, Grand Cheetoh pardoned Eddie DeBartolo for no particular reason.

September is a loooong way off. After a decade of dominance by the Giants and Warriors, the 49ers got one win away from their own glory. Now however, the Giants are going to be young and wobbly at best, the Warriors are just waiting till October rolls around to see if they have recovered from their injuries, and the Sharks are also hitting the skids this season.

So,what do we have to look forward to? The draft? Free agency? Yeah, I guess so.

As we all know, our defense made gigantic strides this season as Nick Bosa earned Rookie of the Year honors, and FA acquisitions Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford both played very well, and rookie LB Dre Greenlaw played exceptionally well. The D line saw multiple injuries, yet stayed stout against the run, and provided a solid push up front.

The defensive backfield was a bit of a mixed bag however, as Ahkello Witherspoon got hurt and lost his mojo, Richard Sherman looked old and slow at times, and our safeties were awful behind Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward.

So, speaking of the draft, I’m pretty sure that draft pick one (the exact opposite of last year’s pick 2 at pick 31) may very well be a corner.

Thing is, this isn’t a very good draft class for corners. After Jeff Odukah, there’s a mixed bag of character risks and raw talent. Trevon Diggs has size and speed at 6-2, 207, and so does Bryce Hall at 6-1, 200. But either or both could be gone. After that it’s a crapshoot.

Which brings up the other need. Wide receiver. Deebo Sanders made huge strides as the season wore on, Kendrick Bourne solidified himself as a bona fide red zone target, Emmanuel Sanders came in and played very well while Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin played themselves into the dog house. Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd both need to get healthy to see what they are.

Sanders is probably gone, as well as Goodwin and Pettis. Hurd and Taylor, while possible 2’s, are also unknowns as they haven’t been on the field long enough, if at all.

So, the WRs we look to have an opportunity to get are . . .

Henry Ruggs from Bama or Laviska Shenault from Colo. Ruggs looks good as a guy who can go deep with his 4.40 speed.

So much for ending the teens on a high note. In what can only be seen as a huge success for the 49ers this season ended on a sour note. And, except for the NFC curse of missing the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl, the future looks bright for this team.

Jimmy Garoppolo MADE it to the Super Bowl his first full year as a starter. He started out shakey, fumble-prone, and INT-prone. And while he did throw a couple in the Super Bowl, they were not of the “I didn’t see the linebacker right in front of me” kind. Think Minnesota game. He WAS trying to get the ball out of bounds on the first pick, and the 2nd was a desperation heave.

4,000 yards, 27 TDs, 13 picks, and a 102 rating are solid numbers. 8th in QBR, 8th in yards, and 5th in TDs as a first-time full-time guy is great. He has room to improve his pocket presence, and minimize the interceptions, but from the start of the season to the finish, he improved those aspects as the season wore on.

The run game was spectacular. Mostert (772 – 5.6), Breida (623 – 5.1), and Coleman 544 – 4.0) all had breakout games, and all of them gained over 500 yards (why Coleman started over Mostert is an argument for another day. And why Wilson started over Breida was another head scratcher). All did well catching passes out of the backfield as well, and set the tone all year with tough runs and few fumbles.

The maligned receiving corps found its footing as rookie Deebo Samuels blossomed with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders in a trade with Denver. Kittle was his old self, going over 1,000 yards for the 2nd season in a row, and Kendrick Bourne established himself as a bona fide red zone threat with 5 TDs down the stretch.

The O line had a bit of a rough ride with injuries and inconsistent pass blocking, but in the end, backups like Daniel Brunskill, Ben Garland, and Justin Skule subbed in for starters Mike McGlinchey, Joe Staley and Weston Richberg. Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme opened up holes all season, and the line play got better and better as the year went on.

The defense improved dramatically. Robert Saleh’s anemic 2018 defense was replaced by a faster, harder hitting, and sack-happy bunch, led by rookie of the year Nick Bosa. The additions of Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford complemented last year’s rookie phenom Fred Warner. Dre Greenlaw was another high-speed tackling machine.

The DBs? Well, a mixed bag. Ahkello Witherspoon had a strong early season, as did Richard Sherman. But Witherspoon got hurt, and never seemed to return to form. Tartt and Ward were injured for parts of the season, and struggled at times, but Emmanuel Moseley earned his way into the starting role in place of Ahkello.

That leaves Kyle Shanahan. He and John Lynch have done very well dragging this team out of the depths of suckitude in 3 short years. The season hat looked onerous and barely like we could hit 8-8 instead went 13-3 and blitzed the NFC teams in the playoffs.

Questions WILL dog Shanny though as he makes his next quest for glory in the 2020 season. His teams have been outscored 52-0 down the stretch in his two Super Bowl losses. Both games saw Shanny go pass happy as he appeared to try to do too much too fast, instead of just sticking with a run game that had been working in both games.