Official 49ers Thread

[cougjunkie]

Bill Cowher has Miami on his short list of potential destinations. I really hope Jennifer Lopez fires Sparanos ass and he takes Chad Henne with him.

Henne is the worst quarterback in the NFL.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I'd also add Matt Schaub in Houston as a guy who was a backup and went on to starter success.

Much like coaches, I think there are going to be a few QBs available this offseason that might not be terrible fits depending on the direction that the organization goes:

Potential Franchise QBs:
Kolb

Guys to Hold Down Fort if Franchise QB is drafted in Round 1:
Carson Palmer
Kyle Orton
David Garrard

Wildcard:
Vince Young

My preference:

1. Kolb
2. Orton
3. Trade up to get Andrew Luck if you hire Jim Harbaugh (Carolina is sitting in the cat bird's seat this year: 1) A rookie salary cap is probably going to be in place; 2) Andrew Luck is regarded as far away the top draft pick this year; and 3) Like most years, many teams at the bottom of the draft are looking for a QB -- Cincy, Arizona, San Francisco, Tennessee, Minnesota, Washington). This may not be possible for two reasons -- 1) Luck may not come out this year; and 2) Carolina might decide it wants to cut bait with Jimmy Clausen as their starter after one year.
4. David Garrard
...
10. Carson Palmer
11. Vince Young
12. Donovan McNabb
3478. Draft Jake Locker or Ryan Mallet.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

My preference for coaches:

1. Bill Cowher (San Francisco isn't on his short list).
2. Mike Holmgren (indicted he wants to coach again).
3. John Gruden (indicated he wants to stay in the booth).
4. Jim Harbaugh (would be great if San Francisco has the ammo to move into position to draft Andrew Luck).
5. Brian Billick

[Sizzle]

My preference:

1. Kolb
2. Orton
3. Trade up to get Andrew Luck if you hire Jim Harbaugh (Carolina is sitting in the cat bird's seat this year: 1) A rookie salary cap is probably going to be in place; 2) Andrew Luck is regarded as far away the top draft pick this year; and 3) Like most years, many teams at the bottom of the draft are looking for a QB -- Cincy, Arizona, San Francisco, Tennessee, Minnesota, Washington). This may not be possible for two reasons -- 1) Luck may not come out this year; and 2) Carolina might decide it wants to cut bait with Jimmy Clausen as their starter after one year.
4. David Garrard
...
10. Carson Palmer
11. Vince Young
12. Donovan McNabb
3478. Draft Jake Locker or Ryan Mallet.

I wouldn't mind Kolb, though I think if I were putting them in order, getting Luck would probably be #1 on my preferred list, with Kolb number 2. I like Mallet and I think I would put him at #3 and still hope to land a guy like Orton to come in and run the show if they draft a QB early. I will say that if they draft Locker in the first round, I will seriously consider renouncing my fanship of the 49ers and be on the market for a new team.

I'm not sure what to think about Cam Newton. Conventional wisdom says you don't take a guy like that. He would definitely be a huge risk/reward type pick. I'm not sure that SF is going to be willing to take that gamble after Alex Smith.

I think the best case scenario for SF this year would be to make a move for a QB like Kolb with their second round pick this year and a conditional pick next year, and hope to land a top corner with their first round pick this year like Patrick Peterson from LSU or Prince Amukamara from Nebraska to help shore up the secondary. With the right coach in place and some help on the corner, and another year of experience for their OLine, I think they could turn the corner.

I am however more pissed now with the firing of Sing that we picked Anthony Davis. I would have rather had a more proven guy like Bulaga or Maurkice Pouncey, but Sing was sold on AD. He hasn't been horrible and he definitely has upside, but I don't think he was an impact player early on like I think you hope you can get at 10. We had a shot to really improve our team with two high picks and I think we got guys who can be decent players, but not the impact guys you hope for drafting that early.

[Sizzle]

My preference for coaches:

1. Bill Cowher (San Francisco isn't on his short list).
2. Mike Holmgren (indicted he wants to coach again).
3. John Gruden (indicated he wants to stay in the booth).
4. Jim Harbaugh (would be great if San Francisco has the ammo to move into position to draft Andrew Luck).
5. Brian Billick

I agree that Cowher should be first. I'm not sure on Holmgren. Everybody knows he's got the credentials, but where is his heart going to be? I like Gruden's experience and think he would be a home run. I also like Harbaugh's upside. I think they definitely look to bring in a guy who will run a WCO style offense, which is why I think Holmgren and Gruden get early looks. I could also see SF making a huge pitch to Cowher giving him a lot of control and letting him run. I like the thought of Cowher with some of the pieces SF has in place, especially on defense.

[cougjunkie]

Who was responsible for picking Iupati? That kid is a mauler and already one of the best guards in the NFL.

[Non Sequitur]

I like Luck, but the Niners have enough talent to win right away. Rookies QB's never win right away. I would love to have Luck in the pipeline, but I think I would rather have Kolb right now.

[cougjunkie]

I like Luck, but the Niners have enough talent to win right away. Rookies QB's never win right away. I would love to have Luck in the pipeline, but I think I would rather have Kolb right now.

Unless Luck is this years version of Bradford. Imagine Bradford with Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Instead he is successful with Danario Alexander, Daniel Fells and Donnie Avery.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I wouldn't mind Kolb, though I think if I were putting them in order, getting Luck would probably be #1 on my preferred list, with Kolb number 2. I like Mallet and I think I would put him at #3 and still hope to land a guy like Orton to come in and run the show if they draft a QB early. I will say that if they draft Locker in the first round, I will seriously consider renouncing my fanship of the 49ers and be on the market for a new team.

I'm not sure what to think about Cam Newton. Conventional wisdom says you don't take a guy like that. He would definitely be a huge risk/reward type pick. I'm not sure that SF is going to be willing to take that gamble after Alex Smith.

I think the best case scenario for SF this year would be to make a move for a QB like Kolb with their second round pick this year and a conditional pick next year, and hope to land a top corner with their first round pick this year like Patrick Peterson from LSU or Prince Amukamara from Nebraska to help shore up the secondary. With the right coach in place and some help on the corner, and another year of experience for their OLine, I think they could turn the corner.

I am however more pissed now with the firing of Sing that we picked Anthony Davis. I would have rather had a more proven guy like Bulaga or Maurkice Pouncey, but Sing was sold on AD. He hasn't been horrible and he definitely has upside, but I don't think he was an impact player early on like I think you hope you can get at 10. We had a shot to really improve our team with two high picks and I think we got guys who can be decent players, but not the impact guys you hope for drafting that early.

I would prefer Newton over Mallet. I think Mallet has some baggage too and history indicates that guys his size simply don't do well in the NFL. The thing about Newton is that he dominated some defenses that are loaded with future NFL players (but Mallet played pretty well against them too). He also doesn't seem to have the throwing motion and accuracy problems that you saw with a guy like Vince Young.

IMO, even though Luck is a very good prospect, I would prefer the safer route of picking up Kolb and potentially keeping your first round pick to pick up a premium CB. Kolb is ready to start and San Fran also picks up a really good prospect for a position of bid need. I'm wondering what Philly would require for Kolb. New England took a second round draft pick for Matt Kassel (that seems like a bargain for KC).

The thing that scares me about Kolb is that perhaps the Philly coaching staff and system make QBs look better. Philly fans always knew McNabb sucked and the train wreck that occurred in Washington this year just vindicated them. Michael Vick all of a sudden looks like a more athletic version of Steve Young during Young's MVP years.

KC was able to bring in Charlie Weis to coach up Matt Kassel. My hope would be that San Francisco could bring in someone like Mike Holmgren who knows how to coach up QBs. John Gruden's track record in this regard is a bit more spotty. He had his time in Green Bay and Oakland, but look at his years in Tampa.

[Sizzle]

I like Luck, but the Niners have enough talent to win right away. Rookies QB's never win right away. I would love to have Luck in the pipeline, but I think I would rather have Kolb right now.

And I'd rather have a guy that has a legit chance to be one of the elite guys in the NFL. I like Kolb, and think that next to Luck, he is probably going to be the second best option. I think Mallet has Ben Roethlisberger-type upside. I think Luck can be the type of guy that is the face of the franchise for 10+ years. I'd rather wait another season or two for Luck if it means having a guy capable of leading your team to the playoffs every year.

[Sizzle]

Unless Luck is this years version of Bradford. Imagine Bradford with Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Instead he is successful with Danario Alexander, Daniel Fells and Donnie Avery.

I would have loved Bradford last year. I felt like he had big upside, though I can honestly say that I thought it would have taken him a year or two to get up to speed.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Unless Luck is this years version of Bradford. Imagine Bradford with Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Instead he is successful with Danario Alexander, Daniel Fells and Donnie Avery.

Guys like Bradford (and Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning before him) are the reason why teams keep on reaching for QBs in the first round. It's a huge risk (JaMarcus Russell, Tim Couch), but also a huge reward if you pick the right one. In the future, the risk won't be as great because it's very likely there's going to be a rookie salary cap.

St. Louis is on track to dominate the NFC West for the foreseeable future and it's primarily because of picking Sam Bradford. Atlanta is a Super Bowl contender two years after picking Matt Ryan.

I like the idea of a package deal with Harbaugh if the Niners can pull both phases off (pry the hottest new coaching commodity away from Stanford and hope that: a) Luck declares for the draft; and b) that they have enough ammo to pull off a trade into the #1 spot). Netting Harbaugh is a better possibility than landing Luck. I think Bradford's play is going to have about 4-5 other teams in the top 10 clamoring to get Carolina's pick. And I think Jimmy Clausen's play this year has been abysmal enough that Carolina may just be content picking Luck themselves.

[Sizzle]

I would prefer Newton over Mallet. I think Mallet has some baggage too and history indicates that guys his size simply don't do well in the NFL. The thing about Newton is that he dominated some defenses that are loaded with future NFL players (but Mallet played pretty well against them too). He also doesn't seem to have the throwing motion and accuracy problems that you saw with a guy like Vince Young.

Mallet may have some minor baggage, but kid has an arm. A public intoxication charge is fairly tame when it comes to baggage, and I can't fault the kid for leaving Michigan when Rich Rod showed up. His completion percentage has improved every year, and he has done it in the most competitive league in College Football, going up against tough defenses like Alabama and LSU. Newton is intriguing for the same reasons, and I think of all the QBs he definitely has the most upside. You look at what Michael Vick does and Newton is a bigger (though not as fast) version of Vick. Vick's season may be the best thing to happen to Newton this year. I think with the right coach in place, either of those guys would be worthy of consideration.

IMO, even though Luck is a very good prospect, I would prefer the safer route of picking up Kolb and potentially keeping your first round pick to pick up a premium CB. Kolb is ready to start and San Fran also picks up a really good prospect for a position of bid need. I'm wondering what Philly would require for Kolb. New England took a second round draft pick for Matt Kassel (that seems like a bargain for KC).

I think it all hinges on what it takes to get Kolb from Philly. If it is a 2nd rounder and a player, I agree. If it is a top five pick this year, then I don't think so. A future first (next years) may be worth it as well if it means we get to keep this years pick, but that is a risky proposition. Again, a lot of this hinges on the type of coach you bring in. Philly is probably negotiating from a position of strength though. They have no need to move Kolb this year, and that may help them drive up the price and make a team overpay.

The thing that scares me about Kolb is that perhaps the Philly coaching staff and system make QBs look better. Philly fans always knew McNabb sucked and the train wreck that occurred in Washington this year just vindicated them. Michael Vick all of a sudden looks like a more athletic version of Steve Young during Young's MVP years.

KC was able to bring in Charlie Weis to coach up Matt Kassel. My hope would be that San Francisco could bring in someone like Mike Holmgren who knows how to coach up QBs. John Gruden's track record in this regard is a bit more spotty. He had his time in Green Bay and Oakland, but look at his years in Tampa.

I agree with this, although I'm not sure that Holmgren is the guy I want as the coach GM. It is also why I like Harbaugh, because I know he's worked with the QBs at Stanford. Like you've mentioned, landing Harbaugh and Luck would be ideal, but I'm guessing unlikely. I think the most important piece is going to be the Head Coach. Given the turmoil in SF around the offense the last 8 seasons, I think you have to bring in an offensive minded guy unless you can get Cowher. Given that, I think they almost have to go with a West Coast guy with San Fran roots, which does make Holmgren a bit more appealing. It'll be an interesting offseason for sure though.

[8BR]

Jon Gruden and Jim Harbaugh will be the top two candidates for the head coaching position. I hope they get Harbaugh. The young up-and-coming guys have a little more fire. No Super Bowl winning coach has ever brought a title to a second team. There are only five coaches who have ever taken two different teams to the Super Bowl.

Whoever they get will be an offensive guy. They will not hire a former defensive coordinator or defense-focused head coach.

On the defense: I bet Manusky stays around. Tomsula will definitely still be there - the 49ers have one of the best run defenses in the league. Manusky's overall defense will look better if they draft a pass rusher. Their lack of a pass rush has exposed the corners more once this season (looking at you Clements). But in the end, it will be up to the new head coach to decide who stays from the defensive staff.

York says the new GM will be responsible for hiring the coach. Little York will talk to a bunch of GM candidates, but in the end I would not be surprise to see him hire Baalke. Baalke is the current director of personal and took over when Scot McCloughan left just prior to last year's draft. I can live with Baalke.

The 49ers will then look for a veteran QB to pick up and start next season. No matter who they get in the draft, they go get a veteran QB. I hope that's Kolb.

[Sizzle]

I just read a mock draft that was updated last week and had the 49ers picking Locker at #8.