The Impossible Possibilities

The offseason for the NFL season seems so long for the 49er faithful while watching the Saints and Colts compete for the Super Bowl. But speculation about what “might” happen in the offseason is a great way to pass the time. That’s exactly what I’m going to do right now.

QB Possibilities

While the possibilities of us drafting a QB are slim to none (not that any truly stand out to me from the first round perspective), trading for a QB is not out of the realm of possibility. ESPN rumored days ago that Donovan McNabb might be traded to almost a dozen teams, with the 49ers in that mix. While they speculate that the chances are slim, he could instantly create a buzz around our offense that we haven’t seen since the Jeff Garcia days (perhaps Steve Young would be a better choice, but Garcia was completely underrated). McNabb seems best suited for a West Coast Offense, which we can’t offer, but it’s fun to dream isn’t it?

How about Michael Vick coming here? We want to be a running team, and the Vick led-Falcons squad was the best rushing attack in the NFL while he was still, you know…running rampant like a dog (too soon?). Whether or not, he proved he can be a viable offensive threat with his legs and left arm, and those Falcons were constantly winning ball games.

RB Possibilities

Let’s note that Frank Gore is a Pro Bowl RB that when healthy can’t do much wrong. If there is one thing we need, it is a change of pace back that can catch out of the backfield. C.J. Spiller is definitely an option at #13 for us and he also fills our hole as a return man as well.

Trading for Josh Cribbs is an option. If we aren’t giving up one of our first round picks (and go defensive back/offensive lineman with our first two picks), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a trade for Cribbs. While he is apparently making progress with Cleveland, he would fit our need as a returner.

WR Possibilities

One of my biggest problems with the 2009 49ers squad was our lack of speed. While Vernon Davis is a burner at TE, he is also a worthy blocker who typically won’t get a free release off the line. Crabtree showed tons of promise, but he is not a speedster himself. We need a deep threat to open up the field and keep defenses honest against us next season.

Although inconsistency reigns supreme, Braylon Edwards is an enticing player that can get behind secondaries and open the game up for Crabtree, Davis and Gore. He won’t have to be the #1 option in San Francisco like he was in Cleveland, but he can definitely handle the #2 job.

There are so many big name wide receivers that are available for trade/free agency this offseason, but unlike our massive disappointment in Brandon Jones (if you’re asking who? that is the correct question), we aren’t wasting $16 million on another WR who won’t play. Brandon Marshall won’t happen; neither will Anquan Boldin or Terrell Owens.

While the prospects of talking about offensive linemen isn’t an interesting one (no offense to offensive linemen, it is the toughest job in the NFL. It’s like being a catcher in baseball.), it is important to grab 1-2 offensive linemen through the draft and free agency. That’s all I have to say about that.

Defensively, making sure we draft a DB/safety is a necessity in the first round. Whether it be Earl Thomas (S from Texas), Eric Berry (S/CB from Tennessee), or Joe Haden (CB from Florida), one of these guys should be on our 2010 roster come NFL draft day. We don’t have that many moves that need to be made on this side of the ball, but seeing as Ahmad Brooks stepped up as a pass rusher, only a huge upgrade at OLB (trade for DeMarcus Ware perhaps?) would be necessary. Two players stand out as possibilities: Elvis Dumervil and Julius Peppers. Peppers is a good enough athlete that he may be able to play the 3-4 OLB, but it is unlikely. Dumervil excelled in Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defensive scheme last year in Denver, but he is on the way out of Denver.

The Tully Banta-Cain signing a few years back didn’t work out, but Dumervil has the talent to truly upgrade our pass rush. His 17 sacks in 2009 would fit nicely onto our roster, right?

With all that said and done, it is only time to wait and see what will come from this offseason. My optimistic view is we are only four big acquisitions away from making the playoffs in 2010 (and if Kurt Warner retires, who knows). Coach Singletary has the 49ers on the right track, but it’s going to take the front office to make the right picks.

Golden State Warriors - Developmentally Challenged

For those that are not into the NBA scene, the D-League stands for the Development League. It also stands for the Golden State Warriors minor league system that is used so beautifully throughout Major League Baseball. The Warriors in the 2009-2010 season have scoured the D-League for any remnants of a future NBA player. Just looking at their roster this season makes non-NBA personnel say, “Who?” With Kelenna Azubuike, Chris Hunter, Cartier Martin, Anthony Tolliver, and C.J. Watson, Warriors fans see five players that went undrafted and signed from the D-League.

What does all this say about the Golden State Warriors? Well, I personally love the fact that they are looking at other options to better their team. Nobody would argue that Kelenna Azubuike has built himself an NBA career because of the Warriors foreshadowing to sign him while he was in the D-League. But are we relying on this league a little too much?

Keep in mind; these are players that were NOT drafted. Probably not even considered by NBA general managers and scouts alike to ever sniff the NBA. Instead of these players going to Europe to play professionally, they all decided to stay in the States where their prospects of playing in the NBA were slim to none…until the Warriors came trudging along. The pros are these players are cheap, they just want an opportunity, and they will bust their asses to stay in the NBA. Did these players just develop later than their college teammates and opponents?

Cartier Martin, from Kansas State, averaged 18 points per game and 6.6 rebounds in his junior year at K-State. Watson, Azubuike and Tolliver were all in between 13-15 points per game in their career best seasons in college. Chris Hunter? His best season was when he was an 18-year-old freshman at Michigan, averaging 8.1 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 20 minutes per contest (the most minutes per game he played in his career).

While injuries have decimated our team like Jack Bauer eliminates terrorists in 24, we need to develop the core of our team through the NBA draft and free agency. Stephen Curry has proven he was worthy of our first round pick while Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright have showed promise but not much else. Our thought on drafting “projects” because of their potential is truly halting our ability to contend in the NBA. It would be nice to draft a “sure thing” albeit there is never a guarantee in professional sports. It becomes worse when you think about how inconsistent playing time is in the Warriors rotation.

Anthony Randolph posted a 17-point, 13 rebound, 3 steal, and 2-block performance on November 11th in 31 minutes of playing time. The following game? Randolph logged 6 minutes and 21 seconds of playing time. It’s too frustrating to see the promise that Randolph brings to the table to see the Warriors wasting it by not giving him his 28-30 minutes per night. While this all moot with him being shelved with an ankle injury, when he comes back (if he comes back, there are rumors he gets traded) they need to give him playing time to allow the opportunity to be successful.

The D-League is widely regarded as the Warriors entire minor league system, and until they can build through the draft and free agency, it will be known that way for the immediate future as well.

Great Kelenna Azubuike story if you’re not too bored from this article:

Mr. Jeremy Reitman, Mr. Mike Boisvert, and myself are in Las Vegas to watch the NBA Summer League (really, it was an excuse to party and gamble). After watching a full slate of games on Saturday (four games while being too hungover to leave the stadium), we decided to get cleaned up and receive a comped $400 dinner at Rare 120 ° at the Hard Rock Hotel. Mike had connections with the ownership to allow us to embrace a lovely, free dinner. While we are finishing up our dinner, Kelenna Azubuike and his table of about 6 other NBA/D-League/NCAA players sit down across the room from us. After conversing with the general manager of the restaurant, we notice that Azubuike is staring directly at us. It was a death glare of sorts considering it was about five minutes and I don’t think he had blinked yet. While we were leaving the restaurant I looked over at him and smiled from ear to ear. He then came up to me while we were departing and asked me who I was and what I did for a living. I gave him a shrug, an autograph and a handshake and left the hotel. (The last part actually didn’t happen, but it made the story sound much better)

Defense wins Championships

Defense wins Championships

With the NFL Draft three months away, the San Francisco 49ers can make a huge push towards the playoffs during the spring. With an offseason that will hopefully be highlighted by a massive right tackle through the draft, a sure-tackling safety, a physical cornerback, and a drastic improvement in our return game; the 49ers are definitely not more than these few pieces away from “goodness” (greatness may be a stretch).

For those who are unaware, the New York Jets headed by rookie coach Rex Ryan and rookie QB Mark Sanchez are one game away from the Super Bowl. They have relied on a consistent rushing attack and a hard-hitting, ball-hawking defense to propel them to two straight road playoff victories. Was this the type of transformation we were hoping for when we hired Mike Singletary halfway through the 2008 season? Absolutely. However, we are not as far from these goals as our 8-8 record might illustrate.

Our rushing attack had some great highs in 2009. For instance, during week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Frank Gore rushed for 207 yards to go along with his two TD scampers (79 & 80 yard variety). But, our rushing attack’s failures are duly noted. We ranked 25th in the NFL logging 1,600 rushing yards on the season. If the San Francisco 49ers can improve on that number and perhaps sign/draft a change of pace third down back (a la Darren Sproles), we can limit the wear and tear on Frank Gore and allow him to do his work in the trenches (where he has dominated in his 5-year career).

Who do I believe the 49ers should target in the April draft? As of right now, it is not so much the players as it is the positions (The NFL Draft portion below will explain why). As I mentioned earlier, an offensive tackle at 13 or 17 seems mandatory. Joe Staley has proven he can handle the rigors at left tackle, but we need someone to anchor the right side (I’ll predict Brian Bulaga from Iowa). With our other pick in the first round, a defensive back is a must. The only chance we will probably have at Eric Berry (Tennessee safety) is if teams worry that he may have to transform into a cornerback (a legitimate idea in the minds of scouts).

With a few improvements to the offensive line and defensive secondary (along with a return man), the 2009 New York Jets could quickly become the 2010 San Francisco 49ers. It is not that big of a stretch, it is not a pipe dream, and within a year, it could become reality.



The NFL Draft

I don’t know about many football fans, but to me, the weeks leading up to the draft are filled with excitement, bold draft predictions, and a dream for the upcoming season. The mock drafts that you glance at are exactly that: Mock. Imposter. Fake. It’s great to see the 49ers drafting Eric Berry in one draft, but according to others, he will go third to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Don’t get caught up in the hype of a mock draft.

These so-called experts just try and create a buzz. The reality? Future NFL players win and lose in the draft based on their combine and individual workouts. The combine is scheduled for the last two weeks in February. The individual workouts follow thereafter. “Great” players in college fall by the wayside when they run a 4.62 40-yard dash instead of the 4.5 they “should be” recording. San Francisco 49ers fans know this all too well; our 11th pick overall, Michael Crabtree, fell this far because he did not compete in the combine. It can be a blessing or a curse. After his exciting 2009 debut, I call it a blessing. Oakland Raiders fans…you can call that a curse.

NFL players drafted later than their advisors had them pegged, try to prove the skeptics wrong. It is one thing that keeps the NFL interesting year in and year out. Young players who are drafted high feel the pressure and crap out. Players drafted low exceed expectations to prove that they deserved to be higher. If only they had shaved milliseconds off their 40-yard dash, they would have banked millions more.

These next three months are sure to be exciting, especially in the minds of San Francisco 49ers fans everywhere. With two picks in the first round, we are sure to improve on our needs. We have already proven we can compete with some of the NFL’s best (2-4 against playoff teams in 2009, lost by three to Minnesota, lost by four to Indianapolis, lost by six to Green Bay, and lost by 14 to Philadelphia). A few small upgrades to our team, and we are still playing in late January.