Defense expects to be among the league’s elite

This was a headline in the June 8th San Francisco Chronicle in the “49ers Beat” area, penned by Niner “beat” reporter John Crumpacker. Well of course  it’s indeed a worthy objective to strive for an elite defense, but “expecting” to “doing” are quite different things altogether. That’s not to say the Niner defense could not be very good in 2009, but in my small mind there remain many questions for this happen. First and foremost the announced front three of Isaac Sopoaga, Aubrayo Franklin, and Justin Smith are not exactly a sack attack. The entire Niner DL contingent produced 10 sacks in 2008, 7 of which were recorded by one player, Justin Smith. The new and improved 2009 strategy to rush the passer is apparently going to be the duo of Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson playing a huge role in supporting the pretty benign DL. Haralson showed last year that he can definitely get after the QB. He played a lot of stand up DE/LB in college at Tennessee and clearly has learned a lot about chasing down QB’s, both there, and in the NFL. Lawson was billed as a QB killer coming out of N.C. State as a number one pick, but has yet to fulfil that legacy. A serious injury in 2007 evaporated that season for him and he was slow to return to form in 2008.  Can Lawson be the player the Niners need/want at the outside LB position?  The jury is certainly still way out on this.  The defensive backfield needs to make a whole lot more plays in 2009, especially the safeties, where a ball has not been intercepted since Reagan was in the White House. Well, not exactly, but the safety position needs to make way more contributions to the defense in 2009 to make the whole thing roll. Mark Roman goes to the bench (thank gawd), and Dashon Goldson now has his chance to be a playmaker. Michael Lewis has been adequate since his arrival from Phily and perhaps with Roman not boat anchoring the safety position, can be more productive.  I liked Walt Harris’ savvy and experience at one DB, but he is gone to a season ending injury and perhaps was vulnerable to lose his job anyway? Dre’ Bly or Tarell Brown playing opposite Nate Clements will probably be OK.  So, lots of questions, and lots of ifs. It will be interesting to see how they all play out and whether the Niners can field a defense that can really help make them a contender.

MN

Think it’s hard to make an NFL roster?

While at one of the Niner mini camp sessions I was waiting for the players to emerge. One did, and sat on the bench next to me.  I didn’t recognize him, but did see the name BRIGGS on a piece of masking tape across the front of his helmet. I introduced myself to him, and he did the same.  He is Diyral Briggs, free agent from Bowling Green. What a nice, polite and composed young man. He was a star defensive end at BGSU, and a two time all MAC conference player. The MAC is a highly under rated conference in terms of football talent, so Mr. Briggs has not played against a bunch of patsies. But, at 6′4″, 230 pounds, he’s not exactly the proto-type NFL defensive end.  He explained that he would have to make the transition to outside linebacker to have any chance to play on Sunday. He also understood the challenge  this would involve, and pretty much knew that is why he probably didn’t hear his name called on April 25th in New York City.

Take a look at one scouting service had to say about Mr. Briggs in the fall of 2008…………………

Last year South Florida’s defensive end George Selvie burst onto the national scene after just two games into the 2007 College Football season when he led the country in sacks and tackles for loss (TFL). Now it’s safe to say that if Selvie enters the 2009 NFL Draft  as a junior he will certainly be a first round pick.

Now I am not saying senior defensive end Diyral Briggs has the same draft potential as Selvie, Briggs is only about 6’ 4” 230 pounds, so he will probably be converted to outside linebacker, but Briggs is in the same elite company this season after the first two games. He currently leads the nation with 5 sacks and is ranked 2ndin the nation with 5.5 TFLs with an additional 3 quarterback hurries after only two games. He did this against some solid teams, he recorded 2 sacks in Bowling Green’s stunning upset over Pitt in week one andlast weekend against Minnesota he recorded 3 more sacks. So his stats are not inflated by playing against some non division-one powder puffs. Briggs is very strong and explosive and is definitely a sleeper pick and someone to keep an eye on for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Last season (2007), Briggs was a first-team All-MAC selection, played in 12 games and led Bowling Green with five sacks. His seven tackles for loss ranked him second on the team.

In 2006 as a sophomore he played in all 12 games and started the final six, he totaled 69 total tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He was named MAC Player of the Year following the game at Ohio and tallied double digit tackles in back-to-back games against Eastern Michigan (10) and at Central Michigan (11).

As a freshman in 2005 he played in all 11 games and had five TFLs, recorded 4.5 sacks for a loss, recovered three fumbles and had 11 QB hurries.

High School: Chose Bowling Green but was heavily recruited by Miami, Maryland, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pitt, South Carolina and Illinois. He went to the Virginia Tech Nike Camp after high school and this is what his high school Coach (Commins) said. “I took him there and he did extremely well there. It was about 45 degrees outside and raining and he ran a 4.68 on the grass, so he’s probably a solid 4.6 right now. So he’s looking really good.”

It would sure be nice if the Niners have found a hidden gem in Diyral Briggs. I will tell you this, he’s a “first rounder” from a personal perspective.

MN

 

 

NFL Draft 2009-My Way

With the NFL draft over a week old and fresh off a visit to the Niner Mini Camp, there has been some time to reflect on the recent draft and what it could have been for the Niners, at least in my opinion.

On a personal note, I have never been a, ”best athlete available” guy.  Do you seriously think the Niners would have taken Jeff George, the quarterback from Ilinois, with the first pick in the 1990 NFL draft  with Joe Montana, Steve Young and Steve Bono already on their roster?  My case is taking a nap.

With that in mind and given the fact the Niner’s two biggest needs appeared to be, to this untrained eye, offensive tackle and pass rusher, here is how I might have conducted the 2009 draft.

Round One:  Michael Oher-Offensive Tackle-Mississippi

Coupled with Joe Staley, the Niners now have bookend tackles for the next 10 years and very solid backups in Adam Snyder and Marvel Smith.  This makes the entire offensive line the most solid unit on the team in terms of talent and youth.

Round Two:  Everette Brown-Defensive End-Florida State

A speed rusher off the edge is a killer in the NFL and Brown now makes the defensive backs a little better.  Teamed with Parys Haralson in the 3-4 alignment on passing downs could make the Niners defense very formidable.  Having played with one of the best quarterback- killing defenses of all time, I’m sure a pass rusher was on coach Mike Singletary’s mind.

Round Three:  Ramses Barden-Wide Receiver -Cal Poly

Yes, I know he was under the radar and not in the same class as Michael Crabtree, but at 6-6 and 230 pounds with a 4.59 40 yard dash time, I think he is worth a flier.  And what better way to fight the big receivers in Arizona than with one of your own.  Crabtree is the sexier pick, but Barden is a bit more intriguing and he does not have a surgically repaired foot.

Round Four:  Andre Brown-Running Back-NC State

Glenn Coffee was a solid pick for the Niners, but round three is a tad too high for a back up.  Brown is thick and quick at 6-1, 224, 4.49.

 As for the remainder of the draft and free agent signings, there is no disagreement from this corner.  But in the first four rounds the Niners could have had a quarterback centric draft: They could have protected their own and given him some toys to play with, and they could have at least mounted a threat to opposing QB’s.

MJ

Pannel Egboh

Well, you gotta like the name. Egboh, the Stanford fifth year senior from Mesquite, TX was suprisingly not picked in the 2009 draft. The Niners quickly scooped him up and signed him to a free agent contract. At 6′6″, 275 lbs with more room to add bulk, Egboh certainly has the size to play on Sunday. Egboh had a stand out junior year on The Farm when he was clearly one of the best D-linemen in the Pac 10 Conference. His senior year was not as remarkable as he was consistently double teamed, but still made a whole lot of plays for the Cardinal defense.

I think this was a terrific pick up for the Niners. This guy has a big motor, played in a great conference, and like all Stanford players, has the smarts to be “coached up.”  And don’t the Niners still need help on the D-Line, especially on the outside?  Demetric Evans was signed from the Redskins as a DE and could vie for a starting position.  It appeared Ray McDonald would have a bit of a break though last year, but really did not. McDonald is a quick guy, and was a very good college player at Florida, but  is easily out sized in the NFL . It was suggested after last year’s draft that #1 pick Kentwan Balmer from North Carolina could play on the outside in the 3-4.  After a completely lack luster freshman campaign in the NFL, the jury is still way out on whether Balmer can be a productive player at all.  

It would appear that Pannel Egboh has a very good chance of making the Niners opening day roster.  Who knows, maybe he’ll be the next “Stanford surprise” for the Niners. The last?  Eric Heitmann who was picked in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and has gone on to be a very productive offensive lineman for the Niners.

MN

Crabtree falls to the Niners, good or bad?

With the goofy, but completely Al Davis-esque pick of  Darrius Heyward-Bey by the Raiders at #7, and the somewhat surprising pick of Tyson Jackson at #3 by K.C., Texas Tech wide receiver Miachael Crabtree was there when the Niners picked at #10. I know there has already been a lot of spirited debate and dialogue about if this was the right pick for the Niners, or not. Obviously only time will tell. Picking a wide receiver at number one has always been risky business. In the 2008 draft, while a number of them were projected as #1’s, none were selected.  In 2006, only one wide out, Santonio Holmes, was a frist round pick.  However, in 2007 and 2005 a dozen wide receivers were taken in round one. They are: Calvin Johnson, Ted Ginn Jr., Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis, Robert Meachem, and Anthony Gonzalez in ‘07, and Braylon Edwards, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton and Roddy White in ‘05.  Now of course some of the WR’s were picked higher in those drafts, so expectations were higher. But all in all, if you look at the names, there are not a lot of them that leap off the page as true difference makers.  Hopefully the Niners pulled off a  coup here, and Crabtree will truly become a difference maker. When you look at his Big 12 highlights one can see the great talent. Great moves, quick on quick, and very good size.  But…………….and there always is one, he also played in the most wide open passing offense in the college game, has  had lingering injury problems, and apparently has a little bit of a “tude.”  All in all Crabtree was not a slam dunk pick to me. Niner GM Scot McCloughan certainly said he was though. Hopefully he’ll be right.

MN

Niners evalutating draft prospect

“Guys do make mistakes.” That says Niner GM Scot McCloughan regarding the team looking at Boston College Defensive Tackle B.J. Raji as a potential draft selection . Raji tested positively for drug use at the combine in February. Raji also wowed scouts at the combine with his speed and quickness, as he did at the Senior Bowl. His stock has soared, and most mock draft sites have him going in the top ten picks.  Raji is 6′1″ and 325 pounds, and made 42 solo tackles in his senior year at BC, 16 of them for losses.  I wonder how serious the Niners might be about picking Raji if he were to be available to them at #10? He clearly is an excellent NFL prospect, and hopefully the “drug thing” is, or can be, put behind him quickly.  But the Niners already have two nose guys, Isaac Sopoaga and Abrayo Franklin. Great players? No. Adequate as a one-two combination relative to their other draft needs? Yes. And then there’s last years number one pick, Kentwan Balmer. Where does he fit in? Is he a nose guy in the 3/4? Is he an outside guy in the 3/4? Or is he a guy that the Niners made a big mistake on, and going to a back-up? The Niners defensive line is really a mystery to me. Justin Smith is a very solid football player, but the rest of thr D-Line, including the future of Ray McDonald as a starter, is totally up in the air. This is a unit that “produced” 10 sacks in 2008, and 7 of them were from Mr. Smith.  Coming full circle would the Niners potentially add B.J. Raji to this mix? I’d be surpirsed, but it certainly could happen. Hopefully one of the true Defensive Ends like Brian Arakpo of Texas, Michael Johnson of Gerogia Tech, or Everette Brown of Florida State will be there at #10 to give the Niners some food for thought. Johnson, at 6′7″, 266 pounds might be just what the doctor ordered? By the way, we did a little 2008 NFL Mock Draft at Hooked on the Niners last year, and felt that with the same needs as the Niners have this year that Miami (Fl) Defensive End Calais Campbell (now of the Arizona Cardinals), or Clemson’s Phillip Merling (now of the Miami Dolphins) would be better choices than Balmer. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over time. After round one, Campbell and Merling are ahead.

MN

I wonder what it would take to get Cutler?

The Niners are reportedly interested in Bronco signal caller Jay Cutler, as are a lot of teams. The New York Jets are apparently the most voracious suitor, as they basically have a cast of no-ones at the QB position on their roster. The Jets own the 17th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft but surely would have to give that up, plus a lot more, to make the deal.  How about the Niners?  Their 10th pick could more than likely land the Broncos USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez if they like him. But the Niners would need to put more in the collection plate to acquire Cutler. Maybe a third round pick this year, or a second next? Who knows? The opportunity to get Cutler is certainly appealing. He’s a fine athlete and at 25 years of age, has over ten years of mileage on his treads, assuming he stays healthy. He does have a downside though, and that is his crappy attitude. He’s been whining and complaining ever since he caught wind that the Bronos would entertain offers for his services. Most recently, he has ignored for over a week, text messages from his Head Coach, and from Bronco owner Pat Bowlen.  You probably don’t want to blow off your HC, but blowing off the guy who signs your million dollar pay checks is way up on the dumb scale.  If Cutler were to become a Niner with the aforementioned attitude, it’s pretty clear that Captain Singletary would have him on the plank quickly. So, back to business…….do the Niners make a strong play to acquire Jay Cutler?  I think they should, and I think they will. Can they put the most compelling deal on the table? We’ll soon see. Proven starting Quarterbacks are very precious commodities in the NFL and rarely become available. When one does, it’s time to get in the game unless you have one of those type of QB’s on your roster. The Niners don’t.

MN

Niner #1 Draft picks

In the last decade, the Niners have had thirteen first round NFL Draft selections.  Of those thirteen selections, six are currently on the Niners’ roster heading into training camp. They are, Kentwan Balmer, Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, Manny Lawson, Vernon Davis, and of course, Alex Smith.  Using my advanced subtraction skills, that leaves seven number one picks in the last ten years who are elsewhere.  Two players are currently on NFL rosters, Andre Carter in Washington, and Julian Peterson in Detroit. Four players are out of the NFL, Rashaun Woods, Mike Rumph, Ahmed Plummer, and Reggie McGrew, and one player, Kwame Harris, might be soon.  So one can certainly see that the Niners have  built a track record here that isn’t exactly stellar. To date, only Willis, Staley, and Peterson have been what one could call “impact players.”  The Niners have also made some just horrendous picks in round one (see the out of football list). Hopefully, last year’s number one, Mr. Balmer won’t be joining that fraternity.  So with April 25th on the horizon, how will the Niners fare with the tenth overall pick, providing they don’t trade it?  It’s imperative that they select a player who can come in and start in year one, like a Willis, or a Staley. Maybe  that’s a defensive end, right tackle, or linebacker? The Niners also currently hold the 43rd pick in the upcoming draft, another high choice that should land them a starter now, or in the very near term. Here perhaps a free safety, corner, wide receiver, or another stud running back to compliment Frank Gore.  I have been outspoken about my concerns regarding the Jed York-Mike Singletary-Scot McCloughan management team. This certainly looks like anything but a power line-up to me. But, perhaps I’m dead wrong, and the three amigos will pull off a stellar draft and secure both some immediate and future help for the ball club.

MN

What if?

The New York Jets who are now Favre-less might just want to move up to the #10 spot in the NFL Draft and select USC’s Mark Sanchez?  In exchange, let’s say the Niners get the Jet’s number one @  #17, and the Jets #3 pick, or maybe their #1 and their #4 and #5?  Would you (the Niners) do it? The Jets can’t think Sanchez will fall to them @ #17, and it’s pretty clear that going into the season with either Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, or Eric Ainge at the helm is not going to scare the AFC East, or anyone, for that matter.  I think it’s quite possible that the Jets, or someone else, is gonna come after the Niners pick.  Here is where I wish Bill Walsh could return for a day from up above, and help the current Niners “brain trust.”  I don’t think there is going to be an absolute ”have to have” player @ #10.  Not Michael Oher, not Brain Orapko, not Everette Brown, not Rey Maualuga. The Niners are four or five players away from being really good, and this year’s draft might provide them an opportunity to close that gap. They had what many (including yours truly) thought was a very questionable draft last year, which  included the forfeiture of  their number five pick for tampering. This year’s draft also needs to be strong because the Niners’ free agent signings have been quite modest, to say the least.  Can the Jed-Mike-Scot show pull off a great Niner draft in 2009? We’ll see soon enough, won’t we?

MN

Sad to see Strick go!

Donald Strickland is heading east to the Big Apple, after being signed by the New York Jets. Strickland is a San Francisco native, and played for the hometown team for the last three years. Personally, I really liked his play in the nickel or dime packages. He constantly seemed to be around the ball and was a tough hitter, despite not being a big man. A Singletary type guy, I thought. I guess not. Perhaps there were contractual issues that we are not privy to that made this move happen (ie the Jets gave he and his agent what they were seeking and the Niners wouldn’t).  The Niners seem in relatively good shape on the corners with Walt Harris, Nate Clements, Terell Brown, and Shawntae Spencer.  Going into camp, Michael Lewis and Dashon Goldson will be the starting safeties. The Niners also have Jimmy Williams who played 2 years in Atlanta.  Last year’s number draft pick, Reggie Smith from Oklahoma needs to show up. He only suited up for three games in 2008, and played sparingly. Not what one would expect from a pick that high.  As for Mark Roman, he might want to get his fishing or hunting license renewed.

MN