Season Ticket Holder Letter From The Niners . . .

When people ask me about the 49ers, my response is usually that I think they are doing “all the right things” . . . and, along those terms, I think they’ve done it again . . . as a season ticket holder, I recently received a letter from Andy Dolich, the Niners “new” Chief Operating Officer . . . and, basically, it thanked me - on behalf of the organization - for renewing my season tickets, for my “investment of time, money and emotion” and for my “unwavering support!”

That, my friend, is a touch of class . . . but coming from a classy guy such as Andy, I’d expect nothing less!

Nice going Niners!

– JayDub

Backs against the wall!

While the NFL is always about what have you done for me lately, the Niners have four people whose careers are on the hot seat. Going into last season Mike Nolan was on top of the world. QB Alex Smith was a young budding star on the rise. Vernon Davis with all the physical tools in the world was set to become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. After a fast start in Detroit offensive coordinator Mike Martz was regaining genius status.

This season all four face the possibility of being relegated to NFL purgatory. In many ways there futures are inter-connected. This quartet is dependent on each other to rise to the occasion. All of the pieces are in place, the question is can they work together? Do they have what it takes to perform when there backs are against the wall? Do they each have what it takes to make the people around them better? All of these are open questions, however the Niners success and each of their futures are on the line in 2008.

RM

A look back the HOTN Mock Draft

Well, we had Kentwan Balmer going 13th to Carolina, Philip Merling, the DE from Clemson going 17th to the Vikings, and the Niners taking Miami (Fl.) DE Calais Campbell, with the 29th pick. It didn’t turn out that way of course. Balmer dropped to 29th, and is now a Niner. Merling went 32nd to the Doiphins, and Campbell plummeted all the way to 50th, and is on his way to the Arizona desert. I guess this firmly substantiates why NFL franchises draft players, and mock drafters don’t.  Balmer has surfaced as a bit of a controversial selection, not so much athletically, but more in the area of having the mental focus and commitment to really be an impact player in the NFL.  It will be quite interesting to follow the careers of Balmer, Merling, and Campbell to see who really turns out to be the best NFL player.

MN

J.T. O’Sullivan?

Allright, I admit open competition is a good thing.  But according to what Iread in the paper today, J.T. O’Sullivan has an equal shot to be the Niners starting quarterback?  Please!  He played Division II, albeit well, it was still Division II.  The Niners are his eighth team.  If these credentials qualify him to have a shot as our opening day signal caller, we’re in trouble.  And since Shaun Hill didn’t take a snap in his first six years in the league, I think Alex Smith is in the saddle opening day.  The Niners have 49 million (about 25 guaranteed) invested in Smith.  How will it look if he doesn’t start.  I know if I was the owner I’d be asking questions if he didn’t.

MJ

Good Draft? Bad Draft?

I think the niners did what they needed to do. In the end if Balmer and Rachal become starters this was a good draft. I think the Niners Defense is close. Sure they need a stronger rush but Balmer can anchor the front in a way that Franklin and Sopoaga cannot. If you look at Justin Smith’s career numbers he has 43.5 sacks. Granted last year he did not set the world on fire but he was playing on a very bad defense. It is no secret if the Martz offense is going to work, you need a strong athletic offensive line. Step one is keeping Smith, Hill and O’Sullivan in one piece, allow them  to learn and gain some confidence next year and hopefully add the Number one wide out down the road. As for the rest of the choices they add some depth to the pool of people drafted last year. We may see something from Jason Hill, Dashon Goldson, Jay Moore, Tarell Brown in the upcoming season.

RM

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Niners Draft Was Not Sexy….but…

At first glance the Niners draft was not sexy from the standpoint of flashy skill position players, but let’s not forget that NFL games are won, more times than not, by guys who wear numbers in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and sometimes in the 80’s, in other words: linemen.  In Kentwan Balmer and Chilo Rachal, the Niners got a couple of those big number guys who should move in right away.  One of them is there to keep our quarterback standing, and the other to make sure the opposing quarterback is not.  To that end, I love the draft!  

Toodles,

MJ

Mel Kiper’s Draft Grade for the Niners

San Francisco 49ers: GRADE: C+

They didn’t address their need at wide receiver until the sixth round and didn’t take an OLB until the seventh round. Kentwan Balmer is a solid DT prospect for their scheme, and I like Chilo Rachal’s aggressiveness at guard (he can also play right tackle). Reggie Smith is kind of a tweener at safety or corner. He has ability, but needs to settle on a position. Cody Wallace was the No. 1 center on my board. Josh Morgan is a decent receiver. OLB Larry Grant can make this team as backup.

It seems to me the Niners had a pretty pedestrian draft on paper, but it will take a couple of years to really see how this draft contributes to the club, (or did not). It was a shame that the Niners only had 6 picks in this draft given this was a very deep draft, with a lot of player parity.

MN

 

Bad Niner Mojo………….

So, I open the paper this morning, and see two Niner stories that both are in the not so good category. First, David Baas, who FINALLY won a starting position in the second half of last year, tears a pectoral muscle pumping iron, and will miss the entire 2008 exhibition season. Hopefully for Baas, Tony Wragge, Jeb Terry, or some draft pick we don’t know about, won’t step up and put Baas back on the pine. Unlikely, perhaps, but Baas had to work much harder than anticipated to become a starter, and now unfortunately he’s become vulnerable. Then there’s San Francisco native Donald Strickland who got a nice Free Agent re-sign opportunity from the Niners. He’s been “summoned” to court for public intoxication and resisting arrest at a nightclub in San Jose a couple of weeks ago. Ah, Don……………………………..what are ya thinkin’? Strickland is far from a lock to make the ball club at the DB position, thus getting in trouble off the field isn’t exactly high on the judgment scale. Actually the Niners have been quite intolerant to this kind of behavior, so hopefully Mr. Strickland will have his day in court, do what he has to do, and get back to being a full time professional athlete.

MN

Good call by the Dolphins!

As “recommended” by the Hooked on the Niners Dream Team in our “who we would take” Mock Draft, the Dolphins have apparently made Michigan super offensive tackle, Jake Long, the number one selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.  Good choice! Long should be a dozen year fixture at left tackle for the ‘Fins, and help them begin re-building what has become a terrible ball club. Bill Parcells knows exactly what he’s doing, and that is totally displayed by the Jake Long signing.  Long becomes only the third number one overall first pick at the Offensive Tackle position. The other two? Orlando Pace from Ohio State to the Rams in 1997, and Ron Yary of USC, by the Vikings in 1968.  Yary is a Hall of Famer, and Pace almost certainly will be.  Here’s another piece of Offensive Tackle “useful information” for you.  Perhaps the greatest NFL Offensive Tackle ever was Anthony Munoz of USC. Munoz was drafted number three overall by the Bengals in 1980. The first two picks in 1980? The Detroit Lions picked Billy Sims of Oklahoma number one overall, and the New York Jets picked Johnny “Lam” Jones of Texas number two, overall. The “Lam” was recently named as one of the top ten draft busts of all time!

MN

Mel Kiper’s round one mock draft selection for the 49ers

I think all that perfectly coiffed hair has really weighed down Kiper’s thinking process. He has the Niners selecting Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo with their first selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.  So, let me get this straight your Melness. The Niners have Patrick Willis, Manny Lawson, Tully Banta-Cain, Dontarrious Thomas, Brandon Moore, Jeff Ulbrich, Jay Moore, and Roderick Green on their roster @ LB, and they’re gonna spring for Jerod Mayo with their first pick? Do ya think maybe a Pass Rusher, an Offensive Lineman, a Wide Receiver, or even a Safety, might be a bit more pressing need? Check out our Hooked on the Niners mock draft, and you’ll see what the “real experts” on the Niners think will happen.  Seriously, the draft should be real interesting this year with all the player parity, thus introducing (hint, hint, Niners), the opportunity to do some wheeling and dealing by trading up, or in the Niners case, potentially down. Remember, they only have 6 picks in this draft now, while most teams have 9.

MN