Only a FS Jimmie Ward-Houston Texans

Originally posted by QBguru:
I am disapointed with this pick. Not so much the player, but where we drafted him at in the first. I think we coulda traded back and still got him and got additional picks. I do not know anything about Ward but he seems like a good football player. I will trust Harbaalke because their track record of drafting of defensive players is solid. I hope we can snag either Matthews or Moncrief in Round 2.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
Heres the plan I think Baalke has:
let him play slot corner this year while bethea takes the reigns of SS. Then in 2015 he will take over the SS, judging on bethea's play.

We will have two amazing cover safeties that can hit bigger than their size. I see ward as similar player to reid but reid is bigger. So reid will probably stay closer to the LOS while ward stays deep. Its all part of the plan of moving a single high safety defense. I believe this was Baalke's plan all along

Yup, agree! You now have all the versatility in the world to play press, off-coverage or single-high. And don't forget, this will finally be Baalke/Donatell's hand-picked secondary and Fangio is going to have a field day dialing up coverage schemes now. We actually have CB's and S's who can blitz now too.

my dude

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by QBguru:
I am disapointed with this pick. Not so much the player, but where we drafted him at in the first. I think we coulda traded back and still got him and got additional picks. I do not know anything about Ward but he seems like a good football player. I will trust Harbaalke because their track record of drafting of defensive players is solid. I hope we can snag either Matthews or Moncrief in Round 2.

Yea key word in the first underlined sentence is "think." I don't see denver or seattle or houston nabbing him.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

I didn't hear a single person on TV even call this guy a reach, I don't understand where that's coming from?

He's not a popular or sexy name so a bunch of people predictably freaked out and began calling him a "reach" as a defensive mechanism because if they don't know his name, he obviously can't be good.

I think he'll be raw at the #3 CB spot, but he's got a high ceiling. In true Baalke fashion, you let the kid learn and earn his reps on the field through special teams, contributions at multiple positions, and let him evolve into a particular position.

In addition, he's a great security blanket in case Reid or Bethea encounter any injuries this year. Reid did have two concussions last year, so Ward can easily step into the FS role.

Finally, I think Ward was BPA in the secondary. There was no one else on the board at CB or S worth drafting in the 1st round than Ward.

There's so much talent available at WR (Latimer, Lee, Moncrief, Adams, Matthews, Robinson, Bryant) and DL (Tuitt, Hageman, Nix, Ealy) that the 49ers could easily move up with 2nd and 3rd for a higher pick and a 5th, and then a 2nd and 4th for a higher 2nd and 6th.

- Ward (CB/S)
- Hageman (DT/DE)
- Latimer (WR)


QB, TE, LB, and RB may be hot positions in the 2nd because the lack of selections in the 1st. So I love the chances of the 49ers getting quality picks without giving up much or anything to move into position to get them.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1786605/jimmie-ward


2 of 4 CBS mock drafts had him as a Top 20 pick, 1 more had him at #30. People need to stop calling him a reach, just because you don't know the name doesn't mean the people whose jobs are on the line are equally clueless.

Keep teaching :)

Originally posted by QBguru:
I am disapointed with this pick. Not so much the player, but where we drafted him at in the first. I think we coulda traded back and still got him and got additional picks. I do not know anything about Ward but he seems like a good football player. I will trust Harbaalke because their track record of drafting of defensive players is solid. I hope we can snag either Matthews or Moncrief in Round 2.

Based on what?

If you don't even know who this guy is, you shouldn't even be in a position to critique it.

Originally posted by QBguru:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by QBguru:
I am disapointed with this pick. Not so much the player, but where we drafted him at in the first. I think we coulda traded back and still got him and got additional picks. I do not know anything about Ward but he seems like a good football player. I will trust Harbaalke because their track record of drafting of defensive players is solid. I hope we can snag either Matthews or Moncrief in Round 2.

Yea key word in the first underlined sentence is "think." I don't see denver or seattle or houston nabbing him.

What kind of logic is that? No player is good unless those 3 teams "nab" him??

Wow, really?

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
Heres the plan I think Baalke has:
let him play slot corner this year while bethea takes the reigns of SS. Then in 2015 he will take over the SS, judging on bethea's play.

We will have two amazing cover safeties that can hit bigger than their size. I see ward as similar player to reid but reid is bigger. So reid will probably stay closer to the LOS while ward stays deep. Its all part of the plan of moving a single high safety defense. I believe this was Baalke's plan all along

They could feasibly be looking to create a safety tandem like the one in Seattle. Watch Earl Thomas on tape. He is all over the place. When you put two safeties together like that, you can plug in big CBs and have them be effective.

Originally posted by QBguru:
Yea key word in the first underlined sentence is "think." I don't see denver or seattle or houston nabbing him.

You also said you didn't know anything about Ward so you "seeing" something doesn't mean much. A lot of people had him going into the mid to late 1st round, his range was generally considered late 1st to early 2nd so he went right where he was supposed to go.

If you don't know anything about the player, how can you be in any position to even remotely judge where he should or should not have gone?

Can any one link to video of him playing CB?

hopefully we see alot of hits like this called correctly with us.

Originally posted by TheRatMan13:

They could feasibly be looking to create a safety tandem like the one in Seattle. Watch Earl Thomas on tape. He is all over the place. When you put two safeties together like that, you can plug in big CBs and have them be effective.

In long term - I think Ward moves to FS and Reid to SS. In today's NFL - you have to play a lot nickel defense so he'll be huge from the get go.

Also, ppl gotta remember - Bethea played CB too. So there is some fluidity there too. Bethea can be the nickel dude while Ward is at safety from year 1.

Originally posted by QBguru:

I am disapointed with this pick. Not so much the player, but where we drafted him at in the first. I think we coulda traded back and still got him and got additional picks. I do not know anything about Ward but he seems like a good football player. I will trust Harbaalke because their track record of drafting of defensive players is solid. I hope we can snag either Matthews or Moncrief in Round 2.

5th year option, people. Why is no one bringing this up!? If you like the player, take him late in the 1st to guarantee you that option. Jesus.