2021 Team Information (Needs)

Originally posted by AB81Rules:

Originally posted by NCommand:
The 49er Way:
Talent: Speed, Toughness/Physicality, Position Specific Athletic Traits & Scheme Fit
Spirit: Football Passion; Do they Love it?, Contagious Competitiveness, Dependability; Protect the Team, Mental Toughness, Football IQ & Accountability to other Players and Themselves

Who else thinks this is one of the softest and dumbest collective groups of players you've ever seen? From being so mentally weak against the Cards and Seahawks to flat out constantly shooting themselves in the foot.

I wouldn't call the entire roster soft or dumb, there have been too many mental mistakes, I agree, but even guys like Deebo, Aiyuk, Kittle, etc... have made them, but I don't think any of them are soft or dumb. Clearly, we deserved to lose Sunday, I love Kyle, but the 1st and 2nd down plays on the final drive ton run it, made no sense to me, we have Aiyuk & Kittle killing them, we should have done play action, if any run play, if Deebo was playing, that's the kind of run you do, his jet sweep runs, but up the middle, where the Seahawks have improved, bad idea. I just hope like the Cards game, this lights a fire under their asses, cause they can win the last 5 IMO.

Obviously I'm being a tad facetious but the mere fact that those two points are part of their very own 49er way philosophy and that the team continues to play at a pop warner level, the incredible number of mental mistakes, boneheaded plays, ill-prepared, total lack of game and situational awareness, psyched-out in Seattle, etc. is ultra concerning to me.

In fact, if this team just played a tad bit more disciplined they'd be 8-4 right now. But they collectively and creatively find new ways to lose and that is a direct light on their failure to address two very important pieces of their own philosophy.

Front Office Opportunities for Improvement:
1. Ditch the moneyball department and philosophy. The ROI on this team is horrendous and it starts with targeting and extending players they can "win" in the contract negotiations (i.e. sign Garoppolo after only 5 games because you can add in annual rip cords and low GTD $, or draft red-flag players like Kinlaw later in a round, or spend millions on players like Verrett, Tartt, Alexander, etc.). The system has completely failed and in fact, has cost them way more in the end than just cap space. Add up all the cost of just losing Verrett and you could have just paid for a top healthy FA CB.
2. Find or promote a modern-day GM that has a full background in pro scout and pro personnel and who is respected enough to hold Kyle accountable for the product on the field. This includes retaining s**tty coaches and players he has personal relationships with and being ill-prepared, poor football IQ, no to poor contingency plans, getting out coached, clock and game/situational awareness, zero accountability for players, etc. This guy should be part of the younger crowd who believes in trades and actively seeks these out.
3. Hire a new strength and conditioning team and revamp the entire soft practice philosophy. Study up and learn from perennial healthy teams. Ditch the entire medical team. This has been the Achilles heel for two decades here.

Overall, the FO targets players they can "win" in contract negotiations (Paraag FTW!) and value in draft picks (Foster & Kinlaw), panics and overdrafts at the top of the draft (Aiyuk, Pettis & Wishnowsky) for specific players but lets the draft come to them in the later rounds (where they have far more success). Draft and development also seems to be a divide on this team as well and they not only invest top dollars at key positions and get low ROI but they rarely have any contingency plans for when those positions are lost to injuries; they drop off at crucial positions is enormous (Richburg and Mack to scrubs with no talents rookie developing to take over some day learning from the veterans). These ever-changing weekly lineups d/t lost snap counts lead to key losses in important games and being the 2nd most team in football for 9 straight years means the medical staff, S&C team and practice and without regime is a massive fail as is the player acquisitions they target for these systems.

There also doesn't appear to be much accountability for Kyle as he continues to make the same mistakes over and over and his loyalty to friends/coaches has cost him dearly. Kyle seems to only be able to win one way and he and his staff are lost when things go outside structure where we just saw coaches like Pete and Bill adjust to win with a poor roster or challenging weather conditions, respectively. Kyle's teams continue to find new and creative ways to lose and that's a sign of an undisciplined team and one that greatly lacks in football IQ.

PS: You can bet your ass the FO is licking their chops to resign Mike McGlinchey coming off a major career-threatening injury to win that contract. Then, pay close attention to the full ripple effect of this move going forward from cap $ spent on RT, to if he plays in the off season, to how he plays to start the season, to the development snaps of his backup, to who his backup even is, the inevitable in-season scramble when there is a medical flare up, to effects on the the weekly scheme, in-out of the lineup effects, etc.

Eventually, this has become our true culture.

Championship!

Signed Brian Hill but this is all I needed to read:

The Atlanta Falcons made Hill (6-1, 219) a fifth-round selection...

Here's my updated offseason plan.

https://49erscap.com/index.php/2022-offseason-plan/

What I want to see get done in the offseason.

Extensions:

WR Deebo Samuel (5yr extension, $18M a yr, need to pay our best players, no matter if they may get hurt, heck anyone can get hurt, nature of the game)
DE Nick Bosa (5yr extension, $30M a yr, $100M GTD, $80M Fully GTD)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (4yr extension, minimum salaries, low signing bonus, like $1.5M-$2M signing bonus)

Re-Signings(Multi-Year deals)

RB Jeff Wilson Jr. (2yr deal, $2.5M a yr)
LG Laken Tomlinson (4yr deal, $5.5M a yr, not sure he'll get $9M a yr unless he gets a Pro Bowl and/or All Pro)
NT D.J. Jones (5yr deal, $5M-$6M a yr)
CB K'Waun Williams (3yr deal, $5M-$6M a yr)

Re-Signings(1yr deals, maybe 2yr deals)

WR Trent Sherfield (I'd do either 1yr deal with a $152,500 bonus, counts just $1,047,500, vet salary benefit deal)
DE Arden Key (Same as Sherfield)
FS Tarvarius Moore (1yr prove it deal)

RFAs & ERFAs brought back for 53 in 2022:

RB JaMycal Hasty (1yr $895K tender)
WR Jauan Jennings (1yr $825K tender)
LG Colton McKivitz (1yr $895K tender, I like him, can play T & G, better than Compton IMO)
RG Daniel Brunskill (1yr deal maybe 2yr, cheap, like $1.265M a yr, less than projected $2.396M original round tender)
DT Kevin Givens (1yr $895K tender)
DT Kentavius Street (1yr deal, less than the original round tender)
SLB Azeez Al-Shaair (2-3yr deal, not sure how much, maybe in the $3.5M a yr)

Players let go:

QB Jimmy Garoppolo - Hopefully we get someone to take him on, get maybe a 2nd or 3rd rd pick
RB Raheem Mostert - Injury prone big time, and not worth the money, especially after he wanted a raise in 2020, he'd likely want around what Nyheim Hines got, $6.2M a yr, I like the backfield of Mitchell, Wilson, Sermon, & Hasty better
WR Travis Benjamin - Just cut him, he's dead weight, that yr off may have hurt him, or he just was never any good, idk
WR Richie James Jr. - Not sure why we never cut him off IR with an injury settlement, waste of $920K
RG Tom Compton - He's not terrible, also not good, he's serviceable, but we can do better, I'd rather have Moore or Skule out there.
DE Dee Ford - Time to go, I've lost all faith in him
DT Maurice Hurst Jr. - Was nice low risk, high reward deal, too bad he can't stay healthy
CB Dontae Johnson - He's looked better, I'd only bring him back if/when we have injuries
CB Jason Verrett - I'm done with him, 1 healthy season with us, 1 with the Chargers, plus he's almost or is 30.
CB Josh Norman - I don't like his attitude/temper, he was good once, he's had some bogus DPI calls on him, but, he's not able to keep up with even guys who don't run a 4.3 or don't look incredibly fast on tape like DK Metcalf.
FS Tavon Wilson - Never would have made it had Moore not been hurt IMO

Players I'm 50/50 on bringing back:

RB Trenton Cannon - Other than the fumble in the Seattle game week 4 I think, he's been good as a KR, maybe camp deal, vet minimum, only count $895K
WR Mohamed Sanu Sr. - He's a good vet to have around, maybe camp deal, minimum, but I'd rather give opportunities to Deebo, Aiyuk, Jennings, & Sherfield, then draft a speedy WR.
TE Ross Dwelley - Not bad, if cheap, bring back, if not no biggie, Woerner has outplayed him, the new #2 TE.
C Jake Brendel - Back on minimum deal at most to compete, can play C & G.
DE Jordan Willis - Had a really nice sack vs Seattle, 1yr minimum deal to compete
WLB Marcell Harris - He's not terrible, not great, he's ok, 1yr minimum deal at most
MLB Tyrell Adams - Maybe a camp deal for vet minimum
SLB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles - Will be tendered as a ERFA, but need better backup LBs
SS Jaquiski Tartt - Injury prone, unless Hufanga isn't ready, then Tartt is gone, but he's a nice vet to have, when on the field

Free Agent & Draft Additions:

#1 CB & some depth
Young EDGE opposite Bosa
Find a young C to groom behind Mack
Better Backup LBs
Maybe a #3 WR
Vet QB to mentor/backup Trey Lance, maybe also draft a QB or a UDFA to groom as a backup
Help at Safety if Tartt isn't back or Moore also
Another TE to go with Kittle & Woerner, who's become a very good pass catcher, and got his groove back in the blocking game

Stuff I wouldn't mind happening:

Extend Jimmie Ward, could save $6.224M
Redo Armstead & Kittle, saves $10.424M & $8.332M respectively.
Keep Ebukam, maybe on a revised deal
Get McGlinchey a pseudo extension, which means he signs a deal with 4 void years, saves $7.876M, but leaves $5.907M in dead money in 2023, unless he plays well in 2022, and we extend him before his deal voids.
Extend Dre Greenlaw to a deal similar to Azeez's, $3.5M a yr.

Sounds like Sermon is back. Mitchell...eh... maybe.

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by AB81Rules:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
You can't stack like 6 really good LBs, just unfortunate injuries

Plenty of cheaper veteran LB's you can add as insurance and ST's esp. this off season where teams were off loading. Keeping just 5 was risky too esp. given how poorly our DL depth ended up being (Hurst).

Warner+Greenlaw+Azeez

DFF+Harris (both converted S's who can't tackle)

+ Show all quotes
I was saying in the offseason how we needed to draft some better backup LBs, not a big fan of either DFF or Harris, although Harris has played good. The whole Kendricks thing is so weird, signed, injured in his 1st preseason game, brought back, waived the same week, he likely didn't look good, but it sucks to be down Dre & Fred, but I do like Azeez a lot, I think he & Harris, and if Hufanga comes down to play LB, we should be good for 1-2 weeks while Fred is out.

It wasn't my biggest team need going into the season but like you, it definitely felt thin and risky with just one bigger injury to that group having a domino effect. I liked your thoughts on it too.

What team has starter quality LBs at the 4th and 5th depth position? Some teams don't even have two decent starting LBs

Exactly. Totally unrealistic. Id just like for us to just shore up obvious positions of weakness. 4th and 5th linebacker is UDFA stuff. With our late picks we need to be looking at PR/KR, speed receiver, NT, and another safety.

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by AB81Rules:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
You can't stack like 6 really good LBs, just unfortunate injuries

Plenty of cheaper veteran LB's you can add as insurance and ST's esp. this off season where teams were off loading. Keeping just 5 was risky too esp. given how poorly our DL depth ended up being (Hurst).

Warner+Greenlaw+Azeez

DFF+Harris (both converted S's who can't tackle)

I was saying in the offseason how we needed to draft some better backup LBs, not a big fan of either DFF or Harris, although Harris has played good. The whole Kendricks thing is so weird, signed, injured in his 1st preseason game, brought back, waived the same week, he likely didn't look good, but it sucks to be down Dre & Fred, but I do like Azeez a lot, I think he & Harris, and if Hufanga comes down to play LB, we should be good for 1-2 weeks while Fred is out.

+ Show all quotes
It wasn't my biggest team need going into the season but like you, it definitely felt thin and risky with just one bigger injury to that group having a domino effect. I liked your thoughts on it too.

What team has starter quality LBs at the 4th and 5th depth position? Some teams don't even have two decent starting LBs

Exactly. Totally unrealistic. Id just like for us to just shore up obvious positions of weakness. 4th and 5th linebacker is UDFA stuff. With our late picks we need to be looking at PR/KR, speed receiver, NT, and another safety.

Huh? Quality veteran LB's are a dime a dozen and cheap. Many play ST's too (Bellore). My issue was only carrying 5 to start and your two backups being converted SS's with very little experience at LB.

But I'm sure nobody expected Greenlaw to go down for a full season, Azeez playing with 3 braces, Warner missing a game, Harris missing games, etc.

The thin unit (volume) just got hit hard at the same time and as one would come back, another would exit.

PS: They finally did try with Kendricks but he just stole money and time from us.

A long season exposes the weaknesses. Pretty obvious:

1. CB
2. OL
3. Edge
4. Depth

Whether through the draft or free agency it has to get done.

Also as much as we would like to keep guys like Key, K. Williams etc there are teams that are watching and are going to offer top dollar to guys.

Originally posted by Niner4ever:
A long season exposes the weaknesses. Pretty obvious:

1. CB
2. OL
3. Edge
4. Depth

Whether through the draft or free agency it has to get done.

Also as much as we would like to keep guys like Key, K. Williams etc there are teams that are watching and are going to offer top dollar to guys.

Totally! You nailed it...

Plus a backup QB is huge, LB, high level rookie C to learn from Mack, RT, maybe G if Tomlinson moves on and Banks isn't looking good, XWR preferably a deep threat, punt and kickoff returner, PK, etc.

Hopefully we can resign the important ones too.

CB is absolutely the #1 priority. Need the best FA available or trade for a good one. We are in a division with excellent wrs not to mention a conference with TBs wrs, Minn wrs, Dallas' wrs and Adams in GB.

Enough with the pass rush. That's second priority. When a qb has a quick release or the OL holds, it negates our pass rush and puts pressure on our cbs and we never make plays with our underwhelming cbs. Ever. Even TB is dealing with some of the same if their pass rush isn't performing.

Get it done once and for all. Sure resign Verrett but make him a third option at outside cb not our #1 option

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by Niner4ever:
A long season exposes the weaknesses. Pretty obvious:

1. CB
2. OL
3. Edge
4. Depth

Whether through the draft or free agency it has to get done.

Also as much as we would like to keep guys like Key, K. Williams etc there are teams that are watching and are going to offer top dollar to guys.

Totally! You nailed it...

Plus a backup QB is huge, LB, high level rookie C to learn from Mack, RT, maybe G if Tomlinson moves on and Banks isn't looking good, XWR preferably a deep threat, punt and kickoff returner, PK, etc.

Hopefully we can resign the important ones too.

Appreciate it!

Yeah a good backup QB is essential. Thinking a Cousins to RG3. Though Lance reminds me more of Daunte Culpepper.

My offseason wishlist is we have to find someone to polish the Lombardi Trophy #6

Originally posted by NCommand:
Front Office Opportunities for Improvement:
1. Ditch the moneyball department and philosophy. The ROI on this team is horrendous and it starts with targeting and extending players they can "win" in the contract negotiations (i.e. sign Garoppolo after only 5 games because you can add in annual rip cords and low GTD $, or draft red-flag players like Kinlaw later in a round, or spend millions on players like Verrett, Tartt, Alexander, etc.). The system has completely failed and in fact, has cost them way more in the end than just cap space. Add up all the cost of just losing Verrett and you could have just paid for a top healthy FA CB.
2. Find or promote a modern-day GM that has a full background in pro scout and pro personnel and who is respected enough to hold Kyle accountable for the product on the field. This includes retaining s**tty coaches and players he has personal relationships with and being ill-prepared, poor football IQ, no to poor contingency plans, getting out coached, clock and game/situational awareness, zero accountability for players, etc. This guy should be part of the younger crowd who believes in trades and actively seeks these out.
3. Hire a new strength and conditioning team and revamp the entire soft practice philosophy. Study up and learn from perennial healthy teams. Ditch the entire medical team. This has been the Achilles heel for two decades here.

Overall, the FO targets players they can "win" in contract negotiations (Paraag FTW!) and value in draft picks (Foster & Kinlaw), panics and overdrafts at the top of the draft (Aiyuk, Pettis & Wishnowsky) for specific players but lets the draft come to them in the later rounds (where they have far more success). Draft and development also seems to be a divide on this team as well and they not only invest top dollars at key positions and get low ROI but they rarely have any contingency plans for when those positions are lost to injuries; they drop off at crucial positions is enormous (Richburg and Mack to scrubs with no talents rookie developing to take over some day learning from the veterans). These ever-changing weekly lineups d/t lost snap counts lead to key losses in important games and being the 2nd most team in football for 9 straight years means the medical staff, S&C team and practice and without regime is a massive fail as is the player acquisitions they target for these systems.

There also doesn't appear to be much accountability for Kyle as he continues to make the same mistakes over and over and his loyalty to friends/coaches has cost him dearly. Kyle seems to only be able to win one way and he and his staff are lost when things go outside structure where we just saw coaches like Pete and Bill adjust to win with a poor roster or challenging weather conditions, respectively. Kyle's teams continue to find new and creative ways to lose and that's a sign of an undisciplined team and one that greatly lacks in football IQ.

PS: You can bet your ass the FO is licking their chops to resign Mike McGlinchey coming off a major career-threatening injury to win that contract. Then, pay close attention to the full ripple effect of this move going forward from cap $ spent on RT, to if he plays in the off season, to how he plays to start the season, to the development snaps of his backup, to who his backup even is, the inevitable in-season scramble when there is a medical flare up, to effects on the the weekly scheme, in-out of the lineup effects, etc.

Eventually, this has become our true culture.

I know this is from early December, but how was Aiyuk an overdraft? He's proven he was well worth being picked where he was.

I don't get why you're so caught up on some deals like Dee, Kwon, Verrett, & Tartt, Dee yes ended up a bad deal, Kwon was good for the first 8 games, then Dre made him expendable, we didn't really waste money on him, Verrett was only ever 1 semi-big deal, 1yr $5M this year, it was worth the try, I think you liked him, it didn't work out, just let him walk, no biggie, as I've said, the biggest issue cap wise was the pandemic, the cap went down by $15.7M, it should have went to $215M ish, then $230M in 2022, now it's $208.2M in 2022 max. Not sure what's wrong with Tartt, he didn't get a huge deal when they extended him, and he signed a 1yr vet minimum deal this past offseason.

As for Kinlaw, let's wait & see how he looks post surgery, same surgeon who did Bosa's ACL did Kinlaw, so that gives me hope. I agree Pettis was a reach, as was Hurd. Was Wish, maybe? NE may have taken him, I didn't like a 4th rd P, but it is what it is.

No way is John wanting to sign injured players to big money deals, you and others need to get that out of your heads, McGlinchey was having a good season before his injury, he'll play 2022, if he's good, he's back on a cheaper deal, if not, he's gone. Moore can fill in at RT IMO.

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I know this is from early December, but how was Aiyuk an overdraft? He's proven he was well worth being picked where he was.

I don't get why you're so caught up on some deals like Dee, Kwon, Verrett, & Tartt, Dee yes ended up a bad deal, Kwon was good for the first 8 games, then Dre made him expendable, we didn't really waste money on him, Verrett was only ever 1 semi-big deal, 1yr $5M this year, it was worth the try, I think you liked him, it didn't work out, just let him walk, no biggie, as I've said, the biggest issue cap wise was the pandemic, the cap went down by $15.7M, it should have went to $215M ish, then $230M in 2022, now it's $208.2M in 2022 max. Not sure what's wrong with Tartt, he didn't get a huge deal when they extended him, and he signed a 1yr vet minimum deal this past offseason.

As for Kinlaw, let's wait & see how he looks post surgery, same surgeon who did Bosa's ACL did Kinlaw, so that gives me hope. I agree Pettis was a reach, as was Hurd. Was Wish, maybe? NE may have taken him, I didn't like a 4th rd P, but it is what it is.

No way is John wanting to sign injured players to big money deals, you and others need to get that out of your heads, McGlinchey was having a good season before his injury, he'll play 2022, if he's good, he's back on a cheaper deal, if not, he's gone. Moore can fill in at RT IMO.

Let's not overvalue our own again. Aiyuk is coming around but he's only given us 650 yards this year. That's pretty replaceable production. But it was more about moving UP for him in a super deep year of receivers and those taken 'after' him have produced far more. It's just an example of how they panic, give up draft capital and overdraft players instead of letting the board fall to them. Just an example.

I'm caught up on ALL of their deals and their strategies for searching for and retaining those players and laid out clearly why this strategy has failed them time and time again.

As to this comment:

No way is John wanting to sign injured players to big money deals...

That's literally what he's done, hence my overarching concerns.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I know this is from early December, but how was Aiyuk an overdraft? He's proven he was well worth being picked where he was.

I don't get why you're so caught up on some deals like Dee, Kwon, Verrett, & Tartt, Dee yes ended up a bad deal, Kwon was good for the first 8 games, then Dre made him expendable, we didn't really waste money on him, Verrett was only ever 1 semi-big deal, 1yr $5M this year, it was worth the try, I think you liked him, it didn't work out, just let him walk, no biggie, as I've said, the biggest issue cap wise was the pandemic, the cap went down by $15.7M, it should have went to $215M ish, then $230M in 2022, now it's $208.2M in 2022 max. Not sure what's wrong with Tartt, he didn't get a huge deal when they extended him, and he signed a 1yr vet minimum deal this past offseason.

As for Kinlaw, let's wait & see how he looks post surgery, same surgeon who did Bosa's ACL did Kinlaw, so that gives me hope. I agree Pettis was a reach, as was Hurd. Was Wish, maybe? NE may have taken him, I didn't like a 4th rd P, but it is what it is.

No way is John wanting to sign injured players to big money deals, you and others need to get that out of your heads, McGlinchey was having a good season before his injury, he'll play 2022, if he's good, he's back on a cheaper deal, if not, he's gone. Moore can fill in at RT IMO.

Let's not overvalue our own again. Aiyuk is coming around but he's only given us 650 yards this year. That's pretty replaceable production. But it was more about moving UP for him in a super deep year of receivers and those taken 'after' him have produced far more. It's just an example of how they panic, give up draft capital and overdraft players instead of letting the board fall to them. Just an example.

I'm caught up on ALL of their deals and their strategies for searching for and retaining those players and laid out clearly why this strategy has failed them time and time again.

As to this comment:

No way is John wanting to sign injured players to big money deals...

That's literally what he's done, hence my overarching concerns.

We aren't exactly known to sling the ball around. Jimmy G is bottom 5 in passing attempts. If the QB has that few passing attempts and there is a receiver on the team with 1200 yards and a TE that is like 150 yards away from 1000, how many yards do you think the other receiver is going to have?

Personally I think this team has the guys to be more of a threat passing the ball, but we don't have a QB that can pull the trigger- by using every part of the field on his throws.

We saw it last year and are seeing it this year. Aiyuk is a good pick and I suspect will be even more dangerous with Trey at the helm.

One could argue that there wasn't a need for a 1st round receiver, but if you think of our situation going into the 2020 draft, we were letting Sanders walk and NO ONE saw this kind of dominance coming from Deebo. We have two good receivers starting who are on rookie deals for the first time since Mariucci. Aiyuk is not on the list of questionable FO decisions. There are 50 things we could get into before we get to Aiyuk.