A.J Jenkins – Here It Is

Round 1: A.J Jenkins. I will admit that when I heard this pick, I wasn’t entirely thrilled. At the 49ers’ Draft Party, there were a lot of questions being asked. Why did they draft the 7th-10th* ranked receiver when there were only three receivers selected before Jenkins? Why didn’t we go after Coby Fleener (TE) …

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Robert Turbin – Sleeper

I’m putting it on record that Robert Turbin can/will be Out of Utah State, Turbin was the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year. As a junior last year, Turbin rushed for 1,517 yards and 19 touchdowns. Nicknamed “The Hulk”, Turbin is a solid 220 lbs and sTtands at 5-foot-10. The only RB in …

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Replacing Brian Wilson – Romo, Casilla, Hembree?

The San Francisco Giants’ beloved closer, Brian Wilson, is likely out for the rest of the season due to structural damage in his pitching elbow. He might need to have his second “Tommy John Surgery”. Wilson had an “injury timeout” during his only save opportunity this year. He eventually collected the save with the bases …

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Giants vs. Diamondbacks – Series #1

Being swept to start the year hurts. It hurts even more when you are up 6-0 and then blow the game, losing 6-7 (today). Last week, if you would have told me that the Giants would give up 17 runs in their first three games, I would have slapped you. But, that’s what they did. …

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My 254 ranked NFL Prospects for 2012 Draft

I ranked this list based on where I think that each player will be selected. I’m not saying that whoever has pick #155 will draft Josh Kaddu, but I’m saying that he should get drafted around #155. The two bolded players are my favorite steals in the draft. I will write about them both as …

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A.J Jenkins – Here It IsRobert Turbin – SleeperReplacing Brian Wilson – Romo, Casilla, Hembree?Giants vs. Diamondbacks – Series #1My 254 ranked NFL Prospects for 2012 Draft

May
04

A.J Jenkins – Here It Is

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Round 1: A.J Jenkins. I will admit that when I heard this pick, I wasn’t entirely thrilled. At the 49ers’ Draft Party, there were a lot of questions being asked. Why did they draft the 7th-10th* ranked receiver when there were only three receivers selected before Jenkins? Why didn’t we go after Coby Fleener (TE) or Stephen Hill? I thought that if we were to land Jenkins, we would have gotten him in the second round. Little did I know, the Rams had him rated barely below Justin Blackmon (top receiver in draft) and they traded away their first pick, which would have been Blackmon, so that they could gain an extra pick and also select Jenkins 33rd overall. The 49ers ruined that plan.

This reminds of me the prior year when we selected Aldon Smith. Nobody expected us to “reach” for him as much as we did and the pick left fans confused. Well it looks like Trent Baalke/Jim Harbaugh know what they’re doing. I have 100% confidence in them and I trust that they made the right selection.

A.J Jenkins in depth: He runs a 4.3 forty-yard dash. His 9 1/2 inch hand-span is ridiculous. In 2011, he had 90 receptions for 1276 yards and eight touchdowns, despite playing for a team ranked 91st in total offense.
I would compare him to a Brandon Lloyd-type receiver and he has Randy Moss characteristics- without the attitude.

At the Scouting Combine, Jenkins showed freakish measurements:

- 4.37 40 yard dash – One of the fastest at the Combine.
- 38.5″ vertical leap – Better than Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, Rueben Randle, Alshon Jeffery, Chris Givens, Mohamed Sanu, Brian Quick, and Marvin Jones (all in top-11 WR ranking).
- 4.12 20 yard shuttle – Better than Blackmon, Floyd, K Wright, S Hill, Randle, Jeffery, Givens, Sanu, and Quick.
- 6.73 3-cone drill – Better than Blackmon, Floyd, K Wright, S Hill, Randle, Jeffery, Givens, Sanu, Quick, M. Jones, and Childs.
- 10’4″ broad jump – Better than Blackmon, Floyd, K Wright, Randle, Jeffery, Givens, Sanu, Quick, and M. Jones.

I analyzed measurements of the top-10 wide receiver prospects for height, weight, size, speed, vertical, arm length, and broad jump ability. Besides Stephen Hill, who’s athletic numbers were off the chart, Jenkins has the best vertical:speed ratio in the draft and the best broad:speed ratio. The only downside is that Jenkins isn’t really “filled out” for his frame. He needs to bulk up on muscle, preferably 10 lbs so that he will be a solid 200 lbs.

I’m not trying to confuse anybody with some math, but you can see how “filled out” a player is by dividing weight by (height + arm length). It would be best to divide muscle mass by (height + arm length), but I don’t have any of that data. But if you divide weight by (height + arms), you will see that Jenkins is very undersized.

Top 10 ranked WR’s:

Michael Floyd – 2.04
Alshon Jeffery – 2.00
Brian Quick – 2.00
Stephen Hill – 1.97
Mohamed Sanu – 1.96
Justin Blackmon – 1.96
Kendall Wright – 1.95
Rueben Randle – 1.94
Chris Givens – 1.94
A.J. Jenkins – 1.81

To get to the average of 1.95, Jenkins will have to gain about 10-15 pounds. If Jenkins were to weigh 205 lbs before the draft, I’d put him as an EASY top-15 pick.

I’m not going to be a biased fan and say that we have the next Randy Moss on our team, even though we have the current Randy Moss on our team, but I just think that this pick should get more support than it does.

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Apr
25

Robert Turbin – Sleeper

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I’m putting it on record that Robert Turbin can/will be

Out of Utah State, Turbin was the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year. As a junior last year, Turbin rushed for 1,517 yards and 19 touchdowns. Nicknamed “The Hulk”, Turbin is a solid 220 lbs and sTtands at 5-foot-10. The only RB in the draft that can nearly compare to Turbin’s body physique is (number one rated) Trent Richardson, who is 5-foot-11, 224 lbs. H

Turbin is a player that every coach would love to coach. He has said numerous times that he loves to block, loves to catch, loves to do anything to help the team win. He is the complete back. The player that best compares to Turbin (in my opinion) is Steven Jackson. Turbin, like Jackson, is a player that will give every ounce of sweat that he can give. At the NFL’s Scouting Combine, Turbin ran a 4.50 forty-yard-dash, was tied for first with 28 bench press repetitions (225 pounds), and ran a 4.31 twenty-yard-shuttle.

When you hear Turbin speak, you hear a genuinely nice guy. You would never expect what his life story was…

While in high school, he lost his 21-year-old sister (Trina) to multiple sclerosis. He has a 32-year-old sister (Tiffany) who was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. She is unable to speak and is paralyzed from the neck down. Turbin also had a 35-year-old brother (Lonnie) who was addicted to heroin. Going in and out of jail, his brother knew he needed help. Turbin said that once he is in the NFL, he was going to move his brother out of the Bay Area, where he can go to rehab and start a new life.

On February 6th, less than three months before the draft, Lonnie Turbin was shot and killed in Oakland.

Robert Turbin has been one of the strongest people in the world, physically and mentally. When he was a Sophomore, Turbin was in trouble for being late to football practice. One day, his coach chewed him out, wondering why the star player was late. Turbin said that he was going home after school to check on his sister Tiffany. Robert Turbin and his single father happily took over these roles, while Turbin’s mother left their family while she was suffering from drug addictions.

You can only root for this guy.

* Drafted by Seahawks

“The goal is to get picked high, but if you don’t, you can’t get too discouraged because you still have an opportunity, otherwise they wouldn’t draft you at all.” – Robert Turbin

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Apr
15

Replacing Brian Wilson – Romo, Casilla, Hembree?

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The San Francisco Giants’ beloved closer, Brian Wilson, is likely out for the rest of the season due to structural damage in his pitching elbow. He might need to have his second “Tommy John Surgery”.

Wilson had an “injury timeout” during his only save opportunity this year. He eventually collected the save with the bases loaded (typical Brian Wilson). I don’t think that any Giants fans were concerned with Wilson after that game, but now it looks like it could be devastating.

Wilson won’t be an easy player to replace. In 2010, Wilson led the majors with 48 saves, along with only 5 blown saves and 1.81 ERA. In 2011, Wilson had 36 saves and 5 blown saves, of course the number being lower for the fact that the Giants didn’t win as many games as the prior year. Giants fans know what it’s like to be without a closer. Think about Dustin Hermanson, Matt Herges, Armando Benitez, etc.

So, what do the Giants do now? The most common answer amongst fans would be to have Sergio Romo fill in for Wilson. Romo was the Giants’ best bullpen pitcher last year, with a 1.50 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and an incredible 70:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Also, Santiago Casilla should strongly be considered for this role. Last year, Casilla had a 1.74 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and had the second most saves on the Giants (6).

I would honestly prefer Romo to stay as a set-up man and I wouldn’t be complaining if Casilla was put into the closer role. But I want to see my buddy Heath Hembree. In 2011, the 22-year-old led the Minor Leagues with 38 saves. Not convinced? Last year he pitched 53.1 innings, struck out 78, walked 25, and had a 1.86 ERA. That’s closer material and I want to see him pitching the 9th inning.

It’s rough to see a star-player go down so early in the season, bringing back memories of Buster Posey going down early last year. Last year, my thoughts were always: “Just wait until Posey is back…” But this injury can very well be career threatening. We all know how we played without Posey, let’s hope that the Giants can play without Wilson.

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Apr
09

Giants vs. Diamondbacks – Series #1

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Being swept to start the year hurts. It hurts even more when you are up 6-0 and then blow the game, losing 6-7 (today). Last week, if you would have told me that the Giants would give up 17 runs in their first three games, I would have slapped you. But, that’s what they did.

Even though this series was awful, there were a few positive signs.

Pros:

Runs – Last year, if the Giants were down 3-0 at any point of the game, you would have marked the game down as a loss. In the first two games, the Giants came back from a 3-0 (and 4-0) deficit, showing offense that they didn’t have last year.

Melky Cabrera – When we acquired Melky, I said that this would be the hidden gem for the Giants. Every at-bat that he had, he squared up the ball very well. With Cabrera, the Giants have their first legitimate “Heart of the lineup” in a long time, with Cabrera-Sandoval-Posey.

Buster Posey – Today, Posey hit his first home run since April 24th of last year. His ankle seems to be fine and he has shown no sides of being gun-shy. There was a suicide-squeeze play on, where Posey waited at home plate for the ball to be thrown to him. He kept his eyes on the ball coming in and eventually ran down the runner in a “pickle”. Very happy with what I saw.

Cons:

Bad Innings – Giving up one run in an inning doesn’t deflate a team. When there are multiple runs, especially in the early innings, there is damage done. In the season opener, Tim Lincecum gave up three runs in the first inning. In game two, Madison Bumgarner gave up two runs in the first inning and two runs in the second inning. In game three, Matt Cain gave up two runs in the fourth inning and three in the sixth inning. The Diamondbacks then scored two runs in the seventh inning. When your team is built around pitching, not offense, these multiple run innings really hurt the team.

Errors – To me, the most surprising stat was that the Giants had three errors in game one and game three. Buster Posey had three, Brandon Crawford had two, and Pablo Sandoval had one. What hurt, was that the majority of these errors lead to more runs for the Diamondbacks. Last year, the Giants were built around strong pitching and superb defense. Neither was shown this series.

Bruce Bochy – Bochy did his best Felipe Alou impersonation today. After Cain was relieved after six innings, the seventh and eighth innings consisted of: Jeremy Affeldt (0.1 innings), Santiago Castilla (one batter [walk], Javior Lopez (one batter [walk]), and Sergio Romo (1.2 innings, finished the horrid seventh inning and pitched the entire eighth [one hit, no runs]). There is no reason to use four pitchers for four consecutive batters.

Final Thoughts:

1. Since the beginning of 2011, I’ve said that Aubrey Huff was done. Brandon Belt should be starting over him. I don’t support Aubrey Huff playing in left field, with Brandon Belt at first base. If anything, Brandon Belt should be in left field, with Brett Pill at first base. Aubrey Huff shouldn’t be a starter for this team.

2. Gregor Blanco should start over Angel Pagan. Blanco got the start in game three and had an impressive double, with an incredible diving catch (with runners on first and second). Blanco is a player that would cause other teams to be frightened, while Pagan doesn’t have that effect. Gregor Blanco is always going to have the green-light to steal and he has extraordinary defense/range. Start him over Pagan and have him bat leadoff.

3. The Giants didn’t hit into many double plays this series. This could be the result of not having Eli Whiteside/Chris Stewart playing, but this definitely is a plus. Speaking of catchers, I wouldn’t mind letting Buster Posey play a few games at first base, with Hector Sanchez catching and Brandon Belt in left field.

4. I can’t believe that Barry Zito might give the Giants their first win of 2012.

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Mar
31

My 254 ranked NFL Prospects for 2012 Draft

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I ranked this list based on where I think that each player will be selected. I’m not saying that whoever has pick #155 will draft Josh Kaddu, but I’m saying that he should get drafted around #155.

The two bolded players are my favorite steals in the draft. I will write about them both as the draft nears. I would be ecstatic if the 49ers were able to steal one of them.

1 Andrew Luck Stanford QB

2 Robert Griffin Baylor QB

3 Matt Kalil USC OT

4 Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State WR

5 Morris Claiborne LSU CB

6 Ryan Tannehill Texas A&M QB

7 Quinton Coples North Carolina DE/DT

8 Trent Richardson Alabama RB

9 Fletcher Cox Mississippi St DT

10 Michael Floyd Notre Dame WR

11 Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama CB

12 Melvin Ingram South Carolina DE/OLB

13 Riley Reiff Iowa OT

14 David DeCastro Stanford G

15 Cordy Glenn Georgia OT/OG

16 Michael Brockers LSU DT

17 Luke Kuechly Boston College LB

18 Dontari Poe Memphis DT

19 Stephen Hill Georgia Tech WR

20 Stephon Gilmore South Carolina CB

21 Kendall Wright Baylor WR

22 Jonathan Martin Stanford OT

23 Janoris Jenkins North Alabama CB

24 Mike Adams Ohio State OT

25 Peter Konz Wisconsin C

26 Jerel Worthy Michigan St DT

27 Whitney Mercilus Illinois DE/OLB

28 Andre Branch Clemson DE/OLB

29 Courtney Upshaw Alabama DE/OLB

30 Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin G

31 Mark Barron Alabama S

32 Coby Fleener Stanford TE

33 Kendall Reyes Connecticut DT

34 Nick Perry USC DE/OLB

35 Brandon Weeden Oklahoma State QB

36 David Wilson Virginia Tech RB

37 Dont’a Hightower Alabama LB

38 Devon Still Penn State DT

39 Brandon Thompson Clemson DT

40 Josh Robinson Central Florida CB

41 Mohamad Sanu Rutgers WR

42 Lamar Miller Miami RB

43 Zach Brown North Carolina LB

44 Bobbie Massey Mississippi OT

45 Jayron Housley Virginia Tech CB

46 Reuben Randle LSU WR

47 Kelechi Osemele Iowa St G

48 Ronnell Lewis Oklahoma LB

49 Harrison Smith Notre Dame S

50 Doug Martin Boise St RB

51 Shea McClellin Boise St LB

52 Amini Silatolu Midwestern St G

53 Chris Givens Wake Forest WR

54 Markelle Martin Oklahoma State S

55 Alfonso Dennard Nebraska CB

56 Dwayne Allen Clemson TE

57 Brandon Washington Miami G

58 Brandon Boykin Georgia CB

59 Chandler Jones Syracuse DE

60 Cam Johnson Virginia DE/OLB

61 Alameda Ta’Amu Washington DT

62 Brandon Brooks Ohio G

63 Lavonte David Nebraska LB

64 Alshon Jeffery South Carolina WR

65 Jared Crick Nebraska DT

66 Bobby Wagner Utah St LB

67 Vinny Curry Marshall DE/OLB

68 Casey Heyward Vanderbilt CB

69 Kirk Cousins Michigan St QB

70 Mychal Kendricks Cal LB

71 Orson Charles Georgia TE

72 Bruce Irvin West Virginia DE/OLB

73 Mitchell Schwartz Cal OT

74 George Iloka Boise St S

75 AJ Jenkins Illinois WR

76 Chase Minnifield Virginia CB

77 Sean Spence Miami LB

78 Brian Quick Appalachian St WR

79 Ben Jones Georgia C

80 Antonio Allen South Carolina S

81 Jeff Allen Illinois G/OT

82 Chris Polk Washington RB

83 Chris Rainey Florida RB

84 Jamell Fleming Oklahoma CB

85 LaMichael James Oregon RB

86 Kennan Robinson Texas LB

87 Jarius Wright Arkansas WR

88 Coryell Judie Texas A&M CB

89 Joe Adams Arkansas WR

90 Trumaine Johnson Montana CB

91 Kheeston Randle Texas DT

92 Josh Norman Central Florida CB

93 Dwight Bill Bentley Louisiana-Lafayette CB

94 Mike Martin Michigan DT

95 Zebrie Sanders Florida State OT

96 Ladarius Green Louisiana-Lafayette TE

97 TJ Graham NC State WR

98 Tommy Streeter Miami WR

99 Nigel Bradham Florida State LB

100 Philip Blake Baylor C/G

101 T.Y. Hilton Florida International WR

102 Marvin Jones California WR

103 Demario Davis Arkansas St DE/OLB

104 Bernard Pierce Temple RB

105 Nate Potter Boise St OT

106 Shaun Prater Iowa CB

107 Travis Lewis Oklahoma LB

108 Tony Bergstrom Utah G/T

109 Cyrus Gray Texas A&M RB — SLEEPER PICK

110 Brock Osweiler Arizona St QB

111 Leonard Johnson Iowa St CB

112 Isaiah Pead Cincinnati RB

113 James Brown Troy G

114 Devon Wylie Fresno State WR

115 Ronnie Hillman San Diego St RB

116 Robert Turbin Utah St RB
 — SLEEPER

117 Nick Toon Wisconsin WR

118 Matt McCants Alabama-Birmingham OT

119 Trenton Robinson Michigan St S

120 Juron Criner Arizona WR

121 Josh Chapman Alabama DT

122 Michael Egnew Missouri TE

123 DaJohn Harris USC DT

124 Brandon Mosley Auburn OT

125 Vick Ballard Mississippi St RB

126 Derek Wolfe Cincinnati DE/DT

127 Asa Jackson Cal-Poly CB

128 Greg Childs Arkansas WR

129 Nick Foles Arizona QB

130 Jake Baquette Arkansas DE/OLB

131 Billy Winn Boise St DE/DT

132 Donald Stephenson Oklahoma OT

133 Jonathan Massaquoi Troy LB

134 Kelcie McCray Arkansas St S

135 James Hanna Oklahoma TE

136 Kyle Wilber Wake Forest LB

137 Donnie Fletcher Boston College CB

138 Tyrone Crawford Boise St DE

139 Justin Bethel Presbyterian CB/S

140 Trevor Guyton Cal DE

142 Christian Thompson South Carolina St S

143 Coty Sensabaugh Clemson CB

144 Najee Goode West Virginia LB

145 Omar Bolden Arizona St CB

146 James Michael-Johnson Nevada LB

147 Brandon Taylor LSU S

148 Devier Posey Ohio St WR

149 Lucas Nix Pittsburgh G

150 Danny Coale Virginia Tech WR

151 Akiem Hicks Regina DT

152 Senio Kelemete Washington G

153 Andrew Datko Florida St OT

154 David Molk Michigan C

155 Josh Kaddu Oregon LB

156 Terrell Manning NC State LB

157 Kashif Moore Connecticut WR

158 Levi Adcock Oklahoma State OT

159 Tank Carder TCU LB

160 Sean Richardson Vanderbilt S

161 Marvin McNutt Iowa WR

162 Duke Ihenacho San Jose St S

163 Russell Wilson Wisconsin QB

164 Ryan Steed Furman CB

165 Jeff Fuller Texas A&M WR

166 Aaron Henry Wisconsin S

167 Quentin Salisbury Mississippi St C

168 De’Quan Menzie Alabama S

169 Michael Brewster Ohio St C

170 Eric Page Toledo WR

171 Chase Ford Miami TE

172 Brandon Bolden Mississippi RB

173 Miles Burris San Diego St LB

174 Terrance Frederick Texas A&M CB

175 Drake Dunsmore Northwestern TE

176 Vaughn Meatoga Hawaii DT

177 Emmanuel Acho Texas LB

178 Darius Brooks Western Kentucky CB

179 BJ Cunningham Michigan St WR

180 Rishaw Johnson California-PA G

181 Marcus Forston Miami DT

182 Keshawn Martin Michigan St WR

183 Junior Hemingway Michigan WR

184 Brandon Hardin Oregon St CB/S

185 Mike Daniels Iowa DT

186 Ryan Miller Colorado G

187 Malik Jackson Tennessee DE

188 Bobby Rainey Western Kentucky RB

189 Vernon Olivier Miami DE

190 Audie Cole NC State LB

191 Micah Pellerin Hampton CB

192 Josh LeRibeus SMU G

193 Hebron Fangupo BYU DT

194 Ron Brooks LSU CB

195 Adam Gettis Iowa G

196Tauren Poole Tennessee RB

197 DJ Campbell Cal S

198 Rishard Matthews Nevada WR

199 Brad Smelley Alabama TE

200 Tom Compton South Dakota OT

201 Adrien Robinson Cincinnati TE

202 Evan Rodriguez Temple TE

203 Chris Owusu Stanford WR

204 Emil Igwenagu Massachusetts FB/TE

205 Ryan Van Bergen Michigan DT/DE

206 Vaughn Meatoga Hawaii DT

207 Desmond Wynn Rutgers G/OT

208 Jerry Franklin Arkansas LB

209 Neiko Thorpe Auburn S

210 Marcus Rivers Buffalo WR

211 Darius Hanks Alabama WR

212 Terrance Ganaway Baylor RB

213 Lavon Brazill Ohio WR

214 Bryan Anger Cal P

215 Matt Broha Louisiana Tech LB/TE

216 Edwin Baker Michigan St RB

217 Jaye Howard Florida DT

218 Jerron McMillian Maine S

219 Austin Davis Southern Mississippi QB

220 Dustin Waldron Portand St OT

221 Davin Meggett Maryland RB

222 Ryan Broyles Oklahoma WR

223 Brian Peters Northwestern S

224 Ryan Lindley San Diego St QB

225 Travis Benjamin Miami WR

226 Janzen Jackson McNeese St S

227 Brett Roy Nevada DT

228 Matt Reynolds BYU OT

229 Jeff Adams Columbia OT

230 Drew Butler Georgia P

231 Lennon Creer Louisiana Tech RB

232 Pat Schiller Northern Illinois LB

233 Kevin Koger Michigan TE

234 Jeremy Ebert Northwestern WR

235 Derek Carrier Beloit WR/TE

236 Eddie Whitley Virginia Tech S

237 Justin Anderson Georgia OT

238 James Carmon Mississippi St OT

239 Tim Benford Tennessee Tech WR

240 Dale Moss South Dakota St WR

241 Joe Holland Purdue LB

242 Jerrell Harris Alabama LB

243 Thomas Mayo Cal (Pennsylvania) WR

244 Alex Hoffman-Ellis Washington St LB

245 Brian Linthicum Michigan St TE

246 Corey White Samford CB

247 Chris Greenwood Albion CB

248 Lance Dunbar North Texas RB

249 Julian Miller West Virginia DE

250 Deshawn Shead Portland St CB

251 Ian Thomas Illinois LB

252 Ernest Owusu Cal DE

253 Damon Harrison William Penn DT

254 Frank Alexander DE Oklahoma

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Mar
19

49ers – On The Verge Of Collapsing (Manning / A. Smith)

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The 49ers are standing extremely close to the edge right now.

As you probably know, the 49ers are one of the (3) finalists to land Peyton Manning. The other finalists are the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. As I wrote before, last week I was told that the Broncos were about to sign Peyton for 3 years/$60 million, but it appears that there might be something else going on.

The 49ers “secretly” held a workout for Manning last Tuesday. They seem to be the most appealing team, for the fact that they were only one game away from the Super Bowl last year. What is (Free Agent) Alex Smith doing during all of this? He is becoming upset with the 49ers and is negotiating with the Miami Dolphins at this very second (5:33 pm. California time to be exact).

On February 11, I wrote HERE about why I didn’t want the 49ers to go after Manning.

Alex Smith has every right to be upset with the team right now. With a 13-3 record, 17 touchdowns to 5 interceptions, and coming a few plays away from a Super Bowl, there shouldn’t be any reason for the 49ers to be looking to replace him. Especially with a player that would only be here about three years.

In sports, you have to have the right mindset. Yes, you want to win Super Bowls. But would you risk your next 10 years for just three years? Alex Smith came a couple of punt returns away from being a Super Bowl quarterback. During the Niners/Saints game, he had one of the most clutch performances that the NFL has ever seen. Manning doesn’t automatically put a team into the Super Bowl.

Last year, Alex Smith had his best season ever. Mainly because of the relationship that he had with his head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Smith finally had a coach that believed in him. What does Harbaugh/Staff do to show their appreciation for Alex? They try to replace him. I don’t understand the logic at all.

- Now, why do I say that the 49ers are on the verge of collapsing?

* Team Chemistry: Look at the Eagles last year. They brought in all of these big name players, which caused everybody to expect them to be great. Yet, they flopped. Why? Because there was no team chemistry. Last year, the 49ers had a great team personality and there were no issues. If you bring in Manning and all of the media that comes with him, what do you expect from the other players? What do you expect Randy Moss to do? What do you expect Frank Gore to do when he doesn’t get the ball? Last year, Frank Gore averaged 19.9 carries per game. Manning has averaged 42.4 pass attempts per game in his career. Alex smith: 26.3. Gore wouldn’t get his touches. Also, there’s a completely different mindset on the field when everyone expects you to win.

* Manning’s Health: He just had neck surgery and missed a whole season. How many times did Alex Smith get blindsided last year? Can Manning’s neck hold up against all of that? With one hit, the 49ers will find themselves paying Manning $20 million a year to stand on the sidelines. This would cause the 49ers to have to put in Colin Kaepernick, who might not be ready to start in the NFL. This was what caused Alex Smith to have a slow start… being rushed into the game.

And last, but not least…

* What if the 49ers don’t sign Manning, but keep Smith: Say that the 49ers don’t sign Peyton Manning and maybe Alex Smith comes back. Will Harbaugh and Smith still have the same relationship? “Alex Smith is our guy” is what Jim Harbaugh said earlier this year when he was asked about the possibility of Manning coming to the 49ers. Alex Smith has just lost his confidence in his coaches/front office. After each game, people will be saying “Well if we had Manning…” Can Smith handle that?

* What if the 49ers don’t sign Manning and Smith goes to Miami: The collapse. If Manning goes to the Broncos or Titans and Alex Smith goes to the Dolphins, what do the 49ers do? Do they trade for the player that Manning replaces (Tebow/Hasselbeck)? They aren’t in a position to draft one of the top-3 quarterbacks in this draft. Would we put all of our faith in a second-year player, Colin Kaepernick? Believe me, I love Kaepernick, I think that our offense would be exciting with him. I even think that he can make the deep-throws that Alex can’t make. This year, would I trust him the same way that I trusted Alex last year? Probably not.

So that leaves the 49ers with this…

Sign Manning: Risky, but will have an elite quarterback for three years. After that? Question mark.

Sign Smith: Know what he can do, but will he even want to play for the team again? Would you?

Lose out on both: Collapse the expectations that every 49er fan has had placed in their head.

Right now, the 49ers will either come out as geniuses, or they will be the laughing stock of the NFL.

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Mar
13

Peyton Manning To Denver Broncos ? UPDATE-CONTRACT

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It appears that Peyton Manning will most likely be headed to Denver to play under John Elway.

It looked like the Dolphins had a deal in place, but when it fell through, Manning was quick to decide on Denver. The Dolphins then immediately traded away their number one receiver, Brandon Marshall, to the Chicago Bears for a 2012 and 2013 3rd-round draft pick. I imagine that the only reason the Dolphins were holding on to Marshall, was because the possibility on Manning coming to play for them.

If/when Manning goes to the Broncos, look for Tim Tebow to be traded.

- There is no deal set in stone yet. It’s March 13th, around 3 pm. (California) and this is what I’m hearing.

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Mar
13

Zach Vs. Dad – Randy Moss (49ers) – SIGNED

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UPDATE – 49ERS SIGN RANDY MOSS TO 1-YEAR DEAL. (Read Bottom)

As you may know, my name is Zach. My dad and I always have discussions about sports… and last night we had different opinions about Randy Moss joining the San Francisco 49ers.

When Moss retired last year, I wrote about how I think that he isn’t done. LINK. Now, coming out of retirement, Moss had drawn interest from multiple teams. One being my favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers.

Me: The 49ers should sign Randy Moss. What was the 49ers’ weakest link last year? Wide receiver. In the NFC Championship game, our receivers had only one reception for 3 yards. Our best deep-threat receiver is Ted Ginn Jr., who is currently a free agent and never had reliable hands. Randy Moss? I would say that he has good hands. Some of the best hands that the NFL has ever seen. Yes, he is 35 years old, but Moss would do wonders for our offense. He would be the player that can stretch the field for Alex Smith. Even if the ball isn’t thrown his way, you know that the defense will be watching Randy Moss. That reason alone should be the deciding factor in signing him. I think that Moss has grown out of his “Diva” persona and I honestly believe that he would be a good role model for a young receiver like Michael Crabtree, along with whatever receiver we draft. These guys grew up watching Moss play, they will listen to him. Imagine if the 49ers also signed WR Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace-Michael Crabtree-Randy Moss-Vernon Davis-Frank Gore? Yes, please.

Dad: The 49ers should not sign Randy Moss. My dad firmly believes that Randy Moss could eat this team alive. He has never been a fan of any “Diva” type player. I agree that it could be risky, but I think that the possible reward is much larger than the risk. My dad sees the 2010 Randy Moss, who underplayed and showed little effort. He doesn’t think about Moss’ 2009 season with the New England Patriots, where he had 83 catches for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. I trust that Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke will know if Moss is a 49er-type player. And if we sign him and he turns out to be a hot-head… we can just release him. Last year, the team showed that they aren’t afraid to cut players who are underperforming, even though they have a ton of talent (Braylon Edwards).

There are a million questions about Randy Moss: Can he still run a 4.30 40-yard dash? Can he still be the receiver that catches every jump-ball? What is his work ethic going to be like? Etc.

I just think that Moss could be a missing piece to the 49ers’ puzzle. I’m not saying that we just need to sign Randy Moss and we would be a Super Bowl team, but he would definitely help. If we don’t sign Mike Wallace, we can draft a receiver like Stephen Hill or Kendall Wright. Both who would be open to listen to a player that they grew up idolizing.

UPDATE - I posted this and then saw Breaking News: Moss signs with 49ers. I’m pretty sure that (CEO) Jed York read this and then decided to sign Moss. No big deal. You’re welcome.

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Mar
06

How To Deal With Your Losing Team

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Before reading this, you might question my credibility towards this subject.

I was born in the 90′s and have been a San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Sacramento Kings fan all my life. Let’s just say that 2003-2012(ish) wasn’t the best ride. I can proudly say that I never once gave up on my teams, but I will admit that I did grow tired of the losing years. Here is how I dealt with my losing teams:

2003 Giants: I vividly remember what I was doing during the last minutes of game 4 of the 2003 NLDS series. It was the ninth inning, Marlins 7-Giants 6, two outs. J.T Snow was on second base when Jeffrey Hammonds singled to left field. I was shocked to see that Snow rounded third base and was steaming towards home plate. Jeff Conine fields the ball and throws home to Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. At this second, I’m jumping on my couch, freaking out. J.T Snow collides with Ivan Rodriguez, but Rodriguez holds onto the ball and Snow is called out. I remember dropping to my knees with tears in my eyes.

2004-2010: The playoff drought. How did I deal with it? I was always talking about the future that the Giants had. With Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain in the minor leagues, the future was a fun thing to envision. As for the present time, my easy answer is: Barry Bonds. My all-time favorite player. Hate him all you want, but I don’t think that there was ever a player that was more fun to watch. 762 career home runs, despite 2,558 walks? Amazing. Hank Aaron played one more year than Bonds and had only 1,402 walks. Alex Rodriguez, who some think will break Bonds’ record (currently at 629 home runs after 18 years), only has 1,166 walks. In Bonds’ career, he averaged one home run per every 12.9 at-bats. At that rate, if he were to have 500 less walks, Bonds would have finished with exactly 800 home runs. As a Giants fan, win or lose, Bonds made every game memorable.

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2004-2011 49ers: Oh, how painful it was during these years. Who started at quarterback during these years? Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, Trent Dilfer, Chris Weinke, Shaun Hill, J.T O’Sullivan, Troy Smith, and Alex Smith. Awesome. Every year was a losing year. Every week, the most common question was “How much did we lose by?”. I still find it hard to believe that I stayed mentally sane during these years. It started with drafting Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers in 2005 NFL Draft. I still stand by what I have always said… If Aaron Rodgers was put into the situation that Alex was (during these years), Rodgers would have failed miserably.

With a handful of promising players, I saw light at the end of the tunnel. Frank Gore impressed me from the first day that I saw him. I told my dad that this guy is going to be special. Then I saw Brandon Lloyd make incredible catches on a weekly basis. I saw limitless potential. To stand by what I said, I quickly bought their autographed rookie cards off eBay for $9 dollars and $4 dollars. Yes, I am a big spender. I bought those to hopefully look back and say “I knew it.”

Now, Gore is the best running back in 49ers’ history and Lloyd is one of the NFL’s premier receivers. ESPN obviously never gave the 49ers any attention, so I had no ground to speak from when I would tell fans from other teams that the 49ers are slowly, but surely putting together the pieces to their puzzle. I loved watching the growth of Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Vernon Davis, Alex Smith, Dashon Goldson, Ray McDonald, etc. I became mildly obsessed with watching the games and figuring out what the 49ers needed. Yes, they have Frank Gore, but the 49ers need a speedy/change of pace running back to compliment Gore in the backfield. (Eventually drafted Kendall Hunter). Vernon Davis is a great offensive weapon, but we need a possession receiver. (Drafted Michael Crabtree). We obviously need help on the left side of the offensive line. Boom, the 49ers sign Joe Staley to a long-term deal and draft Mike Iupati. I still think that the 49ers are one receiver and maybe one cornerback away from filling in the puzzle, but now I’m confident that they know that too.

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2003-2012 Sacramento Kings: I remember the glory days of Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, and Doug Christie. I remember being so juiced when Doug Christie punched the Lakers’ Rick Fox. But since then, it hasn’t been easy to get excited for the Sacramento Kings. I know that the Kings aren’t a playoff bound team this year, but I’m going to be optimistic and say that the Kings will be in the playoffs within two years. During these years, I’ve understood that the Kings were far from a playoff team. So with that mindset, I was never optimistic about the playoffs, so I kept busy by becoming attached to players that were/are underrated. I loved how Ronnie Price played the game. I understand that he might never be a starter in the NBA, but I was always glued to the television when he was put in the game.

Today, I watch every Kings game and I am truly fascinated with Isaiah Thomas. At 5’9, he plays every game with a chip on his shoulder. I have a soft spot for smaller athletes, because I’ve always been one of the shortest players on my teams. Basketball, baseball, football, etc., I completely understand how Isaiah Thomas feels. I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder. In football, I was always underestimated because of my size. So every practice and every game, whenever I had a chance, I would lay the hardest hits possible. I wanted people to see why I deserved to be on the field. During a day of “Hell Week”, one day our coach ended practice early and said we can jump in the school’s pool. While everyone else was enjoying the pool, I stayed in the weight room and tried to improve everything I could. I just feel like Isaiah Thomas has that same mindset. Before the Kings made him a starter, I would DVR the games and skim through the game until they put him in. Win or lose, I enjoy watching him play because of the effort that he puts into the game.

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I know I ranted this entire time, but that’s an example of how I deal/dealt with these situations. Yes, the cause might be dead, but I can let my imagination run and end up loving every minute of it.

If you are a fan of a losing team, just know that every team will eventually come out of their drought…

Unless you are a fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Royals, New Jersey Nets, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, or Buffalo Bills. But, ya know.

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Mar
02

Where Will Robert Griffin III Go?

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As everyone knows, the St. Louis Rams have the second overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. I would say that it is pretty clear that the Rams are going to trade the extremely valuable pick, and the only teams that I think have a chance at snagging the pick are the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins.

If you are not familiar with football, you might ask “Why would the Rams trade the second overall pick if it is so valuable?” The reason for the Rams trading the pick, is because they drafted QB Sam Bradford with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. This year, QB Andrew Luck will be drafted first overall, and it is almost a sure thing that QB Robert Griffin III (RGIII) will be selected with the second overall pick. But because of Sam Bradford, the Rams won’t have any desire to draft Griffin III, while other teams that are in need of a quarterback will try to jump ahead of everybody to ensure that they will have the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner on their team. Make sense? Rams: Sam Bradford. Rams: Do not need Griffin III. Other teams: Need Griffin III. Griffin III: Rated 2nd best player in draft… 2nd overall pick= Valuable. Click here for Robert Griffin III highlights.

It appears that the only two teams that have a chance at RGIII are the Browns and the Redskins. I think that the Browns have the advantage here, for the fact that they have (2) first round picks, and a higher (first) pick than the Redskins.

The Cleveland Browns have been in need of a “franchise player” for as long as I can remember. They thought that they had their guy when they drafted QB Brady Quinn in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, but he turned out to be a huge bust. RGIII would be perfect for their team. Griffin III displayed his astonishing athletic ability at the Scouting Combine: 4.41 40-yard dash (2nd fastest QB since 1988), 10-foot broad jump (standing in one spot and jumping 10 feet), and had a 39-inch vertical jump (jumping straight up).

The Washington Redskins are (in my opinion) one quarterback away from being a legitimate threat. RGIII would give them the explosive offense that they have been craving. The Redskins beat the super bowl champions (NY Giants) two times last year. There is no reason to say that they are not a good team. The only issue, was of course the quarterback play. QB Rex Grossman threw 16 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He showed signs at times of being a decent quarterback, but who would you rather have, Griffin III or Grossman?

Now, what would it take to trade for the second overall pick and Robert Griffin III?
Here’s my predictions:

Browns: Trade 1st round (4th overall), 1st round (22nd overall), 3rd round (4th OR 23rd pick in 3rd round), and 5th round (4th pick in 5th round). Receive: 2nd overall pick and draft RGIII.

Redskins: Trade 1st round (6th overall), 2nd round (7th pick in 2nd round), 3rd round (6th pick in 3rd round), and 4th round (7th pick OR 14th pick in 4th round). (At Least) Receive: 2nd overall pick and draft RGIII.

Yes, it seems like a lot. But that’s football.

Andrew Luck is clearly the safest pick in the draft, but I honestly think that RGIII has more potential than Luck. Everybody is expecting Luck to be the next Tom Brady, but RGIII has the potential to be something we have never seen before. I have never seen a more precise deep-ball than what Griffin III throws. He has Michael Vick’s mobility, Cam Newton’s throw on the run, Tim Tebow’s durability and Brett Favre’s deep ball. If he gets put in the right offense, the sky is the limit.

And for what it’s worth, the Rams will select WR Justin Blackmon.

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