A man can be destroyed, but he can't be defeated: The 49ers 2014 official offseason thread

[FakeNews]

Secret Superstars 2014: 49ers
Our Secret Superstar series continues today with the San Francisco 49ers, and while the Niners have had one of the strongest front sevens in football the last several years, we look to the defensive backfield to find our diamond in the rough in cornerback Tramaine Brock.

Brock started his collegiate career playing two years of junior college ball at Mississippi Gulf Coast before transferring to Minnesota for his junior season. He started for the Golden Gophers as a junior in 2008, but was suspended after the season when he became academically ineligible. Brock then transferred to tiny Belhaven University, an NAIA school, and played his senior year for the Blazers in 2009, where he racked up six interceptions, 2.5 sacks, and 13.5 tackles for a loss.

Brock went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft but signed a free-agent contract shortly after with the 49ers. Brock made the 53-man roster out of training camp and played primarily on special teams in his rookie season.

Paying His Dues

In 2011, he won the nickel cornerback job out of camp, but broke his hand in Week 2 against the Cowboys and by the time he was healthy he had lost his job to rookie Chris Culliver. Brock saw very little action defensively the rest of the year until he had to play 29 snaps in the NFC Championship Game, against the New York Giants, after Tarell Brown went out with an injury. Brock only allowed three catches for 27 yards, but one of those catches was a 17-yard touchdown to Mario Manningham which put the Giants ahead in the fourth quarter.

Culliver held on to the nickel role throughout the 2012 season and into training camp in 2013, where he tore his ACL early in camp and was lost for the season, leaving Brock and newly-signed veteran Nnamdi Asomugha to fight it out for the nickel spot.

Asomugha beat out Brock in training camp for the third corner job, but was mediocre at best the first three weeks of the year (-3.9 overall grade) before hurting his knee late in Week 3 against Indianapolis, opening up the nickel job for Brock.

Getting His Chance

Brock seized upon the opportunity right away, playing 46 snaps in Week 4 versus the Rams as the fifth defensive back. He allowed only three catches for 24 yards with two pass breakups, while earning a +2.0 grade.

The following week against the Houston Texans, Brock had his finest game of the year, picking off Matt Schaub’s first pass of the game and returning it for a touchdown, and then adding a second interception of Schaub later in the half. Brock tallied a +2.5 coverage grade for the night, was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and solidified his role as the nickel back going forward.

Brock continued to excel in his nickel role through Week 11, including solid games in Week 7 against Tennessee (+2.5) and in Week 10 versus Carolina (+1.4). Through the Week 11 game against New Orleans, Brock had allowed only 330 receiving yards in coverage, and a 71.1 passer rating when targeted. In that New Orleans game, starting corner Tarell Brown went down with an injury, and Brock was thrust into a starting role.

Making the Most of His Opportunity

Brock played every defensive snap in Weeks 12-14, earning a cumulative overall grade of+4.8 for the three games, while allowing only 54 yards in coverage. When Tarell Brown was healthy enough to return in Week 15, Brown came back in a nickel role, while Brock stayed as the starter at right cornerback.

The 49ers had seen enough of Brock to know he was going to be an important piece going forward, and late in November they signed Brock to a four-year, $16 million extension, keeping him under contract until 2017.

Brock finished the 2013 regular season with a +8.1 coverage grade, which ranked ninth among qualifying cornerbacks. His 55.4% catch rate also ranked in the top third of cornerbacks, and he missed only two tackles during the regular season.

He was only flagged once on defense in all of 2013, an illegal use of hands call while matched up against Harry Douglas late in the fourth quarter against Atlanta in Week 16. Brock immediately atoned for the error a few minutes later, jumping a Douglas route and knocking the ball into the air and eventually the hands of NaVorro Bowman, who took it 89 yards to the house, sealing a 49ers victory and a playoff berth.

While it’s safe to say the 49ers weakest position going into the 2014 season is at cornerback, the one starting position that is set in stone is Tramaine Brock on the outside. With his play in 2013, and the 49ers faith in him with a contract extension that includes $7 million in guaranteed money, Brock should be a fixture in the defensive backfield for several years to come.

 

[yseJ]

His response really doesn't bother me. Folk taking way too much stock on what he said. He's a competitor and will pobably STILL go at Sherm again. If he thinks he can make a play, I want him to take it. I want him to go at Shem again...but this time make a better throw and complete it. We had a dude who was too afraid to make a play. I'd rather have a dude who isn't afraid. Kaep is young and will learn from his mistakes. Nikkaz got no damn faith. Dude is STILL developing and taking us to Championship games and the SB. When he's a vet making the same mistakes then get mad about it IMO. Think Kaep has exceeded expectations in the grand scheme of things. Some folk got an axe to grind with him cuz he's not their guy. That's fine, but you'e going to get called out for your irrational hate.

Is it a coincidence that Kaep's biggest critics were pro-Alex guys?

I just dont think anyone should care about what he has to say. hes schooled by harbaugh how to talk to the media. no one knows if he even means it. the important talk is done in the locker room, not in the interview room

personally, I dont want him to go at sherm again in that situation tho. maybe if its quan on sherm I can see it, but better yet quan on someone not named sherm then of course, I dont believe in 'making plays' and I think anytime you have a top cb one on one on a non-elite WR, you should put that matchup on the bottom of your progressions but thats my philosophy

 

[yseJ]

also for the record I am one of biggest Kaep critics on here but he didnt lose us the game, not even close. thats as much as Im gonna say on that topic, I also hope we exhausted it and can move on...

 

[JLova]

I just dont think anyone should care about what he has to say. hes schooled by harbaugh how to talk to the media. no one knows if he even means it. the important talk is done in the locker room, not in the interview room

personally, I dont want him to go at sherm again in that situation tho. maybe if its quan on sherm I can see it, but better yet quan on someone not named sherm then of course, I dont believe in 'making plays' and I think anytime you have a top cb one on one on a non-elite WR, you should put that matchup on the bottom of your progressions but thats my philosophy

I'd rather him go after a different corner...but shyt...if he thinks the play is there, I don't want him to be afraid to make a play. Don't want him overhtinking that. Just don't want him playing shook. I think he been walking a fine line from time. Some passes that he converted on were cuz they coulda been picked. He walked that fine line and lost in Seattle. Hopefully it works out for us next time.

 

[JLova]

also for the record I am one of biggest Kaep critics on here but he didnt lose us the game, not even close. thats as much as Im gonna say on that topic, I also hope we exhausted it and can move on...

New season. Lets turn the page.

 

[Dat916nigga]

blake costanzo is back

 

[1ncognegro]

blake costanzo is back

Good pick up. With him CJ and Osgood our ST Unit should be better. Special team fukk ups hurt us in the SB and the NFC Championship last year

 

[B90X]

Niners and Kap are going to sit down and restart the negotiations this week. We now have over $8 million in salary cap space this year.

Report: 49ers, Kaepernick's agent to resume contract talks | CSN Bay Area

With enough space under the salary cap to work out a long-term extension, the 49ers and Colin Kaepernick’s agent are reportedly scheduled for a meeting to resume contract negotiations.

The two sides are scheduled to meet this week, the Sacramento Bee reports, citing a source close to the situation. Kaepernick’s agent is Scott Smith of Wisconsin-based XAM Sports.

Kaepernick, XAM Sports’ top client, is expected to land a contract in the range of $20 million a season. Team CEO Jed York expressed in March that Kaepernick deserved to be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

“I think there’s a lot that he’s done that has put him in that position where he should be paid like one of the top quarterbacks in the league," York said at the NFL owners meetings. "And I think that’s where we’ll end up -- whether we get it done now or later. We hope we get it done soon. If we don’t, I don’t think it’s going to be acrimonious.”

The 49ers have more than $8 million in salary cap space with Carlos Rogers’ salary officially being wiped from the books after June 1 following his release in March. General manager Trent Baalke said it was the organization's goal to have a new contract for Kaepernick completed by the opening of training camp in late-July.

Kaepernick this season is scheduled to earn $1.073 million, including a $100,000 workout bonus, in the fourth and final year of his original contract. Meanwhile, backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert's entire $2.011 million salary is guaranteed. Kaepernick said last week that he remains focused on football and is not concerned with the negotiations.

“I’m letting my agents handle all of that, and I’m worried about being out here, trying to get better with my teammates and get ready for the season,” Kaepernick said. “I’m playing football regardless.”

The 49ers and Smith opened preliminary negotiations in a public way during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis with dinner that included Smith and 49ers president Paraag Marathe at a popular Indianapolis restaurant while surrounded by many other NFL people. The negotiations stalled once Kaepernick’s name surfaced in a police report of a “suspicious incident” in Miami in April.

A woman, who said she partied at an apartment shared by Kaepernick, 49ers receiver Quinton Patton and Seattle receiver Ricardo Lockette claimed she felt light-headed and did not know how she ended up in a hospital.

In 911 tapes that Miami Police released on May 6, a man, previously reported as Lockette, said there was a naked woman in his friend’s bed and she would not leave. The friend, believed to be Kaepernick, was not at the apartment, according to the caller.

“We asked her to leave,” the caller to 911 said. “Told her he’s not going to be here tonight. And she said she was not leaving until she sees him.”

The investigation is winding down in Miami, and spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office said investigators are “awaiting an important piece of information.” Miami Chief of Police Manuel Orosa last week declined to comment on any of the evidence in the case or the results of the toxicology tests. When asked if Kaepernick, Patton or Lockette have been interviewed, Orosa responded, “Their attorney declined our invitation for interviews.”

Kaepernick last week said he was eager for the investigation to wrap up.

“At this point, I’m going to let them handle their business,” Kaepernick said. “I did nothing wrong in that incident. So I want to do everything I can to let the DA close this matter.”

 

[Dat916nigga]

it's just a matter of time...

 

[FaTaL]

it's just a matter of time...

 

[yseJ]

excited about blake coming home

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

i fully trust the FO not to be stupid, the numbers might be high, but they're pretty smart, i'm sure there will be lots of "outs" should kaep not be the answer. but i'm hoping i can rock his jersey for the next decade

 

[Dat916nigga]

4 surgeries?!

hope ian can come back and contribute but 4 surgeries is rough man. good thing our d-line depth is strong

 

[Rekkapryde]

I'm scared everytime this thread gets upped.

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

My little girl Gabriela Elizabeth was born today at 9:03 am.

And best believe her pops was rocking a 49ers shirt on her born day, all the pics got that red and gold