feelosofer
#ninergang
So I'll grade each of the players on a letter scale, based on their contributions on the field the past season or two and their potential to impact the team this year and the future. The grades will be scaled slightly relative to their role on the team, so just because I give a guy who is not a starter, a high grade does, not necessarily mean I think he is the same level as a starter of a similar grade. I will give a synopsis of the group as a whole and give it a letter grade. Feel free to agree, disgree and add to anything you like, my friends, fellow fans and even Misfit 
So I'll start with the Quarterbacks.
Colin Kaepernick - Ok now Kap has the big paycheck, he is being paid like a top tier QB. I hope he proves himself worthy of it and I think he will. I think that he is a high character guy and is clearly a capable leader of the team, but as the QB of an elite franchise and of a somewhat contentious coach. I think people see what they want to see and they want to paint him as a sort of partying trouble maker or something to that effect. Physically Kaep has all the tools of an elite QB, he has elite arm strength, elite speed in the scramble and he has the discipline to slide and stay out of trouble. Where his issues lie are with his short game and his ability to make throws under duress. He has to learn to rein it in and work on making reads underneath so that he can get guys like Frank Gore or even Bruce Miller in stride. But I think that he should make strides this year, and become the guy we all think he can be. Also his play will depend heavily on Harbaugh and Roman not calling such conservative plays. It's clear with the addition of new WRs Bruce Ellington, Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson, we should expand the field, and Kaepernick should shine. Grade: B+
Blaine Gabbert - I think that Blaine Gabbert got a bad rap in Jacksonville. A lot like Alex Smith he was thrown into the wolves, when he should have been holding the clipboard for a year or two. We traded a late draft pick to pick him up and I think it's a steal. We got a backup QB with a couple of years of starting experience and unlike Alex Smith, he actually has a pretty strong arm and is more athletic than he gets credit for. Should he pick up Harbaugh complicated offense, he could be a great backup for years to come or we can use him as trade bait. Either way, he is an upgrade from Colt McCoy, who is a little undersized and had an average arm at best. I like this pickup and I think he'll be a contributor in this environment. Grade: C+
Josh Johnson - I think his skillet mimics Kaepernicks the most of any QB on our, but I am a little scared of having this guy see anything close to starter minutes. He has a great arm and is an impressive athlete, but his decision making is awful. I guess Harbaugh still believes in him but I think he is what he is, he didn't find a way in Cincinatti a team that was very thin at QB, he's going to have a hard time, especially if Kory Faulkner impresses early. Grade: C-
Kory Faulkner - This kid, I think is a diamond in the rough. He made some pretty impressive throws behind a very bad O-Line in college. Whats more impressive is that he threw for 18 TDs and only 4 INTs his senior year, so I think at worst he could become a workman type game manager. His efficiency is not the best but I think he can be coached up to be a reliable backup in tough times. Let us be smart and keep this guy and develop him. He is very raw though, he def needs a couple of seasons to work on his craft. That being said, he may have an outside chance of surprising people and maybe being the 3rd QB Grade: D
McCleod Bethel-Thompson - I think this a make or break year for him. He is 25, has not been able to crack the roster and he may just not have what it takes to be a professional QB, he's kind of like a poor mans Josh Johnson. I think he is a camp body and he will likely be cut from the team again. At least he can go back to Arena Football. Grade: F
In conclusion, we're fine at QB. Barring some freak injury Colin will probably not take a major injury, he has great protection and as our QB, we can win a ring with him at the helm. Blaine Gabbert is getting a fresh new start and he can learn the winning ways of our team. I feel good about him and welcome him to the fold. I'm not crazy about Josh Johnson but he is experienced and can maybe push Gabbert and Faulker in different ways.
Unit Grade: B+
So I'll start with the Quarterbacks.Colin Kaepernick - Ok now Kap has the big paycheck, he is being paid like a top tier QB. I hope he proves himself worthy of it and I think he will. I think that he is a high character guy and is clearly a capable leader of the team, but as the QB of an elite franchise and of a somewhat contentious coach. I think people see what they want to see and they want to paint him as a sort of partying trouble maker or something to that effect. Physically Kaep has all the tools of an elite QB, he has elite arm strength, elite speed in the scramble and he has the discipline to slide and stay out of trouble. Where his issues lie are with his short game and his ability to make throws under duress. He has to learn to rein it in and work on making reads underneath so that he can get guys like Frank Gore or even Bruce Miller in stride. But I think that he should make strides this year, and become the guy we all think he can be. Also his play will depend heavily on Harbaugh and Roman not calling such conservative plays. It's clear with the addition of new WRs Bruce Ellington, Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson, we should expand the field, and Kaepernick should shine. Grade: B+
Blaine Gabbert - I think that Blaine Gabbert got a bad rap in Jacksonville. A lot like Alex Smith he was thrown into the wolves, when he should have been holding the clipboard for a year or two. We traded a late draft pick to pick him up and I think it's a steal. We got a backup QB with a couple of years of starting experience and unlike Alex Smith, he actually has a pretty strong arm and is more athletic than he gets credit for. Should he pick up Harbaugh complicated offense, he could be a great backup for years to come or we can use him as trade bait. Either way, he is an upgrade from Colt McCoy, who is a little undersized and had an average arm at best. I like this pickup and I think he'll be a contributor in this environment. Grade: C+
Josh Johnson - I think his skillet mimics Kaepernicks the most of any QB on our, but I am a little scared of having this guy see anything close to starter minutes. He has a great arm and is an impressive athlete, but his decision making is awful. I guess Harbaugh still believes in him but I think he is what he is, he didn't find a way in Cincinatti a team that was very thin at QB, he's going to have a hard time, especially if Kory Faulkner impresses early. Grade: C-
Kory Faulkner - This kid, I think is a diamond in the rough. He made some pretty impressive throws behind a very bad O-Line in college. Whats more impressive is that he threw for 18 TDs and only 4 INTs his senior year, so I think at worst he could become a workman type game manager. His efficiency is not the best but I think he can be coached up to be a reliable backup in tough times. Let us be smart and keep this guy and develop him. He is very raw though, he def needs a couple of seasons to work on his craft. That being said, he may have an outside chance of surprising people and maybe being the 3rd QB Grade: D
McCleod Bethel-Thompson - I think this a make or break year for him. He is 25, has not been able to crack the roster and he may just not have what it takes to be a professional QB, he's kind of like a poor mans Josh Johnson. I think he is a camp body and he will likely be cut from the team again. At least he can go back to Arena Football. Grade: F
In conclusion, we're fine at QB. Barring some freak injury Colin will probably not take a major injury, he has great protection and as our QB, we can win a ring with him at the helm. Blaine Gabbert is getting a fresh new start and he can learn the winning ways of our team. I feel good about him and welcome him to the fold. I'm not crazy about Josh Johnson but he is experienced and can maybe push Gabbert and Faulker in different ways.
Unit Grade: B+
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