Not everything that glitters is GOLD: The Official 49ers 2013 Season Thread

[feelosofer]

Defensive Line

Ian Williams - B

As I am putting ketchup on my crow sandwich. All camp reports have this guy as our likely starter. I felt this guy was undersized to be a 3-4 D-Tackle and wondered what coaches saw in this kid. But at age 23, he may be beginning to realize his potential. He only played a few snaps last year. If he can be an effective run stopper and a passable pass rusher, it makes him better than Sopoaga was.

Mike Purcell - F

A practice squad guy. Great technique but he needs to build his body up to NFL standards, he would get abused by bigger linemen in college.

Glenn Dorsey - C+

A perennial underachiever, I don't expect too much from Glenn Dorsey. I think he is versatile enough to spell any player on the line, and if he does that he has earned his paycheck though I expect him to be a 3rd down type of player for us. I don't think he has much upside, but with the right coaching he can be a very solid contributor.

Justin Smith - A

The best player on out D-Line, he is our best run stopper and pass rusher and is the key component that keeps our engine running, that being said this elite player will be 34 at the start of the season and one has to question how much gas he has left in the tank, furthermore if he gets hurt near playoff time, then does our pass rush go with it. Let's just cross fingers and knock on wood.

Ray MacDonald - B

Underrated player, while he doesn't set the world on fire dude is very consistent. A better run stopper than pass rusher, this is the type of lunch pail guy we need on our defense and dude is in his prime years now. In many ways he is an unsung hero of sorts as his contributions to the defense don't show up on the stat sheets.

Lamar Divens - F

Dude is a training camp body, he will likely by cut barring some insane performance at camp, we have too much stability here at this point.

Tony Jerod-Eddie - D-

Again, I think we are set at Nose, I expect us to sneak him on to the practice squad for another year though.

Lawrence Okoye - F

As high as I was on the guy when we drafted him. This dude is rawer than sushi right now. He possesses immense physical gifts, but he has to learn football from the ground up. He will make the practice squad barring some sort of godly preseason performance, that being said, I hope we can keep this guy and develop him. I think Jim Tomsula is one of leagues best and it's a compliment to him that I think Okoye has even a shot at making it in the NFL.

Tank Carradine - C+

Unfortunately I don't know what to think of this guy, I think if healthy, he can eventually replace Justin Smith, but since he is injured we won't know this year. I watch some games of this guy in college, we stole him in the 2nd round, guy is a 1st round talent. All I want is him to sit on the bench learn and get healthy. Tank will be graded higher next year, based on what I did see in college.

Quinton Dial - C-

This guy is a lummox. I think he can be molded to be a backup D-Lineman. Despite that, his odds are marginal to make the team. Just due to our depth. That being said, he is versatile to play on any line position and that helps his chances.

Synopsis: Over the past couple of years we have added youth and depth, my one concern is that we have mostly unknowns at the position and it can either blossom or shrivel up. I think we should have drafted a true nose earlier in the draft, but we have so many potential guys that one is just going to have to step up. This position is a question mark.

 

[feelosofer]

Linebackers

Patrick Willis - A+

This guy is molding a hall of fame career. He can hit like a freight train and at the same time is one of the best cover linebackers in the league. Elite size, speed and strength, he is the QB of our Defense. I don't need to say much the accolades speak for themselves.

Navarro Bowman - A

Another elite LB in his own right. We were lucky to steal this guy in the draft. He runs all over the field and causes havoc and destruction, with him and P-Willy on the field, makes passing short a risky maneuver and forget about running the ball. He doesn't cover as well as Willis, but in almost every other way is as good as Willis.

Aldon Smith - A

Despite falling flat at the end of the season, I think this kid is an elite pass rusher. Word is on camp is that he has put on even more muscle, which will allow him to shed blockers and kill QB's. Like his doppleganger Tyler the Creator, this dude is a b*stard, a goblin and a wolf. He is on his way to a HOF career, barring injury, and he will break the sack record.

Ahmad Brooks - B+

With the aforementioned players, this guy gets lost in the shuffle but he rounds out our nasty LB corps. He is an elite run stopper and I actually think he is UNDERRATED as a pass rusher, he doesn't get a lot of sacks, but he definitely stretches pass protection.

Parys Haralson - C

I think he was an underrated player, but him being hurt puts him behind the 8 ball. He is going to have to compete with young hungry competition. I think he will make the teams based on his experience though. Question will be what physical shape is he in. Our run defense suffered without him though last year.

Dan Skuta - D

He is a special teams player, similar to Rock Cartwright.

Corey Lemonier - C-

I think that he will be Parys Haralson's biggest competition. Similar size, but Lemonier is younger and can pass rush as well. I think he will be behind Haralson this year, but he will ultimately succeed Haralson in future years.

Nick Moody - D+

I think Nick Moody will be an ILB in the NFL, but I think he will have to compete with Dan Skuta and Nathan Stupar, who are more experienced than he is and are special teamers. I think he makes the team as the 50th man on the roster.

Nathan Stupar - C-

With the Injuries going on, some of these marginal players could end up on the roster. Stupar is young and has upside. I think he can be a specialist.

Cam Johnson - D

If he doesn't show sufficient recovery from his injury, he could find himself waived. We just don't have the roster space.

Michael Wilhoite - C+

Since Patrick Willis is sitting on the bench, Wilhoite has been flying under the radar and is now getting praise as a very solid linebacker. He may end up as a rotational player to spell Bowman or Willis.


Synopsis: We have the best LB corps in the league and it's not even close. We have some promising depth as will, many of whom can contribute as specialists. This unit is why we have some of the best defense in the league. Who has it better than us?

 

[B90X]

Is Okoye expected to make the final roster?

No...he's seen as a major project. They'll stash him on the practice squad if he clears waivers when they cut him (probably final cuts to get to 53) and develop him for the upcoming season.

 

[Dat916nigga]

aj...doesn't suck?

 

[B90X]

aj...doesn't suck?

He's had 2 solid practices...we'll see if this momentum carries over or if this was just a flash in the pan. I expect him to play a lot on Thursday and get a lot of passes thrown his way.

It's sink or swim for him...

 

[feelosofer]

Any ideas about camp so far? Are you concerned about the CB situation because I'm not so much, I feel in times of injuries, the cream rises to the top.

 

[feelosofer]

Cornerbacks

Chris Culliver - B

A rising star, I think he could eventually be out #1. He has the speed and skill but his decision making needs work. That will come with time. Unfortunately he is out for the season.

Nnamdi Asumougha - C

I don't know how much he has left in the tank, but in our defense which is physical, it should support his playstyle. I expect him to be a contributor if he doesn't start.

Carlos Rogers - C

I think he can still be a good corner but he regressed last year and quite frankly, I think he is vastly overpaid at this point in his career. I think he needs to restructure his contract to be more cap friendly, or depending on how some of the younger guys perform, I think we may need to cut ties with him. Even with the dead money we still save about 3 milly in cap room.

Tarell Brown - B

I think he is an unsung hero. I think he is our most consistent CB and maybe our best low key. He has no real great strengths, but he is a sure tackler and understands our defense. He is in his prime and I think he is due for an extension before he realizes his true value.

Perrish Cox - B-

I think he is the best pure cover corner on our team and we don't realize it. He doesn't have great stats individually but he needs a long-term extension. He is only going to get better. Do it Baalke. Either way, his playing time will increase considerably with Cully being out.

Marcus Cooper - C-

I saw this kid play at Rutgers, he is underrated. He could be the guy to replace Carlos Rogers in time. He's long, athletic, and has a good eye for the ball, but I expect him in Special Teams mostly this year.

Darryl Morris - D

He will likely be a practice squad player, but he is showing some flashes in camp so I upped his grade.

Tremaine Brock - D+

With the talent we added this offseason at CB, I think he will be cut, there is just no room for him, imo. But he played well in the 1st preseason game, I may be premature.

Eric Wright - D

This dude is an unknown. He was talented in Tampa Bay but can he get through the fog of his off the field problems and contribute? Time will tell.

Rose Lowell - F

Practice Squad most likely.

Synopsis: I am not as worried as some one here about the CB situation. I think some young guys will step up and we'll be fine.

 

[yseJ]

Any ideas about camp so far? Are you concerned about the CB situation because I'm not so much, I feel in times of injuries, the cream rises to the top.

there has been quite a bit of discussion on Fangio's statement about Nnamdi on Niner boards, and no one besides him knows the extent of the statement and its implication. Like he is really not doing well to the point Brock is #3 CB or is Fangio just kinda hazy about it ? No one knows.

to me, Nnamdi is key (besides FS which is more of a concern imo). Brown grew into a pretty damn good zone corner and Los can still play the slot. I think as long as they keep Nnamdi from playing zone, he and the team should be ok

 

[DirtyDee]

there has been quite a bit of discussion on Fangio's statement about Nnamdi on Niner boards, and no one besides him knows the extent of the statement and its implication. Like he is really not doing well to the point Brock is #3 CB or is Fangio just kinda hazy about it ? No one knows.

to me, Nnamdi is key (besides FS which is more of a concern imo). Brown grew into a pretty damn good zone corner and Los can still play the slot. I think as long as they keep Nnamdi from playing zone, he and the team should be ok

I've been reading reports from training camp for weeks now, and i read an interesting piece in bleacher Report that said Fangio is purposely not being forthright when publicly evaluating his players.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...layers-off-to-the-best-start-at-training-camp

 

[feelosofer]

there has been quite a bit of discussion on Fangio's statement about Nnamdi on Niner boards, and no one besides him knows the extent of the statement and its implication. Like he is really not doing well to the point Brock is #3 CB or is Fangio just kinda hazy about it ? No one knows.

to me, Nnamdi is key (besides FS which is more of a concern imo). Brown grew into a pretty damn good zone corner and Los can still play the slot. I think as long as they keep Nnamdi from playing zone, he and the team should be ok

I think that Perrish Cox should get a bigger role this year, despite some mental lapses, I think he is a talented pure cover corner, and he has some size to him as well. I think he will get more snaps in the preseason game.

I also think Fangio is being mums on Nnamd on purpose.

 

[yseJ]

I think that Perrish Cox should get a bigger role this year, despite some mental lapses, I think he is a talented pure cover corner, and he has some size to him as well. I think he will get more snaps in the preseason game.
.

I agree- like Ive said before I think Cox is pretty good and I really, really dislike Brock.

I hope its true about Fangio, but hes not really being mum- he explicitly said that Nnamdi's progress is so-so. Nnamdi was godawful in zone last year and this camp hes answered questions and referred to Fangios system as a mix of zone and man, a bit more zone than man (which we know already to be true). I think as long as they are on the same page it'll be OK. Brock is just a liability so if we have a Nnamdi/Cox platoon at CB3 Id be happy.

 

[feelosofer]

I agree- like Ive said before I think Cox is pretty good and I really, really dislike Brock.

I hope its true about Fangio, but hes not really being mum- he explicitly said that Nnamdi's progress is so-so. Nnamdi was godawful in zone last year and this camp hes answered questions and referred to Fangios system as a mix of zone and man, a bit more zone than man (which we know already to be true). I think as long as they are on the same page it'll be OK. Brock is just a liability so if we have a Nnamdi/Cox platoon at CB3 Id be happy.

I expect Tremain Brock to be cut. I think that kid from Rutgers, Marcus Cooper could do he does and has upside.

Also I was just reading about Arizona's camp. Honey Badger is flying up the depth chart. At this rate it could be him and Patrick Peterson together, plus they could switch to a 4-3 defense.

 

[yseJ]

I expect Tremain Brock to be cut. I think that kid from Rutgers, Marcus Cooper could do he does and has upside.

Also I was just reading about Arizona's camp. Honey Badger is flying up the depth chart. At this rate it could be him and Patrick Peterson together, plus they could switch to a 4-3 defense.

I doubt brock will be cut and about honey badger- yeah, I more or less expected it. kid just plays with sheer ferocity on every down.

 

[FaTaL]

I doubt brock will be cut and about honey badger- yeah, I more or less expected it. kid just plays with sheer ferocity on every down.

i wont believe it until i see him on a nfl field, his lack of size is a huge concern. he should be a great punt returner though

 

[yseJ]

i wont believe it until i see him on a nfl field, his lack of size is a huge concern. he should be a great punt returner though

he'll have some growing pains while trying to gamble a lot, but I think he'll be at least decent. tarrell brown is 5-10 and 193 lbs, honey badgers is 5-9, 186 ? kinda negligible difference imo, theyre both small but not too small to play decent in the league