Revenge is a Dish Best Served GOLD: The Official 2012 SF 49ers Season Thread

[LastEmperor2k2]

For those who hate Alex, keep hating him.

But Alex is our best bet right now and he is going to make the doubters eat crow, everything coming out of camp is basically indicating he is throwing marked improvement in almost every area.

Sometimes you have to let the past go, Alex is a metaphor for the whole franchise for 8 years, was awful due to terrible leadership, is shining under new management.

I believe he is fully capable of making this a SB winning team, maybe not this year, but give him and Harbaugh a couple of years together, and we can see #6

 

[yseJ]

I checked us out vs the vikes i must say we are going to be a headache for anyone

dont see how these two things are connected
we were a problem for anyone last year already

and the preseason game is so meaningless...you cant draw any conclusions from it besides particular plays. even then, its not clear-cut at all. both dlines were resting elite players like justin smith and jared allen, etc. AD and Gore didnt play, etc.

some players dont go as hard in preseason. preseason is all about players getting into shape and backups trying to earn a job...while third stringers are trying not to get cut.

 

[yseJ]

Ok so, I have an idea. I'm going to go over all our guys on the team. I going to say what I think of them, assign a grade based on past performance and future impact and you can agree disagree or add on. So I will start with the biggest point of contention or maybe the least. The offensive side of ball. I will start from starter to backups

Quarterbacks:

Alex Smith: Alex has been a bust for most of his career, but the end of 2010, 2011 and so far now he has made some considerable strides. We can talk about how he has been on the OC carousel and the head coaching carousel, we can talk about hoe Mike Singletary got all reactionary and benched him prematurely. But all in all he has not lived up to the hype. Alex Smith at this point in his career can still be a good QB, if not elite. He is getting better in his accuracy, he is making better decisions in his passing and he has proven to quite mobile. On the downside, his stats make him a bottom tier passer despite keeping his interceptions low. Jim Harbaugh has worked nothing short of miracles with him and I think he will improve this year.

Grade: B

Colin Kaepernick: I can only go by his college performances and what I've seen of him in the past 2 pre-seasons and the Tampa Bay game. He is a very good playmaker with his feet, but based on what I've seen, he is not a great passer. He has a cannon for an arm, but his accuracy leaves something to be desired and that's putting it lightly. On the other hand I think he can be a potential stater down the line and that's like 3 years. As of now though...

Grade: C+ but i'll give him B- based on his potential curve.

Scott Tolzien: Based on what his preseason and having got seen some of his college play. I think he will be a career journeyman. He is the opposite of Kaep in that, he lacks any real physical skills, but he's smart and makes few mistakes. I think that he will beat out Josh Johnson and stay on the team for the foreseeable future as a backup, to whoever starts.

Grade: C

Josh Johnson: I think he is like Kaep but he has none of the upside. I think they brought him on because of his familiarity with Harbaugh but we aren't keep 4 QB's on the team and I think he Kaep may not be as good, now as him but he Kaep will improve, not sure if Johnson can, and even if he can, he has nowhere near as much upside. If Tampa Bay didn't have a reason to fight for the dude, despite being ideal for their offense on paper, then neither do we.

Grade: D+

grading players like this is extremely hard to me. like, I liked what alex did last year, but if we're really grading on past performances...I cant give him a B at all, because he has had quite a few terrible years...so I think the best way if u want to evaluate a player...kinda need to take a snapshot and decide on a concrete timeframe

just my 2 cents tho, do ur thing brehski

 

[JLova]

For those who hate Alex, keep hating him.

But Alex is our best bet right now and he is going to make the doubters eat crow, everything coming out of camp is basically indicating he is throwing marked improvement in almost every area.

Sometimes you have to let the past go, Alex is a metaphor for the whole franchise for 8 years, was awful due to terrible leadership, is shining under new management.

I believe he is fully capable of making this a SB winning team, maybe not this year, but give him and Harbaugh a couple of years together, and we can see #6

 

[feelosofer]

grading players like this is extremely hard to me. like, I liked what alex did last year, but if we're really grading on past performances...I cant give him a B at all, because he has had quite a few terrible years...so I think the best way if u want to evaluate a player...kinda need to take a snapshot and decide on a concrete timeframe

just my 2 cents tho, do ur thing brehski

I set the grade based on his performance last year and how I think he can do this year and moving forward. I think his stats go up this year, I expect him to throw for more yards and score more touchdowns, yea, if I went throughout his career, he'd be a C.

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

I set the grade based on his performance last year and how I think he can do this year and moving forward. I think his stats go up this year, I expect him to throw for more yards and score more touchdowns, yea, if I went throughout his career, he'd be a C.

Alex's stats will probably go up in all areas, TD's, Yards and interceptions. I can see him being 25 TD's 3700 yarda and 9 picks

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

Alex throwing with great accuracy. Keep hating him though

https://twitter.com/MaioccoCSN/status/235774504826191872

http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-...th-better-accuracy?blockID=757289&feedID=5936

SANTA CLARA -- Quarterback Alex Smith has looked good during the offseason months in previous years. But he has never looked quite like this.

His strong training camp continued Tuesday with an outstanding start to the 49ers' three-hour practice. The only incomplete pass among his first 25 attempts came when his toss to Randy Moss, running the back line of the end zone, zipped through Moss' hands.

Smith's next two incomplete passes were deep attempts to tight end Vernon Davis late in practice. Three of Smith's final four attempts were incomplete -- no need to sound the alarm.

Smith looks to be better at every aspect of his game. Obviously, with a year of experience working with Jim Harbaugh, Greg Roman and Geep Chryst, his knowledge of the system is better than ever.

Examining him with the naked eye -- usually from a hundred yards away, where the media is stationed during practices -- it's impossible to pinpoint any dramatic mechanical differences. But the Alex Smith I've seen through 14 practices has been noticeably more accurate with his short, intermediate and deep passes. He also appears to be quicker with his decision-making.

I'm not predicting a Pro Bowl season for Smith. But I am predicting the 49ers' passing game will be more formidable than a year ago when the team ranked 31st in the league in third-down conversions and 29th in passing yards.

The 49ers have surrounded Smith with better options. As written and talked about after the 49ers' exhibition opener, look for the 49ers to use a lot more variety in the passing game. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis are the team's top targets, and expect Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to share time as the Nos. 2 and 3 wideouts.

Smith signed a three-year, $24 million contract in the offseason. His average salary places him in a tie with Matt Schaub for 18th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Schaub and Joe Flacco, whose contracts expire after this season, will likely bump Smith down to No. 20 next year.

Once thought to be worth nowhere near the financial investment of the No. 1 overall pick, Smith could become one of the best bargain players in the NFL if his training camp carries over to the regular season.

 

[JLova]

Alex throwing with great accuracy. Keep hating him though

https://twitter.com/MaioccoCSN/status/235774504826191872

Alex Smith throwing with better accuracy

SANTA CLARA -- Quarterback Alex Smith has looked good during the offseason months in previous years. But he has never looked quite like this.

His strong training camp continued Tuesday with an outstanding start to the 49ers' three-hour practice. The only incomplete pass among his first 25 attempts came when his toss to Randy Moss, running the back line of the end zone, zipped through Moss' hands.

Smith's next two incomplete passes were deep attempts to tight end Vernon Davis late in practice. Three of Smith's final four attempts were incomplete -- no need to sound the alarm.

Smith looks to be better at every aspect of his game. Obviously, with a year of experience working with Jim Harbaugh, Greg Roman and Geep Chryst, his knowledge of the system is better than ever.

Examining him with the naked eye -- usually from a hundred yards away, where the media is stationed during practices -- it's impossible to pinpoint any dramatic mechanical differences. But the Alex Smith I've seen through 14 practices has been noticeably more accurate with his short, intermediate and deep passes. He also appears to be quicker with his decision-making.

I'm not predicting a Pro Bowl season for Smith. But I am predicting the 49ers' passing game will be more formidable than a year ago when the team ranked 31st in the league in third-down conversions and 29th in passing yards.

The 49ers have surrounded Smith with better options. As written and talked about after the 49ers' exhibition opener, look for the 49ers to use a lot more variety in the passing game. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis are the team's top targets, and expect Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to share time as the Nos. 2 and 3 wideouts.

Smith signed a three-year, $24 million contract in the offseason. His average salary places him in a tie with Matt Schaub for 18th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Schaub and Joe Flacco, whose contracts expire after this season, will likely bump Smith down to No. 20 next year.

Once thought to be worth nowhere near the financial investment of the No. 1 overall pick, Smith could become one of the best bargain players in the NFL if his training camp carries over to the regular season.

You're crying about hate yet you do nothing but shyt on Crabs. He has had a great camp yet you continue to "hate".

You belong on the 9ers board. Alex Smith fan first...9er fan second. fukk out my face.

Alex has always looked good in practice. Lets see how that translates on gameday. If he can be more than a game manager then we'll all be happy.

 

[Heretic]

For those who hate Alex, keep hating him.

But Alex is our best bet right now and he is going to make the doubters eat crow, everything coming out of camp is basically indicating he is throwing marked improvement in almost every area.

Sometimes you have to let the past go, Alex is a metaphor for the whole franchise for 8 years, was awful due to terrible leadership, is shining under new management.

I believe he is fully capable of making this a SB winning team, maybe not this year, but give him and Harbaugh a couple of years together, and we can see #6

I look at it like this. This organization was run so badly that we could have drafted aaron rodgers and he would have looked just as bad. Also he had no continuity for o.c. And it's even more sad when you look at the receivers he's had to throw to. We couldn't even use vd as a receiver early on because he was our best blocker and the line was shyt. It's even more sad when the best receiver we had statwise outside of vd was antonio bryant. Trust me alex to me is basically a second year player, he wasnt coached worth shyt while nolan and singletary were here. You've seen what he can do last year and that was really the 1st time he's been able to play free, and that's once again without a true number 1 receiver.

 

[JLova]

I look at it like this. This organization was run so badly that we could have drafted aaron rodgers and he would have looked just as bad. Also he had no continuity for o.c. And it's even more sad when you look at the receivers he's had to throw to. We couldn't even use vd as a receiver early on because he was our best blocker and the line was shyt. It's even more sad when the best receiver we had statwise outside of vd was antonio bryant. Trust me alex to me is basically a second year player, he wasnt coached worth shyt while nolan and singletary were here. You've seen what he can do last year and that was really the 1st time he's been able to play free, and that's once again without a true number 1 receiver.

Why stop at Aaron Rodgers?...I mean, Montana, Manning, Brady would have been shyt too . The dude sucked, OK? Just like Carr sucked...just like Jamarcus sucked, Tim Couch, etc. The front office and coaching staff was innept, but that also helped him too, because a competent staff would not have kept him this long.

I don't think I've ever heard more excuses for a player in all of sports. He's a 2nd year player?

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

I look at it like this. This organization was run so badly that we could have drafted aaron rodgers and he would have looked just as bad. Also he had no continuity for o.c. And it's even more sad when you look at the receivers he's had to throw to. We couldn't even use vd as a receiver early on because he was our best blocker and the line was shyt. It's even more sad when the best receiver we had statwise outside of vd was antonio bryant. Trust me alex to me is basically a second year player, he wasnt coached worth shyt while nolan and singletary were here. You've seen what he can do last year and that was really the 1st time he's been able to play free, and that's once again without a true number 1 receiver.

That's where i`m at. I was sick and tired of Alex after the Sing era, I was ready to move on, but with Harbaugh you see that really, the kid never got a fair shake anyway. I wasn't pro Alex at the beginning of last year, I was just dealing with him, now I see he wasn't that bad after all.

He was undermined from almost every coach he had. You see this now when he actually has a coach who knows how to coach a QB and he excels. Nolan would question his toughness when he had a separated shoulder. Singletary was just one of the worst coaches of all time, and you look at the lack of talent at WR and it's easy to understand why Alex sucked so much.

People forget Rodgers sat for years behind a legend and learned the game and stepped into a situation with a top 3 WR corps and flourished with an offensive minded head coach.

This year every single thing you hear about Alex is improvement, now imagine he gets 3 more years under Harbaugh. He's only 27 he hasn't even hit his physical peak as an athlete yet

 

[Heretic]

Why stop at Aaron Rodgers?...I mean, Montana, Manning, Brady would have been shyt too . The dude sucked, OK? Just like Carr sucked...just like Jamarcus sucked, Tim Couch, etc. The front office and coaching staff was innept, but that also helped him too, because a competent staff would not have kept him this long.

I don't think I've ever heard more excuses for a player in all of sports. He's a 2nd year player?

Look at what montana had, rice and john taylor, manning had harrison and wayne, brady has maybe the best line in football along with welker hernandez gronkowski and moss went nuts with them. also look at who coached thise guys, now apply that same logic to alex. It's no coincidence that alex had the best season of his career when he got a competent coach. Lastly me saying he's a 2nd year player is in reference to the fact that it's obvious nobody coached the guy or helped him grow into the qb position for years. Im not saying he is a hall of famer but I also knew he wasnt as bad as he looked.

 

[feelosofer]

Ok onward to our running backs and fullbacks.

FB:

Bruce Miller: What a fukking STEAL we got in last years draft. I was skeptical of turning this defensive end into a fullback, but man oh man. I can't say enough good things about this kid. He is a very good blocker, he closes inside seals and does outside seals like an NFL veteran. He hits with a good pop. He can be a threat out the backfield (See Redskins game last year) and he's only 25. People say he is already one of the best fullbacks in the L in his 2nd year and I think he will be at least as good as Fred Beasley and twice as versatile.

Grade: A+

Bell Cameron: I know next to nothing about this dude, I'm not going to front please clue me in. I assume he's just a practice squad dude to me.

Grade: INC

Rock Cartright: He is a good special teams player, and a better back. From the look of things he will replace Anthony Dixon. He won't see too many snaps but he's a good depth player

Grade: C+


Running Backs

Frank Gore: Frank Gore is nearing the end of his career as a feature back. Unfortunately shyt coaching, bad playcalling and hard hits have made him an old 28. But he keeps rumbling and bumbling and I respect that. He is still the soul of this offense and the Red and Gold way and is still a top 10 running back, imo. What he has lost in speed, he still has in elite field vision and smart play. He can't hit home runs anymore but he can still bust out good 7-15 yd runs. He's still a good blocker and he can catch out the backfield. He will be the starter this year, but it will likely be his last.

Grade: B+

Kendall Hunter: I think he will be the back of the future or at worst part of a 2 man tornado with LaMichael James. I don't think he's a great runner between the tackles and he's a so-so blocker. But he has great burst out the line and was a steal at the 4th Round of 2011. He also has great homerun ability and can be crafty in the open field. He has a great future ahead of him

Grade: B

LaMichael James: My favorite draft pick this year. People say he can't be an every down back. I disagree, he has elite speed and quickness and he runs low to the ground and has a surprising amount of power. He can catch out the backfield as well. He needs to take better angles as a blocker, but when he hits he hits surprisingly hard and can be an asset in the pass game as well. Barring any severe injuries, he will be an great back and could possibly be a starter, or a part of a tandem. Teams in the league beware. Just having a guy like this on our team just gave us an extra 100 plays in our offense.

Grade: A- based on potential.

Brandon Jacobs: I think that we will get the Brandon Jacobs of 2009-2010, imo. Seeing him in training camp, he looks more like a true power back instead of an out of shape fullback. He slimmed down, looks more defined (no homo) and looked great in the Vikings game. He will be an awesome 3rd down back for us and another free agency steal. But I have to dock him due to his limited role and the fact that he was bad last year

Grade: C+ but we'll see.


Anthony Dixon:Has gotten physically better and while he may not have the upside we thought he had drafting him, I think he can be a Michael Robinson type player that does many things on the team or I would be saying this but I expect him to be the odd man out, this year, he will be cut and some other team will pick him up. So I can't give him a good grade, he was bad last year and he will likely not make the 53-man roster.

Grade: D+

Despite not having an elite individual player we have one of the best collectives in the league, as a unit I'd still give us an A.

 

[Heretic]

That's where i`m at. I was sick and tired of Alex after the Sing era, I was ready to move on, but with Harbaugh you see that really, the kid never got a fair shake anyway. I wasn't pro Alex at the beginning of last year, I was just dealing with him, now I see he wasn't that bad after all.

He was undermined from almost every coach he had. You see this now when he actually has a coach who knows how to coach a QB and he excels. Nolan would question his toughness when he had a separated shoulder. Singletary was just one of the worst coaches of all time, and you look at the lack of talent at WR and it's easy to understand why Alex sucked so much.

People forget Rodgers sat for years behind a legend and learned the game and stepped into a situation with a top 3 WR corps and flourished with an offensive minded head coach.

This year every single thing you hear about Alex is improvement, now imagine he gets 3 more years under Harbaugh. He's only 27 he hasn't even hit his physical peak as an athlete yet

That's pretty much how I felt but then I thought about how bad the line was and the fact that vernon davis couldnt even be used properly because he had to stay back and block amd not one go to receiver. I mean dude had arnaz battle at one point as a number one guy...

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

Look at what montana had, rice and john taylor, manning had harrison and wayne, brady has maybe the best line in football along with welker hernandez gronkowski and moss went nuts with them. also look at who coached thise guys, now apply that same logic to alex. It's no coincidence that alex had the best season of his career when he got a competent coach. Lastly me saying he's a 2nd year player is in reference to the fact that it's obvious nobody coached the guy or helped him grow into the qb position for years. Im not saying he is a hall of famer but I also knew he wasnt as bad as he looked.

Dead on homeboy.

Tom Brady would have never succeeded under Nolan & Singletary.