Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Damn he was there at 31 and Balt got him. If that trade didn't go through this might have been the next best option.
Baltimore took em at 32 if i recall.
His arms weren't long enough.
Joking aside, I think that it may have come down to who fit the scheme. Elam is one of those players that goes full throttle every play and thrives when allowed to roam and use his instincts and athleticism to make plays. It seems to me that in selecting Reid, the 49ers are showing that they were more interested in a player that was assignment sound and played within the system so that he would be where Fangio wanted him on any given play.
Both players did tend to be over aggressive at times, though. It's difficult to say for sure how each will translate to the NFL, but I think the Ravens got the better player for their team and we got the better player for ours. The Ravens signed Huff, so that should allow Elam to roam and make plays. Elam very well may end up being the new leader of that team, too. On the other side, the 49ers have Whitner who is a good smart football player and does a good job getting the secondary into position, but we all know his problem is more physical than mental. We'll see how things play out, but all signs point to Reid inheriting that green dot after this season. Well, that appears to be the plan, anyway.... It seems wise to give Reid a season to acclimate before giving him too much responsibility.
I think both will be good. I do think Elam will have a better chance of getting awards and accolades because he will be in a better position to put up stats and he's likely to be the more exciting player... his on-field personality won't hurt that, either.
