Why the 2012 Draft was a big fail.

Part of the reason the 2012 draft was so bad was because we only had two picks (30, 61) in the top 100. When you whiff on pick #30, you are unlikely to recover. 2010 was a great draft as we'll (A. Davis, Iupati, Bowman...) but people tend to forget that we missed badly on a high 2nd round draft pick in that draft as well (Taylor Mays). Sometimes, stuff happens. No reason to get too worked up about it.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Nobody knows, not even HarBaalke, why the 2012 draft was a fail. Sometimes, s**t doesn't go the way you planned, and there could be (and often is) a myriad of reasons for that. However, it's in our nature to assign blame and often in the most simplistic ways, instead of understanding the nuances that go into both the decision making process and the variables in play that ultimately produce the final results.

We want/need black and white versions of the story when the vast majority of events in this world are grayish.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry=A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

I tend to disagree. The Niners fired their midwest scout 3-4 weeks after the draft, which was the region that more than half our draft came from that year. I think he relied to heavily on his scouts and I believe it shows in the deviance from strategy to previous years and drafts since.

The greatest screw up in the 2012 is the least discussed. The trade with the Colts that was much lauded (at the time) in the third round netted them.....TY Hilton. Wouldn't he look good in a Niners' uniform?

When it comes down to it....GMs are going to screw up more than hit. Baalke simply had a bad draft. It is a very inexact science, and the oes that hit more than others stick around longer. Overall, on paper, Baalke has been quite good to this point, although it takes years for a few evaluation. The 2013 and 2014 drafts are key to a fair evaluation. So far, so good in my estimation.

i dont think the 2012 drafts were good to a lot of teams aside from the Colts, Redskins, Seahawks, and bears

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

The greatest screw up in the 2012 is the least discussed. The trade with the Colts that was much lauded (at the time) in the third round netted them.....TY Hilton. Wouldn't he look good in a Niners' uniform?

When it comes down to it....GMs are going to screw up more than hit. Baalke simply had a bad draft. It is a very inexact science, and the oes that hit more than others stick around longer. Overall, on paper, Baalke has been quite good to this point, although it takes years for a few evaluation. The 2013 and 2014 drafts are key to a fair evaluation. So far, so good in my estimation.

No, He has been excellent overall, not just on paper.

Bill Polian said the GM is supposed to get you to the conference championship game. Baalke is 3/3 in that regard.

Originally posted by buck:
I thought the physical with an "F" concept arose with Singletary ; not Baalke or Harbaugh.

yeah agreed, someone is a bit confused

The clear fail was AJ. He just doesn't have enough passion for the game to play at a professional level. That doesn't make him a bad person, but it sure makes him a bad first round choice. I think that he doesn't have sufficient passion for the game is something they should have ferreted out before choosing him in the first round.

I'm not as bothered by the LMJ pick. He certainly has passion for the game and he's contributed meaningfully during games (which is more than a lot of second round picks ever do). I don't know if it was a change in offensive philosophy (or a choice not to make a change), but LMJ does seem like an odd choice for the kind of offense the 9ers have run. LMJ as a professional football player is not a bust, but choosing him in the second round for the 9ers was not good.

Originally posted by Quest4six:

Originally posted by Scoots:
Okay ... you said putting the blame on Baalke isn't very accurate. Baalke absolutely gets the blame. He made the picks he gets the blame and I bet he'd agree with me. Now it's not all his FAULT, but the blame lands square on the desk of the man who makes the final call. He wants the credit, he has to take the blame.

I understood what he was trying to do and I can see where some of the failure had to do with the coaches and/or bad luck ... but that doesn't change the fact that the draft was an amazing swing and a miss. By the end of this offseason there may be no player on the roster from a draft 2 years ago. That's amazing, particularly considering what he did in 2011, 2013, and 2014.

Probably should have clarified.
The original thread blames Baalke 100% and talks about how he didn't stay true to Singletary's ideals.

I think if LMJ would have gone to a team like the Pack, or the Saints... He would have been a starter and having a lot better career.
I'm going to blame LMJ's troubles here on Roman, not Baalke.
AJ Jenkins, that one can go on Baalke/Roman.

Baalke picked LMJ knowing he did not fit Harbaugh/Roman's system.

How you don't see that as Baalke's fault is beyond me (most of us).

Originally posted by Quest4six:
This guy is saying that.
The post this clarity guy failed to quote before this one spurred this conversation.
This conversation was based on a discussion I had with another poster about how the thread maker failed to spread the blame on those whom are responsible, instead of just focusing on Baalke.

I get he is responsible for the draft, but how a player does after the draft isn't all Baalke's fault.

By your logic, Baalke shouldn't get credit for the way his good picks panned out, either. So, in your mind, what exactly should he be credited for? What does he do for the team?

Originally posted by Empire49:

Originally posted by Quest4six:

This guy is saying that.
The post this clarity guy failed to quote before this one spurred this conversation.
This conversation was based on a discussion I had with another poster about how the thread maker failed to spread the blame on those whom are responsible, instead of just focusing on Baalke.

I get he is responsible for the draft, but how a player does after the draft isn't all Baalke's fault.

By your logic, Baalke shouldn't get credit for the way his good picks panned out, either. So, in your mind, what exactly should he be credited for? What does he do for the team?

I don't see that logic but the argument isn't going any place.

Originally posted by Empire49:
Baalke picked LMJ knowing he did not fit Harbaugh/Roman's system.

How you don't see that as Baalke's fault is beyond me (most of us).

Originally posted by Empire49:
By your logic, Baalke shouldn't get credit for the way his good picks panned out, either. So, in your mind, what exactly should he be credited for? What does he do for the team?

You are coming into this conversation a little late.

All I am saying is that pointing the finger at ONLY Baalke isn't correct. (most of it is his fault, I get that)
I used LMJ as an example because if Roman would have utilized him more, he probably would have been successful. (therefore Roman and Baalke get credit)

And no, that is not my logic, I've posted this about 5 times now. Baalke messed up, I am aware of that.
This is why you should go back and view the whole conversation, things tend to get out of context and if read the wrong way can be misunderstood.

If we traded LMJ to the Saints, and he ended up having a Sproles type season. Who would you blame for him not doing well here? Baalke or Roman?


I also have a problem with this quote here,
Baalke picked LMJ knowing he did not fit Harbaugh/Roman's system.

So you are telling me that Baalke picked LMJ on his own doing? You believe that Roman and Harbs didn't tell Baalke they were interested in him?

^
Just an FYI, your answer to those questions I just asked you is what I have been trying to tell people on this thread all along.

Originally posted by 49erphan:

The clear fail was AJ. He just doesn't have enough passion for the game to play at a professional level. That doesn't make him a bad person, but it sure makes him a bad first round choice. I think that he doesn't have sufficient passion for the game is something they should have ferreted out before choosing him in the first round.

I'm not as bothered by the LMJ pick. He certainly has passion for the game and he's contributed meaningfully during games (which is more than a lot of second round picks ever do). I don't know if it was a change in offensive philosophy (or a choice not to make a change), but LMJ does seem like an odd choice for the kind of offense the 9ers have run. LMJ as a professional football player is not a bust, but choosing him in the second round for the 9ers was not good.

The 2012 class wasn't a total loss. UDFA's Dobbs and Ian made the team in a weak draft. You can argue that Baalke screwed up the first pick, but at least salvaged that class with some good UDFA's.

IMHO Dobbs and Ian don't count as part of a draft class because the UD in UDFA stands for Un-Drafted.

LMJ is a fail because LMJ either can't or won't learn pass protection. Baalke gets the blame because that's his job, but it's LMJ's fault.

Originally posted by JimHarbaugh:
2012 was a terrible draft luckily it was sandwiched between 2 amazing drafts.

That actually remains to be seen. Reid's the only one who has actually stood out as an immediate contributor. Everyone else is untested potential.