OTC's 49ers Draft Grade and Analysis

Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:

Originally posted by communist:
six top, high quality picks???? from where??? we just had one pick in each of the first three rounds.
expecting top picks on day 3 is quite unrealistic. therefore, instead of wasting low-round picks on guys who wont develop any further, i'd rather pick players with a high ceiling, especially if i manage a talented team. contrary to that, a franchise in a rebuilding mode indeed needs players who can make an impact today.

That's backwards. Franchises in rebuilding mode want players with high ceilings because they won't be competitive soon. Franchises who are already competitive want high floor immediate impact players. We're in rebuilding mode which explains all the projects.

agree to disagree.
A s**tty team needs some signs of life rathen than waiting for an improvement another year.
A talented team doesn't need that because it has almost all starting positions filled with quality anyway. You won't find prospects who can compete with proven starters that easy.

Originally posted by Butter:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Thanks for the write up!

I will disagree with the smelter pick I loved it. At that point if they were grabbing a wr I was hoping for him. He has the makeup of a solid wr just needs to get healthy...learning behind boldin and from our new wr coach for a year should do wonders....plus we will get to see what Patton and Ellington can really do this season.

My only real head scratcher was the punter pick in the 5th.

Thats the problem with almost all of the Baalke picks this year. He reached. The players arent bad, just poor value.

We don't really know if they're reaches until they play at this point it's all projections. I'm sure everyone thought that Justin Glibert wasn't a reach last year, but he's not looking like a top 10 pick so far.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by Butter:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Thanks for the write up!

I will disagree with the smelter pick I loved it. At that point if they were grabbing a wr I was hoping for him. He has the makeup of a solid wr just needs to get healthy...learning behind boldin and from our new wr coach for a year should do wonders....plus we will get to see what Patton and Ellington can really do this season.

My only real head scratcher was the punter pick in the 5th.

Thats the problem with almost all of the Baalke picks this year. He reached. The players arent bad, just poor value.

Originally posted by Dblj55:
Love your work OTC. However, I will never understand the argument of projects vs impact players. Every rookie is a project, no one comes fully developed. Are there players that require less development? Of course. There are no locks though. People who were upset we never drafted an "impact player" baffle me. Who was the impact player that people wanted? Marcus Peters? Irving? Ray? When I look at it, all these players need development and some come with baggage too. If the draft has taught me one thing over the years it's that you never know. Baalke clearly had a plan (big athletes) and stuck to it throughout the entire draft. Time will tell. I'm optimistic.

I appreciate the feedback from you guys. Thank you. If I may, let me clarify a little on my comments. A grade of "B" really isn't too bad, it's solid. One pick really ruined it from being a much better haul, but in terms of impact players vs. projects, what I mean is obviously there are some kids that are simply more "NFL Ready" than others. Whether it be system, physical limitations, mental maturity, or just the general level of skill in some aspect, some guys simply are more refined and ready to bring more immediate value to your team. Lots of parts to consider.

A "B" grade says, overall I don't hate the draft, I just hated one pick and was so-so on a couple others, while collectively feeling we could've done a little better job overall in maximizing value, while still achieving the goal of getting/staying bigger and faster. Just my opinion, and I could be wrong on those picks I was iffy about, we'll see. When day one of the regular comes, we'll see if things make more sense.

I think a B grade is solid a lot of these picks are very young and have the right tools to be great just need good coaching and some time.

This draft class overall wasn't really chalk full of day one starters IMO. A lot of talent, but very raw players. I wanted to move up for a top tier player because I felt we already had a lot of those "holes" filled....we will see in a year or two if this draft played out for Baalke.

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Summary: I'll admit, as much as I want to give "Bargain Bin" Baalke the benefit of the doubt, this latter half of the draft was painful. This is where Baalke is supposed to make his money, earn his keep. If some of these guys aren't at least role playing contributors, if they aren't at least on the team or practice squad (and that's at the absolute BARE MINIMUM), then the pick is completely wasted. THAT, my friends, is UNACCEPTABLE.

I'm not saying he's wasted them NOW. Not yet. But I'm very concerned that this may be the case. Maybe Baalke and the scouts saw things no one else did. Maybe. Maybe not. We had four picks after the 4th round. The outcome of these later picks will be a testament to how good Baalke & company really are. If none of them make the team, I will be furious. You can't throw away picks like that. You don't pick players you don't think can make the team and contribute. That's the whole point of the draft, so obviously they believe these guys were worth it.

I haven't seen the results yet, but I admit I was underwhelmed with some of the picks. The success of this is tied heavily -- check that, almost ENTIRELY -- to the long term development of some talented, but project players. I'll give Baalke credit for getting a couple more picks for next year again, but that doesn't change my grade much.

1. Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
While not a bad pick, he wasn't the best value on the board to me. There is obviously a lot of upside and his playoff/bowl game/championship performances were very good, but I thought he was a borderline 1st, early 2nd. Yes, his numbers weren't great partially due to the scheme and his role, but Henry Anderson played in the same scheme -- even spending some time at NT -- and put up superior numbers. GRADE: B+

2. Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
I graded Tartt as an early third rounder. Small school status bumped him down a little, but he competed well at the Senior Bowl and depending on how quick he adjusts, he can contribute in year one. He is one of the better safeties in a weak class and provides insurance if Reid gets hurt again. Slightly higher than I thought he'd go, but not exactly a reach when there was a chance another team probably would've taken him if we tried to trade back. Still, several players available here at WR I would've taken instead and then got a safety later. GRADE: B+

3. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
Still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected from a raw, 20 year old underclassman. He flashes potential and is the right value here in the 3rd. This is a good pick. GRADE: A

4. Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
This is a better pick than people think. Great red zone threat who is just scratching the surface of his potential. 6-6 260 yet quicker (6.88 3-cone time at combine) than most receivers. Bell talked about how at QB you're not focusing on the same kind of muscle development you do in the upper body at tight end and that he continues to get stronger and stronger there. Vernon likely isn't back in 2016 and if we cut ties with McDonald, Bell probably makes the team. Grade: A-

4. Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
Certainly needs to improve his conditioning and take care of his body so he stays healthy, but when he is healthy, he's a good, balanced player. Solid par-value pick here. GRADE: B+

4. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech
Was picked way sooner than I expected, and hopefully he can fully recover. The massive learning curve and the injury had me giving him a 6th - 7th round grade. While he has some skills to work with, I'd have waited at least until the 5th or so to take him. Reason? He'll likely miss all of this season. Even if he does recover, considering the learning curve in his next seasons, at best we have a good possession receiver in 3 years. GRADE: C+

5. Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
In researching the punter, his best ability was pinning teams inside the 20. But I don't think he was the best K/P in this class. Would have taken Justin Manton (who doubles as a kicker -- anyone remember the great Craig Hentrich?) in the 7th. He may eventually be something, but I'm sorry, I don't see him beating out Andy Lee or even making the PS, so I can't be on board with an underclassman punter this early. GRADE: F

6. Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College
He shut out Leonard Williams in their matchup this year in the sack/TFL column (although, he did have help some of the time on double-teams). But that was just one game. He does flash a nasty streak but he played much of the season below 300 pounds which probably hurt his value to some teams. Also comes with a variety of technical flaws and inconsistencies, but that's typical for a sixth rounder. PS Candidate and maybe someone to compete for a job in year two. GRADE: B-

7. Trenton Brown, OT, Florida
This pick I like. Massive lineman who is remarkably light on his feet for his size. If they conditioned him to lose even a little bit of that weight and play at around 335-340, you've got a developmental OT with swing-tackle potential. GRADE: A

7. Rory "Busta" Anderson, TE, South Carolina
I actually mocked him to the 49ers a couple months back. Thought he was a very, very strange candidate for us to pick him if he was still here and sure enough, we did. Zero risk, high reward. Very athletic TE who could contribute if only he could stay healthy. Still think there were better players on the board, but I'm OK with this pick. B+


Overall grade: B

Bottom Line: Even though I like several of the players, the simple fact remains is that we were aware that none of these players were likely instant impact players, and we were okay with that. I cannot reconcile that as a fan. I am not a proponent of making your entire draft contingent upon projects developing. There needs to be balance, and having some projects and some immediate contributors throughout your draft should be the goal. We really didn't appear to do that -- or have any intention of doing that -- this year. When your "projects" aren't good enough -- and you already knew that there's a good chance they don't make the team -- and you take them anyway, that is wasteful, ineffecient drafting that won't get you maximum value to your team. The success of the players in the second half of this draft will tell us either Baalke knew something we didn't, or he's just not as good of a talent evaluator as some think.

I think a big part of the reason why they went with so many projects is that they have so many other guys who either haven't played or haven't gotten a chance to play much that they believe can make an impact. Reaser, Acker, Johnson, Thomas, Ramsay, Millard, Patton, Ellington, McDonald....etc....if you believe that those guys are ready for prime time, it changes things a lot.

Good post. If even half of these guys turn out to earn substantial play time, it will be a success. That is why this year's draft is frustrating to evaluate. AA is an example: If Justin comes back for one more year, Armstead wouldn't see much playing time anyway, but in the meantime he will be learning from one of the best. OTOH, if Smith does retire, Armstead is a logical replacement but would have to compete with Carradine and Dial for PT in a rotation.

My main point is that this draft is largely about looking down the road. "What do we have if..." is the message. What about if Reid turns out to have more concussion issues? What if Bethea starts to slow down? Tartt, though picked a bit early, was not likely going to be around later so grab a guy you know will fill a role even though you don't need him right now. You can make that same scenario on most of the picks. It is about drafting a year ahead of time so he will be seasoned when you really need him.

With the moves in FA, there were no glaring holes on the team. Yes, it would have been nice to have an impact player or two but I don't see many of them past the top 10-12. The rest are just very good players that will need some seasoning but will be very good when that happens.

B is an absolutely fair and honest grade IMHO. Like I said, grading is subjective obviously but most grades are assigned to the picks that where made in relation to where they were ranked on THEIR boards. Period. I take a BW approach...I don't care where a player was ranked or valued but rather, 1) was the player acquired or not and 2) does that player make a unit stronger (now OR later) and 3) do they fit our scheme.

From this perspective, this is a very high draft success. Just look at the following players who will FINALLY get a chance to compete THIS year alone from previous drafts/acquisitions:

Current Offensive Personnel:
QB: Blaine Gabbert
RB1: Carlos Hyde; Kendall Gaskins
RB2: Kendall Hunter
H-Back: Derek Carrier
TE: Vance McDonald; Garrett Celek, Asante Cleveland & Xavier Grimble
FB: Trey Millard
X: None
Y (SLOT): Bruce Ellington; Chuck Jacobs
Z: Quinton Patton
LOT: None
ROT: Chris Martin
LG: Brandon Thomas/Marcus Martin; Andrew Tiller
RG: Joe Looney
C: Daniel Kilgore/Marcus Martin; Dillon Farrell

Current Defensive Personnel:
RDE: Tank Carradine; Kaleb Ramsey & Lawrence Okoye
LDE: Quinton Dial; Tony Jerrod-Eddie
NT: Glenn Dorsey/Ian Williams; Mike Purcell & Garrison Smith
WILL: Corey Lemonier
SAM: Aaron Lynch
TED: Shayne Skov
MIKE: Nick Moody (Robber role now?)
RCB: Dontae Johnson & Leon McFadden
LCB: Chris Cook & Marcus Cromartie
SLOT: Kenneth Acker & Keith Reaser
NICKLE/DIME (SS/ILB): None
FS: L.J. McCray
SS: None

Current Special Teams:
LS: None
PK: None
P: None
PR/KOR: None

That's 40 players from a 90-man roster where players that were previously acquired or drafted, will get a legit chance to compete in a real, open-competitions. 40!

Now let's look at who gets to compete THIS year and NEXT year:

Current Offensive Personnel: (Injured Reserve) -- Starter -- Rookie
QB: Dylan Thompson/Blake Bell
RB1: Mike Davis
RB2: Kendall Hunter & Jarryd Hayne
H-Back: Derek Carrier
TE: Vance McDonald; Garrett Celek, Asante Cleveland, Xavier Grimble & Blake Bell
FB: Trey Millard
X: Rory 'Busta' Anderson & Issac Blakeney (DeAndre Smelter)
Y (SLOT): Chuck Jacobs, Darius Davis & DeAndrew White
Z: Quinton Patton, Jerome Simpson, Dres Anderson & DiAndre Campbell
LOT: Erik Pears & Patrick Miller
ROT: Chris Martin & Ian Silberman
LG: Marcus Martin; Andrew Tiller & Trenton Brown
RG: Joe Looney
C: Daniel Kilgore; Dillon Farrell

Current Defensive Personnel:
RDE: Tank Carradine/Darnell Dockett; Kaleb Ramsey & Lawrence Okoye
LDE: Quinton Dial/Arik Armstead; Tony Jerrod-Eddie
NT: Glenn Dorsey/Ian Williams; Mike Purcell & Garrison Smith
WILL: Eli Harold; Corey Lemonier
SAM: Aaron Lynch
TED: Philip Wheeler, Desmond Bishop & Shayne Skov
MIKE: Nick Moody, Nick Bellore & Marcus Rush
RCB: Dontae Johnson; Shareece Wright & Leon McFadden
LCB: Chris Cook & Marcus Cromartie
SLOT: Kenneth Acker & Keith Reaser
NICKLE/DIME (SS/ILB): Jaquiski Tartt
FS: L.J. McCray
SS: None

Current Special Teams:
LS: Kyle Nelson
PK: Bradley Pinion
P: Bradley Pinion
PR/KOR: Bruce Ellington; Reggie Bush, Kendall Hunter & Jarryd Hayne

In 2016 we're scheduled to lose the following players (most likely) so IMHO, these were MUST picks to keep that "championship window open." IMHO, this was a VERY responsible draft:

Arik Armstead for Justin Smith
Jaquiski Tartt for Antoine Bethea
Eli Harold/Aaron Lynch for Ahmad Brooks or Aldon Smith
Blake Bell for Vernon Davis
Mike Davis for any injury to our RB's (annual issue for us)
DeAndre Smelter for Anquan Boldin
Bradley Pinion for Phil Dawson/Andy Lee
Ian Silberman for Eric Pears
Trenton Brown for Mike Iupati's incumbent/backup (Thomas/M.Martin)
Rory 'Busta' Anderson for Anquan Boldin's incumbent/backup (Smelter)
Dylan Thompson for Practice Squad QB
Patrick Miller T for Eric Pears
Dres Anderson Z WR for J.Simpson
Darius Davis Z WR for J.Simpson
DiAndre Campbell Z WR for J.Simpson
Issac Blakeney X WR for Anquan Boldin's incumbent/backup (Smelter)
DeAndrew White Y WR for competition/depth for Ellington
Marcus Rush OLB/ILB for backup to the Robber ILB/SS position behind Tartt/Moody

While most players acquired this year will be worked in slowly in packages for offensive and defensive sets, their "leap year" (i.e. year 2 in the system) will be next year at the same rate we'll be losing some key veterans. That's key!

@NCommand, I have always felt we did a good job making sure to plan ahead, I just don't always agree with the way we've gone about doing that, or the players we've chosen to do that with. (2012 was based on the same strategy we have continued to use, but since it was awful, I actually believe we ultimately suffered in the 2014 season more so than we otherwise would have).

I will say that I love the UDFA class we acquired this year. I think we're set at WR with young talent for once, and I like what we have at OLB. Bowman's play this year will tell us where we're at as far as ILB.

Special note: Early reports from what I recall stated the 49ers are going to play Trenton Brown at tackle, not guard. That, I like.

Nice writeup OTC. My biggest head scratcher was Tartt. Like the player, but unless Ward or Reid flameout at safety, this guy has no "starter" position to play. Perhaps Ward stays at CB.

I have no idea how they rated punters and how Pinion got rated #11. I suppose hangtime was not weighted as much as distance? I agree that taking a punter in the 5th means he better win the job over the current punter on the roster.

Good point NC about how AA is 'raw', but he did play in a similar role in college, so there may less of a learning curve. He may just be a part of the DL rotation this season.

Also, I've seen some posters list "these would have been my picks" posts in other threads. When doing this, we have the benefit of knowing who is available in later rounds which helps when selecting players. When the draft is live, we don't know who would be available later in the draft.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
@NCommand, I have always felt we did a good job making sure to plan ahead, I just don't always agree with the way we've gone about doing that, or the players we've chosen to do that with. (2012 was based on the same strategy we have continued to use, but since it was awful, I actually believe we ultimately suffered in the 2014 season more so than we otherwise would have).

I will say that I love the UDFA class we acquired this year. I think we're set at WR with young talent for once, and I like what we have at OLB. Bowman's play this year will tell us where we're at as far as ILB.

Special note: Early reports from what I recall stated the 49ers are going to play Trenton Brown at tackle, not guard. That, I like.

Absolutely. That said, that depth we did acquire prior to and after 2012 was a HUGE part of why we ended with 8 wins last year and not 2 wins with 21 players ending the year on I.R. (and it should have easily been at least a 10-win team). So that same approach after 2011 (once we we went to the NFCCG), in 2012, 2013, 2014 and now, 2015 is a very sound approach in my mind b/c we're maintaining the opportunity to remain highly competitive (and deep in depth), fiscally responsible an that is hard to do in this era when you are continually successful annually - every year teams poach your PS, your cuts, target your FA's and overpay them, etc. Restocking. Now, did we restock with the right players? Are these the adequate replacements? That is a whole other topic!

Hyde/davis for Gore
Thomas for Iupati
Kilgore/M.Martin for Goodwin
T.Smith for Crabtree
CB1 & 2 for Culliver and Cox
Ward for Rogers in the slot
Arik Armstead for Justin Smith
Jaquiski Tartt for Antoine Bethea
Eli Harold/Aaron Lynch for Ahmad Brooks or Aldon Smith
Blake Bell for Vernon Davis Mike Davis for any injury to our RB's (annual issue for us)
DeAndre Smelter for Anquan Boldin
Bradley Pinion for Phil Dawson/Andy Lee
Ian Silberman for Eric Pears
Trenton Brown for Mike Iupati's incumbent/backup (Thomas/M.Martin)
Rory 'Busta' Anderson for Anquan Boldin's incumbent/backup (Smelter)
Dylan Thompson for Practice Squad QB
Patrick Miller for Eric Pears
Dres Anderson for J.Simpson
Darius Davis for J.Simpson
DiAndre Campbell for J.Simpson
Issac Blakeney for Anquan Boldin's incumbent/backup (Smelter)
DeAndrew White for competition/depth for Ellington
Marcus Rush for backup to the "Robber" ILB/SS position behind Tartt/Moody

Special note: OMG! I read that...6'8" 350 pound TACKLE. The guy can dunk...shows you how athletic he is and he must have excellent feet. I know Tomsula said they'd focus heavily on his diet but I just can't do it...I can't project him as a T right now. I just can't do it, man! Haha

Originally posted by thl408:
Nice writeup OTC. My biggest head scratcher was Tartt. Like the player, but unless Ward or Reid flameout at safety, this guy has no "starter" position to play. Perhaps Ward stays at CB.

I have no idea how they rated punters and how Pinion got rated #11. I suppose hangtime was not weighted as much as distance? I agree that taking a punter in the 5th means he better win the job over the current punter on the roster.

Good point NC about how AA is 'raw', but he did play in a similar role in college, so there may less of a learning curve. He may just be a part of the DL rotation this season.

Also, I've seen some posters list "these would have been my picks" posts in other threads. When doing this, we have the benefit of knowing who is available in later rounds which helps when selecting players. When the draft is live, we don't know who would be available later in the draft.

Thanks thl. I don't know how they rate punters...almost sounds comical. But clearly, the dude has a HUGE leg and Baalke is tired of not seeing that ball fly out the back of the EZ on every kickoff. And if he IS as accurate as they say he is inside the 20, 10 and with the super high # of fair catches, we'll win the field possession game every time and that's a huge bonus for our defense. Going 80-90 yards against our defense will not be an easy task. And consequently, ideally, that will also have a very positive effect on our offense. Plus it sounds like he can also be a PK as well which is critical when you have a 40 year old PK. Can we save a roster spot b/c of that? So from these aspects, I get it. But you're right...he better win that roster spot or it's a wasted pick! I noticed they didn't pick up a P or PK as an UDFA either. They must really think this guy is our future.

I agree...I think AA is going to be part of a much bigger rotation this year. Too many weapons now along that DL not to rotate and feel 100% secure about it. Lots of different tools and combinations to use there.

Same concept for Tartt. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the coaches may be feeling like Ward is the permanent slot CB going forward. If he's NOT healthy and doesn't fully recover from that foot injury, we have other options...even Tartt played in the slot. If Reid goes down...Ward can move back to FS or Tartt can play there also (3-4 S's are interchangeable). So you're right...right now...he's more security than anything but if he is indeed worked into that robber-role as the hybrid ILB/SS in dime, he's going to get a lot of snaps. How many remains to be seen.

I'd agree with the general idea that the picks need to make the team. If they don't, it's kind of hard to label them as the BPA. Maybe BPA on the draft board, but not the overall BPA because some other guy on the roster was better and took the job. I understand that having a three-year plan does stretch out a player's tenure, but at the end of the day, the draftee needs to contribute and not making the team year 1 defeats that purpose.

This was an interesting read:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82857c66/article/bill-walshs-nfl-draft-philosophies-six-lessons-from-the-master


I remember reading about lesson number six before. For me, the biggest unknown is how the coaching staff will use rookies. In previous years, there was talk about great competition, but it was always the veterans that played. We would even play the FA shuffle during the week for veterans to take roster spots. I'm not sure if this was a product of poor draft classes and/or the coaches not trusting rookies.

Regardless, my hope is that the new coaching staff follows rule number six. Give some of the young whippersnappers limited roles and let 'er rip. All the draftees and priority FAs need refinement, but they should have some league-ready skills to work with.

Man, you're much more forgiving than MadDog and many others in the Zone. I hope you're right with your evaluation of these "prospects".

Originally posted by zonkers:

I'd agree with the general idea that the picks need to make the team. If they don't, it's kind of hard to label them as the BPA. Maybe BPA on the draft board, but not the overall BPA because some other guy on the roster was better and took the job. I understand that having a three-year plan does stretch out a player's tenure, but at the end of the day, the draftee needs to contribute and not making the team year 1 defeats that purpose.

This was an interesting read:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82857c66/article/bill-walshs-nfl-draft-philosophies-six-lessons-from-the-master


I remember reading about lesson number six before. For me, the biggest unknown is how the coaching staff will use rookies. In previous years, there was talk about great competition, but it was always the veterans that played. We would even play the FA shuffle during the week for veterans to take roster spots. I'm not sure if this was a product of poor draft classes and/or the coaches not trusting rookies.

Regardless, my hope is that the new coaching staff follows rule number six. Give some of the young whippersnappers limited roles and let 'er rip. All the draftees and priority FAs need refinement, but they should have some league-ready skills to work with.

Bingo. Thank you. We don't know what the plans for those guys are, but they have to believe they have a legitimate shot to win some sort of role, or it is indeed a waste.

Originally posted by thl408:

Nice writeup OTC. My biggest head scratcher was Tartt. Like the player, but unless Ward or Reid flameout at safety, this guy has no "starter" position to play. Perhaps Ward stays at CB.

I have no idea how they rated punters and how Pinion got rated #11. I suppose hangtime was not weighted as much as distance? I agree that taking a punter in the 5th means he better win the job over the current punter on the roster.

Good point NC about how AA is 'raw', but he did play in a similar role in college, so there may less of a learning curve. He may just be a part of the DL rotation this season.

Also, I've seen some posters list "these would have been my picks" posts in other threads. When doing this, we have the benefit of knowing who is available in later rounds which helps when selecting players. When the draft is live, we don't know who would be available later in the draft.

I got the sense early on that we decided we're going to keep Ward at CB. Bethea apparently isn't sure if he will play beyond this season -- his comments were very non-committal when they interviewed him earlier in the off-season, from what I recall.

Side note on the punter selection: I am curious if they plan on training this punter kid to be a kicker. He had no kicking experience aside from kickoffs in college, as far as I know. If he was somehow able to be brought in and made into the next Janikowski or something, then maybe he'd be worth the spot he was taken at. I don't care what salary Andy Lee is making -- as good as he is, he's worth every penny.

Originally posted by RishikeshA:
Bell reminds me of former Bengals receiver Matt Jones. Both are 6'6"and converted QB's. Jones showed no passion for the game and had other issues. McDonald must be hearing footsteps with all the tight ends on the roster.

Matt Jones was with the Jaguars, and didn't really want to convert to TE. He also was a head case.

Big difference between Jones and Bell. Bell wanted to convert to TE.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by thl408:
Nice writeup OTC. My biggest head scratcher was Tartt. Like the player, but unless Ward or Reid flameout at safety, this guy has no "starter" position to play. Perhaps Ward stays at CB.

I have no idea how they rated punters and how Pinion got rated #11. I suppose hangtime was not weighted as much as distance? I agree that taking a punter in the 5th means he better win the job over the current punter on the roster.

Good point NC about how AA is 'raw', but he did play in a similar role in college, so there may less of a learning curve. He may just be a part of the DL rotation this season.

Also, I've seen some posters list "these would have been my picks" posts in other threads. When doing this, we have the benefit of knowing who is available in later rounds which helps when selecting players. When the draft is live, we don't know who would be available later in the draft.

I got the sense early on that we decided we're going to keep Ward at CB. Bethea apparently isn't sure if he will play beyond this season -- his comments were very non-committal when they interviewed him earlier in the off-season, from what I recall.

Side note on the punter selection: I am curious if they plan on training this punter kid to be a kicker. He had no kicking experience aside from kickoffs in college, as far as I know. If he was somehow able to be brought in and made into the next Janikowski or something, then maybe he'd be worth the spot he was taken at. I don't care what salary Andy Lee is making -- as good as he is, he's worth every penny.

The punter, actually was there long FG kicker.

Remember Walsh - always got rid of players before they were really done and not we are not talking about Carlos type of players. The niners have let players go that were pro powlers starting to go downhill, but still could play. Rice, Lott, Montana, Solomon, Charlie Young,

Last year we let the LS that was a pro bowler go, so who is to say a punter can't be let go. He is 10 years old, and maybe the doctors and Baalke realize that he is at the stage that he might start to have a lot more muscle pulls and injuries.