An in-depth look at McCloughan's draft/trade/free agency moves (2005-2010) | Page 2

Originally posted by GEEK:
Originally posted by miked1978:
I think you are too hard on him for on the Alex Smith pick. I don't even think he was GM then either??? The 2005 draft was crap too. We had the #1 pick in the draft when there wasn't a truly deserving #1 player and on top of that we had to get a QB. It was either Smith or Rodgers and Smith looked like he had the better skill set.

McCloughan did ok IMO but his worst pick was K. Balmer. He's still young enough to turn it around but so far he looks to be a bust.

I like Alex Smith, but the reason why I give McCloughan an F is because of HIS expectations of Alex Smith throughout his career. Nolan and McCloughan kept babying his development by publicly saying that they both want to see Alex Smith to MANAGE a game.

The grade isn't just about Alex Smith's performances, but the value and role of the pick to the team. That's why I gave high grades for players like Josh Morgan and Delanie Walker, and low grades for Alex Smith, Kentwan Balmer, and Cody Wallace.

You could make the argument that if Smith wasnt injured or norv turner didnt leave the niners that Smith would be a good starter right now instead of a possible good started. Cant agree with an F given to a player thats starting 5 years after they were drafted too. Its tought to have the #1 pick in a really weak draft.

Originally posted by GEEK:
Summary:

McCloughan, paired with Nolan in the early years of their tenure, was very strong at finding good value players in free agency like Walt Harris, Aubrayo Franklin, and Michael Lewis. He was also strong at finding a few starters - Frank Gore, DaShon Goldson, and Parys Haralson - and many role players - Michael Robinson, Delanie Walker, and Ray McDonald - in the draft.

Nolan and McCloughan weren't afraid to splurge at need positions in free agency such as Clements and Jennings - although it remains to be seen if they got their ROI on Clements.

After McCloughan assumed the General Manager role, that's when the s**t really hit the fan. While it should be noted that draft picks do take some time to develop, many of McCloughan's draft picks have failed to show ANY promise such as Kentwan Balmer, Reggie Smith, and Cody Wallace. The ones that McCloughan "hit" on seem to be destined to be average NFL starters that may not be starters on other teams. The Patrick Willis type pick of his tenure as GM - Michael Crabtree - will be dependent on the production of the QB position.

McCloughan's strength as a general manager really came to his defensive free agent additions. Ahmad Brooks and Justin Smith are posed to be solid 49ers for the next decade. Takeo Spikes is a good and productive stop gap at the TED position, and the rest are role players.

McCloughan's tenure eventually ended in the same manner as Nolan's departure of three areas:

(1)The failure to identify and develop a quarterback that is capable of leading a team down the field for the winning touchdown. Instead, the focus was around a QB that can "manage" a game. It may have worked with Brad Johnson of the Bucs and Trent Dilfer of the Ravens, but not so much anymore.

(2)The failure to establish weapons at the wide receiver position for the QB to utilize. Taylor Jacobs, Johnnie Morton, Darrell Jackson, Bryant Johnson, Antonio Bryant, Isaac Bruce, and now perhaps Brandon Jones have all yet help Alex Smith or even Shaun Hill elevate their game to the next level. Crabtree could change that, as well as Morgan...but we shall see...

(3)The inability to correctly evaluate, sign, and retain valuable offensive line players to develop a consistent and unified offensive line. The idea of playing money ball at the offensive guard position to protect a 5+ million dollar QB and RB is insane. The inability to proactively address one of the OTs is insane.

Analyze the playoff teams for this year. The Cardinals, Colts, Saints, and Vikings had QBs that provide consistent ability to win games. Their offensive lines were in good shape - although the Cards was serviceable enough in this area. And all of them had lethal threats at wide receivers. Even the Jets had 2 out of the 3 areas fulfilled as Sanchez acclimated to the NFL and helped his team win a few games.

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2005 Draft:

R1: Alex Smith - QB
- This pick defines McCloughan's run as a General Manager and 49ers front office employee. The mindset of an ideal QB as a game manager for a franchise quarterback has doomed this team for 5 consecutive years in his tenure. You draft a QB #1 overall to win games, not to manage a game.

Grade: F

R2: David Baas - OG/C
- Another weakness of McCloughan is identifying tangible offensive line as long-term starters. Baas has shown flashes of brilliance, and flashes of being a bust. The fact that we are looking for a new starter with Pitts means that the Baas bandwagon has officially come to an end.

Grade: D+

R3: Frank Gore - RB
- The best 3rd round pick the 49ers have had under McCloughan's tenure with the 49ers. McCloughan and Nolan brilliantly observed the fact that Kevan Barlow was not a long term answer at RB, and that Gore performed very well in his rookie year. The rest is history.

Grade: A+

R3: Adam Snyder - OT/OG
- If I am not mistaken, the 49ers traded up to snag Adam Snyder. With a team lacking of depth along the offensive line, it seemed like a good option. Snyder was a solid prospect. While he struggles at the OT position, he's fairly average at OG. Good utility player that is well respected in the locker room. For a mid-late 3rd round pick, I think that is acceptable.

Grade: B

Other notable players drafted that provided some value to the 49ers: Billy Bajema and Ronald Fields.

2005 Main Free Agent Additions:

Jonas Jennings - OT
- I can accept the premise for the signing at the time. The 49ers lacked an ideal LT, Jennings was the best prospect on the market, and the market was short on good players. Jennings was pretty good when he was able to start, but too many injuries caused him to get filtered out by Nolan and the 49ers.

Grade: D

Marques Douglas - DT/DE
- A surprisingly effective addition to the squad. Douglas preformed his role well during his tenure with the 49ers. He was a consistent performer, and it still boggles my mind why the 49ers didn't show more effort to retain his services.

Grade: A

Joe Nedney - K
- Another surprisingly effective addition to the squad. Low risk, high reward. We've had the same K and P for half a decade now. Not many teams can say that.

Grade: A

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2006 Draft:

R1: Vernon Davis - TE
- While it took a couple years to find the right way to utilize Davis, we finally saw the reason why McCloughan was willing to take a TE in the top 10 in the draft. The offensive badly needed a playmaker, and Davis fit the bill in that area of the draft. I am not a proponent of taking TEs early, but if you look at the TEs taken between rounds one to three of that year, Davis is clearly the most effective TE in that area.

Grade: A

R1: Manny Lawson - DE/OLB
- I don't question the draft pick. At the time, we needed replacements since Peterson and Carter were gone. Lawson was a well regarded, but raw prospect and fit naturally in the 3-4 D. He finally had a "break out" year in 2009 under a consistent pure 3-4 D, and should continue to improve.

Grade: B

R3: Brandon Williams - WR/KR/PR
- McCloughan reached for Williams in the third round, and Williams provided little value for offensive production as well as special teams production.

Grade: F

R4: Michael Robinson - RB/WR/FB/QB
- Robinson was selected not solely as a backup to Gore, but more in terms of his flexibility to play multiple positions (aka gadget guy and mis-matches). Sadly, Robinson never got to acclimate himself as a RB, but has good value as a special teams player. In the fourth round, I can accept that.

Grade: B

R5: Parys Haralson - DE/OLB
- Who would have thought that Haralson would be more effective as a pass rusher than Lawson during their first years of their career? For a fifth rounder, Haralson was quite the surprise. While he is a starter that shouldn't be starter, Haralson is an ideal rotational player for any 3-4 based team.

Grade: A

R6: Delanie Walker - TE/WR/KR
- For a late round pick, Walker was an interesting prospect in terms of special teams value and flexibility. Again, good teams have players like Walker that can contribute and player in multiple areas and positions.

Grade: A

Other Notables: Marcus Hudson, Melvin Oliver

2006 Free Agency:

Moran Norris - FB
- Norris performed well under Turner's offense, but fell out of favor in Hostler and Martz. Back again for another tenure with Raye's and performed decent. Too much of a one dimensional player though.

Grade: C

Antonio Bryant - WR
- If Bryant wasn't bat s**t crazy, he could have stuck around and have been a productive #2 WR for the 49ers. Low risk, high reward signing that didn't pan out. It was a good try by McCloughan.

Grade: B

Larry Allen - OG
- Given his age, Allen preformed very well with the 49ers. McCloughan did a good job by acquiring his services.

Grade: A

Walt Harris - CB
- Harris was a huge surprise for the 49ers. HUGE bang for buck deal.

Grade: A

Mark Roman - S
- Serviceable player. Roman should have been a stop-gap solution, but the 49ers waited a year too long to address the position.

Grade: C

Tony Wragge - OG/C
- Again, good teams are able to have backups that can play at a decent level at multiple positions.

Grade: B

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2007 Draft

R1: Patrick Willis - ILB
- You are an idiot if you want me to explain this pick.

Grade: A+

R1: Joe Staley - OT
- While we were able to regain a draft pick from the Colts the next year, Staley provided some stability along the offensive line. It was a need pick, and perhaps BPA as the next few guys after him aren't exactly lighting up the NFL. The 49ers envision him as the long-term starter at LT until he proves otherwise.

Grade: B+

R3: Jason Hill - WR
- Good pick at the time as Hill was a good prospect with an outstanding 40 time. Besides Mike Sims-Walker with his most recent year, barely any of the WR picks in the third round have made an impact in the NFL as starters. Hill has shown flashes of potential in games, but has failed to prove it to coaches on the practice field. The fact that he isn't really being utilize puts the blame on McCloughan and company.

Grade: C

R3: Ray McDonald - DT/DE
- Good teams have role players that are able to excel at a certain role. McDonald is a fantastic pass rusher on 3rd downs. As a late 3rd round pick with injury concerns, McDonald could not have faired any better with the 49ers.

Grade: A

R4: Jay Moore - DE/OLB
- An absolute bust of a player who couldn't stay healthy or make the conversion to linebacker.

Grade: F

R4: DaShon Goldson - S
- While it took some time for Goldson to develop and remain healthy, Goldson had an outstanding year in 2009. Assuming he performs on the same level in 2010 and remains healthy, McCloughan stuck gold in the mid-fourth rounds. Goldson does lack ideal coverage skills for a free safety though.

Grade: B+ (needs more starts to accurately grade)

R4: Joe Cohen - NT
- The 49ers should have gone for a Steve Breston here, but instead McCloughan wanted to take a developmental prospect for the NT position that had no business playing the NT position in the 3-4 defense.

Grade: F

R5: Tarell Brown - CB
- A talented, but troubled prospect that made him fall to the fifth round, McCloughan found good value in Brown. Solid #3 CB that could eventually start.

Grade: A-

2007 Free Agency or Trades:

Darrell Jackson - WR
- A interesting trade when it occurred, but Jackson had injury concerns and attitude problems with the 49ers. This was known when McCloughan acquired him, and it backfield.

Grade: F

Trent Dilfer - QB
- Acquired from the Browns, Dilfer was fulfilling the mentoring duties and saw a couple starts here and there. The fact was that Dilfer was just not that good as a QB in the NFL. Another game manager.

Grade: C

Shaun Hill - QB
- Sadly, Hill was prob the best QB to play for the 49ers for the past five years. Great bang for buck, and led the 49ers to a positive winning percentage during his tenure. Philosophy commitment lead to him being traded to the Lions in 2010.

Grade: A

Nate Clements - CB
- Clements performed well for most of his tenure with the 49ers. He had a good 2007 year, and the declined a bit in 2008 and got benched in 2009. Some of that had to due with schemes and coaching changes, and the other part related to his overall performance. Clements still has potential to come back strong in 2010.

Grade: B-

Michael Lewis - S
- Ignoring the injuries (and he's really been healthy for most of his 49ers career), Lewis has met all expectations during his time with the 49ers. He's a hard hitting safety that isn't really a ball hawk or a turnover generator.

Grade: A

Aubrayo Franklin - NT
- Once we went to a pure 3-4 defense, Franklin really began to shine. He is now considered to be one of the best NTs in the league.

Grade: A+

Tully Banta-Cain - DE/OLB
- f**k you, you spinning fat f**k.

Grade: F

Other notables: Donald Strickland, Mike Lewis (KR)

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2008 Draft: McCloughan gets promoted to General Manager

R1: Kentwan Balmer - DT/DE
- To this day, this draft pick still boggles my mind. We didn't need another defensive linemen, especially from the first round. He has made more of an impact on kick returns than he has on defense.

Grade: F
Potential: D+

R2: Chilo Rachal - OG/OT
- You let Justin Smiley, a proven commodity, walk, and replace him with a raw guard? Rachal has talent and potential, but I don't think he'll ever rival Smiley's ability. Let's see what Solari can do for him, as well as Ray Brown.

Grade: C
Potential: B-

R3: Reggie Smith - CB/S
- I think there's a disconnect here between Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan. Nolan played Smith at CB - which was clearly not an ideal position for him - and then slowly moved him to safety. Smith has yet to make a noticeable impact in the NFL.

Grade: D
Potential: C

R4: Cody Wallace - OG/C
- It took Cody the last week or two of his second season to even play a snap in the NFL. It was a critical pick by McCloughan in the 4th round, especially with the success of other centers in that draft.

Grade: D
Potential: D

R5: Josh Morgan - WR
- McCloughan finally hit on a WR prospect so far in the draft. Morgan is a good, not great receiver. #2 or #3 at best in the NFL. Nice find in the late rounds.

Grade: A
Potential: B

2008 Free Agency:

Justin Smith - DT/DE
- BEAST. Best free agent move for the 49ers under McCloughan's tenure with the 49ers.

Grade: A+
Potential: A

Takeo Spikes - ILB
- Another solid move by McCloughan to secure the TED spot. Mentored Willis and other LBs during his time so far.

Grade: A
Potential: D

Isaac Bruce - WR
- Fulfilled his role with grace and mentored some of the young receivers.

Grade: B

Barry Sims - OT
- Failed to make an impact on 2008, but preformed very well at RT in 2009.

Grade: B

Other Notables: J.T. O'Sullivan, DeShaun Foster, Bryant Johnson

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2009 Draft:

R1: Michael Crabtree - WR
- BPA and need pick fulfilled. No brainer. Great outlook for 2010 and beyond.

Grade: A
Potential: A

R3: Glen Coffee - RB
- He was supposed to be a different type of back to Frank Gore, but eventually became a similar back...just much less effective. He should be more effective with a year under his belt. Right now, not a good looking pick, but that may change with time.

Grade: C
Potential: C

R5: Scott McKillop - ILB
- Good special teams player and spot starter. Replaces Ulbrich's role.

Grade: A
Potential: B

Other Notables: Nate Davis, RJF, Curtis Taylor

2009 Free Agency:

DeMetric Evans - DT/DE
- Evans was a stop-gap role player as Balmer continued to acclimate to the NFL. While at the time I wrote that it was a good signing, I just don't see the value Evans will have for the future of the 49ers.

Grade: C
Potential: F

Brandon Jones - WR
- Injuries hurt his 2009 season. 2010 will be a big year to answer the doubts by the fans.

Grade: F
Potential: C

Matt Wilhem - LB
- Depth at ILB for Spikes's injury.

Grade: C
Potential: D

Ahmad Brooks - LB
- Brooks is a real up and coming gem for the 49ers. He could be our long-term solution as a pass rusher.

Grade: A
Potential: A

Great Post! But truthfully, the main key moves and players brought to the 49ers were Mike Nolan's people. He is the original franchise changer, who began to bring in talent. McC. gets too much credit and Nolan gets too little credit, because we disliked him as a coach.