Is Baas permanent answer at center?

Baas has the biggest, fattest head I have ever seen. I don't think that makes him the permanent answer at center though.

The head says no, the heart says yes and the magic 8 ball says ask again later...let's just wait a little longer than 1 pre season game before we put the 9er nation swami hat on

I gotta believe Heitmann gets a spot back when he's healthy; whether it's at C or G. His experience is far too valuable to leave on the bench imho.

Rachal is the easy guy to point at and say: "he should be replaced" but if the line plays well together in pre season, it would almost be criminal to F with it given what we've had to endure over the last 7 years. Not forecasting anything here, but they do have a month to iron some stuff out...

A month is a long time in football and we have at least that long until we get a decision. Seems like we're so used to the club not having any options that when they crop up, we jump all over em and debate the sh*t out of em until they start to look like choices between winning or losing. Could be that we have a blessing in disguise here. One that gives us some real flexibility with our personnel up front...or even a win win situation QUICK, KILL IT! IT'S BARELY A POSSIBILITY

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:
With all due respect to Heitmann, I hope so! But I don't know, hopefully we will find out by no later than Week 1 of the regular season. For years I've watched the line get destroyed in short yardage situations and it was always apparent to me that Heitmann was one of the culprits of this problem, if not the chief culprit. I like that our O-line is big and strong this year, and I think Gore, should he stay healthy, will have a shot at the rushing title in 2010.

that doesn't seem very respectful to Heitman at all

Hietmann has been a good player for us for many years, but like all NFL vets, at some point your time is up. I think that might be the case with Heitmann, at least at center.

i was mostly being a smartass about the "respect" thing.

i don't think his time is up at all. he's a solid, experienced starter, and as long as he's healthy the job is his. i haven't seen anything from Baas to indicate that he's an improvement. That's not to say that Heitman is irreplaceable, but I don't think we have better options

Watch the first highlight of this Gore youtube clip (I'd recommend muting it as I think the music is awful). You'll see Heitmann get absolutely destroyed and shoved directly back into Gore. That happens to Heitmann way too often, and when Baas was in there, I didn't see it happen a single time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYEoGXpHE8

we don't a definitive sample of baas at C yet at all. anointing him the starter is completely premature.

Well damn I miss Jeremey Newberry!! I always thought Heitman was ok but not as powerful at the point of attack as he needs to be. He can get pushed around a bit at times. I am convinced of Baas yet. Only time will tell.

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:
With all due respect to Heitmann, I hope so! But I don't know, hopefully we will find out by no later than Week 1 of the regular season. For years I've watched the line get destroyed in short yardage situations and it was always apparent to me that Heitmann was one of the culprits of this problem, if not the chief culprit. I like that our O-line is big and strong this year, and I think Gore, should he stay healthy, will have a shot at the rushing title in 2010.

that doesn't seem very respectful to Heitman at all

Hietmann has been a good player for us for many years, but like all NFL vets, at some point your time is up. I think that might be the case with Heitmann, at least at center.

i was mostly being a smartass about the "respect" thing.

i don't think his time is up at all. he's a solid, experienced starter, and as long as he's healthy the job is his. i haven't seen anything from Baas to indicate that he's an improvement. That's not to say that Heitman is irreplaceable, but I don't think we have better options

Watch the first highlight of this Gore youtube clip (I'd recommend muting it as I think the music is awful). You'll see Heitmann get absolutely destroyed and shoved directly back into Gore. That happens to Heitmann way too often, and when Baas was in there, I didn't see it happen a single time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYEoGXpHE8

we don't a definitive sample of baas at C yet at all. anointing him the starter is completely premature.

I'm not anointing Baas, I'm simply pointing out Heitmann's glaring flaw. Do you doubt that Baas has superior strength to Heitmann? And I'm not saying that is the only issue at hand.

It's way too early to tell. Let's revisit this if he's still the Center at the end of the season. I like that he seems to be a better run blocker than Heitmann. But that's only half of what being a Center is about.

We'll know by time Heitmann is ready to come back whether Baas should retain the position. But that won't mean anything if Baas holds it down in the beginning only to lose the job a few games with a healthy Heitmann into the season.

~Ceadder

Originally posted by 666SF666SF:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:
With all due respect to Heitmann, I hope so! But I don't know, hopefully we will find out by no later than Week 1 of the regular season. For years I've watched the line get destroyed in short yardage situations and it was always apparent to me that Heitmann was one of the culprits of this problem, if not the chief culprit. I like that our O-line is big and strong this year, and I think Gore, should he stay healthy, will have a shot at the rushing title in 2010.

that doesn't seem very respectful to Heitman at all

Hietmann has been a good player for us for many years, but like all NFL vets, at some point your time is up. I think that might be the case with Heitmann, at least at center.

i was mostly being a smartass about the "respect" thing.

i don't think his time is up at all. he's a solid, experienced starter, and as long as he's healthy the job is his. i haven't seen anything from Baas to indicate that he's an improvement. That's not to say that Heitman is irreplaceable, but I don't think we have better options

Watch the first highlight of this Gore youtube clip (I'd recommend muting it as I think the music is awful). You'll see Heitmann get absolutely destroyed and shoved directly back into Gore. That happens to Heitmann way too often, and when Baas was in there, I didn't see it happen a single time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYEoGXpHE8

Good eye, Kilgore Trout. That was like a 7-step drop!

I was at the game and fairly close to where this action took place. It wasn't pretty, but Gore turned it into something anyway!

Can't see it just yet. He's only played one half of one preseason game.

I personally think Heitmann is just average, but this thread is way too premature.

-9fA

I would say, if Baas did show he was better than heitmann could move to RG.

Too soon to tell...but, if he can fill the bill while Heitmann's out, he'll not only help the team, but himself, as he'd become a much more valuable player. It should also prompt Wallace getting cut.

Is Kevin Mawea Signed yet?

Originally posted by CorvaNinerFan:
Too soon to tell...but, if he can fill the bill while Heitmann's out, he'll not only help the team, but himself, as he'd become a much more valuable player. It should also prompt Wallace getting cut.

Yes, Wallace is surely history

13% No.
The board has reached an all-time low for intelligence.

Let's review the facts:
1) Heitmann has been classified by the press as the best player on the OL the past two years (including Staley, who is never critiqued by the board, and is never questioned about his starting role). Baas has not even been in the conversation about being the best, or even one of the best.
2) Heitmann is the team captain. Captains lead teams, they don't sit on benches.
3) The coaches love Heitmann, as does the scouting department.
4) Heitmann has built chemisty with Smith over the past 5 years. That is never overrated, especially for a guy who has struggled with confidence in the past.
5) Heitmann is an established vet at the starting center position between a rookie and a young, developing player in Rachal.
6) Baas wasn't even on the radar to supplant Heitmann before he went down.
7) Baas hasn't even been named the Game 1 starter yet. He is currently fighting for a job with Wragge, but appears to have the upper hand right now.
8) The coaching staff and front office think so lightly of Baas that they only offered a 1 year contract.
9) Sliding over one position in the line does not suddenly make a player become good. Let's not forget, a rookie from Idaho just replaced him at LG.
10) Last week, people were calling for Wragge to replace Baas after a series of practices where Baas could not get the ball consistently to Smith. One half of a preseason game is way too premature to annoint Baas as anything but a guy fighting for a backup job once Heitmann returns.
11) A whopping total of......9 career starts at center in college and the NFL, spanning the last 12 years of football life at Michigan and San Francisco.

The Niners do not live in a fantasy world, unlike some of our board members who are blinded by their wishful thinking. They have seen Heitmann and Baas snap balls for years side by side. And, there is no comparison. There is no controversy. Heitmann is the starter, period.

Shake yourselves back into reality, people. A healthy Heitmann comes back right away to start, and Baas fights to gain a new contract with the team. The best he can hope for is Rachal or Iupati to stink early in the season, and even then will have to compete with Snyder and Wragge for time.

Cheers.

P.S. If I am wrong, I will apologize to the board. At the same time, the board should call for the head of every person in the organization for being idiots, from the scouting department to the OC, to the OL coach, to the head coach, to everyone in player personnel. They would all be wrong, as well as all of the other coaches, scouts, player personnel directors from previous regimes. I don't think they are morons, that they actually watch these guys day in and day out, and have a general idea of how this game of football works.

[ Edited by MadDog49er on Aug 19, 2010 at 07:46:01 ]

Yea too soon to tell. Really won't be able to tell til he starts in a real game and not pre season. Most teams running basic vanilla schemes. have to see how he handles the protection calls when team mix things up with multiple formations. He did well vs the Colts.

Heitmann's the starter...he's earned it, there should be no doubts or questions about that. However, Baas can really strengthen his case for retention by a strong performance as his b/u. OL who can play more than one position capably are coach's dreams. I've always felt Baas was better suited for the C position than OG. Now he has a chance to really prove it.