O-line

Originally posted by nw9erfan:

Originally posted by NinerG94:
I know people don't want to see Davis moved, I was one of them. BUT.. If he's one of the best 5 which I believe he is. Then how do we get him on the field? Davis is better suited to play guard than Boone. Somehow we have to get Boone on the field and I believe tackle is his only option. Maybe Kilgore really is the answer and Boone remains a backup but I have a feeling that the coaches see him as a starter in this league. Gonna be interesting to watch this competition play out.

It certainly will... For those of you who question Davis' feet or athleticism, I think you may be making a premature judgment... Two of the reasons the Niners drafted him so high was because of his athleticism and quick feet. We must keep in mind that he is still only 22 years old. He came out early and I'm certain he is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. This is what si.com wrote about him before the 2010 draft....

Well-sized athletic pass protecting tackle with a great amount of upside. Possesses terrific footwork, fluid sliding out off the edge, and covers a lot of area on the field. Blocks with good knee bend, gets leverage on opponents and easily handles speed rushers or athletic defenders. Jolts opponents with good hand punch, steers defenders from the action, and seals them from plays with good body positioning. Quickly slides out to pick up the blitz, adjusts to oncoming defenders and fluid blocking in motion. Has the frame to add size. Read more:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2010/draft/players/70886.html#ixzz1u1CtkgDK


So, to sum up, I think it is way too early to move him. He demonstrated a good amount of improvement during the course of last season, even though he didn't get a full-offseason of work in. Between guys like Kilgore, Person, and now Looney, the Niners should be able to field a good, solid RG. By the way, I really like having Boone as a swing tackle. It is a great luxury for a team to have.

Cheers!

Good post, a lot of people gave up on Davis in his rookie year(and saying he's just a guard is giving up on him,saying he can't be a tackle), it's a good thing they aren't coaching lol. Davis is the same age right now as Iupati was when he was drafted in 2010 so obviously you can see why iupati was more nfl ready from day 1. Offensive linemen are known to take several years to develop and Davis should really break through this year with a solid RG next to him. He played better once rachal was benched.

At this point the coaches would rather have one of the young prospects we've already got, they talk about "ascending" and "descending" players, if you get a veteran at this point they either were never good or is a descending player, having their best years past them already. It's better to take chances with the guys that we have, if it doesn't work out then we know what our biggest need is going to be next year lol. The only way you know backups can be more than backups is by actually giving them chances.

Contrary to what people might think, Boone has steadily improved but wasn't ready. This year he maybe and the best position maybe tackle than have him learn a new position. Davis struggled because he is still young, but improved when a more reliable veteran guard was paired with him. With that said, I think moving Davis inside rather Boone is a wiser choice, if Kilgore doesn't proved to be the answer. Because Davis is a mauler. Having him just maul the person in front of him or on sweeps maybe the right fit whereas, as a tackle he has to worry about not only the person in front of him but sealing off the backend. He can just charge like a rhino. Him and Iupati on a sweep would be powerful. I think the short yardage and 3rd down would improve with him inside. Plus with such small backs like James and Hunter, they could hide and disappear behind Iupati and Davis then peek-a-boo, surprise, poof, gone.

The only drawback is that if one of the tackles gets hurt. There will have to a lot of line shuffling. Kilgore will eventually succeed to center with Looney as the primary b/u to guard and center. Also it would be good to let Looney grow physically and mentally for a year anyway. Rather than waste roster spot on a veteran, which I don't think there is anyone worthy of picking up, lets let the young ones grow. There is no Barry Simms or Larry Allen out there anyway.

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
FYI, Looney won't be cut to be put on P-Squad, he will be claimed like that off waivers. Slowey is easier to get through waivers onto P-Squad. I even think Person might be claimed, Balitmore apparently liked him a lot, as we called them about Tavares Gooden and the Ravens wanted Kilgore or Person, we said no, and they cut Gooden anyway.

If it's only 8, it comes down to Slowey, Person and Beeler competing, unless we do sign Leonard Davis or Jason Brown.

I see Kilgore at RG, with him moving to Center in 2013, with Looney at RG.

I'd love to see that happen!

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
FYI, Looney won't be cut to be put on P-Squad, he will be claimed like that off waivers. Slowey is easier to get through waivers onto P-Squad. I even think Person might be claimed, Balitmore apparently liked him a lot, as we called them about Tavares Gooden and the Ravens wanted Kilgore or Person, we said no, and they cut Gooden anyway.

If it's only 8, it comes down to Slowey, Person and Beeler competing, unless we do sign Leonard Davis or Jason Brown.

I see Kilgore at RG, with him moving to Center in 2013, with Looney at RG.

I'd love to see that happen!

Would be the ideal solution!

I really like the Boone story, but what's the rush to get him in the line up? We only have two proven OTs and he is a possible third. We are one injury away from being thin at the tackle position. Keep him as a swing for insurance. Draft another tackle next year and if Boone proves he can start trade Staley for a kings ransom.

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
I really like the Boone story, but what's the rush to get him in the line up? We only have two proven OTs and he is a possible third. We are one injury away from being thin at the tackle position. Keep him as a swing for insurance. Draft another tackle next year and if Boone proves he can start trade Staley for a kings ransom.

Guess there is no immediate rush. My desire to see Boone start at RT is more involved than just admiration for the changes Boone made in his life or his on-field play.

Some feel Anthony Davis improved enough.. believing that any lapses were due to the limited offseason +/or the weak RG position next to him +/or his experience (growing pains).

I would feel the same as them about leaving Davis be at RT, if I believed that those were the issues. The issues I want to move him over stem more from his lacking COD recovery. I don't think he can improve further from those issues. Maybe he can.. but I don't expect it. Then, I throw in my belief that he and his skills seem perfect for the open RG spot... and that Boone has looked good at OT and would likely make a lesser RG than would Davis...

and the fit and timing just feels right to me. But again... no big deal if the F/O feels and handles things differently.

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
I really like the Boone story, but what's the rush to get him in the line up? We only have two proven OTs and he is a possible third. We are one injury away from being thin at the tackle position. Keep him as a swing for insurance. Draft another tackle next year and if Boone proves he can start trade Staley for a kings ransom.

Guess there is no immediate rush. My desire to see Boone start at RT is more involved than just admiration for the changes Boone made in his life or his on-field play.

Some feel Anthony Davis improved enough.. believing that any lapses were due to the limited offseason +/or the weak RG position next to him +/or his experience (growing pains).

I would feel the same as them about leaving Davis be at RT, if I believed that those were the issues. The issues I want to move him over stem more from his lacking COD recovery. I don't think he can improve further from those issues. Maybe he can.. but I don't expect it. Then, I throw in my belief that he and his skills seem perfect for the open RG spot... and that Boone has looked good at OT and would likely make a lesser RG than would Davis...

and the fit and timing just feels right to me. But again... no big deal if the F/O feels and handles things differently.

Agree with this...if Kilgore is not the answer at RG, or Looney. I have not watched practices or listened to inter-coach chats, so I'm not sure what Harbaugh and company think of these OLinemen. I do like the fact that they seem to have multiple options for each position...except for C, which may be a problem if Goodwin doesn't stay healthy.

Thus my belief that the team would be well served to have Kilgore concentrate on C this off season, made possible if Davis moves to RG. If Looney starts as a rookie I would be surprised (pleasantly). My second choice, more likely, would be Kilgore at RG and someone else backing up at C...Person? Beeler? Slowey? I believe the C position is more important than most people do as it is the starting point for every play and usually calls the line action. So Goodwins experience is important and no one else has any experience playing NFL C.

Slowey is intriguing as he is very strong and is referred to by one scout as "the nastiest blocker in college football." C has to be a tough cookie!

Has training camp started? Please!?

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Agree with this...if Kilgore is not the answer at RG, or Looney. I have not watched practices or listened to inter-coach chats, so I'm not sure what Harbaugh and company think of these OLinemen. I do like the fact that they seem to have multiple options for each position...except for C, which may be a problem if Goodwin doesn't stay healthy.

Thus my belief that the team would be well served to have Kilgore concentrate on C this off season, made possible if Davis moves to RG. If Looney starts as a rookie I would be surprised (pleasantly). My second choice, more likely, would be Kilgore at RG and someone else backing up at C...Person? Beeler? Slowey? I believe the C position is more important than most people do as it is the starting point for every play and usually calls the line action. So Goodwins experience is important and no one else has any experience playing NFL C.

Slowey is intriguing as he is very strong and is referred to by one scout as "the nastiest blocker in college football." C has to be a tough cookie!

Has training camp started? Please!?

I know, right? It's a brutal wait...

Between possibly Kilgore, Beeler, and Slowey, we definitely have some C options. Granted, we have no idea of how they have or will progress there. Probably said this already and in this thread, but I'd be curious to see how the development for Derek Hall and Mike Person is going. Like you say, we do have some interesting options... and finally some valid trust in our coaches to get the most out of these guys.

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
I really like the Boone story, but what's the rush to get him in the line up? We only have two proven OTs and he is a possible third. We are one injury away from being thin at the tackle position. Keep him as a swing for insurance. Draft another tackle next year and if Boone proves he can start trade Staley for a kings ransom.

Guess there is no immediate rush. My desire to see Boone start at RT is more involved than just admiration for the changes Boone made in his life or his on-field play.

Some feel Anthony Davis improved enough.. believing that any lapses were due to the limited offseason +/or the weak RG position next to him +/or his experience (growing pains).

I would feel the same as them about leaving Davis be at RT, if I believed that those were the issues. The issues I want to move him over stem more from his lacking COD recovery. I don't think he can improve further from those issues. Maybe he can.. but I don't expect it. Then, I throw in my belief that he and his skills seem perfect for the open RG spot... and that Boone has looked good at OT and would likely make a lesser RG than would Davis...

and the fit and timing just feels right to me. But again... no big deal if the F/O feels and handles things differently.

I think some of his issues stem from having to play on the right, when he is a natural left. Some guys make the adjustment better than others.

However, while I believe he was playing at a starting caliber level by the end of the season, I dont think he was dominant. I certainly would like to see him take that next step this year (3rd year in league, 2nd year in the system). But you can't knock a dude that allowed Alex to have his best game ever against NO. And he more than held his own against the vonted G-men Dline.

Reminds me of how Iupati looked at Idaho against competition, manhandling fools! Looks like a great development player and may just surprise peeps this TC. Still, I feel that Baalke's team has a knack for finding these guys.

Love the way Slowley pancakes his opponents frequently, great control of strength.