Have we improved at all from last year?

Originally posted by niner4life21:

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by jreff22:
coaching

Exactly! That alone is priceless. We finally appear to have some quality leadership, which equals stability.... finally.

If the Niners can go 6-10 and lose games against the Saints, Eagles, Falcons off of pure dumb luck WITH the worst coaching in the league, AND almost win the division, we can definitely win it next year. All that is in our way is the CBA. If the lockout is lifted in the next couple days, I will be SO PUMPED for this season to get underway, and if it drags out for a few more months, I will lose quite a lot of hope for 2011.

This

Originally posted by pelos21:

Originally posted by niner4life21:

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by jreff22:
coaching

Exactly! That alone is priceless. We finally appear to have some quality leadership, which equals stability.... finally.

If the Niners can go 6-10 and lose games against the Saints, Eagles, Falcons off of pure dumb luck WITH the worst coaching in the league, AND almost win the division, we can definitely win it next year. All that is in our way is the CBA. If the lockout is lifted in the next couple days, I will be SO PUMPED for this season to get underway, and if it drags out for a few more months, I will lose quite a lot of hope for 2011.

This

yup.

We're also better at RB than at this time last year.

we def improved the team IMO. Added a legit passrushing OLB, a QB of the future, OL depth and a scat back. coaching will be the biggest difference this season. we need to figure out who is going to start at QB this year, re-sign Franklin or another vet NT and re-sign Spikes and Baas as well as add at least 1 more vet CB to the roster before we can get excited about any real possibility of contention this next season. [/right]

I think just on the coaching staff changes, we have vastly improved. If we had Harbaugh here last year, with last years team, I honestly believe we would have made the playoffs.

With our first two picks, we drafted...

1) The most important position on defense
2) The most important position on offense.

And we picked up the most sought after coaching prospect in years, who has proven his ability to develop quarterbacks.

So besides picking up the most sought after coach in years, and filling the void at the most important positions on offense and defense, nope, we didn't improve at all.

Let's also remember that we play in the NFC West (Worst)

Seattle and Arizona both have no starting QB. St. Louis has a promising young QB who posted a passer rating lower than Alex Smith for the 2010 season.

In short, the Division is there for the Niners to take. Now that we have a coach who knows more about offense than "23 Blast" and "22 Dive" there is some reason for optimism that the team will move the chains some more and post a few points on the board. Add-in some opportunistic play on defense and/or some well-timed takeaways and the playoffs could be quite achievable.

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by jreff22:
coaching

Exactly! That alone is priceless. We finally appear to have some quality leadership, which equals stability.... finally.

Maybe we can wait until the coaches can actually coach the players before we ask these types of questions.

Originally posted by Next9erDynasty:
Let's also remember that we play in the NFC West (Worst)
Seattle and Arizona both have no starting QB. St. Louis has a promising young QB who posted a passer rating lower than Alex Smith for the 2010 season.

In short, the Division is there for the Niners to take. Now that we have a coach who knows more about offense than "23 Blast" and "22 Dive" there is some reason for optimism that the team will move the chains some more and post a few points on the board. Add-in some opportunistic play on defense and/or some well-timed takeaways and the playoffs could be quite achievable.

If I had a nickle for every time I heard this used as a reason as to why "this year is our year" I would be able to solve America's debt crisis. For the last 8 years that hasn't made a diffrence.

As long as Alex Smith is starting at QB, no. We still suck.

We have improved from the coaching aspect--play calling, time management, playing to players strengths, having a system in place and players that " fit".

Talent wise I am not so sure we are any better yet.

QB---Smith again?
RB--one new guy who should help--But Gore is aging.
WR--nothing much new
TE--same and good
OL--could lose Baas--that could be a setback--could/should get better with younger players learning last year

DL---could see a drop off from the last couple years if no AF and Smith is aging.
LB-- all depends on Aldon Smith--loss of Lawson could hurt
secondary--another year older and still not much new blood.

The Niners will again be in the 6-10 to 9-7 range---but this is OK--Harbaugh and the staff really need to see what they have and what they need---you can't really tell from film--need to be with these guys through a season.

If Baalke picks don't pan out well---you know Harbaugh will push for a change---this team has a future--no matter what happens in 2011.

Yes

The addition of a potential passrushing star and franchise quarterback is huge. Alex Smith with a decent game plan, playbook, having the full wide receiving corp available, and maturing of the O-line will make them incrementally better.

Baalke needs to come up big with a big Free Agent Signing, hopefully Nmandi or Jonathan Joseph. That would also give us a boost.

coaching upgrade. another year of experience for our young o-line, more speed all around, added a passrushing beast and some very fast very talented DBs, a legit qb to groom behind smith if he comes back instead of the old castoffs like hill and carr. i think we did a lot and FA didnt even happen yet

Only this lock out keeps us from improving. But we have a better headcoach, better defensive back coach, better linebackers coach, one of the best special teams coach in the game, and although Jerry Sullivan was rated highly I donot see any probowlers that he developed at wr on this team so im glad he is gone.

Is Fangio better than Manusky that remains to be seen, but Aldon Smith in this scheme may give us the 10 sack guy we have lacked.

Alex Smith is the key and if he continues to improve then we may win this division.

i think we've improved in the speed department.

Everybody seems to worry that we only selected 'projects' and raw talent in the draft. Which is true, but that leads me to wonder if the staff know more about the CBA situation than we do.

Let's be honest, with new schemes across for the board for the 49ers, if the lockout drags on for much more than the next 4 weeks, which is looking increasingly likely, this season is effectively a write off for us anyway.

So perhaps JH and Co are looking more at the next season with this years selections???