LaMichael James was a Niner (CUT!)

Those clamoring for LMJ are those hanging onto the memories of his Oregon days when he was a step or two ahead of everybody else.... he is not that player at this level.... he is not faster or stronger than his competition.... there is no pop.... there is no wow factor with him.... he has very little value in a trade scenario.... nobody is going to take a lower round draft choice because we throw in LMJ... Hunter is a much more effective player...

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Just stop with the Sproles comments already! James couldn't hold one strap from Sprole's jock. I'm so tired of that comparison. Sproles is an absolute freak athlete and an even better football player. James is NOT EVEN CLOSE!

I agree, it is nothing more than wishful thinking to see him as 49ers version of Sproles. He has potential but he will take awhile and needs reps and with him being apparently our #6 best RB and Lattimore waiting in the wings he needs to go.

I had friends go to Nike camps with Sproles in high school and even then he was an nfl talent. James wouldn't have been in the NFL if he hadn't have gone to Oregon. The only other schools he had offers from that would've given him a remote chance of success were TCU, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Mizzou. Keep in mind these were the 2007 version of these schools looking at him.

Trade him for a decent NT and a 7th rd pick.

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by NikeSBHead:
Guys! This might just be a conspiracy theory I made up but lets think about it, recently theres been a lot of trade talks between the 49ers and the Giants for Hakeem Nicks, could it be that the reason that the niners didn't activate LaMichael James today was because they already have a Nicks/Britt/Gordon trade in the works? And the Niners just don't want LaMichael to get injured and make him un-tradeable. Possible options...

2nd round pick(considering were getting KC's 2nd anyway) and LaMichael for Gordon????

4th round pick and LaMichael for Hakeem?

5th Round Pick and LaMchael for Kenny Britt?

Trent Balkee has to realize especially after today that this team needs a deep threat or a younger version of Boldin who is more shiftier. Even when Crabs comes back he's just a REALLY good possession receiver who gets great YAC, not exactly a burner. And in all honesty Manningham is just a better version of KW.

The exact thought crossed my mind.

I love people who think critically and outside the box and you may very well be onto something here!

Never understood the LMJ pick when we already had Hunter, who's just as quick and bigger/stronger. If we can get reasonable trade value for him, I say go for it.

Trade him for Hakeem Nicks straight up

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Just stop with the Sproles comments already! James couldn't hold one strap from Sprole's jock. I'm so tired of that comparison. Sproles is an absolute freak athlete and an even better football player. James is NOT EVEN CLOSE!

How would you know? Dude is given next to no opportunity. Yet we have passes thrown to Miller, screens to Dixon, and Kyle Williams returning kicks.

LMJ goes in for a play now and then, runs around the end (as the defenses always know he will), then comes out and sits. His "Sproleness" cannot be released to whatever that potential is in this way. Even in college his success seemed to come from relentlessly sending him into the line, not running around it.

Even Sproles might not be hugely successful on this team as they would not use him like NO does. Right now it is Gore up the middle and pocket passes, not so much in the way of trying to integrate other styles of play into the scheme.

Originally posted by 4evrfan:
Never understood the LMJ pick when we already had Hunter, who's just as quick and bigger/stronger. If we can get reasonable trade value for him, I say go for it.

IF we trade LaMichael he will only be used to free up a roster space for the player we trade for. The caveat is the team needs to need an RB and right now the only team that "needs" an RB is the team that wants the highest pick and the player everyone on this board is scared of.

Tennessee has Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene, Jackie Battle, and their KR/PR specialist Darius Reynaud is listed as RB

New York has Brandon Jacobs(who is playing will), David Wilson (who is injured but has shown that in flashes he is better than LMJ), Darell Scott, Henry Hynoski, and Andre Brown. WR Rueben Randle has done a good job on punts for them.

David Wilson's injury could be season ended according to a report but they are expecting Andre Brown to return from his broken leg soon.

While the Browns have Willis McGahee, Dion Lewis (a worse version of LMJ), Bobby Rainey(another inexperienced RB), Chris Ogbonnaya(a delanie/b. miller type), and Fozzy Whittaker(their current KR specialst).

LMJ's only value to this team going forward is a conditional day 3 pick or as a bonus add-on in a trade for a WR.

....

The Eagles make sense because of scheme familiarity for LMJ and outside of Shady they only have Bryce Brown(fumblitus) and Chris Polk(a power runner)

Jason Avant is only due 2 million this season and 2.25 next year

Jeremy Maclin is due 3.2 million before becoming an FA

....

The Jets reportedly need an RB as Mike Goodson has gone public before the Jets did by saying he tore his MCL and ACL this weekend.

Too bad the only 2 WRs on their roster worth a damn are untouchable...

Holmes is due 10M plus the next 2 seasons

and Stephen Hill is clearly their #1 threat and a long term investment.

LaMichael won't be on the team next year. It's obvious. Trade him now.

Originally posted by carlgo:
Even Sproles might not be hugely successful on this team as they would not use him like NO does. Right now it is Gore up the middle and pocket passes, not so much in the way of trying to integrate other styles of play into the scheme.

This is it in a nutshell to me as well...sadly

Originally posted by sfout:

Originally posted by 4evrfan:
Never understood the LMJ pick when we already had Hunter, who's just as quick and bigger/stronger. If we can get reasonable trade value for him, I say go for it.

IF we trade LaMichael he will only be used to free up a roster space for the player we trade for. The caveat is the team needs to need an RB and right now the only team that "needs" an RB is the team that wants the highest pick and the player everyone on this board is scared of.

Tennessee has Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene, Jackie Battle, and their KR/PR specialist Darius Reynaud is listed as RB

New York has Brandon Jacobs(who is playing will), David Wilson (who is injured but has shown that in flashes he is better than LMJ), Darell Scott, Henry Hynoski, and Andre Brown. WR Rueben Randle has done a good job on punts for them.

David Wilson's injury could be season ended according to a report but they are expecting Andre Brown to return from his broken leg soon.

While the Browns have Willis McGahee, Dion Lewis (a worse version of LMJ), Bobby Rainey(another inexperienced RB), Chris Ogbonnaya(a delanie/b. miller type), and Fozzy Whittaker(their current KR specialst).

LMJ's only value to this team going forward is a conditional day 3 pick or as a bonus add-on in a trade for a WR.

....

The Eagles make sense because of scheme familiarity for LMJ and outside of Shady they only have Bryce Brown(fumblitus) and Chris Polk(a power runner)

Jason Avant is only due 2 million this season and 2.25 next year

Jeremy Maclin is due 3.2 million before becoming an FA

....

The Jets reportedly need an RB as Mike Goodson has gone public before the Jets did by saying he tore his MCL and ACL this weekend.

Too bad the only 2 WRs on their roster worth a damn are untouchable...

Holmes is due 10M plus the next 2 seasons

and Stephen Hill is clearly their #1 threat and a long term investment.

Very well explained. Thanks

Originally posted by jimmythegreekjr:
LaMichael won't be on the team next year. It's obvious. Trade him now.

exactly. trade him while we canor make him look like a beast in the preseason and then trade him for higher value

Niners Nation ‏@NinersNation

Harbaugh: LMJ development has been fine. He'll be back playing. I know the talk about "insurance", etc and it's no slight to LMJ

Harbaugh: He's a talented player, valuable member of the team

Originally posted by Jcool:

Niners Nation ‏@NinersNation

Harbaugh: LMJ development has been fine. He'll be back playing. I know the talk about "insurance", etc and it's no slight to LMJ

Harbaugh: He's a talented player, valuable member of the team

But Harbaugh is going with the hot hand instead.