How this team was built

2007 was such a great draft....2011 was a great draft and free agency though

Those past regimes couldn't coach but they weren't too bad at evaluating talent. As mediocre as we were for the Nolan/Singletary era you could tell we had talent and potential but the coaching was getting in the way. They really set the foundation and Harbaugh and Baalke just built on it quickly. McCloughan was decent but he was just too hit and miss.

Just shows you how good this team was even when we were bad

Originally posted by 707Niners:
2007 was such a great draft....2011 was a great draft and free agency though

2011 shows a perfect balance of how t build your team through the draft and free agency. You need both not one over the other.

Randy Moss isn't starting?

Manningham....how do u know this???

I just have Manningham over Moss right now, but if Moss keeps getting positive review like he has been through training camp, i can see him starting Week 1 vs. Green Bay

Nice thread 707

This list should illustrate the fact that good teams are built through the draft. Free agency rarely gets you anything more than short-term role players.... Although, I must say we got lucky with Ahmad Brooks. Solid FA pickup. I also think Donte Whitner will be around here for a long time.

Mike Nolans team.

Two old threads already (from last October, when a NY Times article
and CSN Bay Area covered the exact same topic) on this:

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/159425-how-niners-were-built/

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/159015-nytimes-harbaugh-how-niners-were-built-great-stuff/

^ of course, these don't take into account this year's FA and draft additions...

Big void between 2000 and '04/. Then slim pickings '04-06, with '07 being a huge yr. 08 was great just because of Justin Smith. '09 will look better if crbtre catches fire, and 2010 was 3 starters plus a world class PR. 2011 basically made it for this team, with actually 7 starters(including Culliver), and 2012 looks to be
the yr that finished the team off, with La Michael and AJ. The insurance of Mario, Moss, and Brandon Jacobs is key because of WR depth and RB backup/ spelling frank. Also Jacobs is better with ball on 3rd and goal from the 2yd line than Soap, altho Soap did do okay. We will be glad we have Jacobs before 5 games go by this season. 2012 guys do have to prove themselves, but my money is on both LaMichael and AJ to start before game 5. LaMichael will be used early on in 3rd down situations, or in RZ, and I am betting on AJ to start by game 5.

Looking at this list, the gap from 2000-2007 shows what lousy drafting can do, and how it affects the team. If Baalke and Coach hit on AJ and LaMichael, drafting from 30th spot to fill out a team, incl (special situations), then these guys have proven themselves in just a little over a yr. Remarkable, esp when big name teams like the cowboys, have not won a playoff game in over 12 yrs. Obviously our 2 guys are good, but you have to wonder on the quality and amount of hits, if they weren't just a tad lucky too. Nothing wrong with being lucky, but it's always better to be lucky and good.

Nice post 707.

One of the worst draft 2008 Everything came together in 2011. With Harbaugh and Baalke bringing those guys in from the draft and FA to put us into 13-3.

Add in Kilgore to 2011 and Looney to 2012 as they are gonna compete for OG along with former UDFA signee Alex Boone, signed in 2009 I believe.

2007