What positions do you value the most on the team?

Well, you get Baalke to try to negotiate long term contracts with the key players, which he has been doing. Then you draft well and when one of your vets get offered silly money by someone else, like Morgan or Baas, you have someone younger and cheaper behind them.

It's quite simple but the drafting is key. I don't think you plan it by position as you have suggested so much as falloff between the vet starter and the potential replacement. But you stay out of the high price FA market.

Originally posted by English:
Well, you get Baalke to try to negotiate long term contracts with the key players, which he has been doing. Then you draft well and when one of your vets get offered silly money by someone else, like Morgan or Baas, you have someone younger and cheaper behind them.

It's quite simple but the drafting is key. I don't think you plan it by position as you have suggested so much as falloff between the vet starter and the potential replacement. But you stay out of the high price FA market.

In most cases the FA has played for 5 years, most are near 30. If you get two good years play you're lucky and the hit to the cap isn't worth it. The 49ers have a franchise elite QB in place and he's only 25. We've seen that an elite QB can keep a team contending for years. I believe this team may look into moving up in the draft, the question is how far do they want to go.

Originally posted by English:
Well, you get Baalke to try to negotiate long term contracts with the key players, which he has been doing. Then you draft well and when one of your vets get offered silly money by someone else, like Morgan or Baas, you have someone younger and cheaper behind them.

It's quite simple but the drafting is key. I don't think you plan it by position as you have suggested so much as falloff between the vet starter and the potential replacement. But you stay out of the high price FA market.

I agree, but all of those Pro Bowls are making me worried. Is Dashon with 2 Pro Bowls being silly when he wants to be paid like one of the best safeties in the game? We have a young OL that is very good, but we can't pay for 5 Pro Bowlers on the line. So that is why I think we need to prioritize where we want to spend our money. Personally I would be willing to sacrifice some in RB and WR to keep that line together (and of course the QB behind them).

I think you are also correct that the draft is very important. I mentioned the places where I would be willing to let some good players go, and if you do that, you want to have backups that are good enough to step in without much drop off. So even though we don't have many holes, we need those capable backup replacements.

Originally posted by RishikeshA:
In most cases the FA has played for 5 years, most are near 30. If you get two good years play you're lucky and the hit to the cap isn't worth it. The 49ers have a franchise elite QB in place and he's only 25. We've seen that an elite QB can keep a team contending for years. I believe this team may look into moving up in the draft, the question is how far do they want to go.

I agree. We can only go for value free agents. We don't have the cap space to sign a big name.

I think positions such as running back can be plugged in without too much difficulty. Call me old fashioned but I believe in keeping an O line together for extended periods.

One other thing is that the rookie salary cap makes the draft even more attractive. Paying CK only 1 million next year? That is like stealing. If we can effectively draft/train new players, we may be able to keep our salary cap manageable and extend the length of a potential dynasty, as opposed to mortgaging our future for a few years to reach the SB.

Originally posted by English:
I think positions such as running back can be plugged in without too much difficulty. Call me old fashioned but I believe in keeping an O line together for extended periods.

Absolutely. Running backs are the dixie cups of the NFL. Sometimes you strike gold and get a stud like Gore, but provided you have a decent O line, you don't need anything fancy back there. The O line and your QB, on the other hand, are the ante price for being a competent team.

A position that I think is criminally undervalued is your kicker. Given that seasons routinely turn on the feet of kickers, it's amazing that they're frequently treated as an afterthought. Moreover, the difference between a good kicker and a competent kicker is huge, and the difference between a bad kicker and a competent kicker is enormous.

Originally posted by fryet:
I agree, but all of those Pro Bowls are making me worried. Is Dashon with 2 Pro Bowls being silly when he wants to be paid like one of the best safeties in the game? We have a young OL that is very good, but we can't pay for 5 Pro Bowlers on the line. So that is why I think we need to prioritize where we want to spend our money. Personally I would be willing to sacrifice some in RB and WR to keep that line together (and of course the QB behind them).

I think you are also correct that the draft is very important. I mentioned the places where I would be willing to let some good players go, and if you do that, you want to have backups that are good enough to step in without much drop off. So even though we don't have many holes, we need those capable backup replacements.

I get your point, but we don't have 5 Pro-Bowlers. We have 2, maybe 3. As for Goldson, people can debate whether or not he's the best FS in the game (the Associated Press seems to believe he is however, making him first team All-Pro), however, the guy is legimiately a top 5 FS. So what exactly is the problem with paying him like one of the best safeties in the game?

If we draft well, as you and others have said, then we'll be fine.

What I do like is that we have some top players on offense and defense at positions (ILB, FS, TE) that aren't that expensive.

I can't honestly say I value one position over the other though outside of QB, OL, and DL. All of the positions are necessary and effect the other, but it seems some have greater influence on the others. If we get another world beeater on our defensive line, at least two of our linebackers will go to the Hall of Fame.

My feelings are cap wise, cut Alex(or Trade is possible), Haralson, Akers, and Goodwin(Would redo his deal if he is willing to).

Re-sign Goldson.

Extend the following over the next 2 offseasons.

Aldon Smith
Michael Crabtree
Colin Kaepernick
Anthony Davis
Mike Iupati
Kendall Hunter (If he returns 100%)
Chris Culliver (I might try him at S)
Justin Smith (Really the anchor of the defense)

Draft replacements for Haralson, Akers, NT to replace Sopoaga if he leaves, DE for groooming under Justin, and 3rd OLB. Also depth at Safety and CB, and OL.

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
I get your point, but we don't have 5 Pro-Bowlers. We have 2, maybe 3. As for Goldson, people can debate whether or not he's the best FS in the game (the Associated Press seems to believe he is however, making him first team All-Pro), however, the guy is legimiately a top 5 FS. So what exactly is the problem with paying him like one of the best safeties in the game?

I believe we had 9 Pro Bowlers this past year. Now we can argue about whether some of them really deserved it (Whitner got one?! Really?), however they are going to want top level money when it comes to resigning them. In some cases, we will have to let them go, because they just aren't worth that money. We will have to make some tough choices, I think, and that is what I was trying to determine in this thread, was which areas people felt were important to keep at a high level, and which areas we would be willing to cut/hope that draft picks can replace.

Originally posted by English:
I think positions such as running back can be plugged in without too much difficulty. Call me old fashioned but I believe in keeping an O line together for extended periods.

Spot on. Look at almost all of the successful teams and you see that.

Originally posted by fryet:
I believe we had 9 Pro Bowlers this past year. Now we can argue about whether some of them really deserved it (Whitner got one?! Really?), however they are going to want top level money when it comes to resigning them. In some cases, we will have to let them go, because they just aren't worth that money. We will have to make some tough choices, I think, and that is what I was trying to determine in this thread, was which areas people felt were important to keep at a high level, and which areas we would be willing to cut/hope that draft picks can replace.

The comment was referencing our offensive line. At the present time, we have two Pro-Bowlers. I said maybe three because I could see Alex Boone possibly making it at some point in time or Anthony Davis could sneak in there if our run game continues to dominate and we get so many prime time games.

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