Off-Season Post #2: Thoughts immediately after the draft (plus draft video)...

Originally posted by nannite:

Originally posted by Rascal:
I disagree with your statement that good teams don't need immediate impact players. By definition you are essentially saying the 9ers will be more than fine with the same team as last year which to me is very far from the truth.

Kaep was only the starter for half the season and we lost 2 of our best pass rushers to injury right before the playoffs started. Yet we still managed to get a few yards away from a SB win.

On paper, we get better by going with (more or less) the same team. We just have to make sure we dont go to Seattle in the playoffs

Also, I will draft a Polamalu (hofer who didnt start his rookie year) over a Cadillac Williams (huge rookie numbers, never reached that peak again) every time.

Originally posted by mayo49:
Why is everybody counting on Williams and Manningham to have an impact on the team next year? They probably won't be fully healthy until the end of the season. Your being neive if you think they can be counted on this season.

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by mayo49:
Why is everybody counting on Williams and Manningham to have an impact on the team next year? They probably won't be fully healthy until the end of the season. Your being neive if you think they can be counted on this season.

Very well said mayo49 !!

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
I can't say 100% that he's going to be a great player, but I think its pretty clear that Harbaugh liked him. As a team, they liked him enough to move up to get him. He had the longest arms in teh draft AND did the most reps on the bench. If you know anything about these things, typically longer armed guys have trouble on the bench...this guy had the longest arms AND the most reps.

Obviously, that doesn't make him a player...just sayin'....that means he has strength to block, long arms to prevent long armed defenders from pushing him aside and give Kaep a large window when throwing to him. The guy is an athlete...plain and simple.

He doesn't need to be Vernon Davis. We already have Vernon Davis. He needs to be a swiss army knife player who can block and catch some passes and play from a number of different formations....all of which he did in college.

Yes, I know about arm length and bench reps.

Hey, all sounds fine to me. Again, I am not blasting this pick.

To the last part, as I said, he MAY need to be VD in the sense that he MAY have to fill in as the # 1 if VD misses any time. I see why we drafted him (to fill in as our Walker). The only thing in question for me is.. if he is forced into a # 1 TE role... can he make defenses focus on him? I hope he can.. but I do not particularly see it in him.

Just like with all picks.. I can offer some optimism and know that Baalke and Co. do more homework than I. So, welcome to the 49ers, Vance McD.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
I kinda see your point about making defenses focus on him....

...but there is a reason VD was taken in the top 10. That freakish athletic ability isn't something they were likely to find at the bottom of the second round.

McDonald is a player with the tools to be a very good TE. Thats really the best you could hope for at that spot. Now they will coach him up and see what they uncover.