Rising Players

Originally posted by ModestoNiner33:
I really thought TJE was starting to play well late in the season. We have amazing depth on both lines, I just wish I knew a lil more about the competition at center.

He and Dobbs really played well for us and added a ton of depth. I can't wait to see Carradine, Dial, Williams and Okoye now.

Originally posted by NCommand:

He and Dobbs really played well for us and added a ton of depth. I can't wait to see Carradine, Dial, Williams and Okoye now.

If Baalke hits a homer with this draft this team is gonna be good for a long time.

Originally posted by ModestoNiner33:

Originally posted by NCommand:
He and Dobbs really played well for us and added a ton of depth. I can't wait to see Carradine, Dial, Williams and Okoye now.

If Baalke hits a homer with this draft this team is gonna be good for a long time.

We are good for the long haul regardless... Jerod-Eddie played like a high draft pick last year when given the opportunity. Brock stepped up, Morris stepped up on ST, etc. If Baalke repeats the same draft philosophy he had last year we will be golden. I still think he got too fancy with the Jenkins/LMJ class that he ignored basic principles like size & toughness and thought he knew better. Last year was a straight meat and potatoes draft IMO... any time I saw a list of players available after the 1st round I was able to guess the player we would draft... as Im sure many fans did which is why everyone was ecstatic after, hopefully this draft goes the same.

Originally posted by 5280High:

Originally posted by ModestoNiner33:

Originally posted by NCommand:
He and Dobbs really played well for us and added a ton of depth. I can't wait to see Carradine, Dial, Williams and Okoye now.

If Baalke hits a homer with this draft this team is gonna be good for a long time.

We are good for the long haul regardless... Jerod-Eddie played like a high draft pick last year when given the opportunity. Brock stepped up, Morris stepped up on ST, etc. If Baalke repeats the same draft philosophy he had last year we will be golden. I still think he got too fancy with the Jenkins/LMJ class that he ignored basic principles like size & toughness and thought he knew better. Last year was a straight meat and potatoes draft IMO... any time I saw a list of players available after the 1st round I was able to guess the player we would draft... as Im sure many fans did which is why everyone was ecstatic after, hopefully this draft goes the same.

Agreed. And all we have left to sign is CK (already under the works), Aldon (maybe) and Crabtree and Iupati and both of these guys may end up being expendable depending on who we draft this year and the continued development along the OL (i.e. Looney). That's it! That is remarkable and that's not even counting who we have backing up some of the other core players. Seattle is about to pay $13M per year to Sherman alone!

TJE is good value, but high daft pick status?

It takes a hearty amount of optimism to be able to say that him or Dobbs will be anything more than reliable depth. No doubt that as long as we have BLUUUUUUUDGEON! we'll always get the most out of the DL though.

Originally posted by NCommand:
Seattle is about to pay $13M per year to Sherman alone!

And they need to pay ET soon too. Going to be A LOT of money tied up in those two.

Originally posted by OregonNiner87:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Seattle is about to pay $13M per year to Sherman alone!

And they need to pay ET soon too. Going to be A LOT of money tied up in those two.

Wilson comin up in a year or so too

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by ModestoNiner33:
I really thought TJE was starting to play well late in the season. We have amazing depth on both lines, I just wish I knew a lil more about the competition at center.

He and Dobbs really played well for us and added a ton of depth. I can't wait to see Carradine, Dial, Williams and Okoye now.

From one Article that was just posted that By Chris Biderman
He believes that drafting a DE in the first round would be ideal dream pick for us.
The only way I agree is if "Stephon Tuitt " is better than any CB on the board?
We do need CB help and not addressing this issue for another year might prove to be ill for us this up coming season.
What do you think NCommand

Originally posted by OregonNiner87:
TJE is good value, but high daft pick status?

It takes a hearty amount of optimism to be able to say that him or Dobbs will be anything more than reliable depth. No doubt that as long as we have BLUUUUUUUDGEON! we'll always get the most out of the DL though.

I made that statement thinking.. ok its TJE's 2nd year and he stepped in as a solid option and in my opinion showed he was starting caliber, Thats in his second year which is what I would expect from any 1-3rd round draft pick, ie: a high pick. Didnt mean top 10 or anything just what a solid pick in the early rounds would provide us.

Originally posted by DonnieDarko:

Originally posted by OregonNiner87:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Seattle is about to pay $13M per year to Sherman alone!

And they need to pay ET soon too. Going to be A LOT of money tied up in those two.

Wilson comin up in a year or so too

Thought I heard too that they were working on a contract extension with Thomas as well. Good luck with all of that! Sherman, Thomas, Wilson & Avril next year, etc.

Q. Patton
The man has some squabbles

Nice read on Okoye (wrong pic though). He's one of my dark horses; can't wait to watch how far he's come in a year.

The 49ers are deep and talented across the defensive line. As they go into next week's NFL draft, they can afford to address other positions of need.

With Justin Smith, Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams, Ray McDonald, Quinton Dial, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Tank Carradine and Demarcus Dobbs, the 49ers already have plenty of competition for playing time.

But going into organized team activities, minicamp and summer training camp, the 49ers also have a wild card to play: Lawrence Okoye.

Okoye, the former British Olympic discus thrower and rugby player, was signed as a free agent by San Francisco last April – despite never having played football. He signed as a defensive lineman, and got work in the 49ers' 3-4 defense in training camp. In August, he was placed on injured reserve after suffering a sprained knee in the team's third preseason game.

The time on injured reserve meant Okoye couldn't practice with the team, but he could attend meetings, study and watch games and practices. So, 2013 was a learning year for Okoye without the pressures of producing. He could take his time and soak in the NFL.

Recently, Taylor Price of 49ers.com put Okoye's development on his list of 20 offseason storylines for the team, noting that: "Okoye … soaked up every bit of knowledge during his first full season with the team. Now it's time to put it to use during 'Football School,' OTAs and minicamp."

Okoye certainly has the strength and build to prosper in the NFL, at 6-foot-6 and 304 pounds.

Now, Okoye is in the mix to show what he can do with all that knowledge he gained in his season of study. Like Carradine – who also was sidelined by injury his rookie season – Okoye will be getting a late start to contribute.

Unlike Carradine, howeve, Okoye has no track record of success in the game. He remains an unknown quantity. He was credited with one quarterback pressure late in one preseason game, but that's it. If he doesn't pan out, it's no real loss for the 49ers, who already are deep on the line. But if he can outplay some of his teammates, the 49ers may have themselves a gem – even if that appears to be a long shot right now.

Okoye has given much credit to his line coach, Jim Tomsula, for putting in extra time with him, and for his teammates – particularly Justin Smith and McDonald – for helping him adapt and showing him what he needs to do to be a pro.

"It's pretty special being in that locker room on gameday at Candlestick," Okoye wrote last year on the team's website. "It's great to see the rest of the team – how they prepare – how Justin Smith and Ray McDonald hit a switch. They changed into not quite different people, but they step up their game. You could see the fierceness in their eyes, and it's great to be a part of that.

"I look forward to developing that side of my game, that tenacity, that aggression, that fierceness. I want people to look into my eyes and see what I saw in Justin and Ray."

He'll soon get that chance.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Okoye-Gives-49ers-a-Wild-Card-257515591.html

Good read NC.

Originally posted by NCommand:
Nice read on Okoye (wrong pic though). He's one of my dark horses; can't wait to watch how far he's come in a year.

The 49ers are deep and talented across the defensive line. As they go into next week's NFL draft, they can afford to address other positions of need.

With Justin Smith, Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams, Ray McDonald, Quinton Dial, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Tank Carradine and Demarcus Dobbs, the 49ers already have plenty of competition for playing time.

But going into organized team activities, minicamp and summer training camp, the 49ers also have a wild card to play: Lawrence Okoye.

Okoye, the former British Olympic discus thrower and rugby player, was signed as a free agent by San Francisco last April – despite never having played football. He signed as a defensive lineman, and got work in the 49ers' 3-4 defense in training camp. In August, he was placed on injured reserve after suffering a sprained knee in the team's third preseason game.

The time on injured reserve meant Okoye couldn't practice with the team, but he could attend meetings, study and watch games and practices. So, 2013 was a learning year for Okoye without the pressures of producing. He could take his time and soak in the NFL.

Recently, Taylor Price of 49ers.com put Okoye's development on his list of 20 offseason storylines for the team, noting that: "Okoye … soaked up every bit of knowledge during his first full season with the team. Now it's time to put it to use during 'Football School,' OTAs and minicamp."

Okoye certainly has the strength and build to prosper in the NFL, at 6-foot-6 and 304 pounds.

Now, Okoye is in the mix to show what he can do with all that knowledge he gained in his season of study. Like Carradine – who also was sidelined by injury his rookie season – Okoye will be getting a late start to contribute.

Unlike Carradine, howeve, Okoye has no track record of success in the game. He remains an unknown quantity. He was credited with one quarterback pressure late in one preseason game, but that's it. If he doesn't pan out, it's no real loss for the 49ers, who already are deep on the line. But if he can outplay some of his teammates, the 49ers may have themselves a gem – even if that appears to be a long shot right now.

Okoye has given much credit to his line coach, Jim Tomsula, for putting in extra time with him, and for his teammates – particularly Justin Smith and McDonald – for helping him adapt and showing him what he needs to do to be a pro.

"It's pretty special being in that locker room on gameday at Candlestick," Okoye wrote last year on the team's website. "It's great to see the rest of the team – how they prepare – how Justin Smith and Ray McDonald hit a switch. They changed into not quite different people, but they step up their game. You could see the fierceness in their eyes, and it's great to be a part of that.

"I look forward to developing that side of my game, that tenacity, that aggression, that fierceness. I want people to look into my eyes and see what I saw in Justin and Ray."

He'll soon get that chance.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Okoye-Gives-49ers-a-Wild-Card-257515591.html

Hard to not want to cheer for this kid. Good luck to him.