2014 Team Needs - Updates

I hadn't realized that Ian Williams had 4 surgeries on that broken ankle. Wow. It sounds like he's healed but still a little weak and it may take him some time to get back to strength esp. for the NT position. Also, reports are that Culliver looks great and 100% healed so that's terrific news. Minor injuries to receivers already.

Have there been any reports about who has been returning punts in OTAs?

I have looked, but have not found much, if anything.

Thanks.

Originally posted by NCommand:

I hadn't realized that Ian Williams had 4 surgeries on that broken ankle. Wow. It sounds like he's healed but still a little weak and it may take him some time to get back to strength esp. for the NT position. Also, reports are that Culliver looks great and 100% healed so that's terrific news. Minor injuries to receivers already.

That surprised, and worried, me.

Originally posted by buck:
Have there been any reports about who has been returning punts in OTAs?

I have looked, but have not found much, if anything.

Thanks.

PR/KOR: LaMichael James; Perrish Cox, Darryl Morris, Devon Wiley, Bruce Ellington, L.J. McCray & Kenneth Acker (even Carlos Hyde).

This is the list I have with the two surprise returners in Morris and even Hyde. I haven't confirmed Cox, Wiley, McCray and Acker yet but all either have experience with us in the past and/or are expected to compete there. I'll let you now if I hear of any others and will continue to update the OP on this. I think this competition is huge. We have needed a dynamic returner for a long long time. Conversely, we've been tortured in the playoffs the past 3 years with the opposition breaking our backs with dynamic returners (note to coaches: stop punting/kicking off to them, please!).

Originally posted by buck:

Originally posted by NCommand:
I hadn't realized that Ian Williams had 4 surgeries on that broken ankle. Wow. It sounds like he's healed but still a little weak and it may take him some time to get back to strength esp. for the NT position. Also, reports are that Culliver looks great and 100% healed so that's terrific news. Minor injuries to receivers already.

That surprised, and worried, me.

Same here...thought it was a clean break and relatively an easy healing process. He's had a full year to recover (like Crabtree and Culliver). So hopefully it's structurally sound and he'll get stronger and stronger.

Does anyone have any updates on the 90? I have 96 right now...

The Current 90: As of June 7th, 2014.
Offense: (IR) (46)
QB: Colin Kaepernick; Josh Johnson; Blaine Gabbert; McLeod Bethel-Thompson & Kory Faulkner
RB: Frank Gore; Kendall Hunter; Marcus Lattimore; LaMichael James, Jewel Hampton, Carlos Hyde & Anthony Wilkerson (Stanford)
H-Back: Derek Carrier & Kevin Greene (USC)
FB: Bruce Miller; Will Tukuafu, Patrick Su'a (Fresno State) & (Trey Millard)
X: Anquan Boldin; Jon Baldwin & Kevin Cummings (Oregon State)
Y (SLOT): Quinton Patton; Stevie Johnson; Bruce Ellington; Chuck Jacobs & Devon Wiley
Z: Michael Crabtree; Kassim Osgood; Brandon Lloyd & David Reed
TE: Vernon Davis; Vance McDonald; Garrett Celek, Taylor Sloat (UC Davis) & Kane Friel (Brigham Young)
LOT: Joe Staley; Jonathan Martin & (Luke Marquardt)
ROT: Anthony Davis; Carter Bykowski
LG: Mike Iupati; Joe Looney & Ryan Seymour
RG: Alex Boone; Adam Snyder & (Brandon Thomas)
C: Daniel Kilgore; Marcus Martin & Dillon Ferrell

Defense: (IR) (45)
RDE: Justin Smith; Tony Jerod-Eddie; Tank Carradine & Lawrence Okoye
LDE: Ray McDonald; DeMarcus Dobbs; Quinton Dial & Kaleb Ramsey
NT: Glenn Dorsey; Ian Williams, Mike Purcell & Viliami Moala (Cal)
WILL: Aldon Smith; Dan Skuta & Aaron Lynch
SAM: Ahmad Brooks; Corey Lemonier
MIKE: Patrick Willis; Nick Moody, Chase Thomas & Colin Kelly (UC Davis)
TED: Michael Wilhoite; Chris Borland; Shayne Skov & Blake Costanzo (Navarro Bowman)
RCB: Tramaine Brock; Dontae Johnson & (Keith Reaser)
LCB: Chris Culliver; Eric Wright; Chris Cook, Kenneth Acker, Drayton Allen-Calhoun (Middle Tennessee State) & Cameron Fuller (New Mexico State)
SLOT/NICKLE: Jimmie Ward; Perrish Cox & Darryl Morris
FS: Eric Reid; C.J. Spillman; L.J. McCray, D.J. Campbell, Courtney Avery (Michigan) & A.J. Highsmith (Miami)
SS: Antoine Bethea; Craig Dahl & Raymond Ventrone

Special Teams: (5)
LS: Kevin McDermott; Jimmy Davenport (Faulkner)
PK: Phil Dawson
P: Andy Lee & Colton Schmidt
PR/KOR: LaMichael James; Perrish Cox, Darryl Morris, Devon Wiley, Bruce Ellington, L.J. McCray & Kenneth Acker (even Carlos Hyde).

I think Trey Mallard and Brandon Thomas will be IR'ed. That's 2 of the four.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Same here...thought it was a clean break and relatively an easy healing process. He's had a full year to recover (like Crabtree and Culliver). So hopefully it's structurally sound and he'll get stronger and stronger.

Crap now I'm worried. Michael Carter had a similar injury. It was a severely sprained ankle (no broken bones), and he never recovered from it.

Originally posted by Giedi:
I think Trey Mallard and Brandon Thomas will be IR'ed. That's 2 of the four.

I have those in (italicized). I didn't count them. We have FB Trey Millard, OT Luke Marquardt, OT Brandon Thomas, ILB Navarro Bowman & CB Keith Reaser on the PUP/IR list.

You watch and see what happens when we have to cut starting talent elsewhere. Trent will be on the phone several days before, getting 2015 picks for a guy we are about to announce as a cut. Bet on it.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:

You watch and see what happens when we have to cut starting talent elsewhere. Trent will be on the phone several days before, getting 2015 picks for a guy we are about to announce as a cut. Bet on it.

Definitely. I mentioned it another thread. Baalke did it last year w/ trading away Haralson and Cam Johnson (unpopular moves at the time). The trend will continue since we only have 8-9 picks for next year at the moment.

I wouldn't be surprised if we sign a vet CB who is a little overpaid and gets cut in the preseason.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:

You watch and see what happens when we have to cut starting talent elsewhere. Trent will be on the phone several days before, getting 2015 picks for a guy we are about to announce as a cut. Bet on it.

I see this happening too.

The battle for #2 qb will be interesting. IMO it will be between Johnson and Gabbert but there is such a huge drop off between Colin and the rest of em it's kinda scary.

Originally posted by AXEGRINDER:
The battle for #2 qb will be interesting. IMO it will be between Johnson and Gabbert but there is such a huge drop off between Colin and the rest of em it's kinda scary.

I think Johnson is a much better fit for our offense should CK go down. Plus he's 30 and let's be real here...he's done be a starter anywhere. If he plays well in pre season, with Harbaugh's comfort level with him, they could cut/trade Gabbert (salaryt is an issue) and sign Johnson for 3 years to be a FT backup. But that's not really our M.O. so this should be interesting. If we stay with Gabbert who's still very young, his contract is guranateed plus at his age, he'll want to syart somewhere soon. Plus his game is opposite of CK so if he went into the game, we'd have to change offensive game plans pretty dramatically IMHO.