Reason and Emotion

You know when I look at the above, it doesn't look to me like the rest of the division has out-classed the Niners or gotten significantly better than the Niners so far. The Seahawks retained an important pass rusher and kicker, but they also lost a key receiver, a very important D-lineman, a starting tackle and some depth in the D-line and secondary. Rams lost depth on the O-line and a key member of the secondary. Cardinals lost a key member of their defense, receiver depth and added a couple linemen and Ted Ginn (woohoo!).

Originally posted by NCommand:
Baalke's plan appeared to have Culliver start or challenge for a start all along.

http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/rehabbing-culliver-line-starting-job-49ers

The 49ers were ready to elevate cornerback Chris Culliver into the starting lineup a year ago. Again this offseason, the 49ers envision Culliver as a starter with Tarell Brown's departure to the Raiders and the team's decision to cut Carlos Rogers for an eventual salary-cap savings of $6.6 million. Tramaine Brock is the presumptive starter at the other cornerback position.

A source told CSNBayArea.com the 49ers plan to enter into talks with Culliver's representation on a contract extension this offseason. Culliver is entering the final season of his rookie deal.

At the NFL Scouting Combine last month, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said he has been impressed with what he has seen from Culliver during his rehabilitation.

"He looks real good, and he's working awfully hard," Baalke said. "He's at the facility every day and doing extra, and really doing a nice job. He's matured a lot, both on the field and off the field, and it's fun to watch."

Culliver, a third-round draft pick from South Carolina in 2011, was the 49ers' No. 3 cornerback in his first two seasons in the NFL.

IMO Culliver was the biggest loss last year since we ended up getting Crabs back. Cully is going to surprise some people and be very very good next year & I hope we do get him to sign an extension this off season.

Originally posted by crake49:

You know when I look at the above, it doesn't look to me like the rest of the division has out-classed the Niners or gotten significantly better than the Niners so far. The Seahawks retained an important pass rusher and kicker, but they also lost a key receiver, a very important D-lineman, a starting tackle and some depth in the D-line and secondary. Rams lost depth on the O-line and a key member of the secondary. Cardinals lost a key member of their defense, receiver depth and added a couple linemen and Ted Ginn (woohoo!).

Yes, those were my thoughts too. The draft remains to be seen, of course.

Originally posted by matt49er:
IMO Culliver was the biggest loss last year since we ended up getting Crabs back. Cully is going to surprise some people and be very very good next year & I hope we do get him to sign an extension this off season.

Agreed, he was a huge loss but the flip side is, it sounds like he was very humbled by the situation and had some time to grow on and off the field. So hopefully we get an even better NINER this year in Cully. Also, if Cully didn't get hurt, would Brock have been in position to get extra playing time and shine?

Originally posted by NCommand:
Agreed, he was a huge loss but the flip side is, it sounds like he was very humbled by the situation and had some time to grow on and off the field. So hopefully we get an even better NINER this year in Cully. Also, if Cully didn't get hurt, would Brock have been in position to get extra playing time and shine?

Probably not.

Originally posted by BadgerHawk:
Has free agency ever been the reason a team won a Super Bowl? One could argue the 1994-95 season was but that may be the extent of it. In fact the term free agency is quite the oxymoron. Its anything but free and is usually the cause of a teams decline versus its ascension.

With this developing story about DeSean Jackson, you don't think he can be that Deion Sanders type acquisition that could put us over the top? It would be a trade however, but let's just say he was a FA. Punt returner problem solved, deep thread problem solved, an explosive player problem solved.

Originally posted by English:
Yes, those were my thoughts too. The draft remains to be seen, of course.

It seems pretty lucky that the biggest needs are receiver and corner and this is the deepest draft in many years for those two positions. Maybe it's not luck. Maybe they saw this coming. They're all about preparation. One of my favorite sports-related quotes was from golfer Sam Snead - "The more I practice, the luckier I get."

Originally posted by ApatheticIAm:

Originally posted by BadgerHawk:

Has free agency ever been the reason a team won a Super Bowl? One could argue the 1994-95 season was but that may be the extent of it. In fact the term free agency is quite the oxymoron. Its anything but free and is usually the cause of a teams decline versus its ascension.

With this developing story about DeSean Jackson, you don't think he can be that Deion Sanders type acquisition that could put us over the top? It would be a trade however, but let's just say he was a FA. Punt returner problem solved, deep thread problem solved, an explosive player problem solved.

My own view is the free agency period in the modern day post cap era is overrated. Looking back to the Patriots, they were able to manage 3 super bowls in the post cap era by drafting well. Then they started losing coaches. Crennel, McDaneils, Weis, Seely and haven't drafted as well as they had been in the early turn of the century. Again, going back to the 1994 niners, that year they drafted Young, Floyd, Drakeford and Woodall, and the year before they got Stubblefield. Yeah, they made a splash in free agency and got Ken and Deion, but the core of their team was through the draft. Free agency is important but I personally think retaining good coaches, and drafting well, are key since the draft, free agency, and the cap makes talent so even among the NFL teams.

As for special teams, LaMichael has been doing a decent job, and I can see the draft providing some great returners on top of helping us get some good and fast vertical WR's. Back to the Patriots, I got to hand it to them and their coaching and front office. To be drafting practically last for the last 14 years and yet remain on top of their division and the NFL for that long, they have some great coaches that develop talent, and while they haven't drafted well - they have drafted well enough despite drafting last to remain on top. It's pretty amazing.

Originally posted by Giedi:

My own view is the free agency period in the modern day post cap era is overrated. Looking back to the Patriots, they were able to manage 3 super bowls in the post cap era by drafting well. Then they started losing coaches. Crennel, McDaneils, Weis, Seely and haven't drafted as well as they had been in the early turn of the century. Again, going back to the 1994 niners, that year they drafted Young, Floyd, Drakeford and Woodall, and the year before they got Stubblefield. Yeah, they made a splash in free agency and got Ken and Deion, but the core of their team was through the draft. Free agency is important but I personally think retaining good coaches, and drafting well, are key since the draft, free agency, and the cap makes talent so even among the NFL teams.

As for special teams, LaMichael has been doing a decent job, and I can see the draft providing some great returners on top of helping us get some good and fast vertical WR's. Back to the Patriots, I got to hand it to them and their coaching and front office. To be drafting practically last for the last 14 years and yet remain on top of their division and the NFL for that long, they have some great coaches that develop talent, and while they haven't drafted well - they have drafted well enough despite drafting last to remain on top. It's pretty amazing.

Patriots are great but BUF MIS and NYJ have been atrocious most years. When you have Brady and the other teams have s*** you should win the division most every year

Originally posted by Pillbusta:

Originally posted by Giedi:

My own view is the free agency period in the modern day post cap era is overrated. Looking back to the Patriots, they were able to manage 3 super bowls in the post cap era by drafting well. Then they started losing coaches. Crennel, McDaneils, Weis, Seely and haven't drafted as well as they had been in the early turn of the century. Again, going back to the 1994 niners, that year they drafted Young, Floyd, Drakeford and Woodall, and the year before they got Stubblefield. Yeah, they made a splash in free agency and got Ken and Deion, but the core of their team was through the draft. Free agency is important but I personally think retaining good coaches, and drafting well, are key since the draft, free agency, and the cap makes talent so even among the NFL teams.

As for special teams, LaMichael has been doing a decent job, and I can see the draft providing some great returners on top of helping us get some good and fast vertical WR's. Back to the Patriots, I got to hand it to them and their coaching and front office. To be drafting practically last for the last 14 years and yet remain on top of their division and the NFL for that long, they have some great coaches that develop talent, and while they haven't drafted well - they have drafted well enough despite drafting last to remain on top. It's pretty amazing.

Patriots are great but BUF MIS and NYJ have been atrocious most years. When you have Brady and the other teams have s*** you should win the division most every year

Just looking at a snapshot of the AFC east, the only team that has been really atrocious the last 14 years was buffalo. Mia and Jets have been occasionally decent. Mainly average. But did New England's excellence contribute to their averageness? After all, 2 interdivisional games is the equivalent of going 8-8 and 10-6. Not saying you are wrong, but the fact that New England plays in a weak division doesn't mean that team is also weak.

Having said that, it think the way they approach building their team has been copied by the rest of the NFL to a certain extent. For us to make another dynasty run, we have to discover a quirk or exploit a loophole, the way the Pats did with the cap, the way Walsh did with the new O Line blocking rules, or simply get lucky and draft 4 hall of fame players like the steelers did in the 70's. If there is any glitch that the current rules offer - it's the fact that the NFL is wanting to encourage passing. That means a coach that has a unique expertise in developing passers, like a Jim Harbaugh, can exploit that glitch and keep his team dominant by developing QB's and trading them away. (a la Alex Smith). Anyway, without being able to exploit such hidden glitches, it will be hit or miss with the super bowl and our 5-1 super bowl win percentage will go down to .500 <sigh>

I cannot believe there are people b***hing after going through the 8 years of post Mooch b******t. The owners have done the right thing and hired the right people to right the ship, what more can you seriously ask for in three short years? What more can you expect in such a short time? Bad luck, bad calls and bad injuries happen. We will get ours. I know that in this age of instant gratification that what I am about to say may seem impossible to some of you guys, but be patient.

Originally posted by Memphis9er:
I cannot believe there are people b***hing after going through the 8 years of post Mooch b******t. The owners have done the right thing and hired the right people to right the ship, what more can you seriously ask for in three short years? What more can you expect in such a short time? Bad luck, bad calls and bad injuries happen. We will get ours. I know that in this age of instant gratification that what I am about to say may seem impossible to some of you guys, but be patient.

it did not take long for some fans to get spoiled. some are actually using the excuse of getting to three nfc title games and a super bowl is not good enough, as a reason to rip the lack of signing some bigshot in free agency . I just have to time to figure out that type of "logic"

damn it, typo,,,,,,, meant to say i have no time to figure out that type of thinking, sorry

Originally posted by Memphis9er:
I cannot believe there are people b***hing after going through the 8 years of post Mooch b******t. The owners have done the right thing and hired the right people to right the ship, what more can you seriously ask for in three short years? What more can you expect in such a short time? Bad luck, bad calls and bad injuries happen. We will get ours. I know that in this age of instant gratification that what I am about to say may seem impossible to some of you guys, but be patient.

I absolutely hear where you are coming from. The point of all this is not b***hing, though. It is to channel the debate, which may get fueled further by however the DJax situation shakes out, between those who seek to maintain the FO's policy and plan with those who seek the big splash, the missing piece, or simply thrive on the idea that free agency alone is enough to complete the Niners' championship goals.

Originally posted by fropwns:

Originally posted by Memphis9er:
I cannot believe there are people b***hing after going through the 8 years of post Mooch b******t. The owners have done the right thing and hired the right people to right the ship, what more can you seriously ask for in three short years? What more can you expect in such a short time? Bad luck, bad calls and bad injuries happen. We will get ours. I know that in this age of instant gratification that what I am about to say may seem impossible to some of you guys, but be patient.

I absolutely hear where you are coming from. The point of all this is not b***hing, though. It is to channel the debate, which may get fueled further by however the DJax situation shakes out, between those who seek to maintain the FO's policy and plan with those who seek the big splash, the missing piece, or simply thrive on the idea that free agency alone is enough to complete the Niners' championship goals.

people do not have to act like the last three years have meant nothing or because we did not do what denver did, our window is shut and we can not beat seattle next year. i also get a little tired of some acting like we have this huge ass mountain to climb in our quest to get to and win another super bowl. and i really get upset when some then start run around saying we are cheap, we low ball people and bring back those worn out tired ten year old statements. it really does bug me,,, my problem, not yours