Why does Baalke seem get a free pass from serious criticism?

Originally posted by T-9ers:
If it was not for Kyle Williams, the core of players that were already present pre -Baalke proved they were Super Bowl caliber. So one of his best moves was Harbaugh which is the move most Niner fans living in the Bay would have made. I'd say he's done pretty good, we are still contenders and you can't ask for more than that, but his ranking can slide depending on his last two drafts. Not sure where to rank him really. All I know is the guy in Seattle is doing better and it hurts.

Baalke took over player personnel in 2009, but has been with the 9ers as a scout since 2005. So Baalke could get credit for players like Willis, Staley, McDonald, Brown and Goldson (2007) or the blame for Balmer, Rachal, Reggie Smith (2008). But since he took over the personnel office the team has one bad year--2012. However, even though 2012 looks terrible when judging the players picked, they also traded for four extra picks in 2013, which allowed them to jockey around to get the guys they wanted--Reid, Lemonier, McDonald, etc.

Edit: Just reread a few pages and want to give credit to Paso/NC/Win for pointing out the importance of trades in drafts. Need to take everything into consideration. 2012 was a weak year so why not trade forward?

Originally posted by Giedi:
Wow, that's pretty bad. I guess Colin is going to throw his way on sunday.

We gameplan to attack weakness? LOL j/k

Originally posted by English:

Originally posted by buck:
We have had a winning team for the last three years. It has been a long time.

We should credit the players, York, Baalke, Harbaugh, the entire coaching staff (and even though it is difficult to say including Roman)for the work that they have done.

Absolutely this. Getting tired of the blame culture here. Like it's either Baalke or Harbaugh has to go. Some of you folk are subconsciously buying into that Cohn media s**t.

There are sooo many complainers and haters. I just don't get it. Were these whiners not around for the success drought in 2000s??? Be grateful for all the positives we've had since Harbs-Baalke-Roman-Fangio has put this together. And be excited for what's to come! So much to build on!!

Originally posted by 21SandersMoss84:

Originally posted by English:

Originally posted by buck:

We have had a winning team for the last three years. It has been a long time.

We should credit the players, York, Baalke, Harbaugh, the entire coaching staff (and even though it is difficult to say including Roman)for the work that they have done.

Absolutely this. Getting tired of the blame culture here. Like it's either Baalke or Harbaugh has to go. Some of you folk are subconsciously buying into that Cohn media s**t.

There are sooo many complainers and haters. I just don't get it. Were these whiners not around for the success drought in 2000s??? Be grateful for all the positives we've had since Harbs-Baalke-Roman-Fangio has put this together. And be excited for what's to come! So much to build on!!

No. There are no complainers or haters.

Just folks who understand that winning football games means little.

True meaning can only be found in midst of the media generated storm of discontent and rife.

Why the free pass? Just take a look at the fella... gotta feel bad for a guy that looks like Dr. Death

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by T-9ers:

If it was not for Kyle Williams, the core of players that were already present pre -Baalke proved they were Super Bowl caliber. So one of his best moves was Harbaugh which is the move most Niner fans living in the Bay would have made. I'd say he's done pretty good, we are still contenders and you can't ask for more than that, but his ranking can slide depending on his last two drafts. Not sure where to rank him really. All I know is the guy in Seattle is doing better and it hurts.

Baalke took over player personnel in 2009, but has been with the 9ers as a scout since 2005. So Baalke could get credit for players like Willis, Staley, McDonald, Brown and Goldson (2007) or the blame for Balmer, Rachal, Reggie Smith (2008). But since he took over the personnel office the team has one bad year--2012. However, even though 2012 looks terrible when judging the players picked, they also traded for four extra picks in 2013, which allowed them to jockey around to get the guys they wanted--Reid, Lemonier, McDonald, etc.

Edit: Just reread a few pages and want to give credit to Paso/NC/Win for pointing out the importance of trades in drafts. Need to take everything into consideration. 2012 was a weak year so why not trade forward?

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by T-9ers:

If it was not for Kyle Williams, the core of players that were already present pre -Baalke proved they were Super Bowl caliber. So one of his best moves was Harbaugh which is the move most Niner fans living in the Bay would have made. I'd say he's done pretty good, we are still contenders and you can't ask for more than that, but his ranking can slide depending on his last two drafts. Not sure where to rank him really. All I know is the guy in Seattle is doing better and it hurts.

Baalke took over player personnel in 2009, but has been with the 9ers as a scout since 2005. So Baalke could get credit for players like Willis, Staley, McDonald, Brown and Goldson (2007) or the blame for Balmer, Rachal, Reggie Smith (2008). But since he took over the personnel office the team has one bad year--2012. However, even though 2012 looks terrible when judging the players picked, they also traded for four extra picks in 2013, which allowed them to jockey around to get the guys they wanted--Reid, Lemonier, McDonald, etc.

Edit: Just reread a few pages and want to give credit to Paso/NC/Win for pointing out the importance of trades in drafts. Need to take everything into consideration. 2012 was a weak year so why not trade forward?

Either way I'd be careful in giving too much credit to just one person such as Baalke or anyone elsewhere it comes to player personel. They do it as a team, so if you want to give Baalke all the credit for the players added since he's been GM, then you have to give all the credit to his predecessors before he took over.

Originally posted by T-9ers:
Either way I'd be careful in giving too much credit to just one person such as Baalke or anyone elsewhere it comes to player personel. They do it as a team, so if you want to give Baalke all the credit for the players added since he's been GM, then you have to give all the credit to his predecessors before he took over.

Of course, but my response was more toward those who would label Baalke a bust than anyone else. When Baalke took over as GM I wasn't wild about the hire...thought they should look for a more experienced hand, but he's grown on me by making good decisions and not making many mistakes...or at least, not many public mistakes. His handling of troubled players has been reasoned but firm. There is little not to like about his overall performance...including overseeing the draft.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Of course, but my response was more toward those who would label Baalke a bust than anyone else. When Baalke took over as GM I wasn't wild about the hire...thought they should look for a more experienced hand, but he's grown on me by making good decisions and not making many mistakes...or at least, not many public mistakes. His handling of troubled players has been reasoned but firm. There is little not to like about his overall performance...including overseeing the draft.

The trades the manipulation of draft picks slotting and positioning the free agency acquisitions the trading of assets after camp to net draft picks and most of all the sound cap management. Baalke has let a few get away but you would be blind to not see his methodology and a distinct pattern in which he operates. He is sound and calculating! He is good!

I've written extensively about how Baalke has been this decade's Andy Reid. He was never willing to go after a big FA to put the team over the top (in other words - sacrifice the future for the present). I think that was a big mistake. They should have traded for a WR in 2011 (Steve Smith was on the trading block), and I was screaming for the Niners to sign Rogers-Cromartie before Denver stole him at a 5-million-dollar price tag.

I think Baalke is more interested in playing it safe & having long-term job security than winning a Super Bowl. There's nothing to say he won't win a Super Bowl this way, but with the mediocre level of QB play I don't see it happening; I think the Niners need the best or 2nd-best defense in the NFL to have a legit' shot. Like a scary-dominant unit. Hope I'm wrong.

You may be right NinerSickness, but keeping the salary cap in balance is very important. I was upset for years that they didn't go after big name WRs but looking back, many did not do well after teams signed them. Boldin was a great move, Johnson and Lloyd were good moves, so now it seems he has managed to fill some needs in that regard. I really had hoped for Wallace...but he's only been healthy two of five years.

He has relied on coaches to get mid-talent to perform at peak levels--Rogers, Whitner, Bethea, Brooks, Goodwin...some successes some not so much--Aso, Gabbert (?)--hmm...not too many whiffs.

Originally posted by NinerSickness:
I've written extensively about how Baalke has been this decade's Andy Reid. He was never willing to go after a big FA to put the team over the top (in other words - sacrifice the future for the present). I think that was a big mistake. They should have traded for a WR in 2011 (Steve Smith was on the trading block), and I was screaming for the Niners to sign Rogers-Cromartie before Denver stole him at a 5-million-dollar price tag.

I think Baalke is more interested in playing it safe & having long-term job security than winning a Super Bowl. There's nothing to say he won't win a Super Bowl this way, but with the mediocre level of QB play I don't see it happening; I think the Niners need the best or 2nd-best defense in the NFL to have a legit' shot. Like a scary-dominant unit. Hope I'm wrong.

are you trying to infer that andy reid never went out and got those big FA or trade additions to put his team over the top? aside from the dream team in 2011, they went out and added TO and jevon kearse before the 2004 season. you might be right on baalke but the analogy is bad if i read it correctly.

Originally posted by NinerSickness:
I've written extensively about how Baalke has been this decade's Andy Reid. He was never willing to go after a big FA to put the team over the top (in other words - sacrifice the future for the present). I think that was a big mistake. They should have traded for a WR in 2011 (Steve Smith was on the trading block), and I was screaming for the Niners to sign Rogers-Cromartie before Denver stole him at a 5-million-dollar price tag.

I think Baalke is more interested in playing it safe & having long-term job security than winning a Super Bowl. There's nothing to say he won't win a Super Bowl this way, but with the mediocre level of QB play I don't see it happening; I think the Niners need the best or 2nd-best defense in the NFL to have a legit' shot. Like a scary-dominant unit. Hope I'm wrong.

Signing fa's doesnt win you super bowls, if anything signing fa's has had the opposite effect

Originally posted by NinerSickness:
I've written extensively about how Baalke has been this decade's Andy Reid. He was never willing to go after a big FA to put the team over the top (in other words - sacrifice the future for the present). I think that was a big mistake. They should have traded for a WR in 2011 (Steve Smith was on the trading block), and I was screaming for the Niners to sign Rogers-Cromartie before Denver stole him at a 5-million-dollar price tag.

I think Baalke is more interested in playing it safe & having long-term job security than winning a Super Bowl. There's nothing to say he won't win a Super Bowl this way, but with the mediocre level of QB play I don't see it happening; I think the Niners need the best or 2nd-best defense in the NFL to have a legit' shot. Like a scary-dominant unit. Hope I'm wrong.

Because we all know that signing free agents and winning Superbowls goes hand in hand, which is why the Redskins are always one of the top teams in the NFL, year in and year out.

Originally posted by crabman82:

are you trying to infer that andy reid never went out and got those big FA or trade additions to put his team over the top? aside from the dream team in 2011, they went out and added TO and jevon kearse before the 2004 season. you might be right on baalke but the analogy is bad if i read it correctly.

What I was trying to say is that Andy Reid was never willing to sacrifice future caps for the current one. His signings were offset by letting a bunch of his own FAs walk.

I think Baalke blatantly neglected the WR position in 2011 and 2012 (relying on a rookie picked at the end of the round was dumb), and I think he blatantly neglected the CB position in 2013 and 2014. He made some good moves to keep the Niners competitive in the long run, and that may end up paying off, but I would've rather he would have gone after a WR & CB in those years.

That said, he's done a great job in the draft, and that's the most important thing.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Because we all know that signing free agents and winning Superbowls goes hand in hand, which is why the Redskins are always one of the top teams in the NFL, year in and year out.

I'm not talking about building the team through FAs; I'm talking about signing one or 2 guys to put the team over the top in 2012, 2013 & this year. For example, I wanted the Niners to sign Rogers-Cromartie last offseason long-term, but the Broncos stole him for $5 million. This offseason, I thought Revis would've been a perfect fit to make the Niners' defense up there with Seattle's (or maybe better), and it would've taken some future-cap sacrifices. Would it have been enough? Who knows? But when the team has been a play away from a ring the last couple of years I say put the pedal to the metal & go for it.

I think the Niners would've won the SB with DRC on the roster last year, and I think they could've had the best defense in the NFL with Revis on the roster this year. At this point, I would have to say Seattle has a better roster than the Niners do, but it's close. That's why I was so frustrated they went with Brock & Culliver at CB.