Best Off Season Moves

Originally posted by Pillbusta:

Originally posted by British9er:
I think an underated off-season move was the ability of the FO and Harbaugh to basically "keep calm and carry on" throughout the noise being made about how Harbaugh and Baalke were apparently not on the same page.

The FO is outstanding in my view and are clearly able to accomodate trade moves that have Harbaugh's fingerprints all over: J Martin and Gabbert, whilst still mainting their own identity when it comes to the draft Ward, M.Martin, Hyde, Thomas, Borland and Ellington and the ability to move quickly (ala Boldin last year) for Stevie J.

If the player personnel side of the FO is working well with Harbaugh the financial side is on fire!! Kaepernick extended at reasonable price, Aldon Smith got the message there is a limit to FO tolerance before picking up his option, Extending Brock reasonably at the end of last season and then not over paying (panicking to resign) T.Brown CB after cutting C.Rogers and resisting the calls for more money from Vernon and Boone without upsetting the locker room.
The reclamation projects of Cook and Brandon Lloyd and the trades for J.Martin and Gabbert remind me of moves the Patriots (did) or would have made a few seasons ago. Add in the extensions and payrise for Fangio and Donatell and its difficult to see where the FO went wrong this off-season.

Considering all the FO have acheived this off-season I'd give them an A+ mark even without the backdrop of an alleged power struggle between Harbaugh and Baalke. I could think of several FOs and/or HCs who would have gone into meltdown with the media circus at the beginging of the off-season. For Baalke and Harbaugh to ignore these distractions, unite (whatever the tensions were or were not!) and come out ready for training camp with this roster and sense of calm and team harmony is - for me - a top 10 off season move.

Well put. I agree

+1 Excellent post/points

Great comments!

AND add to that that we haven't even started TC yet.

There will be some surprise cuts on other teams as well as some unexpected trades.

That Baalke is a shrewd poker player.

not listening to romper room and trading vernon davis

Originally posted by cciowa:
not listening to romper room and trading vernon davis

I can't believe people were even talking about trading VD

Turning the shallow receiving corps into one of the deepest positions on the team. Stevie Johnson! Bruce Ellington! (and possibly) Brandon Lloyd!

Locking Kaepernick into a team-friendly long-term deal.

Exercising Aldon Smith's fifth year option.

Martin, Thomas and Martin to provide long-term depth and talent on the O-line.

Originally posted by crake49:
Turning the shallow receiving corps into one of the deepest positions on the team. Stevie Johnson! Bruce Ellington! (and possibly) Brandon Lloyd!

Locking Kaepernick into a team-friendly long-term deal.

Exercising Aldon Smith's fifth year option.

Martin, Thomas and Martin to provide long-term depth and talent on the O-line.

All great ones! Baalke did his part...now Harbaugh has to do his!

This isn't a move, but a hoped for move, and it is in strategy. First I hope the press D we have been talking about takes place, and second, I hope to see more blitzing, maybe 15-20% more. That would be another blitz per every 5 plays or every other series of downs. Add that into the blitzing percent from last yr, and a team won't be able to assume all the pressure is coming from the 3 or 4 guys lining up on LOS each play. The opponents will have to worry about a blitz every series of 3 downs. That is where I would love to see us settle. In fact, it will be based on situations, but I would hope we dial up a blitz every series of downs this yr.

Originally posted by NCommand:
All great ones! Baalke did his part...now Harbaugh has to do his!

That's right. He and Roman have to get with it. And let's not forget our QB. He needs to become the guy a lot of us think he is.

Seattle did some work this off season as well, long time niner fan since 87 but appreciate the humor/realisms here. http://theupfl.com/2014/06/pete-carroll-reveals-new-uniforms-for-referees-on-payroll/

Don't forget, one of the places Trent is so dangerous is at cut down time. You can bet a bunch on Trent acquiring some of the cuts he anticipates, altho right now we are seemingly so stacked, it will be a lot harder to justify acquiring a cut...unless that guy has special something the 49ers just have to have. So looking at the final 90, don't think Trent is done yet. This is where it could be fascinating, altho with nowhere near the cachet of a Stevie J. I still don't believe that one.

Picking up Jonathon Martin and Blaine Gabbert ...those two cast offs could turn into valuable reserves and pay for themselves down the stretch in case of any injuries to Kap and our tackles ... and drafting Jimmie ward, Marcus Martin, Chris Borland and Carlos Hyde will eventually pay off in silver dollars

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Don't forget, one of the places Trent is so dangerous is at cut down time. You can bet a bunch on Trent acquiring some of the cuts he anticipates, altho right now we are seemingly so stacked, it will be a lot harder to justify acquiring a cut...unless that guy has special something the 49ers just have to have. So looking at the final 90, don't think Trent is done yet. This is where it could be fascinating, altho with nowhere near the cachet of a Stevie J. I still don't believe that one.

Agreed...nice article yesterday about Baalke still plugging away during some "down time" working emails, the phone, etc. in reviewing the 90 roster and identifying avenues for getting better. The dude is tireless!

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:

Don't forget, one of the places Trent is so dangerous is at cut down time. You can bet a bunch on Trent acquiring some of the cuts he anticipates, altho right now we are seemingly so stacked, it will be a lot harder to justify acquiring a cut...unless that guy has special something the 49ers just have to have. So looking at the final 90, don't think Trent is done yet. This is where it could be fascinating, altho with nowhere near the cachet of a Stevie J. I still don't believe that one.

Ermmmmmmmmm. Kick return? Or cb?

Originally posted by NinerGM:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Yeah, take your pick! I didn't even include the draft...

Losses:

Coaches Tim Drevno

I'm very concerned about this.

Do explain, my friend!

Well, English, yup, but don't forget our 2nd pick in the draft was the best RB in the draft. So CB and PR, yes, but with baalke you just have to wait. No way to really figure the guy out, other than he generally fools us...or at least me, anyway.