The Oakland Raiders fumbled the ball and the San Francisco 49ers picked it right up and ran in for a touchdown. I doubt there were many that believed Michael Crabtree, the highly acclaimed wide receiver out of Texas Tech, would still be around by the time the 49ers made their selection. A miracle would have to happen for that to be the scenario, correct? I didn't even consider him when people would ask me who I thought the team should pick. I simply figured he would be long gone. That miracle came when the Raiders made a highly criticized move by selecting wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland. If you stood real still, you could hear the collective crying of Raider fans across the country.
Why did the Raiders skip on the most gifted wide receiver on every other team's draft board? I mean, Heyward-Bey wasn't even ranked as the second best receiver by many draft experts. Heyward-Bey's 40-time was most likely the reason for this odd selection of a player that probably would have still been available later. He may not have been the most gifted wide receiver available, but he was the fastest. And it was hard for the Raiders, who seem to love speedy and flashy players, to pass him up. Then if you look at the team's second round selection, you have to wonder what the Raiders think they are doing. Safety Michael Mitchell? Really? Most draft experts did not even include him in their rankings at all. This guy must be really fast!
However, the Raiders' blunder is the 49ers' gain. Finally the 49ers have what they have been missing since Terrell Owens left. A legitimate young playmaker at the wide receiver position. You pair him up with last year's selection, Josh Morgan, and you have to be really excited about the team's future at wide receiver. Plus you have the added bonus of Crabtree learning from one of the best receivers to play the game in Isaac Bruce. Crabtree may not have been the fastest guy available, but he knows how to make plays in the open field which will make him an exciting player to watch.
The selection also makes the August 22 preseason game against the Raiders a little more interesting. Heyward-Bey will be trying to win over the Raider Nation and show that he was the correct pick while Crabtree will be looking to show them why they passed on such a talented prospect.
As for the trading of the team's second round selection ... I actually like this move. Now the 49ers have two first round selections in the 2010 NFL Draft, a Draft that many believe to be a much stronger. The only negative is that the 49ers passed on a very talented defensive end in Everette Brown of Florida State, a guy that many mock drafts had going to the 49ers at the number 10 spot in the first round. Clearly the 49ers are planning for the big picture and understand that they have a better chance of finding more talent in next year's Draft. After all, the team could potentially make a push for 9-7 or even 10-6 (with a little luck) with the players that they have right now. And the team still has a whole other day to find some more young talent.
Thoughts on the new jersey design
I loved the team's throwback uniforms. They reminded me of better days. Many aspects of the new jerseys remind me of those uniforms from the glory years. However, when discussing the new design with fellow fans, I am left scratching my head about certain design aspects. The new design very much resembles the classic look with a few obvious exceptions. One is that the sleeve numbers have been moved to the shoulders because players do not like longer sleeves on jerseys. I can accept that. The second is the 49ers text logo above the chest numbers. Again, I can accept this. Although, I am left wondering how it would look to have the team logo (the SF) there instead. However, what they have produced does not look bad.
These next two items are my criticisms about the jerseys and they really only apply to the replica jerseys made available to fans because on the players themselves, with their pads and gear, they are hardly noticeable. The stripes on the sleeves look absolutely awful. Take a look at the replica jerseys on NFLshop.com or shop49ers.com. It looks like there was an error at the factory where these were printed and the machine messed up on the stripes. They almost remind me of the stripes on the Bengals' helmets. Only one of the three stripes makes it completely around the sleeve. Again, this is not as noticeable on the players' authentic jerseys because of the shoulder pads and sleeve elastic. But on the replicas, this looks like a mistake. The second problem I have with the jerseys is the collar. Someone described it as feminine looking, and you know what? They are correct. I'm not quite sure what is going on with the collar but it looks like they forgot to finish it. Again, this is something that is not as noticeable on the player worn jerseys so it will probably look pretty good on game days.
But really, was it necessary to make these "tweaks" to the jersey design? I mean, people loved the throwbacks. Move the numbers to the shoulder and be done with it. Then you have a jersey that looks real good and clean instead of one that looks like someone goofed. Hopefully the authentics, once available, will look a lot better for those fans willing to dish out the extra cash.
Two other things that I love include the return to the classic cherry red and the simpler numbers and name plates.
What are your thoughts on the new uniforms? Leave your comments below.