Podcast: 49ers Offseason Stories with SI's Conor Orr →

David Carr is doing WHAT?

Mar 5, 2010 at 10:42 PM


The news out of Santa Clara is that David Carr will be meeting with 49ers officials and could sign a deal as soon as tomorrow (Saturday).

Off-guard doesn't even begin to explain it. It's more like that scene in "Final Destination" when that girl gets hit by the bus. One minute she's walking the next - BAM.

What do the 49ers have to gain from this move? Not much. What do they have to lose? Here's a hint, It rhymes with "Bwan Bill."

Clearly, McCloughan is not enamored with Hill's physical tools. McCloughan clearly favors bigger players. He wants big wide receivers, big corners, big lineman, big cheese burgers - you get the picture. Physical tools matter to the 49ers chief personnel evaluator.

The persistent criticism of Hill is that he does not have a strong arm, making him ill-suited to a down-field attack. The way the 49ers offense evolved down the final 6 weeks, passing the football became a priority and Smith proved that, when given time, he could find targets downfield. The 49ers are molding their offense, and it doesn't involve dinking and dunking.

Hence, Carr. Carr has physical tools; that's never been a question with Carr. Much like Smith, the problem is all mental. (See: David Carr Syndrome a.k.a. flinching under imagined pressure due to an excessive number of sacks).

The 49ers don't want to have to change their offense dramatically if Smith goes down, and Carr affords them that luxury.

Carr would also cost less than Hill. Hill signed his two-year deal when he was battling for a starting spot - a job he eventually won. I would imagine that Carr would sign an incentive-laden deal that would only pay him if he performed at a starter's level.

What does this mean for Alex Smith? It looks like he will spend another year with a potentially explosive situation if he begins to slip. How soon will we hear the "Give Carr a chance" chants from the crowds when he has a 3-INT day? It seems as though Alex needs a great environment to thrive in and, whether that is a hinderance or not, the 49ers seem to be throwing another log on the smoldering fire.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


2 Comments

  • tito
    Ok ....out of all da damn free agents out there....and as bad as we need help in the secondary....THIS IS DA BEST WE CAN DO....f*****g david carr.....wowwwww......i been a niner fan since 88 and i must admit....yall do some of the dumbest s**t i see..its like we don't wanna win we don't wont good players.....david car.....now we looking at fargas....what da f**k are we holding tryouts for a damn peewee league.....why we couldn't ge daunta.....or antonio........or a tackle .....please tell me yall are gonna use them 2 round one picks and get mayes and berry....
    Mar 8, 2010 at 9:27 AM
    0
    Response: It does look like a curious signing. This year's draft is being touted as one of the deepest in recent memory. McCloughan does like to build through the draft.
  • Ceadderman
    Spot on. Well everything but the environment aspect. I don't think that it's a caase of environment of Alex could have just asked to be traded, released or not even have reworked his deal. Otherwise excellent take. Shaun is as big as Alex is and the man can't find the strength or the skill to throw a halfway decent spiral 30 yards. I'm 5'10, 170 and have the arm to throw 50 yd spirals. How in the hell did Hill even make it into the NFL? Boggles the mind.
    Mar 6, 2010 at 8:40 AM
    0

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Carr: Sam Darnold might have more ability than Brock Purdy, could be 49ers' Week 1 starter

By David Bonilla
Mar 30

On Tuesday, NFL insider Ian Rapport, one of the NFL's most plugged-in reporters, made headlines declaring that, given the situation with the San Francisco 49ers, Sam Darnold would be the team's most likely Week 1 starting quarterback. "We do not know what Trey Lance is going to be if he continues the trajectory that he's been on," Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network. "And I think, certainly, it seems Sam Darnold will more likely than not be the starter going into the season, but there is an opportunity for someone to step in there and start [the] first couple of games of the regular season for the 49ers." Lance, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2021, and Darnold, added


Featured

More by Oscar Aparicio

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone