Combine (Feb 24-Mar 2): It's HERE!

While Bulaga's arms did measure in short like expected here from Scott Wright is a list of a few guys from last year with similar arm measurements FWIW :

Eben Britton - 32 3/4
Eugene Monroe - 33 7/8
Michael Oher - 33 1/2
Jason Smith - 33 3/4

An article and chart on LT's and arm length :

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2009/04/14/arm-length-hand-quickness-dictate-olt-success

Interesting.

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Everybody slammed the Texans for passing on Bush, now Bush is eating up 8M and Williams is a Pro-Bowler.

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Everybody slammed the Texans for passing on Bush, now Bush is eating up 8M and Williams is a Pro-Bowler.

If we were drafting #2 overall then that analogy would make better sense...but considering were drafting in the teens and have 2 first round picks....we can afford a luxury (who also fills a need)

Originally posted by jreff22:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Everybody slammed the Texans for passing on Bush, now Bush is eating up 8M and Williams is a Pro-Bowler.

If we were drafting #2 overall then that analogy would make better sense...but considering were drafting in the teens and have 2 first round picks....we can afford a luxury (who also fills a need)

Nicely put

Mike Iupati is soft-spoken but plays with aggression. "I like to destroy a lot of people," he said. "It's fun."

from maiocco, lol

Originally posted by jreff22:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Everybody slammed the Texans for passing on Bush, now Bush is eating up 8M and Williams is a Pro-Bowler.

If we were drafting #2 overall then that analogy would make better sense...but considering were drafting in the teens and have 2 first round picks....we can afford a luxury (who also fills a need)

Just because another RB was drafted before by someone doesn't mean all scenarios are the same.

Originally posted by jreff22:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Everybody slammed the Texans for passing on Bush, now Bush is eating up 8M and Williams is a Pro-Bowler.

If we were drafting #2 overall then that analogy would make better sense...but considering were drafting in the teens and have 2 first round picks....we can afford a luxury (who also fills a need)

Using your logic your analogy doesn't make sense either. Johnson was taken #24 and was the 4th back off the board. A more similar situation would be us getting McCluster in the 2nd or trading our 13th and moving back then picking up Best or McCluster.

Jonathan Stewart was drafted #13 overall in that draft to the Panthers. The Panthers were 7-9 and already had DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster. Williams was the Best back in the draft and the Panthers couldn't pass on a game-changer. (Even though they had Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams).

They passed on:
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Mike Jenkins
Joe Flacco,
DeSean Jackson,
Ray Rice, Rashard Mendenhall, Matt Forte, Felix Jones, and of course Chris Johnson.

Notice how many other premier backs or "game-changers" are on the list they passed on. If there's nobody else there worth taking and we can't trade back then we should take him. We are going to draft him to be a change of pace/KR, we can get somebody to fit that role with the same effectiveness later on. We'd still need to pick up a PR too.

I like Spiller a lot I am just weary of taking backs that early, especially when there's so much other talent in this draft, especially with the success of backs like Rice and Johnson.

Just a cool coincidence, guess who the Panthers took with their other 1st round pick (#19) in that draft. Jeff Otah - RT. He stepped in and started from day 1; sured up their line and helped them to a playoff berth.

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by KezarLivin:
McCloughan Q&A From Rob Rang:

49er's thinking RB early?

In the 2008 draft, everyone, and I mean everyone, slammed the Titans for drafting Chris Johnson when they already had Lendale White AND Chris Henry like we have Gore and Coffee.

...so why not Spiller?

Bingo!

Spiller reminds me A LOT of Chris Johnson. Obviously, the OL needs to be addressed, but after the first few tackles, there is a little bit of a drop off so I think it makes more sense to look for a tackle at 17.

Spiller and a tackle is my ideal scenario.

[ Edited by TheRatMan13 on Feb 25, 2010 at 12:39:44 ]

Here's a nice tidbit from Scout.com:


Posted by: Chris Steuber, Scout.com
at 02/25/2010 1:28 PM ET
Trent Williams, on Trent Williams

One of the top offensive tackles in the draft, Oklahoma's Trent Williams, stood at the podium today and addressed his athleticism and his desire to play left tackle in the NFL. Williams, who measured in at 6045 (6-4 1/2) and 315 pounds, has played inside and outside on the offensive line during his career; most of his starts coming from right tackle, but he moved to left tackle in 2009 to replace the departing Phil Loadholt.

"I've played left tackle my whole life," Williams said. "It was kind of weird playing on the right side rather than moving to the left side once again. I just have to prove the doubters wrong and show them that I can play the left side."

As far as where he believes he stands among the top four tackles in the draft, "I'd say that I rank towards the top, not saying that I'm the best, but this is what the Combine is for to help separate the competition."

You mean to tell me that he played LOT all his life, played better at RT when in college, and then cheesed when placed back at his supposedly "natural" position?

Something is not right here. Of course the film will dictate it, but I just don't see him on the left side.

Of course Williams is going to say that, for the same reason Staley was adamant about it during his injury: they know LT's make a lot more money than RTs.

Originally posted by TX9R:
Of course Williams is going to say that, for the same reason Staley was adamant about it during his injury: they know LT's make a lot more money than RTs.

exactly

This "arm length for OTs" stuff is absurd.

It's vastly overrated. Look at the chart and sack numbers for the smallest armed guy, Michael Roos -- .06 sacks per game. One all season, and he made the Pro Bowl. With 32 1/2 inch arms.

A lot of exceptional players on that list in the lower area. There is no relevant correlation in performance by arm length.. It's talent, fellas.

No my point is not that he SAID that he could play LT, that's a given. Rather, its the fact that on film, he didn't play that well on the left side last year. Sure, he was transitioning between the interior and exterior, but all I have read has been how scouts project him to the right side.

Also, here's a little vid from our HC:Coach Singletary at the Combine