Baalke expects four starters from this draft class.

Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

May four starters in the future. But this year, we can hope for 1 or two starters.

So far so good indeed.

Wonder if he counts Ginn as a starting KR/PR?

If they sign La Boy, I hope they draft Schofield in the later rounds. Manny may bolt next year and they can stick Schofield on IR.

I see Ginn as our starter for KR/PR. I would think that what ever tackle we draft will be a starter so that is two starters for this years draft. Then we should be able to draft a NT who will start sooner or later depending upon Franklin. Then our CB/FS, ILB, RB, OLB should be able to start some time in the future. That would be our 4-5 starters out of this years draft.

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Evidently your glass is half empty

Originally posted by LottOfDefense:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Evidently your glass is half empty

Perhaps, but wouldn't you like a known, higher profile guy running the ship at GM? I love Singletary, but there's no denying he's a bit inexperienced at the numbers part of the game as well as FO stuff, so I don't want to have a newbie managing our ship there. I feel like we need a known commodity to mix with Sing in order to take us to a new level.

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by LottOfDefense:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Evidently your glass is half empty

Perhaps, but wouldn't you like a known, higher profile guy running the ship at GM? I love Singletary, but there's no denying he's a bit inexperienced at the numbers part of the game as well as FO stuff, so I don't want to have a newbie managing our ship there. I feel like we need a known commodity to mix with Sing in order to take us to a new level.

I see your point, but I don't necessarily agree with your reasoning. Baalke is definitely an unknown commodity, but the fact that the organization is keeping him out of the media spotlight is more a testament to their understanding of the situation. THis whole McCloughan fiasco was a bit of a suprise and so Baalke needs to get ready for the draft in a hurry. Teams don't often divulge too much and it is usually only the more egomaniacal GMs that speak to the media on a daily basis. Baalke seems to be more of a meat and potatos kind of guy, so he is staying behind closed doors to keep his focus. The only thing we've seen from him so far is the Ginn trade which was an excellent move, so the guy is obviously intent on improving the talent of this team. I think the guy deserves the benefit of the doubt for now and York can re-evaluate the situation once practice starts this summer. Yes, in some ways I would like a higher profile guy, but in other ways I can see how the ego of a high profile guy could get in the way. Additionally, this organization has gotten to the cusp of the play-offs and are poised for a break-out year and they have gotten that way with a certain philosophy. Why screw with the chemistry that has been developed just for a "big-name GM"?

Originally posted by Karma:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by LottOfDefense:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Evidently your glass is half empty

Perhaps, but wouldn't you like a known, higher profile guy running the ship at GM? I love Singletary, but there's no denying he's a bit inexperienced at the numbers part of the game as well as FO stuff, so I don't want to have a newbie managing our ship there. I feel like we need a known commodity to mix with Sing in order to take us to a new level.

I see your point, but I don't necessarily agree with your reasoning. Baalke is definitely an unknown commodity, but the fact that the organization is keeping him out of the media spotlight is more a testament to their understanding of the situation. THis whole McCloughan fiasco was a bit of a suprise and so Baalke needs to get ready for the draft in a hurry. Teams don't often divulge too much and it is usually only the more egomaniacal GMs that speak to the media on a daily basis. Baalke seems to be more of a meat and potatos kind of guy, so he is staying behind closed doors to keep his focus. The only thing we've seen from him so far is the Ginn trade which was an excellent move, so the guy is obviously intent on improving the talent of this team. I think the guy deserves the benefit of the doubt for now and York can re-evaluate the situation once practice starts this summer. Yes, in some ways I would like a higher profile guy, but in other ways I can see how the ego of a high profile guy could get in the way. Additionally, this organization has gotten to the cusp of the play-offs and are poised for a break-out year and they have gotten that way with a certain philosophy. Why screw with the chemistry that has been developed just for a "big-name GM"?

Well, higher-profile doesn't necessarily mean he'd be a giant egomaniac who would run everything like Holmgren or whatnot. Just someone who has been in the league a while and has been more properly groomed to head an NFL franchise. Like I said, I would prefer someone who we are sure knows the inner workings of the NFL, has built up connections around the league and has some sort of proven track record. I just don't want to see an unknown in the FO, with a head coach whose strengths do not lie in team management.

Luckily, I believe our draft board was probably 90% set when the FO drama occured here, so I doubt it'll impact our draft very much, but it would be nice to see Jed aggressively pursue a known commodity after the draft. Perhaps someone like Dungy or Billick (just throwing out names).

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by Karma:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by LottOfDefense:

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by ninertico:
Here's the article...

Well, I can see this happening. We have a great chance in landing four impact players maybe even five given the depth of this draft. I see Baalke going outside the "McC" box of draft standards and picking up guys we wouldn't under Scotty.

Ted Ginn, Jr is but one example. I look forward to more. In the first two picks we have the opportunity to address any one of these needs: OT, pass-rusher, CB, S, OG and NT. Dang man, that's impressive. This is especially interesting given that Franklin (NT), Lawson (DE/OLB), Baas (OG), M. Lewis (S), Snyder (OT) and Clements (CB) all have question marks surrounding them returning to the team in 2011. A. Davis, Graham/Kindle, Iupati, Haden, and E. Thomas can fit those needs.

Heck, I can see second, third and fourth rounders being able to fit needs. I look forward to Baalke's first draft.

So far so good...

I'm not that convinced that Baalke is entirely different than McCloughan in his philosophy. People keep pointing to the Ginn trade, but remember McCloughan took Tarell Brown in the 5th round, and he's only 5'10" which would seem to go counter to the bigger is better philosophy of McCloughan. The truth is McCloughan valued height/weight highly, but if he saw sufficient value, he'd take a smaller, quicker guy, and it seems Baalke did the same with Ginn for a 5th rounder.

What's more interesting is how the 49ers seem to be sheltering Baalke from the media as well. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I think it's apparent, no matter how Jed tries to posture, that the niners weren't ready for a GM change, and Baalke isn't really the ideal man for the job, but he's the best we have. I, for one, would like to see us hire a veteran GM after this draft is over.

Evidently your glass is half empty

Perhaps, but wouldn't you like a known, higher profile guy running the ship at GM? I love Singletary, but there's no denying he's a bit inexperienced at the numbers part of the game as well as FO stuff, so I don't want to have a newbie managing our ship there. I feel like we need a known commodity to mix with Sing in order to take us to a new level.

I see your point, but I don't necessarily agree with your reasoning. Baalke is definitely an unknown commodity, but the fact that the organization is keeping him out of the media spotlight is more a testament to their understanding of the situation. THis whole McCloughan fiasco was a bit of a suprise and so Baalke needs to get ready for the draft in a hurry. Teams don't often divulge too much and it is usually only the more egomaniacal GMs that speak to the media on a daily basis. Baalke seems to be more of a meat and potatos kind of guy, so he is staying behind closed doors to keep his focus. The only thing we've seen from him so far is the Ginn trade which was an excellent move, so the guy is obviously intent on improving the talent of this team. I think the guy deserves the benefit of the doubt for now and York can re-evaluate the situation once practice starts this summer. Yes, in some ways I would like a higher profile guy, but in other ways I can see how the ego of a high profile guy could get in the way. Additionally, this organization has gotten to the cusp of the play-offs and are poised for a break-out year and they have gotten that way with a certain philosophy. Why screw with the chemistry that has been developed just for a "big-name GM"?

Well, higher-profile doesn't necessarily mean he'd be a giant egomaniac who would run everything like Holmgren or whatnot. Just someone who has been in the league a while and has been more properly groomed to head an NFL franchise. Like I said, I would prefer someone who we are sure knows the inner workings of the NFL, has built up connections around the league and has some sort of proven track record. I just don't want to see an unknown in the FO, with a head coach whose strengths do not lie in team management.

Luckily, I believe our draft board was probably 90% set when the FO drama occured here, so I doubt it'll impact our draft very much, but it would be nice to see Jed aggressively pursue a known commodity after the draft. Perhaps someone like Dungy or Billick (just throwing out names).

Yeah, I'd be lying if I said that Baalke's relative inexperience didn't frighten me a bit, but we all have to get our start somewhere. Plus, as a college scout he probably made more connections and relationships than we know. Who knows, maybe his perceived inexperience will make teams more apt to try to trade with us in the hopes that they can fleece us and Baalke can prove his worth. The guys you mentioned, Billick and Dungy, are both respected figures, but they don't have GM experience. I guess I can see it both ways, but I'm not willing to say that Baalke shouldn't get his shot. He has been promoted quickly at every stop which tells me he is a hard worker and gets attention, especially considerring that he doesn't have the reputation for being overly personable, like Scotty. Just like it's possible to find a great player in the later rounds, maybe it's possible to find the right guy for the job in our own backyard. Fingers crossed!

I hope Baalke has a good draft and is given the GM position and then gets a few more scouts in so that we have some improvement in our undrafted free agents. I want quality across the board. I don't want a lot of people coming in after the draft and then all leaving. I want our picks to have meaning and productivity.

But back to Baalke, Ginn is a good start, I will be excited to see whom else we will get and how close they come to addressing our needs.

Everything I read about Baalke says he's a seasoned pro and first thing he does is get us a KR/PR guy in Ginn for only a 5th rounder. So far so good. Nothing to complain about yet.

And we have 2 first rounders. I would hope that at the very least we get 2 starters. Sheesh. OT, SS, CB, and LB are all weak positions on our team so there's your 4 spots right there. I think I could draft this class and get us at least 2 starters just by going off espn. I would hope the niners can get us one or two more.

Yeah, I'd be lying if I said that Baalke's relative inexperience didn't frighten me a bit, but we all have to get our start somewhere. Plus, as a college scout he probably made more connections and relationships than we know. Who knows, maybe his perceived inexperience will make teams more apt to try to trade with us in the hopes that they can fleece us and Baalke can prove his worth. The guys you mentioned, Billick and Dungy, are both respected figures, but they don't have GM experience. I guess I can see it both ways, but I'm not willing to say that Baalke shouldn't get his shot. He has been promoted quickly at every stop which tells me he is a hard worker and gets attention, especially considerring that he doesn't have the reputation for being overly personable, like Scotty. Just like it's possible to find a great player in the later rounds, maybe it's possible to find the right guy for the job in our own backyard. Fingers crossed!

I agree that there is that concern about Baalke's lack of experience. But who really knew McCloughan before he took on the role? He was a long time scout and director of play personnel. Sound familiar?

I think that there are two lines of thought here. . .One Baalke wants to make the most of this moment in the sun so he takes a chance or two and tries to make a big splash.

The other thought is that he just keeps his hand on the rudder and tries his best to not mess it up.

I think that draft boards change right up to the hours leading up to the draft. I think you have your player grades and you do your best to target the value of a player. But odd things happen all the time.

I think there is just as much merit behind wanting a higher profile GM as there is to say I want someone working his tale off to prove himself to the NFL community.

Everyone has to start somewhere. . .I would rather have the guy trying to prove himself versus the ego trying to make sure he doesn't tarnish his reputation as a personnel expert.