Originally posted by TheFunkyChicken:I will admit, that I have been coming off much more negatively since Saturday. I generally try hard to be a critical but level headed poster on here. But since the draft, that's been a little tougher for me, and I probably have come off as more reactionary than normal.
But let me try to explain a little of where I'm coming from with this.
I really think that if the 9ers don't put up a legit good season this year, someone is going to get fired. Would that person be Lynch? Maybe... maybe not. It's hard to know. But if players from last draft regress like we saw last year, and then this crop doesn't show promise, he's going to be in a tough spot.
I like Lynch and I want him to stay. He's brought back the decency that used to be a hallmark of the 49ers and felt totally gone under the Baalke regime. And I think a GM switch could hurt the team's progress. So I'm rooting for him to keep his job. But to do that, I really think he needs to show marked improvement in his drafting. And why I'm so frustrated is that I don't think he has. Not because I wish he picked my guys over his guys (although I do, obviously), but because I think he has some flawed tendencies in the draft.
Let me try to explain...
My biggest concern is that he often uses the middle of the draft on players who will never been every down starters. That's a luxury move you can get away with when you're really good, but it is really limiting when you're trying to rebuild. To me, you need to be using those middle round picks on players who can compete for spots at every down positions. But instead, he often uses middle round picks for niche role players and then later round picks for every down players. And the result is often niche players not working out or not doing enough if they do, and the later round guys simply not being good enough (which is not abnormal for later round players). Just think that should be reversed. Use your mid round picks to fill out the meat and potatoes positions and your late round picks on the niche guys.
For example... CJ Beathard was a 3rd round pick and (being honest here) was always intended as a back up QB. Street was a 4th round pick and not going to play at all last year. Hurd, a 3rd rounder, is a situational gadget player. And a punter is a punter... He doesn't always do this, and I'm ok with him being wrong on middle round players when he's drafting guys who COULD be every down starters. Was Witherspoon the best CB he could have taken? Probably not, but he took the guy he liked and that player has had an impact on the team. I'm fine with that. Warner obviously turned out great, but even if he had just been kinda good I still would have supported the pick. I don't know how much I like Moore, but again, I'm not mad at that pick.
When I look at this draft I see two legitimately potential every down starters, Bosa and Deebo. Even if Hurd and the punter end up being great, they still won't do as much for the team as hitting on a DB or OL would have. And the late round guys are fine, but I don't think you can expect much of 6th round picks.
I just think the value of mid round picks and the likelihood of finding a starter there is waaaaay more than late round picks. I feel like they are spending their money on candy bars when they need to be putting food on the table. We're still an underdog team trying to show the league we're better than people think. In my view, we're drafting like a team that's already made it, or a team that feels fine being mediocre another year. And I don't support that.
Phoenix, you may be right. We may not need a secondary to make the playoffs this year. Or maybe the same guys will be way better this year.. Either way I appreciate you being patient with my current negativity. And for reading this long rant, if you made it this far
I read it and I think its a fair take, I remember pounding the table for guys like Carl Lawson and Alvin Kanara, but then also for guys like Ogbonnia Okonrowko, Jeff Holland and Alex Bars this year.
The middle rounds can unearth good starters, but if you look at his tendencies he always takes a bit of a flier and they are clearly guys his coaches want.
I'm completely fine with that, there will always be a high level of misses in the mid rounds, and Kittle outweighs nearly all of them.
I'd much rather that than a guy who forces someone on a coach because they are "good value".
A draft takes 3 years to judge properly and I think we've hit more than we've missed. When you take our excellent trades and some really good FA pick ups into account I think our FO are doing pretty well.
problem solved.