49ers sign wr Chris Harper

Funny because I wanted to keep Delanie Walker, but as our number 3 TE with Zach Ertz as our number 2 around draft time. Obviously this wouldn't have happened beucase DW could get better than number 3 money and we didn't draft Ertz. But we do seem to have a reliable target and a guy that we can develop to eventually by the 3rd TE, or even 4th. Maybe we go with four longterm.

Hand size (9.7) and arm length (32.7) are above average. Staying to form. But this is playbook fodder.

No experience blocking? Seems like we should have dropped Celek and kept Gray (& Cam). Not b/c Harper "may" not work out but b/c he's so far behind Gray.

Originally posted by Jcool:

Matt Maiocco ‏@MaioccoCSN

Seahawks did not offer Chris Harper spot on their 53-man roster. Instead, offered more than $6,000 weekly minimum for P-squad to retain him.

the minimum is like $5,600(unless it was raised to 6K in new CBA a few years back?)......so does that mean they offered him $11,000 a week, $6,000 a week or an unknown sum greater than $6,000??? I'd tell them to shove either way cause I'd take a minimum of $60K and a chance at sticking on a 53 roster over the practice squad and $100,000.....

Smart move by Harper.

Originally posted by NCommand:
No experience blocking? Seems like we should have dropped Celek and kept Gray (& Cam). Not b/c Harper "may" not work out but b/c he's so far behind Gray.

It's the other way around. Harper has a tremendous amount of blocking experience, yes he needs to develop as an inline blocker but the Kansas offense was run heavy and Harper was called on to block frequently as a WR. The issue with Gray is that he struggled as a blocker, yes he had some receiving prowess but on this roster, that will only get you so far. Celek is far better blocker and that is what you want at the #3 TE spot, there is no way the 49ers were going to be able to run their same offense if McDonald or VD went down and they had to sub in Gray.


I'm also really amazed at the overrating of Gray, nice potential, raw, LONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG way to go. I had Gray winding up undrafted and Harper winding up getting picked in the 3rd round of the draft, this was equal through I imagine virtually every single draft prognostication out there. Harper has the goods, he's more polished and game ready than Gray was, but he'll be able to have time to develop further too.


In terms of a matchup threat, Harper gives you a guy with better quickness, better speed, better route-running, more experience as a receiver.....etc...etc.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by NCommand:
No experience blocking? Seems like we should have dropped Celek and kept Gray (& Cam). Not b/c Harper "may" not work out but b/c he's so far behind Gray.

It's the other way around. Harper has a tremendous amount of blocking experience, yes he needs to develop as an inline blocker but the Kansas offense was run heavy and Harper was called on to block frequently as a WR. The issue with Gray is that he struggled as a blocker, yes he had some receiving prowess but on this roster, that will only get you so far. Celek is far better blocker and that is what you want at the #3 TE spot, there is no way the 49ers were going to be able to run their same offense if McDonald or VD went down and they had to sub in Gray.

I'm also really amazed at the overrating of Gray, nice potential, raw, LONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG way to go. I had Gray winding up undrafted and Harper winding up getting picked in the 3rd round of the draft, this was equal through I imagine virtually every single draft prognostication out there. Harper has the goods, he's more polished and game ready than Gray was, but he'll be able to have time to develop further too.

In terms of a matchup threat, Harper gives you a guy with better quickness, better speed, better route-running, more experience as a receiver.....etc...etc.

Thank you! This is where I defer to the experts. If you are willing to go on record as thinking he could be a big steal for us, above a raw-with-upside, Gray, I'll gladly sit back and watch. I imagine, Harper has 6 weeks to shine before the PUP-reserves come back and the roster gets REALLY tight.

Do you think we'll end up cutting Celek? I know it's going to be hard to activate Harper unless he plays some seriously good ST. Do you see him playing ST as well?

It sounds like he's a bright guy as well and hopefully that translates from the playbook, to the field.

Almost any time this staff converts someone to a new position it works out, and sometimes humungous.

Thinking the 9ers have a plan with this man.

looks nothing like delanie

Originally posted by RonMexico:

looks nothing like delanie

This

Originally posted by NCommand:
Thank you! This is where I defer to the experts. If you are willing to go on record as thinking he could be a big steal for us, above a raw-with-upside, Gray, I'll gladly sit back and watch. I imagine, Harper has 6 weeks to shine before the PUP-reserves come back and the roster gets REALLY tight.

Do you think we'll end up cutting Celek? I know it's going to be hard to activate Harper unless he plays some seriously good ST. Do you see him playing ST as well?

It sounds like he's a bright guy as well and hopefully that translates from the playbook, to the field.

I think people underrate Celek a lot too. He's not flashy, but as the #3 TE, he doesn't have to be. If one of the TE's goes down, what you want the most out of your #3 TE, what will disrupt the offense the least is a good who can go in, block his ass off and anything else is a bonus. Celek has done well as a blocker which has been his meal-ticket thus far with the 49ers.

As far as Harper, I expect him to be inactive for a great many games here but I feel like the 49ers have invested in him and have gone through the trouble of putting him on the roster because they believe in his potential. I'm not sure if he'd play special teams although he certainly has the athletic ability to contribute in that fashion. I think most likely they'll cut someone from another position, not Harper or Celek.


As far as Harper goes, I was kind of pissed when the Seahawks drafted him, he's a guy who used the right way, can be a very useful player. Gray has a lot of potential too, but I didn't see anyway that a guy that raw ends up on the 49ers roster, its the price of success, you can no longer hang on to everyone and will lose some promising talent simply because you don't have any room for it. This will continue, but so far, nobody that the 49ers have lost has turned out to do much of anything.


There was Nathan Palmer who got picked up by the Colts last year....now he's newly unemployed, former NFL WR Nathan Palmer. There was Chris Owusu who got picked up by the Bucs, now he's a member of Tampa Bay's practice squad.

Don't think much of the player. No separation ability, nothing dynamic. Can't see him on the roster for very long, to be honest. To me, he wasn't even draftable and that was Seattle's loss.

Originally posted by jimrat:

Originally posted by RonMexico:

looks nothing like delanie

This

Originally posted by RonMexico:
looks nothing like delanie

That's right. Other than being the same size and height, running at the same speed, exhibiting the same strength and playing the same position, they've got nothing in common.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Don't think much of the player. No separation ability, nothing dynamic. Can't see him on the roster for very long, to be honest. To me, he wasn't even draftable and that was Seattle's loss.

Are you considering him in Walker's role or simply as a WR. Because, you could have said the same thing about Walker as a wide receiver.

Originally posted by GNielsen:

That's right. Other than being the same size and height, running at the same speed, exhibiting the same strength and playing the same position, they've got nothing in common.


Are you considering him in Walker's role or simply as a WR. Because, you could have said the same thing about Walker as a wide receiver.

Walker was about 10 pounds bigger than Harper coming out of college. He also has good field speed. I don't see the same explosiveness at all with Harper. Walker had some wiggle for a big guy. Harper looks pretty tight hipped. The Senjor Bowl practices were...pretty ugly to watch.


At this point, we are simply throwing darts at a board..Baldwin, Harper, hoping something will stick. Patton can end all of this with solid performances. Kyle Williams makes a solid third or fourth WR.

Originally posted by jimrat:

Originally posted by RonMexico:
looks nothing like delanie

This

thank f**king god for that