Does anybody think that Balmer has the potential to do....anything?

Didn't know this about him...

"Spent his entire life in North Carolina, but grew up a 49ers fan as his father followed the team during the 1990s. He remembers watching the 49ers goal line stand against RB Natrone Means in their Super Bowl XXIX victory over the San Diego Chargers when he was 8 years old."

LINK

I've never been high on Balmer, but I wouldn't call him a bust. The dude plays DE in a 3-4, he isn't going to light up the stat sheet. That being said, we could've drafted Jackson and that makes Balmer's lack of production hurt even more.

We need a ave joe vs pro so all those that don't think he has potential can get your shot at fame and become part of a highlight reel as he runs over some of you couch potatoes....

Originally posted by wadjay:

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

Originally posted by wadjay:
Heck No!

I mean, this team hasn't had ANY late bloomers.

For instance, take a look at Manny Lawso...

Or how about Ahmad Broo...

And everyone knew that Vernon Davis was a pro-bowler after his first ye...

And then there's Alex Smith - who had a decent year this year but not all that much better than his rookie seaso...

Or what about Dashon Golds... Parys Haralso... Chilo Racha... Isaac Sopo... Aubrayo Frankli... Those guys came onto the team and just lit the world on fire - right?


Look, let's be honest - most players don't step in and play at a high level right away. Some guys take a while to develop. It's even harder to tell if a guy is developing when he backs up some of our better players and plays a position that isn't known for racking up stats.

Will Balmer develop into a good player? Heck if I know - but neither do you. And that's about all we can say.

he had 1 touchdown pass his rookie year(18 in 2009) and you say not much better than his rookie year? instead of 4-12 we went 8-8 and looked competitive..great analysis there

Did you read the rest of the post? How could you have possibly missed the fact that the first half was riddled with sarcasm?

Seriously?

my bad it was late.just assumed you were trying to turning this into the 678966868th alex smith thread..sorry

None of us thought Franklin was worth a d*mn until this season. The DL went from liability to strength this year. We are lucky we can continue to develop him. I'm not basing this on anything, but I think he will at least become a solid starter eventually. Have patience. Hopefully in the next year or two he can add some technique and grit to his natural talent.

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by Born_Niner:

Originally posted by ruthless49er:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:

Originally posted by ruthless49er:

Originally posted by Born_Niner:
nope,nada,naw,uh-uh,nese,na,ein,aach,nei,naaga,moh,bu shi.... hell, i can say no in about 20 more different languages! lol... i think ill stop there, u get the point. the guys a bum.

what makes a guy a bum? someone who doesnt work hard? or someone who doesnt produce?

by all accounts seems Balmer is a very hard worker. and if were going by the "doesnt produce" argument the same can be said about Brooks until the latter half of this year, or Davis until this year, or Coffee.

or..are we going by the whole "first round status" deal? hmm yet we gave Vernon a pass for three years running. Alex has defenders since the first day we drafted him.

Vernon at least showed signs that he was making a play every once in a while. You cant honestly say that Balmer has been making plays.

The reason Vernon was making plays was that we didn't have any other Tight Ends on the team so he played every down. We have an extremely talented defensive line so there really isn't any place for a 2nd year guy to get on the field in a 3-4. If we were in a 4-3 I guarantee Balmer would be playing more and most likely making plays.

DE in a 3-4 is all about technique, remember a few years ago when Franklin and Sop were struggling? Now they are solid starters. Give him a year before you pass judgment. At least wait until we get a chance to see him play regularly....

not only that but Vernon went from 52 catches to 30 somthing and noone was talking about how he regressed or even how he became a bum or anythin like that.

foreign is right about the Dline. One thing Balmer is not is a Bryant Young who came in and won DROY 94. Patience is somthing that people are selective with. Vernon Davis, Alex Smith hell Manny Lawson, people have patience.

Balmer hell no. hell even Cody Wallace. was a 4th rounder and people have been calling him a big time bust lol.

When Vernon "regressed" he was still arguably the best blocking TE in the league.. Balmer has shown nothing, Not even a flash.. Goldson took the job 2 FS because he showed flashes. Stop crying about Balmer not seeing the field, because there's an obvious reason why he has'nt. For the guy who said he works hard and wonders how is he a bum.. Well RUDY worked hard too.. we know how that story went. We passed on alot of real talent with that bone headed pick and thats the truth.
also, brooks learned a new position and gets on the field because he show potential.. And Balmer? ...he makes a hell of alot more money as of right now.

Goldson lost the job to Roman two years ago and only got the job because Roman sucked. He got on the field because the players ahead of him weren't established pro-bowl caliber players. Do you really think Goldson would be on the field if we had Darren Sharper?

We traded for Justin Smith to start every down at RE. Balmer can't play there.

We tagged Franklin. Can't play there.

The only place for him to play is where Sopoaga is. Sopoaga is a highly underrated player. If you think Balmer should be out-playing him that's your opinion. I think Balmer should be sharing time with if not starting over Sopoaga by the end of this year.

Even if Balmer plays exceptionally, he won't be "showing flashes" like Goldson and Vernon. Their positions are tailored to making big plays. That's one of their main jobs on the team. Balmer's job is to put other players in a position to succeed so if you're expecting him to burn past Tackles and get 8-9 sacks a year you're always going to be disappointed.

How many "flashes" did Franklin show this year? You haven't even seen Balmer play and you're accusing him of not making plays. It's like saying that Aaron Rodgers was a bust before he became the starter. If he was good enough he would have out-played Brett earlier. QB/DE/WR are very hard positions to have early success in due to the amount of technique (rather than pure athletic ability) required.

Brooks got on the field because we have no pure pass-rushers and he has raw athletic ability. He is fast and strong but there's a reason he's only on the field on 3rd downs. Balmer "showing flashes" will be runs to his side for no gain or 2 yards.

If we had better pass-rushers Brooks wouldn't on the field either. The players you're referring to are playing because of team needs. Balmer plays a position where we have an abundance of quality.

If Vernon had been drafted #29 to a team that already had a Pro-Bowl TE do you really think he would have had as much playing time as he has? Would his "Stone Hands" have been a problem? Would "Look like Tarzan play like Jane" be uttered more?

At #29 getting a 5-6 year starter at DE in a 3-4 is a STEAL of a pick.

It's not like it was a high first round pick. By that point in the draft you start to get into the 2nd/3rd tier of talent depending on the Draft.

But it seems as though you've got something against him for not being a Pro-Bowler by now. I think you're frustration should be aimed at Scotty McC because he's the guy who picked Balmer instead of Jackson. I bet Balmer was almost as shocked as the rest of us were when his name got called.

Scotty definitly gets on my nerves! your right about that.. BUt, i dont look for Balmer to put up Big numbers.. i know what his pos is supposed to do. I just look at DT's that came out the same year like jason jones and treaver laws who(even though it didnt really show in the stats) made a contribution. Balmer hasn't.. at his size, alittle taller and more athletic than vince wilfolk and a first rounder to boot.. why shoud'nt i or (we) expect more out of our draft picks? i had patience, but settling for mediocracy yr in and yr out is getting old.. heck, if he turns it around.. i'd be the first to chow down crow.. i'd love to.. but i doubt it will ever be on the menu.

Originally posted by CornellU49er:
None of us thought Franklin was worth a d*mn until this season. The DL went from liability to strength this year. We are lucky we can continue to develop him. I'm not basing this on anything, but I think he will at least become a solid starter eventually. Have patience. Hopefully in the next year or two he can add some technique and grit to his natural talent.

LOL.. its funny what a contract yr can do for a player huh? ..haha if everyone one the team was in contract yr maybe we win the superbowl!

..thats why eddie d was loved, he paid like the stadium weighed

Originally posted by Born_Niner:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by Born_Niner:

Originally posted by ruthless49er:

Originally posted by foreign49er:

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:

Originally posted by ruthless49er:

Originally posted by Born_Niner:
nope,nada,naw,uh-uh,nese,na,ein,aach,nei,naaga,moh,bu shi.... hell, i can say no in about 20 more different languages! lol... i think ill stop there, u get the point. the guys a bum.

what makes a guy a bum? someone who doesnt work hard? or someone who doesnt produce?

by all accounts seems Balmer is a very hard worker. and if were going by the "doesnt produce" argument the same can be said about Brooks until the latter half of this year, or Davis until this year, or Coffee.

or..are we going by the whole "first round status" deal? hmm yet we gave Vernon a pass for three years running. Alex has defenders since the first day we drafted him.

Vernon at least showed signs that he was making a play every once in a while. You cant honestly say that Balmer has been making plays.

The reason Vernon was making plays was that we didn't have any other Tight Ends on the team so he played every down. We have an extremely talented defensive line so there really isn't any place for a 2nd year guy to get on the field in a 3-4. If we were in a 4-3 I guarantee Balmer would be playing more and most likely making plays.

DE in a 3-4 is all about technique, remember a few years ago when Franklin and Sop were struggling? Now they are solid starters. Give him a year before you pass judgment. At least wait until we get a chance to see him play regularly....

not only that but Vernon went from 52 catches to 30 somthing and noone was talking about how he regressed or even how he became a bum or anythin like that.

foreign is right about the Dline. One thing Balmer is not is a Bryant Young who came in and won DROY 94. Patience is somthing that people are selective with. Vernon Davis, Alex Smith hell Manny Lawson, people have patience.

Balmer hell no. hell even Cody Wallace. was a 4th rounder and people have been calling him a big time bust lol.

When Vernon "regressed" he was still arguably the best blocking TE in the league.. Balmer has shown nothing, Not even a flash.. Goldson took the job 2 FS because he showed flashes. Stop crying about Balmer not seeing the field, because there's an obvious reason why he has'nt. For the guy who said he works hard and wonders how is he a bum.. Well RUDY worked hard too.. we know how that story went. We passed on alot of real talent with that bone headed pick and thats the truth.
also, brooks learned a new position and gets on the field because he show potential.. And Balmer? ...he makes a hell of alot more money as of right now.

Goldson lost the job to Roman two years ago and only got the job because Roman sucked. He got on the field because the players ahead of him weren't established pro-bowl caliber players. Do you really think Goldson would be on the field if we had Darren Sharper?

We traded for Justin Smith to start every down at RE. Balmer can't play there.

We tagged Franklin. Can't play there.

The only place for him to play is where Sopoaga is. Sopoaga is a highly underrated player. If you think Balmer should be out-playing him that's your opinion. I think Balmer should be sharing time with if not starting over Sopoaga by the end of this year.

Even if Balmer plays exceptionally, he won't be "showing flashes" like Goldson and Vernon. Their positions are tailored to making big plays. That's one of their main jobs on the team. Balmer's job is to put other players in a position to succeed so if you're expecting him to burn past Tackles and get 8-9 sacks a year you're always going to be disappointed.

How many "flashes" did Franklin show this year? You haven't even seen Balmer play and you're accusing him of not making plays. It's like saying that Aaron Rodgers was a bust before he became the starter. If he was good enough he would have out-played Brett earlier. QB/DE/WR are very hard positions to have early success in due to the amount of technique (rather than pure athletic ability) required.

Brooks got on the field because we have no pure pass-rushers and he has raw athletic ability. He is fast and strong but there's a reason he's only on the field on 3rd downs. Balmer "showing flashes" will be runs to his side for no gain or 2 yards.

If we had better pass-rushers Brooks wouldn't on the field either. The players you're referring to are playing because of team needs. Balmer plays a position where we have an abundance of quality.

If Vernon had been drafted #29 to a team that already had a Pro-Bowl TE do you really think he would have had as much playing time as he has? Would his "Stone Hands" have been a problem? Would "Look like Tarzan play like Jane" be uttered more?

At #29 getting a 5-6 year starter at DE in a 3-4 is a STEAL of a pick.

It's not like it was a high first round pick. By that point in the draft you start to get into the 2nd/3rd tier of talent depending on the Draft.

But it seems as though you've got something against him for not being a Pro-Bowler by now. I think you're frustration should be aimed at Scotty McC because he's the guy who picked Balmer instead of Jackson. I bet Balmer was almost as shocked as the rest of us were when his name got called.

Scotty definitly gets on my nerves! your right about that.. BUt, i dont look for Balmer to put up Big numbers.. i know what his pos is supposed to do. I just look at DT's that came out the same year like jason jones and treaver laws who(even though it didnt really show in the stats) made a contribution. Balmer hasn't.. at his size, alittle taller and more athletic than vince wilfolk and a first rounder to boot.. why shoud'nt i or (we) expect more out of our draft picks? i had patience, but settling for mediocracy yr in and yr out is getting old.. heck, if he turns it around.. i'd be the first to chow down crow.. i'd love to.. but i doubt it will ever be on the menu.

I think we completely agree with each other on this except that, in my opinion, with the talent we have on the D-line and the fact that he will be entering his 3rd year I'm not surprised at all that he hasn't made much noise yet.

If the 49ers keep Sop/Franklin/Smith going into next year, then I will start to question his future. I think we both agree that learning 3-4 DE is rough, especially moving from a 4-3 DT. Just give him another year. If he still can't get on the field then it's time to start thinking about the Bust tag.

I'm also very disappointed with his performance don't get me wrong. I would have loved for him to be ready to step in for Franklin and us be able to spend that money on other areas of the team. He was extremely raw as it was coming out of college and now he's learning a new position. Once he's ready I think he'll be a stud. He's a physical specimen and I think Tomsula is one of the best DL coaches in the league. With all that I can't say he won't amount to anything.

Maybe I've just got my Rose colored glasses on...

Even with limited playing time, Balmer continued to improve last season and was playing very well at the end of the year. For those who only watch the ball and look at the stat sheet, they will not notice him, but that doesn't mean he is not fulfilling the role he was drafted for.

To recall the history, he was viewed as a project who would need two years to develop in this league. He is on schedule. He is doing a very good job rotating on one of the best front 7s in the league. How can anyone not like that?

Originally posted by dj43:
Even with limited playing time, Balmer continued to improve last season and was playing very well at the end of the year. For those who only watch the ball and look at the stat sheet, they will not notice him, but that doesn't mean he is not fulfilling the role he was drafted for.

To recall the history, he was viewed as a project who would need two years to develop in this league. He is on schedule. He is doing a very good job rotating on one of the best front 7s in the league. How can anyone not like that?

I think the issue for most fans is where he was picked, and not him as a player. When I think about the possibility of having Jackson instead, the Balmer pick is a real head scratcher.

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:
Lets be honest. The guy hasn't done anything. Some of you say that he clogs holes, but how can you be satisfied with stats like these:

He has played in 27 games.

He has 11 solo tackles in 27 games.

He has 8 assisted tackles in 27 games.

So that is a total of 19 tackles in 27 games.

Not to mention, he has never had a sack.

How many total snaps did he play?
He's got some good players ahead of him on the depth chart.

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:
Lets be honest. The guy hasn't done anything. Some of you say that he clogs holes, but how can you be satisfied with stats like these:

He has played in 27 games.

He has 11 solo tackles in 27 games.

He has 8 assisted tackles in 27 games.

So that is a total of 19 tackles in 27 games.

Not to mention, he has never had a sack.

He's like trying to get orange juice out of a watermelon. Balmer has Bombed!

Would many of you guys even know if a 3-4 D-Lineman was a bust if he was? I know they aren't going to show up on the stat sheet. A 3-4 lineman takes time to develop so lets not break out the bust card on a young guy. Man, you guys are harsh critics.

Originally posted by ninerforyears:

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:
Lets be honest. The guy hasn't done anything. Some of you say that he clogs holes, but how can you be satisfied with stats like these:

He has played in 27 games.

He has 11 solo tackles in 27 games.

He has 8 assisted tackles in 27 games.

So that is a total of 19 tackles in 27 games.

Not to mention, he has never had a sack.

He's like trying to get orange juice out of a watermelon. Balmer has Bombed!

People said the same about Franklin when he was behind Adams and Sopoaga on the depth chart.

Funny how it took Franklin 6 years to develop into a starter and you're writing Balmer off because he doesn't have great stats in his first two seasons (playing behind two Pro-Bowl caliber players and learning a new position).

Originally posted by Spoonerism:
Would many of you guys even know if a 3-4 D-Lineman was a bust if he was? I know they aren't going to show up on the stat sheet. A 3-4 lineman takes time to develop so lets not break out the bust card on a young guy. Man, you guys are harsh critics.

Most of the guys b***hing have no clue, they are just mad that we didn't draft DeSean Jackass.