**RECAST***Can we agree that we can call Balmer a bust yet?

Originally posted by abowers1984:
D-line is by far the most difficult position to make the transition from college to the pros.

Remember how highly touted Glenn Dorsey was (drafted in the same year)??? Havent heard much from him either have you??? Albert Haynesworth, another example, didnt erupt until his fourth season.

Additionally, our D-line is fairly solid right now and hasn't afforded him too many opportunities to make significant contributions.

Im not guaranteeing that he will ultimately live up to the first round billing, just that he is far from reaching his potential as a player.

Nicely put

Originally posted by Dominate:
you have to get on the field in order to be a bust. this is just an all togther miss.

That is exactly why he is a bust. He is not good enough to get on the field. I think it is very funny that you guys actually think this guy has potential. Can you think of one game where you said "Kentwan Balmer had a good game"?

Hopefully he salvages his first round selection the way Lawson has.

Honestly I'm not 100% giving up on the guy either...what type of play can you expect from a 3-4 DE? Justin Smith is just a beast, you can't compare him to that.

Also, when Balmer came in last year, there wasn't any significant drop off in in the d-line play. I think he held his own.

Lets just see what happens with him...we got 3 good defensive linemen playing in front of him and hopefully he's picking up tips from them. Dude is a hard worker...

He can't be a bust... he's our backup kickoff return man!

Originally posted by Leathaface:
Hopefully he salvages his first round selection the way Lawson has.

Honestly I'm not 100% giving up on the guy either...what type of play can you expect from a 3-4 DE? Justin Smith is just a beast, you can't compare him to that.

Also, when Balmer came in last year, there wasn't any significant drop off in in the d-line play. I think he held his own.

Lets just see what happens with him...we got 3 good defensive linemen playing in front of him and hopefully he's picking up tips from them. Dude is a hard worker...

Cosigned, plus DL is a position that takes guys time to mature and learn the technique of the position. He's only like 23. Lets give him some time to get back to health after hurting himself and develop into a player. On one hand he didn't make any plays where you said "WOW DUDE'S GONNA BE A BEAST" last year in his limited PT, but on the other hand you never said "wow Balmer got pancaked" or "wow Balmer totally screwed up on that play". He had a few tackles last year in a position that's hard to make plays.

Besides look at other DEs/DTs that took awhile. Franklin took until his 7th year. Broderick Bunkley for the Eagles took till his 3rd year. He's only been in the league 2 years. The 9ers fo seems more excited about RJF though.

Originally posted by WillistheWall:

Originally posted by Leathaface:
Hopefully he salvages his first round selection the way Lawson has.

Honestly I'm not 100% giving up on the guy either...what type of play can you expect from a 3-4 DE? Justin Smith is just a beast, you can't compare him to that.

Also, when Balmer came in last year, there wasn't any significant drop off in in the d-line play. I think he held his own.

Lets just see what happens with him...we got 3 good defensive linemen playing in front of him and hopefully he's picking up tips from them. Dude is a hard worker...

Cosigned, plus DL is a position that takes guys time to mature and learn the technique of the position. He's only like 23. Lets give him some time to get back to health after hurting himself and develop into a player. On one hand he didn't make any plays where you said "WOW DUDE'S GONNA BE A BEAST" last year in his limited PT, but on the other hand you never said "wow Balmer got pancaked" or "wow Balmer totally screwed up on that play". He had a few tackles last year in a position that's hard to make plays.

Besides look at other DEs/DTs that took awhile. Franklin took until his 7th year. Broderick Bunkley for the Eagles took till his 3rd year. He's only been in the league 2 years. The 9ers fo seems more excited about RJF though.

Totally agree, he needs time. Maybe if he gets a lot better this year, he can eventually still be that 3-4 DE of the future we're hoping...I'm sort of worried about the future of our d-line b/c we all know Justin Smith is aging (still playing in his prime and at a high level, though) and Franklin is on a one year deal and isn't that young either. I like Soap moving forward but the other two spots (esp Franklin's at NT) worries me.

But about RJF...I like him too, he's got a really really quick first step and I'd be stoked if he could get into the rotation as well. I'm surprised he was picked where he was...he was a decent player on an LSU defense...deserved at least a mid round selection, not 7-35 where we got him.

Too early to call him a bust. Was Vernon Davis a bust after two years? He may be a bust but you can't say that after two years, one of which he was hurt most of the year. Not every draft pick is Pat Willis (unfortuantely).

Originally posted by pelos21:
Ask me that question again after the 2010 season.

DL usuallytake 3 to 4 years to peak and be productive

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:

Originally posted by Dominate:
you have to get on the field in order to be a bust. this is just an all togther miss.

That is exactly why he is a bust. He is not good enough to get on the field. I think it is very funny that you guys actually think this guy has potential. Can you think of one game where you said "Kentwan Balmer had a good game"?

Its not his fault that a 3-4 team drafted him when it was obvious he was a 4-3 DT. Drafting a guy that doesnt fir your scheme doesnt make him a bust. It just makes your front office look foolish.

Originally posted by sacniner:
I think he has been in the league two years and it's hard to even tell if he is on the team. I can't remember him doing anything meaningful (tackle for a loss, sack) yet.

Then you are not watching the games very closely. He has not been in the game much but when he is he has made plays. It seems to me like people should notice him right away when he's in there because when he is he does something good. Kind of like Jason Hill. A guy that really made the most of his few opportunities (in 2009).

Originally posted by sacniner:
If he does anything this year it will be a HUGE improvement. The odds are against him. Most reasonable people would say he has sucked a55 so far and it's hard to believe he will not be a bust.

Most reasonable people that don't actually pay attention, or just reasonable people overall? He really has looked good when he's been in the game, before going on IR of course, and IMO would be a very good DT in a 43 D and would be starting if we ran that system.

There is nothing wrong with a young 2nd year player not being your team's best at his position, regardless of where he was drafted. Balmer is 23 years old and has very good players in front of him on the depth chart. This sort of thing happens when a team starts compiling talent. We shouldn't be mad about having drafted Balmer, we should be excited that we have such talent and depth on the D Line.

yes, when can we agree on A.Smith?

He was a raw DE/DT when drafted. Everybody knew it would take at least a year or two...who was he gonna replace, Justin Smith? Sopoaga signed that contract a couple years ago, so it's not like they were gonna bench him. He should get a chance this year to take over Sopoaga's spot, since this could be his last year with us.

give him another year, It took vernon davis a while to figure it out... maybe it will take balmer that long.

Balmer is turrrrible.