Originally posted by RDB4216:
Originally posted by RichmondPete:
Originally posted by 5280High:
Originally posted by RichmondPete:
Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
Originally posted by RichmondPete:
Its true no matter what you think about bleacher report. With Harbaugh we would have won the division last year and the year before
I agree about last year. This year, I have to give it to the Rams. Bradford and McDaniels could be deadly. Sam didn't even have any recievers last year. Now he has Gilroy and Clayton back, plus Amedolia.
With the exception of AZ, our division is working to get better. And I honestly believe we drafted for next year (Kap, Culliver, even Aldon Smith). Also, we have no idea what our defense will look like under a new DC and players leaving to free agency.
I don't think they would pick up a defensive player at #7 thinking he only a future contributor. They would have selected a passrusher in the second or third round if that was their mindset. With possible starters available at need positions (Prince, Fairley) and good depth with the second tier of outside rushers (Justin Houston, Brooks Reed), you have to think they would have been targeting an immediate starter at that slot. Aldon Smith is a day 1 starting talent in my eyes, I think he is going to shock a lot of people.
I don't believe the niners will struggle as much as everyone else does due to the labor situation. The niners are returning nearly all of their starting lineup on both sides of the ball, all of these players are used to horrible coaching situations.
I only see the rams as a threat, not the favorite. They don't have a bluechip player on either side of the ball.
, do you mean like a probowler? Kind of like Steven Jackson.
Or are you talking young talent? Kind of like Amendola, Bradford, Long, Saffold, or Laurinitis?
That's not even taking into account their injured WR's like Clayton & Avery, or assuming success for any of their draft picks. Considering in this post Harbaugh and his staff are an instant success then we have to give the same courtesy to McDaniels. Which would make that the best offense in the NFC West.
They may not be as stacked as the Niners on paper, but they have allot of young talent that is poised to break out.
No, Im not talking about former probowlers like Steven Jackson. I am talking about current, top 10 players at their position like Willis Davis J.Smith and Frank Gore. Steven Jackson is a yardage machnine but has not broken 4 yards a carry in several seasons.
Clayton and Avery are not elite players waiting to break out, not even close. The best young players they have right now besides Bradford are on defense as you said; Long and Laurinitis. Throw Saffold in their if you want to grab at straws. Hes a good player, not a star.
Do you even watch Rams games, or do you just look at stat lines? "Former pro bowlers" like Steven Jackson? You mean the same Steven Jackson that rushed for over 1200 yards last year? Here's some other stats for you: 1. 1 is the number of times Jackson fumbled last year - in 330 carries. Frank Gore had 4 fumbles last season, playing in only 11 games and 203 carries. We can go back to last seasnon too, and add Jackson's stats - 324 carries/2 fumbles. A total of 3 fumbles in 654 carries - still fewer than Gore had in less than 1/3 the carries. Jackson has been their only weapon on offense for some time, and teams gear the gameplan to stop him - thus the less than 4 yards per carry (which by the way, is only .4 yards per carry less than Gore last year...). Even with Bradford last year, teams were playing aginst the run first, and against a rookie QB second.
And speaking of Bradford...over 3500 yards parring as a rookie. The last niner QB to do that? Actually the last Niner QB to even break 3,000 yards? Jeff Garcia...in 2002.
Are you a Rams fan? I am not arguing that any niner QB is even average.
Frank Gore is a more effective player carry for carry at this stage of his career. Numbers back that up, watching them play backs that up. If you want to talk about yards, he was the NFL leader in yards from scrimmage when he got hurt, he did this in one of the most dysfunctional, one dimensional offenses in the NFL
YPC is a much better indicator of effectiveness than rush yards, great players can fumble the ball so I am not sure what you are getting at. AP turned the ball over more than any running back 2 years ago. Frank Gore has never averaged less than 4 YPC, not matter who his s**tty QB is. I highly doubt you watch many rams games either. You are also merely pointing to stats to back up your argument.
Bradford, as I stated is their best young player, I don't know how you read anything other than that. He still is a young player, not elite by any means
My point is, we have blue chip players on offense and defense. The Rams do not.
[ Edited by RichmondPete on Jun 3, 2011 at 3:49 PM ]
