HOW DID OUR ROOKIES DO?

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
This isn't relative to their draft positions, just what I thought of them as football players.

Aldon Smith..........B
Colin Kaepernick...D
Chris Culliver........C-
Kendall Hunter......A
Daniel Kilgore.......B-
Ronald Johnson....F
Colin Jones..........D-
Bruce Miller..........C-
Michael Person.....D+
Curtis Holcomb.....F
Demarcus Dobbs...B-

I'd give Person a C and Holcomb an Inc. Otherwise we see it about the same.

I liked what I saw of Person. I think he may be develop into a solid OT in this league.

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Originally posted by LA9erFan:
This isn't relative to their draft positions, just what I thought of them as football players.

Aldon Smith..........B
Colin Kaepernick...D
Chris Culliver........C-
Kendall Hunter......A
Daniel Kilgore.......B-
Ronald Johnson....F
Colin Jones..........D-
Bruce Miller..........C-
Michael Person.....D+
Curtis Holcomb.....F
Demarcus Dobbs...B-

Hmm, I'll take issue with Culliver and MIller. If B is basically a guy that gets in the rotation at times during a game then I think these guys are closer to C+ or B-. Culliver always looked tight on his man and MIller looked good except once I saw him struggle with a block. What's your knock on them?

oops double posted, howdya delete?

Based on where they were drafted and every other consideration.

Aldon Smith...........A-
We finally drafted a pass rusher. Has unlimited upside.

Colin Kaepernick...B
I judge fledgling preseason rookie quarterbacks on how they throw the ball, not how they read an NFL defense. Throws with outstanding velocity and superb accuracy on out, crossing, slant and hitch patters. Needs more touch on the deep ball.

Chris Culliver.........B
Very good coverage throughout the preseason. Only the perfect ball, has beaten him. That's all you can really ask of 95% of NFL cornerbacks.

Kendall Hunter.......A+
He gets an "A+" because not only can he run, but he can block very well at this early stage, which is where our past preseason RB stars have failed.

Daniel Kilgore........A-
Breath of fresh air to pick up a possible future starter, this late in the draft.

Ronald Johnson.....F
He only caught one pass. He F'd up a route to make Kaep look bad. Didn't even make the practice squad? Looks like catching footballs and snuggling with them are two different things.

Colin Jones............C+
Any player who makes the 53 at this stage of the draft, has earned at least a C. He made some plays on special teams. He really has some speed.

Bruce Miller............A
Any player who makes the 53 at this stage in the draft, playing a totally new position, catching the ball well, blocking, and competing with a veteran fullback for playing time, has earned at least an A.

Michael Person......B
Any 7th rounder who makes a team, has earned at least a B.

Curtis Holcomb......N/A
Injured before camp got started.

Demarcus Dobbs...A+
Any UFA who makes a 53, has earned at least an A. Any UFA who plays as well as Dobbs, well, A+ is as high as it gets.

Ian Williams...........A
Made the team.

Scott Tolzien..........A+
Made the team. And threw the ball well in the preseason.

Aldon Smith - A - Flashed tonnes of potential. Did most of his work against 2nd stringers, but also showed flashes against some first team guys. Love how he uses his arms and hands and love the explosion at the point.

Colin Kaepernick - C - Expected growing pains, the plus side is his running ability is good enough that he could legitimately come in and win a ball game. He shows nice accuracy at times, but he's inconsistent with his reads and I believe is still adjusting his mechanics. I think he could step in and make some plays though just based on raw talent. I look forward to his development.

Chris Culliver - B - Showed flashes of good things. Generally was in good coverage - this is critical. Just needs to find the ball better. That could easily come with a little practice. I'm very excited about his potential but if he doesn't develop any further (seems unlikely) he's not ever going to be a starter you can count on to shut another teams guy down. If he does develop those ball skills he could be a bonafide steal.

Kendall Hunter - A - Explosive runner? Check. Balance? Check. Vision? Check. Top end speed? Check. Power? Surprising amounts. Blocking? Very good. Receiving? Solid. He may be a bit undersized to regularly venture between the tackles, but when he goes, he is fearless and finds tough yards. I love this kid.

Daniel Kilgore - A - Couldn't ask for more from a young kid from a small school. He shows starter potential at G.

Ronald Johnson - D - This might be generous. Not good.

Colin Jones - C - Special teams guy. Didn't really notice him particularly. Good physical skills though and I guess the team liked him for his special teams play. I think he's on the short list to get axed and I was surprised he made the team.

Bruce Miller - A - I have seen no glaring mistakes and he's done a good job at everything he's been asked to do on the field. Quite frankly I thought he made Norris expendable, but he is still pretty inexperienced and Norris can still bang heads.

Mike Person - A - My grades adjust based on where selected and relative value. He looks like a nice potential backup at T and perhaps elsewhere. Maybe more in the future. Another small school guy and we strike potential gold. It's too bad we never got to see what Curtis Holcomb could do (he at least had the measureables).

Demarcus Dobbs - A++ - Looks like a potentially good starter at end. This was an outstanding find. He produced at Georgia but was also overshadowed by a lot of physical talents (who also produced). He's got all the tools and a good natural feel. Just makes plays or is involved in them. This entire class of rookies could end up being pretty memorable - I sure hope so. He looks like he's earned rotation time and I think could step in and start and do just fine if need be.

Ian Williams - A - Again, the value is great here. He looks like a guy we can develop though. Good size and strength and he's managed to play solidly in the preseason against other teams backups. I think he would be exposed if asked to start this early, but he's an UDFA and probably won't suit up game day anyway.

Scott Tolzien - A - I like what he did to us, minus the interception (which was a good read and not the worst throw, but not a good throw either, was a good play by Culliver). Showed tremendous accuracy and I think can make the necessary throws. I look forward to his development as well. Seems like a nice fit in the WCO, although his mobility isn't great and that could be a problem if he's ever forced into action in the near future (esp if our line isn't picking up their assignments as they have a tendency to do at times).

Originally posted by Evilgenius:
Aldon Smith - A - Flashed tonnes of potential. Did most of his work against 2nd stringers, but also showed flashes against some first team guys. Love how he uses his arms and hands and love the explosion at the point.

Colin Kaepernick - C - Expected growing pains, the plus side is his running ability is good enough that he could legitimately come in and win a ball game. He shows nice accuracy at times, but he's inconsistent with his reads and I believe is still adjusting his mechanics. I think he could step in and make some plays though just based on raw talent. I look forward to his development.

Chris Culliver - B - Showed flashes of good things. Generally was in good coverage - this is critical. Just needs to find the ball better. That could easily come with a little practice. I'm very excited about his potential but if he doesn't develop any further (seems unlikely) he's not ever going to be a starter you can count on to shut another teams guy down. If he does develop those ball skills he could be a bonafide steal.

Kendall Hunter - A - Explosive runner? Check. Balance? Check. Vision? Check. Top end speed? Check. Power? Surprising amounts. Blocking? Very good. Receiving? Solid. He may be a bit undersized to regularly venture between the tackles, but when he goes, he is fearless and finds tough yards. I love this kid.

Daniel Kilgore - A - Couldn't ask for more from a young kid from a small school. He shows starter potential at G.

Ronald Johnson - D - This might be generous. Not good.

Colin Jones - C - Special teams guy. Didn't really notice him particularly. Good physical skills though and I guess the team liked him for his special teams play. I think he's on the short list to get axed and I was surprised he made the team.

Bruce Miller - A - I have seen no glaring mistakes and he's done a good job at everything he's been asked to do on the field. Quite frankly I thought he made Norris expendable, but he is still pretty inexperienced and Norris can still bang heads.

Mike Person - A - My grades adjust based on where selected and relative value. He looks like a nice potential backup at T and perhaps elsewhere. Maybe more in the future. Another small school guy and we strike potential gold. It's too bad we never got to see what Curtis Holcomb could do (he at least had the measureables).

Demarcus Dobbs - A++ - Looks like a potentially good starter at end. This was an outstanding find. He produced at Georgia but was also overshadowed by a lot of physical talents (who also produced). He's got all the tools and a good natural feel. Just makes plays or is involved in them. This entire class of rookies could end up being pretty memorable - I sure hope so. He looks like he's earned rotation time and I think could step in and start and do just fine if need be.

Ian Williams - A - Again, the value is great here. He looks like a guy we can develop though. Good size and strength and he's managed to play solidly in the preseason against other teams backups. I think he would be exposed if asked to start this early, but he's an UDFA and probably won't suit up game day anyway.

Scott Tolzien - A - I like what he did to us, minus the interception (which was a good read and not the worst throw, but not a good throw either, was a good play by Culliver). Showed tremendous accuracy and I think can make the necessary throws. I look forward to his development as well. Seems like a nice fit in the WCO, although his mobility isn't great and that could be a problem if he's ever forced into action in the near future (esp if our line isn't picking up their assignments as they have a tendency to do at times).

This is fair based on where they were taken. Kaep doesn't deserve a C. He is D- or so. He's not ready to do anything in the NFL.

Originally posted by nw9erfan:
Just by virtue of their making the team, both Jones and Person should get a C at least because they were both late round picks. Holcomb should get an incomplete. The rest of the grades I don't have an issue with.

Yeah I can't disagree, I don't know if they're even gonna be active though.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
This is fair based on where they were taken. Kaep doesn't deserve a C. He is D- or so. He's not ready to do anything in the NFL.

well based on what he's done so far that's fair, But In a few years who knows.

Originally posted by DaDivaRecieva15:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

This isn't relative to their draft positions, just what I thought of them as football players.

Aldon Smith..........B
Colin Kaepernick...D
Chris Culliver........C-
Kendall Hunter......A
Daniel Kilgore.......B-
Ronald Johnson....F
Colin Jones..........D-
Bruce Miller..........C-
Michael Person.....D+
Curtis Holcomb.....F
Demarcus Dobbs...B-

That looks about right. I Agree.

this

Brian,

I like your explanations very much...and agree of course! Nice job.

Edit: disagree with those who are grading based only on preseason play. The fact that the late round choices made the team at all is impressive. CK is not below a C as, while he is not NFL ready, he did display a very good arm and toughness/escapability, etc.

Originally posted by BrianGO:
Based on where they were drafted and every other consideration.

Aldon Smith...........A-
We finally drafted a pass rusher. Has unlimited upside.

Colin Kaepernick...B
I judge fledgling preseason rookie quarterbacks on how they throw the ball, not how they read an NFL defense. Throws with outstanding velocity and superb accuracy on out, crossing, slant and hitch patters. Needs more touch on the deep ball.

Chris Culliver.........B
Very good coverage throughout the preseason. Only the perfect ball, has beaten him. That's all you can really ask of 95% of NFL cornerbacks.

Kendall Hunter.......A+
He gets an "A+" because not only can he run, but he can block very well at this early stage, which is where our past preseason RB stars have failed.

Daniel Kilgore........A-
Breath of fresh air to pick up a possible future starter, this late in the draft.

Ronald Johnson.....F
He only caught one pass. He F'd up a route to make Kaep look bad. Didn't even make the practice squad? Looks like catching footballs and snuggling with them are two different things.

Colin Jones............C+
Any player who makes the 53 at this stage of the draft, has earned at least a C. He made some plays on special teams. He really has some speed.

Bruce Miller............A
Any player who makes the 53 at this stage in the draft, playing a totally new position, catching the ball well, blocking, and competing with a veteran fullback for playing time, has earned at least an A.

Michael Person......B
Any 7th rounder who makes a team, has earned at least a B.

Curtis Holcomb......N/A
Injured before camp got started.

Demarcus Dobbs...A+
Any UFA who makes a 53, has earned at least an A. Any UFA who plays as well as Dobbs, well, A+ is as high as it gets.

Ian Williams...........A
Made the team.

Scott Tolzien..........A+
Made the team. And threw the ball well in the preseason.

Always fun to see how people think. Although it doesn't mean too much. I think that your ratings make the most sense to me. I would tweek a few:

Any rookie who makes the roster is at a minimum a "B". That's quite an acheivement; you could argue an "A", but then there would be little to rate.

So:

C. Jones gets a B

Culliver looked better than a "B" to me, say a "B+" at least. CB is a very tough position to play in the NFL. He was always there with his receiver, but timing his turnaround needed work. That's still pretty good for someone who in college has less than a full season playing CB.

S. Tolzien an A+ is indefensible. One could hope so, but he hasn't taken a snap with this team in order to judge his relative merit. So "I" an incomplete, or OK a "B".

B is about right for CK. It could arguably be higher because he showed that, right now, the game is not too big for him: good awareness in the pocket, good accuracy (I agree he needs to improve touch on longer passes), improved footwork (not perfect). He did not do well at breaking down defenses. But if he did that, then wouldn't he be deserving of an A+? Seems to me that those denigrading him would want him to win the starting job before they give him a B. I would consider C or lower as probably putting him in the write-off category, only on the squad because he was a high draft choice: I honestly don't think that JH feels that way about him.

How does I. Williams earn an A and Kilgore (even A. Smith) earn only an A-? I don't think the rating is consistent there. Perhaps you are factoring in expectation?

I enjoyed your post.

Kaep - F

He needs to retake this course, and get a tutor for summerschool in order to do better next year.

I watch kaepernick and it's clear the NFL light hasn't clicked on yet. Once he learns to read defenses, he will be special! Imagine his rushing potential when teams fear his arm!

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Brian,

I like your explanations very much...and agree of course! Nice job.

Edit: disagree with those who are grading based only on preseason play. The fact that the late round choices made the team at all is impressive. CK is not below a C as, while he is not NFL ready, he did display a very good arm and toughness/escapability, etc.

Agree. I would also add that he showed remarkable athleticism and decent to good accuracy on most throws...

The other point I'd like to make its that the Niners didn't show anything on offense in the pre-season. They kept it about as bland as possible. Therefore, it is unfair to judge Alex, CK, Harbaugh or the OC on the preseason play of the team because they basically walked through it. They were simply going through the motions.

Now...its CK still a project? Yes, of course. No guarantees in the NFL. Does he have good potential? Absolutely.

In my mind, he gets a C because he is what they thought he would be (borrowing a little from Denny Green)...

Happy Labor Day guys!

Originally posted by nevadalove9ers2:
I watch kaepernick and it's clear the NFL light hasn't clicked on yet. Once he learns to read defenses, he will be special! Imagine his rushing potential when teams fear his arm!

I don't want to see him running very often, but ditto when teams fear his legs. Once LBs and safeties have to keep one eye on him, he could be very effective running a one-man play action pass, tossing the ball over frozen defenders to streaking receivers.