Wide Receiver Rant

I don't care what offense we run. We are missing big time when we spend a draft pick on these names and pass up bigger bodied WRs who can help block at the minimum.

Patton, Ellington, and Jenkins.

I don't buy our offensive philosophy excuse. If that was the case, then why did we trade Jenkins for a bigger/faster body? Why did we acquire Johnson and Boldin.

Fact is, Baalke is missing victims in the draft when it comes to WRs.

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:

Originally posted by teylo31:

What would this team really do with a game breaking WR

Well, when he wasn't running one of Roman's remedial routes, he would blocking downfield in the run game!

Yes! The problem is Roman and his passing offense!

I was going to make a thread about this years rookie WRs!

Everyone talked about how deep this draft class was at the WR position and SF had what like 12 picks??

We end up taking ONE WR in the 4th? and while I like Ellington and I think his future is bright, how do you not draft at least one other player at the position?

I understand we don't draft WRs and look more to FA, but when your given a crap ton of draft picks, WR is a position of need, and this is a historic draft class at that position you'd think it would have been looked at more

Originally posted by Loco49er:

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:

Originally posted by teylo31:
What would this team really do with a game breaking WR

Well, when he wasn't running one of Roman's remedial routes, he would blocking downfield in the run game!

Yes! The problem is Roman and his passing offense!

Yeah, it is becoming obvious we need to make a change in the passing game, perhaps a passing Guru could be added. someone to sit in with Roman and work on his route concepts during the game planning phase of the week. Just tweak what we have, Roman makes some could choices, as far as situational football, but it doesn't show because our passing game is awful, in terms of scheme, we never find the seam in the zone, and never have route that take advantage of all the man coverage we see.

Originally posted by nj9er:

Originally posted by Bluesbro:
Sure, package draft picks and move up. It is not like the 49ers needed any depth this year

The 2012 draft was a complete bust that's why we didn't trade up he needed the picks to cover a failed draft. If you took Alshon, the next WR taken, over Jenkins it would look have been a substantially better draft.



You could have basically lined the all up and throw a dart and couldn't have missed. If we swapped ones and gave up the second we could have gotten at least one of these guys. I like Hyde but on draft day he was a luxury
pick with Gore Hunter LMJ and Lattimore a RB could have been had in 2015. Especially since he only gets 4 touches a game.

I see some saying it's all on Scheme or Mortin but none of the WR we have drafted in over a decade have stuck. Terrell Owens was last consistently productive WR If it's scheme why did we draft Jenkins? He doesn't fit the scheme nor does he match up with the defenses in the division. Redzone conversion has been a problem for years and not once have we drafted a big target WR or even a slot guy.

It's true you don't need a number one to win a SuperBowl. The Ravens didn't have one and the Seahawks didn't have one but man it would less frustrating watching us down on inside the redzone and just have a tall guy to throw it up to in the corner or a shifty slot guy to take a screen and make a move into the endzone.

I agree who cares about scheme lol...when you have a talented player you make schemes to fit his strengths.

I saw this pic last night and Why not take a play maker (even if you have to move up) instead of a CB in the 1st? Hell SF's coaching staff is great at finding and coaching the secondary. I'm more confident in them finding someone in the later rds at the CB position that WR.

Remember when the Lions picked a "sure thing" WR in the first round four years in a row? Remember they then went 0-16?

Remember when Justin Blackmon was the first WR off the board? Hell, people here wanted us to trade away our entire draft for him.

2014 is shaping up to be one of the best WR classes in recent history. You know what's NOT shaping up to be one of the best WR classes? 2013.

Consider:

• Tavon Austin (#8)
• DeAndre Hopkins (#27)
• Cordarrelle Patterson (#29)
• Justin Hunter (2nd round)
• Robert Woods (2nd round)
• Aaron Dobson (2nd round)
• Keenan Allen
• Marquise Goodwin
• Markhus Wheaton
• Josh Boyce
• Chris Harper

All drafted in the first four rounds.

You can always look back in hindsight and see who panned out and who didn't, but quit pretending like anybody will know whether a WR class will be like 2013's or 2014's.

Originally posted by NCommand:
We don't draft WRs...Baalke acquires epic WR's via FA instead b/c Morton blows and our coaches only trust older vets.

this, so much this

Originally posted by Constantine:

Originally posted by dj43:
Wide receivers are a secondary value in the Harbaugh offense. Harbaugh wants to pound the ball with the run game. The OL was built, ironically by Nolan, to do just that. This OL is not agile and quick enough to be a great pass protecting line.

Nothing wrong with all that if it wins.

Yup and like NCommand said... Jim signs proven vets.... there are different ways to win, the secret is getting there before you get the boot.

They are secondary cause they suck and very inconsistent. The fastest TE in the NFL cant outrun LB and when he does he cant catch. Our best route runner cant shake anyone off and when he does, he all of the sudden forget how to catch. Then you have Boldin!!! Got nothing bad to say the man is a BEAST!!! i wish we had him earlier in his career.

Shoulda picked up steve smith.

Originally posted by Allx9er:

Originally posted by NCommand:

We don't draft WRs...Baalke acquires epic WR's via FA instead b/c Morton blows and our coaches only trust older vets.

this, so much this

maybe we should bring in a "passing coach" like some teams employ, and I hate to point fingers, but the receivers we draft have little or no success , we either trade for effective WR's (Crabtree being lone exception) or wait forever for our WR's to show some potential, cause we always seem to keep them on the inactive list or the bench, it's kind of hard to develop WR's when they are sitting on the bench the majority of the time , I'm envious of teams like the saints who draft WR's and seem to always squeeze production out of them, no matter what round they were drafted .....and like I said, I don't want to blame coach Morton for our WR's lack of production and super slow development, but something needs to change if we cant prepare the WR's we draft for game action

Originally posted by InsertNameHere:
Besides Joe, who else did Nolan draft? Philosophically you might say, but even then, im iffy.

2005: Baas (2nd), Snyder (3)
2006: None
2007: Staley (1)
2008: Rachal (2), Wallace (4)

Not a good record for building the foundation of your offense, but all but Rachal have contributed somewhere in the NFL--Wallace is back up center for the Steelers, Snyder is a back up for the NYG. Baas has neck and leg injuries and is likely out of the NFL for good.

Looking at the niners lines over the years can be so depressing! 2005 could have been a great line if they had just found a better RT! They were so close that year...except for injuries and Kwame Harris.


The same is true of WRs, which we've examined in other threads over the years...so much mediocrity!
Starters--
2005: Lloyd, Morton
2006: Battle, Bryant (my favorite year...if Bryant hadn't be a bit...off!)
2007: Battle, Jackson
2008: Bruce, Johnson
2009: Crabtree, Morgan
2010: Crabtree, Morgan (wow...two years in a row!)
2011: Crabtree, 5 different guys (not one started more than 5 games)
2012: Crabtree, Manningham
2013: Boldin, 3 different starters

Terrible! Depressing! Until this year! If they lose Ellington then I'll be sad but all the vets are still playing and healthy.

Originally posted by sspiker:
Remember when the Lions picked a "sure thing" WR in the first round four years in a row? Remember they then went 0-16?

Remember when Justin Blackmon was the first WR off the board? Hell, people here wanted us to trade away our entire draft for him.

2014 is shaping up to be one of the best WR classes in recent history. You know what's NOT shaping up to be one of the best WR classes? 2013.

Consider:

• Tavon Austin (#8)
• DeAndre Hopkins (#27)
• Cordarrelle Patterson (#29)
• Justin Hunter (2nd round)
• Robert Woods (2nd round)
• Aaron Dobson (2nd round)
• Keenan Allen
• Marquise Goodwin
• Markhus Wheaton
• Josh Boyce
• Chris Harper

All drafted in the first four rounds.

You can always look back in hindsight and see who panned out and who didn't, but quit pretending like anybody will know whether a WR class will be like 2013's or 2014's.

This is about the 2014 daft and every GM knew how good the WR class was....when that is a position of need, you have more draft picks than any other team, why oh why do you wait until the 4th rd to draft your ONLY WR?

You can't compare the talent in 2013 to 2014 because it wasn't even close and every GM, scout, and fan who watches college football knew this.

The 7th WR drafted in 2014 (Jordan Matthews) was more talented and a sure thing then 1st WR taken in 2013 (Austin).

Originally posted by NYniner85:
This is about the 2014 daft and every GM knew how good the WR class was....when that is a position of need, you have more draft picks than any other team, why oh why do you wait until the 4th rd to draft your ONLY WR?

You can't compare the talent in 2013 to 2014 because it wasn't even close and every GM, scout, and fan who watches college football knew this.

The 7th WR drafted in 2014 (Jordan Matthews) was more talented and a sure thing then 1st WR taken in 2013 (Austin).

My point isn't just comparing 2014 to 2013. My point is that it's notoriously hard to predict success for drafted WRs.

I wonder what great, former HC of the SF niners didn't draft many WRs high in the draft? How did he win Super Bowls without WRs? Could it be that development, scheme and playcalling is more important than superior talent? People always talk about Walsh having great receivers helping him win his championships--but Rice was drafted after his second Super Bowl victory.

Talent evaluation, development, scheme, playcalling...

First six years--WRs drafted

1979: Clark (10)
1980: None
1981: None (1st Super Bowl)
1982: None
1983: None
1984: Moritz (10), Pendleton (11) (2nd Super Bowl
1985: Rice (1)

In fairness, he did inherit Solomon and Shuman for starters!

Is it likely that the power running game relies on WRs who can attack using vertical routes?

Did Walsh develop the WCO so that lesser linemen and WRs could still be effective if they were smart and well coached?