Player Personnel: Planning For Next Season

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Interesting and informative conversation. I've already posted long ago we need to find out what we have on the bench, on the team, and who can/can't cut it. Like Sofa just a few posts back, we need to devote the next 9 games to who can play and who can't. The worst thing going into Draft and FA each yr, (and harbaw was horrible about this) was knowing what talent you had on the bench or PS. We still don't know, altho JT is rotating some guys from C to ROT. We need to be sure the ones we keep are worth it. Same goes for DL , OLB, and esp CBs. If we just need 2 OLs, fine. If 4 , ok, but that is ugly. Prime importance, tho, in knowing your talent...or not.

Someone posted we don't do that...ie play the next 9 games paying attn. to who is a keeper and who isn't. Well, if that is even remotely true, it has to change. It is unconscionable to draft or FA without this knowledge. Obviously it would greatly be to our advantage if gab can be the bridge Qb we need so we can concentrate elsewhere if he can handle Qb with a schid OL. But we HAVE TO KNOW. I don't really favor gab, but I damn sure want to know if he can bridge Qb for us for a yr, maybe 2. If not, then we ALSO need a bridge Qb...and it would really be nice not to have to get one of those also. So play gab, no OL and all. Get Brown in there...he is heir apparent. Get Devey out, martin out. Those guys just have not showed anything. Same goes for every slot on the team.

Out of order, but before we do anything in draft, FA....we have to fix the coaching. Our biggest need on the team? an OC who can be our HC. In fact, like Bill Walsh, Sean Payton, and others, an OC/HC would actually be my choice. Don't need an OC that way, and you know for sure your O is going to be looked after. Need to do thorough housecleaning in coaching, save maybe rathman. That, guys, has to be job #1. Then we can get to the OL, QB if HC wants one initially or not, DL, passrusher OLB, CBs, and so on.

Great post. I would like to add something . It seems as though the team, for many years now has been defensive minded first and foremost. the defensive mind set has gotten so pervasive that the offense seems afraid to be offensive, if you know what I mean. The GM has had such an impact that the OC's, are very cautious when installing the offense. How long has it been since our offense just went all out to bury another team? I think that the team needs a new GM. Someone who values a more balanced approach. Someone who wants to have a killer offense, when it's called for. A strong defense is a mandatory standard. But just because you have a strong D, it shouldn't prevent you from building a killer O to go along with it, not as an after thought but as a up front dominant force...

Roster got thin really fast.

Wish we had made the trade of QB's with Philly

Excellent post like always. Love reading your thoughts and insight.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Third, assess what holes we have and what resources we'll have to work with for 2016:
* Obvious needs (8): OG/OT/C, RB, WR, OLB, ILB, DE. Depth/development needs (2): S, QB
* We project to have 10 total draft picks right now: a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, two 4ths, three 5ths, and two 6ths.
* If we lose the players I mentioned above, that would be between 37 to $40 million off the books. Plus the salary cap with go up. We currently are $13.3 million under the cap. So we could have about $50 million to reload, plus 10 draft picks.

Fourth, assess what options we have on fixing the roster with the resources we have:
* We could move to a 4-3, have Carradine lose weight to be the pass-rushing DE he was supposed to be, or keep him inside. The DL could be Armstead-Dorsey-Dial-Lynch with Tank subbing in for Dorsey on passing downs. At linebacker we could have Bowman at MLB, Harold at OLB, and Hodges at the other OLB spot (originally played OLB, FYI). Or if we stick with the 3-4, we'll just have to address the gaping hole at pass-rusher and ILB depth.
* It's obvious the OL will need help through both the draft AND free agency. Young guys aren't proven yet, need another established player. Getting Anthony Davis back would definitely help, but we can't count on that right now.. OL Players who might be available in 2016 are: OT Okung (SEA), Andre Smith (CIN), and Mitchell Schwartz (CLE), as well as C Wendell (NE), and OG Silatolu (CAR).

What else do you think we can do with the roster, purely from a player personnel standpoint, going forward?

Nice summary.

Here some some thoughts by position group:

QB

• I don't think Kaepernick is the franchise QB. There's still some games left, so maybe that will change. IF Kaepernick isn't the guy, then the right move is probably to cut ties so everyone can start fresh. That said, the smart move might be to bring him back (if he's willing and there are no locker room issues) on a modest contract. He's still a physical talent, so maybe he can run some gadget plays once in a while. Heck, maybe Kaep can learn WR.
• Overall, QB is one of those positions that you always have to load up on. You have to increase your chances of finding the right guy. Too many right guys is not a problem because you can get a nice trade return. Gabbert and a cheap Kaep isn't half bad a collection. But, they need to find another option, from somewhere.

• FA - This is supposed to be a big FA QB class. I'm thinking that they won't pour a lot of money into the younger guys and the roster is nowhere near advanced enough to make an older QB interested. So, if there is a run on a QB, it might be a borderline starter like Osweiler/Moore for depth or an aging QB that the rest of the league ran away from.
• Trade - It probably won't happen, but it'd be weird to see a Kaepernick for A. Smith trade. A broken down Brees would still be intriguing too, given that the OL improves.
• Draft - So far, this draft class doesn't look too strong at QB. To me, Goff is probably the most promising option. I like the way he works: head, arm, and feet always seem to be working in sync. Obviously, you can't count on being able to draft a specific player, so guys like Lynch and Wentz also seem intriguing.

RB/FB

• Not sure if Bush will return.
• The roster needs better depth because Hyde can't take that much of a pounding, Hayne is still learning, and Davis needs work (to say the least).
• They need to add more competition at RB. I'd say one FA veteran, one draft pick, one UDFA. None of them need to be perfect. Let them compete with Hayne and Davis. May the best 2-3 play with Hyde.
• Miller is good to go, but it's always good to plan ahead and stash a guy on the PS. Maybe Gaskins is that potential FB#2.

WR

• The talent doesn't look half bad. Some guys are big. Some guys can fly.
• Simpson should be an underrated player to have around.
• QB and OL will be higher priorities, but they'll need more depth here.

TE

• I doubt VD is back. Maybe they can make him a FB or H-back, but I doubt it. I'm not sure that Vance will be back either.
• I think Celek, Bell, and Busta is a decent grouping.
• They should continue to add depth here, but I don't think it is a critical position.

OL

• Assuming Boone leaves, the only positives are: Staley should be around and there are a lot of young bodies at guard.
• They probably need to bring in two day 1 starters via FA and/or draft. This is regardless of whether AD returns.
• Otherwise, a lot of the improvement will have to come from the work Thomas/Martin/Silberman/Brown/Tiller put in this season and the offseason.

DL

• This group kind of reminds me of McKittrick's OL: scrappy, disciplined, and make the most out of what they have.
• They can clog up the run, but the pass rush is not there yet.
• It would be really nice to get a guy like Bosa, Nkemdiche, or Wilkerson. But if we run a 3-4, then it's not the DL's primary goal to get sacks. They do need to get a better push. So, I think success next year will have more to do with improvement from Tank/Armstead/Ramsey/Purcell. Maybe they also search for a FA or draft pick with some explosion, but needs work.

LB

• The OL is so bad that they may be masking how critically bad the LB group is. It makes it that much worse that they run a 3-4, where the LB's abilities are showcased.
• On the outside, Lynch is the only positive. I agree that Brooks is probably gone. Harold has nice potential, but on a great roster, he'd probably be relegated to the 4th OLB.
• Bowman is the man and still young, but they can't bank on him returning to All-Pro form. More depth is needed. Hodges might be a decent option. Wilhoite has been uninspiring. I like Skov's attitude, but I don't think he'll be more than a ST player.
• At MLB, adding a guy like Jaylon Smith or Myles Jack would be huge. Top that off with another depth MLB and MLB looks fairly solid.
• At OLB, I think they'll need at least two guys to add to Lynch, Harold, and Rush. This is also a position that could make an instant impact. Bruce Irvin's speed would be nice. Maybe the "Aldon returns" conspiracy theory is true. Maybe JPP's injured hand makes him more affordable.

CB/S

• I don't have too much to say here. As usual, they should continue to add depth, especially at corner. This is a pass-happy league, so those guys get a lot of mileage. Otherwise, the talent in the secondary is fine.
• I do think Reid's play might go under the microscope, but I think they'll keep him. This is just to say that one thing to watch for is whether they make Ward into a FS that plays nickel or a CB that plays nickel. Or maybe he'll just always be a nickel specialist.

ST

• Pinion has to get that consistency, but he should be fine.
• At some point, they'll want to get the next kicker in here. I'm thinking that this will depend on how much money they spend for other positions. If there's some left, then they'll keep Dawson. If not, they'll either create a kicking competition or draft a blue-chipper.
• The talent on the teams is alright, they just need to put some extra work in and add competition.

So, my view of FA/draft would be:

Must address immediately: OLx2, OLBx2
Must address to become great: MLBx1, QBx1
Need to address to solidify: RB, MLB, K
Solid enough, but depth is always welcome: WR, TE, DL, CB, S
Hope they return: AD, Aldon

To me, there's no point in getting rid of Kap unless you have something better in place. Kap can be a qb you can build around and win games, he's done it for 2 and a half years. He's not a 1 year wonder.

One of Kaps biggest weakness is reading defenses quickly like veteran qb's like brees, Brady, romo, Rodgers etc. I'm not saying he can't, it's just currently he's not as quick as those other guys. So it's imparitive you have build an OL around him that can pass block. If you give him that extra second or a couple tenths of a second he can be a very good qb. Right now we have a terrible pass blocking OL just like we had last year. Really the only QB's who can overcome an OL like that are Rodgers and Brady, that's it. So when Kap is getting pressured on 50% of his drop backs then he struggles and gets happy feet.

With that said, our #1 priority has to be OL. We know Baalke isn't a big spender in FA so people who are expecting him to spend all $50 mil of our projected cap space don't understand how Baalke works. He will spend maybe $30 mil of it and leave us some cap space to extend our upcoming young players. I expect him to use one of our early picks on an OL AND pick up a solid FA O lineman. We need OL who specialize in pass blocking, Hyde is excellent at making defenders miss and is great after contact so we can manage with an average run blocking OL, but Kap cannot function (and neither can most qb's) without solid pass blocking. If we get a few more losses then it's time to put B. Thomas and Brown in and see what they got. See if they can develop so we know when FA and the draft comes around.

Our #2 need is clearly a pass rushing OLB to team up with Lynch. Lynch can be a top 5 OLB if he had a decent pass rushing OLB opposite him so he's not facing so many double teams. We need to keep Ian Williams because he's exellent in taking on double teams and stuffing the run. AA needs to be our starter by next year, and while I think Dial is a solid starter, he provides little when it comes to rushing the passer. I wouldn't mind also seeing a 2nd our 3rd round pick or signing a 5-7 mil a yr DE to start in place of Dial and start opposite AA.

I really like the young players in our secondary. I think Acker can become a #1 CB in a year or 2 and I LOVE what I see in Ward so far this year. He's very versatile and has been our best DB this year. I'm excited to see what Tartt can do now that Bethea is on IR. I think he can be a really good S for us. I've been a little disappointed with Reid this year but I think it has more to do with Mangini's scheme more than anything. Overall Reid is a solid FS. I still really like D. Johnson and think he can be a good #2 CB in this league. Reaser is a good #4 DB and is very versatile as well. Brock to me is a very good #2, but not a true #1.

Overall I think DB is toward the bottom of our needs list. I think we could take a CB in the 5th round or so to develop, or maybe Baalke signs one of his pattented lower teir CB's for cheap to compete against our young guys.

If I had to rank our list of needs it would be as follows:
1. OL - that includes OG and C and RT

2. OLB - specifically a pass rusher

3. ILB

4. QB- whether a young pick to develop in case Kap is done or a solid vet.

5. WR - preferably a middle teir FA to take Boldins place. Think a Stevie Johnson type receiver - possession WR.

6. RB - we need a solid backup to Hyde, he's bound to miss a few games a yr.

7. DE - A middle to upper teir FA or early draft pick to start opposite Armstead. A good pass rusher.

8. DB - a late draft pick or lower FA signing. Also could use a vet Safety to back up Tartt if we cut Bethea.

I think keeping Kap until we find something better is the way to proceed. Don't just cut Kap without having a plan B, just to cut him. Drafting someone better is the way to go, whether it's Goff in '16 or Rosen in '17.

Originally posted by English:
This being the case why wouldn't they say so? However you view the situation we are in, I think we have the same players gone whether the HC is Harbaugh, Tomsula, Gase or Shanahan. I think by speculating that things would have changed, you are just indulging in wishful thinking and trying to make the current people look worse. Why, having retired, would they not have taken the opportunity to go public if they felt that way? The main part of what you describe as "this foreseen mess" actually wasn't foreseeable. Justin hanging up the cleats was bound to happen sometime. But not the others. Losing that amount of sheer talent and leadership, whilst Bowman struggles to return to form is just a killer. Crabtree, Iupati RayMac etc were no great loss.

Devey for Iupati? Of course Iupati was a great loss.

Some really great ideas in this thread, especially from the OP. However I dont trust Balky to take the proper steps of implementation honestly. Change needs to come 1st top down, then the picks, signings and resignings mentioned here could become possible.

Right now we have a few elite players, some good and lots of ok/bad.

QB - Kaepernick
He's bad, the only time he was good he was playing behind one of the best O-lines in football, a great RB, good WR, an elite TE and played with no pressure because de defense was from other world.

RB - Hyde
He's elite but injury prone.

FB - Miller
Elite.

WR1 - Smith
Good. He is showing some great things even with Kaep struggling.

WR2 - Ellington
Can develop in WR1 and of the NFL most dangerous slot WR.

WR3 - Patton
Made some plays but still poor.

TE - McDonald
He is ok, a great blocker however he is in the conversation of the worst pass catcher in NFL.

LT - Staley
Has been elite for years, I will not drop him now.

LG - Tiller
He is rotating snaps with Devey but he's outplaying Devey so much that he should be starter by the end of the year.

C - Kilgore
Good.

RG - Devey
Mediocre.

RT - Pears
Mediocre.

LDT - Armstead
He's playing well in limited snaps and has one of the biggest upsides of all league.

NT - Dorsey
Good run defender but poor pass rusher.

RDT - Dial
Good run defender but poor pass rusher.

LOLB - Lynch
He is a stud. Our best pass rusher but need to develop his running game.

LILB - Bowman
He's not what he used to be but is getting back in shape.

RILB - Hodges
Haven't seen much from him yet.

ROLB - Harold/Brooks
Brooks is in the wrong side of the 30's. Harold is weak, if he really wants to develop as a viable starter he needs to get stronger.

LCB - Brock
Good and solid.

NCB - Ward
Playing very well this year.

FS - Reid/Tartt
Both are good, young and inconsistent so far.

SS - Bethea/Tartt
Bethea is good but getting slower.

RCB - Acker
He is good and will get much better with a good pass rush.

To become a competitive team again we need to get O-line and D-line players so we can win on the line of scrimmage and a QB becuase if you look at the playoff teams right now most of them have stud quaterbacks. Every other position we have guys who can do their jobs or have great upside.

Not sure where to post this but this thread seems the appropriate one.

At least one change is coming to the 49ers starting lineup, assured by safety Antoine Bethea's season-ending pectoral injury. More changes are possible, if not downright necessary.

Here are 11 players the 49ers (2-5) should play more heading into Sunday's visit to the St. Louis Rams (3-3):

— Jaquiski Tartt: This rookie safety is the frontrunner to replace Bethea, as he did in Thursday's 20-3 loss to the Seahawks. Speed and size (6-foot-1, 221 pounds) come with this second-round draft pick from Samford. He hurt his shin late last game but should be OK.

— Arik Armstead: This year's first-round draft pick has already endured as many losses this season as he did in three years combined at Oregon. He has one sack in 116 snaps, but at least he's more noticeable than starter Glenn Dorsey.

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— Jimmie Ward: Last year's top pick has played nearly 60 percent of this season's defensive snaps. He's mainly been covering slot receivers. Could he see action at safety and settle into that role for his career?

— Jarryd Hayne: The 49ers have been too cautious with the Australian rookie's workload. Growing pains were expected (see: three fumbled punt returns). With only 28 offensive snaps, he's an unknown commodity, outside of his preseason flashes. Carlos Hyde's injury should afford more carries to Hayne rather than just Reggie Bush.

— Bruce Ellington: Only 10 offensive snaps and, still, he has four receptions for 44 yards. Hamstring, ankle and calf injuries have kept him off the field. If healthy, he needs to utilize his shifty speed and add another dimension to a milquetoast offense.

— Jerome Simpson: He hasn't played a regular-season game since 2013, but his speed and play-making ability make him a more enticing No. 3 wide receiver than Quinton Patton. He's under contract through next season, and his 2015 debut has been stalled by a six-game suspension.

— Tank Carradine: The 49ers need him more than just 29-percent of the snaps. A 2013 second-round draft pick, Carradine was redshirted as a rookie (knee), but now seems ripe to rattle quarterbacks. He's seeking his first sack since the season opener.

— Vance McDonald: Like Carradine, McDonald was a second-round draft pick in 2013 and hasn't been a play-maker. Instead, Garrett Celek seized a potential starting role from him (and, in some regards, Vernon Davis). He's improved as a blocker, but 16 career receptions are disturbingly low, and his hands remain highly suspect.

— Trent Brown: The 49ers' only backup offensive tackle hasn't taken a snap with the embattled line. He's indeed raw. But he's suited up for games and could get action in relief of starting right tackle Erik Pears.

— Brandon Thomas: While Andrew Tiller (or anyone) is seen as an heroic option to right guard Jordan Devey, Thomas has yet to make his NFL debut. A knee injury kept him out as a rookie, and he's dealt recently with an ankle issue. Was a 2014 third-round draft pick wasted on him?

— Shayne Skov: His once-dominant Stanford says seem long ago. Skov has primarily been stashed on special teams. Last game, Gerald Hodges debuted to give Michael Wilhoite and NaVorro Bowman. Skov deserves a shot, too.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2015/10/26/49ers-should-look-more-to-these-11-reserves/

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
First, players I expect us to lose (either cut or not re-sign) for next year:
OL Boone - I see him testing free agency to get out of here.

Think the same.

OL Devey - I see absolutely no way the team allows him to stay on the roster for 2016, honestly I hope he's cut even sooner.

Think the same.

WR Boldin - His contract is up, he's aging, Smelter is waiting in the wings. We're not paying him $8 million to continue to stay here.

Dont know about that one. If we have the space to keep him, the Niners should keep him. During a rebuilding, some experienced guys are needed badly.

WR Patton - I don't think he makes the final cut for 2016. Too much of a bonehead. I bet Simpson winds up outplaying him this year.

Could happen but he showed some potential for being capable to handle #3-WR duties.

TE Davis - Celek has performed well. Davis will probably retire, but there's no way we're continuing to pay him here.

Bye, bye, wannabe-sportsman.

RB Bush - This is pretty self explanatory.

unfortunately, it really is if he keeps to be injured all day long.

ILB Wilhoite - They traded for Hodges for a reason. Younger, more upside, better in coverage.

Can count himself lucky to be still a starter.

NT Williams - I think with Purcell emerging, he and Dorsey will wind up competing for the starting NT spot with Armstead starts at DE.

if he is healthy, he is a help. In our case, I could care less about potential etc. when we got a dependable player.

DE Jerod-Eddie - Sorry, he needs to go. If he hasn't developed into starter material by now, he never will. Time to upgrade.

True.

OLB Brooks - Salary will be way too big. He's our 2nd best pass rusher now, but we'll use our cap room to upgrade here.

See Boldin.

OLB Lemonier - This year was his last chance to show something. Failed again. He's gone.

Yep.

SS Bethea - As long as Tartt shows promise and Reid stays healthy, I don't expect Bethea back in 2016. He might just retire.

Again, would not like to risk it.

K Dawson - Will we get one more year out of him? Salary pretty high for an old kicker.

Who cares

Fourth, assess what options we have on fixing the roster with the resources we have:
* We could move to a 4-3, have Carradine lose weight to be the pass-rushing DE he was supposed to be, or keep him inside. The DL could be Armstead-Dorsey-Dial-Lynch with Tank subbing in for Dorsey on passing downs. At linebacker we could have Bowman at MLB, Harold at OLB, and Hodges at the other OLB spot (originally played OLB, FYI). Or if we stick with the 3-4, we'll just have to address the gaping hole at pass-rusher and ILB depth.

We "simply" need an every-down-DT/DE who can open up room for pass-rushing LBs. That would solve a lot of problems. Carradine/AA as well as Dial/Dorsey can rotate.

Nothing else needed because we got holes more or less everywhere

my order of need:
1a) o-line
1b) d-line
2) potential CK-replacement
3) pass-rushing OLB
4) ILB
5) WR

Why is "potential CK-replacement" higher than "pass-rushing OLB"? With Lynch we got one already, Brooks can be a solid overall-OLB and Harold at least got some potential to be a pass-rushing threat in the near future. Furthermore, an upgrade on the d-line would open things up anyway, i.e. make the job for our OLBs way easier.
On the other hand, CK does not look like a franchise-qb and we don't have anything behind him.

WR is a question mark due to Boldin's possible departure and Simpson's instability in his life. We don't anything about White and Smelter, Patton and Ellington showed some potential but that is not enough to erase the need.

Originally posted by 49ersOnMINE:

Not sure where to post this but this thread seems the appropriate one.

At least one change is coming to the 49ers starting lineup, assured by safety Antoine Bethea's season-ending pectoral injury. More changes are possible, if not downright necessary.

Here are 11 players the 49ers (2-5) should play more heading into Sunday's visit to the St. Louis Rams (3-3):

— Jaquiski Tartt: This rookie safety is the frontrunner to replace Bethea, as he did in Thursday's 20-3 loss to the Seahawks. Speed and size (6-foot-1, 221 pounds) come with this second-round draft pick from Samford. He hurt his shin late last game but should be OK.

— Arik Armstead: This year's first-round draft pick has already endured as many losses this season as he did in three years combined at Oregon. He has one sack in 116 snaps, but at least he's more noticeable than starter Glenn Dorsey.

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— Jimmie Ward: Last year's top pick has played nearly 60 percent of this season's defensive snaps. He's mainly been covering slot receivers. Could he see action at safety and settle into that role for his career?

— Jarryd Hayne: The 49ers have been too cautious with the Australian rookie's workload. Growing pains were expected (see: three fumbled punt returns). With only 28 offensive snaps, he's an unknown commodity, outside of his preseason flashes. Carlos Hyde's injury should afford more carries to Hayne rather than just Reggie Bush.

— Bruce Ellington: Only 10 offensive snaps and, still, he has four receptions for 44 yards. Hamstring, ankle and calf injuries have kept him off the field. If healthy, he needs to utilize his shifty speed and add another dimension to a milquetoast offense.

— Jerome Simpson: He hasn't played a regular-season game since 2013, but his speed and play-making ability make him a more enticing No. 3 wide receiver than Quinton Patton. He's under contract through next season, and his 2015 debut has been stalled by a six-game suspension.

— Tank Carradine: The 49ers need him more than just 29-percent of the snaps. A 2013 second-round draft pick, Carradine was redshirted as a rookie (knee), but now seems ripe to rattle quarterbacks. He's seeking his first sack since the season opener.

— Vance McDonald: Like Carradine, McDonald was a second-round draft pick in 2013 and hasn't been a play-maker. Instead, Garrett Celek seized a potential starting role from him (and, in some regards, Vernon Davis). He's improved as a blocker, but 16 career receptions are disturbingly low, and his hands remain highly suspect.

— Trent Brown: The 49ers' only backup offensive tackle hasn't taken a snap with the embattled line. He's indeed raw. But he's suited up for games and could get action in relief of starting right tackle Erik Pears.

— Brandon Thomas: While Andrew Tiller (or anyone) is seen as an heroic option to right guard Jordan Devey, Thomas has yet to make his NFL debut. A knee injury kept him out as a rookie, and he's dealt recently with an ankle issue. Was a 2014 third-round draft pick wasted on him?

— Shayne Skov: His once-dominant Stanford says seem long ago. Skov has primarily been stashed on special teams. Last game, Gerald Hodges debuted to give Michael Wilhoite and NaVorro Bowman. Skov deserves a shot, too.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2015/10/26/49ers-should-look-more-to-these-11-reserves/

One thing I'm frustrated about is the fact that we don't use an extra OL as much now, I'd like to see Trenton Brown get playing time as an extra offensive lineman in short yardage and other sets. That's something we did in the Harbaugh era that I liked -- getting the OL depth some playing time.

The OP also thought that Tomsula was a great hire. Someone quoted his post from when Jimmy was hired. Can't respond to anything he posts

Originally posted by sacniner:
The OP also thought that Tomsula was a great hire. Someone quoted his post from when Jimmy was hired. Can't respond to anything he posts

You just did.

And BTW, thanks for the contributions in here. Very insightful.