Identifying the "Core Players" Offensive Edition by D-Money

So after installing the defensive edition of "core players", it's time to do the offense. Or what's left of it.

So who do we have, what do we need, and where can we get better?

Coaches:

Geep has not done a very good job, but yet our offensive coordinator before him had a website page calling for his dismissal and was liked by one of our own O-lineman. We have gotten away from the delay of games and wasting of timeouts. Geep has brought back the WCO, we just don't have the time to let our qb execute it or all the players necessary to run it. In fact we don't have the players needed to run any type of formidable offense at this point. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm okay with bringing Geep back next year.

Core players:

Joe Staley

The best O-lineman on our team by far and has been the best for the past 7+ years. I still think he has another great 4-5 years in him and will be one of our core players going forward.

Torrey Smith

A true deep threat wide receiver we have needed for the past 4+ years. I think he is more than a one trick pony but he is an ideal #2 wide out with break out speed. He has been hampered by injuries this year and poor qb play, but he is part of our core going forward. He and Staley are great leaders for our young guys to lean on as well.

Carlos Hyde

The guy is a stud, however he keeps getting banged up. He is a true franchise back, but only if he can stay healthy, which will always be a big IF because of his violent running style. We will almost always need to have a 1a and 1b running back on the team, because Hyde will deliver a hit but also get hit, and hurt.

That's it… I had about 8-10 core players on D, but on offense we have 3, which is why our offense is so bad.

Who's still here but not (yet) part of our core players going forward…

Offensive Lineman:

Daniel Kilgore

Well good and hugely missed throughout this season. I don't think he is great and if it weren't for the horrid play and holes to plug along the rest of the oline, we could actually be looking to upgrade the position.

Trent Brown

Obviously, I would love to put him with our core players, but the guy has only played 40+ snaps. Maybe the next two games he finally gets to start. This is the only beef I have with this coaching staff, is why did they not play this guy all year, horrible coaching decision. Brown is a mountain and has looked good out there but the sample size is too small to declare him part of the future.

Andrew Tillner- While better than garbage Devey, the position can definitely be upgraded. He would be even better for us if he wasn't starting as he would be considering great depth at that point, backing up both guard spots.

Marcus Martin- Oh man has he been bad this year, however I can't write him off just yet do to his age (21) and the experience he has gained starting the past couple seasons. I think he is much better at guard and don't ever want to see him be a center again. He needs to learn the playbook badly, work on pre snap reads, and work to get stronger as his body still looks kinda sloppy.

Running backs:

Bruce Miller: I want to put him in the core player mix, but he is never on the field. The NFL has gotten so far away from utilizing the FB position that they are pretty much irrelevant. I don't think he will be with the team beyond next season. He is a great fullback, and would love to see him back on a four year contract, I just don't think it is necessary to get better as an offense going forward.

Shawn Droughn- Great pick up during the middle of the season. It would be ideal if he was our 3rd rb and not starting but he did make the best of his situation. He played with heart and passion in every game. Something that can't be said about a lot of the players. He should be back, but isn't part of our core players group on offense.

Tight Ends:

Who would've thought at the beginning of the season we had 8 tight ends and now we need to address the position again.

McDonald: Much like Martin although not as bad, I'm not willing to write the guy off yet. A great blocker and a horrible receiver since he has come into the league. He does need to park himself in front of the jugs machine and just learn how to hold onto the damn ball. His route running, and playmaking ability after the catch are there, but if you can't catch, you're done. Make or break for next year.

Blake Bell: He has looked good and also looked lost out on the field. The next two games will give some good measurements on where he fits in going forward. He needs to add muscle, work on his blocking, and play more to figure into our core players going forward.



Wide Receivers:

Quinton Patton: Patton has quietly had a real good year for himself. He has made some plays both on offense and on special teams. He will always be a role player, but he is a solid #3 or great 4th wide out option. I would like to see him around for years to come as he has an energy level to him that the offense needs.

Deandre Smelter: Everyone is penciling this guy in to simply come in and replace Boldin and his production. I have to see it first. Let him get some PT before we can label him anything more than a wide receiving option at this point.

QB:

Blaine Gabbert: A pleasant surprise, he was written off before the year even started as the worst qb ever and had the stats to match. But he has performed better than I have expected and even given us hope he can be a true game manager. He is an ideal bridge qb. He is smart, a team player, tough, and at least knows how to read defenses. Considering he hasn't had a running game since taking over the starting job, no oline, and a lot of dropped passes. I actually like Blaine, I think the players like him, and I think he will be better next year. Is he a franchise qb, I'm not going to say yes, and I'm not going to say no. He is better than Alex Smith ever was when surrounded by nearly the same team, if not better with Gore. He can play himself into a core player by doing better next year.



Players not mentioned above:

O-Line:

Devey: Get the hell out please and go waste some other teams time.

Pears: Probably played himself out of the league this year.

Boone: Huge loss, as I expect him to leave in FA for greener pastures. We have all the cap room in the world, but Baalke isn't going to spend big money on a guard. He has proven that over his GM career, and I for one agree with that thinking.



Running Backs:

Reggie Bush: I think his playing days are over, the USC days are long gone.

Mike Davis: He'll be lucky to make the team next year, as he has no burst and no play making ability.

Kendall Gaskins: He looks like a PS player. Should be gone.

Hayne Plane: He could be our starting PR/KR next year, but I'm not expecting anything more.



QB's:

Colin Kaepernick: I think we all wanted him to succeed so bad, however he is just not a very good leader. I think the players quit responding to him and his selfish ways. He can not read a defense at all and has set our franchise back at least 2-3 years. Sorry Kaep but you gotta go. With all that being said. I still think he has some return value as some coaches out there will think they can fix him.



Wide receivers:

Anquan Boldin: A true leader on our team. A great possession receiver and blocker for his position. However, he is a FA, he is 36, and he has only 1 year left which is why he will go to contender. Thank you Anquan.

Jerome Simpson: This guy is a joke. He needs to go.

Bruce Ellington: Last year, we wanted to get this guy on the field more, now I want him off. He has been outplayed by Patton this year both on offense and special teams. He makes the team again, if we don't address the position.



And that's it. We have 3 "core players" on offense and some other young (maybe not so good) pieces around it. But the lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball as a whole is alarming. I don't need to get into the players that have left or not performed (Kaep, V Davis, etc.) but we have holes everywhere. So what are our biggest needs?

RT, RG, LG, WR, QB, TE, RB in that order.

Obviously the QB position is on a whole level all by itself, and will/could easily be our first pick but in terms of quality the other positions need to be addressed before a qb can be expected to succeed. I personally want Goff, with the realization that we sit him out all of year 1. He needs to get bigger, smarter, and the team needs another year to build up around him, before I would feel comfortable putting him out there.

The FA market is weak all around this year as all the top tier wide outs signed before the start of the season, and the qb market is always low in FA. However, OL may have a couple of stars that we need to be all over. If Alex Mack opts out of Cleveland, swoop him up and bring him home. Also, watch Glenn (OT) from Buffalo as he may be the best FA lineman available. This offense has many needs, but it all starts up front. Oh and I don't trust A.Davis to come back. Everyone thinks he is going to be the same player and a great player for us, I just don't trust him and I don't think Baalke trusts him. If he does want to come back, he could be trade bait. Not because of his talent, but because his love of the game is in question.

Well, that's our offense or lack thereof. I have a plan for the 49ers to get better, I just don't expect huge results to come next year. We could realistically draft only offense this year and still not have enough talented players.

If I could throw away everything but Staley, Kilgore and Hyde and start over I would in a heartbeat. Since that is unrealistic I would say we should try to work with Boone, Smelter, Smith, Bell, Hayne and Miller as potential starters for next year. Everybody else we should be looking high and low for upgrades.

I don't think Hyde is the answer. Dude is going to get injured every year.

Originally posted by jedediahyork:

I don't think Hyde is the answer. Dude is going to get injured every year.

He doesn't have to be a bell cow to be a core player...many teams feature change of pace guys and third down specialists to keep the feature back healthy. In the modern era actually the every down back is pretty rare.

Originally posted by PhillyNiner:

Originally posted by jedediahyork:
I don't think Hyde is the answer. Dude is going to get injured every year.

He doesn't have to be a bell cow to be a core player...many teams feature change of pace guys and third down specialists to keep the feature back healthy. In the modern era actually the every down back is pretty rare.

He's got to be on the field to be a core player, though.

Originally posted by jedediahyork:

I don't think Hyde is the answer. Dude is going to get injured every year.

He shouldn't have been getting 20+ touches a game but Reggie bush couldn't stay healthy for a full game. Baalke will draft anther RB to help spell Hyde.

I believe hyde was one of the best RBs in the league at breaking tackles and getting yards after contact.

Hyde is a franchise back in my opinion but you have to have a quality back up. he puts himself out there to get hit with his running style. That's why I think we need to add another guy that can carry the load full time at rb. I wouldn't mind drafting a Rb within the first 3 rounds

Originally posted by D-Money:
Hyde is a franchise back in my opinion but you have to have a quality back up. he puts himself out there to get hit with his running style. That's why I think we need to add another guy that can carry the load full time at rb. I wouldn't mind drafting a Rb within the first 3 rounds

same here, I wouldn't mind getting a quick, elusive back with a slashing style of running, plus a solid receiver out of the backfield ...we need more weapons on the field next year

Nice work.

I also see Gabbert as a bridge QB (for now). Though, given how lackluster the O has been, I think he's already a de facto core player. He's been solid enough that QB is not an immediate worry. While Gabbert holds the fort on a core spot, they can add more pieces and groom their QB-of-the-future in the background.

Originally posted by NeeJ49er:

Originally posted by D-Money:
Hyde is a franchise back in my opinion but you have to have a quality back up. he puts himself out there to get hit with his running style. That's why I think we need to add another guy that can carry the load full time at rb. I wouldn't mind drafting a Rb within the first 3 rounds

same here, I wouldn't mind getting a quick, elusive back with a slashing style of running, plus a solid receiver out of the backfield ...we need more weapons on the field next year

I would love to grab Hyde's former running mate in E. Elliot but we just have to many other needs in the 1st :unless drops. Another kid to watch in the later rounds that has that style is Taylor from Florida. He is the former Jacksonville, RB Fred Taylor's son. Very similar running styles too.

Originally posted by zonkers:
Nice work.

I also see Gabbert as a bridge QB (for now). Though, given how lackluster the O has been, I think he's already a de facto core player. He's been solid enough that QB is not an immediate worry. While Gabbert holds the fort on a core spot, they can add more pieces and groom their QB-of-the-future in the background.

Thanks Zonkers,

I agree, Gabbert has a chance to prove himself to be more than a bridge qb next year. In my opinion he has done very well considering the circumstances. I think he is only 26, so very young still. WIth a new O-line and a running game he has a chance to improve dramatically and also set a higher bar for the young rookie qb to match when ready to play.

Originally posted by NeeJ49er:

Originally posted by D-Money:
Hyde is a franchise back in my opinion but you have to have a quality back up. he puts himself out there to get hit with his running style. That's why I think we need to add another guy that can carry the load full time at rb. I wouldn't mind drafting a Rb within the first 3 rounds

same here, I wouldn't mind getting a quick, elusive back with a slashing style of running, plus a solid receiver out of the backfield ...we need more weapons on the field next year

I agree with this. I wonder what our ZBS would look like with a Warrick Dunn (in his prime) type back. Straight scat back.

Originally posted by D-Money:
So after installing the defensive edition of "core players", it's time to do the offense. Or what's left of it.

So who do we have, what do we need, and where can we get better?

Coaches:

Geep has not done a very good job, but yet our offensive coordinator before him had a website page calling for his dismissal and was liked by one of our own O-lineman. We have gotten away from the delay of games and wasting of timeouts. Geep has brought back the WCO, we just don't have the time to let our qb execute it or all the players necessary to run it. In fact we don't have the players needed to run any type of formidable offense at this point. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm okay with bringing Geep back next year.

Core players:

Joe Staley

The best O-lineman on our team by far and has been the best for the past 7+ years. I still think he has another great 4-5 years in him and will be one of our core players going forward.

Torrey Smith

A true deep threat wide receiver we have needed for the past 4+ years. I think he is more than a one trick pony but he is an ideal #2 wide out with break out speed. He has been hampered by injuries this year and poor qb play, but he is part of our core going forward. He and Staley are great leaders for our young guys to lean on as well.

Carlos Hyde

The guy is a stud, however he keeps getting banged up. He is a true franchise back, but only if he can stay healthy, which will always be a big IF because of his violent running style. We will almost always need to have a 1a and 1b running back on the team, because Hyde will deliver a hit but also get hit, and hurt.

That's it… I had about 8-10 core players on D, but on offense we have 3, which is why our offense is so bad.

Who's still here but not (yet) part of our core players going forward…

Offensive Lineman:

Daniel Kilgore

Well good and hugely missed throughout this season. I don't think he is great and if it weren't for the horrid play and holes to plug along the rest of the oline, we could actually be looking to upgrade the position.

Trent Brown

Obviously, I would love to put him with our core players, but the guy has only played 40+ snaps. Maybe the next two games he finally gets to start. This is the only beef I have with this coaching staff, is why did they not play this guy all year, horrible coaching decision. Brown is a mountain and has looked good out there but the sample size is too small to declare him part of the future.

Andrew Tillner- While better than garbage Devey, the position can definitely be upgraded. He would be even better for us if he wasn't starting as he would be considering great depth at that point, backing up both guard spots.

Marcus Martin- Oh man has he been bad this year, however I can't write him off just yet do to his age (21) and the experience he has gained starting the past couple seasons. I think he is much better at guard and don't ever want to see him be a center again. He needs to learn the playbook badly, work on pre snap reads, and work to get stronger as his body still looks kinda sloppy.

Running backs:

Bruce Miller: I want to put him in the core player mix, but he is never on the field. The NFL has gotten so far away from utilizing the FB position that they are pretty much irrelevant. I don't think he will be with the team beyond next season. He is a great fullback, and would love to see him back on a four year contract, I just don't think it is necessary to get better as an offense going forward.

Shawn Droughn- Great pick up during the middle of the season. It would be ideal if he was our 3rd rb and not starting but he did make the best of his situation. He played with heart and passion in every game. Something that can't be said about a lot of the players. He should be back, but isn't part of our core players group on offense.

Tight Ends:

Who would've thought at the beginning of the season we had 8 tight ends and now we need to address the position again.

McDonald: Much like Martin although not as bad, I'm not willing to write the guy off yet. A great blocker and a horrible receiver since he has come into the league. He does need to park himself in front of the jugs machine and just learn how to hold onto the damn ball. His route running, and playmaking ability after the catch are there, but if you can't catch, you're done. Make or break for next year.

Blake Bell: He has looked good and also looked lost out on the field. The next two games will give some good measurements on where he fits in going forward. He needs to add muscle, work on his blocking, and play more to figure into our core players going forward.



Wide Receivers:

Quinton Patton: Patton has quietly had a real good year for himself. He has made some plays both on offense and on special teams. He will always be a role player, but he is a solid #3 or great 4th wide out option. I would like to see him around for years to come as he has an energy level to him that the offense needs.

Deandre Smelter: Everyone is penciling this guy in to simply come in and replace Boldin and his production. I have to see it first. Let him get some PT before we can label him anything more than a wide receiving option at this point.

QB:

Blaine Gabbert: A pleasant surprise, he was written off before the year even started as the worst qb ever and had the stats to match. But he has performed better than I have expected and even given us hope he can be a true game manager. He is an ideal bridge qb. He is smart, a team player, tough, and at least knows how to read defenses. Considering he hasn't had a running game since taking over the starting job, no oline, and a lot of dropped passes. I actually like Blaine, I think the players like him, and I think he will be better next year. Is he a franchise qb, I'm not going to say yes, and I'm not going to say no. He is better than Alex Smith ever was when surrounded by nearly the same team, if not better with Gore. He can play himself into a core player by doing better next year.



Players not mentioned above:

O-Line:

Devey: Get the hell out please and go waste some other teams time.

Pears: Probably played himself out of the league this year.

Boone: Huge loss, as I expect him to leave in FA for greener pastures. We have all the cap room in the world, but Baalke isn't going to spend big money on a guard. He has proven that over his GM career, and I for one agree with that thinking.



Running Backs:

Reggie Bush: I think his playing days are over, the USC days are long gone.

Mike Davis: He'll be lucky to make the team next year, as he has no burst and no play making ability.

Kendall Gaskins: He looks like a PS player. Should be gone.

Hayne Plane: He could be our starting PR/KR next year, but I'm not expecting anything more.



QB's:

Colin Kaepernick: I think we all wanted him to succeed so bad, however he is just not a very good leader. I think the players quit responding to him and his selfish ways. He can not read a defense at all and has set our franchise back at least 2-3 years. Sorry Kaep but you gotta go. With all that being said. I still think he has some return value as some coaches out there will think they can fix him.



Wide receivers:

Anquan Boldin: A true leader on our team. A great possession receiver and blocker for his position. However, he is a FA, he is 36, and he has only 1 year left which is why he will go to contender. Thank you Anquan.

Jerome Simpson: This guy is a joke. He needs to go.

Bruce Ellington: Last year, we wanted to get this guy on the field more, now I want him off. He has been outplayed by Patton this year both on offense and special teams. He makes the team again, if we don't address the position.



And that's it. We have 3 "core players" on offense and some other young (maybe not so good) pieces around it. But the lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball as a whole is alarming. I don't need to get into the players that have left or not performed (Kaep, V Davis, etc.) but we have holes everywhere. So what are our biggest needs?

RT, RG, LG, WR, QB, TE, RB in that order.

Obviously the QB position is on a whole level all by itself, and will/could easily be our first pick but in terms of quality the other positions need to be addressed before a qb can be expected to succeed. I personally want Goff, with the realization that we sit him out all of year 1. He needs to get bigger, smarter, and the team needs another year to build up around him, before I would feel comfortable putting him out there.

The FA market is weak all around this year as all the top tier wide outs signed before the start of the season, and the qb market is always low in FA. However, OL may have a couple of stars that we need to be all over. If Alex Mack opts out of Cleveland, swoop him up and bring him home. Also, watch Glenn (OT) from Buffalo as he may be the best FA lineman available. This offense has many needs, but it all starts up front. Oh and I don't trust A.Davis to come back. Everyone thinks he is going to be the same player and a great player for us, I just don't trust him and I don't think Baalke trusts him. If he does want to come back, he could be trade bait. Not because of his talent, but because his love of the game is in question.

Well, that's our offense or lack thereof. I have a plan for the 49ers to get better, I just don't expect huge results to come next year. We could realistically draft only offense this year and still not have enough talented players.

I agree with this assessment overall. I think our offense has some players that potentially could do some things, but we won't see the potential until our O-line can play at just an average level overall. I definitely want Geep Chryst gone. While Is see more variety and more players involved than when Greg Roman called the plays, we run far too much on first down, which makes no sense considering its too predictable, we are better at pass blocking than run blocking, and our starting running back for several weeks was signed off the street. Bruce Ellington is horribly misused and I think he could be a guy that could give us 8 plays a game as Bill Walsh would say . Between Ellington, Patton, our TEs, and backs, I think a play caller should get those guys involved in the game early and often, while selectively mixing in runs to keep the defense honest and eventually set up for some deep shots to Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson. I really think we could use what we have a lot better. Seattle does a better job involving Ricardo Lockette and he is not a better receiver than Ellington.

Hyde looked like the best in the league when he was healthy. He absolutely freaking shredded a very good Vikes D. If you want hope for next year just watch that game again. He destroyed them and made them look like they weren't even NFL worthy. He got some good blocking too at times, but it was mostly him.

Originally posted by NYniner85:
He shouldn't have been getting 20+ touches a game but Reggie bush couldn't stay healthy for a full game. Baalke will draft anther RB to help spell Hyde.

I believe hyde was one of the best RBs in the league at breaking tackles and getting yards after contact.

Started off great in Pittsburgh too - then bam, here comes the knee. Didn't look quite the same after that. Still looked good though.

Tiller, Kilgore and Brown all look like guys we can (for sure in the case of Kilgore and IMO Tiller) and likely (Brown) build around in the future as well. They have all looked good. Brown was dominant in college he just was a major weight/work ethic question mark so he fell. He destroyed everyone he faced though the snaps he was on the field.

Originally posted by Evilgenius:

Hyde looked like the best in the league when he was healthy. He absolutely freaking shredded a very good Vikes D. If you want hope for next year just watch that game again. He destroyed them and made them look like they weren't even NFL worthy. He got some good blocking too at times, but it was mostly him.


Started off great in Pittsburgh too - then bam, here comes the knee. Didn't look quite the same after that. Still looked good though.

Tiller, Kilgore and Brown all look like guys we can (for sure in the case of Kilgore and IMO Tiller) and likely (Brown) build around in the future as well. They have all looked good. Brown was dominant in college he just was a major weight/work ethic question mark so he fell. He destroyed everyone he faced though the snaps he was on the field.

It was his foot that caused him to miss the rest of the season he broke it.

great insight, and btw, it's "Tiller" not Tillner