What This Draft Told Us About Lynch and Shanahan

Originally posted by ColorMeBaddFan:
People say things like "this draft is deep" or "the strength of this year's draft is in the middle rounds" every single year.

There are only two types of differences between drafts from one year to the next: 1) There are sometimes more truly elite prospects in one given year vs another, it only takes a few elite athletes to make this difference; and 2) Sometimes one position group is deeper from one year to the next because there are 2-4 elite guys at the top.

For example, the 1983 QB draft class vs the 2013 QB class.

In the aggregate, every draft is going to produce the same number of players that occupy roster spots within some kind standard deviation.

This team needed a pass rush more than any other aspect of the game. There happened to be an elite prospect at the top of draft. Next to QB, an elite pass rusher is the most is the most in demand player in the NFL. This was not a time to trade down.

Ask yourself this question: Would a single pass rusher, in this case Nick Bosa, benefit this roster more than a pass rusher taken a few picks later, with the addition of other picks that can be used at areas of need?

That, in a nutshell, is what I was getting at in my original mention of trading the pick.

After all, the draft is nothing but a crapshoot anyway, so why not increase the odds of the overall class being successful by having more picks??

Did anyone hear/read Lynch's assertion that it will be much harder for draftees to make the roster this year? He made this statement before the draft and it gives some perspective on how he views the roster as a whole.

Originally posted by Mookster:

Lynch's comments on our current CBs: "You look at our secondary now. It's not the easiest thing in the world, draft a guy who could just beat out Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, Ahkello (Witherspoon), Tarvarius Moore. Those aren't easy things."

Shanahan's comments about our pass rush after the 2018 draft was over: You've got to be pretty good to beat out [DL Cassius] Marsh. You've got to be pretty good to beat out [DL Arik] Armstead. You don't just get guys. If you get them, someone else has got to get cut and we've got a pretty good group.

Fixing our pass rush should help but this year's comments sound too similar to last year's and that didn't work out so well.

I didn't like drafting a punter in the 4th round, that's hardly an uncommon opinion. I also didn't like drafting two receivers in the 2nd and 3rd round, one would have been enough.

I'm not in the profession, but I feel like a team should draft an o-lineman every year in the first four rounds. It's five positions, nearly a 1/4 of your starters. One could say something similar about the secondary.

Chances are most of us would have felt better had the 3rd rounder been used on a Guard and the fourth rounder used on a CB or S (or swap those positions between the 3rd and 4th rounds).

Originally posted by Mookster:
Lynch's comments on our current CBs: "You look at our secondary now. It's not the easiest thing in the world, draft a guy who could just beat out Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, Ahkello (Witherspoon), Tarvarius Moore. Those aren't easy things."

Shanahan's comments about our pass rush after the 2018 draft was over: You've got to be pretty good to beat out [DL Cassius] Marsh. You've got to be pretty good to beat out [DL Arik] Armstead. You don't just get guys. If you get them, someone else has got to get cut and we've got a pretty good group.

Fixing our pass rush should help but this year's comments sound too similar to last year's and that didn't work out so well.

Difference is Verrett and Sherm are very productive players when each are on the field.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Last year the team signed 0 pass rushers and drafted 0 pass rushers despite the need. This year, the team signed a corner and at least drafted one. So they didn't do much more but they did do more. I still won't be shocked if someone's traded. If healthy, the trio of Sherman-Verrett-Williams is extremely good. Who knows, if Moore improved enough to beat someone out, it could be even better.

I think we have a massive surplus of players at various positions that could allow us to wheel and deal guys before final cuts. DL, RB, WR, CB and S have a lot of bodies, but only so many make the team. Health will be key of course too.

I agree with you that the talent is there. My concern with that group is the lower-body injuries that they have sustained over the years. If either Sherman or Verrett goes down, would a choice between Moore and Witherspoon inspire confidence at this point? Those guys could develop into quality starters, and I am not doubting that they will. I just think that Lynch is putting too much stock into their value at the expense of considering other options like this year's draft.

What has it taught me? Or tell me about them? That they are a cluster fk in that war room! I can't blame this all on Lynch as I'm quite sure Kyle has a strong pull here.
Again another draft where they failed to address certain holes and needs.

I'm really not sure what to say but I'm confused as hell. It's the same fkn cycle all over again and it's like watching a damn freight train crash.
What in God's name is our franchise infatuation with injured players??? I was so excited when Baalke left that we could turn the page on that chapter. I guess not.

I understand drafting for needs and what not. Hurd in the 3rd? Idk I figured that was a prime spot to address the secondary or even the OL. Nope.
The punter....okay I get it he's good. Is he 4th rd good???? Yikes.
The LB we drafted is fodder. It's pretty damn hard to get excited about him. The CB ... lol 6 years in college? A lot of injuries?

Last year they really failed to address the pass rush. I mean literally. We shall see with the secondary they drafted but YTD none of them have looked like starters.
Our safeties are avg at best.

A lot of glaring needs still loom after year 3 and that's 3 top 10 draft picks. Time will tell but it feels all to familiar

The Shanalynch 6 year contract gives them no sense of urgency, so they are slow learning on the job.
If they were players they'd be cut by now.

What did it teach me? It taught me that when JL said "brick by brick", he was describing his speed (one brick per year) not his methodology.

What this draft, free agency, and overall offseason told me is that they're way too overconfident in this garbage secondary.

Jimmie "Hospital" Ward, Inconsistent Quaski Tartt, Verrett who can't stay healthy, Spoon who gives up 3-5 touchdowns per game, Colbert who bites on play action, and Moore who is playing out of position and should be at safety instead of corner.

They showed ZERO interest in free agency for Earl Thomas. And even if Earl was out of their price range, they did not go out and target any other legitimate safety like Adrian Amos. The only safety they showed interest in was Jimmie f**king Ward.

So you think. Well, maybe they have a plan in the draft? Maybe it will work out.

Nope, they didn't have any damn plan. The plan is to just improve the pass rush, and take your lumps with the roster. Well, I'm sorry to say, I don't really share this confidence with the front office right now. I foresee us getting torched this season as usual by the elite QBs. I wish I could share their optimism on these guys, but I've seen them enough to know that they may not amount to much.

Originally posted by 16to87:

The Shanalynch 6 year contract gives them no sense of urgency, so they are slow learning on the job.
If they were players they'd be cut by now.

No they wouldn't. They are 6-2 with their QB1 starting.

Originally posted by wailers15:
What has it taught me? Or tell me about them? That they are a cluster fk in that war room! I can't blame this all on Lynch as I'm quite sure Kyle has a strong pull here.
Again another draft where they failed to address certain holes and needs.

I'm really not sure what to say but I'm confused as hell. It's the same fkn cycle all over again and it's like watching a damn freight train crash.
What in God's name is our franchise infatuation with injured players??? I was so excited when Baalke left that we could turn the page on that chapter. I guess not.

I understand drafting for needs and what not. Hurd in the 3rd? Idk I figured that was a prime spot to address the secondary or even the OL. Nope.
The punter....okay I get it he's good. Is he 4th rd good???? Yikes.
The LB we drafted is fodder. It's pretty damn hard to get excited about him. The CB ... lol 6 years in college? A lot of injuries?

Last year they really failed to address the pass rush. I mean literally. We shall see with the secondary they drafted but YTD none of them have looked like starters.
Our safeties are avg at best.

A lot of glaring needs still loom after year 3 and that's 3 top 10 draft picks. Time will tell but it feels all to familiar

Astutely stated..
It's not only drafting though. But that's another topic
It has to be said that "time will tell" only goes so far though. It's been a long time. Time has "told". and it's not a good story.

Originally posted by 16to87:

The Shanalynch 6 year contract gives them no sense of urgency, so they are slow learning on the job.
If they were players they'd be cut by now.

Hmmmm...idea:
Brick 1 / 2017 - Add a FQB
Brick 2 / 2018 - Establish running game
Brick 3 / 2019 - Add ER & WR
Brick 4 / 2020 - Complete secondary
Brick 5 / 2021 - Complete OL
Brick 6 / 2022 - Compete...end of ShanaLynch/Garoppolo contracts

...we suck again.

Originally posted by Rsrkshn:

Astutely stated..
It's not only drafting though. But that's another topic
It has to be said that "time will tell" only goes so far though. It's been a long time. Time has "told". and it's not a good story.

Moneyball spills over to the draft as well. Today Kyle was talking about evaluating the punters and going over all the analytics. Had to run upstairs before Paraag traded the whole team away. Paraag runs this b***h. Same trends under Baalke as we're seeing now.

Originally posted by Ensatsu:
What this draft, free agency, and overall offseason told me is that they're way too overconfident in this garbage secondary.

Jimmie "Hospital" Ward, Inconsistent Quaski Tartt, Verrett who can't stay healthy, Spoon who gives up 3-5 touchdowns per game, Colbert who bites on play action, and Moore who is playing out of position and should be at safety instead of corner.

They showed ZERO interest in free agency for Earl Thomas. And even if Earl was out of their price range, they did not go out and target any other legitimate safety like Adrian Amos. The only safety they showed interest in was Jimmie f**king Ward.

So you think. Well, maybe they have a plan in the draft? Maybe it will work out.

Nope, they didn't have any damn plan. The plan is to just improve the pass rush, and take your lumps with the roster. Well, I'm sorry to say, I don't really share this confidence with the front office right now. I foresee us getting torched this season as usual by the elite QBs. I wish I could share their optimism on these guys, but I've seen them enough to know that they may not amount to much.

Thanks for providing an objective view to this thread. I'm as big of a fan as anyone on this board. That doesn't stop me from recognizing the obvious. I am willing to reserve judgement on this year's class, but if it doesn't pan out there will be changes made to the coaching staff.